-
Not sure if the nominee will come from this group, but there are some good people on the list. I like what I've been hearing from Cruz. Still like Rubio.
Dark horse for me is Martinez. Will probably be another one or two that nobody is talking about.
16 for '16: The Most Talked-About Potential GOP Presidential Candidates
Friday, 03 Jan 2014
By Bill Hoffmann
As 2014 kicks off, it is apparent that a crystal-clear frontrunner for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination has yet to emerge.
Not unlike 2010, the Republican stage is crowded with potential candidates boasting different degrees of conservatism, from tea party favorites like Ted Cruz to moderates like Peter King and liberal-leaning Republicans like Chris Christie.
The GOP again faces the daunting task of wading through a large field of prospects to pick a candidate to challenge the presumed Democratic choice of Hillary Clinton.
He or she must be a stronger choice than Mitt Romney, be ready to navigate the choppy waters of the liberal media, and appeal to a broad base of the Republican Party, which for now remains deeply splintered.
Here are 16 names (in alphabetical order) to keep an eye on as we edge closer to 2016:
Jeb Bush
Personal: Age: 60; former two-term governor of Florida; son of former President George H.W. Bush and brother of former President George W. Bush; married, three children.
Pros: Regarded as a successful and popular governor in a key battleground state; part of the Bush political dynasty; has high Latino support; speaks Spanish.
Cons: Has the electorate had enough of the Bush family? Even matriarch Barbara Bush seems to think so. Of course if he runs against Hillary Clinton, one could ask the same question about that surname.
Dr. Ben Carson
Personal: Age: 62; former director of pediatric neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; married.
Pros: Rational, plain speaking; brilliant medical background; gained national attention with biting speech against Obamacare at the National Prayer Breakfast, with the president sitting on the dais.
Cons: Has never held political office and lacks political experience on any level; likely considered a one-trick-pony opposing Obamacare.
Chris Christie
Personal: Age: 51; governor of New Jersey, just elected in a landslide to a second term; former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey; married, four children.
Pros: High approval ratings; good grades for his fast response to the Hurricane Sandy disaster; GOP candidate most likely to appeal to Democrats; has a straightforward, no-nonsense style some find refreshing.
Cons: That no-nonsense style has also routinely rankled some, who feel he comes off as a manipulative bully; considered too liberal by many in the GOP; his weight has raised questions about his long-term health.
Ted Cruz
Personal: Age: 43; serving first term as U.S. senator from Texas; married, two children.
Pros: Beloved in the Bible Belt and regarded as one of the tea party's rising stars; extremely smart and articulate; staunch opposition to Obamacare and support for conservative ideals has endeared him to the GOP faithful; Cuban heritage aligns him with Hispanics.
Cons: Blamed for filibuster that spurred the government shutdown; intelligent, yes, but also can come off as arrogant; may be too conservative for some moderate Republicans, whom he rankled with his shutdown strategy; potential rival Rep. Peter King called him a "fraud."
Nikki Haley
Personal: Age: 41; governor of South Carolina; married, two children.
Pros: Like Bobby Jindal, would bring double diversity to the White House as an Indian-American and a plain-speaking southerner.
Cons: Little national recognition; was recently slapped with a fine and ethics warning for campaign donor violations
Mike Huckabee
Personal: Age: 58; former governor of Arkansas; ordained Baptist minister; married, three children.
Pros: Personable and glib; veteran TV and radio broadcaster with high visibility; former Southern Baptist pastor with strong religious support; strong on core conservative social principles.
Cons: Is already finding opposition among the conservative group Club For Growth for his fiscal policies while governor; failed to develop momentum for the nomination in 2008, despite winning some states.
Bobby Jindal
Personal: Age: 42; serving second term as governor of Louisiana; former U.S. representative; married, three children.
Pros: Would bring double diversity to the White House as an Indian-American and a southerner; has an impressive resume as a public servant, from, governor, to congressman, president of the state university system and assistant secretary of Health and Human Services (giving him an inside track on fixing Obamacare).
Cons: Has been considered a rising star in the party for several years, but has not developed much traction nationally; his biggest moment in the national spotlight — the 2009 GOP response to the State of the Union — was not well received.
John Kasich
Personal: Age: 61; governor of Ohio; former U.S. representative; married.
Pros: Impressive political chops: former U.S. congressman, Ohio senator; chairman of the House Committee on the Budget.
Cons: As was the case in 2000, when he considered a presidential run, Kasich has little national presence and is not even a blip on most polls; expanded Medicaid in Ohio over GOP opposition; got negative attention several years ago for calling a cop an "idiot" for giving him a traffic ticket.
Peter King
Personal: Age: 69; U.S. representative from New York; chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security; married, two children.
Pros: Outspoken and highly opinionated; strong in national security issues; scandal-free.
Cons: Too aligned with New York and the Northeast; made enemies in his party when he criticized slow GOP response on Hurricane Sandy aid; called rival Ted Cruz a "fraud," and Rand Paul "a disgrace to his office."
Susana Martinez
Personal: Age: 54; governor of New Mexico; married, one child.
Pros: Made history as first elected female governor of New Mexico and the first female Hispanic governor in the U.S.
Cons: Has said she is not interested in a White House run; could face heat from women for her pro-life stance; does not have a national presence.
Rand Paul
Personal: Age: 50; U.S. senator from Kentucky; son of former congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul; married, three children.
Pros: Plain-speaking conservative with a solid record of backing core Republican values, such as the Second Amendment, immigration, and lower taxes; can build on the following his father developed during his previous presidential runs.
Cons: Launched a controversial filibuster against proposed CIA head John Brennan that was panned by some conservatives; dogged by recent accusations of plagiarism.
Rick Perry
Personal: Age: 63; serving 14th year as governor of Texas; married, two children.
Pros: Longest serving Texas governor; can tout a strong record on creating jobs and keeping taxes low; his strong stance against abortion made national news.
Cons: Trails fellow Texan Ted Cruz in visibility; burned bridges with women when he slammed Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis for her filibuster; could be haunted by gaffes from his last presidential run.
Marco Rubio
Personal: Age 42; in first term as U.S. senator from Florida; former speaker of the Florida House; married, four children.
Pros: Charismatic, articulate and politically savvy; popular with Latinos; gained national attention as head of "Gang of Eight" pushing immigration reform.
Cons: Alienated some in the party on his signature immigration reform campaign; like Jindal, failed to take advantage of his opportunity on the national stage and became known for the infamous "water bottle" incident during the State-of-the-Union rebuttal speech.
Paul Ryan
Personal: Age: 43; U.S. representative from Wisconsin; chairman of the House Budget Committee; GOP vice presidential candidate on Mitt Romney ticket in 2012; married, three children
Pros: High approval ratings from GOP, a conservative hero who champions cutting spending, taxes, and entitlements; scored points as a bipartisan bridge-builder after cutting budget deal with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray.
Cons: Was part of the Mitt Romney presidential disaster; may be too conservative for American mainstream.
Rick Santorum
Personal: Age: 55; former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania; former U.S. representative; married, eight children (one deceased).
Pros: Squeaky-clean and scandal free; one of the GOP's most respected social conservatives with a strong record opposing abortion and gay marriage.
Cons: Had a reputation as a spender in Congress; still fell short of the nomination in 2012, despite better-than-expected showing; might be considered too evangelical.
Scott Walker
Personal: Age: 46; governor of Wisconsin; married, two children.
Pros: Dynamic and articulate speaker who has gained traction in a recent book tour; showed off his substantial political skills in beating back a 2011 recall effort.
Cons: Needs to win re-election in 2014; while successful in his recall challenge, he took a beating from labor unions and teachers; needs to continue to establish a higher national profile.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/16-gop-presidential-contenders/2014/01/02/id/544921#ixzz2pkD11nx9
-
translation:
cruz or rand paul
dem media will love christie who is kinda a dem now
-
Well, 13 out of 16 are burned and out of the running already, and the remaining three seem winded already. Here's to hoping some more viable candidates surface.
-
Seriously. Im tired of my choices being between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.
I want a decent fucking candidate already, one who doesnt give a shit about telling people how to live their lives, who actually gives a shit about the fiscal condition of our country, doesnt strip rights from citizens, doesn't stir up racial tensions and play the blame game, doesnt start needless wars, and at least SOMEWHAT respects the constitution
is that too much to ask for? I mean, its not like those are very high expectations.... although it seems like our current elected officials would have us believe, its akin to asking for jesus to resurrect and run for office... these fucks need to be weeded out and start being held accountable to the principles they swore to uphold
-
I don't know how romney lost.
Giant crony debt master obama runs up 9T debt in 4 years.
Successful businessman
IRS suppression and mob ground tactics to get th e400k votes needed to swing 7 swing stastes orestrated by israel no doubt.
mob action
-
Seriously. Im tired of my choices being between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.
I want a decent fucking candidate already, one who doesnt give a shit about telling people how to live their lives, who actually gives a shit about the fiscal condition of our country, doesnt strip rights from citizens, doesn't stir up racial tensions and play the blame game, doesnt start needless wars, and at least SOMEWHAT respects the constitution
Hear, hear!
is that too much to ask for?
Unfortunately... yes.
-
forget the clown car; or a mini van; this calls for the full fledged Greyhound bus, baby!
the GOP debates will be stellar!
-
forget the clown car; or a mini van; this calls for the full fledged Greyhound bus, baby!
the GOP debates will be stellar!
Clown car? How original.
-
Clown car? How original.
thank you. it is as original as most of the gop ideas.
-
thank you. it is as original as most of the gop ideas.
I can tell you put a lot of time into your material.
Neither party has many original ideas.
-
thank you. it is as original as most of the gop ideas.
Actually, Rubio's idea of "Let all the illegals stay!" is pretty original. Palin pioneered it in 2008 (
and he picked up the idea. Party of Amnesty used to be the dems. now?
2008:
When asked if she supported “a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants,” Palin responded that she did.
“I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here,” Palin said. “It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.”
-
Actually, Rubio's idea of "Let all the illegals stay!" is pretty original. Palin pioneered it in 2008 (
and he picked up the idea. Party of Amnesty used to be the dems. now?
2008:
When asked if she supported “a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants,” Palin responded that she did.
“I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here,” Palin said. “It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.”
plus, there aren't enough Greyhound buses to haul everyone to the border.
-
HAHAHAHAHA. That's it?
Might as well be polishing that silver platter that they are going to be the election on before handing it to the Dems.
-
HAHAHAHAHA. That's it?
Might as well be polishing that silver platter that they are going to be the election on before handing it to the Dems.
Handing it to who? Who do you think will be running on the Democrat side in 2016?
-
I like the Paul Ryan that made the deal with the Democrats. He will probably take heat for it but i think it showed he is a politician with his feet in the real world.
Politics is many times about compromise its very hard to give everybody just what they want after all.
Haley looks good no idea about her abilities as a politician.
Im looking forward to watching Ben Carson in debates. I still think he will fail big time and expose himself. I know Beach like him so it will be interesting.
-
Handing it to who? Who do you think will be running on the Democrat side in 2016?
With candidates like that for the GOP it doesn't matter who the Dems run.
-
With candidates like that for the GOP it doesn't matter who the Dems run.
Really? So you think Biden wins if he runs and is the nominee?
-
Really? So you think Biden wins if he runs and is the nominee?
Imagine Biden as president. Good times ;D
-
Imagine Biden as president. Good times ;D
it'd become 100% legal to fire warning & celebration shots, as long as you're only using a double barrelled shotgun :)
-
it'd become 100% legal to fire warning & celebration shots, as long as you're only using a double barrelled shotgun :)
Imagine Biden shooting some guys foot off with a warning shot and then asking him to stand up afterwards.
Some of these are gold:
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/joebiden/a/biden-quotes.htm
-
Hell I think a schmuck like Kerry would win against that field.
-
elizabeth warren might be the one to win it... the base will love her. she's like the ron paul of the left. total anti-banking.
being female doesn't hurt her either. I can't think of any dems I'd put at #2 chance of winning. I know, Kerry and others will think they have a chance,,, blah.
-
Hell I think a schmuck like Kerry would win against that field.
Kerry and Biden. Wow. You love your party don't you? I don't see either one of them being formidable at all.
-
Kerry and Biden. Wow. You love your party don't you? I don't see either one of them being formidable at all.
Then again, you see Carson, Palin, Perry, Cain and other clowns being legit contenders themselves, which says a lot about your opinion.
-
Then again, you see Carson, Palin, Perry, Cain and other clowns being legit contenders themselves, which says a lot about your opinion.
Wrong. I don't have an opinion about Carson's viability. Too soon to tell, but I do think he should stay involved in public policy. That's all I've ever said about him. Like him a lot. Definitely smarter and more accomplished than Kerry and Biden.
I do not think Palin can win.
I do not think Perry can win.
I do not think Cain is even running.
But none of that has anything to do with you thinking Kerry and Biden are a shoe-in to be president if they are the Democrat nominee.
-
Wrong. I don't have an opinion about Carson's viability. Too soon to tell, but I do think he should stay involved in public policy. That's all I've ever said about him. Like him a lot. Definitely smarter and more accomplished than Kerry and Biden.
I do not think Palin can win.
I do not think Perry can win.
I do not think Cain is even running.
But none of that has anything to do with you thinking Kerry and Biden are a shoe-in to be president if they are the Democrat nominee.
John Kerry is an interesting animal. I don't like his politics and wouldn't want him to be President, but it's hard to argue that the man isn't an accomplished politician and well-versed in international diplomacy. The largely anonymous "swift-boat" charges against him were despicable and made me cringe...
-
Wrong. I don't have an opinion about Carson's viability. Too soon to tell, but I do think he should stay involved in public policy. That's all I've ever said about him. Like him a lot. Definitely smarter and more accomplished than Kerry and Biden.
I do not think Palin can win.
I do not think Perry can win.
I do not think Cain is even running.
But none of that has anything to do with you thinking Kerry and Biden are a shoe-in to be president if they are the Democrat nominee.
You voiced support for Palin in the 2008 election.
You supported Perry when his little star was ascending before the crash and burn.
Cain? You actually thought the man was being honest about the other women and qualified.
Carson, you already latched onto him earlier and voiced support. Yeah.. more accomplished than Kerry and Biden in politics? I'd like to see examples of this. ::)
As long as the GOP runs crumbs, it doesn't matter who the Dems run. But I am sure there is some grand plan to win back the women, moderates, independents, blacks, gays, single moms, hispanics and one eyed red heads along with whoever else the GOP alienated the last two cycles. ::)
-
see, you know what's weird.... I think Perry, Palin, Jeb, Rand, huck, and a few others are capable of winning a national election. They have the personality and IMPACT in a room that people respect, which goes beyond party lines.
On the other hand, a paul ryan, rubio, martinez... they are just too green for it. They don't COMMAND respect in a room like those other cats do. Huck stands on that stage and looks you in the eye and tells you what's what. If you disagree, he respects you, but that's just how things are. Rubio, in that same position, will shift his feet, tilt his head, and then compromise his own position just a little to try to reel you in. And every single person that originally supported him will take a step back. He folds way too quickly, wayyyy to eager to compromise. it's what politicians do in their first 3-4 years in the national spotlight... and it's why they're not ready to be prez. Obama was like this - WAY too eager to please. Look at mccain - he compromised all the time - had he just stayed a war hawk, he might have won. Romney would fold like a lawn chair, depending on the room. It makes the base not trust them.
I willl vote for a canddiate that I disagree with on 5 or 6 positions... because I accept their weaknesses in these areas, and I trust they aren't going to shift on the 5-6 things that I DO agree with them on. At the same time, I don't want a candidate that I like 12 things about, but 5 of those keep shifting a little, depending on who is in the room.
For example, I KNOW what Rand or Huck will do, once in office. They'll tell me, and I might like it or not like it - but I don't see Rand becoming some welfare state, big defense spender once he's in office. Rubio? Sheeit, I don't have a clue what he will do. Hilary, yea, we all know hilary's term would look a lot like Obama + Bubba, rolled up into one. But paul Ryan? Who the heck knows...
-
As if Christie didn't have enough on his plate... Shady bidding practices (2 mil over the next bidder for the same service), and he's making TV ads with his family while people are STILL waiting for their checks to arrive.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/politics/christie-feds-investigating-sandy-ads/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Washington (CNN) -- Just days after dismissing two top advisers for their roles in the George Washington Bridge scandal, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is facing questions over the use of Superstorm Sandy relief funds.
CNN has learned that federal officials are investigating whether Christie improperly used those relief funds to produce tourism ads that starred him and his family.
The news couldn't come at a worse time for the scandal-plagued Republican, who is facing two probes into whether his staff tied up traffic near the country's busiest bridge to punish a Democratic mayor who refused to endorse his successful re-election bid.
-
John Kerry is an interesting animal. I don't like his politics and wouldn't want him to be President, but it's hard to argue that the man isn't an accomplished politician and well-versed in international diplomacy. The largely anonymous "swift-boat" charges against him were despicable and made me cringe...
Kerry is a disgrace. I didn't follow the swift boat allegations, but I did watch the Stolen Honor documentary. What that man did was traitorous. The fact he almost became president and later Sec Def is alarming. I hope I never run into to him in person. I put him in the same category as Ehren Watada.
-
You voiced support for Palin in the 2008 election.
You supported Perry when his little star was ascending before the crash and burn.
Cain? You actually thought the man was being honest about the other women and qualified.
Carson, you already latched onto him earlier and voiced support. Yeah.. more accomplished than Kerry and Biden in politics? I'd like to see examples of this. ::)
As long as the GOP runs crumbs, it doesn't matter who the Dems run. But I am sure there is some grand plan to win back the women, moderates, independents, blacks, gays, single moms, hispanics and one eyed red heads along with whoever else the GOP alienated the last two cycles. ::)
Ok. So at least now you're telling the truth for the most part. :) What's also true is you voted for Obama, twice, the second time after he spent four years running the country into the ground.
But again, none of that has anything to do with you believing Joe Biden would be a shoe-in for president if nominated. Or Kerry.
Regarding Carson, I didn't say anything about his political experience or accomplishments. I said he is much smarter and more accomplished than Biden and Kerry. Read up on him. He is a Great American.
-
Kerry is a disgrace.
I didn't follow the swift boat allegations, but I did watch the Stolen Honor documentary.
No, of course you didn't... but don't worry, at least one person involved in the swift boating of John Kerry was involved with the documentary you did watch.
Which documentary, by the way, was produced by the company of a lobbyist who, subsequently, ran for Congress as a Republican, and helmed by a journalist who's been forced to print retractions for allegations he published about other Vietnam related articles and who was, in connection with this documentary, sued for allegedly making libelous statements.
You really ought to try to more critically examine what you watch. You would also be wise to remember that just because it's on TV it doesn't make it true.
What that man did was traitorous.
Is that your considered legal opinion? Do you even know the legal requirements for treason? Can you tell us, specifically, how those requirements are met in the case of John Kerry?
The fact he almost became president and later Sec Def is alarming.
Nothing that you said addresses the statements that I made: namely that John Kerry is a seasoned politician and an accomplished diplomat. If you believe you can dispute either of those two statements then I look forward to reading your post.
With that said, I agree that the prospect of a Kerry Administration sounds scary. As I said, I disagree with the man's politics. But there are others - on both side of the aisle - who are much more likely to become President and who are far worse than Kerry. With that in mind, worrying about a potential stab at the nomination by Kerry seems pointless at this point.
I hope I never run into to him in person.
Really? What will you do if you do run into him in person? I bet you the answer is nothing.
I put him in the same category as Ehren Watada.
That's fucking rich. You are comparing a man who actually fought for his country with Ehren Watada? Really? You have a twisted worldview.
-
Ok. So at least now you're telling the truth for the most part. :) What's also true is you voted for Obama, twice, the second time after he spent four years running the country into the ground.
But again, none of that has anything to do with you believing Joe Biden would be a shoe-in for president if nominated. Or Kerry.
Regarding Carson, I didn't say anything about his political experience or accomplishments. I said he is much smarter and more accomplished than Biden and Kerry. Read up on him. He is a Great American.
I voted for Obama twice. Once it was a vote strictly against a senile old man and the biggest idiot to ever grace a national election card. The second time, it was a vote against a bigger liberal and his little boy wonder.
Accomplished? This is politics, the so called "accomplishments" should be political related. What were they again? Otherwise, Ronnie Coleman's accomplishments are impressive as well. ::)
-
No, of course you didn't... but don't worry, at least one person involved in the swift boating of John Kerry was involved with the documentary you did watch.
Which documentary, by the way, was produced by the company of a lobbyist who, subsequently, ran for Congress as a Republican, and helmed by a journalist who's been forced to print retractions for allegations he published about other Vietnam related articles and who was, in connection with this documentary, sued for allegedly making libelous statements.
You really ought to try to more critically examine what you watch. You would also be wise to remember that just because it's on TV it doesn't make it true.
Is that your considered legal opinion? Do you even know the legal requirements for treason? Can you tell us, specifically, how those requirements are met in the case of John Kerry?
Nothing that you said addresses the statements that I made: namely that John Kerry is a seasoned politician and an accomplished diplomat. If you believe you can dispute either of those two statements then I look forward to reading your post.
With that said, I agree that the prospect of a Kerry Administration sounds scary. As I said, I disagree with the man's politics. But there are others - on both side of the aisle - who are much more likely to become President and who are far worse than Kerry. With that in mind, worrying about a potential stab at the nomination by Kerry seems pointless at this point.
Really? What will you do if you do run into him in person? I bet you the answer is nothing.
That's fucking rich. You are comparing a man who actually fought for his country with Ehren Watada? Really? You have a twisted worldview.
I make no apologies for not following the swift boat stuff. Didn't really care. Watching Stolen Honor, listening to Kerry's own words, and listening to former POWs talk about the impact of his words, were enough for me.
Look up the definition of traitor. I'm comfortable with my use of the word. Let me know if you need any help understanding the definition.
Kerry is a seasoned politician? lol Ok. So he has served in the Senate for a long time. Big friggin deal. What policies has he advocated and helped implement that benefited you?
And I don't need to disprove your claim that he's an accomplished diplomat. That's your contention, not mine.
What would I do if I ran into him in person? Probably nothing. :) But I'd have a hard time not telling him what I think about him.
And yes, I view him in the same light as Watada. I make no distinction between a man who sent his subordinates off to die while he sat behind a desk, and one who threw his fellow soldiers under the bus while they were still being held as POWs.
Now, ask me what I think about your opinion of my worldview. I'm dying to tell you. :)
-
I voted for Obama twice. Once it was a vote strictly against a senile old man and the biggest idiot to ever grace a national election card. The second time, it was a vote against a bigger liberal and his little boy wonder.
Accomplished? This is politics, the so called "accomplishments" should be political related. What were they again? Otherwise, Ronnie Coleman's accomplishments are impressive as well. ::)
Yes, you Obama voters have to say whatever you need to to feel good about voting for someone who has run the country into the ground.
A person doesn't need to have "political" accomplishments to be considered "accomplished" or to be involved in public policy. That's absurd. But it's ok if you don't want to read up on Dr. Carson. Pretty impressive background.
And what the heck has Joe Biden accomplished other than being able to win elections in Delaware for most of his career? Democrats repeatedly rejected him when he ran for president. He has been an embarrassment as vice-president.
Wait. I should lighten up, because you'll be voting for him if he is the Democrat nominee in 2016. :)
-
I make no apologies for not following the swift boat stuff. Didn't really care. Watching Stolen Honor, listening to Kerry's own words, and listening to former POWs talk about the impact of his words, were enough for me.
Typical partisan hack...
Look up the definition of traitor. I'm comfortable with my use of the word. Let me know if you need any help understanding the definition.
Right, because as long as you're comfortable with your use of the word, who cares what the word actually means, right?
Kerry is a seasoned politician? lol Ok. So he has served in the Senate for a long time. Big friggin deal. What policies has he advocated and helped implement that benefited you?
Of course he is: he was a Lieutenant Governor (even if only for two years) and served as a Senator for almost 30 years - winning reelection a total of five times - and served as the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. I would submit that a 30 year career in politics, most of it at the Senate, qualifies someone as a "seasoned politician." Having advocated for or helped implement something that has benefited me isn't a requirement for a politician to be seasoned. Now, you may not agree, but your agreement isn't required. More than that, I submit that your agreement or disagreement is meaningless because you are are basing your opinion on your personal dislike of the man and you have allowed your distaste for his policies to cloud your judgement.
