If it came down to Trump, Carson, and Cruz, who would the establishment support?

[Orser67]

If it came down to Trump, Carson, and Cruz, who would the Republican establishment support? If you need a hypothetical, let's say everyone but those three and Rubio drop out by the end of February, and then Rubio gets hit with a huge hypothetical scandal or something and drops out too, and no one else jumps into the race.

[RFayette 🇻🇦]

Cruz easily

[CapoteMonster]

I'm tempted to say Cruz but he's so hated among his senate colleagues so much that I'd go with Fox News' boy, Carson.

[The Mikado]

Honestly, I think Reince and his friends would rather lose with Carson than win with Ted Cruz, because the latter means that they have Ted Cruz as president.

[eric82oslo]

Probably Carson, though I'm holding a glitch of the door open for Cruz as well. Trump has less than zero percent probability of being endorsed by the establishment, simply because his embracement of terrorism could make the GOP be shut out from the Oval Office for the next 20 years or so.

[bobloblaw]

Hillary

[Maxwell]

Cruz is smart enough to pitch himself as the best alternative of the three for the establishment.

[SillyAmerican]

Cruz is a typical politician, so I think he'd get the nod; the establishment really doesn't know what to do with Trump or Carson...

[Rockefeller GOP]

Cruz is the most hostile to the Establishment, and he's absurdly open about it.  Definitely not him.

[Orser67]

Honestly, I think Reince and his friends would rather lose with Carson than win with Ted Cruz, because the latter means that they have Ted Cruz as president.

This makes a bit of sense to me. Also, they might hope that Carson would the most easy to manipulate/persuade if he does win.

[Clark Kent]

Cruz easily

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Hillary

At least that's who I'll support of those three were running. 

[sg0508]

I just cannot see many independents or Democrats voting for Ted Cruz.  He's just the most arrogant s.o.b. to ever take the pedestal.

[Maxwell]

Cruz is the most hostile to the Establishment, and he's absurdly open about it.  Definitely not him.

Cruz is most hostile in terms of messaging, but quite the opposite in terms of policy - Ben Carson and Donald Trump threaten their entire livelihood, as they disagree with the party's foriegn policy, and Trump stands against a large stretch of their platform and how they message. Cruz merely talks negatively toward them.

Beyond immigration, what is the real difference between Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio beyond tone and minor technicalities?

[Mehmentum]

Cruz is the most hostile to the Establishment, and he's absurdly open about it.  Definitely not him.

Cruz is most hostile in terms of messaging, but quite the opposite in terms of policy - Ben Carson and Donald Trump threaten their entire livelihood, as they disagree with the party's foriegn policy, and Trump stands against a large stretch of their platform and how they message. Cruz merely talks negatively toward them.

Beyond immigration, what is the real difference between Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio beyond tone and minor technicalities?

Not to mention, Cruz is much closer to a 'traditional candidate' than Carson or Trump.  Cruz at least hold elected office.

[Famous Mortimer]

Cruz is a member of Congress, only marginally more conservative than the Republican establishment, and has never said anything sexist or racist. I don't think the establishment would have a problem with him at all.

[Eraserhead]

Cruz, without a doubt (not that they'd be happy about it).

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Carson because he's more controllable

[Orser67]

Cruz is the most hostile to the Establishment, and he's absurdly open about it.  Definitely not him.

Cruz is most hostile in terms of messaging, but quite the opposite in terms of policy - Ben Carson and Donald Trump threaten their entire livelihood, as they disagree with the party's foriegn policy, and Trump stands against a large stretch of their platform and how they message. Cruz merely talks negatively toward them.

Beyond immigration, what is the real difference between Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio beyond tone and minor technicalities?

Cruz has alienated the entire Republican membership of the Senate. I think that the establishment in both houses of Congress is extremely wary of having to work with a President Cruz.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I think Carson who seems ... amiable enough to go along with their plans and less willing to set off a powder-keg.

Trump or Cruz? I think they'd rather have Cruz as their nominee, and surreptitiously sabotage his campaign so that wing of the party can be humiliated and his shenanigans in the senate dampened. Trump as nominee would be worse for them because he is a) literally destroying a lot of sacred cows and converting the GOP base en masse to his peculiarly heterodox views and he has more even more interest in tearing down party infrastructure than Cruz, who at least needs to appease some people.

[Bigby]

Cruz with heavy amounts of scotch, whiskey, and vodka.

[President Johnson]

Trump, because he has the best chance of winning. Cruz does not apply to moderate voters.

[Torie]

The same thing the Pub establishment did in 1964 - sit the election out.

[Kingpoleon]

I think Carson who seems ... amiable enough to go along with their plans and less willing to set off a powder-keg.

Trump or Cruz? I think they'd rather have Cruz as their nominee, and surreptitiously sabotage his campaign so that wing of the party can be humiliated and his shenanigans in the senate dampened. Trump as nominee would be worse for them because he is a) literally destroying a lot of sacred cows and converting the GOP base en masse to his peculiarly heterodox views and he has more even more interest in tearing down party infrastructure than Cruz, who at least needs to appease some people.