'I want Ted one-on-one': Donald Trump calls on Marco Rubio to drop out of race

[HAPPY2BME]

Business Insider
Colin Campbell
Mar. 5, 2016, 11:19 PM

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Saturday that rival Marco Rubio should drop out of the race.

"I think it's time for Marco to clean the deck. I really do. And I say that respectfully," Trump said at a press conference in Florida.

Trump held the press conference after four states held primaries or caucuses earlier in the day. Trump was projected to win Kentucky and Louisiana, while Cruz won Kansas and Maine.

"I think Marco Rubio had a very, very bad night," Trump said. "And personally I'd call on him to drop out of the race. I think it's time now that he drop out of the race. I really think so. I think it's probably time."

Trump's call echoes that of another presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, who has urged the non-Trump candidates to drop out so that a coalition can form against the Republican frontrunner. Rubio, a Florida senator, has only won one state — Minnesota — while Cruz has also notched victories in Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Alaska.

"You got to be able to win. He has not been able to win. And I think that it's time that he drops out," Trump said.

Both Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have suggested that they intend to turn their campaigns around by winning their home states, which vote later this month. But Trump said he was more than ready for a head-to-head race against Cruz in the primary.

"I would love to take on Ted one-on-one," Trump said. "That would be so much fun. Because Ted can't win New York. He can't win New Jersey. He can't win Pennsylvania. He can't win California. I want Ted one-on-one, OK?"

http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-ted-cruz-marco-rubio-drop-out-race-2016-3

[NavyCanDo]

Sorry, Pal.   Marco is going to give it  his best shot at keeping Florida's winner take all out of Trumps delegate column. That is his prime directive. If he loses , Florida, everyone expects him to drop out or maybe even team with Cruz as a VP possibility. He may even do this if he wins Florida. I think Kasich is also still in it for the same reason. A three-person strategy to keep Trump from being the nominee.

[HAPPY2BME]

[libertybele]

Sorry, Pal.   Marco is going to give it  his best shot at keeping Florida's winner take all out of Trumps delegate column. That is his prime directive. If he loses , Florida, everyone expects him to drop out or maybe even team with Cruz as a VP possibility. He may even do this if he wins Florida. I think Kasich is also still in it for the same reason. A three-person strategy to keep Trump from being the nominee.

Except Marco cannot win Florida.  IMHO whoever wins FL will be our nominee. I have reason to believe if Marco were to drop out now, Cruz would easily win Florida.

I would be extremely surprised if Cruz would pick Rubio as a VP as their stances on important issues are drastically different;  Cruz fought against the Gang of Eight, Marco was the Gang of Eight.  Cruz proposed amendments to combat the Iran nuke deal, Marco voted against them, etc. 

[sinkspur]

Except Marco cannot win Florida.  IMHO whoever wins FL will be our nominee. I have reason to believe if Marco were to drop out now, Cruz would easily win Florida.

I would be extremely surprised if Cruz would pick Rubio as a VP as their stances on important issues are drastically different;  Cruz fought against the Gang of Eight, Marco was the Gang of Eight.  Cruz proposed amendments to combat the Iran nuke deal, Marco voted against them, etc.

Don't count Rubio out yet.  Last week, Trump was up in Kansas by 12 points, and lost.  THings are changing out there and Trump could easily lose Florida and Ohio. (And he will likely lose Michigan)

[mountaineer]

Except Marco cannot win Florida.  IMHO whoever wins FL will be our nominee. I have reason to believe if Marco were to drop out now, Cruz would easily win Florida.

Perhaps, but I think it's necessary for him to give it a try. His supporters expect no less.

I would be extremely surprised if Cruz would pick Rubio as a VP as their stances on important issues are drastically different;  Cruz fought against the Gang of Eight, Marco was the Gang of Eight.  Cruz proposed amendments to combat the Iran nuke deal, Marco voted against them, etc.

Not only that, but let's be honest: two Hispanic names on the ticket? I don't think many Americans are ready for that. Then again,  a ticket with a Kenyan name won ... 

[libertybele]

Don't count Rubio out yet.  Last week, Trump was up in Kansas by 12 points, and lost.  THings are changing out there and Trump could easily lose Florida and Ohio. (And he will likely lose Michigan)

A couple of thoughts; on Rubio's side this is his home state. That's about the only positive going for him and he will get the establishment vote.