And I don't need to disprove your claim that he's an accomplished diplomat. That's your contention, not mine.
I've explained why I consider him to be a seasoned politician. You're the one that disputed my reasoned explanation with the impressive "lol Ok" line of reasoning. This may pass muster in whatever circles you frequent, but it doesn't pass muster with me. And while others may be willing to let you slide, I won't. If you are going to challenge my position - a position which I have explained and supported - I will press you to explain your position. I'm sure that people can draw their own conclusions about your inability to support the positions that you express.
What would I do if I ran into him in person? Probably nothing. :)
ng a man who refused to fight with someone who did fight - and even the rabid partisans behind the Swift-Boating of Kerry don't deny that he did fight - is quite pathetic.
Right... so much for your earlier bravado.
But I'd have a hard time not telling him what I think about him.
Seeing how he's not holding elected office, I'd venture to guess that your opinion of him means exactly nothing. And he would be right to tell you to refrain from venturing your unsolicited opinion, lest you find out exactly what it's worth to those who are listening.
And yes, I view him in the same light as Watada. I make no distinction between a man who sent his subordinates off to die while he sat behind a desk, and one who threw his fellow soldiers under the bus while they were still being held as POWs.
We can debate the ethics and morality of Kerry's statements (and even the "documentary" that you claim to have watched) if you want. But the simple fact is that equating a man who joined the military but then refused to fight with someone who voluntarily joined and did fight - and even the rabid partisans behind the Swift-Boating of Kerry don't deny that he did volunteer and did fight in Vietnam - is quite pathetic.
Now, ask me what I think about your opinion of my worldview. I'm dying to tell you. :)
To be honest with you, I'm uninterested in the few lonely thoughts circling around inside the cranium of a blind partisan hack.
-
Typical partisan hack...
Right, because as long as you're comfortable with your use of the word, who cares what the word actually means, right?
Of course he is: he was a Lieutenant Governor (even if only for two years) and served as a Senator for almost 30 years - winning reelection a total of five times - and served as the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. I would submit that a 30 year career in politics, most of it at the Senate, qualifies someone as a "seasoned politician." Having advocated for or helped implement something that has benefited me isn't a requirement for a politician to be seasoned. Now, you may not agree, but your agreement isn't required. More than that, I submit that your agreement or disagreement is meaningless because you are are basing your opinion on your personal dislike of the man and you have allowed your distaste for his policies to cloud your judgement.
I've explained why I consider him to be a seasoned politician. You're the one that disputed my reasoned explanation with the impressive "lol Ok" line of reasoning. This may pass muster in whatever circles you frequent, but it doesn't pass muster with me. And while others may be willing to let you slide, I won't. If you are going to challenge my position - a position which I have explained and supported - I will press you to explain your position. I'm sure that people can draw their own conclusions about your inability to support the positions that you express.
ng a man who refused to fight with someone who did fight - and even the rabid partisans behind the Swift-Boating of Kerry don't deny that he did fight - is quite pathetic.
Right... so much for your earlier bravado.
Seeing how he's not holding elected office, I'd venture to guess that your opinion of him means exactly nothing. And he would be right to tell you to refrain from venturing your unsolicited opinion, lest you find out exactly what it's worth to those who are listening.
We can debate the ethics and morality of Kerry's statements (and even the "documentary" that you claim to have watched) if you want. But the simple fact is that equating a man who joined the military but then refused to fight with someone who voluntarily joined and did fight - and even the rabid partisans behind the Swift-Boating of Kerry don't deny that he did volunteer and did fight in Vietnam - is quite pathetic.
To be honest with you, I'm uninterested in the few lonely thoughts circling around inside the cranium of a blind partisan hack.
Good grief. Protesting too much. I'm not reading all of this. Is there something specific you want me to address? Let me know and I'll consider it.
Or you can just keep furiously tapping out your book chapters. You are really impressing yourself aren't you? lol
-
Yes, you Obama voters have to say whatever you need to to feel good about voting for someone who has run the country into the ground.
A person doesn't need to have "political" accomplishments to be considered "accomplished" or to be involved in public policy. That's absurd. But it's ok if you don't want to read up on Dr. Carson. Pretty impressive background.
And what the heck has Joe Biden accomplished other than being able to win elections in Delaware for most of his career? Democrats repeatedly rejected him when he ran for president. He has been an embarrassment as vice-president.
Wait. I should lighten up, because you'll be voting for him if he is the Democrat nominee in 2016. :)
How many elections has Carson won?
-
Yes, you Obama voters have to say whatever you need to to feel good about voting for someone who has run the country into the ground.
A person doesn't need to have "political" accomplishments to be considered "accomplished" or to be involved in public policy. That's absurd. But it's ok if you don't want to read up on Dr. Carson. Pretty impressive background.
And what the heck has Joe Biden accomplished other than being able to win elections in Delaware for most of his career? Democrats repeatedly rejected him when he ran for president. He has been an embarrassment as vice-president.
Wait. I should lighten up, because you'll be voting for him if he is the Democrat nominee in 2016. :)
In that case Ronnie Coleman is a better candidate that Carson. If you disagree, then it is because of the folly of your owns. Nothing new there.
-
How many elections has Carson won?
None. He has never run for public office. You don't follow politics very closely do you?
-
In that case Ronnie Coleman is a better candidate that Carson. If you disagree, then it is because of the folly of your owns. Nothing new there.
Yes, because brain surgery and bodybuilding are pretty comparable. Some solid elementary school logic there.
-
Yes, because brain surgery and bodybuilding are pretty comparable. Some solid elementary school logic there.
Whereas brain surgery and politics are... ::)
-
None. He has never run for public office. You don't follow politics very closely do you?
No, I tend to follow common sense. Which is why it is very clear that Kerry and Biden are more accomplished in the political than Carson.
Just as I stated.
-
No, I tend to follow common sense. Which is why it is very clear that Kerry and Biden are more accomplished in the political than Carson.
Just as I stated.
To be fair... being an accomplished politician isn't a badge of honor these days. Typically, it's quite the opposite.
-
Yes, because brain surgery and bodybuilding are pretty comparable. Some solid elementary school logic there.
Doesn't matter how comparable they are. The non political "accomplishments" of each should be enough to overcome experience and political stock according to your thoughts. ::)
-
Whereas brain surgery and politics are... ::)
It must suck when their own logic backfires on them huh?
-
Whereas brain surgery and politics are... ::)
::)
-
No, I tend to follow common sense. Which is why it is very clear that Kerry and Biden are more accomplished in the political than Carson.
Just as I stated.
Yes, and Barney Frank and Sheila Jackson-Lee are "more accomplished in the political than Carson" too. You got that common sense thing cornered. lol
-
Yes they are. Then again so is Bachmann and Palin, despite the largest collection of mass stupidity between the two of them, they are more experienced than Carson as well for politics.
The only thing I have seen cornered so far is your deluded illogical thinking, and that is by your own words. Took no effort on my part.
-
Cruz/Trump ticket?
Rand/Walker?
wow the awesome combos to fix the democrat nuked economy are strong this time
-
Yes they are. Then again so is Bachmann and Palin, despite the largest collection of mass stupidity between the two of them, they are more experienced than Carson as well for politics.
The only thing I have seen cornered so far is your deluded illogical thinking, and that is by your own words. Took no effort on my part.
That's some retarded logic. But good luck with that. I guess this is how people like Obama get elected president. Twice. :-\
-
The only retarded logic I have seen is you harping about Carson's non political "accomplishments" having more weight than someone else who has actually won an election ::) , served in Congress and has a track record.
Of course, by your standards Ronnie Coleman is "accomplished" enough to get elected. How about Madonna, Beck or Michael Jordan? Their "accomplishments" are not political by any means, but that shouldn't matter at all by your logic.
It's amusing watching you argue with yourself.
-
The only retarded logic I have seen is you harping about Carson's non political "accomplishments" having more weight than someone else who has actually won an election ::) , served in Congress and has a track record.
Of course, by your standards Ronnie Coleman is "accomplished" enough to get elected. How about Madonna, Beck or Michael Jordan? Their "accomplishments" are not political by any means, but that shouldn't matter at all by your logic.
It's amusing watching you argue with yourself.
I'm not arguing with anyone. Just asking questions and watching you make some pretty dumb comments. :)
And I've learned quite a bit. Bodybuilding > Brain Surgery. lol . . .
-
Please show me where anyone said Bodybuilding > Brain surgery. I don't remember that part. Maybe you can quote it? Or maybe you will instead argue around it with another retarded example.
If any comment I have made seems dumb, then it should. Seeing how I am using your own words and thoughts as an example.
-
Please show me where anyone said Bodybuilding > Brain surgery. I don't remember that part. Maybe you can quote it? Or maybe you will instead argue around it with another retarded example.
If any comment I have made seems dumb, then it should. Seeing how I am using your own words and thoughts as an example.
In that case Ronnie Coleman is a better candidate that Carson. If you disagree, then it is because of the folly of your owns. Nothing new there.
Ronnie Coleman is a bodybuilder. Dr. Carson is one of the most successful brain surgeons in world history.
lol Sorry to keep laughing, but I cannot even type this stuff without laughing. :)
-
Interesting that you either couldn't understand or just wanted to skip the next part of that.
If you disagree, then it is because of the folly of your owns. Nothing new there.
Bears repeating :
If any comment I have made seems dumb, then it should. Seeing how I am using your own words and thoughts as an example.
I suspect the reason you are "laughing" so much is out of insecurity and a vague attempt at trying to play off the stupidity of YOUR OWN words. As quoted above.
Now please come back and post again to contradict yourself. As usual.
-
Interesting that you either couldn't understand or just wanted to skip the next part of that.
Bears repeating :
I suspect the reason you are "laughing" so much is out of insecurity and a vague attempt at trying to play off the stupidity of YOUR OWN words. As quoted above.
Now please come back and post again to contradict yourself. As usual.
I know you like to quote yourself, but it doesn't make your ridiculous comments make any more sense. You asked for a quote. I gave you "YOUR OWN words." You, not me, compared Ronnie Coleman the bodybuilder to Dr. Carson the world renowned brain surgeon.
-
Ronnie Coleman "one of the most successful bodybuilders in world history" (BTW) and Carson "one of the most successful brain surgeons in world history" were being compared in what regards? Oh yeah.... political accomplishments. Both of which have none.
My "ridiculous comments" are based on "YOUR OWN WORDS" and logic as exhibited here.
Worth repeating.
If any comment I have made seems dumb, then it should. Seeing how I am using your own words and thoughts as an example.
Continue contradicting yourself while I hit the gym. I'll check back and see you still in the corner you painted yourself in. No surprise when I find you still there chasing your tail over your own words.
-
Ronnie Coleman "one of the most successful bodybuilders in world history" (BTW) and Carson "one of the most successful brain surgeons in world history" were being compared in what regards? Oh yeah.... political accomplishments. Both of which have none.
My "ridiculous comments" are based on "YOUR OWN WORDS" and logic as exhibited here.
Worth repeating.
Continue contradicting yourself while I hit the gym. I'll check back and see you still in the corner you painted yourself in. No surprise when I find you still there chasing your tail over your own words.
-
Ronnie Coleman "one of the most successful bodybuilders in world history" (BTW) and Carson "one of the most successful brain surgeons in world history" were being compared in what regards? Oh yeah.... political accomplishments. Both of which have none.
My "ridiculous comments" are based on "YOUR OWN WORDS" and logic as exhibited here.
Worth repeating.
Continue contradicting yourself while I hit the gym. I'll check back and see you still in the corner you painted yourself in. No surprise when I find you still there chasing your tail over your own words.
Yes, you compared Ronnie Coleman to Dr. Carson. Good luck with that retarded logic of yours. Training is good for the brain too. Good move. Have a good workout.
And I'm sure you'll be quoting yourself again. :)
-
The sheer idiocy demonstrated by some people in this thread is stunning...
-
The sheer idiocy demonstrated by some people in this thread is stunning...
No shit. It's laughable that once his own words and logic is used against him, the only solution is to try to play wordsmith and split hairs to make it sound any less stupid.
-
Yes, you compared Ronnie Coleman to Dr. Carson. Good luck with that retarded logic of yours. Training is good for the brain too. Good move. Have a good workout.
And I'm sure you'll be quoting yourself again. :)
I sure did compare them. With the comparison being their current political accomplishments. Which neither one has any.
Worth repeating :
If any comment I have made seems dumb, then it should. Seeing how I am using your own words and thoughts as an example.
Continue arguing against your own logic and words. It's actually quite amusing. But when the rest of us laughs, it is at you, not with you.
-
The Republican Presidential Contender Everyone’s Overlooking
Ohio Gov. John Kasich is serious about running for president, and he’d be a formidable candidate.
By Josh Kraushaar
January 29, 2014
For a party that's accustomed to nominating the next-in-line presidential candidate, 2016 promises to be a very unusual year for the Republican Party. For the first time in decades, the GOP has no clear front-runner or even an establishment favorite at this early stage.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie looked poised to fill that role, but his home-state scandals are endangering any national bid before it even gets underway. Jeb Bush would be an obvious contender, but Republican officials are skeptical he'd jump into the ring—all too cognizant of the baggage his last name brings. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker might be able to transcend the gap between the tea party and the establishment, but he still faces a challenging reelection back home. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida lost some cachet after his high-profile advocacy of immigration reform foundered.
But there's one candidate who isn't generating much buzz and whose résumé compares favorably with any of the top-tier candidates. He's a battleground-state governor who's looking in strong position to win a second term. He defeated one of the more popular Democratic governors in the country, who happened to be a major Clinton ally. He's from the Midwest, likely to be the critical region in the 2016 presidential election. He entered office as a prominent fiscal conservative but compromised on Medicaid expansion. And most important, Republican officials familiar with his thinking say he's seriously considering a presidential campaign.
Enter Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the swing-state executive who's currently polling at microscopic levels nationally but who could have an outsized impact on the 2016 race.
"The presidential nominee is likely to be a governor, and, frankly, Kasich is as well situated as anybody. This is a guy who can connect with a crowd, he can emote, he's got blue-collar roots, and he identifies with average folks. He's certainly no Romney," said former NRCC Chairman Tom Davis, who served with Kasich in Congress. "In my opinion, he's the total package. And I think he's interested."
By all accounts, Kasich shouldn't be considered a sleeper. As governor, he's presided over a Rust Belt renaissance, with the state's unemployment rate dropping from one of the highest in the country in 2009 (10.6 percent) to around the national average (7.2 percent) last month. In 2013, Kasich signed a sizable tax cut thanks to the state's newfound budget surplus. Kasich was among the first Republicans to tout the party's need to reach out to the disadvantaged, and he lived up to his rhetoric by passing prison-sentencing reform with support from African-American legislators.
He ran for president before in 2000, parlaying his role passing four balanced budgets with Bill Clinton as a main selling point of the campaign. In effect, he was Paul Ryan before Ryan was elected to Congress. But he barely made a dent in a year when George W. Bush secured early support from party leaders.
"Mitt Romney's biggest problem was the perception he didn't care—that's a Republican Achilles' heel almost built into the party," said former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer. "It would be constructive to have a candidate who could diminish that gap because they're cut from a different cloth, they have a proven track record of helping the poor and middle-class, and their policies show it. For people like John Kasich, he feels it as a social calling. That has the potential to be attractive so long as it's matched with conservative ideology."
Indeed, Kasich's governing message in Ohio sounds awfully similar to the "compassionate conservative" brand that Bush himself employed so successfully in 2000. Last August, Kasich told The Wall Street Journal: "I have a chance to show what it means to be successful economically, but also to have a compassionate side, a caring side, to help lift people up."
Kasich's narrow gubernatorial victory in 2010 was also notable for the coalition he built to victory: He was one of the rare Republican candidates who performed better with upscale voters than the working-class whites who make up the GOP's base. Among college-educated whites, Kasich won a remarkable 63 percent of the vote, while noncollege whites backed him with 54 percent. Democrats attacked him for his wealth and his role as managing director for Lehman Brothers before the recession, but the populist attacks backfired among the state's managerial class. Like Christie, Kasich could be well-positioned to win a second term by racking up unusually high support from traditionally Democratic constituencies. A November Quinnipiac survey showed his job-approval rating at a healthy 52 percent, with the governor winning top marks from 32 percent of Democrats, 33 percent of African-Americans, and 49 percent of young (18-29) voters. He's maintained his appeal with college-educated Ohioans, with 55 percent approving.
"He's reached out to the African-American community, and has promoted a few issues the black community cares about—like Medicaid [expansion] and the prison issue," said Columbus mayor Michael Coleman, a Democrat. "The question becomes are they going to come out for his opponent. His opponent will have to work the black community and show support for issues that the black community supports."
This year, Kasich will be facing a well-regarded Democratic opponent—Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald—and he's far from a shoo-in. But a resounding second-term victory would be more impressive than Christie's landslide win, given that he's facing a challenger who's getting support and financial help from the national party.
To be sure, Kasich has his vulnerabilities with the base. He'd be one of the few Republican governors to embrace Medicaid expansion in his home state, a sticking point for many conservatives. After unsuccessfully trying to limit collective-bargaining rights, he's smoothed over relations with unions. As a congressman, he backed the Clinton assault-weapons ban in the 1990s, even though he now believes it wasn't very effective.
Some skeptics view Kasich as too undisciplined for the rigor of a presidential campaign. There's a boatload of footage for opposition researchers to pore through, from when he guest-hosted The O'Reilly Factor and hosted his own weekend show on Fox News a decade ago.
But he's also got a tailor-made narrative for a presidential campaign: He's an economic turnaround specialist who helped balance four budgets in Congress and turned around his state's struggling fiscal situation in three years. Christie received outsized national attention governing next to the media capital of the world, but Ohio is a more populous, electorally-significant state.
"Kasich holds the coalition together," Davis said. "You take a look at the states in play, and Ohio is a must. No Republican has been elected president without winning Ohio."
http://www.nationaljournal.com/against-the-grain/the-republican-presidential-contender-everyone-s-overlooking-20140129
-
come on in, John!
we'll get bigger crazy clown van just to make room.
-
:o
Mitt Romney Is the 2016 Republican Front-Runner
This is not an "Onion" story.
By Matt Vasilogambros
January 30, 2014
Mitt Romney leads the Republican field among New Hampshire primary voters for 2016. Yes, you read that right.
Why not make it a third run for president? That's something that the former Republican nominee is definitely not thinking about right now. To put it in his own recent words: "Oh, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no."
But that didn't stop the Virginia-based bipartisan policy firm Purple Strategies from adding his name to a recent survey for Granite State voters, which shows Romney in the lead with 25 percent support. Libertarian firebrand Rand Paul (who has strong infrastructure in New Hampshire) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are behind with 18 percent and 17 percent support, respectively.
We might be experiencing Mittmentum 3.0. The Netflix documentary about his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns was recently released to the excitement of political insiders everywhere. GOP insiders want him to come back: "You know what a lot of them say to me?" an anonymous "operative" told BuzzFeed. "I think we need Mitt back." Romney was even on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to slow jam the news.
So are we sure he's not running again? "People are always gracious and say, 'Oh, you should run again,' " he said in an interview earlier this month. "I'm not running again."
He's done this kind of race before. He's got the staff. He's got the loyalty. He has the money. Time has passed.
Is there a chance? "I think that Chris Christie and Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, and the list goes on, have a much better chance of doing that," he said in the same interview, "and so I will support one of them as they become the nominee."
Maybe, maybe not.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/mitt-romney-is-the-2016-republican-front-runner-20140130
-
Ryan: 'Not closing my options' on 2016
Posted by
CNN's Dana Davidsen
(CNN) – Conservative Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan isn't shutting any doors to 2016.
"I'm not closing my options," the 2012 vice Republican presidential nominee told CNN Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper in an interview appearing on "The Lead" Thursday. "But I'm just not focusing on that right now.”
Ryan brushed off a new national survey showing him leading a wide field of possible Republican White House hopefuls.
"I feel good that some people like me in a poll. That and $3 basically gets me a cup of coffee as far as I’m concerned," he said.
"Right now, we've got things to do in this Congress, in 2014. So we shouldn't be clouding our judgment as to how this helps us or what we're going to do two years from now when Americans are hurting today."
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who comes in slightly behind Ryan in the Washington Post/ABC News poll, hasn't denied interest in launching a campaign either.
Bush told a CNN affiliate in Florida Wednesday that he'd make a call on 2016 later this year, and that his decision would be based on whether he could serve "joyfully" as a candidate.
"I wouldn’t do it if I couldn't do it joyfully," Ryan said when asked about Bush's comments.
"I'm a believer in the Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp school of politics - which is inclusive, which is aspirational, appealing to people's better selves - not so much praying on the emotions of fear, envy and anxiety like a lot people cynically do these days."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/30/ryan-not-closing-my-options-on-2016/
-
Romney not intending to make another presidential run
Posted by
CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger
Washington (CNN) – A prime seat at the Super Bowl. A flattering documentary. A funny turn on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” No doubt about it: Mitt Romney has been back in the spotlight recently. But does it all add up to him making a third run for the Republican presidential nomination?
No, according to multiple sources close to the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.
While the ex-candidate is clearly enjoying all the good karma - which comes amid a bad month for Chris Christie —sources close to Romney say the nascent draft-Mitt idea, such as it is, is organic and not coming from him or his wife, Ann, or anyone close to them.
In fact, the chatter is coming from some Republican donors who understand how much money it will take for a GOP candidate to compete against the presumed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, if she does run.
If Christie’s troubles continue, and former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush decides not to run, the theory is that Romney could, perhaps, become attractive.
He’s been seen in a more attractive light lately with the Netflix documentary “Mitt.” But sources close to the Romneys say Ann Romney and the family aren’t likely to want to go through a campaign again.
Romney told CNN last June he would not enter the fray again.
“It was hard work. I said it was like a roller coaster. Yes, there are ups and down. But, but you still pay to get on the roller coaster. It’s a real thrill and experience that we will never forget. And frankly, I’d do it again.”
But when asked that he would, Romney explained: “I would do it again, but it’s not my time. Ann might not … but I would love to do it again, are you kidding? I’d love to do it and win. But it’s not my time. I’ve had my chance.”
In fact, Romney’s generational handover would probably go to Rep. Paul Ryan, his former running mate. Romney often points to Ryan as an example of a legislator who can get things done. And, don’t forget, he hired him as his “junior partner” in the campaign.
And while the ex-Romneyites don’t want to comment on the record, one source says that while a new campaign isn’t happening, all this chatter “must make him feel good.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/03/romney-not-intending-to-make-another-presidential-run/?hpt=po_c2
-
PAUL, TRUMP, HUCKABEE, LEE TO HEADLINE NEW HAMPSHIRE EVENT
by MATTHEW BOYLE
4 Feb 2014 T
Maybe it's too early to call it an official 2016 “cattle call,” but the group of Republicans headlining an April New Hampshire event is going to get a lot of tongues wagging.
Featured speakers include Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Donald Trump, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and American Enterprise Institute (AEI) President Arthur Brooks.
Citizens United and Americans For Prosperity Foundation are joining forces to host the April 12 event, titled the “Freedom Summit,” in Manchester, New Hampshire. Breitbart News will be live broadcasting the event online on Breitbart TV.
“Set just three days before most Americans have to file their income taxes to pay for the burgeoning federal government, our Freedom Summit will provide an excellent opportunity for the hard-working people of New Hampshire to compare and contrast the direction in which our country is headed and how their tax dollars are being spent,” AFP Foundation president Tim Phillips said in a release.
Hosts say the event, from two conservative groups with close ties to grassroots activists, lays down an early marker in terms of who will be taking charge of 2016-related political events.
“We believe that this time around, the grassroots of the party should be the ones who lead,” Citizens United president David Bossie told Breitbart News. “We are so excited to host an event where the people who are fighting for conservative principles on the front lines daily get to start the conversation about where this country is heading and how it should be led going forward. This event is going to be attended by some of the biggest, more important voices in the movement as they open up a dialogue about individual liberty and the damage done by Big Government. I am honored to team up with Americans for Prosperity Foundation on this event and we are so excited that Breitbart will be live-streaming this event so grassroots conservative activists across the country will be able to also be a part of this ongoing conversation.”
Greg Moore, the state director of AFP New Hampshire, said the gathering would be the “political event of the year in the Granite State."
