Convinced that Republican front-runner Donald Trump cannot get a clear majority in the ongoing primaries, Conservatives opposed to his candidacy have begun floating the idea of a Ted Cruz-John Kasich “unity ticket” to keep the billionaire businessman at bay. They are already talking of a possible floor fight at the Republican convention to force the issue.
Accentuating the growing doubts of a clear path for Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan went public on Thursday with the talk that it may well be an “open convention” in Cleveland in July to decide on the nomination. Such an eventuality has become “more likely” now, he remarked, but made it clear that, as co-chair of the convention, he would stay “neutral” and “make sure that the rule of law prevails”.
Trump’s loss of Ohio, despite a virtual sweep on the other Super Tuesday 2 primaries, has prompted anti-Trump forces within the Republican Party to up the ante without waiting any further.
On Thursday, a group of prominent Conservative activists got together and began a formal pitch to derail the Trump train by mooting a ‘unity ticket’ that will unite the Republican Party and bolster the party’s chances of victory in November.
Citing a source familiar with the meeting, CNN reported that the group discussed a possible unity ticket involving Senator Cruz and Governor Kasich, both of whom are currently way behind Trump in the race for 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. While Trump has 678 delegates, Cruz has 413 and Kasich 143. Primaries are due in 19 more States on different dates till early June and these will decide the remaining 900-odd delegates.
“If that unity ticket is unable to get 1,237 delegates prior to the convention, we recognise that it took Abraham lincoln three ballots at the Republican convention in 1860 to become the party’s nominee and if it is good enough for lincoln, that process should be good enough for all the candidates without threats of riots,” the group said in a statement against the backdrop of Trump’s recent warning that denying him the nomination could trigger riots.
Neither Cruz nor Kasich have commented on this specific proposal. And the group refrained from formally naming its unity ticket “because of the egos involved”. Both have been talking in terms of waging the battle for nomination right up to the convention. However, given the fact that neither of them can individually mop up 1,237 delegates, there is a feeling that the two could come together, with Kasich being offered the vice-presidential running mate.
“We encourage all former Republican candidates not currently supporting Trump to unite against him and encourage all candidates to hold their delegates on the first ballot,” said the statement issued by Eric Erickson, a conservative radio talk show host and leader of the group, adding: “We intend to keep our options open as to other avenues to oppose Donald Trump.”
Speaker Ryan, during an interaction with reporters, ruled out his own emergence as a compromise choice at the convention if none of the three candidates is able to muster the numbers.