Political Wire

Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!

Rubio’s Only Path Is a Contested Convention

March 3, 2016 at 3:29 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 13 Comments

“Marco Rubio’s path to the Republican nomination short of a contested convention has narrowed to nearly nothing as his campaign and allies reboot their strategy to prepare for months of guerilla warfare to deny Donald Trump a clean, pre-convention victory,” Politico reports.

“The math for Rubio is daunting. After getting thoroughly routed on Super Tuesday, Rubio is in so deep a delegate hole that he would now need to win roughly two-thirds of all the remaining delegates to guarantee his nomination ahead of Cleveland.”

New York Times: “The senator is redirecting resources toward his home state as some suggest his best hope may lie in a convention battle.”

Wall Street Readies Big Trump Assault

March 3, 2016 at 3:26 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 42 Comments

Politico: “Wall Street is getting ready to go nuclear on Donald Trump. Terrified that the reality TV star could run away with the Republican nomination and bring his brand of anti-immigrant, protectionist populism to the White House, some top financiers are writing big checks to fund an effort to deny Trump a majority of delegates to the GOP convention.”

Christie Defends Trump Endorsement

March 3, 2016 at 3:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

“Facing criticism for his out-of-state campaigning for presidential candidate Donald Trump, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday he wouldn’t resign and defended his endorsement of the Republican front-runner,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The governor’s remarks came during a lengthy, freewheeling news conference that sharply contrasted in tone and substance from an appearance he held earlier this week in which he declined to take off-topic questions from reporters.”

Trump Hits Romney as a ‘Choke Artist’

March 3, 2016 at 3:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

Donald Trump responded to Mitt Romney’s takedown speech with withering scorn, Politico reports.

Said Trump: “I backed Mitt Romney. He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said ‘Mitt, drop to your knees.’ He would have dropped to his knees.”

He added: “Mitt is a failed candidate, he failed, he failed horribly. He failed badly. That was a race that should have been won.”

Can GOP Keep the Senate with Trump as Nominee?

March 3, 2016 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 111 Comments

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Obviously, the map gets much worse for Republicans. This moves four additional Senate races — Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania — toward the Democrats, and others would become more competitive. Ohio would be a toss-up, while Democratic odds could also improve in places like Indiana, Missouri, and North Carolina. As unlikely as it seems at present, perhaps even a Senate institution, Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, could find himself in unexpected trouble, particularly if Republicans find their opposition to holding a vote, or even hearings, on President Obama’s eventual nominee to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is unpopular.”

“Under this scenario, we could see the Democrats winning at least 51 Senate seats, with several others in the realm of the possible. The Republican ‘Trumpmare’ is a Democratic Senate to go along with a third straight Democratic term in the White House.”

Quote of the Day

March 3, 2016 at 10:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard 127 Comments

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.”

— Mitt Romney, quoted by the Washington Post.

Koch Brothers Will Not Try to Stop Trump

March 3, 2016 at 10:42 am EST By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

The Koch brothers, the most powerful conservative mega donors in the United States, “will not use their $400 million political arsenal to try to block Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s path to the presidential nomination,” Reuters reports.

“Three sources close to the Kochs said the brothers made the decision because they were concerned that spending millions of dollars attacking Trump would be money wasted, since they had not yet seen any attack on Trump stick.”

Romney’s Back

March 3, 2016 at 9:09 am EST By Taegan Goddard 78 Comments

Rick Klein: “In the epic that is the Republican race, Thursday is Mitt Romney’s day, the vanquished former champion’s best chance to influence a campaign that’s gone wildly and unrecognizably off-course. Donald Trump, of course, just reached his high-water mark in the state that elected Romney governor, and the state that elected Romney’s father votes next. They will mark Romney’s most heavy-handed attempt yet to influence the race; he’s set to call Trump a ‘phony, a fraud’ who is ‘playing the American public for suckers.'”

“Most analysis will be produced on whether Romney is a flawed messenger inside a Republican Party that’s still smarting from his 2012 loss – a loss, one might argue, that emboldened Trump to run for president. But there’s a role here for Romney that appears finally ready to embrace. Raising doubts about Trump as a ‘con man’ – Marco Rubio’s stump line – now is about creating just enough chaos in the GOP to block Trump from getting a majority of convention delegates. Under that scenario, the rest of the field may be better off divided than unified; note that Romney is praising Rubio, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich Thursday.”

“It’s not the first, second, or third option for a panicked GOP, but it might be the last option left. So enter, Mitt.”

How a Third Party Option Could Work for Republicans

March 3, 2016 at 8:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard 62 Comments

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

The New York Times reports that “a small but influential — and growing — group of conservative leaders are calling for a third-party option to spare voters a wrenching general election choice between a Republican they consider completely unacceptable and Hillary Clinton.”

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

A Big Opportunity for Trump’s Rivals

March 3, 2016 at 8:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

First Read notes that Donald Trump’s rivals have some good opportunities pick up delegates over the next five days: “And before the March 15 contests, it’s also worth noting that many of the upcoming contests are closed off to non-Republicans, meaning that the independents and outsiders who have been helping Trump at the ballot box won’t be able to participate.”