Of the confirmed speakers, Paul is among the first-tier presidential aspirants, while Gingrich and Huckabee have previously run and haven't ruled it out for 2016. Trump has frequently toyed with the idea as well.
Paul said he's looking forward to the event and loves what New Hampshire stands for. “I always feel at home anytime the motto is 'Live Free or Die,'" he said.
“I’m very excited and honored to be attending the AFP and Citizens United event,” Trump said. “It’s always great to be back in New Hampshire. See you there,” Trump said.
Lee is unlikely to run for president but has emerged as a key conservative leader in the Senate. He said the event will allow conservatives to forge a new reform agenda.
“After five years of Barack Obama, America cannot afford to continue down a path that leads to bigger, more expensive, more intrusive government,” Lee said in an email to Breitbart News. “To move in the right direction, we need conservatives around the country laying out a new, innovative reform agenda. The Freedom Summit is a great opportunity to engage in that debate and show people of every political stripe that conservatives have policy proposals that will work – and get people back to work,” Lee said.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/02/04/Paul-Gingrich-Huckabee-to-Headline-NH-Event
-
PAUL, TRUMP, HUCKABEE, LEE TO HEADLINE NEW HAMPSHIRE EVENT
You know it has to drive the REAL republicans like Rand Paul crazy... having to bring along a lifetime liberal idiot like Trump... in order to get this coverage on national news and get asses in the seats lol.
-
Sarah Palin for president? Media debate whether she’ll make a political comeback
By Howard KurtzPublished February 07, 2014
FoxNews.com
We interrupt our continuing coverage of Chris Christie to examine which Republicans have a better shot at the presidency if Christie is damaged goods.
Which is sheer speculation, of course. And that happens to be the media’s specialty.
Bill Kristol stirred up a bit of a fuss yesterday by declaring that there’s no reason Sarah Palin shouldn’t run for president. Kristol, whose Weekly Standard was a major Palin booster in 2008, didn’t predict she would win, but he said she'd have a major impact on the race.
Kristol, a former Fox News contributor, also forecast on “Morning Joe” that two other Fox contributors would run: Mike Huckabee and former U.N ambassador John Bolton. (Both have said they’re looking at the race.)
I have no inside information here, but Palin certainly wouldn’t lack for media attention. Kristol, who worked in the Bush 41 White House, is a well-connected Republican, and if this was a trial balloon, it raises intriguing questions.
On the MSNBC morning show, Chuck Todd pushed back, saying that if Palin ran it would be for “a financial reason, to get back into the spotlight. Get the speaking fees back up.”
This annoyed Kristol, who said that the establishment takes seriously such candidates as Jon Huntsman (who flopped), but dismisses the likes of Palin and Huckabee as people who “just want to make money.” Host Joe Scarborough (also named by Kristol as a 2016 dark horse) said Palin’s populist message could resonate in the GOP primaries but that she hurt herself by resigning as Alaska governor.
There are, of course, multiple reasons that folks jump into a White House race, from increased visibility to boosting career prospects to positioning for a VP slot. Just ask Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton and many others.
Palin has a passionate following among Tea Party types, but she would also expose herself again to mockery from the mainstream media. She would have to decide whether the grueling nature of a campaign is worth giving up her television gigs.
Much of this talk is being spurred by the Christie vacuum in the wake of the bridge scandal. Even Mitt Romney, who’s been on the TV circuit after that favorable Netflix documentary, is being asked whether he’d give it a third try. His answer is no way.
There is chatter now about other governors, such as Scott Walker. Perhaps the most important name on Kristol’s list is Jeb Bush, who says he is looking at the race but won’t decide soon. The media would immediately treat Bush as a heavyweight and he would in effect become the establishment candidate.
The dilemma for the former Florida governor is that he has openly questioned how far to the right his party has moved. He would be, fairly or not, saddled with defending his brother’s presidential record. And, by the way, Bush’s own mother doesn’t want him to run.
In The Week, Damon Linker all but declares the primaries over:
“It's beginning to dawn on me that Jeb Bush is probably going to be the Republican Party's nominee for president in 2016.
"Consider: With the ongoing implosion of Chris Christie's political career, the GOP establishment has lost its best hope for a candidate who could stop a libertarian-populist insurgency during the primaries. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker — the list of viable fire-breathers is longer (and less dominated by incompetents, crazies, and one-note sideshow acts) than establishment types would like.”
As for the last-name problem, he says: “Yes, Jeb would be freighted by bad memories of his brother's failed presidency. But he might be helped by warm memories of his father's presidency.”
But American Conservative’s Daniel Larison strongly disagrees:
“Like his brother when he ran for president, Jeb Bush has no foreign policy experience to speak of, and to the best of my knowledge he has never shown much interest in the subject. Given his brother’s disastrous record, I doubt that enough Republicans would want to take that kind of chance again.
“Considering the state that the last Bush left the GOP in, there can’t be very many Republicans that want to turn to that family a third time for leadership.”
Bottom line: The Republican Party is trying to find someone who can beat Hillary Clinton. A Palin-Hillary race would be absolute gold for the press. And a Bush-Clinton race would conjure memories of 1992, a clash between two royal political families that never seem to leave the scene. Assuming, that is, that one or both of them run.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/07/sarah-palin-for-president-media-debate-whether-shell-make-political-comeback/?intcmp=latestnews
-
Sarah Palin for president? Media debate whether she’ll make a political comeback
By Howard KurtzPublished February 07, 2014
FoxNews.com
We interrupt our continuing coverage of Chris Christie to examine which Republicans have a better shot at the presidency if Christie is damaged goods.
Which is sheer speculation, of course. And that happens to be the media’s specialty.
Bill Kristol stirred up a bit of a fuss yesterday by declaring that there’s no reason Sarah Palin shouldn’t run for president. Kristol, whose Weekly Standard was a major Palin booster in 2008, didn’t predict she would win, but he said she'd have a major impact on the race.
Kristol, a former Fox News contributor, also forecast on “Morning Joe” that two other Fox contributors would run: Mike Huckabee and former U.N ambassador John Bolton. (Both have said they’re looking at the race.)
I have no inside information here, but Palin certainly wouldn’t lack for media attention. Kristol, who worked in the Bush 41 White House, is a well-connected Republican, and if this was a trial balloon, it raises intriguing questions.
On the MSNBC morning show, Chuck Todd pushed back, saying that if Palin ran it would be for “a financial reason, to get back into the spotlight. Get the speaking fees back up.”
This annoyed Kristol, who said that the establishment takes seriously such candidates as Jon Huntsman (who flopped), but dismisses the likes of Palin and Huckabee as people who “just want to make money.” Host Joe Scarborough (also named by Kristol as a 2016 dark horse) said Palin’s populist message could resonate in the GOP primaries but that she hurt herself by resigning as Alaska governor.
There are, of course, multiple reasons that folks jump into a White House race, from increased visibility to boosting career prospects to positioning for a VP slot. Just ask Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton and many others.
Palin has a passionate following among Tea Party types, but she would also expose herself again to mockery from the mainstream media. She would have to decide whether the grueling nature of a campaign is worth giving up her television gigs.
Much of this talk is being spurred by the Christie vacuum in the wake of the bridge scandal. Even Mitt Romney, who’s been on the TV circuit after that favorable Netflix documentary, is being asked whether he’d give it a third try. His answer is no way.
There is chatter now about other governors, such as Scott Walker. Perhaps the most important name on Kristol’s list is Jeb Bush, who says he is looking at the race but won’t decide soon. The media would immediately treat Bush as a heavyweight and he would in effect become the establishment candidate.
The dilemma for the former Florida governor is that he has openly questioned how far to the right his party has moved. He would be, fairly or not, saddled with defending his brother’s presidential record. And, by the way, Bush’s own mother doesn’t want him to run.
In The Week, Damon Linker all but declares the primaries over:
“It's beginning to dawn on me that Jeb Bush is probably going to be the Republican Party's nominee for president in 2016.
"Consider: With the ongoing implosion of Chris Christie's political career, the GOP establishment has lost its best hope for a candidate who could stop a libertarian-populist insurgency during the primaries. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker — the list of viable fire-breathers is longer (and less dominated by incompetents, crazies, and one-note sideshow acts) than establishment types would like.”
As for the last-name problem, he says: “Yes, Jeb would be freighted by bad memories of his brother's failed presidency. But he might be helped by warm memories of his father's presidency.”
But American Conservative’s Daniel Larison strongly disagrees:
“Like his brother when he ran for president, Jeb Bush has no foreign policy experience to speak of, and to the best of my knowledge he has never shown much interest in the subject. Given his brother’s disastrous record, I doubt that enough Republicans would want to take that kind of chance again.
“Considering the state that the last Bush left the GOP in, there can’t be very many Republicans that want to turn to that family a third time for leadership.”
Bottom line: The Republican Party is trying to find someone who can beat Hillary Clinton. A Palin-Hillary race would be absolute gold for the press. And a Bush-Clinton race would conjure memories of 1992, a clash between two royal political families that never seem to leave the scene. Assuming, that is, that one or both of them run.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/07/sarah-palin-for-president-media-debate-whether-shell-make-political-comeback/?intcmp=latestnews
Sure, why not.
-
Rand Paul seeks Kentucky law to run for president, Senate at same time
By Ralph Z. Hallow-The Washington Times
Monday, March 3, 2014
Sen. Rand Paul may be seeking to hold on to his seat at the same time he is running for president in 2016. The Kentucky Senate majority leader confirmed Monday that he is working on an unambiguous bill that would allow Mr. Paul to do so.
Opening a door to hedge his political bets, Sen. Rand Paul has asked the leader of the Kentucky Senate for legislation to ensure that Mr. Paul can run both for the White House and for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2016, The Washington Times has learned.
“Yes, I am working on clarifying an ambiguous state law that Rand Paul believes is unconstitutional if it is interpreted to bar running for re-election to the Senate and for president at the same time,” Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer told The Times on Monday.
“The purpose of the bill will be to make clear that Rand Paul or anyone in a similar situation in Kentucky can run for both offices in the same year,” Mr. Thayer explained.
If things go Mr. Paul’s way, he could win the GOP presidential nomination, then run in the fall 2016 general election for the presidency and to retain his U.S. Senate seat. If he wins the presidency and the Senate re-election bid, he would relinquish his Senate seat.
If he loses the presidential election but wins the Senate re-election race, he would become a second-term U.S. senator from Kentucky.
Since winning his election in 2010, Mr. Paul has argued for creating term limits so members of Congress could serve a maximum of 12 years in each chamber.
Mr. Paul and his office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. But in a recent C-SPAN “Newsmakers” program, Mr. Paul said he and his team were looking at the possibility of running for the Senate and the White House simultaneously.
“We just haven’t come to a conclusion yet,” he said at the time.
The situation has grown more complicated for Mr. Paul since his election in 2010. His fellow Kentucky Republican, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, faces a serious challenge from the political right in his own party.
If Mr. McConnell falls to the tea party candidate in the May primary or if a Democrat defeats Mr. McConnell in November, then Mr. Paul would become the senior U.S. senator from Kentucky. As such, he probably would become the recognized leader of his party in the state.
Fellow Republicans are counting on Mr. Paul to help them keep the state Senate from tipping to Democrats. The Kentucky state House already is controlled by Democrats.
Democrats have problems of their own in the state, including a sex scandal and accusations of a cover-up. Republicans think they have a shot at taking the House this fall, giving them two of the three power centers in state government. Gov. Steven L. Beshear is a Democrat.
A veteran Republican Party operative in Kentucky said privately that House Speaker Greg Stumbo, a Democrat, has told colleagues there is no way he would allow such a bill to go through his chamber.
“I’ve not spoken to the speaker about this and not heard publicly or privately what the Democrats in the House would do if Republicans passed it in the Senate,” Mr. Thayer said.
Mr. Stumbo did not return a phone call from The Times on Monday.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/3/rand-paul-looking-to-hedge-bet-in-2016-election/#ixzz2v10ZKVaD
-
Rand Paul seeks Kentucky law to run for president, Senate at same time
By Ralph Z. Hallow-The Washington Times
Monday, March 3, 2014
I dont think any politician from any party should be able to do this.
It really de-legitimizes the KY race. "I dont really want this job, but it's a great backup plan, and you guys will just have to take whoever I assign to take over..."
-
I hope he runs. He would be good to have in the race.
Marco Rubio aims for comeback with conservatives
Rubio denies he dropped the immigration push for political purposes.
By MANU RAJU | 3/3/14
Marco Rubio probably wouldn’t have been the biggest draw in Alabama last year, but last week he had big donors dropping big checks.
The Florida Republican, who championed the Senate immigration bill last year, swung by a state that has taken a tough stand against illegal immigrants and has repeatedly elected the chief opponent of the Senate plan. But last Thursday evening, deep-pocketed Birmingham donors paid up to $32,000 apiece to schmooze with Rubio, raising more than $300,000 for the Senate GOP campaign committee.
Rubio’s foray into the Deep South shows how quickly he has tried to put the bitter immigration fight behind him as he positions himself for what close allies say is an increasingly likely presidential bid in 2016. He is now raising his profile by demanding a more aggressive U.S. response to Russia in the Ukraine crisis, showcasing how the senator has embraced more hawkish foreign policy views than several of his would-be 2016 rivals, like Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.
After dropping his push on immigration, Rubio is seeking to rehabilitate his image with much of the GOP base by falling back on his staunch conservative ideology while engaging in a calculated effort to broaden his domestic and foreign policy portfolio. He’s becoming a regular fundraising presence on the campaign trail and plans to play a big role in a handful of key midterm races this fall.
A contingent on the right will never forgive him for backing a bill offering a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and his critics say he jettisoned the plan strictly to preserve his political standing. But in interviews with numerous GOP leaders and influential conservative activists in early primary states, his new push seems to have won over one-time skeptics who are now more open to a prospective Rubio candidacy.
Rubio, who plans to make a decision on whether to run for president either later this year or in early 2015, denies he dropped the immigration push for political purposes. But he acknowledges that his role in the immigration push took a toll on him politically.
“I’m sure there are people who are unhappy with what I did on immigration and will never be supportive of me again,” Rubio said in an interview in the Capitol last week. “But by and large, I think if you look at my approval ratings in different metrics that are out there, I feel like many of my supporters maybe disagreed with me on immigration — and disagreed strongly — but they understand that I’ve been involved in other issues that are important for the country.”
That includes the growing crisis in Ukraine. While his outspokenness on Ukraine could play well with the hawkish wing of his party, it could turn off the GOP’s libertarian faction that is growing more influential. Rubio’s effort to regain conservatives’ trust will be measured on Thursday, when he addresses the annual gathering of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.
“I believe people will give him on one issue quite a bit of room,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, the influential Iowa Republican, when asked about the fallout for Rubio’s stance on immigration. “He’s already eight months away from what he did on immigration, and he’s taken on so many other issues to cloud that whole issue.”
Polls show the 2016 GOP presidential race is a wide-open affair, as the 42-year-old Rubio sits on a multimillion dollar war chest — some $2.6 million in his various campaign accounts. Rubio plans to make an appearance in at least one of the early primary states sometime this year, according to several people familiar with the matter, in what will almost certainly intensify chatter about his prospective run. His would-be GOP 2016 rivals, like Paul and Cruz, have already done just that.
Still, some conservatives from early primary states are decidedly skeptical.
“Rubio’s name never comes up here as it relates to presidential politics — except to express disappointment at how he wasted such tremendous potential on the largest Democrat Party voter drive in history,” said Steve Deace, a Des Moines-based conservative talk radio host.
But a range of other conservatives in the early primary states argued that the immigration issue is hardly a death knell for Rubio.
“I was never of the opinion Sen. Rubio suffered irreparable harm among Iowa conservatives during the immigration debate,” said Matt Strawn, the former Iowa GOP chairman.
As a co-author of the sweeping immigration bill that passed the Senate last June, Rubio has had to fend off accusations from conservatives that the legislation would provide “amnesty” to the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants. And once the bill passed the Senate last June, he abandoned his advocacy of the plan as House conservatives bashed it.
Rubio refused to pressure House Republicans into taking up the Senate bill, angering proponents of the legislation but endearing himself to the right. He has instead moved on to other issues that fire up the conservative base, such as joining Cruz in the battle to defund Obamacare, and pushed legislation to repeal what Republicans call the “insurance bailout” — a temporary provision in the law allowing the government to backstop some higher-than-anticipated costs for health insurers.
. . .
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/marco-rubio-aims-for-comeback-with-conservatives-104154.html#ixzz2v1WW6KdE
-
I hope he runs. He would be good to have in the race.
Marco Rubio aims for comeback with conservatives
Rubio denies he dropped the immigration push for political purposes.
By MANU RAJU | 3/3/14
Rubio will only siphon votes from Rand and Cruz, leaving the race ripe for a RINO to swoop in and take the nomination.
IMO, Rand and Cruz should get together now, agree that whichever is winning after Iowa takes the 1/2 slot, then they agree on a ticket and encourage voters to vote accordingly.
We keep seeing a dipshit moderate rino lib win, because there are 5 conservatives splitting 75% of the vote.
-
LOOOOOOOVE how you guys think you have a choice.. HAHAHA
like it will make a freakin difference which of the two party system wins??
no wonder why this country keeps getting worse
keep voting dem or repub and see what happens..
amazing.. they sure have all of you foold.... ahhhh the illusion of choice
-
LOOOOOOOVE how you guys think you have a choice.. HAHAHA
like it will make a freakin difference which of the two party system wins??
no wonder why this country keeps getting worse
keep voting dem or repub and see what happens..
amazing.. they sure have all of you foold.... ahhhh the illusion of choice
Yes, we have a choice. If McCain won in 2008, we probably would have bombed Syria by now. I'm actually glad that didn't happen.
If Romney won in 2012, we wouldn't have the Obamacare fiasco.
Elections definitely have consequences.
-
if Romney won we would still have Obama care,sorry to break your heart ;D
-
if Romney won we would still have Obama care,sorry to break your heart ;D
Would have not been implemented. And the executive branch controls the administrative rule making process, so they could have changed the rule that caused all of policies to be cancelled.
-
NPR
But there are two big questions there. First of all, could a President Romney actually stop the health law in its tracks? And if he did try, what would happen?
First, it turns out that stopping the law may be harder than the law's opponents realize. For one thing, if he's elected, Romney can't just grant waivers letting states ignore the law on his first day as president.
"There are waivers under the law, but not an across-the-board waiver," said Tom Miller, a lawyer with the conservative American Enterprise Institute. For the record, Miller is an avid opponent of the health law. But he's also a veteran of Capitol Hill and knows what can and can't happen.
"You can try anything under the law," he said. But in many cases, "a federal court will usually step in and say, 'You've gone a little bit too far.' "
In this case, the part of the law that allows the president to grant states waivers doesn't actually kick in until 2017. And even the waivers that are allowed require states to cover as many uninsured people as would be covered by the Affordable Care Act.
Health industry consultant Robert Laszewski — also no big fan of the law — says federal courts would likely block a lot of things Romney might try to do unilaterally, like simply cut off funding or tell his staff to stop enforcing it.
"Sure, he can rewrite the regulations for example ... but fundamentally, he can't change the law," he said.
And even rewriting regulations would take months, at best.
-
Sen. Rand Paul wins CPAC straw poll
Published March 08, 2014
FoxNews.com
Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul has won the CPAC straw poll Saturday for potential 2016 presidential candidates, taking first place for the second straight year.
The first term senator won 31 percent of the vote, ahead of second-place finisher Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz who took 11 percent. They were among a crowded field of hopefuls on the ballot at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference gathering in suburban Maryland.
"I am grateful to all the attendees who stood with me," Paul said afterward. "Together we will fight for what is right. Thank you and onwards to victory."
The results are considered a key indicator of what conservative voters are thinking and how they might vote in 2016.
The third-place finisher was Dr. Ben Carson, with 11 percent. He was followed by New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie, 9 percent; Wisconsin GOP. Gov. Scott Walker, 7 percent; former Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Rick Santorum, and Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, at 6 percent. Rubio finished second last year.
CPAC officials said 25 potential candidates were on the ballot and that roughly 2,000 people who attended the event voted.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/08/rand-paul-wins-cpac-straw-poll/
-
Or Rubio or some other candidate who hasn't joined the discussion yet.
Carville: Cruz or Perry Will Be GOP Nominee
Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014
By Greg Richter
Democratic strategist James Carville predicted the next GOP presidential nominee will come from Texas.
"It's either going to be Ted Cruz or Rick Perry," Carville said Monday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity."
Cruz is a freshman senator from Texas and a tea party favorite, and Perry is serving out his last term as Texas governor. Perry ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 but came up short after a few fumbles on the campaign trail.
But Perry has advantages, Carville said.
"He's been around the track once, and he can raise a bucketload of money," Carville said of Perry. "He can accidentally hit his speed dial and raise $5 million."
Carville said Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker all have a chance.
Paul's father, former Rep. Ron Paul, ran for president in 2012 and got 21 percent of the vote in Iowa.
"You got to almost assume that Rand Paul can build on that, at least duplicate that," Carville said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Carville-Rand-Paul-Rick-Perry-Ted-Cruz/2014/03/11/id/558759#ixzz2vtw4MnGl
-
Cruz or Perry = another Dem win.
-
Cruz or Perry = another Dem win.
Biden = a Republican win.
-
Hillary = mopping the floor for 8 years over any GOP candidate.
-
Hillary = mopping the floor for 8 years over any GOP candidate.
Yeah - what difference does 4 dead make right?
-
Hillary = mopping the floor for 8 years over any GOP candidate.
I doubt it. She'll definitely have an advantage with the media in her pocket, but I don't see her as winning in some landslide. Is that what you are predicting?
And what about Biden? Does he win too?
-
Biden = a Republican win.
lol... biden ain't winning that nomination... i love that repubs keep leaning on that idea, they'd love it, but no.
Although he did turn the bold and brilliant Paul Ryan into a quiet "excuse me, can I talk" child for 90 minutes in that debate. I mean, if he can't manage a situation with an obnoxious loudmouth blowhard like Biden, how can he manage Putin when things get rough? lol
-
lol... biden ain't winning that nomination... i love that repubs keep leaning on that idea, they'd love it, but no.
Although he did turn the bold and brilliant Paul Ryan into a quiet "excuse me, can I talk" child for 90 minutes in that debate. I mean, if he can't manage a situation with an obnoxious loudmouth blowhard like Biden, how can he manage Putin when things get rough? lol
Which Republicans "keep leaning on that idea" that Biden will be the nominee?
-
Which Republicans "keep leaning on that idea" that Biden will be the nominee?
well, the ones that continually mention him on getbig ;)
Biden turns 72 this year lol... He ain't running in 2016. When he talks about it, he does this because Rush and friends will spend a whole day ranting about it, while nobody mentions obama's actual incompetence or deeds of the day.
hilary is FIVE years younger than Biden. He's really that old. Not running, HTH.
-
well, the ones that continually mention him on getbig ;)
Biden turns 72 this year lol... He ain't running in 2016. When he talks about it, he does this because Rush and friends will spend a whole day ranting about it, while nobody mentions obama's actual incompetence or deeds of the day.
hilary is FIVE years younger than Biden. He's really that old. Not running, HTH.
I see. So just making stuff up again. Shocker.
-
You actually think Biden will throw his hat in? You actually think he or anyone else will edge out Hillary if she decides to run? You actually think Hillary will lose to the GOP?
Interesting thoughts. They probably require crayons.
-
I absolutely love how you guys think presidential elections arent already predetermined..
wake up.. please.. for the sake of the nation
-
I doubt it. She'll definitely have an advantage with the media in her pocket, but I don't see her as winning in some landslide. Is that what you are predicting?
I don't know about landslide, but she will easily win now when Christie is done. She is the ultimate establishment candidate and is an awesome fundraiser. Just look at how Wall Street already throws sooooooo much cash (taking bribes) at her. Only Christie and maybe Romney could get close when it comes to fundraising. At same time demographics change in favor of the democrats.
Myself, I despise Hillary. She will just be an another hawkish-establishment-pro war candidate. The same shitty politics since the early 80's.
-
You actually think Biden will throw his hat in? You actually think he or anyone else will edge out Hillary if she decides to run? You actually think Hillary will lose to the GOP?
Interesting thoughts. They probably require crayons.
