Reality check: Donald Trump is a strong candidate, no matter how much you disagree

Mar 16, 2016, 6:15 AM | Updated: 6:38 am

There may be strong resistance to Donald Trump, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that he is a...

There may be strong resistance to Donald Trump, but it's hard to ignore the fact that he is a viable candidate for the Republican Party, KIRO Radio's Dave Ross points out. (AP)

(AP)

Are we looking at the first contested Republican convention since 1976?

Half of the “Stop Trump” movement failed badly last night when Florida voters knocked Marco Rubio out of the race. But the other half succeeded; Ohio Governor John Kasich decisively won his home state.

“You better believe it’s about America. It’s about pulling us together, not pulling us apart. It is about the USA,” he announced during his victory speech.

Related: The terrain gets more treacherous for Trump’s opponents

In other words, the party now has a real alternative to Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

But does it really? CBS Senior Political Editor Steve Chaggaris provided a reality check. He says that no matter how much people don’t want Trump to get the nomination, you can’t ignore the fact that he is a strong candidate.

And if you look at the map, you will notice there isn’t another Ohio for Kasich to win. There isn’t another Texas for Cruz to win. Trump’s challengers have run out of home states and evangelicals. And the contest is now moving on to home states, such as New York.

The party establishment knows it. In fact, the establishment placed a phone call to Mar-a-Lago last night.

“I spoke with Mitch McConnell today, we had a great conversation. The fact is we have to bring our party together,” Trump said. “We have something happening that actually makes the Republican party probably the biggest political story anywhere in the world.”

And to the people who accuse him of tearing the party apart, he says nonsense.

“Millions of people are coming in to vote,” Trump said. “We have a great opportunity. Democrats are coming in, independents are coming in and, very importantly, people are coming in who never voted before.”

He may be tough on immigration, but it turns out political immigrants are perfectly fine.

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Reality check: Donald Trump is a strong candidate, no matter how much you disagree