Instead of sitting on the sidelines and helping the party win the White House with a small, electable candidate pool, Republicans are threatening to dive into 2016 like spawning salmon. This poses numerous problems.
First, a crowded GOP field will give the media lots of ammunition to mock our candidates roundly -- because let's face it, the party is gaffe-prone, not immune. Second, many GOP contestants may be tempted to hang on 'til the bitter end, like they did in 2012, failing to win primaries, yet unwilling to concede failure. And that would unnecessarily turn the process into a contentious, litmus test for conservatism.
With the recent announcement of his candidacy, you can bet Cruz will be the one injecting the divisive tone into the GOP contest. Not only will Cruz take joy in being the most "severe" and unelectable conservative among the group, he'll shame the other candidates publicly for their lack of conservatism.