I don't know, but he hasn't ruled it out. I don't think he will beat Hillary if they both run. I don't know if Hillary will win or lose. It depends on who her opponent is, how the race plays out, money, state of the country, etc.
I like crayons and have spent many hours coloring in books with my kids. Very therapeutic.
But you didn't answer the questions. If Biden is the nominee do you think he wins?
Also, are you predicting a Hillary landslide regardless of her opponent?
-
I don't know about landslide, but she will easily win now when Christie is done. She is the ultimate establishment candidate and is an awesome fundraiser. Just look at how Wall Street already throws sooooooo much cash (taking bribes) at her. Only Christie and maybe Romney could get close when it comes to fundraising. At same time demographics change in favor of the democrats.
Myself, I despise Hillary. She will just be an another hawkish-establishment-pro war candidate. The same shitty politics since the early 80's.
Good points. I agree she will have a tremendous advantage because of the media support (and attack of her opponent) and money.
-
Good points. I agree she will have a tremendous advantage because of the media support (and attack of her opponent) and money.
and because a lot of people want another Clinton in the white house.
In 2008, all we heard about wat how much the media picked on her, how they gave obama a pillow and shit all over her.
now suddenly the media is the reason she'll win? LOL!
And $? The last few repub candidates were only worth about half a billion, right? Didn't help...
If Clinton wins - and she's a bag of crap candidate with a shitty record + benghazi.... IF she wins, it's because that's what americans want.
I'm not shocked... already people are pre-emptively listing why Hilary wins in 2016... not because GOP is splintered or anything like that... No, woe is me, we're all victims of money and media (something the repubs won't stoop to).
-
I'm not shocked... already people are pre-emptively listing why Hilary wins in 2016... not because GOP is splintered or anything like that... No, woe is me, we're all victims of money and media (something the repubs won't stoop to).
Don't forget that she will have very easy primary and can basically just focus on raising money. Whoever will be on GOPs ticket will be very hurt by the GOPs primaries and has to spend a ton to win the nomination. And don't forget that she has an Obamas election machine (the greatest in history and the reason why Obama won) and at the same time GOPs is outdated as fuck.
-
Don't forget that she will have very easy primary and can basically just focus on raising money. Whoever will be on GOPs ticket will be very hurt by the GOPs primaries and has to spend a ton to win the nomination. And don't forget that she has an Obamas election machine (the greatest in history and the reason why Obama won) and at the same time GOPs is outdated as fuck.
The primary could hurt or help. It will either make the winner stronger or expose his/her weaknesses. Or it could be a money drain as you say.
-
The primary could hurt or help. It will either make the winner stronger or expose his/her weaknesses. Or it could be a money drain as you say.
Her weakness? She's the most known candidate out there. Her negatives are well known, and her approval rating is still insanely high. I dunno how.
Don't forget that she will have very easy primary and can basically just focus on raising money. Whoever will be on GOPs ticket will be very hurt by the GOPs primaries and has to spend a ton to win the nomination. And don't forget that she has an Obamas election machine (the greatest in history and the reason why Obama won) and at the same time GOPs is outdated as fuck.
True... it'll be a mess in the GOP primaries... they'll be destroying each other to get that nomination. Won't be friendly lol. Lots of pledges & promises and calling each other out.
-
True... it'll be a mess in the GOP primaries... they'll be destroying each other to get that nomination. Won't be friendly lol. Lots of pledges & promises and calling each other out.
Exactly! Just look at GOPs last primary. Even though Romney completely dominated (his ability to fundraise) and won fairly easily he was hurt badly before he was the official nominee.
2012 GOP primary will be a walk in the park compared to 2016.
-
I don't know, but he hasn't ruled it out. I don't think he will beat Hillary if they both run. I don't know if Hillary will win or lose. It depends on who her opponent is, how the race plays out, money, state of the country, etc.
I like crayons and have spent many hours coloring in books with my kids. Very therapeutic.
But you didn't answer the questions. If Biden is the nominee do you think he wins?
Also, are you predicting a Hillary landslide regardless of her opponent?
No one predicts a landslide. Well, no one that is sane and has any common sense does.
I don't have to worry about Biden because he isn't going to be the nominee anyway. That being said, if he does get the nod then the election is going to come down on the VP choice again just like it did in 2008 when Palin cost McCain the election.
-
I don't have to worry about Biden because he isn't going to be the nominee anyway. That being said, if he does get the nod then the election is going to come down on the VP choice again just like it did in 2008 when Palin cost McCain the election.
He didn't lose because of Palin. He chooses Palin because he was desperately in need of a "game changer". The election was over when the economy collapsed.
-
No one predicts a landslide. Well, no one that is sane and has any common sense does.
I don't have to worry about Biden because he isn't going to be the nominee anyway. That being said, if he does get the nod then the election is going to come down on the VP choice again just like it did in 2008 when Palin cost McCain the election.
Elections never come down to the VP choice. People vote the top of the ticket, just like they did in 2008 and 2012.
-
He didn't lose because of Palin. He chooses Palin because he was desperately in need of a "game changer". The election was over when the economy collapsed.
Exactly.
-
He didn't lose because of Palin. He chooses Palin because he was desperately in need of a "game changer". The election was over when the economy collapsed.
I dunno... Mccain was up by 4-5 before the convention.
He chose Palin. By Sept 9th, he was suddenly doen 4-5 points in every poll? Like, seriously, ten point swing.
THEN the bottom dropped out. Sept 15th was lehman and everything afterwards. The true shit didn't hit the fan until October....
See the timeline - Mccain was out of the race by the time the economy really crashed in 08. And he led before palin.
http://useconomy.about.com/od/Financial-Crisis/a/Stock-Market-Crash-2008.htm
-
I dunno... Mccain was up by 4-5 before the convention.
He chose Palin. By Sept 9th, he was suddenly doen 4-5 points in every poll? Like, seriously, ten point swing.
THEN the bottom dropped out. Sept 15th was lehman and everything afterwards. The true shit didn't hit the fan until October....
See the timeline - Mccain was out of the race by the time the economy really crashed in 08. And he led before palin.
http://useconomy.about.com/od/Financial-Crisis/a/Stock-Market-Crash-2008.htm
No, she was a desperate move to change the election.
To the point of redundancy, every discussion of Romney's eventual vice-presidential pick always leads to a snarky comment about "avoiding a Palin" or how Palin lost the election for John McCain. The argument is old and tired. But more importantly, the argument is false. To believe that Sarah Palin "cost" McCain anything you would have to ignore all poll data before and after Palin was selected, the enormous cash advantage of Obama, the historical obsession with Obama, the ad-war landslide in favor of Obama, McCain's odd campaign suspension, and the fact that before Palin, McCain could barely fill a high school gymnasium. So, let's examine reality and put the Palin-bashing to bed.
If you look at the 60 polls prior to Palin being selected as McCain's running-mate taken from June 1st through August 29th this is what you would find:
John McCain and Obama tied in 2 polls
John McCain led Obama in 5 Polls
Barack Obama led John McCain in 53 polls.
Yes, for every one poll that showed a McCain lead, Obama held a lead in 10 polls. In that span, Obama's lead in the polls was close to 6 points, fairly similar to the final outcome. I'm not sure how it was Palin's fault that McCain was getting throttled before anyone knew who she was.
http://usconservatives.about.com/b/2012/07/17/no-sarah-palin-did-not-cost-mccain-the-presidency.htm
McCains campaign manager
When did you know it was over?
The moment that I will look back at as the moment deep in my gut that I knew, was September 29, when I was flying on a plane with Governor Palin to Sedona for debate prep, watching the split screen on the TVs, because she had a JetBlue charter, and it showed the stock market down seven, eight hundred points; it showed the Congress voting down the bailout package on the other side, and then, House Republicans went out and told the world that the reason that they voted against this legislation, allowed the stock market to crash, allowed the economy to be so injured, was because Nancy Pelosi had given a mean and partisan speech on the floor. And this was their response. And I just viewed it as beyond devastating, and thought that at that moment running with an “R” next to your name, in this year, was probably lethal. But we kept fighting. John McCain never quit…And, you know, for, for my part I had expected that election night, that it would be a pretty early night.
-
"McCains campaign manager
Quote
When did you know it was over?
The moment that I will look back at as the moment deep in my gut that I knew, was September 29, "
My point is that Mccain had a 4 point lead the day before he chose palin.
17 days later, he was down 4-5 points. This was Sept 15th... TWO WEEKS before Mccain's campaign manager realized it was over.
Maybe a ten point drop in two weeks didn't convince him, and maybe he just considered a ten point drop to be no biggie, but really... the race was over at that point. Sure, the economy didn't help him - but he had a monster drop 2 weeks before this example. Shit started hitting fan on sept 15th...
-
"McCains campaign manager
Quote
When did you know it was over?
The moment that I will look back at as the moment deep in my gut that I knew, was September 29, "
My point is that Mccain had a 4 point lead the day before he chose palin.
17 days later, he was down 4-5 points. This was Sept 15th... TWO WEEKS before Mccain's campaign manager realized it was over.
Maybe a ten point drop in two weeks didn't convince him, and maybe he just considered a ten point drop to be no biggie, but really... the race was over at that point. Sure, the economy didn't help him - but he had a monster drop 2 weeks before this example. Shit started hitting fan on sept 15th...
it was over when she didn't know any magazines or newspapers that she reads every day.
-
it was over when she didn't know any magazines or newspapers that she reads every day.
No, it was over when the economy collapsed. Palin actually helped McCain.
-
Yeah, that downward spiral that occurred after the Katie interview really helped McCain out.
-
Funny how you clowns completely ignore McCain being the problem "Fundamenals of the economy are strong" - "We have nothing to fear about Obama presidency" etc etc
McLame was the problem - along w the stock market tanking - Palin only helped McCain.
-
Yeah, that downward spiral that occurred after the Katie interview really helped McCain out.
McWay has posted the numbers on the board several times showing Palin helped McCain. Then there is this report from a few months ago. The facts don't support you.
Report: You betcha Sarah Palin helped John McCain in 2008, has 2016 support base
BY PAUL BEDARD | NOVEMBER 29, 2013
It's been debated for five years, and the conventional wisdom has generally concluded that Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, hurt Sen. John McCain's chances to beat then-Sen. Barack Obama for the presidency with her outsized and controversial personality.
But now a comprehensive new analysis of the so-called “Palin Effect” finds that in the final analysis, the former Alaska governor helped McCain by attracting more voters to the ticket, crushing a mainstream media view.
What’s more, while she attracted wider press attention than most prior veep candidates, her actual impact for a No. 2 was about average.
“Palin had a positive effect on McCain,” according to the new Palin analysis in the authoritative Political Research Quarterly.
Sign Up for the Paul Bedard newsletter!
Digesting mountains of data, two political science professors from Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., said their findings showed that the conventional wisdom that independent voters ran from the McCain-Palin ticket was wrong. They found that independent voters had the same reaction to Palin as Republicans, who largely liked her.
Both findings could provide a basis for a 2016 run for the presidency by the Tea Party favorite.
“Palin did not have a negative effect on McCain's voter share overall, nor did she result in eroded support for McCain among critical swing voters such as independents and moderates,” the duo wrote.
Their analysis picked apart a recent report that Palin drove off voters and was uniquely divisive, claiming it was flawed.
Instead, it found that Palin “did not have a unique or unprecedented influence on the race; at best, she had precisely the same small effect on vote choice in 2008 that we would expect of any running mate.”
http://washingtonexaminer.com/report-you-betcha-sarah-palin-helped-john-mccain-in-2008-has-2016-support-base/article/2539935
-
No, it was over when the economy collapsed. Palin actually helped McCain.
it's easy to say that. But he was up 5 points before choosing her.
17 days later, he was down 5 points.
with that kinda "help"... ???
-
it's easy to say that. But he was up 5 points before choosing her.
17 days later, he was down 5 points.
with that kinda "help"... ???
Exactly.
-
it's easy to say that. But he was up 5 points before choosing her.
17 days later, he was down 5 points.
with that kinda "help"... ???
And in that time frame the world was thought to implode and McCain made his stupid comments.
Why ignore that?
Regardless- you voted for Obama along w the other idiots and now we are stuff w a failed president playing basketball, chooming, making us the butt of jokes worldwide, etc
-
And in that time frame the world was thought to implode and McCain made his stupid comments.
Why ignore that?
I thought the big business collapse happened from Sept 15th thru mid-october?
I think mccain's own campaign manager said sept 20th or so, something happened with economy and he knew the race was over?
Everyone ignores the FACT that mccain LED in polls entering the RNC debate weekend... then 2 weeks of train wreck with his running mate drama... then suddenly he was trailing badly.
I mean, sure, blame something that happened AFTER the 10-point slide if you want. The economy didn't help him, of course.
Saying palin was a terrible choice is not an endorsement of obama. It's possible they're both idiots.
-
it's easy to say that. But he was up 5 points before choosing her.
17 days later, he was down 5 points.
with that kinda "help"... ???
I don't trust you or your numbers. Or the context.
-
Exactly.
So you disagree with this?
“Palin did not have a negative effect on McCain's voter share overall, nor did she result in eroded support for McCain among critical swing voters such as independents and moderates,” the duo wrote.
Their analysis picked apart a recent report that Palin drove off voters and was uniquely divisive, claiming it was flawed.
Instead, it found that Palin “did not have a unique or unprecedented influence on the race; at best, she had precisely the same small effect on vote choice in 2008 that we would expect of any running mate.”
http://washingtonexaminer.com/report-you-betcha-sarah-palin-helped-john-mccain-in-2008-has-2016-support-base/article/2539935
-
Yeah I disagree with it. If someone can find a chart showing McCain's poll numbers week by week before and after the Palin pick and the Katie interview, we would see a true picture.
-
What that say for the repubs when that talks and they find nothing wronh with her lol
-
I don't trust you or your numbers. Or the context.
Then google dat shit, old man.
Who gives a flying turd about what you "don't trust"?
-
Then google dat shit, old man.
Who gives a flying turd about what you "don't trust"?
Yawn.
-
Yawn.
Preferring opinion and belief over provable facts. Shocker, eh?
-
Preferring opinion and belief over provable facts. Shocker, eh?
Conviction of opinion and belief often comes at the ignorance of facts and common sense.
-
Conviction of opinion and belief often comes at the ignorance of facts and common sense.
LOL - obamacare
Case closed.
-
Preferring opinion and belief over provable facts. Shocker, eh?
Not at all Simpleton Simon.
-
LOL - obamacare
Case closed.
I was unaware that any GOP candidates had anything to do with Obamacare. This thread is about GOP candidates. What are you whining and crying about now?
-
I was unaware that any GOP candidates had anything to do with Obamacare. This thread is about GOP candidates. What are you whining and crying about now?
Obama's NCAA bracket and MoBacca flying off to China on our dime to go hook up w foo man choo and whoever.
-
Obama's NCAA bracket and MoBacca flying off to China on our dime to go hook up w foo man choo and whoever.
\
has obama spent more time vacationing than Bush did?
-
Wide open. Looks like Fat Man is dropping some tonnage.
The invisible primary: GOP preps as Chris Christie stumbles
(http://images.politico.com/global/2014/03/25/rubio_christie_paul_pence_bush_jindal_cruz_ap_605.jpg)
From left, top to bottom: Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush. From right, top to bottom: Rand Paul, Mike Pence and Bobby Jindal. Inset: Chris Christie. | AP Photos
By ALEXANDER BURNS and MAGGIE HABERMAN | 3/26/14
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio spent the past year getting battered over immigration reform — and building a presidential-level political operation with heavy investments in digital and data analytics. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has already visited New York City four times this year, pushing into big-money turf once dominated by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, has gamed out his 2016 options with a small team of longtime advisers, while Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has met with prominent conservatives, urging him to consider the race.
The Republican presidential field is aflutter with behind-the-scenes activity even at this preliminary stage, giving early shape to a race that has been defined in public by a handful of outsized media personalities, including Christie, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Christie’s “Bridgegate” stumbles have now thrown the race wide open: Strategists for likely and potential candidates all see the Garden State Republican as deeply and perhaps fatally compromised. Reform-minded Republican governors are eyeing the race more eagerly, thanks to the void opened by the Fort Lee traffic scandal. Others in the field, like Rubio, could find their nuts-and-bolts preparatory work all the more valuable in view of Christie’s woes.
There is no shortage of ideological and strategic fault lines in the Republican lineup, but the most important developing division may be the one separating these two groups of candidates: the prepared and the unprepared.
In 2012, Mitt Romney survived a savage primary contest, largely because of his financial and organizational dominance. With 2016 looming closer, several presumptive candidates, including Rubio and Jindal, have already moved ahead of the pack in what might be called the infrastructure primary; other promising hopefuls, like Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, look powerful on paper but have done little to capitalize on their promise.
Experienced GOP presidential hands have so far taken a “let a thousand flowers bloom” approach to the 2016 maneuvering. “While each is following a unique strategy to ramp up their operations, I’m particularly struck by Bobby Jindal’s aggressive outreach and early organizing, Rand Paul’s smart messaging on privacy and organizational strength and Marco Rubio’s discipline at playing the long game,” said Jim Merrill, Mitt Romney’s former New Hampshire strategist.
Romney’s Iowa campaign chief, David Kochel, said the flurry of Republican activity contrasts with the minimal movement on the Democratic side. “Whether it’s Jeb Bush on education, or Marco Rubio on foreign policy, or Rand Paul on NSA, they’re looking for and finding opportunities to grow the base,” he said.
Here’s a closer look at the first stages of the invisible primary — POLITICO’s guide to the organized, the partially organized and the just plain disorganized Republicans of 2016.
Staffed up and ready to go
If the 2016 starter’s pistol fired tomorrow, at least a few contenders would be able to jump into action almost immediately. Marco Rubio, now halfway through his first Senate term, has surrounded himself with presidential-level strategists and policy advisers from the outset. His political operation is run by South Carolina operative Terry Sullivan, while the Rubio PAC Reclaim America brought on former Bush-Cheney and Fred Thompson fundraiser Dorinda Moss to manage the money flow.
A closer look at Rubio’s finance reports reveal an even more sophisticated operation at work. In addition to several vendors long associated with Rubio — the TV firm Something Else Strategies and the pollsters at North Star Opinion Research — Rubio has paid hefty sums to more specialized political consultants, including $150,000 to the Republican data analytics firm 0ptimus. Also working for Rubio is digital consultant Mike Harinstein, a former Americans for Prosperity digital guru now at the firm Core Focus Consulting.
And Rubio’s political machine isn’t just waiting for the “go” order. Reclaim America ran TV ads last year for Arkansas Senate candidate Tom Cotton and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, while his pollster was paid for multiple surveys. If Rubio runs, he’ll have plenty more hiring to do — especially in the early states — but the core of his national operation is perhaps the strongest in the field.
Giving Rubio an early run for his organizational money is Bobby Jindal, who has formed two independent groups to push his national message: a federal PAC, dubbed Stand up to Washington, and the policy nonprofit America Next.
Like Rubio, he has a core set of consultants experienced in presidential politics. They include the pollsters and ad men at OnMessage Inc., a Virginia-based firm that has worked for Jindal for a decade and employs former Jindal campaign manager Timmy Teepell.
And the Louisiana governor has been aggressively courting national finance types, making four trips to New York City in this calendar year to compete on turf where Christie was once the overwhelming favorite, as well as trips to other major cities, like Chicago.
Neither Rubio nor Jindal has caught fire in the earliest rounds of horse-race polling, a reality that supporters say counts for little this far out.
Not that long ago, the third man with an almost-turnkey 2016 operation would have been Chris Christie — the high-profile Republican Governors Association chairman with multiple former Romney 2012 advisers in his kitchen cabinet, Rudy Giuliani’s former campaign manager, Mike DuHaime, as his top strategist and a pack of donors pounding on the door to pay respects. When the Fort Lee traffic scandal erupted — prompting Christie to sever ties with his former campaign manager, Bill Stepien — any 2016 preparations were essentially frozen in time.
Christie continues to tour the country in his RGA capacity. He has been to Florida and Michigan, and later this month he is slated to attend a major donor event in Deer Park, Utah, according to a source familiar with the planning. But if events like these give Christie the chance to make the case for his own relevance, strategists privately wonder whether the bloom is permanently off the rose. (“He’s lost the thing that made him special,” said one veteran GOP hand. “He’s lost the authenticity.”)
. . .
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/2016-republican-hopefuls-chris-christie-105028.html#ixzz2x5yrrCfi
-
Will be interesting to see if he can generate broad-based support. I don't think he has the charisma to do it, especially when compared to the larger personalities who will likely be running.
Rand Paul builds 50-state network, courts mainstream support for presidential bid
By Robert Costa, Published: March 26 | Updated: Thursday, March 27, 12:00 AM
Sen. Rand Paul has become the first Republican to assemble a network in all 50 states as a precursor to a 2016 presidential run, the latest sign that he is looking to build a more mainstream coalition than the largely ad hoc one that backed his father’s unsuccessful campaigns.
Paul’s move, which comes nearly two years before the 2016 primaries, also signals an effort to win the confidence of skeptical members of the Republican establishment, many of whom doubt that his appeal will translate beyond the libertarian base that was attracted to Ron Paul, the former Texas congressman.
Rand Paul’s nationwide organization, which counts more than 200 people, includes new backers who have previously funded more traditional Republicans, along with longtime libertarian activists. Paul, of Kentucky, has also been courting Wall Street titans and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who donated to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, attending elite conclaves in Utah and elsewhere along with other GOP hopefuls.
For the rest of this year, his national team’s chief duties will be to take the lead in their respective states in planning fundraisers and meet-ups and helping Paul’s Washington-based advisers get a sense of where support is solid and where it’s not. This is especially important in key early primary battlegrounds, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, and in areas rich in GOP donors, such as Dallas and Chicago.
“A national leadership team is an important step, and it’s a critical one for the movement going forward,” said Fritz Wenzel, Paul’s pollster. “Rand has tremendous momentum, and the formation of this team will guide him as he gets closer to a decision and [will] serve as a foundation for a campaign.”
A growing number of Republicans have started to consider presidential campaigns. Aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) are sketching out how possible bids could look and keeping tabs on donors and potential staffers. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Rick Santorum, a distant runner-up to Romney in the 2012 race for the GOP nomination, have been wooing conservative leaders.
At this early juncture, Paul is consistently at or near the top in polling. A CNN/ORC International survey this month found that 16 percent of Republicans and independents who lean Republican were likely to support Paul, putting him at the front of the Republican field. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the 2012 GOP vice-presidential nominee, was second, at 15 percent.
Paul’s leadership team is set up as part of Rand Paul Victory, a group that pools donations. It is a joint committee that overlaps the fundraising efforts of Rand PAC, Paul’s political-action committee, and Rand Paul 2016, his Senate campaign, and it is described by Paul aides as the basis for a presidential campaign.
“There are people in every state who have joined Team Paul, with the money people ready to go,” said Mallory Factor, a consultant and South Carolina Republican who has worked with Paul to expand the senator’s footprint.
Kevin Madden, a former adviser to Romney and House Republican leaders, said the development of a national network was a notable moment in pre-primary positioning.
“This framework of supporters is an important building block in the architecture required to build a competitive national campaign,” Madden said. “What looks like just a name is often someone who knows local reporters, has a fundraising network or has an ability or history of organizing party activists.”
Democrats are closely watching Paul as he moves to become less of a fringe figure than his father, who struggled to resonate with Republicans beyond his fervent base.
David Axelrod, director of the Institute for Politics at the University of Chicago and a former strategist for President Obama, said, “He’s certainly creating buzz, and when I saw him at Romney’s donor meeting in Utah, it showed seriousness behind what he’s trying to do, beyond all he’s done from a message standpoint.”
Axelrod dismissed the criticism of those consultants in both parties who have said Paul needs to enlist more veteran hands and tap a well-known Republican strategist with deep presidential campaign experience.
“David Axelrod wasn’t David Axelrod until he was,” Axelrod said.
At the Romney retreat last year in Park City, Utah, Paul gained some fans among the GOP elite. Though few pledged to back him should he run for president, they did warm up to him.
“Going in, people weren’t sure. Most of them didn’t know him,” recalled Ron Kaufman, a Romney confidant. “But they had these one-on-one meetings with him and came away saying he’s a sharp guy. They were still in the grieving stage, not ready to think about 2016, but their opinion of him increased rather dramatically.”
Nevertheless, many Republicans question whether Paul can build a campaign that could win a national election.
