Former Republican presidential candidates Dr. Ben Carson and Herman Cain said Ted Cruz’s announcement of Carly Fiorina as his running mate will not be a big enough boost to his campaign, which currently lags behind Donald Trump’s delegate count by 425.
The Texas senator set an unofficial record Wednesday afternoon when he declared the former Hewlett Packard CEO his vice presidential pick. It’s the earliest in an election season — three months before the convention — that a candidate has ever picked a partner.
“In football they call it a hail Mary and it works about 1 percent of the time. This is a hail Carly and I don’t think it’s gonna work,” Cain told Fox News host Sean Hannity late Wednesday. Cain was a 2012 GOP presidential candidate.
Carson, a supporter of the New York businessman, also doubted the move was enough to jolt Cruz forward.
“No, I don’t think it’s going to make a huge difference,” Carson told Hannity, adding he believed it was a “good pick” for Cruz though.
Carson blasted the move and warned of possible manipulation that the trailing candidates, Cruz and Gov. John Kasich, may attempt in order to “alter the will of the people” who have overwhelmingly selected Trump in 27 of 40 primaries.
Cain took a softer tone, empathizing with Cruz for his recent actions.
“I respect Ted for trying to do something. He did the alliance with John Kasich that appears to have backfired,” Cain said. “I don’t think this is going to add any unexpected momentum to his campaign.”
