Trump names Cruz when asked about VP spot

[alicewonders]

Texas is not going to a Democrat, Trump could carry it all by himself. He doesn't need Cruz to carry Texas. But he might need help carrying Florida, as it is a 50-50 state.  Any successful Republican will need both Texas and Florida.

Trump has been ahead of both Rubio and Bush in Florida.  Also, he could possibly put New York in play?

Ohio is the problem state.

[famousdayandyear]

Texas is not going to a Democrat, Trump could carry it all by himself. He doesn't need Cruz to carry Texas. But he might need help carrying Florida, as it is a 50-50 state.  Any successful Republican will need both Texas and Florida.

Thank you.  Guess I never imagined Hillary winning Florida.

[famousdayandyear]

Trump has been ahead of both Rubio and Bush in Florida.  Also, he could possibly put New York in play?

Ohio is the problem state.

Agreed.  Too bad, Kasich comes across as the crazy uncle.

[Lando Lincoln]

I do not mean to be rude, but I have really no idea what your point is.
I'm sure it is way above my head.  But this redneck is confused.

Not rude at all. No worries about that.

Texas is typically considered a "safe" state for Republicans in the general election. (The demographics are changing a bit, though.). Adding a running mate who hails from Texas probably does not change the result one way or another for a Republican.

Florida on the other hand, is a battleground state - often a toss-up (recall Gore v Bush). Adding a favored running mate from the Sunshine State could make all the difference in carrying the state.

[Lando Lincoln]

I do not mean to be rude, but I have really no idea what your point is.
I'm sure it is way above my head.  But this redneck is confused.

I should have read further. Others have answered quite well.

[DCPatriot]

Not rude at all. No worries about that.

Texas is typically considered a "safe" state for Republicans in the general election. (The demographics are changing a bit, though.). Adding a running mate who hails from Texas probably does not change the result one way or another for a Republican.

Florida on the other hand, is a battleground state - often a toss-up (recall Gore v Bush). Adding a favored running mate from the Sunshine State could make all the difference in carrying the state.

Obama just made statement amounting to a war on the 2nd Amendment next year.   Ergo....Obama just gave away Texas' electoral votes.

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,186109.0.html

[aligncare]

Trump has been ahead of both Rubio and Bush in Florida.  Also, he could possibly put New York in play?

There's a huge transplant community of New Yorkers retired to Florida. Plus, a significant number of New York snowbirds who spend the winter months in Florida. Don't know if that's enough to effect the election but it seems possible to me that New Yorkers could play a role in Florida.

[libertybele]

Texas is not going to a Democrat, Trump could carry it all by himself. He doesn't need Cruz to carry Texas. But he might need help carrying Florida, as it is a 50-50 state.  Any successful Republican will need both Texas and Florida.

I'm not so sure that Trump will be able to carry Texas without Cruz. Not only is that Cruz's home state but he was the longest serving solicitor general in Texas history, he won several important Supreme Court cases in the state and he is their Senator. Keep in mind also, IF Clinton names Julian Castro as her VP he is also from Texas.  I know that Trump is up in the polls in Florida, but I think it could go either way and I am concerned about Florida. I don't think Rubio or Bush will take it and we have a very heavy Hispanic population that may vote Democrat especially with Juan Castro on the ticket.  He recently endorsed Clinton.  Florida may be a huge battleground and the determining state?

[libertybele]

Obama just made statement amounting to a war on the 2nd Amendment next year.   Ergo....Obama just gave away Texas' electoral votes.

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,186109.0.html

All eyes will be on the election; but we need to be very aware and focused on what Obama is doing.  IMHO, he will do everything he can to disarm the populace so he can complete his transformation.  That is where Trump will come into play ... he's been very vocal as far as Obama and his "shortcomings" and has been able to bring those issues into focus.  We are going to need that focus from the media.

[Lando Lincoln]

I hope to not "misunderestimate" this a'hole in the Oval Office, but there will be limits to what he can do to the 2nd Amendment in this final year of his term (it is the final year, right?).  Executive orders is one way and they will be nefarious, I'm sure.  Depending how the general goes however, he can set the table for the following administration. 

He is dangerous to be sure.  But, limited.

[aligncare]

I'm not so sure that Trump will be able to carry Texas without Cruz. Not only is that Cruz's home state but he was the longest serving solicitor general in Texas history, he won several important Supreme Court cases in the state and he is their Senator. Keep in mind also, IF Clinton names Julian Castro as her VP he is also from Texas.  I know that Trump is up in the polls in Florida, but I think it could go either way and I am concerned about Florida. I don't think Rubio or Bush will take it and we have a very heavy Hispanic population that may vote Democrat especially with Juan Castro on the ticket.  He recently endorsed Clinton.  Florida may be a huge battleground and the determining state?

But the point is Ted Cruz is not showing the kind of strength (in polls) that translates into a party nomination. Trump is.

[libertybele]

But the point is Ted Cruz is not showing the kind of strength (in polls) that translates into a party nomination. Trump is.

I understand that. IMHO, Trump won't carry the Christian conservative Tea Party votes -- Cruz will bring those voters in. Cruz may not be able to carry the moderate votes - Trump brings those voters in.  In other words, in ways I never imagined, it appears at this point in time they compliment each other.  For example; in New Hampshire it shows Cruz polling in 3rd place with the highest poll showing Trump at 29% and Cruz at 12%; that's 41% of the vote for those two. Perhaps with Trump stating this about Cruz he is merely testing the waters to see if Cruz will give him the bump in the polls he needs.  It's hard to tell. Some say that this ticket has been planned long ago; I would by happy if this was the winning ticket, but I can Imagine and would love to see a Cruz presidency even more.  Do not estimate Cruz or count out a Cruz presidency.

