If Donald Trump’s name was Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or Scott Walker the Republican party would be starting to transition to the general election. They would be beginning to plan on how to beat Hillary Clinton and win back the White House. But despite Trump adding five more wins Tuesday, sweeping the East Coast primaries in a decisive showing and winning in all demographic areas the GOP still aren’t ready to rally behind him just yet.
Trump’s victories — in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island — were by commanding margins, giving him the overwhelming majority of 172 delegates at stake. Trump, not Texas Sen. Ted Cruz nor Ohio Gov. John Kasich can win the 1,237 delegates needed to capture the party’s nomination – only Trump can achieve that goal.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over, we should heal the Republican Party,” continued Trump, who cited his business success as proof he is the only one qualified to do so. “I’m a unifier.”
Trump’s dominating performance was important from both practical and psychological standpoints, pushing him closer to the 1,237 delegates needed for a first-ballot victory at the party’s July convention and also shaping perceptions of the race to his great advantage.
He has won in every region of the country and has proven himself as true viable candidate. He has had his share of problems, there can avoiding that fact. Despite some of his outrageous statements and claims he has won the most primaries and delegates fair and square.
In exit poll interviews from last night’s primaries, nearly 7 in 10 Republicans who cast ballots in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut suggested the candidate who gets the most votes — which has been Trump — deserves to win the nomination, even if he falls short in the delegate count.
“There’s kind of a growing sense of inevitability,” said Rothenberg, publisher of the nonpartisan Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report told the Los Angeles Times. “The trajectory now suggests he will be very close to 1,237 by the end of business on June 7, and probably close enough to sweep up the crumbs he needs to be the nominee.”
It might be wise for the GOP establishment to start to back Trump since he is about to be the man who represents the party as their 2016 presidential nominee, like it or not.