Voters so far have voted very much anti-establishment. Of informed voters, no one is going to forget his pro amnesty stance and his membership to the Gang of Eight (not with the negative impact of illegal immigration to this state).  No one is going to dismiss his poor record as a Senator.

Florida is a closed primary state - stats are showing that has helped to boost Cruz not Rubio.

Trump is leading Marco at least 20 points in every poll.

Rubio has won only 1 state.  Yesterday's election results are clear indication that Rubio can't win.  His deplorable words and actions in the last debate and his stepped up negative rhetoric against Trump haven't helped.

[sinkspur]

A couple of thoughts; on Rubio's side this is his home state. That's about the only positive going for him and he will get the establishment vote.

Voters so far have voted very much anti-establishment. Of informed voters, no one is going to forget his pro amnesty stance and his membership to the Gang of Eight (not with the negative impact of illegal immigration to this state).  No one is going to dismiss his poor record as a Senator.

Florida is a closed primary state - stats are showing that has helped to boost Cruz not Rubio.

Trump is leading Marco at least 20 points in every poll.

Rubio has won only 1 state.  Yesterday's election results are clear indication that Rubio can't win.  His deplorable words and actions in the last debate and his stepped up negative rhetoric against Trump haven't helped.

Actually that's not true.  Two polls have shown Rubio within 6 points.  Those polls looked at voting patterns.  Quinnipiac and others let self-identified "Republicans" respond; some of these are Independents who can't vote.

Rubio's words were not "deplorable" in the last debate.   He and Cruz slammed Trump, rattled him, and  he made statements he had to walk back the next day.   Rubio may not win, but at this point, stopping Trump is the goal.  If it's Cruz, it's Cruz, although he'd have just as hard a time as Trump in uniting the party.

[libertybele]

Perhaps, but I think it's necessary for him to give it a try. His supporters expect no less.
Not only that, but let's be honest: two Hispanic names on the ticket? I don't think many Americans are ready for that. Then again,  a ticket with a Kenyan name won ... 

The contrast between the two is very clear; Cruz has stood up time and time again against the Washington cartel.  Rubio is part of the Washington cartel.  I just don't see it happening. 

[mountaineer]

The contrast between the two is very clear; Cruz has stood up time and time again against the Washington cartel.  Rubio is part of the Washington cartel.  I just don't see it happening.

I agree.

[sinkspur]

The contrast between the two is very clear; Cruz has stood up time and time again against the Washington cartel.  Rubio is part of the Washington cartel.  I just don't see it happening.

Cruz has lost every time he's done that. And he will continue to lose. 

Cruz cannot win a general election running the kind of campaign he's run thus far.  Too strident, too much Jesus, too unbending.  Hillary will hang the government shutdown around his neck like a clove of garlic.

[NavyCanDo]

I just hope and pray the Republicans have a War Room where people much smarter than us are doing in-depth state by state, county by county, polling, doing the delegate math and coming up with strategies for keeping Trump from being the nominee. A Prayer Room wouldn't hurt either.

Rubio in, or Rubio out, doesn't really matter to me at this point. Just get it done. 

[sinkspur]

I just hope and pray the Republicans have a War Room where people much smarter than us are doing in-depth state by state, county by county, polling, doing the delegate math and coming up with strategies for keeping Trump from being the nominee. A Prayer Room wouldn't heart either.

Rubio in, or Rubio out, doesn't really matter to me at this point. Just get it done.

Agree. 

Do you realize that the two men with the highest unfavorables in the Republican party are now leading the primaries?  And the guy with the highest favorables is pretty well done? 

[EdinVA]

A couple of thoughts; on Rubio's side this is his home state. That's about the only positive going for him and he will get the establishment vote.

Voters so far have voted very much anti-establishment. Of informed voters, no one is going to forget his pro amnesty stance and his membership to the Gang of Eight (not with the negative impact of illegal immigration to this state).  No one is going to dismiss his poor record as a Senator.

Florida is a closed primary state - stats are showing that has helped to boost Cruz not Rubio.

Trump is leading Marco at least 20 points in every poll.

