sundance says:
March 9, 2016 at 1:33 am

Idaho is actually the best outcome possible for Trump. It is the perfect representation of the splitter strategy in reverse.

Cruz kept below 50% means proportional
Rubio kept below 20% means he gets nothing.

Without Rubio, Cruz would have gotten all 32 delegates.
With Rubio in (but getting less than 20%) Trump gets around 12/13 delegates and Cruz 19/20

Idaho – No outcome personifies how the Romney “Kitchen Sink Approach” missed, more than the result in Idaho.

By Mitt Romney giving the Mormon base in Idaho marching instructions to support Ted Cruz, his plan backfired because Rubio dropped so low in the outcome he didn’t meet the minimum result for delegates.

If Romney had kept his mouth shut, Trump would have probably ended up with a win in Idaho, but less delegates. If Trump had won Idaho with 40%, and Cruz and Rubio each had 30%, Trump would have received less delegates than the current outcome.

Because of the vote-shifting scheme, Cruz won but didn’t get 50% (the threshold for winning all 32 delegates), and because Rubio came in with less than 20% (the threshold for any delegates), Cruz won the state but Trump (in second place) exits with more delegates than if he had won but all three candidates shared delegates.

Oh, the irony is just too delicious.