March 5

Kansas (40 delegates): Closed (Caucus)
Kentucky (45): Closed (Caucus)
Louisiana (47): Closed (Primary)
Maine (23): Closed (Caucus)

March 8

Hawaii (19): Closed (Caucus)
Idaho (32): Closed (Primary)
Michigan (59): Open (Primary)
Mississippi (40): Open (Primary)

“Trump is leading in the polls in Michigan, and he should do well in Mississippi (if the Alabama/Georgia results from Tuesday are any indication). But the other closed contests are opportunities for his rivals. Can they take advantage?”

Trump Says He’s Most Successful to Ever Run

March 3, 2016 at 8:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

Donald Trump gave an interview to Time in which he declared, “I am the most successful person ever to run for president.”

His secret: “I go on one of these shows and the ratings double. They triple. And that gives you power. It’s not the polls. It’s the ratings.”

On winning the GOP nomination: “I have always been a winner. If we have the delegates at the convention, there is nothing they can do about it.”

Clinton Staffer Granted Immunity in Email Probe

March 3, 2016 at 7:57 am EST By Taegan Goddard 108 Comments

“The Justice Department has granted immunity to a former State Department staffer, who worked on Hillary Clinton’s private email server, as part of a criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information,” the Washington Post reports.

“The official said the FBI had secured the cooperation of Bryan Pagliano, who worked on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign before setting up the server in her New York home in 2009.”

New York Times: “A federal law enforcement official said that barring any unforeseen changes, the F.B.I. investigation could conclude by early May. Then the Justice Department will decide whether to file criminal charges and, if so, against whom.”

Trump’s Bid Was Planned Four Years Ago

March 3, 2016 at 7:22 am EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

Donald Trump trademarked his slogan “Make America Great Again” in November 2012, shortly after President Obama was re-elected, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Rubio Needs to Win Two-Thirds of Remaining Delegates

March 3, 2016 at 7:19 am EST By Taegan Goddard 27 Comments

“Super Tuesday was bad for Marco Rubio, but the political world still hasn’t absorbed just how bad it was. According to our delegate count estimate, it was absolutely brutal,” Vox reports.

“With about 29% of delegates already allotted, Rubio is so far behind that it’s hard to see how he can win the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination on the first ballot. Indeed, he’d need to win nearly two-thirds of all remaining delegates to pull that off — a highly implausible feat.”

GOP Leaders Make Last Ditch Effort to Stop Trump

March 3, 2016 at 7:09 am EST By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

Washington Post: “The Republican Party was in a state of pandemonium Wednesday as a clutch of independent groups scrambled to throw together a last-ditch effort to deny Donald Trump the presidential nomination, even as some party figures concluded it was now too late to stop the billionaire mogul.”

“In a flurry of conference calls and meetings, top Republican donors and strategists laid plans for a multimillion-dollar assault on the front-runner in a series of states holding contests on March 15. Ground zero is Florida, where home-state Sen. Marco Rubio, the leading establishment candidate, is going all in to defeat Trump, who leads in the polls there.”

For members: The delegate denial strategy

GOP Field Down to Four for Tonight’s Debate

March 3, 2016 at 6:56 am EST By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

“Fresh off a Super Tuesday that reordered the Republican field of presidential hopefuls, the remaining four candidates will gather in Detroit Thursday at 9 p.m. ET for a debate that could prove to be the most consequential of the 2016 race,” the New York Times reports.

“With Donald J. Trump on the verge of running away with the Republican nomination, there will be no shortage of drama. As he continues to win primary contests, the pressure on Mr. Trump has been rising, and if the most recent debate was any guide, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz will be attacking him from all angles in an effort to show that he lacks the knowledge and temperament to be president.”

Politico: Trump rivals limp into crucial debate

Rubio Loses Fox News

March 3, 2016 at 6:51 am EST By Taegan Goddard 16 Comments

New York Magazine: “In his role as the donor class’s darling, Marco Rubio has enjoyed support from the Republicans’ media arm, Fox News. Throughout the primary, Fox provided Rubio with friendly interviews and key bookings… But this alliance now seems to be over. According to three Fox sources, Fox chief Roger Ailes has told people he’s lost confidence in Rubio’s ability to win.”

Said Ailes to one host: “We’re finished with Rubio. We can’t do the Rubio thing anymore.”

“Ailes was already concerned about Rubio’s lackluster performance in GOP primaries and caucuses, winning only one contest among the 15 that have been held. But the more proximate cause for the flip was an embarrassing New York Times article revealing that Rubio and Ailes had a secret dinner meeting in 2013 during which the Florida senator successfully lobbied the Fox News chief to throw his support behind the Gang of 8.”

Trump Quote of the Day

March 3, 2016 at 6:40 am EST By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

“Looks like two-time failed candidate Mitt Romney is going to be telling Republicans how to get elected. Not a good messenger!”

— Donald Trump, tweeting in advance of Romney’s speech today on Trump’s candidacy.