Donald Trump is a loser — that’s what Mitt Romney wants Republican voters to know before they head to the polls in what many pundits are calling “Super Tuesday 2.” Romney, the GOP nominee for the 2012 presidential race, recorded a “robocall” urging voters to cast ballots for Marco Rubio. The Washington Post notes that Romney’s recorded statement is not exactly an endorsement of the Florida senator, but the message reiterates the position that voting for anyone other than Trump will benefit both the Republican party and ultimately, the United States.
” ‘Tomorrow you have the opportunity to vote for a Republican nominee for president. I believe these are critical times that demand a serious, thoughtful commander-in-chief. If we Republicans were to choose Donald Trump as our nominee, I believe that the prospects for a safe and prosperous future would be greatly diminished — and I’m convinced Donald Trump would lose to Hillary Clinton. So please vote tomorrow for a candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton and who can make us proud,’ Romney said.”
According to the Washington Post , Mitt Romney will record a similar call for Ohio Governor John Kasich, who is also in the running for the GOP nomination.
The move by Romney is part of largely unprecedented infighting within the Republican Party. Ever since he launched his campaign in the summer of 2015, Donald Trump has become a lightning rod for controversy, offending the Republican establishment with incendiary rhetoric and a record of support for liberal candidates and causes.
Discontent within the GOP with a nadir – or zenith , depending on the eye of the beholder – last week when Mitt Romney publicly blasted Donald Trump in a much-anticipated speech about the current state of the election. Romney roundly criticized Trump’s ethics, business history, and life choices in an address that effectively urged Republicans to rally around anyone but Trump.
Despite the bombast of Mitt Romney’s initial alignment with the anti-Trump movement, some outlets suggest that the virtual indictment by the Republican old guard might have had the unintended consequence of bolstering support for the brash real estate mogul. Fortune Magazinecites polling data indicating that “31% of GOP voters were actually more likely to support Trumpafter Romney’s speech.” Moreover, the data, attributed to Morning Consult, further shows that some who supported Romney in his 2012 bid for president were not swayed at all by his efforts at influencing the 2016 election.
For all of the hubbub surrounding Mitt Romney’s issues with Donald Trump, the matter could effectively become a non-issue by the time the dust settles on “Super Tuesday 2.” Of the four states and the numerous delegates at stake in the March 8 primaries, polling data compiled by Real Clear Politics shows Donald Trump with a sizeable lead over Ted Cruz in most contests. In Michigan, where a whopping 59 delegates are up for grabs, Trump leads his closest competitor John Kasich by 24 points. Trump’s largest advantage is an any single race in the present round is in Mississippi, where the tycoon has pulled away from Cruz by 24 points.
None of the present scenarios fare well for candidate Marco Rubio , who has reportedly been encouraged to bow out of the presidential race by some of his advisors according to a report by CNN . Nevertheless, the Florida senator is trying to close the gap between his campaign and that of Donald Trump, who currently holds the lead in polls for the senator’s home state. All of the candidates will meet for another debate until the decisive March 15 primary, and it is likely that Donald Trump will try to score a knockout punch against Rubio in that particular forum.
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