A top Republican strategist, who has been around Republican conventions for decades, warns both the Trump and Cruz campaigns that if they don’t clinch the nomination on the first ballot, they are likely to lose.
“You really have to respect the will of the voters,” said Alex Castellanos, of Purple Strategies. “We’ve had 39 primaries and caucuses, a year of campaigning, millions of votes, and in their wisdom Republican voters have decided not to give any of these yo-yo’s 1,237 delegates.”
A Republican candidate must receive 1,237 delegates to become the nominee.
Castellanos, who advised Bob Dole, George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, says because it’s likely Trump and Cruz will be short, delegates will be free to look elsewhere.
“We’re going to go in. Trump is going to be short. He’s going to recede, probably, on the second ballot,” predicts Castellanos. “But guess what? The only value Ted Cruz right now — he’s the guy Republicans didn’t want when this whole thing started, right? And these are party regulars. They don’t want Ted Cruz. Guess what happens, Cruz’s value evaporates when Trump is no longer a threat. So, there’s a very good chance this convention does not turn to Ted Cruz. And then we get into a devolutionary process. Trump folks say I don’t want a Cruz guy. Cruz guys say I don’t want a Trump guy. And you begin to look for who is the least threatening candidate.”
Yesterday, I predicted the same thing and suggested Paul Ryan could be the compromise nominee.