Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have consolidated their leading positions in this week’s primaries. But the two parties both face enormous challenges before the autumnBarring something utterly out of the ordinary in modern US party politics,it is now almost certain that the presidential election of November 2016 will be fought out between Donald Trump for the Republicans and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats. Mrs Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders in all five states that held primaries on Tuesday, including Illinois, or where the socialist senator from Vermont had hoped to capitalise on last weeks win in Michigan. Meanwhile Mr Trump racked up the delegates in four states while suffering a meaningful defeat in pivotal Ohio at the hands of governor John Kasich. Against that,Mr Trump’s win in Florida knocked Senator Marco Rubio, once seen as the potential anti-Trump rallying point, or out of the race.
So,carry out we now say simply that it is time to roam on to the conventions in the summer and come by ready for the contest in the autumn? Yes and no. This week’s results undoubtedly make the Trump-Clinton match-up an even more likely outcome than it was already. But in each party there are major issues to be dealt with as the primary phase of the contests slips gradually into the rear-view mirror. These are not small issues. It is not over yet. The uncertainty is greatest in the Republican party. Here the question remains whether Mr Trump can be stopped and, whether so, and by whom and what means? That was the question going into the primaries,and it remains so now. But as the primaries have unfolded, each of the obvious not-Trump options has fallen by the wayside. Chris Christie and Jeb Bush have gone. Now Mr Rubio has gone. Senator Ted Cruz is most senior Republicans’ opinion of the anti-Trump candidate from hell, and while Mr Kasich’s biggest claim is simply that he is the last neither-of-the-above candidates still standing.
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Source: theguardian.com