Ted Cruz, looking for a rebound to keep his presidential hopes alive and block Donald Trump from capturing the Republican nomination, said Monday he’s “all in on in”, a crucial test for the Texas senator especially now that another rival is getting out of his way in the state. Kasich had planned a first visit Tuesday but announced Sunday night that he is backing out of campaigning in the state as part of a collaborative strategy with Cruz to try to stop Trump.
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“Our campaign will focus its time and resources in IN and in turn clear the path for Gov. Kasich to compete in OR and New Mexico, and we would hope that allies of both campaigns would follow our lead”, Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe said.
If no candidate has enough support on the first vote at the national convention, many delegates can switch sides on subsequent ballots, opening up a potential free-for-all.
The arrangement is created to prevent front-runner Donald Trump from clinching the nomination. His campaign on Sunday night canceled a town-hall meeting and gathering in Indianapolis scheduled to watch the results of Tuesday’s primaries. “Well, if he’s so big and strong and tough stop hiding in Trump Tower in New York City and show up and show the humility to stand before the people of in and answer their questions”. Cruz had the backing of Wisconsin’s popular governor, Scott Walker, as well as endorsements of local officials who helped to boost his campaign in the state.
The survey, conducted by the Harvard University Institute of Politics, finds that in a hypothetical matchup, 61% of likely voters age 18-29 say they would vote for Clinton, while just 25% would vote for Trump. Republicans will pick their delegates in at least four states this weekend, including Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona and Virginia. Winning the state 40/35 over Cruz, as the last poll had it, could mean upwards of 40-45 delegates for him (depending on how each individual district goes).
The fantasy that we’re bound to get a “new Trump” is endlessly appealing to the press, who look at general election polling numbers that show him being crushed by either Democratic frontrunner and fear a sudden ratings drop-off.
The former secretary of state ignored Sanders as she campaigned in DE, assailing Trump as being out of touch with average Americans. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) in tight races in CT and Rhode Island, two states that hold their primaries on Tuesday.
The Kasich-Cruz deal, by contrast, covers just three states. Also, approximately 80% of the Republican Party is against him.
Past that, the last gasp for Republicans trying to avoid having Trump as their nominee may come down to California and its 172 delegates on June 7. Pence met with Trump on Wednesday and Cruz on Thursday and is expected to meet with Kasich this week. “Folks, it’s a rigged system, believe me”.
A candidate who wins a state contest sometimes still must win over delegates who often are allocated at separate events. 85% of Republican voters are against Kasich. If he and Cruz are running a “Stop Trump” campaign the rest of the way, they might as well own it. They’re going to face various problems from it; they might as well do their best to get all the benefits too.
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“We’re not telling voters who to vote for in IN, only where we are going to spend resources to ultimately defeat Hillary”. And that, combined with the fact that more millennials are identifying as Democratic instead of independent for the first time in five years, indicates the youth vote in November could be anti-Trump.
