The Stop Trump effort has finally become farce, and follies, and Vaudeville.  And not even “big time” Vaudeville, but one of those circuits that takes long train rides to small cities and plays in venues that aren’t full-time theaters.

Here’s a link to Ted Cruz’s event in which he announced Carly as his running mate.  I don’t expect anyone to watch the entire thing. In fact, if you do find yourself watching the entire thing, you should call me immediately.  I can talk you down.  Get you in a program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwSeuX3nXYY

But, if you just jump around and watch parts of it, the entire tableau becomes increasingly delusional.  This is a guy who is now mathematically eliminated from capturing the Republican nomination for president on the first ballot.  He’s so loathed by his congressional colleagues that it’s more likely that an open Republican convention would choose not to contest the election before they make him the nominee.

And now that I think about it, would that be the worst thing?  If they just said, we are going to focus on retaining our congressional majorities, and we’ll be back in 2020?  We haven’t had a non-contested presidential election since James Monroe, but it’s not unprecedented.  And, who wouldn’t want to restore the Era of Good Feelings?

Back to Cruz, you can see him in the clip talking about how solemn a choice it is to select a qualified vice presidential candidate. He tells stories about he and Carly forming a bond on the campaign bus.  And, Carly forming a bond with Ted’s daughters.  And then Carly, when she finally gets on stage—Cruz talks for like thirty minutes—sings a song that she apparently sings with Cruz’s daughters on the campaign bus. Because kids really enjoy it when CEO’s try to have fun with them.

All of this would be fine if this were the Republican convention in Cleveland.  But, this was a hotel ball room in Indianapolis in April.  It felt like high school kids running a mock election.  Or crazy people who think they are still running for president.

John Kasich, Losing Interest

Kasich is a smart guy and a good campaigner, but his recent campaign appearances indicate that he’s just killing time till the convention where he hopes that lightning will strike.  His remarks on the stump are increasingly odd and disinterested.  Check out Samantha Bee having fun with Kasich’s recent attempts to talk about “The Passover” in New York at a matzah factory.  Where he clearly just started talking and then realized that he had no idea what he was going to say or why he would say it or why he was standing there holding a pizza box full of matzah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE23uSUbraM