Well, Jeb Bush is officially out of the race. Say what you will about the candidate, his showing was beyond embarrassing. That leaves Trump, Cruz, Rubio, and Carson and Kasich in the cellar. So, who do you think will bail next? (I'm thinking Kasich. He has had a solid career in politics, but in this wildly anti-establishment cycle, it is hard to imagine he'll last much longer. Carson, for whatever reason, seems unflappable. Reality will eventually set in though.)
If the Republican wannabees don't want Trump to be their standard bearer then I guess they have to sacrifice a lot. Withdrawing in favor of another is a good option. For example Rubio will quit and support Ted Cruz. And if the others follow then it will be a one-on-one between Trump and Cruz. So in that face-off no one can be too sure, even Trump may be surprised. But right now the atmosphere is very much in favor of Donald Trump so it doesn't matter who quits unless they all do.
I think Cruz will stay until he is pushed out literally, because he is as arrogant as Trump. There are some back room politics for sure going on, because most know that the chances are slim, but I guess it feeds the ego to say I am running to be nominated as a candidate for the Presidency.
Well, I think that it depends on how Super Tuesday goes. I think that if Kasich doesn't at least come close to winning a state or two he will drop out. Ben Carson I think is just staying in the race as a matter of pride. I don't see Cruz or Rubio going anywhere any time soon. I am wondering if Rubio would accept a VP birth if it was offered to him. Who knows? I don't think he is a big Trump fan. but he is ambitious. I still can't believe the Potential Presidential field...gives me nightmares..Canada anyone?
Carson said he won't drop out any time soon. There are some who speculate that Carson is being asked to stay in the race so he [as an evangelical] can make it impossible for Cruz to get the GOPs nomination. So I'm guessing until Cruz drops out, Carson will still be around. Because of that I think Kasich will be the next to drop out.
Carson, if he had any self respect would drop out immediately. He's not going to win any states or pick up many delegates. So what's the point? He's pretty much just wasting his donors hard earned money. That's a disgrace to me. Kasich should also drop out but it doesn't appear he's going to do so. I'm sure there are some deals being worked out because the establishment class clearly wants Marco Rubio to be the nominee. They will do anything within their power to prevent Trump and especially Cruz from being the party's standard bearer.
I would say Carson also here. He should have already bowed out a while back, and I'm not sure why he is still wasting money to try and get a leg up when it's just not going to happen. Honestly though, the next person to drop out really should be Rubio after Cruz caught him on live TV lying about amnesty and what he said on Telemundo. He already proved, on live national television, that Rubio is deceitful and will lie to people with a straight face while promising the world to others what is not his to deliver. Not saying that Cruz is all that much better on other positions he's decided to represent, but at the very least he didn't lie on tv or make blanket statements about the linguistic ability or aptitude of other candidates which were false. If Rubio doesn't go first after Carson, he should be next.
Cruz will be the next to drop out only because of the states that are coming up next week. Kasich isn´t going to drop out because he stayed in not expecting to do well in Nevada or Super Tuesday. Carson isn´t going to drop out until Cruz drops out. Without Carson, Cruz would have solidly been the anti-trump in SC and Nevada. Carson is doing what he is being asked to do. Go on a glorified book tour and keep Cruz down 5-10% in every southern states. Cruz´s firewall is first to come on the calendar, next Tuesday. He needs to win Texas and a bunch of the southern states to stay in, because after that the map does not favor him at all. Rubio and Kasich just have to weather next week, and then they get better states.
I think Rubio will be the next to quit because he is young and can go on to do other things or try again next election. I am really quite surprised that Jeb left because he is a Bush and I figured he thinks he would have been a for sure thing because of his family history in the White House.
Obviously next Tuesday will tell a significant chapter of the story. Cruz should (must?) win Texas to remain viable. Rubio should (must?) win Florida on March 15; recent polls suggest Trump leads Rubio by 6%. (Neither Bush or Christie have endorsed anyone yet.) Kasich will stick around through the Ohio primary. He is a reasonably popular governor that could be a power broker controlling 66 delegate votes of a swing state (based upon past electoral history). Whereas Cruz and Rubio are young enough to have a go at the brass ring 8 years hence, Kasich would be ~73. I could see him being picked up as a VP candidate thus time around. I have no idea why or how Carson is sticking around. Common sense says he should drop out. My perception is the inner circles of the Republican party do not want Trump as their candidate, but those in the smoke-filled rooms don't know how to handle the firebrand. Some conservative talk radio hosts suggest Trump would pick Kasich for VP, but who knows. If I were a betting person -- I'm not -- I would think Carson might fold his tent after Super Tuesday. As it is now, he seems to be enjoying the attention. A WAG? He is fishing to be the next Surgeon General. (And Christie for AG.)