We could look at it another way -- with Cruz in 3rd and polling in double digits -- he is taking votes away from Carson and keeping Trump in 1st place.  Either way it's starting to look like they need each other -- they've sunk Jeb, they are keeping Carson at bay and Rubio has dipped back down into the single digits.

It's going to be an interesting GOP race.  I know we can beat the DEMS, but it is going to be an uphill battle and we shouldn't assume we will win the oval office like we did with Romney...polls showed he should have been the clear winner and Barry trounced on him.

[Relic]

Wonder how Cruz feels about being patted on the head and told "you're number two?" 

Cut Cruz's presidential candidacy off at the knees. You gotta hand it to Trump: he's a step ahead of the rest of these guys.

This is what Cruz gets for sucking up to Trump.

Like it or not, and I'm not comfortable with it, but that is the fact. Trump is so far ahead of ALL of the contenders that he's about to lap them.

As for Cruz, he's far enough back, that taking the #2 spot on the ticket wouldn't be bad, if they win. If they lose, it trashes him.

[Relic]

I just don't know what Cruz brings to a Trump ticket.  He's loathed by Democrats and most Independents and some Republicans.

Trump would probably win Texas without him. I just don't get why Trump would choose him.  He'd do better if he picked Rubio or Fiorina. Cruz is not going to bring any cross party support.

Maybe it's because Cruz is smarter and more principled? Say what you like about Cruz, you know where he stands.

[libertybele]

I hope to not "misunderestimate" this a'hole in the Oval Office, but there will be limits to what he can do to the 2nd Amendment in this final year of his term (it is the final year, right?).  Executive orders is one way and they will be nefarious, I'm sure.  Depending how the general goes however, he can set the table for the following administration. 

He is dangerous to be sure.  But, limited.

That is the million dollar question; it is his final year right?  Absolutely don't under estimate that ahole.  He is dangerous and he will stop at nothing to obtain what he wants. Unfortunately, he has side-stepped Congress and has made deals with the U.N.

[libertybele]

Maybe it's because Cruz is smarter and more principled? Say what you like about Cruz, you know where he stands.

Maybe it's because the GOPe hate both Cruz and Trump and the voters hate the GOPe.

[Bigun]

There's a huge transplant community of New Yorkers retired to Florida. Plus, a significant number of New York snowbirds who spend the winter months in Florida. Don't know if that's enough to effect the election but it seems possible to me that New Yorkers could play a role in Florida.

Wonder how many of those snowbirds manage to vote in both places?

[Bigun]

Maybe it's because Cruz is smarter and more principled? Say what you like about Cruz, you know where he stands.

Absolutely right!

Ted Cruz will be in this to the very end. It remains to be seen whether or not that is true of the Donald!  Not a single vote has yet been cast!

[mystery-ak]

Maybe it's because the GOPe hate both Cruz and Trump and the voters hate the GOPe.

Exactly...

[aligncare]

Wonder how many of those snowbirds manage to vote in both places?

I have many patients who are snowbirds. While they don't admit to voting twice themselves, they tell me they know folks, usually democrat folks, who do vote twice.

[Bigun]

I have many patients who are snowbirds. While they don't admit to voting twice themselves, they tell me they know folks, usually democrat folks, who do vote twice.

Unfortunately not all of those snowbirds go to Florida. A great many of them come to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona as well and I would bet big money that a lot of them vote twice!

[Lando Lincoln]

Absolutely right!

Ted Cruz will be in this to the very end. It remains to be seen whether or not that is true of the Donald!  Not a single vote has yet been cast!

Yes Bigun. Yes!  I haven't seen any returns from any primaries as yet, anyway. Cruz will be one of the last standing (I believe).

[Longiron]

He may not know jack about politics, but he is a marketing genius, and that is why he is winning.  Since the advent of mass media, politics has been marketing posing as political science.  Trump decided to take the political science part out and make it a pure marketing play.  This has totally confounded the consultants and the rest of the establishment whose assumptions have never been questioned like this before.

He will equally cause the Democrats to question their assumptions once he wins the nomination, although he will take a lot of positions conservatives will not like.  There are two fundamental  things Trump has managed to do that make him very, very formidable in this game:

1. He can say anything and pay no political price
2. He can reposition himself instantaneously

I can't support him (unless he wins the nomination), but the marketing professor in me marvels at his amazing capabilities.

You should know if you understand marketing like you imply you do that the likeability is what wins political elections and communicating to the people is what sells politics or products? TRUMP does two things very well. 1. He speaks AMERICAN to the AMERICAN people. Not the DONARS, politicians, pundits, news readers and he know they are out to get him. 2. He talks TO and WITH the people NOT at them like politicians do. In other words he communicates and he has a message that is needed at this point in time. . Ted Cruz is almost 100% in his politics as TRUMP but know one is really buying the program? WHY?

[Sanguine]

How will Cruz respond?

Hopefully, Cruz will stay well away from the Trump campaign.  We need a conservative, not a carnival barker.

[aligncare]

Hopefully, Cruz will stay well away from the Trump campaign.  We need a conservative, not a carnival barker.

Parrot the media caricature of him and you'll miss the point/message of the Trump campaign.

Post-Paris, his common sense message is even more salient: control the southern border and those illegal aliens already here, and no Syrian refugees. On these issues he is strongest and set the agenda from the very beginning.

And Trump has a record of completing whatever he sets out to accomplish. He says in ten months he'll put a world-class 100-story skyscraper in Dubai or Manhattan and in 10 months bang! it's there. He says he'll build a wall on the Mexican border, and I have no doubt he'll push hard to get it done.