The narrative is being set by Donald Trump's campaign to spin a loss of delegates as theft. Trump became upset with the news that, despite winning the state of Louisiana weeks ago, Cruz has been awarded more delegates. Trump threatened to sue, claiming the nomination is being stolen from him.
Monday on The Glenn Beck Program, co-host Stu Burguiere broke down the delegate math, and how it’s being played by the book.
Rubio's Delegates
With Marco Rubio suspending his campaign, many wonder what happened to his pledged delegates. The answer is a little complicated, but bottom line is some are bound to certain ballots and some are not.
• 29 unbound (free to vote for whomever they like)
• 92 bound for one ballot
• 9 bound for two ballots
• 34 bound until Rubio releases them
If Trump Has Plurality of Delegates, Shouldn’t He Win Nomination?
Trump is not a fan of this process, but it's been the standard on assigning delegates when candidates leave the race. However, Trump wants to change the process, claiming Washington elites are going to deny him the nomination.
The Name of the Game Is Winning
Stu used the NFL and the Carolina Panthers as an example to show why Trump shouldn't consider the delegate process "stealing" the nomination. The Panthers had the best record in the NFL last season; however, they lost the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos. The requirement to be champion is winning the Super Bowl not winning more games, just as winning the nomination requires securing the majority, not a plurality of delegates.
Is Trump the Runaway Favorite?
Donald Trump currently has a strong lead in the delegate count, but is he the odds on favorite to become the Republican nominee? Here are a few numbers that show he might not be.
• 32 states have voted and in every state, more people voted for other candidates than Donald Trump
• 21 million votes have been cast, with only 8 million going to Trump
• Cruz, Kasich and even Rubio still have higher approval ratings and lower negative numbers than Trump
Wisconsin Polls
Wisconsin is up next to vote on April 5. A few polls shed light on where the candidates stand.
• Emerson Poll: Cruz 36, Trump 35
• Washington Free Beacon Poll: Cruz 36, Trump 31
• FiveThirtyEight.com: Cruz has an 81% chance of winning