Donald Trump has so far ignored vital preparations needed for a quick and effective transition to the general election. The New York businessman has not collected enough information about the tens of millions of voters that he needs to turn out in the fall.
“He may be able to get by on bluster and personality during the primaries, but the general election is a whole different ballgame,” said Ryan Williams, a veteran of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns. “They’re essentially starting from zero heading into the general election.”
“Our ability to run a different type of campaign against Hillary Clinton in a general election is unique to the success that Mr. Trump has shown in the primaries,” said Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager.
"Lyin' Ted Cruz consistently said that he will, and must, win Indiana. If he doesn't he should drop out of the race-stop wasting time & money," Trump taunted in a tweet.
Tuesday's contest in the mid-western state was seen as a final firewall by the "stop Trump" movement seeking to prevent him from locking in the party nomination. But, the race was overwhelmingly in Trump's favor, Cruz conceded to supporters in Indianapolis that, he no longer had a viable path forwards.
"We left it all on the field in Indiana," Cruz said. "We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path. And so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign."
"Donald Trump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton," Republican Party chief Reince Priebus said.
"I'm really focused on moving into the general election," Clinton said confidently Tuesday in West Virginia. "That's where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who'll literally say or do anything," she said of Trump. "We're going to take him on at every turn."
Clinton suffered an upset in Indiana as her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders mounted a come-from-behind victory, denying the former secretary of state a feather in her cap as she seeks their party's presidential nomination.
By Premji
