RUSH: So I just saw that Ted Cruz was on the radio today, and he was asked whether or not he would get back into this presidential race if there’s any conceivable way that he would reenter the race and restart his campaign. Ted Cruz said, “Well, if I see a pathway to victory, yes, I can see getting back into the race.” I just saw that that happened. I don’t know how many of you saw it previously, I just saw that it happened.

It’s all about keeping your voters loyal to you, I think, for what comes next in 2020. So many people are using what happens now as a springboard for the future. Totally understandable.

We’ve talked about this guy Curly Haugland on this program before numerous times. I don’t know if that’s how he pronounces his name for sure, spells it H-a-u-g-l-a-n-d, 69 years old. He’s a pool supply magnate. He became independently wealthy selling pool supplies. He lives in North Dakota. He is a very, very powerful Republican when it comes to the convention and it is Curly Haugland running around the entire primary season trying to tell people (paraphrasing), “Look, you think that you’re choosing the nominee when you vote in these primaries. You think you’re choosing a nominee when you go to these state conventions, but you’re not. The voters do not choose the nominee; we do.”

Meaning, delegates to the convention. The party. And he’s been abundantly clear. He’s made this statement I can’t tell you how many times. He’s treated as kind of a gadfly, he’s just out there, little bit of a raconteur, maybe in in some places considered to be a kook. But the thing about the guy, and there’s a story in the Politico today: “Curly Haugland loves the rules.” He’s 69 years old, “a rule-mongering crank.”

“On the national GOPÂ’s standing rules committee, heÂ’s been the pedantic curmudgeon, the stubborn speed bump who for years has raised points of order only to watch establishment Republicans stampede over him.” One problem that he might have is that he either sees or imagines rules that nobody else seems to see, such as his claim that none of the delegates are actually bound by their state rules. He said that earlier, within the last 30 days. He said (paraphrasing), “Hey, I’ve read the rules and I’m here to tell you that no delegate is bound to vote the way primary voters voted in a majority in their states. It’s a little known secret, but I know it.”

He’s out there telling everybody delegates can vote for whoever they want whenever they want. There’s none of this first ballot stuff. Well, nobody else has seen that rule but he’s out there, and of course since Curly is saying things that cause confusion, discord on the Republican side, the Drive-Bys love to focus on him.

He’s described here as “a self-taught maverick expert on the Republican convention rules, who has spent a decade pushing schemes to take power away from Republican primary voters and give it back to party insiders.” And I do believe that. I think he’s made it plain that that’s what he thinks already happens and what should continue to happen.

Anyway, the story is all about how this is the guy who could stop Trump, that it isn’t over. So I mention this story in conjunction with Ted Cruz saying on the radio today that if he sees a path to victory, he might restart his campaign. And then here you’ve got this guy Curly Haugland profiled again in the Politico today as the establishment’s last best hope to stop Trump. And make no mistake, there are establishment people who still — (interruption) you disagree with me on this?

There are establishment people who still harbor some great unknown event that’ll come along and change the fortunes and somehow what we all think is gonna happen won’t happen. There are still people trying to make sure that Trump does not get the nomination, no matter what happens delegate-wise. Don’t kid yourselves on that.

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RUSH: And here’s Ted Cruz. This was with Glenn Beck this morning on the Glenn Beck show, and this is Cruz talking about the possibility of reentering the presidential race.

CRUZ: There is a path to victory. We launched this campaign intending to win. The reason we suspended the race last week, Indiana’s loss, I didn’t see a viable path to victory. If that changes, we will certainly respond accordingly.

RUSH: So he’s not gonna release the delegates yet either, just in case something happens. And then Rubio’s out. You know, Rubio got tainted by a rumor that he might be Trump’s VP. Rubio cannot do that. After what Rubio said about the Trumpster, he can’t. There’s just literally no way. In fact, what Rubio said about Trump’s a con man, all that sort of stuff — both on the debate stage and elsewhere — those are those things gonna be in in Democrat anti-Trump ads during the presidential campaign.

When I saw these stories that Rubio was in the VP… There’s no way. I mean, I don’t even think Rubio would want to do it. I don’t think Rubio can be talked into do it; there’s no way that’s gonna happen. And he hasn’t released the delegates, either, and Cruz hasn’t and is now openly saying so. Do you realize the gaskets that are blowing all over the left if Cruz decided to get back if he does? Just the idea that he might is gonna drive a bunch of people batty.

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RUSH: Stefan in Winchester, Virginia. It’s great to have you with us. Hello.

CALLER: Hi, Rush. Thank you so much for taking my call.

RUSH: Yeah, you bet.

CALLER: So my question for you is, do you think that it’s a viable option for Cruz to come back into the race?

RUSH: No idea. I’d like to know. He says that he got out of the race after Indiana saying he didn’t see a path —

CALLER: Right.

RUSH: — to the nomination. And his caveat here, he says, “Well, if I see a path to victory, I will get back in.”

CALLER: Yes. I guess my thinking is just by pulling out now he kind of saves some money and then there’s also the media hype about never-Trump and all that other stuff. So coming back in might give him a little bit of a boost, so I don’t know if maybe that could be something that could happen.

RUSH: But you still have the delegate count that you have to deal with. I mean, the path to victory is what? How does victory, how is it defined here?

CALLER: Right. Well, I mean, so like in Virginia, he lost the state of Virginia but then he ended up with 14 out of 15 delegates and the same thing happened in Arizona.

RUSH: Right. Oh, he was sweeping delegates all over the country but that was only gonna matter on second and third and fourth ballots if they could stop Trump from winning it on the first ballot or even before the convention starts. Now, with Cruz having pulled out, I don’t know how Trump does not get to 1,237 now, with —

CALLER: Yeah, that’s true.

RUSH: — with the state primaries. So, you know, how you would define “unless I see a path to victory,” well, what would have to happen for there to be a path to victory? Something would have to go really wrong with the Trump campaign, I mean, really wrong. There would have to be something happen so bad that Curly Haugland and the rest of the boys could organize a never-Trump convention that would be supported. I don’t know what that would be. Maybe Senator Cruz sees another path here and he just doesn’t want to divulge what it is. For me, I don’t know what it would be.

I think a large part of it, let’s say you’re on the radio, you had the backing of a whole lot of committed people, people that loved you, people that had a lot invested in you. I mean, you were being hailed as the closest thing to Ronald Reagan that the conservative movement has ever had since Reagan, and you’re asked if there’s a path to victory, can you see yourself getting back in. You don’t want to let people down by saying, “No, it’s over, I gave it my best shot, but I lost and it’s time to look forward.”

No, you say, “Hey, you know what, if there’s a way back in, absolutely.” And you say some hallelujahs and you treat this as a positive possibility keeping your supporters stoked for it, and then you wait and see what happens with Trump.