“I think he’s dangerously irresponsible,” said Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), who is mulling his own presidential bid and has been critical of the GOP’s tea party wing, including Cruz.“I can’t believe responsible Republicans will support this guy, who’s a modern version of Charles Lindbergh.”
The decision to swiftly expand and announce Paul’s national political infrastructure — which will be fully unveiled this spring — comes after reports describing Paul’s operation as unready to compete nationally.
But it was finalized this month at a meeting at a Hampton Inn in Oxon Hill, Md., during the Conservative Political Action Conference. Speaking to more than 40 members of Paul’s circle, his strategists emphasized consolidating the sprawling support Paul has amassed into a coordinated apparatus.
Paul, who also spoke, said he will not make a final decision on a run until the end of the year, but he indicated that he is leaning toward getting into the race and wants a well-staffed political operation to move on all fronts — fundraising, advertising, Internet presence and volunteer coordination — if he does.
Paul’s national team plans to huddle once every quarter, with weekly calls between the meetings. Foreign policy advisers, such as former ambassador Richard Burt and Lorne Craner, a former State Department official, are expected to be part of the chain of command.
Joe Lonsdale, a hedge-fund manager, is also onboard, as is Ken Garschina, a principal at Mason Capital Management in New York. So are Donald and Phillip Huffines, brothers and Texas real estate developers; Atlanta investor Lane Moore; and Frayda Levy, a board member at conservative advocacy groups Americans for Prosperity and the Club for Growth.
From the state parties, outgoing Iowa GOP chairman A.J. Spiker and former Nevada GOP chairman James Smack have signed on, and a handful of Republican officials are preparing to join once their terms expire, including Robert Graham, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party.
Drew Ivers, a former Iowa GOP chairman and Paul supporter, said Paul is “seriously building” a Hawkeye State network, but said much of the activity has gone unnoticed by Washington observers because it is mostly on social media. “In June 2007, Ron Paul’s name identification was zero,” Ivers said. “These days, 95 percent of Iowa Republicans know Rand Paul.”
Paul’s chief political adviser, Doug Stafford, and his fundraising director, Erika Sather, will manage the bolstered organization. Their challenge will be to construct a presidential-level operation that is able to court both the family’s long-standing grass-roots activists as and wealthy donors.
Sather, a former development director at the Club for Growth, spent much of the winter introducing Paul to donors beyond the rich libertarians who poured more than $40 million into Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign. Stafford, a former adviser to several conservative groups, has mined the donor lists of the Campaign for Liberty, FreedomWorks and other advocacy organizations.
Cathy Bailey and Nate Morris, two prominent GOP fundraisers from Kentucky, were also instrumental in bringing the group together.
Morris, previously a fundraiser for George W. Bush, has served as Paul’s guide as the freshman senator has navigated steakhouse dinners and tony receptions with Wall Street and Silicon Valley leaders.
“The bones for the network are there,” Morris said. “We’ll take that and bring in new talent, people who could be like Spencer Zwick was for Mitt Romney’s on finance. Among donors, there’s a fever out there, people are looking to rebrand the party and they haven’t yet been tapped.”
Last year, Rand Paul Victory raised $4.4 million, with nearly half of its fourth-quarter donations coming from high-dollar donors, typically those who give more than $500 and often contribute the legal limit.
Paul’s pitch at these gatherings combined his antagonism toward the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs with a discussion of issues such as drug-sentencing reform and what he calls “crunchy conservatism,” a focus on the environment and civil liberties.
In June, in a pilgrimage to Facebook’s headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., Paul spoke with the company’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and wrote a Patrick Henry-inspired social-media message — “Give me liberty to post” — on a hallway chalkboard.
Nurturing relationships with Bob Murray, a coal baron and former Romney bundler, former Bush bundler Jack Oliver, who is aligned with former Florida governor Jeb Bush, and Blakely Page, an associate of billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, has been a priority.
Those big-name donors have yet to sign on with any potential Republican candidate, but Paul’s supporters believes the formation of a leadership team could entice them, or at least signal Paul’s seriousness to them.
Billionaire Peter Thiel, the cofounder of PayPal, is another looming figure in Paul’s constellation of friends, advisers, and possible bundlers. He stays in touch with Paul, occasionally meets with him, and is one of his top West Coast allies. Another is San Francisco businessman John Dennis, who once ran for Congress against Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the current House minority leader.
Jesse Benton, Ron Paul’s former campaign manager who is running Sen. Mitch McConnell’s reelection campaign in Kentucky, and Trygve Olson, a Paul ally and an adviser to American Crossroads, a Karl Rove-affiliated super PAC, are two more Paul supporters who could join his camp after the midterm elections. Rex Elsass, who has worked for Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), has agreed to serve as Paul’s media strategist.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rand-paul-building-national-network-courting-mainstream-support-for-presidential-bid/2014/03/27/568b06de-b50d-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html
-
Will be interesting to see if he can generate broad-based support. I don't think he has the charisma to do it, especially when compared to the larger personalities who will likely be running.
rand supports amnesty. I think that'll hurt him with the base considerably.
Anyone who supports amnesty is NOT part of the base. They might think they are, but they're not.
-
rand supports amnesty. I think that'll hurt him with the base considerably.
Anyone who supports amnesty is NOT part of the base. They might think they are, but they're not.
And this is based on what exactly?
-
And this is based on what exactly?
??? Ron Paul supports letting the illegals stay. This is commonly known. He's been attacked by tancredo and cruz for it.
Read up on it.
-
??? Ron Paul supports letting the illegals stay. This is commonly known. He's been attacked by tancredo and cruz for it.
Read up on it.
What is the basis for your statements that "Anyone who supports amnesty is NOT part of the base" and that this will "hurt with the base considerably." Poll numbers? Just your opinion?
If everyone is talking about some form of amnesty, then no one is going to be "considerably" hurt by it.
-
What is the basis for your statements that "Anyone who supports amnesty is NOT part of the base" and that this will "hurt with the base considerably." Poll numbers? Just your opinion?
If everyone is talking about some form of amnesty, then no one is going to be "considerably" hurt by it.
Everyone is NOT talking about some form of amnesty. You should read about this dude named Ted Cruz - he's against it. Unlike Rand Paul.
And for you to actually believe supporting amnesty won't hurt him with the base? Um, sorry, but you're wrong there.
Only 21% of Republicans support changing immigration laws.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/01/gop-amnesty-plan-ignores-will-of-republican-voters/
So yes, the base doesn't want no stinking amnesty.
-
Everyone is NOT talking about some form of amnesty. You should read about this dude named Ted Cruz - he's against it. Unlike Rand Paul.
And for you to actually believe supporting amnesty won't hurt him with the base? Um, sorry, but you're wrong there.
Only 21% of Republicans support changing immigration laws.
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/01/gop-amnesty-plan-ignores-will-of-republican-voters/
So yes, the base doesn't want no stinking amnesty.
Wrong as usual.
On immigration, Republicans favor path to legal status, but differ over citizenship
BY SETH MOTEL1 COMMENT
As House Republicans plan to roll out their own proposals to reform the nation’s immigration system, polls continue to show a majority of Americans support some pathway to legal status for the 11.7 million unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.
Roughly-two thirds of Americans favor either a pathway to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants (54%) or a way to stay in the U.S. legally without citizenship (12%), according to a CBS News poll last week. That includes support from about three-in-four Democrats (74%) and about half (52%) of Republicans.
. . . .
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/28/on-immigration-republicans-favor-path-to-legal-status-but-differ-over-citizenship/
A "pathway to citizenship" is amnesty. Both parties have embraced it. It's going to happen.
-
Wrong as usual.
On immigration, Republicans favor path to legal status, but differ over citizenship
BY SETH MOTEL1 COMMENT
As House Republicans plan to roll out their own proposals to reform the nation’s immigration system, polls continue to show a majority of Americans support some pathway to legal status for the 11.7 million unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.
Roughly-two thirds of Americans favor either a pathway to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants (54%) or a way to stay in the U.S. legally without citizenship (12%), according to a CBS News poll last week. That includes support from about three-in-four Democrats (74%) and about half (52%) of Republicans.
. . . .
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/28/on-immigration-republicans-favor-path-to-legal-status-but-differ-over-citizenship/
A "pathway to citizenship" is amnesty. Both parties have embraced it. It's going to happen.
You're citing pew research. I'm citing Brietbart. ;)
http://www.judicialwatch.org/document-archive/judicial-watch-breitbart-nationwide-omnibus-survey-questions-crosstabs/
No offence to you and your "pew" friends, but I think Brietbart knows a little more about the will of republicans.
Aside from that - you're insulting everyone here... bringing a more liberal poll, to show that HALF of repubs want this. What do the OTHER half want?
BB, you want to call yourself a conseravtive, and you want to support amnesty. Any true conservative will tell you the two don't line up. Conseravtive principles say to punish those that break the law - not ignore it. They entered illegally, and conservatives are about TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. I know you're quite insulated from illegals where you live, but I'd guess some getbiggers in Cali, AZ or TX might disagree with your beliefs that "conseravtives support amnesty".
I'm a little embarrassed that we even have to have this convo. The half of repubs supporting it, according to your poll, are the RINO half ;) Cause if you think Rinos are against it, but the base supports it lol...
-
You're citing pew research. I'm citing Brietbart. ;)
http://www.judicialwatch.org/document-archive/judicial-watch-breitbart-nationwide-omnibus-survey-questions-crosstabs/
No offence to you and your "pew" friends, but I think Brietbart knows a little more about the will of republicans.
Aside from that - you're insulting everyone here... bringing a more liberal poll, to show that HALF of repubs want this. What do the OTHER half want?
BB, you want to call yourself a conseravtive, and you want to support amnesty. Any true conservative will tell you the two don't line up. Conseravtive principles say to punish those that break the law - not ignore it. They entered illegally, and conservatives are about TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. I know you're quite insulated from illegals where you live, but I'd guess some getbiggers in Cali, AZ or TX might disagree with your beliefs that "conseravtives support amnesty".
I'm a little embarrassed that we even have to have this convo. The half of repubs supporting it, according to your poll, are the RINO half ;) Cause if you think Rinos are against it, but the base supports it lol...
I'm not embarrassed one bit. Anytime I get bored, I take a little time to slap you around a little. It's quite the pastime. lol
What the heck did you just post? What exactly does your link establish?
And stop trying to act like a Republican or a conservative. You're a liberal. You voted for Obama twice. You've been kneepadding for the man since he took office.
And where have I claimed to be a conservative or a Republican? Unlike you, I don't repeatedly lie about my party affiliations.
But all of that is beside the point. Anyone paying attention to national politics knows that both parties are talking about amnesty and that some form of "pathway to citizenship" is going to happen. It will probably be part of the 2016 Republican Party Platform.
-
I'm not embarrassed one bit. Anytime I get bored, I take a little time to slap you around a little. It's quite the pastime. lol
What the heck did you just post? What exactly does your link establish?
And stop trying to act like a Republican or a conservative. You're a liberal. You voted for Obama twice. You've been kneepadding for the man since he took office.
And where have I claimed to be a conservative or a Republican? Unlike you, I don't repeatedly lie about my party affiliations.
But all of that is beside the point. Anyone paying attention to national politics knows that both parties are talking about amnesty and that some form of "pathway to citizenship" is going to happen. It will probably be part of the 2016 Republican Party Platform.
aww, I clearly proved my point, and you reverted to attacking me, calling me a kneepadder and a liberal.
When a person does that, it becomes obvious to everyone here that they've lost the original argument and want to steer this to a new discussion.
I'm not interested in that. What i've done is point out most conservatives don't support amnesty. And the facts prove it. If these facts do'nt fit your opinion, that's cool. If you disagree with brietbart, that's also cool. but turning this into "240 sucks" shows everyone in this room that 240 was right on this particular point. Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day :)
-
But all of that is beside the point. Anyone paying attention to national politics knows that both parties are talking about amnesty and that some form of "pathway to citizenship" is going to happen. It will probably be part of the 2016 Republican Party Platform.
Ted cruz is NOT. I'm supporting him for 2016 GOP nominee and you should too. Just because the "parties" - IE, reince priebus and sean hannity are talking about it - doesn't mean actual americans with conservative values are talking about it. If anything, they're talking about what bullshit it is to let lawbreakers stay.
-
aww, I clearly proved my point, and you reverted to attacking me, calling me a kneepadder and a liberal.
When a person does that, it becomes obvious to everyone here that they've lost the original argument and want to steer this to a new discussion.
I'm not interested in that. What i've done is point out most conservatives don't support amnesty. And the facts prove it. If these facts do'nt fit your opinion, that's cool. If you disagree with brietbart, that's also cool. but turning this into "240 sucks" shows everyone in this room that 240 was right on this particular point. Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day :)
Ah, no, you didn't. You said I claimed to be a conservative yet support amnesty. Neither one is true, and both involve me, rather than issue.
And calling you a liberal isn't an attack. Are you ashamed to be a liberal? It's not a dirty word.
Calling you a knee padder is an attack. Guilty. :) But it's true.
So again, what exactly does the link you post show? Unlike you, I actually clicked the link and it took me to a site with numerous pages. Which portion supports your contention that Republicans do not support a pathway to citizenship, AND contradicts what Republican Party leaders have been saying?
-
The republican base does not support amnesty.
Your poll, from liberal-ass pew, showed us that about HALF of repubs did. Even if true (which I doubt), I have to ask WHICH half o repubs support amnesty? The base, or the RINOs? ;)
Dude, just please, stop trying to adopt the hannity/priebus party line that they decided right after the election "we all support amnesty now!"
Just because these media pundits and party planners decided to shift on something as important as guarding our borders from lawbreakers, doesn't mean those who love freedom and love the Constitution have. How shocked am I that you've decided to follow Hannity down the liberal amnesty highway? Color me shocked.
-
The republican base does not support amnesty.
Your poll, from liberal-ass pew, showed us that about HALF of repubs did. Even if true (which I doubt), I have to ask WHICH half o repubs support amnesty? The base, or the RINOs? ;)
Dude, just please, stop trying to adopt the hannity/priebus party line that they decided right after the election "we all support amnesty now!"
Just because these media pundits and party planners decided to shift on something as important as guarding our borders from lawbreakers, doesn't mean those who love freedom and love the Constitution have. How shocked am I that you've decided to follow Hannity down the liberal amnesty highway? Color me shocked.
I see. So you post a link you didn't read in support of a contention you pulled out of you rear end. And now you are unable to point a specific part of the link that supports whatever point you're trying to make.
Thanks for playing. :)
-
Potential 2016 GOP candidates court mega donor Adelson during Vegas weekend
Carl Cameron
By Carl Cameron
Published March 28, 2014
FoxNews.com
So much for "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
For a handful of potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates visiting Sin City this weekend, the doors are closed to the press and public -- but the speakers very much want voters to know they are there.
Ostensibly, a parade of high-profile Republicans are streaming through Las Vegas for a four-day gathering hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition. But they're also there for face time with casino magnate and GOP mega donor Sheldon Adelson, who is on the board of the coalition and whose Venetian casino is hosting the affair.
Being seen in Adelson's company at this early stage is a political plus. The billionaire effectively bankrolled Newt Gingrich's presidential run in 2012, and is poised to make another political gamble in 2016.
Among the first to arrive, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was honored Thursday at an exclusive gala in Adelson's private Vegas airport hangar -- a big deal for Bush, who is considering a White House run.
Other potential 2016 presidential contenders will be addressing the RJC in Vegas behind closed doors as well this weekend, including: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Christie, speaking Friday at a press conference otherwise called to address a newly released internal report on the New Jersey bridge lane scandal, acknowledged that he would be speaking to the Republican Jewish Coalition but said he wasn't sure if he'd meet with the Adelsons.
"Oftentimes, they set up other private meetings for me with donors or potential donors to solicit them for the Republican Governors Association, so I'm sure I'll have some meetings," he said.
Adelson was a major donor in the 2012 race. While spending $15 million to help Gingrich, he also gave $30 million on top of that to help the GOP nominee Mitt Romney -- and even flew to Jerusalem for Romney's Israel tour.
Overall, Adelson spent more than $90 million trying to defeat President Obama in 2012, and that may not include some donations that went to groups not required to report them.
This time, Adelson wants to help elect a mainstream economic conservative who supports Israel and stands a good chance of -- well, winning. Adelson downplays socially conservative issues, preferring to focus on the economy and foreign policy.
For Bush, the Las Vegas reception marks an important moment. By this point in past presidential cycles, this son of one president -- and brother of another -- had already taken himself out of the running. He knows full well these Vegas appearances will be widely seen as an important step closer to running, and he's said he will make a decision by the end of the year.
Both Kasich and Walker face re-elections in their home states before any presidential run can really start, and the governors want Adelson's support in both campaigns.
Since Christie's landslide re-election four months ago, he's been battling to clear his name in the scandal over lane closures last year near the George Washington Bridge -- Adelson's invitation is a key signal that Christie remains very much in the mix.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/28/republicans-court-mega-donor-adelson-during-vegas-weekend/
-
Beach Bum,
you seem to be the only getbigger that is still rooting for Christie. We all believe his goose is cooked, and the investigation he controlled into himself didn't prove anything.
Would you really vote for christie over ANY of the other repubs in the potential list? I know you'd vote for him over hilary and the dems of course. but are there days when you say "I think Christie would still get my vote over rubio, jeb, or rand or cruz?"
I guess what I'm saying is... are you the one person on getbig that DOESNT have Christie in LAST PLACE of repubs you'd like to see win that nomination?
-
Beach Bum,
you seem to be the only getbigger that is still rooting for Christie. We all believe his goose is cooked, and the investigation he controlled into himself didn't prove anything.
Would you really vote for christie over ANY of the other repubs in the potential list? I know you'd vote for him over hilary and the dems of course. but are there days when you say "I think Christie would still get my vote over rubio, jeb, or rand or cruz?"
I guess what I'm saying is... are you the one person on getbig that DOESNT have Christie in LAST PLACE of repubs you'd like to see win that nomination?
I'm not keeping track of the five or six people (or whatever the number is) on the board who don't like Christie.
I have no idea who I will vote for in 2016. Because I'm an independent, I don't vote in either the Democrat or Republican primaries. I'll do what I do in every election: wait until the nominees are selected and then vote for who I think is the best candidate, regardless of party.
If that man is Christie, I'll vote for him. If it's a Democrat, I'll vote for him or her.
I don't like everything about Christie, but I still like him. Good leader. Straight talker. Needs to lay off the donuts.
-
Good interview, although he didn't really get into specifics. Definitely sounds like he's running. Interested to see what he will bring to the table.
-
Ozmo is the board's neutral mod. Hugo Chavez is the left leaning mod. Beach Bum is the board's right leaning mod.
Tell them to take this part out, lol.
Seriously, though, always wondered who wrote the stickies. Doesn't look like Ron (and I doubt he'd care to spend the time doing it, even though it is his project). Does anyone know?
-
Pick 3: Christie names top potential 2016 GOP candidates
Published March 31, 2014
FoxNews.com
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie still is weighing whether to run for president, but has some ideas about who -- other than himself -- might make a good candidate in 2016.
The Republican governor rattled off some high-profile names, when asked in an interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly to pick his top three choices for 2016 candidates.
"I don't know if I could restrict myself to three but I'll give you the ones I think are really good," he said. "I think [former Florida Gov.] Jeb Bush would be an outstanding candidate for president. I think [Wisconsin Gov.] Scott Walker would be a good candidate for president. I think [Wisconsin Rep.] Paul Ryan would be a good candidate for president."
As for himself, Christie says he's still in the "decision-making process."
Watch Part 2 of the Christie interview on Fox News' "The Kelly File" at 9 p.m. ET on Monday.
Christie, who spoke with Fox News on Friday, discussed 2016 politics on the heels of a report that cleared him in the scandal over the controversial lane closures by the George Washington Bridge last year. The report was conducted by a law firm his office brought in to review the case -- other investigations are still ongoing.
Christie indicated the scandal would not impact his decision on whether to run.
"There's no baggage here because I didn't do anything," the Republican governor said.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/31/pick-3-christie-names-top-republicans-to-run-in-2016/?intcmp=latestnews
-
I'm not keeping track of the five or six people (or whatever the number is) on the board who don't like Christie.
They have these things called polls which also show people don't like Christie as much as they used to.
Jindal is smart, but he's just not handsome enough to be president. Sorry, but you're the face of the USA for 4 or 8 years, and beyond that too. Looks matter, and Jindal just doesn't have them. Mitch mcconnell was definitely smart enough and experienced enough to be prez... I think he himself even joked that the lack of height and bald head just about assures he'll never run lol.
If you don't believe looks matter in a presidential race, you're nuts.
-
They have these things called polls which also show people don't like Christie as much as they used to.
Jindal is smart, but he's just not handsome enough to be president. Sorry, but you're the face of the USA for 4 or 8 years, and beyond that too. Looks matter, and Jindal just doesn't have them. Mitch mcconnell was definitely smart enough and experienced enough to be prez... I think he himself even joked that the lack of height and bald head just about assures he'll never run lol.
If you don't believe looks matter in a presidential race, you're nuts.
If you were talking about polls, then why did you say "you seem to be the only getbigger that is still rooting for Christie"? ::)
Good thing low information voters like you will not choose the nominee. :-\
Yes, looks matter to an extent. Will looks keep Jindal from being president? No. Just like they didn't prevent him from being elected governor twice.
-
If you were talking about polls, then why did you say "you seem to be the only getbigger that is still rooting for Christie"? ::)
Good thing low information voters like you will not choose the nominee. :-\
Yes, looks matter to an extent. Will looks keep Jindal from being president? No. Just like they didn't prevent him from being elected governor twice.
Sorry, but we aren't going to see another president that is fat, bald, or short. Or straight creepy looking. Or weird.
Disagree, but how many decades do you have to go back to find a prez that didn't have a full head of hair, that didn't inherit the job from an assassination or impeachment? We're talking 5 decades?
-
Sorry, but we aren't going to see another president that is fat, bald, or short. Or straight creepy looking. Or weird.
Disagree, but how many decades do you have to go back to find a prez that didn't have a full head of hair, that didn't inherit the job from an assassination or impeachment? We're talking 5 decades?
::)
We may have a fat, unattractive president in 2016 named Hillary.
If Jindal was too ugly to be elected to high public office, he wouldn't have been elected governor twice.
This is too stupid to even discuss.
-
::)
We may have a fat, unattractive president in 2016 named Hillary.
If Jindal was too ugly to be elected to high public office, he wouldn't have been elected governor twice.
This is too stupid to enough discuss.
hilary will be hot for 70. I mean, she's not a hot woman, but for 70, she'll have as much botox and plastic surgery as one can guess.
And yes, unattractive people can move up, but they're not winning the White House. I asked you how many decades. I'm thinking it was back in the 50s with Eisenhower, being the last bald man to be elected president. Two others have taken over due to JFK and Nixon, but as far as winning races in the TV era....
Nope. Not gonna happen. And I have 60 years of history to prove me correct. Fat, bald, unattractive people do not win presidential races anymore.
-
If Jindal was too ugly to be elected to high public office, he wouldn't have been elected governor twice.
This is too stupid to even discuss.
Jindal is the 3rd least popular governor. Pretty poor example, right?
All the moves, that is, except managing his state properly—at least according to Bayou voters. Jindal has a 35/53 approval/disapproval number, putting him 18 points under water, a figure only better than Illinois’ Pat Quinn and Rhode Island’s Lincoln Chafee, who are not seeking re-election.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/25/is-jindal-the-least-popular-guv.html
-
Jindal is the 3rd least popular governor. Pretty poor example, right?
All the moves, that is, except managing his state properly—at least according to Bayou voters. Jindal has a 35/53 approval/disapproval number, putting him 18 points under water, a figure only better than Illinois’ Pat Quinn and Rhode Island’s Lincoln Chafee, who are not seeking re-election.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/25/is-jindal-the-least-popular-guv.html
So?
-
Rubio: I May Move to Private Sector in 2017
Tuesday, 01 Apr 2014
Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential Republican candidate for president in 2016, said on Tuesday he would make a decision about his political future around this time next year.
"For me, the choice in 2016 will be whether I run for re-election and serve in the Senate for another six years, whether the time has come to perhaps go to the private sector, or whether I want to run for another office like the presidency, because I feel passionately about some of the things our country needs to be doing," the freshman senator from Florida said at a Reuters Health Summit in Washington.
