In the media's jubilation over Senator Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) supposed mathematical elimination from reaching 1,237 delegates, it seems to have forgotten something: Donald Trump is all but eliminated too! Despite the Trump-leaning primaries underway in Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Rhode Island today, the mogul is as much of a longshot at securing the GOP nomination as Cruz. The billionaire's path to the top of the ticket is an uphill climb -- and that may be putting it mildly, considering that he would need to lock up 58 percent of the remaining delegates. That's a tall task in states like Indiana, where Cruz's popularity is surging.
"We are headed to a contested convention at this point. Nobody is getting 1,237," Ted told a reporter matter-of-factly. "Donald is going to talk all the time about other folks not getting 1,237. He's not getting there either. Neither of us are getting the 1,237." In today's primaries, for example, there are 172 delegates on the line -- but only 118 are pledged. Cruz's operation shines when it comes to the remaining delegates. These "unbound" delegates, who can vote their personal preference at the Republican National Convention in in July, are flocking to the senator's side, thanks to a sophisticated ground game. While Trump has enjoyed big crowds, his campaign continues to lack substance -- both politically and strategically. What Cruz has accomplished in the grassroots not only shows off his organizational skills but proves that he has a campaign that can win.
Sure, a lot of Americans are caught up in the Trump hype and the celebrity politics that go along with it, but Donald continues to lack the vision and meaning the nation needs to repair the damage of 8 years of Barack Obama and get the nation moving forward again. Today's results won't change that. Nor will it change the likelihood of a contested convention, where the delegates will decide who the party's nominee will be. But just because it's a rare occurrence to have delegates at a convention decide who the party's nominee will be doesn't mean it it's an illegitimate one. And no amount of whining will change that fact.
DISCLAIMER: Tony Perkins has made an endorsement in his individual and personal capacity only, and it should not be construed or interpreted in any way as the endorsement of FRC, FRC Action, or any affiliated entity.
