Lindsey Graham Has Dropped Out

Another one bites the dust — but does it have to be everybody's favorite JV candidate, Lindsey Graham? On Monday, via a CNN interview and a video message, Graham announced he was dropping out of the race, telling CNN, "I've hit a wall here." The interview is scheduled to be aired at 11 a.m. ET, and the news was shared exclusively with CNN.

The news comes almost a week after the fifth GOP debate, during which Graham fought passionately in the JV edition. He also quoted Ted Cruz's favorite movie, The Princess Bride, an '87 classic that the party seems hell-bent on ruining for you. "Ted, getting in bed with Iran and Russia to save Assad is inconceivable. Princess Buttercup would not like this," Graham declared.

According to CNN, Graham said in his interview announcing his decision:

Here's what I predict. I think the nominee of our party is going to adopt my plan when it comes time to articulate how to destroy ISIL. We've fallen short here, but the fight continues. To those who are doing the fighting, I want to be your voice. To those in the Republican Party who want to win, check my plan out. Hillary, if you get to be President, I'll help you where I can. I hope you're not. But if you are, I'll be there to help you win a war we can't afford to lose.

The explicit note to Clinton, suggesting bipartisanship if she's successfully elected president, is interesting: Clinton, rather than Bernie Sanders, is widely regarded by the party as its sole opponent, and a shoo-in for the White House if not met by the appropriate GOP candidate.

Graham also recorded a video announcing his decision, which aired Monday morning.

Minutes after the announcement, Jeb Bush responded with a warm message via Twitter.

Other candidates jumped in to express their admiration for Graham, who is a well-liked figure among Republicans but never saw any significant traction in the polls.

And one thing's for sure: From here onward, the undercard GOP debates will be sorely lacking.