Rubio won his Senate seat in 2010 on a wave of support from the conservative tea party movement. He has since established himself as a leading voice on issues such as immigration reform.
He was considered as a possible running mate in 2012 with former White House candidate Mitt Romney, but Romney eventually settled on U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
Rubio helped to craft a comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate in June 2013, soon after Republican leaders stressed the importance of such legislation to help appeal to traditionally Democrat-leaning Hispanic voters. But the legislation has stalled in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.
"The notion that somehow if immigration reform passed, suddenly 50 percent of Hispanics would be voting for Republicans? A, it's not the reason to do it, and B, that's not a calculation I ever made, and I don't think it's accurate. But it has political ramifications," he noted.
Rubio said he was skeptical a comprehensive bill could pass the Republican-led House, but said he hoped piecemeal bills might lead to immigration reform. His work on the Senate bill provoked a backlash from some right-wing Republicans who oppose immigration reform, hurting his stature with his party's conservative wing.
The senator has also been vocal on foreign policy, advocating a more muscular style of engagement in contrast to calls for a less interventionist approach favored by some other prominent Republicans, such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
"If America continues to disengage from the world stage, the world will become more chaotic, more dangerous and less peaceful. I think recent events actually bear that out," he said on Tuesday.
Looking ahead to 2016, Rubio is not the only Floridian who may consider a presidential run. Jeb Bush — a former Florida governor and the son and brother of former presidents — has been consulting his inner circle about the possibility of running.
Strategists say that if Jeb Bush were to enter the 2016 race, it would make it harder for Rubio to raise money since the two have ties to many of the same Republican donors.
But Rubio said he had not spoken with Bush about either of their plans.
"When you decide to run for an office like that, I think people make decisions based on themselves, not on what someone else is going to do. It's not uncommon in American politics to see people who are close and have worked together in the past running for the same office, especially when it comes to the presidency," he said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Rubio-quit-politics-election/2014/04/01/id/563090#ixzz2xg7h2AAS
-
Rubio: I May Move to Private Sector in 2017
Tuesday, 01 Apr 2014
Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential Republican candidate for president in 2016, said on Tuesday he would make a decision about his political future around this time next year.
He's polling at 44% in florida, and floridians hate his immigration stance. Tea party sweethearts aren't popular like they used to be...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/poll-rubio-s-standing-takes-hit-at-home-fla-voters-opposed-to-2016-bid
Rubio would be smart to go work for a law firm or thinktank. Cause he might lose and become a tea party footnote in history. Better to commit to leave office, and hope someone chooses him for the veep slot during his lame duck days.
-
I want to say there is no way, but you never know.
Romney's return to public life stokes speculation about potential 2016 run
By Joseph Weber
Published April 05, 2014
FoxNews.com
Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has sworn off running again for elected office, but Americans have certainly heard that one before.
Speculation that Romney might run again has largely been stoked by the reunion he planned to host last month in Park City, Utah, for members of his 2012 campaign and debate teams and a string of recent public appearances.
He has appeared on TV news shows 12 times in the past six months. That’s essentially on pace with Michigan GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who led all national politicians last year with 26 appearances over 12 months.
Romney has repeatedly said he won’t run again, saying infamously in the Netflix movie “Mitt” about a nominee who loses a White House bid: “They become a loser. It’s over.”
And a few weeks ago, he gave CBS “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer a flat out “no.”
Still, no potential 2016 presidential candidate has yet to say whether he or she will run, including presumptive Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who up until last year also said she was done with public office.
“He very well could [run again,] but it doesn’t seem likely,” Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said of Romney. “You’ll likely find that he’ll be most effective using his political and business savvy on the outside, rather than the inside.”
One possible exception, Bonjean argues, is Romney getting a Cabinet post should Republicans win the White House in 2016. “He’d be a prime candidate for Treasury secretary,” he said.
Top 2012 Romney advisers Kevin Madden, Eric Fehrnstrom and Stuart Stevens also have stayed mum, not responding earlier this week to requests for comment by FoxNews.com.
Surveys by the group pollingreport.com found Romney’s favorability among Americans has climbed steadily since his November 2012 loss to President Obama, with his February 14 rating at 47 percent.
Beyond just tallying Romney’s increasing public appearances, including one last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, political observers point out that Republicans have no clear frontrunner, like the Democrats have with Clinton, especially since perhaps their best hope, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has been hurt by the so-called "Bridgegate scandal."
Washington Republicans have turned to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, but his measured response has only added to the speculation about Romney.
In addition, observers say Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is certainly talking like somebody mounting a comeback fight.
"There's no question [about] the president's naiveté with regards to Russia," he also told CBS. “And his faulty judgment about Russia's intentions and objectives has led to a number of foreign policy challenges that we face.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/05/romney-returns-to-public-life-stoke-speculation-about-potential-2016-run/
-
Nope. Not gonna happen. And I have 60 years of history to prove me correct. Fat, bald, unattractive people do not win presidential races anymore.
Making sweeping inferences from a sample size of 13* of peace
*13 presidential elections since 1960 (excluding that year's)
-
Making sweeping inferences from a sample size of 13* of peace
*13 presidential elections since 1960 (excluding that year's)
I think it's fair to say that in the "TV age", the bald, fat, or creepy dudes just don't win elections anymore.
Back when it was about radio and local stuff, yeah, it could happen. These days, people see Mark Wahlberg with his Pro-ceeding hairline and think a president should be the same way. Who knows how many of those candidates have had hairplugs done. Romney knew it - He's a nw 2.5, bordering nw3 even with concealers. Sides longer than the top in most recent pics - he had a stylist to make it look good cause dudes with bald spots don't become prez.
-
Gov. Scott Walker wants to finish college degree
By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel April 7, 2014
Madison -- More than two decades after leaving Marquette University without finishing up his degree, Gov. Scott Walker wants to earn his diploma.
A spokeswoman said the governor wants to finish his college degree through the University of Wisconsin-System's innovative online course offerings. For now, however, Walker is still waiting for the right degree program to be added to the lineup of the still fledgling program.
"Governor Walker would like to finish his degree through the UW FlexOption once they expand the degree offerings," Laurel Patrick said.
The governor left Marquette University his senior year to take a job with the American Red Cross and hasn't finished his degree. He has often said he would like to wrap up the task.
Patrick said she was checking on what degree the governor is hoping to pursue and what his timeline is for starting. The next year could be a tough time to start -- Walker is running for re-election against Democratic opponent Mary Burke.
Walker has been one of the strongest advocates for the UW System program, which is a self-paced, competency-based model.
The new path aims to allow adults to start classes anytime, work at their own pace and earn credit for what they already have learned in school or on the job once they prove college-level competencies.
Announcing the program in 2012, Walker said that it could help a range of students like him, especially adults already in jobs, adults caring for children and soldiers deployed overseas.
"I kept thinking I'd go back, got married, had one kid, had another kid, next thing you know . . . you're worrying more about paying for your kids' college education than you are for your own," Walker said.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/254266501.html#ixzz2yPapNQrb
-
Paul, Rubio Lead Potential Republican 2016 Contenders in Spending
Wednesday, 16 Apr 2014
Groups supporting Senators Rand Paul and Marco Rubio lead the pack of potential Republican presidential candidates in spending money and investing in possible campaigns this year, more than 20 months before the first votes are cast in 2016.
No politician has yet declared his or her candidacy, but first-quarter fundraising numbers submitted to the Federal Election Commission and released this week show backers of Rubio and Paul spent several hundred thousand dollars to help both senators in the first three months of 2014.
Kentucky Senator Paul's RANDPAC group spent over $580,000 in the first quarter, much of it on fundraising, consulting, and travel expenses as the first-term lawmaker crisscrossed the country spreading his libertarian message and courting groups that do not traditionally support Republicans.
Paul has built a national infrastructure largely on the back of his father Ron Paul's network from previous presidential campaigns.
Rubio, a Florida senator who has fallen out of favor with many in the party's right wing over his support of immigration reform, has been one of the most active contenders since 2013.
The freshman's Reclaim America PAC raised over $530,000 in the first three months of 2014, and spent over $375,000. Much of that money went to consultants and data analytics teams that could help Rubio if he chose to run for president.
Other possible candidates have been meeting with donors and operatives to set up potential campaigns, but have not been as publicly active as Rubio and Paul. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has no similar political committees, for example, while groups associated with Texas Senator Ted Cruz have not raised or spent as much.
Embattled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie demonstrated his own fundraising acumen by leading his Republican Governors Association to a $23.5 million first quarter but he has no federal groups raising money for a possible presidential run.
On the Democratic side, a network of independent organizations has been laying the groundwork for a campaign by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The first quarter saw increased activity by Priorities USA Action, the primary fundraiser for President Barack Obama in 2012, which now stands behind Clinton.
The group, which is led by Obama's 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina and is expected to be the Clinton campaign's main money vehicle, spent over $535,000 in the first quarter despite not actively fundraising.
It had earlier come under fire for not doing enough to support Democrats in 2014 elections, and it sent $250,000 to the primary PAC supporting congressional Democrats - House Majority PAC - in February.
Last week Ready For Hillary, a super-PAC urging the former first lady and senator to run by building up grass-roots support, announced it had raised more than $1.7 million in the first quarter. That brought its fundraising haul to over $5.75 million since launching in 2013 - despite a self-imposed cap of $25,000 per donation.
Clinton holds a considerable lead over other potential Democratic presidential contenders in preliminary polling. (Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Rand-Paul-Marco-Rubio-2016/2014/04/16/id/566081#ixzz2zAVXITFP
-
Didn't realize he is 90.
Dole on Paul, Cruz, Rubio: They're not ready
Posted by
CNN Political Unit
(CNN) - Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole argued that some of the men among the younger generation of potential GOP presidential candidates aren't quite ready to take on the White House.
"A number of the younger members, first-termers like Rand Paul, (Marco) Rubio and that extreme-right-wing guy – Ted Cruz? All running for president now," he said in an interview this week with The Wichita Eagle. "I don't think they've got enough experience yet."
The former Republican senator from Kansas and 1996 GOP presidential nominee - who also served as a U.S. congressman as well as the GOP vice presidential nominee in 1976 - is returning to his roots this week for a nine-county tour around Kansas.
At meet-and-greet events and public discussions, the 90-year-old is sharing stories and taking questions from his former constituents.
Cruz made headlines last month for publicly criticizing Dole, as well as other failed GOP presidential nominees like John McCain and Mitt Romney. The Texas Republican said they were "good" and "decent men" but he suggested that they lacked principle and stood "for nothing," which was why they lost.
Dole told CNN at the time that "Senator Cruz needs to check the record before passing judgment."
As the former politician and World War II veteran travels around Kansas, he's emphasizing a message of bipartisanship.
"I always tried when I was the (Senate Republican Leader) leader for 10 years to of course work with my Republicans but also reach out to my friends on the other side. I found out you get more done if you sometimes have to compromise," he said Monday at an event in Olathe, Kansas.
In the interview with The Wichita Eagle, Dole joked that his "main concern about (the 2016) elections is that, well, I just hope I'm still around to vote then."
"If not ... I plan to vote absentee," he added, saying he has "no idea how they get the ballots back from up there…But I will check it out. And send it back special delivery."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/22/dole-on-paul-cruz-rubio-theyre-not-ready/
-
Props to Bob Dole... 90 years old and still making his voice heard.
He's right when he said Flipflopping Mccain and Romney lacked principle and stood "for nothing," which was why they lost.
-
::)
-
Carville: Bush, Perry Are the Republicans to Watch for 2016
Tuesday, 29 Apr 2014
By Cathy Burke
Put your money on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the race among Republican contenders for a 2016 White House bid, Democratic strategist James Carville says.
Handicapping the Republican field like he would the Kentucky Derby – confessing "it might not be very fashionable . . . to be a horse degenerate, but that's what I am" – Carville's column for The Hill on Tuesday says the GOP presidential "horse race" comes down to a three-candidate field: Bush, Perry and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
"I think if I went to the window right now, I would bet the exacta on Bush, Perry," the Fox News contributor writes.
Breaking down his railbird reasoning, Carville notes, "Best practice says you go throughout the field and throw out the horses that cannot win."
"A candidate that can win the Republican nomination, at least since 1944 — with the possible, and I mean possible, exception of 1964, with the nomination of Barry Goldwater . . . was the one who had the capacity to raise the most money and who had the ability to draw across wide sections of the Republican Party to grab support," he says.
Given that Republicans never nominate against the mainstream of their party "again, with the possible exception of 1964 . . . I think we can throw out Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio."
That leaves Bush, Perry and Walker galloping to the lead, though the Louisiana native quips, "I am torn as to where to put my own governor, Bobby Jindal."
"I tend to throw him out of the running because most nominees for president have had national stature at this point . . . but I might include him in a small play to hit a jackpot," he wrote.
Carville narrows the field a little further, noting that Walker "can mold himself more in the mainstream, but I am completely uncertain as to his ability to run on a track in a race of this magnitude and duration."
Perry's advantage, Carville writes, is that "he has been around the track once and he knows what the track is like. The only problem for him is that it is the same track he essentially finished last on."
But, Carville concludes, Perry "can raise a bucket load of money without even trying, and Gov. Perry, unlike Walker, has got a compelling economic story to tell. And I think he's more electable."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/James-Carville-Jeb-Bush-Rick-Perry-2016/2014/04/29/id/568530#ixzz30OcLgbJC
-
GOP moves to limit 2016 presidential debates after complaints of media bias, high number in 2012 season
Published May 10, 2014
FoxNews.com
Washington Republicans have moved to exert more control over their presidential primary debates, limiting the types and number of events in which 2016 candidates can participate, in an effort to get a firmer grip on the nominating process.
The Republican National Committee voted overwhelming Friday in favor of the change at their spring meeting in Memphis.
The 152-to-7 decision essentially allows the group to decide which events will be “sanctioned debates” -- based on their “timing, frequency and format, the media outlet and the best interests of the Republican Party.”
And any candidate who participates in a non-sanctioned debate will not be eligible to participate in ensuing sanctioned ones.
The move follows several criticisms about the 2012 debate season including that events were controlled by the mainstream media and their moderators and that the large number of events gave insurgent candidates free TV time.
Critics say the 20 debates crowded the process and pushed establishment candidate Mitt Romney too far to the right, which contributed to his loss to President Obama.
“The liberal media doesn’t deserve to be in the driver’s seat,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, according to The New York Times.
Party leaders also reportedly want to put a tighter leash on the primary season by scheduling the first four contests -- in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada -- for February so that other states can start voting in March. And they are trying to move up the national convention from late summer to June.
Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul, already a likely top contender and who is expected to get the non-establishment Tea Party vote, told The Times: “I think maybe the last time we had too many. And so I think some of the rule changes, as long as they’re toward things that will enhance the party as a whole, are not a bad idea.”
CNN’s Candy Crowley is among the moderators who upset Republicans during the 2012 debates, in part because she interrupted Romney in his second debate with Obama, saying he made an incorrect statement about the fatal terror attacks on an American outpost in Benghazi.
The RNC last year voted in favor of boycotting presidential primary debates planned by CNN and NBC if they proceeded with lengthy television features on Hillary Clinton, widely expected to be a 2016 Democratic candidate.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/10/gop-moves-to-limited-2016-presidential-debates/?intcmp=HPBucket
-
Carville: Bush, Perry Are the Republicans to Watch for 2016
I still think Perry will win it. I know I"m the only getbigger saying it. But I stand by it. He's had his "oops" moment and he's still standing. Compared with bridgegate, he's golden. He can raise cash, he's a Texan with great hair.
Hilary would probably wreck him, but he's conservative *enough* to win it.
-
For 2016, Rice says Jeb Bush would be 'fantastic'
Posted by
CNN's Ashley Killough
(CNN) – Condoleezza Rice is hopeful that Jeb Bush runs for president in 2016 but said it's unlikely she'd be seen on a ballot with the potential candidate.
In an interview with Ozy Media, the former secretary of state also said more questions need to be answered about the deadly 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, though she argued the issue could be approached in a less partisan way.
'Jeb would be fantastic'
Rice has a long history with the Bush family. In addition to serving as national security adviser and the nation's top diplomat in the George W. Bush administration, she also worked for former President George H.W. Bush.
Rice said she thinks Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor, would be a "fantastic" candidate.
"Jeb hasn't said whether he will run. He's a friend. I hope he does, frankly," she told Ozy's Carlos Watson in the interview published Thursday.
In the constant ebb and flow of 2016 speculation, a Bush-Rice ticket has been floated as a potential GOP pairing. She was also mentioned in 2012 as potential vice presidential candidate.
But Rice, who runs the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California and serves on a number of corporate boards, once again shot down the idea of running for office.
"It's just not in my DNA," she said.
But she acknowledged "there are several others who are considering (running for president) who would be outstanding."
Asked about her thoughts on Sen. Ted Cruz, Rice gave a diplomatic answer, saying she doesn't always agree with the freshman senator from Texas but recognized that not every Republican has to be "backed by the establishment."
"Somebody who goes through the process and gets elected, more power to them," she said, adding that Cruz's wife used to work for her in the National Security Council.
As for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rice also described him as "fantastic" and highlighted his background as a child of Cuban immigrants.
Rice stressed that she'll be looking for a candidate who favors immigration reform.
"What I love about the way that Marco Rubio talks about our country–or Jeb Bush for that matter–is that sense that 'We the people' is an inclusive concept," she said. "It's not 'those people out there' and 'we the people in here'."
Would she ever consider crossing the aisle backing another fellow secretary of state, Hillary Clinton?
"I have a lot of respect for her. It's a small club–the secretaries of state, or the 'living secretaries of state' as we call ourselves. A small, small club," she said. "I'm a committed Republican. I'll continue to fight for that party, and I'll fight for that nominee."
Benghazi shouldn't be 'political theater'
Clinton is seeing renewed criticism over the Benghazi attack as House Republicans form a select committee to investigate the assault that left four Americans dead, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. Clinton was overseeing the state department at the time and has testified before Congress over security concerns leading up to the attack.
Rice agreed "there are still unanswered questions about Benghazi."
"They could be easily answered, but I think they need to be answered," she added. Rice said she's not interested in the debate over the now infamous talking points given to then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.
More important, Condoleezza Rice argued, are questions about what happened during the attack and what the security situation was on the ground prior to the assault.
The issue has been repeatedly used as a major line of attack by Republicans against the Obama administration, with the focus on Clinton as she considers a presidential bid.
But Rice said the debate should be toned down.
"This can be handled...in a way that is open and isn't political theater," she said. "Done in the right way, with the right cooperation, we can put this to rest."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/15/for-2016-rice-says-jeb-bush-would-be-fantastic/
-
Paul Ryan signals openness to 2016 run
By MAGGIE HABERMAN and JAKE SHERMAN
5/21/14
Rep. Paul Ryan told a group of business elites and donors at a New York City fundraiser that he’s asking friends and supporters “to keep their powder dry” as he mulls a 2016 presidential bid, two attendees told POLITICO.
It was among the most explicit statements Ryan has made to a crowd about his process with regards to a presidential run. And it came at a time when political insiders have questioned how eager he is to run.
Ryan made the remark last week during a breakfast fundraiser for his re-election campaign for his House seat. The event was held at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan, with about 40 attendees, including hedge fund executive Dan Loeb; GOP donors Wilbur Ross and Wayne Berman; and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
Ryan was asked about 2016, two attendees said, and responded that he hadn’t really begun discussing it with his wife. But he said that he’s asking “friends and supporters to keep their powder dry,” recalled one attendee.
A second attendee confirmed the account.
Approached by POLITICO just before votes on the House floor on Wednesday, Ryan declined to discuss the fundraiser.
“I’m not going to get into any of this,” he said.
Asked if the account was true, he replied, “It’s a private meeting” and added, “I said, ‘I’m keeping my options open.’”
Ryan has been saying for some time that he is considering a run in 2016. But to ask donors to refrain from committing to other candidates is a far more serious indication he might run.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/paul-ryan-signals-openness-to-2016-run-106962.html?hp=l10
-
Perry Hints at 2016 Run in Texas Farewell Speech
Thursday, 05 Jun 2014
Rick Perry repeatedly bashed Washington and said Texas was a model for the nation in his last speech as governor to a Republican state convention Thursday, sounding more like a presidential candidate than someone looking back on his legacy.
The longest-serving governor in Texas history, who will leave office in January, said his state's booming economy had created more than a third of the nation's new private sector jobs since 2001, thanks to keeping taxes and regulations low. He also bragged about dramatically improving high school graduation rates, especially among black and Hispanic students.
"Over the years, I've obtained a few more wrinkles, got some more gray hair, got new eye-ware and a seasoned perspective," said Perry, who last year began wearing stylish, dark-framed eyeglasses and whose hair has lately shown more gray — once unthinkable for a man dubbed "Governor Good Hair."
"Without equivocation or qualification, there is no place like Texas," he said.
But the bulk of his speech focused on national issues and future elections — little surprise considering Perry hasn't ruled out a second White House run in 2016.
He was introduced at the Fort Worth Convention Center by his wife Anita, who referred to Perry's unsuccessful 2012 presidential campaign and added "we've both got some tread left on our tires."
The governor drew a standing ovation when he said Texas didn't succumb to "federal blackmail" by taking increased federal funding to expand the Medicaid program under President Barack Obama's signature health care law. He got another when he implored "getting back" to the Constitution's 10th Amendment, which protects states' rights.
"The formula of higher taxes, more spending and massive debt has weighed down our economy, and it puts our nation on course to the failed polices of Detroit and Greece," Perry said, referring to the bankrupt city and economically-depressed European country. "There is a better way and it's called the Texas way."
The speech was well-received Thursday, in contrast to the convention two years ago, when Perry praised Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and was booed soundly by supporters of Dewhurst's then-opponent for the Republican Senate nomination, tea party firebrand Ted Cruz.
Perry's appearance this year marked the unofficial start of his farewell to Texas politics. But gains by fiercely conservative candidates during the last two election cycles mean parts of the Texas GOP may now be too conservative even for him. Cruz, though he only joined the Senate last January, is a superstar to the conservative grassroots not only in his home state but nationally — and casts a larger political shadow than the governor.
As a case in point, tea party activists and other conservatives have pushed at the convention for a harder line on immigration.
Perry has long championed a 2001 Texas law offering in-state university tuition to children of illegal immigrants. And, in 2012, state Republican convention delegates approved a platform endorsing the "Texas Solution," a proposed guest worker program making it easier for immigrants in the U.S. illegally to get good jobs.
A draft of the 2014 Texas Republican Party platform that will be put to a final vote later this week removes specific calls for a guest worker program. But it also endorses a visa program that would have largely the same effect.
Not everyone likes that idea. William Wynne said the committee writing the platform needed to be more conservative. He was among dozens of delegates wearing a sticker urging an end to the Texas Solution.
"It's basically nothing less than amnesty," said Wynn. "Democrats are watching Texas very closely this week. They love the Texas Solution."
The final platform may also alter previous declarations that "homosexuality tears at the fabric of society." Instead, it could endorse therapy for those "seeking escape from the homosexual lifestyle."
Perry largely steered clear of hot-button conservative issues such as abortion, family values and immigration in his speech — but made it clear he's not ready to cede his leadership of Texas conservatives to Cruz.
"As the grassroots, you have changed Texas for the better," he said. "Now it's time to change America so it lives up to its promise."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Republican-Convention-Perry-Texas/2014/06/05/id/575457#ixzz33sQoYAbZ
-
Perry will win the nomination if Jeb doesn't throw his hat in, probably.
Cruz SHOULD win, but Perry has been thru it, had his "oops" moment, and will probably be THE elder statesman onstage during the debates (if jeb doesnt enter the race).
-
Perry will win the nomination if Jeb doesn't throw his hat in, probably.
Cruz SHOULD win, but Perry has been thru it, had his "oops" moment, and will probably be THE elder statesman onstage during the debates (if jeb doesnt enter the race).
Just LOL... you used "elder statesman" to refer to Rick Perry. Oh god, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.
-
Just LOL... you used "elder statesman" to refer to Rick Perry. Oh god, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.
Looking at the batch of potential 2016 candidates, it's him or jeb as the oldest and wisest onstage.
-
-
If Rick or Jeb are nominated by the Republicans it's no big deal. Just one more Presidential election where I can't bring myself to vote Republican because the candidate sucks. I don't know about you, but I'm used to it by now.
