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Commentary By Ben Boychuk

Cruz Knows How to Play Politics Better Than Trump

Culture Culture & Society

Well, this is thrilling. California will matter in the outcome of the Republican presidential race this year.

It’s coming down to a titanic fight between Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich acting as spoiler. I can’t remember the last time that happened, certainly not in my voting lifetime.

“Say what you will about Cruz, but his campaign is unusually adept at working the process.”

Usually, I’ve had to settle for voting for the guy who dropped out three months earlier because the remaining candidates were too repugnant or too squishy or simply too assured of victory. Chalk it up to bad timing.

It’s exciting – and, well, a little bit embarrassing. In February, I chucked my Republican Party registration in disgust, choosing to join the swelling ranks of voters without a party preference. My timing was off, again.

The trouble is, the California GOP runs a closed primary. Now I may have to re-re-register as a Republican by May 23 so I can vote against Trump in June.

My vote will likely matter about as much as it always has, however, which is not very much at all. I happen to live in a congressional district where Democrats have a slight voter registration advantage. Republicans are competitive in theory and incompetent in practice. That gives Trump the advantage.

But to be a Republican in San Francisco right now. Or East Los Angeles, or Compton.

California’s primary is winner-take-all by the 53 congressional districts for 159 of the state’s 172 delegates. So some will be awarded in parts of the state where Republicans are about as common as unicorns.

Read the entire piece here at The Sacramento Bee

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Photo by David McNew / Getty

This piece originally appeared in The Sacramento Bee