The Cruz and Kasich campaigns believe their agreement to cede states where the other candidate appears strong could help limit Trump’s ability to win more delegates.
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While the statewide Republican victor gets 17 delegates, the other 54 are directly elected by voters and can support any candidate at a convention.
The goal of this tag-team is twofold: first, hold down Trump in a few key states to make it impossible for him to grab the delegates he needs for a quick win at the Republican convention, then defeat him on subsequent convention ballots. I don’t have all the resources in the world.
Donald Trump blasts Ted Cruz Donald Trump doesn’t think Ted Cruz could ever match the crowds Trump gathers – that’s what the Republican presidential candidate told a crowd at a Harrisburg rally on April 21, 2016.
But afterwards Cruz is to cut campaigning in the OR and New Mexico contests and Kasich will give Cruz a “clear path” in Indiana.
Trump wasted no time pouncing on this misstep, tweeting, “Kasich just announced that he wants the people of IN to vote for him”.
Cruz will focus on IN, the campaign said, while Kasich would devote his efforts to OR and New Mexico.
Cruz and Kasich’s public admission of direct coordination was highly unusual and underscored the limited options they now have for stopping the real estate mogul.
Kasich, who took questions from reporters at a Philadelphia diner Monday, strongly defended the move.
On the eve of Tuesday’s primary in five U.S. northeastern states, which Trump is expected to sweep, the businessman-turned-politician wasted no time taking aim at his rivals’ collusion, calling both candidates pathetic and weak.
Eliminated from reaching that total in the primaries, Cruz and Kasich can only hope to block Trump from reaching a majority – and a first-round convention victory – and thus force a contested convention where delegates could select a different nominee.
“The assumption is that IN voters are largely conservative, therefore when Kasich is out, voters will go to Cruz”.
“I don’t think it is going to affect general election votes in MI, unless it affects who the Republican nominee is”, Grossmann said.
“What’s the big deal?”
He continued: “But in politics, because it’s a rigged system, because it’s a corrupt enterprise, in politics you’re allowed to collude”.
“I’ve never told them not to vote for me”.
“It’s probably unsafe to assume that Kasich voters will automatically choose Cruz and Cruz voters will automatically choose Kasich”, Smith stated. Maybe we’re even gonna have the naming of a Cabinet as part of this because I think Gov. Kasich is living the dream here.
Poll: Do you back Trump in GOP delegate fight? .
Trump came into Tuesday with 845 delegates, followed by Cruz with 559.
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The Ohio governor says its a good way of saving money: “We don’t have all the resources in the world, but we’re still going and we have to husband our resources”.
