A Trump/Cruz Ticket Would Change the Game

Whether you’re a Donald Trump supporter or a Ted Cruz supporter, you’ve got plenty of reasons to be concerned about where all of this is heading. The Republican establishment has made no bones about it: they hate both of these guys. Some of them have said publicly that they want an open convention just so they can pick someone else and be done with it. They would rather keep the establishment intact than win in November.

But what if Trump and Cruz got together? What if they joined forces against the power brokers who want to keep them down?

Conservative author Pat Buchanan, speaking to Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, said the idea was exciting. After discussing the many possible outcomes of an open convention, Hannity said that an establishment pick out of left field would result in chaos. “I would argue that you’re going to see a lot of people pack up and walk for good,” he said. “They’re not coming back.”

Buchanan offered a promising scenario. “Let me suggest something, Sean. Go with Trump and Cruz as a ticket. As they said of the Boston Braves, Spahn and Sain and pray for rain,” he said.

“All right,” Hannity said. “Do you think that ticket would win?”

“I think,” Buchanan said, “that ticket would set the country on fire.”

He may be right. As it stands now, Cruz supporters and Trump supporters are as far apart as they could possibly be. In a fierce battle for the future of the party, people have chosen sides. The rhetoric – both from the campaigns and from social media – has gotten absolutely vicious. And there’s no getting around the fact that these two have been at each others’ throats for months.

Still, it represents a way out of a very dismal convention scenario. Right now, a Trump nomination will irritate many conservatives. A Cruz victory – on the second ballot, at least – would anger Trump voters. And if the Republicans nominate someone like Paul Ryan, the majority of voters will be incensed. It is entirely possible that all three of these outcome would give Hillary Clinton the White House.

But if Trump and Cruz band together…well, that would be a horse of a different color. Trump’s fiery nationalism paired with Cruz’s no-holds-barred brand of conservatism? We would have an opportunity to bring all of this excitement under one roof. We would have a ticket that could destroy the Democrats.

Just a pipe dream? Maybe. But damn, it would be a sweet ending.