I guess they got the message.
For several weeks the pundits have questioned why Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have chosen not to attack frontrunner Donald Trump. I wrote yesterday that it was if they were happy just to participate while Trump ran away with the nomination.
That all changed last night.
Republican candidates engaged in another debate and it was clear from the start that both Cruz and Rubio had their sights set on Trump. They took turns attacking him at every opportunity.
I thought Rubio was particularly effective; successfully unnerving Trump on a number of occasions.
Unfortunately for the viewers the night eventually deteriorated into another sophomoric food fight with everybody yelling at the same time.
As for Cruz and Rubio, last night’s modicum of success is probably too little too late.
Super Tuesday is four days away. Trump leads in every one of that night’s contested states by double digits save one. That one exception is Cruz’ home state of Texas where the senator holds a razor thin edge. If Cruz can’t even win his home state he’s done.
Rubio is in much the same place. He’s probably going lose the next fifteen primaries. Trump leads Rubio in Rubio’s home state of Florida by 21 points. If Rubio can’t win his home state he’ll join Cruz on the sideline.
Rubio won the night. He proved that Trump could be rattled. It’s too bad for him that he didn’t change tactics weeks ago.
I would be remiss if I didn’t note that amidst all the screaming and yelling and nonsense on display there was only won candidate who clearly demonstrated that he has the experience, the temperament and the empathy necessary to be the next President of the United States…
John Kasich.
Comments on this entry are closed.