Cruz and Kasich: Here are 8 other unlikely political alliances

Donald Trump has already tweeted about it, political analysts are shaking their heads, and it would be illegal if politics were a business.

While some were caught off-guard by the John Kasich and Ted Cruz plan to keep Republican front-runner Trump from getting delegates in upcoming primaries, others who study politics say the only unusual thing about it is that it was made public.

The agreement calls for Kasich not to campaign for the May 3 Indiana primary to let Cruz try to pick up votes there, while Cruz steps aside in Oregon and New Mexico on Kasich’s behalf.

The alliance to stop Trump from getting 1,237 delegates prior to the Republican convention is not unique in American politics? Not even close.

Just check out these eight examples of politics making strange bed fellows when it comes to our country's history.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

There would seem to be little that would draw these founding fathers together – Adams was a Bostonian, Jefferson, a son of the South. Adams was generally disliked, while Jefferson was skilled at creating partnerships. The link? A love of freedom. The two developed a relationship while forging the Declaration of Independence. The friendship lasted five decades until July 4, 1826 – 50 years to the day the Declaration was signed – when both men died just hours apart.

Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill

Maybe not so much of a friendship, despite what some say these days, as a respect for the other’s office and duties, President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill formed a political alliance that served both their agendas. They were both Irish, both revered the presidency and both believed they were change merchants. They were, and together were able to accomplish much of what they felt they were sent to Washington for.

George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton

It’s not the likely outcome of two people running for president, but Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican George H.W. Bush ended up being great friends. They ran against each other in 1992, and the race was, at times, a bitter one. After the dust from the election cleared, the two came to know each other in a more personal way. They played golf, traveled and still regularly call and writer each other.

George W. Bush and Ted Kennedy

It was an education bill that brought President George W. Bush and the “Liberal Lion of the Senate,” Ted Kennedy, to the table and to a friendship that lasted until Kennedy’s death. While there was plenty to disagree about, Bush and Kennedy ended up coming to compromises on several key issues. “I think he’s got good interpersonal skills, and he’s been very civil to me,”.Kennedy said of Bush in an interview. “The folks at the Crawford [Texas] coffee shop would be somewhat in shock when I told them I actually like the fellow,” Bush said of Kennedy.

Another type of political alliance

Kim Jong Un and Dennis Rodman

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was educated in Switzerland and while there developed an affinity for fine food and basketball. Because of that love of basketball, he reached out to NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, asking the star to visit North Korea and play in an exhibition basketball game. Rodman did, the two became friends and the rest is history. When asked why he befriended a man known for the brutal treatment of his own people, Rodman answered that Kim is simply misunderstood.

Jackie Robinson and Richard Nixon

Their friendship began during the 1960 presidential election, and continued until the 1968 one. Baseball great Jackie Robinson came out for Richard Nixon during the ’60 campaign after he said he believed John Kennedy was “insincere” when it came to his support of civil rights. Robinson backed Republican candidates through the 1960s, and was ready to back Nixon in 1968 until he became angry with  Nixon’s association with South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond.

Patrick Buchanan and Hunter S. Thompson

Speaking of Richard Nixon, one of his most trusted aides, Patrick Buchanan, formed a lasting friendship with one of his most hated advisories --  “gonzo journalism” founder Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson who missed no opportunity to tell the world how much he hated Nixon, found common ground with Buchanan, saying on more than occasion, he considered Buchanan a friend. "I don’t agree with him on many things. Personally, I enjoy him.”

Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump

They have a lot in common – new mothers, plenty of money and parents running for president. Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, and Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Hillary Clinton (and former Pres. Bill Clinton), connected after their husbands became friends. Can their friendship survive a political campaign with mud being slung pretty hard? Sure, it’s only politics.

Cox Media Group