Cruz and Kasich Are Playing Poker with Trump. They

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By Charles P. Pierce
Apr 25, 2016

The two-car funeral finally seems to be underway.

The campaigns of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich released written statements within minutes of each other Sunday night calling for Kasich to stop competing in Indiana and for Cruz to clear the way for Kasich in New Mexico and Oregon.

They called on allied third-party groups to do the same. The deal marked the most significant collaboration between anti-Trump forces yet. It came as Trump stood on the verge of another week of sweeping victories, with five Eastern states where he is favored to win set to vote Tuesday.

It sparked swift condemnation from the front-runner, who accused his rivals of "collusion in order to stay alive."

(It should be noted that, at long last, Kasich has achieved the ultimate statement of Republican presidential credibility—a derisive nickname from He, Trump. Kasich is now "One for 38" Kasich. Dare to dream, Governor.)

Of course, because these people can't really do anything right, the two campaigns made sure that God and all the world knew what they were up to before they actually did anything.

This had the effect of handing He, Trump a gift that perfectly dovetails with the only real argument that he has presented for his candidacy—namely, They're All Out To Get Me…And You, Too.

He jumped on it because, whatever his shortcomings as a prospective president, the man has the combative instincts of a wolverine.

Collusion is often illegal in many other industries and yet these two Washington insiders have had to revert to collusion in order to stay alive. They are mathematically dead and this act only shows, as puppets of donors and special interests, how truly weak they and their campaigns are.

I have brought millions of voters into the Republican primary system and have received many millions of votes more than Cruz or Kasich. Additionally, I am far ahead of both candidates with delegates and would be receiving in excess of 60% of the vote except for the fact that there were so many candidates running against me.

Because of me, everyone now sees that the Republican primary system is totally rigged. When two candidates who have no path to victory get together to stop a candidate who is expanding the party by millions of voters, (all of whom will drop out if I am not in the race) it is yet another example of everything that is wrong in Washington and our political system.

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