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Trump seeks slam dunk over Cruz in Indiana primary
The Hill
by Lisa Hagen
5/3/2016
Excerpt:
Tuesday’s Hoosier State primary is do-or-die for Ted Cruz, as front-runner Donald Trump hopes to put to rest any doubts about who the Republican presidential nominee will be.
As late as Friday, the Texas senator was saying the race would come down to Indiana. After polls this weekend showed Trump ahead in the state by double digits, Cruz walked back that rhetoric even as he tried to blanket the state before voters go to the polls.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is trying to win her sixth out of the last seven contests and get closer to wrapping up the Democratic nomination, and rival Bernie Sanders wants to prove the race can go to a contested convention.
Here are five things to watch for on Tuesday night:
Do Cruz’s gambles work?
Cruz has already been mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination on the first ballot at July’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland. But he has been feverishly campaigning across Indiana and trying to shake up the race.
Last week, the Texas senator’s campaign announced he had forged an alliance with third-place contender John Kasich in the hope that the Ohio governor’s supporters would vote for Cruz in Indiana and keep Trump from winning as many delegates.
But the pact quickly unraveled as the candidates sent mixed messages. Kasich canceled events in the state but insisted he wouldn’t tell supporters to vote for his opponent; Cruz denied he’s working with Kasich at all.
A few days later, Cruz named Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential pick if he’s the nominee. The rare gamble of naming a running mate at this stage hasn’t happened since 1976. At an Indianapolis rally, Fiorina sought to convince voters that Trump and Clinton are two of a kind.
The Cruz-Fiorina duo received a tepid reception, however, and strategists said it underscores his desperation.
Cruz had been benefitting of late from anti-Trump sentiment, but his fortunes appear to have suffered as the billionaire gets closer to the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
Over the weekend, one poll showed him behind by as many as 17 points, and he now says California will be the decisive state. A win in Indiana, however, could renew the hopes by Republicans that he could be a viable alternative to Trump.
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View the complete article, including image, at:
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign...ruz-in-indiana
The Hill
by Lisa Hagen
5/3/2016
Excerpt:
Tuesday’s Hoosier State primary is do-or-die for Ted Cruz, as front-runner Donald Trump hopes to put to rest any doubts about who the Republican presidential nominee will be.
As late as Friday, the Texas senator was saying the race would come down to Indiana. After polls this weekend showed Trump ahead in the state by double digits, Cruz walked back that rhetoric even as he tried to blanket the state before voters go to the polls.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is trying to win her sixth out of the last seven contests and get closer to wrapping up the Democratic nomination, and rival Bernie Sanders wants to prove the race can go to a contested convention.
Here are five things to watch for on Tuesday night:
Do Cruz’s gambles work?
Cruz has already been mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination on the first ballot at July’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland. But he has been feverishly campaigning across Indiana and trying to shake up the race.
Last week, the Texas senator’s campaign announced he had forged an alliance with third-place contender John Kasich in the hope that the Ohio governor’s supporters would vote for Cruz in Indiana and keep Trump from winning as many delegates.
But the pact quickly unraveled as the candidates sent mixed messages. Kasich canceled events in the state but insisted he wouldn’t tell supporters to vote for his opponent; Cruz denied he’s working with Kasich at all.
A few days later, Cruz named Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential pick if he’s the nominee. The rare gamble of naming a running mate at this stage hasn’t happened since 1976. At an Indianapolis rally, Fiorina sought to convince voters that Trump and Clinton are two of a kind.
The Cruz-Fiorina duo received a tepid reception, however, and strategists said it underscores his desperation.
Cruz had been benefitting of late from anti-Trump sentiment, but his fortunes appear to have suffered as the billionaire gets closer to the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
Over the weekend, one poll showed him behind by as many as 17 points, and he now says California will be the decisive state. A win in Indiana, however, could renew the hopes by Republicans that he could be a viable alternative to Trump.
................................................
View the complete article, including image, at:
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign...ruz-in-indiana