Just focus on strategy. Please refrain from bashing or soapbox speeches.

Cruz will probably take Wisconsin, but not by 50% so the votes will be split. Trump will take 95 votes from NY. If you ignore TX, Trump has 55% more popular votes than Cruz. Lot of that is FL. Trump is polling 21 points higher than Cruz today.

As of right now: Cruz has zero chance of getting to 1237, because Trump will win more of the remaining states, Kasich may take a few. The remaining states are out of Cruz's strong areas.

Here is the issue:
If the GOP will screw Trump at ~1200 candidates, because 1237 is the magic number, then they will have NO problem telling Cruz to go away at ~800 delegates. The establishment hates Cruz as much as Trump.

Why is Cruz staying in the race?
Will Cruz quit once he is mathematically eliminated?
Does he think that he can win at the convention?
Will Kasich ever quit?

Does Cruz/Trump have some big plan that will fool everyone? I would love that, but don't think so.
Trump/Kasich - Maybe?
Cruz/Kasich - Maybe?
Cruz/Establishment - ??
Kasich/Establishment - Probably

Is Kasich just tying to screw both Trump/Cruz. He is mathematically eliminated now. Trump easily gets to 1237 if Kasich leaves now. (because of the remaining states)



I can usually figure things out, but this one has me baffled. Maybe everything is just happening and the powers that be can't keep up with it, and hope to find a solution at the end.

Cruz is in the race because he wants to win and he believes Donald is no better than Hillary. Judging from the recent talk from all the candidates I think it's pretty clear that none plan on supporting the other no matter what. Kasich is hoping to sneak in with the establishment backing. Cruz is hoping to come close enough to make a case for the nomination at the convention. Trump is going to have the most delegates but his support is weakening and he won't get the required number to win outright. Who knows what he will do? If Trump wins the nomination or if he runs third party it all turns out the same way. Hillary wins.

Btw, once someone responds to your post your can't delete it. You used to be able to but the only people who can delete a thread now are mods.

I think Kasich is staying in under direct orders from the GOP bigwigs to buy them some time to effect some plan they are hatching.

Kasich knows he's a sacrificial goat and is trading in favors for future favors.

That's simplistic, but that's what it smells like.

I'm guessing since some of the establishment is supporting Cruz now that Rubio is out if Trump doesn't have the delegates locked up by convention time there is something in the works. The establishment fears a Trump presidency for whatever reason I don't know. Even a Cruz supporter as myself can see this. Just my opinion.

I agree that Kasich is trying to earn favors. The question is, is it for down the road or eyeballing the nomination through the backdoor (contested convention)?

Down the road kind of favor, maybe a cabinet position.

The population is too divided for a dark horse like Kasich right now.

The GOP is going to try to feed us a turd sandwich such as a "new and improved" Romney at the convention.

I think Kasich is in it for convention, hoping it goes to a second vote and the delegates are freed up. They essentially small scale campaign again and are a lot of backdoor deals done at convention at that point, and the GOP has enough money to buy him some votes.

This^^^^^^
I know it's politics but it still stinks to high heaven. When that dude from the GOP (don't remember his name) came out and said "we pick candidates, not the voters" I knew the fix was probably going to be in

I think it's pretty clear to me.. Mitt Romney didn't magically come out of nowhere because he didn't like Trump.. I think Romney butted in to firm up an establishment ticket. They are keeping Kasich in to siphon off delegates so Trump doesn't get to the number needed. They know Cruz will do the same.. Brokered convention happens, Cruz and Trump both have their delegates change their vote on the first ballot that they aren't tied to the candidate their state voted for... Kasich/Romney are your Pres and VP nominees for the general election.. Maybe not in that order... The GOP loses in a landslide to Hillary..

Lindsey Graham has already said on air that the establishment is prepared to lose to Hillary and try again in 4 years.. The fix will be in if Trump doesn't win it outright.. Heck it may still be in. I am not a Trump fan but I think we have seen the GOP's true colors.. Looks like I'll be voting Libertarian... Again.

Cruz wont get out because it appears Trump may be imploding and does not have a majority of the R support. 30% support should not win you anything. It will be fun to watch how it all shakes out. After hearing him say Healthcare and Education were 2 of the 3 major responsibilities of the federal government his support may seriously dwindle.

I honestly believe the establishment is supporting Cruz because they think he can keep Trump from locking up all the delegates he needs. I think they're only supporting him because they think they can torpedo Cruz easier, giving Hillary the WH. Hillary in the WH keeps the GOP elite with the power they currently hold and keeps them in a position to keep robbing the taxpayer. I think Trump now is considering an Independent run if this happens, and as crazy as this election has been so far, he may win, something neither party wants to see.

His policies don't matter a bit, at this point. It's all about winning, no matter the consequences.

The party will screw Trump and run Kasich. The democrats will screw Sanders by nominating Biden after Hilldebeast is indicted. Trump will be pissed and run third party. No one will win a majority of electoral votes and the House of Representatives will elect Jeb Bush.Obama will pardon the beast and her accomplices and then declare martial law and refuse to leave.

The firing ring the GOP has been engaged in has done it's damage and ensures Hillary wins. This election is over.

Sadly to me it looks to be pretty much over.....thanks to the establishment and media as usual the top two republican candidates have been significantly marginalized without the democrats having to even lift a hand. Looks like we are heading down a slippery slope of either four years of Hillary or socialism......what a choice smh

I don't see any scenario in which Hillary gets indicted. Democrats don't want it to happen and Republicans are too scared that someone might take a look in their closet if they dared to go that direction.

That's about the size of it, Bill.

^^^This^^^

Why is it surprising the the GOP establishment would rather hand the election to Hillary than see Trump win?

Half of the so-called conservative here feel the same way? They spout the same drivel so often and so long that they eventually believe it as fact, and then ridicule anyone who disagrees as being "low information " and crap like that.

As a society we have become too stoopid to govern ourselves.

The only way the lifestyles of the establishment and their cronies will change is if Donald Trump gets elected. They don't care if Hillary or Sanders gets elected. They just don't want Trump screwing up what they have organized over several decades!