It is a brutal truth that in any ordinary election cycle, Trump’s performance tonight would have placed him in such a commanding position that we would now see increasing calls for competitors to drop out and rally behind the presumptive nominee.
It is a brutal truth (for Trump fans) that this is not an ordinary election cycle. Too many Republicans (myself included) are so committed to #NeverTrump that there will be no rallying.
It is a brutal truth (for #NeverTrump conservatives) that Super Tuesday did not truly clarify the race. Both Rubio and Cruz did well enough that neither one will drop out, and it’s futile to start pressuring either Cruz or Rubio to leave the race — at least not yet.
It is a brutal truth that John Kasich almost certainly cost Marco Rubio Virginia and saved Donald Trump from a serious setback.
It is a brutal truth that so long as Trump runs against a fractured field, he almost certainly wins.
Given all these brutal truths, the only hope is for Rubio and Cruz to continue to hammer Trump. If a unity ticket isn’t imminent, then perhaps a nonaggression pact can allow them to drive down Trump’s support enough to cause him to bleed supporters and lose a majority of the states going forward. That’s not much of a hope, but it’s better than nothing, and it might be our best remaining chance.
Or, if you prefer a video representation of this analysis, I offer you this clip from an American classic:
