We’re not out of the woods until Nov 8. Given that a Trump presidency is an extinction level event, it’s way too soon to relax.

That these two factions are now at cross-purposes now does not mean they can’t reach some accommodation in the future. It ain’t over til its over.

That said, Trump says he is in it for the duration, of course we all know what he says now means little a few hours later.

What do you bet that we stop hearing his supporters lauding the fact that ‘Trump just says what he really thinks’ as a GOOD thing?

Of course, some useful fiction could be introduced, such as a Trumped-up health excuse. That might even get them some sympathy votes. But does the GOP really want Mr Pence to carry their banner? I suspect that whatever happens, Mr Cruz will play a big role in making it come about, and he will be the major beneficiary of it. His recent attempts to get right with the Right speak volumes.

One puzzling observation, have you noticed how no one seems to be talking about Obamacare any more? Hmmmmmmmmm…….

Less than two years after a female journalist supposedly rebuffed Donald Trump’s sexual advances—as heard on newly discovered video—he allegedly tried to have her fired from one of his beauty pageants.
On Friday, The Washington Post revealed video of the Republican presidential nominee bragging to Billy Bush about non-consensually groping women (a.k.a, sexual assault): “When you’re a star, they let you do it—you can do anything,” Trump said in the unearthed 2005 Access Hollywood footage. “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”

In 2007, TMZ reported that the real-estate mogul wanted to kick O’Dell to the curb as Miss USA host because he allegedly didn’t like the way she looked while she was several months pregnant. (Trump’s people did not deny the report at the time, and simply refused to comment.)

http://www.businessinsider.com/if-trump-quit-presidential-race-what-would-happen-2016-8

That means that if the RNC replaces Trump, his name could still appear on the ballot in some states — and not the new nominee selected by the party. This could be incredibly confusing for voters who would want to vote for Pence, but would have to select Trump on the ballot, political scientist Josh Putnam told The Washington Post.

Several ballot deadlines have already passed, and more are coming up this week.

“The deadline for things not being messy is like now,” Aull said. “By the end of the month at the latest, that’s the non-messy deadline, whereas post-August or end of September is when things start to get really, really complicated. They don’t want that.”

Another state-specific hurdle would come up after the election.

When voters select a candidate, they are really telling members of the electoral college in their state to vote for that candidate. In some states, the electors can choose whomever they want for president. Others require they vote for a party based on popular vote. And in a third set, electors are legally bound to vote for the name on the ballot.

It’s this third category where the Republican Party would have to go to court to transfer the votes for Trump to the replacement. That would be even more time consuming and “messy.”

What if the party replaces Trump too late?
If Republicans win states where the filing deadlines have passed, the RNC would likely have to appeal to the courts in order to give the new nominee the votes cast for Trump, Aull said.

That scenario would obviously be a hurdle for the Republicans, so if the party does decide to replace Trump, it would be better off doing it as soon as possible.