# The BBC summarises the Republican losers **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 14, 2016, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748 "2016-05-14T08:31:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/1 "2016-05-14T08:31:22Z")
> **[Trump won, but who lost the most?](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-36279097)** > > Donald Trump has all but secured the Republican nomination, stepping over the political corpses of 16 rivals. Some of his opponents fared worse than others, however. > [@](#): > > The race for the Republican nomination is over, with one winner - Donald Trump - and 16 losers. > > … > > So, from almost-first to worst, here’s how the men (and woman) who came up short rank in terms of the relative catastrophic nature of their defeats. An interesting and quietly amusing read. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/2 "2016-05-14T12:32:55Z")
At least Jeb finally won something. (Sorry, spoiler alert.) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/3 "2016-05-14T12:55:10Z")
I don’t think this list makes any sense at all. No, Scott Walker did not hurt himself nearly as much, it’s not even close, as Marco Rubio did. And I think Ted Cruz cemented himself as a man who is so disliked he can’t even beat a non-Republican for the Republican nomination. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/4 "2016-05-14T13:13:28Z")
So I wonder what Hilary’s piece is going to read like come November. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/5 "2016-05-14T13:37:17Z")
> [@](#): > > A man with the energy levels of a eucalyptus-addled koala Nice. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/6 "2016-05-14T13:38:59Z")
Rand Paul wanted to do what Bernie Sanders actually did. But it turned out there aren’t millions of libertarians who were waiting for a spokesman. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/7 "2016-05-14T17:26:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Former Governor Jim Gilmore, who finished with fewer votes than joke candidate Vermin Supreme in New Hampshire, couldn’t even win a spot as a Virginia delegate to the Republican National Convention. No comment necessary. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/8 "2016-05-14T17:30:11Z")
[Imgur, as usual, has a pithier take on the whole thing.](https://imgur.com/account/favorites/zHVRz) ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/9 "2016-05-14T17:38:55Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [Imgur, as usual, has a pithier take on the whole thing.](https://imgur.com/account/favorites/zHVRz) Linkie no workie. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/10 "2016-05-14T17:41:49Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Linkie no workie. [Try this one.](https://imgur.com/gallery/zHVRz) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/11 "2016-05-15T01:02:02Z")
Worth clicking just for the photo of Kasich chowing down on an Italian beef sandwich from Portillos 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/12 "2016-05-15T01:10:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Rand Paul wanted to do what Bernie Sanders actually did. But it turned out there aren’t millions of libertarians who were waiting for a spokesman. They failed to mention the best part of Rand Paul’s failed bid: [He promised to fund the Kentucky GOP caucus](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/rand-paul-will-pay-for-kentuckys-gop-election-by-himself/401711/) so he could exploit a loophole and run for the KY Senate and US presidency simultaneously. I don’t know if he ever cut the second check but he’s paid at least $250,000 for a caucus that he never got to be a part of, having dropped out months earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/13 "2016-05-15T01:18:20Z")
That’s odd; Rand Paul’s image doesn’t list a cause of death, like all the others do. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/14 "2016-05-15T01:41:42Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Worth clicking just for the photo of Kasich chowing down on an Italian beef sandwich from Portillos 😃 Does he have a tapeworm, or what? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/15 "2016-05-15T02:55:33Z")
Actually I’d rate Rubio the biggest loser of the year. This was really the only year Jeb could have run, next time he’d have been too old. Rubio could have had a future had he just resisted this time out. Now he’s out of the Senate, got humiliated in the race, and at a young age knows he’ll never have another shot. He’s such an empty suit that it might not have happened for him in any event, but what chance he ever had at being the nominee is gone for good. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/16 "2016-05-15T03:09:34Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Actually I’d rate Rubio the biggest loser of the year. This was really the only year Jeb could have run, next time he’d have been too old. Rubio could have had a future had he just resisted this time out. Now he’s out of the Senate, got humiliated in the race, and at a young age knows he’ll never have another shot. He’s such an empty suit that it might not have happened for him in any event, but what chance he ever had at being the nominee is gone for good. No, I have to disagree with this. This was not a year where any Republican lost due to circumstances. This was a year when a third rate candidate won the nomination. Any candidate who lost to Donald Trump should acknowledge they are a worthless candidate who couldn’t have beat anyone. When history looks back on the 2016 presidential race, the only thing that will be more shocking than the nomination of Donald Trump is the fact that there were sixteen other Republicans who weren’t able to beat Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/17 "2016-05-15T03:47:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No, I have to disagree with this. This was not a year where any Republican lost due to circumstances. This was a year when a third rate candidate won the nomination. Any candidate who lost to Donald Trump should acknowledge they are a worthless candidate who couldn’t have beat anyone. > > When history looks back on the 2016 presidential race, the only thing that will be more shocking than the nomination of Donald Trump is the fact that there were sixteen other Republicans who weren’t able to beat Donald Trump. You mistake the cause for circumstance. The wide range of candidates was the reason Trump won, perhaps more than anything else. Very few people saw Trump coming, or as a serious threat, until it was too late. We effectively had 15 candidates racing for the same group of votes, and Trump went around grabbing support from people who don’t normally vote in primaries if at all. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/18 "2016-05-15T05:07:57Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Worth clicking just for the photo of Kasich chowing down on an Italian beef sandwich from Portillos 😃 It’s a GOOD beef, but not a GREAT beef. Who do you suggest? I’d ask **Puly** , but he’s too far away. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/19 "2016-05-15T05:13:49Z")
Oh, this was a thread about politics? 'Round these parts it’s hard to tell the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748/20 "2016-05-15T05:23:49Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > You mistake the cause for circumstance. The wide range of candidates was the reason Trump won, perhaps more than anything else. Very few people saw Trump coming, or as a serious threat, until it was too late. We effectively had 15 candidates racing for the same group of votes, and Trump went around grabbing support from people who don’t normally vote in primaries if at all. There was a gap of several months between “didn’t see him coming” and “too late to stop him”. I think a better explanation is that none of the Republican candidates seemed to have presidential stature. Sure, Trump was the worst of the lot but all of the others had terrible flaws as well. If the Republicans had had a few good candidates there wouldn’t have been a void for Trump to step into. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bbc-summarises-the-republican-losers/754748.md?page=2)