To be fair, the Red State article did say that Rubio's sacrifice was inadvertent and not altruistic. I could be wrong, but I think Rubio may well get out before Florida. As it does not appear he is going to win there, he actually has more to lose than he does to gain as far as the effects on his long-term political career. Why do this? He has done all he can and if he is smart, and also as selfish as you say, he will pack it in and live to fight again another day. Hopefully someone will call him and talk him off of the ledge. Maybe Lindsey Graham. Anyway, I think the chances are high that Rubio withdraws before the Florida primary a week from Tuesday. Kasich on the other hand appears to be in it entirely for himself. He cannot win the nomination and will not be the beneficiary of a brokered convention. All he can do is divide the field and thereby help strengthen the prospects of Donald Trump. Maybe Kasich gets out too, but it is hard to see it at this point. Kasich really does appear to dance to the beat of his own drummer.
Mojoman and cml750 seem to think the best possible thing is for Rubio and Kasich to get out of the race. What they are somehow unable to realize is that if that happens, Trump wins Ohio and Florida and the winner take all votes putting Trump over the top to win the nomination just like Rubio today took Puerto Rico and kept all those delegates away from Trump.
Hey, you wanted Rubio out last week. Rubio CRUSHED everyone in Puerto Rico. But guess who came in 2nd. Hint: His name isn't Ted Cruz.
At the moment there is no good reason for Rubio to drop out. His only hope is to try to deny both Trump and Cruz enough electoral votes to win outright and go to a brokered convention.
If he is going to do it he better do it soon. Early voting is going on in Florida and anyone who votes for Rubio and then he quits will be pissed at him because their voice will not be heard. If he does drop out quickly, I like the chances of Ted Cruz. I should also say that Kasich needs to man up and drop out also.
Which will split the party. You are making my point that he is selfish. He is thinking only of himself and not his country or his party. I am sure Democrats would love that.
Yeah, no reason for Rubio to drop out before Florida. Cruz people are nuts. If Rubio and Kasich dropped out today, Trump would win Florida and Ohio which are winner take all delegates. Cruz would be done at that point.
True he is thinking selfishly but at this point he probably feels he's gone too far to back off now. Further that Romney and others have come out advocating that strategy he probably feels that he has the backing of party leaders.
Unless he thinks Cruz and Trump would both be disasters for the party. If he thinks he'd be the GOP's best option and make the best President, is he thinking of himself or his party/country?
I have no problem thinking that Rubio is being selfish. You don't run for president and put your friends and family through the grind of campaign unless you have a certain amount selfishness.
What you do not realize that a majority do not want Trump. Those votes are being split by three candidates. He almost never does as well as the pre-primary polls show either. Cruz, based on how he has done so far, is the only one who should stay in to consolidate the anti-Trump vote. If Rubio or Kasich were in the same position as Cruz, I would be calling for Cruz to drop out instead. If Trump wins the nomination or this goes to a contested / brokered convention then Hillary wins in November. If Rubio had dropped out after Super-Tuesday, Cruz would have likely won Louisiana and Kentucky yesterday. Rubio is just being selfish hoping he can win in at the convention. What he doesn't realize is that the only way the Trump crowd would vote for anyone other than Trump in the general election is if someone genuinely beats him.
Rubio did pick up 23 delegates today that might have gone to Trump if he had bowed out already. If his goal is preventing Trump from winning, he's helping accomplish that.
There sure is a lot of conversation to figure out who gets to lose against the Democrats. Worth it right?
Bernie's only running because it's God's will. God thinks it's time people like you understood what socialism is and how we all benefit from it, not have your ignorant buddies and talk radio define it for you with nonsense and scary rhetoric. Jesus is big on socialism. Jesus was probably the original socialist.
It looks like the strategy now is to steal the nomination from Trump in a brokered convention. Narrowing the field now makes that goal harder, not easier. I'd say Rubio is being a good soldier by staying in the race. Also, the party bosses want to resolve the brokered convention to put Rubio up as their candidate. They don't want to take it away from Trump only to give it to Ted Cruz, the guy that always defied party orders. That might have to give it to him in the end if Rubio can't keep pace, but I think it's obvious Rubio is doing the party's business by staying in. I wouldn't say his candidacy is any more selfish than anyone else's. Also, it's ridiculous to suggest Cruz would drop out to stop Trump if the roles were reversed. As far as selfish politicians go, Cruz is king. This is the guy who shut down the government to show his conservative bonafides even when his party and his fellow Republican senators were begging him to drop it. There is no way on God's green earth that Cruz would take one for the team so long as there was a mathematical chance that he could win.