-
I'm always disappointed by the quality of candidates put up by both parties.
But can you really blame all of the good people who don't run? The obscene amounts of money that has to be raised and the demonization of candidates keeps a lot of people out of political races. I don't blame them.
-
I'm always disappointed by the quality of candidates put up by both parties.
But can you really blame all of the good people who don't run? The obscene amounts of money that has to be raised and the demonization of candidates keeps a lot of people out of political races. I don't blame them.
I completely agree with you.
-
(http://images.politico.com/global/2014/07/14/140714_wuerker3.jpg)
Does the GOP need a FrankenCandidate?
By LARRY J. SABATO
July 14, 2014
Did you ever see the documentary A Perfect Candidate? It was about Oliver North’s 1994 challenge to U.S. Sen. Charles S. Robb, a Democrat from Virginia. Despite the title, North turned out to be less than perfect; he lost to a scandal-wounded but resilient Robb despite a Republican tidal wave.
There will never be a perfect candidate, unless brilliant genetic engineers assisted by Watson the computer decide to undertake the task in the distant future. Until then, parties are left with flawed human beings, those bundles of virtues and vices that get proctoscopic treatment during long campaigns.
As long as she runs, Hillary Clinton appears to check most of the boxes that Democratic activists require, and one of her advantages is that her strengths and weaknesses are unusually well known. It’s hard to believe that voters will learn anything big about Hillary in 2016 that they don’t already know or suspect.
Not so for the potential nominees of the Grand Old Party. Republicans lack not only a frontrunner but also politicians who could thread every needle thrust forward by the party’s interest groups while still remaining electable in November.
For a moment, though, let’s drop the naysaying. Suppose the Republicans could construct an ideal contender for 2016—someone who could actually win without repealing the essential components of the GOP platform. What would the candidate look like?
POLITICO cartoonist Matt Wuerker, with some brainstorming (but not artistic) help from myself and the U.Va. Center for Politics’ Crystal Ball team, has cleverly assembled some of the possible “body parts” for the ideal Republican competitor. You can be the judge, but the internal contradictions of ideology and personality would likely rip apart this friendly Frankenstein fairly quickly. No party can have everything, a White House nominee cannot be all things to all people and choices must be made.
The Republican eventually crowned in Cleveland is bound to be pro-free markets, pro-life on abortion and critical of Obamacare, high taxes, big spending and massive debt, to mention just a handful of issues. Political parties, with a few historical exceptions (such as William Jennings Bryan in 1896 and George McGovern in 1972 for the Democrats and Barry Goldwater in 1964 for the Republicans), prefer evolution to revolution.
Yet even some hidebound conservative Republicans understand that their party needs to change or else conceivably go the way of the Whigs. Losing 80 percent of the nonwhite vote, at least 60 percent of young people, and around two-thirds of single women, as the GOP White House nominee now does normally, appears to be a formula for consistent defeat, especially when demographic changes favor disproportionate growth in most of the voter categories where Republicans have the least appeal. So is there a reasonable evolutionary path for the GOP that could produce a Cleveland Concordat—a platform with sufficient red meat to turn out hungry conservatives but enough tasty fruit, vegetables and dessert for persuadable moderates?
You know the next line: It won’t be easy. Conservatives will insist that no real change is needed since a hard-right nominee will generate record turnout among the true-believing base (as though the same nominee won’t generate high turnout among the Democratic faithful who fear the hard right). Other Republicans will say a congenial Reaganesque nominee is all that’s required to charm voters into amnesia about the party’s rough edges. Maybe, but there’s really been no Reagan since Reagan.
Even assuming the GOP nominee will have the requisite charisma, surely the party would have to present a somewhat different face. So what would a Republican winner have to say and do? Here’s a partial menu from which to pick and choose.
Act on changing demographics: Republican leaders have been urging this since the party’s “Growth and Opportunity Project” report from March 2013. Without a reasonable immigration plan to run on, the nominee will have a hard time improving much on Mitt Romney’s awful 2012 percentages among Hispanics (27 percent) and Asian-Americans (26 percent). Substance matters more than image, but diversifying the GOP ticket can’t hurt. The era of two white males per ticket ended with Romney-Ryan. Assuming Republicans have something to sell to minorities—not just symbolic identity politics but issue positions that appeal to targeted groups—the ticket must campaign aggressively in those communities. Otherwise, key states that used to be solid pieces of winning GOP electoral maps—such as Colorado and Florida—become harder to win.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/07/does-the-gop-need-a-frankencandidate-108878.html#ixzz37ZppBart
-
Without even mentioning how three of the potential GOP candidates are under federal investigation, I will just point out the truth.
-
Rubio will be a strong candidate if he runs.
Marco Rubio Calls Hillary '20th Century Candidate'
Tuesday, 22 Jul 2014
By Drew MacKenzie
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has dismissed Hillary Clinton as "a 20th century candidate" while denouncing her policies as the former secretary of state.
Rubio, a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2016, told NPR’s "Morning Edition" on Tuesday that Clinton, the presumed Democratic front-runner, is "extremely vulnerable on her record."
He continued, "I just think she's a 20th century candidate. I think she does not offer an agenda for moving America forward in the 21st century, at least not up till now."
The Republican senator said that he will make up his mind whether to enter the race for the White House in early 2015.
Rubio fell out of favor with some conservatives when he co-sponsored a proposal that would allow a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
The measure was passed by the Democrat-controlled Senate, but stalled in the GOP-controlled House. Rubio said that the reforms did not contain strong enough border security laws to appease conservative Republicans.
In his interview with NPR, Rubio said that for immigration reforms to pass Congress in the next decade, they have to be pushed through piecemeal. "First, greater border security, then modernizing the legal immigration system," Rubio said.
He also called on other nations to help with the surge of children from who have crossed illegally into south Texas in the past few months while fleeing political and criminal violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"We are deeply compassionate. This country's always had a place for people who seek asylum from conditions, whether they be political or otherwise. The problem is, it has to be through a process. This nation, no nation, is capable of sustaining or absorbing mass migrations."
The senator said that even if an immigration overhaul is passed before the next presidential election, it would not guarantee the GOP winning the majority of the Hispanic vote, according to NPR.
"I never did it for politics," Rubio said of his immigration reform sponsorship last year. "I don't see a political upside, in the immediate term, for sure."
President Barack Obama received about 70 percent of the Latino vote in the 2012 election.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Marco-Rubio-immigration-Hillary-Clinton/2014/07/22/id/584106#ixzz38EPZOk4C
-
Rubio will be a strong candidate if he runs.
No he won't. But continue to convince yourself otherwise.
-
No he won't. But continue to convince yourself otherwise.
Yes he will. But continue to wear those partisan blinders.
-
Without even mentioning how three of the potential GOP candidates are under federal investigation, I will just point out the truth.
The clown forgot his makeup in the fourth pic.
-
Yes he will. But continue to wear those partisan blinders.
No he won't. He is nothing more than Palin in pants.
Oh wait.... you thought she was well qualified too. I forgot for a second what an idiot you are. Carry on with the delusions though.
-
No he won't. He is nothing more than Palin in pants.
Oh wait.... you thought she was well qualified too. I forgot for a second what an idiot you are. Carry on with the delusions though.
Rubio is proving to be rather unremarkable, isn't he? not a ton of accomplishments yet.
He went too far on the "I love obama's amnesty/DREAM act" bandwagon. The base that loved him cannot look past that. Really the only 'repubs' that could are the lukewarm, RINO, bill-clinton voters that are only repubs now after being libs as youths. For them, Rubio allows them to wear an (R) on their sleeve while voting for an amnesty RINO liberal.
-
Rubio is proving to be rather unremarkable, isn't he? not a ton of accomplishments yet.
He went too far on the "I love obama's amnesty/DREAM act" bandwagon. The base that loved him cannot look past that. Really the only 'repubs' that could are the lukewarm, RINO, bill-clinton voters that are only repubs now after being libs as youths. For them, Rubio allows them to wear an (R) on their sleeve while voting for an amnesty RINO liberal.
You can't tell the delusional that. While most people see the reality of Rubio and how shallow he is, you have to remember that Beach also thinks Bachmann is a great candidate as well.
You just can't debate with stupidity of that magnitude.
-
No he won't. He is nothing more than Palin in pants.
Oh wait.... you thought she was well qualified too. I forgot for a second what an idiot you are. Carry on with the delusions though.
Listen creepy stalker, he is smart, well spoken, comes from a big state, has good name recognition, will likely be a good debater, and being Hispanic doesn't hurt. I have no idea if he will win, but he'll definitely be a contender if he runs.
But you'll have your creepy head up Hillary's rear end, so you may not see it. Make sure you check the board for regular updates.
-
No he won't. He is nothing more than Palin in pants.
Oh wait.... you thought she was well qualified too. I forgot for a second what an idiot you are. Carry on with the delusions though.
I have to come to his defense here - I don't think ANYONE on getbig really thought Palin was "well qualified".
She had a better ideology than Obama, according to some. But "well qualified"? She was a news reader with a journalism degree from 5 community colleges that slid into the Mayor job so she could get free overflow building materials to revamp her home. Then, she was the hottest one in a 3-way gov debate with two nincompoops, and won the MILF vote from 1/3 of the voters in the state with the highest incest rate per capita. Served for 8 months then decided to run for VP, with entertaining results.
I don't remember ANYONE on getbig calling her "well qualified". It was argued her experience was greater than obama's (7 years state senate, 4 years national senate, harvard law degree), but that was just trolling to make libs melt down.
-
HAHAHA when the only retort one can come up with is just parroted three times in a row on different threads, you know that person isn't got a point to make.
Rubio ain't shit. He won't even be in the running for his own party to nominate him. He's going to be another Perry and Cain on the national stage again.
Oh wait... you thought they were great too. Go figure.
-
Bwahahaha! Lurker you are such a partisan water carrier. Do you ever make an independent decision on election day? It's people like you who gave us Obama.
Wait, you actually think he's doing a fine job as president. :-\
In any event, we shall see when the candidates declare and run who will be strong, and who will not.
-
Yeah, I do make an independent decision on election day. In 2008 I voted against a geriatric nimwit and his idiot running mate. In 2012 I voted against a lib in disguise and his idiot of a running mate.
The people who gave us Obama was the GOP because they couldn't scratch up anything beyond the laughable shitty candidates they ran. Now I see why you refuse to say you are a Republican. I would be ashamed to admit it too.
-
Yeah, I do make an independent decision on election day. In 2008 I voted against a geriatric nimwit and his idiot running mate. In 2012 I voted against a lib in disguise and his idiot of a running mate.
The people who gave us Obama was the GOP because they couldn't scratch up anything beyond the laughable shitty candidates they ran. Now I see why you refuse to say you are a Republican. I would be ashamed to admit it too.
I genuinely feel sorry for you. :-\
-
I genuinely feel sorry for you. :-\
That's because you're stupid. As we all know.
How embarrassed are you to not be able to admit you are a Republican? Maybe you should stick to feeling sorry for yourself.
-
That's because you're stupid. As we all know.
How embarrassed are you to not be able to admit you are a Republican? Maybe you should stick to feeling sorry for yourself.
I genuinely feel sorry for you for two reasons. First, you don't realize what a partisan hack you are. Or maybe you do? But you are really doing yourself a disservice by failing to think independently. If you have the intellectual strength to do so, you should really try making your own decisions. It's liberating. You don't have to carry the Democrat Party's water so blindly.
Second, you don't realize what a weirdo you are. I really think you don't see how weird it is for a grown man to be obsessed with an internet stranger. I think something is wrong with you. I hope you recover from whatever it is. Good luck to you.
-
I genuinely feel sorry for you for two reasons. First, you don't realize what a partisan hack you are. Or maybe you do? But you are really doing yourself a disservice by failing to think independently. If you have the intellectual strength to do so, you should really try making your own decisions. It's liberating. You don't have to carry the Democrat Party's water so blindly.
Second, you don't realize what a weirdo you are. I really think you don't see how weird it is for a grown man to be obsessed with an internet stranger. I think something is wrong with you. I hope you recover from whatever it is. Good luck to you.
MELTDOWN CONTINUES. HAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
"Partisan hack". Coming from a hypocrite that is ashamed to admit he is Republican.
There is something definitely wrong with you. You're stupid. We all know that already. Unfortunately for you though, I don't think there is going to be a cure for it any time soon.
-
winning the general has little to nothing to do with substance and more to do with marketing. If this admin has taught us anything it should be that.
-
One would think "winning the general" (whatever) would be about appealing to the base and core group of the party. If you can't rally your own troops behind the candidate, you sure aren't going to rally the independents behind him or her.
-
winning the general has little to nothing to do with substance and more to do with marketing. If this admin has taught us anything it should be that.
I'm not sure winning primaries have much to do with substance either. The whole process is a mess.
-
One would think "winning the general" (whatever) would be about appealing to the base and core group of the party. If you can't rally your own troops behind the candidate, you sure aren't going to rally the independents behind him or her.
Winning the "general" or winning primaries doesn't mean shit if you can't get your base behind the candidate afterwards. If you can't convince your own party to support the candidate you can't convince anyone else like the independents or moderates either.
-
Yeah, I do make an independent decision on election day. In 2008 I voted against a geriatric nimwit and his idiot running mate. In 2012 I voted against a lib in disguise and his idiot of a running mate.
You voted against Obama and Biden? ;D
The people who gave us Obama was the GOP because they couldn't scratch up anything beyond the laughable shitty candidates they ran. Now I see why you refuse to say you are a Republican. I would be ashamed to admit it too.
-
Listen creepy stalker, he is smart, well spoken, comes from a big state, has good name recognition, will likely be a good debater, and being Hispanic doesn't hurt. I have no idea if he will win, but he'll definitely be a contender if he runs.
But you'll have your creepy head up Hillary's rear end, so you may not see it. Make sure you check the board for regular updates.
but if he's not supported by Fox News he won't stand a chance.
-
but if he's not supported by Fox News he won't stand a chance.
So "Fox News" supports candidates? How so?
-
So "Fox News" supports candidates? How so?
(http://tensintheir20s.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/t9urtt.gif)
-
Christie leads 2016 Republican field in New Hampshire, poll shows
The Star-Ledger By Brent Johnson | The Star-Ledger
July 11, 2014
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's presidential prospects have brightened in the critical state of New Hampshire, according to a poll released today.
But the story would apparently be different if Mitt Romney entered the race.
The WMUR Granite State Poll of residents in New Hampshire — which hosts the nation's first presidential primary — showed Christie leading all possible candidates for the 2016 Republican nomination for president.
Christie drew 19 percent of the vote, followed by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky (14 percent) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (11).
Rounding out the field, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal each had 5 percent, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas had 3, Texas Gov. Rick Perry had 2, and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania each had 1. All other candidates received less than 1 percent, and 15 percent said they were undecided.
With months to go before the GOP primary kicks into gear, no candidate has officially declared and the race still appears to be wide open.
But today's poll shows Christie — whose administration has been beset by multiple investigations at home, including two over the George Washington Bridge scandal — is bouncing back in New Hampshire. His 19 percent standing is higher than his showing in April (14 percent); in January (9), when the bridge controversy made the biggest splash nationally; and in October (16), before the issue erupted.
Christie, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, visited New Hampshire on a fundraising trip for GOP gubernatorial hopeful Walt Havenstein last month — just after surveys in this poll began. He is scheduled to return for another fundraiser on July 31.
Still, residents in the state appear to prefer Romney above anyone. The former Massachusetts governor, who lost the 2012 presidential election to Barack Obama, has repeatedly said he has no plans to run again. But if he were to declare his candidacy, Romney would lead Christie 39 to 7 percent, according to today's poll.
That mirrors a separate poll of New Hampshire residents released last month. The Suffolk University/Boston Herald survey showed Christie neck-and-neck with Paul for the top spot among likely GOP candidates — but Romney out in front of both of them by a 3-to-1 margin when added to the mix.
In addition, only 10 percent of respondents in today's poll said they view Christie favorably. At the same time, 16 percent said they would not vote for him under any circumstances — the highest percentage of any possible Republican contender.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton remains the clear frontrunner. Clinton — the former First Lady, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of State — leads all possible Democratic primary contenders at 59 percent.
In a distant second is Vice President Joe Biden at 14 percent, followed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (8 percent), U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (5), New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (3), and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia (1). All other contenders received less than 1 percent, and 9 percent said they are undecided.
Still, Clinton's support is down 15 percentage points from her 74 percent showing in the group's January poll.
Today's survey was conducted over the phone from June 19 to July 1 by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, polling 669 adults in the state. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 3.8 percent.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/07/christie_leads_2016_republican_field_in_new_hampshire_poll_shows.html
-
So "Fox News" supports candidates? How so?
Yeah, there's ol' BB being honest again, lol.
-
Yeah, there's ol' BB being honest again, lol.
Yeah, there's ol "RRKore" having nothing of substance to add again.
-
Yeah, there's ol "RRKore" having nothing of substance to add again.
Pointing out the the board's official conservative mod is trying to lie by saying he's unaware that Fox News pushes certain candidates has no substance, does it?
Please get real. It's not possible that you're THAT out-of-touch with reality.
-
Pointing out the the board's official conservative mod is trying to lie by saying he's unaware that Fox News pushes certain candidates has no substance, does it?
Please get real. It's not possible that you're THAT out-of-touch with reality.
I like to watch the news, knowing that station is support one candidate or ripping the other. I watch MSN to see what repubs are doing wrong. I watch FOX to see what dems are doing wrong.
I'd have to be the stupidest person on planet earth to watch FOX news and say "You know, I really don't think this channel supports either Romney or Obama... I think they're just giving honest facts, fair and balanced, and letting the viewer decide."
BB is either trolling at a really obvious level, or he truly believes, when he turns on FOX news, that he's seeing something that is fair and balanced. It's probably why he believes only 30 or 35% of Americans are actually liberals. He loves the "self-identify" thing. A person hates guns, loves abortion, loves amnesty, hates personal freedom, but they did check this "Conservative" box, so let's just put him in the conservative category lol.
Whatever keeps him happy, I'm okay with it. It's just politics, we're just here to have a laugh and keep up with what's going on in the world. His line about Fox pushing neither dem nor repub, well, that's the funniest thing I've read all week here, so I thank him for that.
-
Don't confuse "news" with "commentary"....
-
Don't confuse "news" with "commentary"....
Bill Oreilly said it 7 or 8 years ago, we had a discussion here. "Our job is not to deliver news that is 50/50 left and right. No, our job is to make things fair and balanced by telling the conservative/right side of stories, since there are so many media outlets dedicated to telling the liberal/left side of things".
I respected the shit out of oreilly when he said that. It must have been 2006, I remember the time period very clearly. And he was 100% correct - Fox DOES balance things, and they do a terrific job at it. And yes, MSN works to get obama elected. And yes, FOX works to get repubs elected.
-
Pointing out the the board's official conservative mod is trying to lie by saying he's unaware that Fox News pushes certain candidates has no substance, does it?
Please get real. It's not possible that you're THAT out-of-touch with reality.
I'm the "board's official conservative mod"? Is that a quote from me? I didn't write the info in the sticky thread, but you never let those pesky facts get in the way, being the dishonest liberal you are.
Projecting again. You are a one trick pony. Do you have specific examples of "Fox News" supporting Republican candidates, or are you just trolling again?
-
Do you have specific examples of "Fox News" supporting Republican candidates, or are you just trolling again?
Um, read this:
http://gawker.com/5814150/roger-ailes-secret-nixon-era-blueprint-for-fox-news
FOX was dreamed up by nixon and ailes for the specific purpose of promoting the republican party lol.
They did a trial run of the network in the 70s but didn't have the audience for it. They returned to tv two decades later with the exact blueprint - it's in their own handwirting from memos lol.
Fox News is run by the man who used to run Nixon's media operations, and to this day, they deliver the exact agenda and behaviors they said they would, in writing, in the early 70s.
FOX is an amazing achievement and really gives americans something they need badly - a contrast to the liberal stations. You're just trolling, beach bum lol.
-
Um, read this:
http://gawker.com/5814150/roger-ailes-secret-nixon-era-blueprint-for-fox-news
FOX was dreamed up by nixon and ailes for the specific purpose of promoting the republican party lol.
They did a trial run of the network in the 70s but didn't have the audience for it. They returned to tv two decades later with the exact blueprint - it's in their own handwirting from memos lol.
Fox News is run by the man who used to run Nixon's media operations, and to this day, they deliver the exact agenda and behaviors they said they would, in writing, in the early 70s.
FOX is an amazing achievement and really gives americans something they need badly - a contrast to the liberal stations. You're just trolling, beach bum lol.
I typically read any link someone provides for me, but you have abused that privilege. I have, on numerous occasions, read a link you posted that did not support whatever point you were trying to make.
And I bet, without even looking it, that (1) you didn't read the link you posted and (2) it does not provide evidence that "Fox News" supports Republican candidates running for office.
-
Don't confuse "news" with "commentary"....
Precisely. Even the president and his minions do this. Back when the president was trying to censor Fox News, his people cited the Fox News opinion shows when criticizing how Fox News reports the news.
-
..
Projecting again. You are a one trick pony. Do you have specific examples of "Fox News" supporting Republican candidates, or are you just trolling again?
Give me a couple of mainstream sources other than Fox (New York Times?, CNN?, ABC?) that you won't reject out of hand and I'll find links for you.
-
Give me a couple of mainstream sources other than Fox (New York Times?, CNN?, ABC?) that you won't reject out of hand and I'll find links for you.
No, I am not asking for op ed pieces from some website. I am asking for specific examples of Fox News supporting Republican candidates. That means formal endorsements by the network, not positions taken by the network and not commentary by someone on an opinion show.
-
I typically read any link someone provides for me, but you have abused that privilege. I have, on numerous occasions, read a link you posted that did not support whatever point you were trying to make.
...
What a shyster you are, BB.
-
What a shyster you are, BB.
What a dishonest liberal you are, RRKore.
-
No, I am not asking for op ed pieces from some website. I am asking for specific examples of Fox News supporting Republican candidates. That means formal endorsements by the network, not positions taken by the network and not commentary by someone on an opinion show.
Bwahaha. Getdafuckoutahere.
That'd be like going to a prison and trying to find an inmate who'll say he's guilty.
-
Bwahaha. Getdafuckoutahere.
That'd be like going to a prison and trying to find an inmate who'll say he's guilty.
I see. Yet another example of a knee-jerk liberal so used to regurgitating talking points that he is unable to think for himself. You got nothing.
Or maybe I'm wrong? It's possible the network actually endorsed candidates and I was off in the nether regions of the world someplace. Sometimes that happens.
-
What a dishonest liberal you are, RRKore.
There's no way a guy as dishonorable as you served in the military. Not a full term, anyway.
Unless it was during a time of war (Vietnam, Korea, and WW2 are all possibilities for you, I guess), they kick out people like you.
I think you are a big liar who justifies his lying (to himself only) by considering the board to be about entertainment only.
Probably, you're just happy for the attention.
-
There's no way a guy as dishonorable as you served in the military. Not a full term, anyway.
Unless it was during a time of war (Vietnam, Korea, and WW2 are all possibilities for you, I guess), they kick out people like you.
I think you are a big liar who justifies his lying (to himself only) by considering the board to be about entertainment only.
Probably, you're just happy for the attention.
This coming from the person who said Soldiers should be able to simply walk away during combat operations. lol . . . .
You are someone who places way too much emphasis on things said on a message board, which tells me your priorities are whacked. And you need a life.
Get back to me when you have that information about Fox News endorsing Republican candidates.
-
but if he's not supported by Fox News he won't stand a chance.
So Fox supported Obama...twice. Interesting. Probably why I don't care for them too much.
-
This coming from the person who said Soldiers should be able to simply walk away during combat operations. lol . . . .
You are someone who places way too much emphasis on things said on a message board, which tells me your priorities are whacked. And you need a life.
Get back to me when you have that information about Fox News endorsing Republican candidates.
#1. I never said that "Soldiers should be able to simply walk away during combat operations." If you really think that, then nuanced adult conversations are beyond you.
#2. LOL at you writing that I'm "... someone who places too much emphasis on things said on a message board..." right after writing about inferences you'd make from someone who...wrote something on a message board. Look at my thumb, gee you're ...
