Frankly Cruz ran a bad campaign. Further he is about as charismatic as a dead fish. The fact that he gave Trump a run for the money speaks more to Trump's weaknesses than Cruz's strengths. Maybe you should deal with that.
Trump is going to have a hard road to the presidency. He is not going to win it without burying the hatchet that he used to pummel Cruz and Kaisich and Rubio and everyone else he insulted and ridiculed to get his people energized.
He needs the ground troops that Cruz has. Trump will not be able to win without them.
That being said, I think that Cruz needs to face reality. At this point there is no stopping Trump from winning on the first ballot. If he is going to go forward at this point, he needs to stop mentioning Trump by name and get back the message he had before the feud started.
I agree with almost 100% of what you wrote.
Cruz made strategic errors with both the Glen Beck elevation and the timing of his attack. He multiplied that by bringing in the Bush/Romney teams. They contradicted his message.
Trump is going to have a hard time getting the coalition built, and I think it has to be well on the way to being rebuilt by the time the convention rolls around, and that’s in late July, isn’t it?
I’m convinced personally, that Trump ran the raw debate phase of his campaign as a reality show. IOW, he was doing outrageous things to attract attention to himself and to cut down his opposition. It worked, so he kept doing it.
I want him to continue that aspect against Clinton in any debates they have, because it’s an effective style given these debates aren’t really debates but are a 3-ringed circus.
But, he needs a pivot point for serious discussion, and I’m not sure what that would be. He has remained almost 100% on message throughout this primary season, and that is getting boring. He needs to add a bit of spice to that message.
I think his VP selection is crucial. Moreso than any candidate in our lifetime perhaps. It needs to be someone who is both a warrior and who brings a demographic or a state. Kasich and Carson simply aren’t warriors. I don’t think he and Cruz will ever reconcile now, and besides, Cruz doesn’t bring a state. Perhaps a demographic...Hispanic. Cruz certainly is a warrior. I’ll give him that. You know my opposition to his birth issues, but I think I’m in a huge minority on that.
Jan Brewer? Chris Christie? Marco Rubio? A talented general? Another business leader?
Agreed. I acknowledge that Cruz has followers, however, look at the states he won and how he won them. As bad as it sounds, his “strong states” are not the critical ones it takes to flip an election. Additionally, winning 5 states where 3 didn’t even have a vote and declaring that a landslide is not a strong position. About the only two states I can think of that he won strong and without the benefit of a caucus or delegate wrangling is Utah, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. In the states critical to an electoral college victory, he didn’t even win a county, never mind the state. He is not a strong candidate at all. He is only where he is because he rode in Trump’s draft for so long and his campaign staff ran a good campaign early. It is just that Ted is a weak candidate, notwithstanding his strong principles/positions. And as far as him doing well vis a vie Trump, Trump has never run for office before. Cruz has been in politics or around politics his entire adult life. He should have done better against a novice, blowhard who is self-funding his campaign. Cruz lost control when he made it personal against Trump...he got taken off his game/message and never recovered. Not it’s just a scorched earth, “I’m not going to let Trump win outright”, campaign. That makes him look petulant, and even more weak. It will affect him for the rest of his intended political career. He will not be able to shake the “Lyin’ Ted” moniker. He would be much better served at this point to bow out gracefully and try hard to rework his image.
I always said Mitt Walker generated all the excitement of a flea circus. I can now say that about Ted Cruz.
Ted needs to get out for the good of the party and the country.
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....
Cruz winning voterless elections is giving Trump a run for his money? You're a hoot.