Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump faced a last day of campaigning on Monday before a crucial round of nominating contests including in Florida and OH, where establishment Republicans worked to trip him up.
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“He has turned the most important election in a generation into a circus, into a complete fiasco and a carnival”, Florida Sen.
The Democrats do not have an intra-party fight going on even though Ms. Clinton and Mr. Sanders disagree on many issues.
OH will be a key battleground on Tuesday, when it and four other big states – Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri – hold primary contests. That makes it likely to be a “very decisive” day, said New York Republican State Chairman Ed Cox. Of likely Republican voters, 46 percent support Trump and 22 percent back Rubio.
In another Quinnipiac poll released Monday, the university found Trump leading Rubio among primary voters in Florida 41 percent to 25 percent, the latest poll to show Trump leading there by double digits. The same phenomenon has given Mr. Cruz a chance to squeak out wins in Missouri and North Carolina.
On the Democratic side, Clinton leads Vermont Sen. Five states, including Florida and OH, and 365 delegates, are up for grabs on Tuesday. Animosity toward Trump has risen to the point where he can rarely get through an event without being interrupted by protesters. The development comes after Trump canceled a Friday rally at the University of IL at Chicago after protests erupted. “These are love fests”, Trump said.
Worst Case • Trump loses OH and Florida, which would blunt his momentum and suggest he would be a poor general election candidate in vital swing states. A loss and he could be through.
Asked what could cause him to change his mind, Cruz said, “If, for example, he would go out on 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, I would not support him”. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich will participate in a Republican debate hosted by CNN, Salem Media Group, The Washington Times and the Republican National Committee at the… Trump will hold an event in Tampa, while former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will campaign for Trump in The Villages.
Is this the end of Rubio’s campaign? Rubio and Trump each won one county, while the final delegate was undeclared. Now, there are signs he’s headed for a campaign-ending defeat in his home state. But the tactic didn’t help his stature and may have helped drag him down.
Bottom Line • It’s all about home cooking for Rubio.
In the Democratic race, Sanders reprised a theme that helped propel his surprise MI win.
The races are closer in OH, where Clinton leads by 8.3 points for its 143 delegates, and IL, where she leads by 2.3 points for its 156 delegates. “Trump gets to say he did Hawaii and he did MA, arguably the two most Democratic states in the country”. He has been touting his opposition to “disastrous” trade policies in an effort to woo union members and blue-collar workers. Yes, I’m in a hurry, and I’m in a hurry because I think America needs to be in a hurry.
Will it be money well spent?
There aren’t as many delegates at stake as Super Tuesday, but in some ways today’s contests are even more valuable. Kasich has not reciprocated with a similar call to his own voters in Florida.
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In Illinois, Trump has a lead over Ted Cruz.
