I think it goes back to how the Rs started with double-digit candidates, setting up a situation where the one getting the early momentum was the one who created the most soundbites simply because it was so hard for anyone to stand out from the pack on pure merits. By the time a lot of the also-rans accepted reality, he had all the momentum based solely on his ability to make cutting remarks towards the other candidates. The problem being, of course, that said momentum only lasts as long as it takes to get the party nomination and after that point, it's a whole new game.O-Trap;1821662 wrote:At the very least, the Republican probably would have been favored. Some might have still been semi-easy to vilify, but not to this degree. If Paul Ryan had won the nomination, he would've been a slam dunk. If Mitt had come back and won the nomination, he would have been a slam dunk. If Rand Paul had won the nomination, he would have been a slam dunk. I think Ben Carson would have made Hillary look like a complete asshole by comparison. Cruz probably would have been an odds-on favorite, as well.
But with the election gift-wrapped, the Republican public bought into the candidate with the best marketing campaign, and now, according to Vegas odds, only has a 20-25% chance of beating a candidate who is still being investigated for criminal activity.
Tommy Lee Jones said it in Men In Black: "A person is smart; people are stupid."
This is just a bizarre time. Both parties could say they'd win in a landslide if they had ANYONE else as their candidate.
