Those of us who watch cable news are under a constant barrage of people opining as to whether Donald Trump will get the magic 1,237 delegates that he needs by the time that the Republican convention convenes. He currently has about 880, or about seventy percent of the delegates he needs.
With his win in New York, Mr. Trump effectively made it impossible for Senator Cruz to gain the number of delegates needed. Governor Kasich had been mathematically eliminated before the New York primary. When the math indicated that Kasich could not win, Senator Cruz encouraged him to withdraw. Now that the math indicates he can’t win, he is talking out of the other side of his mouth. The reality is that, at this point, both Cruz and Kasich are holding on in hopes of a convention revolt against Trump.
Unless the leadership of the Republican Party are complete idiots or want Hillary Clinton as the next president, they must coalesce with Donald Trump. This will be a bitter pill for some to swallow, and, yes he perhaps cannot win in the general election, but, Ted Cruz certainly can’t win.
Mr. Trump will win the lion’s share of the delegates in the primaries which remain in the northeastern region. I have lived and worked in the northeast and by and large the people are different there – not better or worse – just different. When one goes into a restaurant for an evening meal in Pittsburg, Wilmington, or Providence, amongst other cities, one will typically see an entire family sitting around the table with adults drinking a beer or mixed drink. This is not the typical behavior of Southern Baptists and other evangelicals in the south who abhor, at least publically, the consumption of alcohol – especially with children present. Also, the views on social issues are light years apart between northeasterners and southerners. For these reasons, Senator Cruz is about as popular in the northeast as grandma’s tapioca pudding.
Whether Mr. Trump arrives at the convention with 1,237 delegates or 1,175 should be a moot point. He will arrive with millions more votes and a much larger following. To deny Trump the nomination, whether within the rules or not, would be political suicide for the Republican Party and possible cause its demise.
Mr. Trump is not a good looser – people who typically don’t lose are rarely congenial after losing. It would be unrealistic to believe that Mr. Trump would merely walk out of the convention and whistle a happy tune back to New York—it won’t happen. There will be hundreds if not thousands of Trump supporters at the convention – if there votes are ignored by a second or third ballot win for someone else – they and their vote will go home.
Trump has a chance of winning a national presidential election… If he selects a good vice-president nominee, like Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico, he can encourage Hispanics to vote for him. Yes, I know Governor Martinez has criticized Mr. Trump, but, other than his most ardent supporters, who hasn’t? Politicians kiss and make up – that is the nature of the game. If Governor Martinez has a desire to become the first female president – running with Trump is a no-brainer. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina would also be a beneficial choice who could bring blacks into the Republican tent.
Mr. Trump isn’t really a Republican – he is a pragmatist who isn’t influenced by party loyalties – he sees a problem and tackles the issue. Some people don’t like Trump’s demeanor or choice of words but people are so sick of political double-speak that they are willing to forgive most anything to elect a person who might make a difference in their lives and our nation.
Mr. Trump has some blotches and blemishes, but compared to Hillary Clinton he looks like Mr. Clean. Time will tell how all this shakes out. At least once Trump releases his Wall Street speeches Clinton will probably release hers.
Have a good week. Bill Shuey is a freelance writer from Murphy, NC.
as I see it we may as well get used to a clinton presidency ….unless they indict her . because there is no way ill vote for a billionaire especially a new yorker flippin liberal and im sure im not alone . there is no pollitical solution !
So we are at a point where it is good to settle for Trump. Once we settle for him and we find out he is just another politician saying what he has too to win. So then do we take responsibility for voting in the people we vote for or will it be more excuses for supporting the apparatuses that destroys us?
Bill’s comment about the people in the NE being different from the South is graphically true, I was raised there in a tough Irish coal miner family -- Father -- Italian immigrant ahhhh…entrepreneur family -- Mother. On the Irish coal mining side everyone had a beer in one hand, a shot in another, and an unfiltered or home rolled Bugler cigarette dangling out of the corner of their mouth…and that was the women! On the Italian immigrant ahhhh entrepreneur family side all the men had guns and my grandfather was shot and killed by a rival family as he had burnt down their bar/gambling/cat house that was muscling in on his. The two men who killed him were gunned down within a month by his brothers -- I have all the newspaper articles.
I have been a committed Born Again Christian since 1993 at 43 and spent 33 of my 66 years in the South…I was a Deacon in a Southern Baptist Church (drafted against my initial will) even though I look and sound like I belong on the Sopranos…all that to say I know a lot about both cultures.
Trump does actually put NY and PA and some other blue states in play. If he was the nominee and takes NY its over! He wins. I agree he has a better chance of beating Hillary then Cruz. I voted for Cruz in NC for obvious Conservative reasons…but Cruz if nominated will lose electorally.
If we (true Conservatives) ever where in-between a crude pragmatic rock and an unpopular Standard bearer hard place…it is now.
The one redeeming fact is how unpopular both are with the establishment RINO elites (both would need super enhanced Secret Service protection if elected 24/7/365). I revel in their angst!
One hope is the FBI Director stays true to his proven character and throws a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the Left and she slowly melts away screaming about the vast Right Wing Conspiracy…leaving an empty pantsuit in a puddle on the floor! Now there is a VISUAL!
she may actually become the nominee and the eventual elected winner of the gladdiator contest but I dont feel like she will ever serve a day in the office because of the forces in the wings that wouldnt allow it . its a farce any which way you look at it billionaire sorros backing sanders billionaire clinton vying for the seat billionaire trump vying for the seat and whos guess which billionaires backing cruze . its the pivitol moment in history when the ultimate power of the world is up for grabs . not to mention the governments who are actively sponsering this election process also .we are pawns in a big contest and will willingly play our part . may God be on our side and grant his chosen and rightous divine protection and a clear conceince .
Trump is a Washington insider and Progressive for 40 years, no matter what he says now, and he loses in every poll on the Nationale election. Also, a plurality doesn’t equate to a majority, and the delegate system and convention is set up to coalace around a majority candidate. Trump has only a tad more than a third in his support.
Cruz is a proven conservative with a track record that has all the Insider Establishment types hating his guts. He would, in my opinion, make a winning choice. But what counts is playing by the rules and not, as Trumps’ henchmen have done, threaten and intimidate delegates.
Cruz doesn’t sound too conservative (whatever that means) to me.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/01/17/ted-cruz-visits-texas-border-to-welcome-illegal-alien-families/
I wont go into him not being a natural born citizen. But it looks like he cares little about the law.
Just read this.
https://ncrenegade.com//editorial/carly-fiorinas-post-911-speech-in-praise-of-islam/