Stephen Lendman

Trump’s overwhelming defeat of Cruz in Tuesday’s Indiana primary knocked his only serious challenger out of the race.

GOP primary season climaxed yesterday. Cruz is out, Kasich no more than a footnote. The Wall Street Journal put it succinctly, saying “Mr. Trump will now be the Republican nominee for president.”

The New York Times said the “once unimaginable” aspirant is “all but certain to roll into the Republican convention in July with the party establishment’s official but uneasy embrace.”

Its choice is him or Hillary Clinton, virtually certain to be Democrat nominee despite losing to Sanders yesterday.

Trump went from long-shot contender to defeating all 16 rivals. His bombast helped more than hurt. Bashing made him stronger.

A previous article called him a duopoly power anomaly - a demagogic billionaire business as usual aspirant coming across to supporters as populist.

He appeals to voters against bipartisan politics they deplore, sounding anti-establishment despite nothing in his campaign suggesting it.

He wins support with inflammatory comments, saying what voters don’t hear from other candidates. He’ll be the first GOP standard bearer never having served in public office since Dwight Eisenhower in 1952.

He wasn’t a registered Republican until 2012. He struck the right nerves at the right time to defeat his rivals.

It’s too early to tell if he can defeat Clinton in November. Given his success so far, he’s a formidable contender for the nation’s top office.

Relishing his Tuesday triumph, he said “(i)t has been some unbelievable day and evening and year. Never been through anything like this.”

“We had a tremendous victory tonight…We’re going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president.”

During Tuesday voting, he called “lying Ted…more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing. (He) doesn’t have the temperament to be president of the United States.”

Cruz conceded, saying he couldn’t continue without “a viable path to victory. Tonight I’m sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed.”

Discounting her Tuesday loss to Sanders, Clinton said she’s “focused on moving into the general election,” calling Trump “a candidate who will literally say or do anything.”

Expect a bruising post-convention campaign. Whoever succeeds Obama, ordinary Americans lose. Nothing in prospect suggests responsible change.

-###-

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.