In his latest Tribune column, John Kass says that the “Republican establishment” must rally behind the candidacy of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz:
If the establishment tries a convention power grab here’s what would happen: Angry Trump voters and angry Cruz conservatives would grab their pitchforks, staves and torches and walk out, but only after burning the GOP to the ground.
So if the GOP really wants to stop Trump, they have only one alternative: Cruz.
New polls show Trump whomping Rubio in Marco’s native Florida and leading Kasich in Ohio. Their only recourse is to make this a two-man race.
Either they help clear the field for Cruz or open their arms and embrace The Donald.
I actually think it’s too late for that. Do you really think that Trump voters will rally ’round if Cruz is the candidate? That Cruz voters will take to the polls in numbers to elect Donald Trump? That Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio supporters will joyfully support either of them?
The most famous Republican said it well. You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. The establishment had a long run of fooling their voters but it’s over. What if anything well emerge from the wreckage is anybody’s guess.
I know so many people who simply can’t stand Cruz — including me. I wish someone like Kasich would catch on more, as he seems to be a moderate pragmatic candidate — something missing on both sides of the political spectrum this year.
Oh, they’ll rally for the most part. Republicans may not like Trump’s disgusting persona, or Cruz’s human-repellant qualities, but they’re both white males who will feed tax breaks to the rich and nativist crapola to the suckers. So Republican voters may be squeamish about admitting publicly that they’ll support a fascist, but in their hearts they love Trump. Trump is them and they are Trump.
They didn’t rally around either McCain or Romney. There are divides that I think are going to prove difficult to overcome.
I wish someone like Kasich would catch on more, as he seems to be a moderate pragmatic candidate — something missing on both sides of the political spectrum this year.
Kasich is just another candidate advocating doing more of the same things that have already been done. Unless you think some minor tweeking or great administrative skills are all we need, Kasich is no answer.
Everyone happy today?