As we head toward the Massachusetts Presidential Primary and Super Tuesday –the question everyone with even a cursory interest in American politics is asking is “Can anything –or anyone-stop Donald Trump?” Increasingly the answer seems to be — at least at this moment — “Probably Not”.
He’s won more delegates than any other candidate and if he has a few more wins on Super Tuesday — he may be unstoppable. He may have secured a lock on the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
So far — in the early caucuses and primaries — the delegates are awarded on a complicated, staggered basis — with the ideas of giving a number of candidates a chance for a solid start in the race. Even so — Donald Trump has the largest number of delegates. For instance — even under this proportional system — he took all the delegates in South Carolina — because he won the statewide total vote and also won every one of the state’s congressional districts.
Right now, Trump’s likely to pick up the biggest share of Super Tuesday delegates and polls show he may even beat — or at least very seriously challenge– Senator Ted Cruz in his home state of Texas.( If Trump beats Cruz in Texas — Cruz is done — but that’s another story.)
The thing is — soon after Super Tuesday — we move from proportional allocation of delegates to “Winner Take All” contests in the later stages of the race. When that happens — and if Donald Trump keeps going strong and no single challenger emerges to take him on one-on-one and unite the 60% of Republicans caucus and primary voters who haven’t been Trump Supporters — there will be no stopping him and he’ll roll into the Republican Convention in Cleveland this summer with more than enough delegates to be the nominee. There’s no question in my mind that a majority of Republicans aren’t pleased with the approach Trump is taking — and the angry direction he’s taking their party — but so far they haven’t figured out a way to stop him — and frankly, time is running out.
