Political Columnist: Little Changes After Latest Republican Debate
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Political columnist John Hayward analyzed the Republican presidential debate in Miami, indicating little has changed heading into the next round of primary voting.
During an interview with Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, Hayward, who writes for Breitbart, said each candidate has established their place in the race entering the crucial states of Florida and Ohio.
"Everybody on the stage is basically okay with where they're heading right now and feels like their chips are down. They've done what they could. I think one of the lessons from the previous debate, when you had all the antics and the screaming and the insults and everything, is that it didn't really hurt Trump all that much and it hurt Rubio more. If anything. Rubio really damaged himself going after Trump, in that more vicious, personal, trying to adopt the Trump style. This time, everybody, including Trump, basically thought that isn't going to do us any good, we need this relatively sober, this kind of statesman like close to play our cards. Rubio's got all his chips on Florida. Kasich has all his chips in Ohio. Trump's okay with where he is."
He believes John Kasich is transitioning his campaign to focus on being named Donald Trump's running mate.
"He knows that by staying in he's splitting the anti-Trump vote and doing his 'only adult in the room' deal. I look at that performance last night and that looked awfully vice-presidential. Everything that he did and said is how Vice-Presidents do things. He was trying to play that role...Veeps are either supposed to be attack dogs for the campaign, that's the conventional wisdom, or you get them as the gravitas guy."
Hayward also stated he agrees with Ted Cruz, in that Republicans would be making a mistake by pinning their hopes on a brokered convention to submarine a Trump nomination.
"Cruz said he thought a brokered convention would be a disaster and I think he's right. People scratch their heads and say that's how you can win, why are you saying it's a disaster? I think what he means is the kind of brokered convention where there's no really strong alternative. If you roll into that and Trump is way ahead but he's a little short of the required number and nobody else is anywhere near him and then they shuffle the cards and somebody else gets the nomination, that's just going to devastate. Trump voters are going to go crazy if that happens. They're going to feel cheated."
