Posted on 04/08/2016 7:17:17 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Via Breitbart, the key bit below starts at 6:30. When he says “set the country on fire,” does he mean people literally setting things on fire in rage over how much they hate a Trump/Cruz ticket? Because I can sort of see that. Trump’s numbers are flaming garbage, as you know, but check out Cruz’s numbers from the same poll:
What should we call that? Smoldering garbage? I’m a Cruz backer but I’m also under no illusion about how popular he is and isn’t among the general electorate. (Although the AP data here is from a poll of adults, not likely voters, please note.) Unlike Trump, he really would have a chance against Hillary this fall, but only because her own numbers are a smoking dumpster — and even then, he’ll have trouble flipping any of Obama’s blue states in 2012 to red. There is no ticket involving Trump or Cruz, let alone both of them, that sets the country on fire. There’s a ticket involving Cruz and someone not named Trump that might eke out a close victory if they catch some breaks. That’s your best-case scenario.
Buchanan’s logic here, if there’s any logic behind this, presumably is that a Trump/Cruz ticket would give the party its best chance at unity against Clinton this fall by reconciling embittered Trump fans and embittered Cruz fans. It would, for sure, eliminate the risk of a major third-party effort from one side or the other. But so what? What’s the prize for bringing the party together only to lose with 45 percent of the vote in a two-way race instead of with 37 percent in a three-way one? Trump/Cruz still leaves you saddled with all of Trump’s negatives at the top of the ticket, with all but the most hardcore Cruz-fan conservatives deeply disaffected with the direction of the party. It’s one thing for Trump to win the nomination by piling up votes in the primaries, it’s another thing for him to coopt the party’s leading conservative lights by bringing them onto his team to serve his agenda. Many Cruz fans would be enraged at him, I’m sure, for tossing his principles aside to join Trump, especially after Trump’s boorish nastiness towards Heidi Cruz. There’d still be a #NeverTrump movement, albeit a bit smaller than it is now as some strong Cruz supporters would eventually decide to suck it up and back Trump. How does all of this add up to setting the country on fire? Which swing voters, among whom Trump is toxic right now, are thinking, “No way will I support that buffoon — unless he puts Ted Cruz on the ticket, in which case ‘game on'”?
Buchanan does make one good point, though. If we go to a brokered convention, which seems likely, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Cruz agrees to accept the VP slot. Trump will lead on the first ballot; if he doesn’t clinch there, a bunch of votes will shift to Cruz on the second. If Cruz doesn’t lead on that one, he almost certainly will when more delegates become unbound on the third. Once he takes the lead, what incentive does he have to accept the number-two slot? You’d need to see some delegates shift back to Trump on the fourth ballot or fifth ballot, I think, and then have them end up in a protracted stalemate. In that case, Cruz might eventually cave and agree to be VP. (If only because, once there’s a stalemate, the odds of a dark-horse nominee will rise and Cruz will risk being left with nothing.) So long as Cruz maintains a lead among the delegates, though, he has no reason to bow to any other prospective nominee. If you want a Trump/Cruz ticket, it needs to happen with Trump winning on the first ballot.
Exit question: If you’re saddled with Trump as nominee, wouldn’t one of your top priorities for VP be finding someone who’s exceptionally personally likable, whom voters trust instinctively? They could look at the veep and tell themselves that if that person trusts Trump to run the country, maybe he’s worth taking a chance on. Ted Cruz has many good qualities. Being exceptionally likable isn’t one of them.
Update: Glenn Beck’s head writer chimes in:
Not only would I not vote for Trump/Cruz ticket, I wouldn't vote for Cruz/Trump. Taking Trump would convince me I'm wrong about Cruz.
— STU BURGUIERE (@WorldOfStu) April 7, 2016
What insult.
It was a current day non-flattering picture of Cruz’s wife face, nothing more.
Against a picture of Trumps wife from 10 or more years ago. Of course a 45 year old women is going to not be as pretty as a super model in the 30 to 35 year range.
That is a reality, we all know it, not an insult. In poor taste, but Heidi had opened herself up by going after trump at a press conference. The old code of chivalry required women not to enter the fray to have that level of regard folks think Heidi is entitled to.
That is how it appears to a Northeasterner. Of course there could be something I am missing. Please explain what the insult is/was.
Thanks in advance
If you are unwilling to acknowledge the obvious then I have nothing to say to you.
Didn’t mean to be rude. But after my time here I’ve learned to recognize that when opposing perceptions are so far apart it really isn’t productive to attempt to address them.
Then....he appoints himself to the Supreme Court at the end of his second term. Can he do that? :-)
All along I thought we were trying to keep our Republic from being destroyed by the Socialist. It seems the GOP is the enemy in the eyes of most of the posters on this forum. Do any of you who hate Cruz or Trump so much, realize the Media is eating this up. This election cycle has become a feeding frenzy, goaded on by Liberals.
A lot of fake conservatives on forums are egging on the hatred and nastiness to bring about one end, the election of either Communist Sanders, or Socialist Clinton. They, along with the fake demonstrators at Trump campaigns, are trying to cause the American voter to view either Sanders or Clinton as the least objectionable choice.
Please take a long studious look at where each candidate has stood in the past, and currently stands on issues, and make you decision based upon objective observation, not emotion, brought about by those who name call and demagogue conservative candidates.
No offense taken, but it is not obvious to me. But I am a guy.
I asked my wife about it. She said the only thing was it pointed out Heidi was not as hot as Trumps wife, but Heidi was never a super model.....so every one knew that already.
She did not see the dire offense either, but perhaps it is the northeast mindset. My question was sincere.
No need to respond, but so far no one has taken the time to point out why, even if it is a regional thing, why it was so bad or even offensive.
By the Bye, I did not the see the Utah post of Melina as bad either, from a northeast point of view it could have been take two ways (both pro and anti Ted Cruz, albeit in a humorous way). But I understand to Utah sensibilities it was somehow very bad, that is simply not done there.
Kind regards
I think the V.P. choice will be mostly insignificant due to those strong personalities. Cruz’s is the most important because he is a more unknown and less understood quantity to the voters (because people are ignorant about what conservatism is due to the schools and media not telling anybody about it). So Cruz’s choice will be scrutinized as a way for people to judge who he is. That’s why Carly is a good choice. It makes him look “softer” by picking a woman while actually picking someone who is a vicious attack dog on Hillary...kills 2 birds with 1 stone.
The establishment would love for Cruz to be the V.P. nominee if Trump is the president. Because they will expect and help the ticket to go down in flames. So they could taint Cruz and marginalize him with the defeat for years. Has a losing V.P. candidate ever later run successfully for President? I know losing Presidential candidates have.
I would expect Trump to lose as well, so I would hope Cruz doesn’t join the ticket. If he’s being put in the position of having to clean up Trump’s messes, he probably won’t be able to avoid being stained with the excrement.
He could do it as far as I understand. He could certainly resign and let his V.P. appoint him. Just hope it’s someone he can trust. Have the V.P. announce he’ll do it at a press conference first. Of course, there has to be a vacancy and he has to get confirmed. If the Senate goes to Dem by then that would be a risky maneuver.
I hope you’re right.
Thanks for you great information.
Time to unite. We need BOTH Trump and Cruz.
Actually, I think they both got played by the GOPe media allies, who helped to distort any mild contrast that either one made as some kind so spiteful attack, in order to ensure that the never joined forces, since if they did, then the GOPe had zero chance to steal the nomination at the convention if neither reached 1237 by then.
Martinez won’t be able to hold NM for Trump, as Agnew couldn’t hold MD for Nixon. Mrs. Bill is really popular in NM.
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