Strangely enough, Jeb! has decided Trump is not his biggest obstacle to the Republican nomination, but Kasich and Rubio are. First Chris Cillizza writes “How New Hampshire Turned into a Nightmare for Establishment Republicans”. Jeb!, Kasich, and Rubio spent a fortune in time and money in New Hampshire and Trump still got 35.3% of the vote. None of three GOPe came close to winning. So who does Bush go after? One might assume it would be the front runner but that would not be correct. Heading into SC, Jeb! is going ‘scorched earth’ on Kasich and Rubio! Bush claims,
“Governor Kasich has little to no chance in South Carolina, and does not have a national organization that can compete,” the memo says. “Kasich has consistently supported gutting the military and has no viable path in the Palmetto State.”
Then in the same campaign memo Bush goes after Marco Rubio,
Rubio has demonstrated no respect for the nomination process and expects this to be a coronation.”
Huh? What about Hillary, Trump and Bush himself, all of whom expected a coronation?! Then there’s this laughable line from the Bush campaign,
“Jeb also did well because he remains the only GOP candidate willing to take on Donald Trump and willing to stand up for conservative values.”
How sad that the GOPe has no one to carry their banner.
5 comments
I will take moderate Kasich and Little Markie Rubio any day over The Mexichurian Candidate.
It doesn’t really matter. Cruz will be going after Trump, and with Jeb! busy hammering Rubio, it means that some of the pressure will be off of Cruz. Carly just dropped out and Carson is on life support and that is it for the “outsider” candidates except for Cruz and Trump. Kasich is done after SC, and the best thing Jeb! could do for Cruz is to knock Rubio out of the game.
Given a choice between Trump, Bush, and Cruz, most Rubio voters will go to Cruz. They are much more ideologically aligned then Rubio and Bush or Rubio and Trump. Plus, the two candidates in the race that have the highest number of people who say there is “no chance” they will support them is :
#1 – Trump
#2 – Bush
So as a Cruz supporter I have to say, GO, JEB!, GO!
Agreed. Right now there are multiple factions. The Establishment, The Conservatives, the Social Conservatives, the small “l” libertarians, the “Anybody but Trump” folks and then the Trump maniacs. The longer all the factions opposed to Trump are divided the longer we have to deal with his empty bluster.
Let ol’ Jeb! bring down the other candidates while Cruz assembles a coalition.
From your fingers to God’s ears.
Rubio needs to go to consolidate the field against Trump, so I wish Jeb the best. Carson is effectively out. Fiorina and Christie are out (Christie voters are likely to go to Trump though). Kasich will take himself out (who knows where his voters go).
Agree, but I think Cruz will make it to the last round with Trump. Those two would be quite a ticket. Bush can’t be there…the dynasty thing doesn’t fly this year. Carson supporters will, hopefully, go to Cruz. Kasich supporters will go to…..Hillary…..Bush fans will go to Cruz. Christie fans will go to Trump and Christie will suck up to Trump so he can be AG. Rubio fans will go to Trump and Cruz. Can’t decide on that one.