So right now, pundits are speculating: \u00a0should each remaining GOP candidate stay in the race, because there\u2019s a risk, if any drop out, that their supporters will choose Trump instead? \u00a0Or should they consolidate, to improve the odds that the Last Non-Trump Standing will win in the crucial winner-take-all states? \u00a0Me, I think the latter.<\/p>\n
Or, rather, here\u2019s the issue: \u00a0no matter what differences there are between Cruz, Rubio, and Kasich, at this point the fundamental issue is this: \u00a0Trump or NotTrump? \u00a0For any particular voter, which of the NotTrumps in particular is a secondary consideration. \u00a0Which means that, in order for election results from here on out to be meaningful, they must be: \u00a0Trump or NotTrump?<\/p>\n
In a perfect world, that\u2019s how the ballot would read, with, perhaps a second question of \u201cwhich NotTrump do you choose?\u201d \u00a0If the NotTrumps win, it\u2019s a contested convention in which the delegates work out who the NotTrump nominee is. \u00a0If Trump wins, well, then the people have more authentically spoken than if Trump accumulates votes by means of winner-take-alls when his overall level of support is in the mid or high 30s.<\/p>\n
But, of course, that option doesn\u2019t exist, and Trump voters aren\u2019t going to buy the claim that \u201cyour guy, while he had the plurality, had less than an outright majority, so our guy, who had far fewer delegates, wins.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s why Kasich needs to drop, and Rubio and Cruz need to form a unity \u201cCrubio\u201d ticket. \u00a0Who\u2019s on the top spot? \u00a0I guess they could flip for it. \u00a0Or they could announce, in a manner similar to a coalition agreement in countries with coalition-building, a joint platform born of a couple late-night negotiating sessions prior to the next primaries, or, at any rate, prior to the March 15th primaries. \u00a0(Heck, in some cases, those coalitions are so even that power is shared and each party head serves as Chancellor\/Prime Minister for half the usual term.)<\/p>\n
This would create a true binary Trump vs. NotTrump choice, which is what the Republican Party needs.<\/p>\n
Either that, or a credible third party candidate.<\/p>\n