Nine Takeaways from Super Tuesday 3

March 15th or Super Tuesday 3 (I originally called it Super Tuesday 2, but apparently March 8th was “super” as well) was a good night for Donald Trump. He won every state that he led the polls in. He wracked up lots of delegates and took one step closer to the GOP nomination for president.  It was an incredibly bad night for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who, after losing his home state of Florida, badly, suspended his campaign. Ohio Governor John Kasich came in second tonight in terms of delegates, but still finds himself trailing far behind the other

Why Illinois and Missouri Matter Today

Florida and Ohio have carried much of the attention over Super Tuesday II because of their 165 winner-take-all delegates. But Illinois and Missouri, with 121 delegates between them, could turn them into swing states. A RealClearPolitics piece today notes their vital importance to the consolidation in the Republican Primary: The Republican primaries Tuesday in Ohio and Florida have been the focus of most candidates and the media, but two other contests, in Illinois and Missouri, could be just as pivotal to Donald Trump’s march toward the nomination or its demise. […] Trump leads in both states, but Sen. Ted Cruz

Why I Hope Trump Wins Ohio and Florida Tonight

Here’s my contrarian thought for the day: our only shot at beating Donald Trump is for Trump to win both Ohio and Florida today. I know. I know. Everyone has been filling your head with Mitt Romney’s anti-Cruz fantasy: we can direct voters to vote in this state or that state strategically. Because the GOP establishment and/or its losing last choice for the nomination has that much power and authority over voters. Because our hope is to keep a divided race going with particular candidates picking off one state or another, starting with their home state. Tonight’s vote is going

Romney Campaigns for Kasich

Not that he has endorsed John Kasich officially, but Mitt Romney showed up in Ohio and did everything but: The 2012 Republican nominee for president, campaigning for the first time since his blistering anti-endorsement of Donald Trump, arrived at an airplane museum in Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s campaign bus. As Kasich mugged, Romney grinned and waved and the bus rolled up to the backdrop — fighter jet, helicopter, “Patton”-size American flag — where the two would hold a town-hall meeting. “You’re the ones who are going to decide if he becomes the next president of the United States,” Romney said. “You

By the Numbers: Super Tuesday II

The 2016 GOP primary has three major “Super Tuesdays.” Super Tuesday I was on March 1st, where 632 delegates were awarded — more than a quarter of all delegates. Super Tuesday II is tomorrow on March 15th. There are 367 delegates up for grabs in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and North Carolina. Super Tuesday III may end up being pivotal. It will take place on June 7, when five states, including California, will determine the first ballot votes of 303 delegates. Will tomorrow prove to be “Super Tuesday, Episode II: The Establishment Strikes Back”? Probably not. A cursory look at the delegate math

Erick Erickson: The Deal Is Done

Erick Erickson just came out with a great piece. Clearly a deal is in place. Via The Resurgent: Jeb Bush has a private meeting with Kasich, Cruz, and Rubio. Cruz’s campaign, after a lot of bluster about going all in in Florida admits it was all a head fake. They had one event scheduled for today with Sean Hannity in Orlando that was previously scheduled and will be nationally focused, not Florida focused. Then Cruz is bailing on Florida. For the Rubio folks complaining, I’m told the campaign did try to make adjustments, but couldn’t for reasons not in the campaign’s control.