Cruz uses party rules to pursue delegates. Here’s what Trump thinks of that.

Washington Post ^ | 4/11/16 | David Weigel

[Mouton]

As are you to vote for someone I don’t believe is eligible.

[Sybeck1]

Cruz will arrive at the GOP convention with millions less popular votes and many less won delegates than Trump. Gestopo is all the guy’s got for his and Heidi’s little pipedream of getting the Big House.

[Sybeck1]

I think the third party run people haven’t thought about is Cruz running 3rd when Trump wins on the first ballot. Heidi has given this guy the Kamikaze mentality to get to the White House.

[Sybeck1]

What states will Cruz win that Romney lost? Can he be completive in swing states he was 3rd in, like FL and OH? Will the Trump voters in the south feel disenfranchised and sit out in November making a regular state, one that can be won by a Democrat?

[scooby321]

Cruz hates Voters because 70 to 80% because they vote against him.

[Dr. Sivana]

This so-called Ground Game was non-existent when Cruz had his ass handed to him in the South.

The ground game in the south isn't non-existent. Trump is very strong here, but at that time there were still something like a dozen other candidates in the primary, and Trump did a great job of sucking the oxygen out of the room. I mean that as a compliment. It is a greart tactic when it can be employed successfully. I congratulated Trump supporters on a well-earned win. I did not see that reciprocated after Cruz' solid Wisconsin win.

Here in Georgia, Cruz' second place finish gave us a sizable number of delegates, same with some of the other states.

Each state has different rules, those rules have been promulgated, and Trump had the resources (Mooney and manpower) to set up a solid organization to button tyhings down if he could and would. In some states (Florida and Ohio) it is winner take all, even if the candidate wins with a small amount in a crowded field. Trump's victory in Florida effectively knocked out both Rubio and John Ellis Bush. Goiod job.

Every campaign spends resources based on HOW the state's rules play. Cruz spent little time or money in Florida because it was Winner Take All with 2 1/2 home state candidates (Jon Ellis Bush, Rubio and retirement home for rich NYers who like Trump). Cruz spent little time or money in Ohio because it was winner take all. Trump spent litle time in Colorado, which uses a convention, a format that predates ALL of the primaries. If Trump took Colorado seriously, he could have given his people the right places and dates and gotten folks to show up to these conventions. Showing up to a rally is nice. Showing up for the actual convention andfollowing the same rules as every one else wins delegates. Trump didn't even show up, as he decided to make sure he gets his 50% in New York. His choice. His triage.

[Mechanicos]

If his ground game had existed like you claim in the South he would have won and performed much better. The fact is the GOPe had set up their machine to block the Tea Party from taking power from the GOPe by their delegate and primary political machine of insiders which is no different then what the democrats are doing with Hillary.

Which makes more sense, Cruz magically starts winning where the GOPe has a massive historical political machine to block the Tea party or that its the machine doing the dirty work?

It walks like GOPe, talks like GOPe, acts like GOPe and stinks like GOPe. But magically all of sudden its losing Cruz.

[libbylu]

.. “It’s no surprise that Trump’s team will lash out with falsehoods to distract from their failure,” said Cruz communications director Alice Stewart. “We have earned our success by working hard to build a superior organization.”

Markomalley, governance should never be about sticking it to anyone. It is about building consensus and encouraging the best in citizens, not divisiveness.

[Dr. Sivana]

If his ground game had existed like you claim in the South he would have won and performed much better.

It doesn't follow. Trump waa more popular at the time. Having the best ground game doesn't mean you go undefeated. It usually means you outperform the polls. Ron Paul had a great ground game, it rarely translated into wins.

[Mase]

I think he really didn’t understand the primary delegate process when he announced and didn’t and have any organization in place in each state that is needed.

No he didn't, and now he's playing catch up. Trump has about 90 paid staff right now. For comparison, Hillary has more than 700. Trump has allowed his state organizations to flounder or disband once that state primary is over. He's running his campaign on the cheap and now it's hurting him. In response, he's blaming others while trying to make up lost ground.

What's most interesting is that he has hired the consummate GOPe insider to try and save him. Manafort is dyed in the wool GOPe and it is more than a little ironic that Trump had to go to the GOPe to save him from himself. The ultimate outsider suddenly needs the ultimate insider. This is the best election ever.

[Mase]

This is a great post that is spot on. Ignore the gnashing of teeth from those who hate any truth or reality check that doesn’t sing hosannas to their chosen candidate.

[Mechanicos]

It does follow that your Establishment talking point is not working. The simple fact is Cruz was only one of 17 people, he did awful with his ground game. 16 others who did not have Cruz’s failed ground game did better then him so it makes the argument of 17 others not a legit excuse.

No, the most logical explanation for his sudden rise in places controlled by the GOPe where the GOPe had established elaborate caucuses and delegate systems to block the Tea Party used this long established GOP machine to block Trump.

Just like the Democrats The GOPe is emulating the majority of the delegates Cruz has now are not pro-Cruz but pro-GOPe like they always were to start with. Hence the smugness of the GOPe that they will get who they want at a contested convention.

[Dr. Sivana]

It does follow that your Establishment talking point is not working.

Cut the crap with the Establishment talking point garbage. I am MORE Than willing to accept that the Trumpers are in good faith, and I EXPECT the same courtesy shown to long term Freepers who have been consistent conservatives for a long time.

The simple fact is Cruz was only one of 17 people, he did awful with his ground game. 16 others who did not have Cruz’s failed ground game did better then him so it makes the argument of 17 others not a legit excuse.

What the heck are you talking about?! Cruz came in second in most of these states.

Cruz started out with mostly 25-40% across the board in most states (MA and NY important exceptiosn in one direction, Utah in the opposite direction. He has stayed there with a minor uptick as candidates exited. Cruz has been a chief beneficiary with Kasich a minor one. Many of Cruz' votes are more anti-Trump than pro-Cruz at this point. Anti-Trump people are allowed to exprerss their point of view just as those of us who were anti-McCain and Anti-Romney were willing to cast our lot with imperfect vessels as the primaries wore on.

Trump made a play for the available establishment voters before Iowa, when he told us how malleable he was and how he could work with the other side. That by itself doesn't make him Establishment. Cruz saying "If you don't want Trump, I'm the only ticket left in town" does not make Cruz Establishment. If the Establishment sent its votes to Trump in Iowa in resignation, the Wall would still go up. If the Establishment does the same with Cruz, Obamacare is STILL going down.

We MUST be united behind Cruz or Trump this November, and calling average Cruz OR Trump supporters Establishment is not only counterproductive and uncharitable, it is WRONG.

I would appreciate a retraction.

[Mechanicos]

Yeah he did awful and the 17 people argument fails to explain why his Ground game did not “take-off” until after the Bushes and the GOPe machine took over his campaign.

He made it a point his job was to stop Trump. Only after the GOPe machine took over Cruz’s campaign did we start hearing they were going to force a Rino on us at the convention.

And he did do awful, one or 2 he did OK but still lost. Now hes winning where the GOPe had created protection systems to block the Tea Party.

The Establishment talking point is 2 fold. One that its Cruz’s Ground Game/hes better at it then Trump now and 2 that his Ground game/proficiency at gaming the system were negated by the number of delegates in the South.

Both defy common sense. It more logical the GOPe is running Cruz’s campaign lock stock and barrel, and he knows hes not going to be the nominee but has to keep up the act.