Rubio has won only 1 state.  Yesterday's election results are clear indication that Rubio can't win.  His deplorable words and actions in the last debate and his stepped up negative rhetoric against Trump haven't helped.

Rubio is a smart guy and should have focused on building his skills thru another term in the senate.
I think all he has managed to do in this race is destroy his political career.

[EC]

I think all he has managed to do in this race is destroy his political career.

I think it's deliberate. Maybe not a conscious decision, but a deliberate one none the less.

The one thing we do know about Rubio is he really doesn't like the job. At all. Reaching for the moon and missing gives him an honorable out.

[HonestJohn]

Cruz has lost every time he's done that. And he will continue to lose. 

Cruz cannot win a general election running the kind of campaign he's run thus far.  Too strident, too much Jesus, too unbending.  Hillary will hang the government shutdown around his neck like a clove of garlic.

Well, our party seems to like sending up the worst candidate for a general election.  We sent Romney, knowing full well that RomneyCare was the basis of ObamaCare, nullifying a great campaign point - opposition to ObamaCare.

Now, it's Trump and Cruz. 

Trump and his friendship with Hillary - ie: just how much of an opponent are you, being her friend?
Cruz and his shutdown - just how trustworthy can you be as the head of a government you've shutdown?

[HonestJohn]

I just hope and pray the Republicans have a War Room where people much smarter than us are doing in-depth state by state, county by county, polling, doing the delegate math and coming up with strategies for keeping Trump from being the nominee. A Prayer Room wouldn't hurt either.

Rubio in, or Rubio out, doesn't really matter to me at this point. Just get it done.

I doubt it.

[Bill Cipher]

Rubio is a strong conservative Seen by most as extremely conservative. He is roundly criticized for not wanting to deport the 12 million illegals already here. Cruz has now told Bill O'Reilly that he would go out and deport them all. I stand with Rubio on this.

Your reference to the Iran deal....Rubio has been clearly against the Iran deal.

Cruz is far better than Trump and I can support him when and if it is the right time.

But for now Go Rubio

Would you go with a Cruz/Rubio ticket?

[Bill Cipher]

Either way yes. I do think Rubio would at the top would do better in a general. But again yes I would support Cruz alone or with Rubio, even though I strongly oppose his deport them all stance he now is espousing. I think this will come back to hurt him in the general election.

The deport them all will definitely not be a positive in the general.

[Sanguine]

Except Marco cannot win Florida.  IMHO whoever wins FL will be our nominee. I have reason to believe if Marco were to drop out now, Cruz would easily win Florida.

I would be extremely surprised if Cruz would pick Rubio as a VP as their stances on important issues are drastically different;  Cruz fought against the Gang of Eight, Marco was the Gang of Eight.  Cruz proposed amendments to combat the Iran nuke deal, Marco voted against them, etc.

I agree that it is unlikely that Cruz will pick Rubio.  They are quite different in ideology and then there's that whole Cuban thing.  It might create an exploitable issue should both candidates be Cuban-American.

I'm thinking a Cruz/Kaisch ticket could be a winner. 

[Sanguine]

....

Trump and his friendship with Hillary - ie: just how much of an opponent are you, being her friend?
Cruz and his shutdown - just how trustworthy can you be as the head of a government you've shutdown?

Oh, come on, John.  Cruz didn't shut it down by himself, it had minimal effect on the day to day lives of.. anyone, and R approval ratings actually went up after it.

[Frank Cannon]

I'm thinking a Cruz/Kaisch ticket could be a winner.

Generally you pick an attack dog as your VP. Kasich is about as combative as a sack full of kittens.

[Sanguine]

Generally you pick an attack dog as your VP. Kasich is about as combative as a sack full of kittens.

Agreed, but in this case, Cruz is indelibly portrayed as the attack dog.  Kasich could balance that out a bit.

[Bill Cipher]

Generally you pick an attack dog as your VP. Kasich is about as combative as a sack full of kittens.

Was Bush I an attack dog as Reagan's VP?

[sinkspur]

Oh, come on, John.  Cruz didn't shut it down by himself, it had minimal effect on the day to day lives of.. anyone, and R approval ratings actually went up after it.

Nope.  Congressional approval dropped to 11% during the shutdown, edged down to 9% three weeks after it was over.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/165809/congressional-approval-sinks-record-low.aspx