The Politics Corner

By Christopher Motola

The Republican Primary Race has grown increasingly heated as 2016’s Presidential Primary Season has gone on. Donald Trump has seen victories in Nevada and South Carolina, as well as Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia on Super Tuesday. Ted Cruz won Oklahoma and Texas, while Marco Rubio picked up Minnesota. As frontrunner, Donald Trump has more and more victories and with the victories resistance from the Republican Party establishment has grown. This resistance was solidified in the form of a speech from former Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. Romeny gave a speech urging voters to not vote for Trump. CUA Politics Professor Dr. John Kenneth White chimed in on the Republican infighting, saying that “The Republican establishment is in shambles. Each time they have rallied around a candidate (e.g., Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio) that person has collapsed. The elites of the party don’t trust the voters and visa versa. The GOP is in a state of panic knowing that the odds that Donald Trump is going to be their nominee have increased immeasurably. It’s not just Trump that is the problem, but the long-term damage he’s doing to the GOP brand among minorities, women, and millennials. It’s a complete disaster. Because the establishment is in such weakened condition, it really does not have the power to rally around a consensus candidate. The only one left is Ted Cruz”. As for the Democratic Party, Dr. White believes that “Despite Sanders winning Michigan (which is a very big deal),” Hillary Clinton will become the Democratic Nominee. Dr. White points to Clintons lead in pledged delegates, as well as her ability to “compete with Sanders in every state, whereas [Sanders] remains uncompetitive in the deep South.”

All of these conflicts will come to a head next week, when Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio will be holding primaries. Florida, Missouri, and Ohio are of particular interest for the Republican Party, because they are winner-take-all states. If Trump wins enough delegates on the 15th, he could solidify his chances of becoming the Republican Nominee for President.