#3. You're gonna be waiting a long time because you don't want info about Fox News endorsing specific Repub candidates. What you want is a confession from them that they're doing that which is much tougher to come by.
But, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'll only believe what comes from Fox News, though, right? LOL LOL LOL
-
#1. I never said that "Soldiers should be able to simply walk away during combat operations." If you really think that, then nuanced adult conversations are beyond you.
#2. LOL at you writing that I'm "... someone who places too much emphasis on things said on a message board..." right after writing about inferences you'd make from someone who...wrote something on a message board. Look at my thumb, gee you're ...
#3. You're gonna be waiting a long time because you don't want info about Fox News endorsing specific Repub candidates. What you want is a confession from them that they're doing that which is much tougher to come by.
But, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'll only believe what comes from Fox News, though, right? LOL LOL LOL
Go to the gym Simpleton Simon. It's obvious you spewed a liberal talking point and cannot support it.
-
Go to the gym Simpleton Simon. It's obvious you spewed a liberal talking point and cannot support it.
No comment about #1 or #2, eh?
With regard to #3, you shifted the goal posts, mang. And what a winning strategy for any liberal argument you've found here: "Well, unless they say it's so on Fox News, then it didn't happen", ya kool-aid drinker.
-
No comment about #1 or #2, eh?
With regard to #3, you shifted the goal posts, mang. And what a winning strategy for any liberal argument you've found here: "Well, unless they say it's so on Fox News, then it didn't happen", ya kool-aid drinker.
Good Lord. What the heck are you talking about?? I asked for specific information about chadstallion's claim (which you co-signed) that Fox News endorses Republican candidates. You obviously don't have that information.
-
There's no way a guy as dishonorable as you served in the military. Not a full term, anyway.
Unless it was during a time of war (Vietnam, Korea, and WW2 are all possibilities for you, I guess), they kick out people like you.
I think you are a big liar who justifies his lying (to himself only) by considering the board to be about entertainment only.
Probably, you're just happy for the attention.
HAHAHAHAHAHA. He isn't the board's biggest hypocrite for nothing ya' know.
-
She would have to start small if she's going to run.
Laura Ingraham, Tea Party Giant Killer, Eyes Her Next Scalp
By Toby Harnden - July 28, 2014
(http://images.rcp.realclearpolitics.com/251835_5_.jpg)
SHE has adopted a daughter from Guatemala and was a speechwriter under President Reagan, who introduced an "amnesty" for three million illegal immigrants in the 1980s.
With her striking good looks and her status as the most listened-to woman on American radio talk programmes, she might have seemed the ideal person to deliver a softer Republican message, as the party hopes to appeal to Hispanic voters.
Laura Ingraham is having none of it, however. Instead, she is fast becoming the most powerful conservative voice denouncing any compromise on immigration and calling for the deportation of the Latin American children who are amassing on the southern border of the United States.
At a raucous campaign event in Nashville last week, Ingraham accused President Barack Obama of "fomenting a crisis at our border that seeks to undermine the very fabric of American rule of law, our sovereignty, our national identity".
Her most withering contempt was aimed at her own party’s establishment — the "good old boys" and "go along to get along Republican politicians doing backroom backslapping" with Democrats, being as effective as "beige wallpaper".
Ingraham has already claimed the scalp of Representative Eric Cantor, the third most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives, by headlining a massive rally that helped to propel his obscure opponent to a shock victory in a party primary last month.
Her appearance in Nashville was on behalf of Joe Carr, a rough-edged candidate from Tennessee who has support from the grassroots Tea Party movement. He is standing on a "no amnesty" platform to oust Senator Lamar Alexander, a genteel deal-maker on Capitol Hill, in an August 7th primary.
A bluegrass band entertained the crowd with favourites such as "Proud to be an American" and "He’s in the Jailhouse Now" as well as a rendition of "Don’t Fence Me In" — maybe an allusion to conservative demands for a stronger border fence.
Alexander has backed a compromise deal on immigration that could grant a "path to citizenship" for the estimated 12m illegal immigrants in America. But hard-line conservatives such as Ingraham and Carr are advocating mass deportations.
The immigration issue, considered by Americans to be the most pressing problem facing their country according to a recent Gallup poll, has been brought to the top of the political agenda by the presence of more than 50,000 children, mainly from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, gathering at the border.
Republicans argue that lax immigration policies by Obama have led to the flood of child refugees because their parents know they have a strong chance of being allowed to stay in the country.
Carr claimed that big business wanted a "constant supply of uneducated, illegal labour so they can keep wages low and perpetuate their attack on the American worker, our dreams and our way of life".
Obama was "a tyrant in the White House", he added, and "if you expect me to go to Washington DC and hold hands around the campfire, roast marshmallows and sing Kumbaya, you’re sending the wrong guy — I’m going up there to start a fight".
Ingraham, 50, has been branded a xenophobe because of the stand she has taken. The satirical comedian Stephen Colbert recently described her approach as "a tough love — or a very soft hate".
She said accusations of racism were a sign of panic among her opponents. "I stand a lot more for the suffering of the American people of every colour or background than they can ever claim to," she told The Sunday Times.
"Plus, the last time I checked, I had three children living in my home from pretty difficult backgrounds, one adopted from Guatemala and two from Russia. I don’t wear that on my sleeve but, OK, I don’t like Latino people? It’s ridiculous. I cared enough about the region to rescue someone who was abandoned there."
Carr, who is lagging in the polls and is vastly outspent by Alexander, said Ingraham’s support could be crucial. "For us to get her endorsement is huge. It’s real important when you get somebody with a microphone that big. For crying out loud, her show’s on more than 300 stations," he said.
Matt Studd, 57, a car haulage driver and Tea Party activist who was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the American flag and images of Iwo Jima and the US constitution, said that the intervention of Ingraham, a Catholic convert, had energised conservative voters: "She’s awesome. She stands for the traditional Christian core values that we know she holds dear."
Republican leaders support centrist incumbents such as Alexander because they believe it is the easiest way to regain control of the Senate in November’s mid-term elections. Candidates such as Carr, they fear, would alienate moderate voters.
Ingraham said this outlook was akin to living in the past, explaining that she sensed a profound shift in American politics with a new element — similar to Ukip in Britain — emerging on the right.
"There are Tea Party elements but it has kind of an independent, anti-corporatist streak, a populist strain running through it. There’s a younger sensibility too," she said.
Republican grandees were foolish to believe that allowing illegal immigrants to stay was a way to attract new voters, she added: "You make real headway in the Latino, black and immigrant communities not by selling a policy that would lower their wages and burden their communities, but by economic rejuvenation. You have to be unafraid to say these things. UKIP's done that pretty well in Britain."
Ingraham hinted that her forays into Republican primary races this year could be the foundation for a political career of her own. "I've been approached by various people to get involved," she said. "I'm keeping an open mind about running for office in the future."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/07/28/laura_ingraham_tea_party_giant_killer_eyes_her_next_scalp_123477.html#ixzz38p1sG0lk
-
She would have to start small if she's going to run.
Laura Ingraham, Tea Party Giant Killer, Eyes Her Next Scalp
By Toby Harnden - July 28, 2014
(http://images.rcp.realclearpolitics.com/251835_5_.jpg)
SHE has adopted a daughter from Guatemala and was a speechwriter under President Reagan, who introduced an "amnesty" for three million illegal immigrants in the 1980s.
With her striking good looks and her status as the most listened-to woman on American radio talk programmes, she might have seemed the ideal person to deliver a softer Republican message, as the party hopes to appeal to Hispanic voters.
Laura Ingraham is having none of it, however. Instead, she is fast becoming the most powerful conservative voice denouncing any compromise on immigration and calling for the deportation of the Latin American children who are amassing on the southern border of the United States.
At a raucous campaign event in Nashville last week, Ingraham accused President Barack Obama of "fomenting a crisis at our border that seeks to undermine the very fabric of American rule of law, our sovereignty, our national identity".
Her most withering contempt was aimed at her own party’s establishment — the "good old boys" and "go along to get along Republican politicians doing backroom backslapping" with Democrats, being as effective as "beige wallpaper".
Ingraham has already claimed the scalp of Representative Eric Cantor, the third most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives, by headlining a massive rally that helped to propel his obscure opponent to a shock victory in a party primary last month.
Her appearance in Nashville was on behalf of Joe Carr, a rough-edged candidate from Tennessee who has support from the grassroots Tea Party movement. He is standing on a "no amnesty" platform to oust Senator Lamar Alexander, a genteel deal-maker on Capitol Hill, in an August 7th primary.
A bluegrass band entertained the crowd with favourites such as "Proud to be an American" and "He’s in the Jailhouse Now" as well as a rendition of "Don’t Fence Me In" — maybe an allusion to conservative demands for a stronger border fence.
Alexander has backed a compromise deal on immigration that could grant a "path to citizenship" for the estimated 12m illegal immigrants in America. But hard-line conservatives such as Ingraham and Carr are advocating mass deportations.
The immigration issue, considered by Americans to be the most pressing problem facing their country according to a recent Gallup poll, has been brought to the top of the political agenda by the presence of more than 50,000 children, mainly from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, gathering at the border.
Republicans argue that lax immigration policies by Obama have led to the flood of child refugees because their parents know they have a strong chance of being allowed to stay in the country.
Carr claimed that big business wanted a "constant supply of uneducated, illegal labour so they can keep wages low and perpetuate their attack on the American worker, our dreams and our way of life".
Obama was "a tyrant in the White House", he added, and "if you expect me to go to Washington DC and hold hands around the campfire, roast marshmallows and sing Kumbaya, you’re sending the wrong guy — I’m going up there to start a fight".
Ingraham, 50, has been branded a xenophobe because of the stand she has taken. The satirical comedian Stephen Colbert recently described her approach as "a tough love — or a very soft hate".
She said accusations of racism were a sign of panic among her opponents. "I stand a lot more for the suffering of the American people of every colour or background than they can ever claim to," she told The Sunday Times.
"Plus, the last time I checked, I had three children living in my home from pretty difficult backgrounds, one adopted from Guatemala and two from Russia. I don’t wear that on my sleeve but, OK, I don’t like Latino people? It’s ridiculous. I cared enough about the region to rescue someone who was abandoned there."
Carr, who is lagging in the polls and is vastly outspent by Alexander, said Ingraham’s support could be crucial. "For us to get her endorsement is huge. It’s real important when you get somebody with a microphone that big. For crying out loud, her show’s on more than 300 stations," he said.
Matt Studd, 57, a car haulage driver and Tea Party activist who was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the American flag and images of Iwo Jima and the US constitution, said that the intervention of Ingraham, a Catholic convert, had energised conservative voters: "She’s awesome. She stands for the traditional Christian core values that we know she holds dear."
Republican leaders support centrist incumbents such as Alexander because they believe it is the easiest way to regain control of the Senate in November’s mid-term elections. Candidates such as Carr, they fear, would alienate moderate voters.
Ingraham said this outlook was akin to living in the past, explaining that she sensed a profound shift in American politics with a new element — similar to Ukip in Britain — emerging on the right.
"There are Tea Party elements but it has kind of an independent, anti-corporatist streak, a populist strain running through it. There’s a younger sensibility too," she said.
Republican grandees were foolish to believe that allowing illegal immigrants to stay was a way to attract new voters, she added: "You make real headway in the Latino, black and immigrant communities not by selling a policy that would lower their wages and burden their communities, but by economic rejuvenation. You have to be unafraid to say these things. UKIP's done that pretty well in Britain."
Ingraham hinted that her forays into Republican primary races this year could be the foundation for a political career of her own. "I've been approached by various people to get involved," she said. "I'm keeping an open mind about running for office in the future."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/07/28/laura_ingraham_tea_party_giant_killer_eyes_her_next_scalp_123477.html#ixzz38p1sG0lk
Laura Ingraham elected to political office? She's no dummy but were she to try to run for almost any office her opponents' negative ads would write themselves. I've never seen her come off as likable. I don't think she's gay (she's reportedly dated both Dinesh D'Souza and Keith Olbermann) but she acts like one of those lesbians who constantly acts like she has a chip on her shoulder and tries to too hard to be hard 100% of the time.
Tell ya what, though, I'd pay at least $10- for a PPV with her vs Hillary in a bout of verbal fisticuffs "no-holds-barred-style" where they'd be allowed to swear and use personal insults.
-
Ben Carson on Running for President: 'It Is a Step Closer'
Monday, 28 Jul 2014
By Bill Hoffmann
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=225b0634-24cd-4bc2-ad4f-f5b6f7b5cf62&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Dr. Benjamin Carson, former Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Dr. Ben Carson told Newsmax TV on Monday that he is getting closer to declaring himself a candidate for president in 2016.
"It is a step closer. I have to consider what's going on, and I have to consider the enormous crowds that I encounter every place I go, and the level of enthusiasm, and what I'm hearing,'' Carson told "The Steve Malzberg Show.''
Story continues below video.
"But I also have to see what happens in November. Is our nation going to indicate that they in fact are waking up and that they are ready to move forward again?
"Or are we going to continue this long, downward slide into a fundamental change? Depending on what they indicate, it will inform me a lot.''
Carson, former chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and an outspoken conservative, said a GOP victory in the midterm elections will "absolutely'' be a factor in his decision.
If the renowned medical man, who is also a Newsmax contributor, throws his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination, it would be a dramatic about face from his stance in January.
It was then that Carson, asked by Malzberg whether he would seek the White House, answered: "Don't hold your breath … I have never intended to run."
Carson, a vocal critic of President Barack Obama, said he is weighing whether to support the calls of some GOP lawmakers for impeachment proceedings against the commander in chief.
"Certainly, it's a discussion that's worth having. It needs to be discussed in a very serious way with people on both sides of the argument,'' he said. "It's not something that should be [decided] in an emotional way, but we should ask ourselves has the Constitution been violated?"
If it "can be laid out in an unmistakable way, then absolutely it'll be appropriate to proceed.''
Carson said the nation has the ability to "put the cuffs'' on the Obama administration in November.
It would be with "an overwhelming showing and switching to a Senate majority leader who might, in fact, be willing to bring up the hundreds of bills that have been passed for the purpose of reinvigorating the economy,'' he said.
Carson believes that Obama's proposal to use executive action to grant additional rights to undocumented immigrants, without input from Congress,'' is "exactly why we have a divided government.''
And he believes Congress must take strong action to halt further alleged abuses.
"At some point, people are going to have to step up to the plate and say, you know, we are not going to take this and stop being worried about people are going to blame us. People are going to blame us if they don't do something,'' he said.
Obama "pretty much is doing whatever he wants to do because he's not meeting a great deal of resistance."
It's "kind of funny because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's playing the same game with him. Putin's not getting a lot of resistance from him, so he's pretty much doing what he wants to do.''
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/Ben-Carson-president-Obama/2014/07/28/id/585348#ixzz38tDtyGNS
-
Ben Carson on Running for President: 'It Is a Step Closer'
I like how he presents himself as a logical and rational man but then proceeds to act in completely irrational ways or how he plays up his scientific credentials to suggest that he can make decisions based on facts and empirical data then proceeds to make decisions based on anything but facts and empirical data.
Examples?
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence in favor of evolution, he overrides his rational side and supports creationism. Why? Well, for the very rational and fact-based reasaon that he can't imagine life emerging and evolving over millenia; so evidence and facts just go out the door. Similarly, without any evidence to support his position, he claims that without a creator there can be no morality and ethics are meaningless. Why? Because that's what he believes. Again, this refined ability to make decisions based on those facts and empirical data just, *poof*, evaporates when his beliefs come into play.
Yes, my fellow mass-monsters... truly Ben Carson is a rational man; a man who makes decisions based solely on facts and data alright... what a fucking joke.
Ben Carson's image is well-polished and media-friendly - he's the doctor who saved lives, the man of integrity who adheres to logic, the non-partisan patriot that wants to make a difference. You can see why some find him appealing.
But it's only skin-deep. Peel back the facade, and all that's left is just another ambitious, aggrandizing politician with a huge ego and oversized ambitions, who talks bullshit out of whichever side of his mouth better suits his purposes and cares about only one thing: power.
He's no different than any of the many politicians that came before him or the many that will come after him.
-
I like how he presents himself as a logical and rational man but then proceeds to act in completely irrational ways or how he plays up his scientific credentials to suggest that he can make decisions based on facts and empirical data then proceeds to make decisions based on anything but facts and empirical data.
Examples?
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence in favor of evolution, he overrides his rational side and supports creationism. Why? Well, for the very rational and fact-based reasaon that he can't imagine life emerging and evolving over millenia; so evidence and facts just go out the door. Similarly, without any evidence to support his position, he claims that without a creator there can be no morality and ethics are meaningless. Why? Because that's what he believes. Again, this refined ability to make decisions based on those facts and empirical data just, *poof*, evaporates when his beliefs come into play.
Yes, my fellow mass-monsters... truly Ben Carson is a rational man; a man who makes decisions based solely on facts and data alright... what a fucking joke.
Ben Carson's image is well-polished and media-friendly - he's the doctor who saved lives, the man of integrity who adheres to logic, the non-partisan patriot that wants to make a difference. You can see why some find him appealing.
But it's only skin-deep. Peel back the facade, and all that's left is just another ambitious, aggrandizing politician with a huge ego and oversized ambitions, who talks bullshit out of whichever side of his mouth better suits his purposes and cares about only one thing: power.
He's no different than any of the many politicians that came before him or the many that will come after him.
This ground has already been covered. For the delusional, there is no other excuse except blind acceptance when it comes to his laughable campaign.
-
I like how he presents himself as a logical and rational man but then proceeds to act in completely irrational ways or how he plays up his scientific credentials to suggest that he can make decisions based on facts and empirical data then proceeds to make decisions based on anything but facts and empirical data.
Examples?
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence in favor of evolution, he overrides his rational side and supports creationism. Why? Well, for the very rational and fact-based reasaon that he can't imagine life emerging and evolving over millenia; so evidence and facts just go out the door. Similarly, without any evidence to support his position, he claims that without a creator there can be no morality and ethics are meaningless. Why? Because that's what he believes. Again, this refined ability to make decisions based on those facts and empirical data just, *poof*, evaporates when his beliefs come into play.
Yes, my fellow mass-monsters... truly Ben Carson is a rational man; a man who makes decisions based solely on facts and data alright... what a fucking joke.
Ben Carson's image is well-polished and media-friendly - he's the doctor who saved lives, the man of integrity who adheres to logic, the non-partisan patriot that wants to make a difference. You can see why some find him appealing.
But it's only skin-deep. Peel back the facade, and all that's left is just another ambitious, aggrandizing politician with a huge ego and oversized ambitions, who talks bullshit out of whichever side of his mouth better suits his purposes and cares about only one thing: power.
He's no different than any of the many politicians that came before him or the many that will come after him.
He has a faith-based belief in how life began on earth. At the end of the day, everyone who believes life started on earth in some fashion has a faith-based belief in how it all began. Dismissing his entire life's work on this basis is pretty narrow-minded. Not very rational either, considering that probably everyone running has pretty much the same belief system.
In any event, he's not a politician. If you're really interested in learning about him you should consider reading his book Gifted Hands. You should also look at what he has done to improve not just education, but STEM education with America's kids. He is a terrific American story.
I don't know if he is running, or if I would vote for him if he does run, but I'm glad someone with his intellect, competence, business sense, integrity, and faith wants to get involved in public policy. We need more people like him who are not career politicians.
-
He has a faith-based belief in how life began on earth. At the end of the day, everyone who believes life started on earth in some fashion has a faith-based belief in how it all began. Dismissing his entire life's work on this basis is pretty narrow-minded. Not very rational either, considering that probably everyone running has pretty much the same belief system.
I'm not dismissing his entire life's worth. I'm dismissing the foundation upon which his "appeal" as a politician rests. His whole schtick is how he is - and this is a direct quote - "trained to make decisions based on facts and empirical data" and how such people ought to "get involved in the political arena and help guide our country" because their ability to make decisions based on fact and empirical data will help move our country forward. And then he turns around and makes decisions ignoring facts and empirical simply because they conflict with his personal beliefs. So you will forgive me for calling bullshit.
You also say that it's irrational to levy this criticism when pretty much everyone else running has pretty much the same belief system. This is just plain nonsense. I am well-justified in criticizing every one of them (after all, why should I not criticize people who subsitute logic for faith and accept stories in lieu of evidence) but I am under no obligation to do so.
In any event, he's not a politician. If you're really interested in learning about him you should consider reading his book Gifted Hands. You should also look at what he has done to improve not just education, but STEM education with America's kids. He is a terrific American story.
Of course he is - he might not have started out as one - after all, who does? - but he became one. This doesn't detract from his other accomplishments, but let's not hide behind our fingers, shall we?
I don't know if he is running, or if I would vote for him if he does run, but I'm glad someone with his intellect, competence, business sense, integrity, and faith wants to get involved in public policy. We need more people like him who are not career politicians.
The problem that you have is that you think he is, somehow, different than career politicians because he hasn't officially launched his political career. You might be interested in this bridge I saw advertised on Craigslist...
-
I'm not dismissing his entire life's worth. I'm dismissing the foundation upon which his "appeal" as a politician rests. His whole schtick is how he is - and this is a direct quote - "trained to make decisions based on facts and empirical data" and how such people ought to "get involved in the political arena and help guide our country" because their ability to make decisions based on fact and empirical data will help move our country forward. And then he turns around and makes decisions ignoring facts and empirical simply because they conflict with his personal beliefs. So you will forgive me for calling bullshit.
You also say that it's irrational to levy this criticism when pretty much everyone else running has pretty much the same belief system. This is just plain nonsense. I am well-justified in criticizing every one of them (after all, why should I not criticize people who subsitute logic for faith and accept stories in lieu of evidence) but I am under no obligation to do so.
Of course he is - he might not have started out as one - after all, who does? - but he became one. This doesn't detract from his other accomplishments, but let's not hide behind our fingers, shall we?
The problem that you have is that you think he is, somehow, different than career politicians because he hasn't officially launched his political career. You might be interested in this bridge I saw advertised on Craigslist...
I'll concede your position is not irrational based on the example I gave, because if you truly believe something is wrong, then it shouldn't matter whether many others share that erroneous belief.
But I stand by comments that your approach is narrow-minded. The fact he believes in intelligent design does not mean he doesn't make other decisions based on facts and empirical data. As a world renowned, pioneer neurosurgeon, of course he made fact-based decisions.
He also made a faith-based decision. Everyone makes faith-based decisions in some way or another. They are not incompatible.
It sounds like you know nothing about the man. I've read three of his books. I like what I've read both from his books and from other sources. I like what he is saying for the most part. But if you want to form opinions about him based on . . . essentially nothing . . . you are of course free to do so.
-
Yeah, there's ol "RRKore" having nothing of substance to add again.
that's what so fun about this whole board.
-
that's what so fun about this whole board.
Yes, everyone has their role. :)
-
But I stand by comments that your approach is narrow-minded. The fact he believes in intelligent design does not mean he doesn't make other decisions based on facts and empirical data. As a world renowned, pioneer neurosurgeon, of course he made fact-based decisions.
I'm sure that he made such decisions in his capacity as a doctor. In fact, I'm sure he has the mental acuity to make rational and fact-based decisions. The question (for me) is does he do so consistently? I ask this because logic and faith aren't compatible tools; they aren't even complementary.
He's entitled to adopt any position he wants he wants vis-ŕ-vis evolution. But his position and the reasoning behind it, say something him.
He also made a faith-based decision. Everyone makes faith-based decisions in some way or another. They are not incompatible.
They are when the faith-based decision requires disregarding facts. I'll give you two examples involving the use of faith:
- Believing that the universe was created by God: It may not necessarily be a position supported by logic and facts but can be supported on the basis of faith. Conclusion: we're cool.
- Believing that the earth is fixed and the sun revolves around it: This position contradicts established facts and defies logic. No amount of faith will fix that. Conclusion: you're a doofus.
Long story short: using faith to justify something irrational and dismiss actual facts is bad.
It sounds like you know nothing about the man. I've read three of his books. I like what I've read both from his books and from other sources. I like what he is saying for the most part. But if you want to form opinions about him based on . . . essentially nothing . . . you are of course free to do so.
I form opinions on the only evidence available to me: his own statements. Is it possible that his statements paint him in an unflattering light? Sure. Is it possible that I am misinterpreting his statements? Sure. I remain open to being convinced that I am, actually, wrong and he is a great candidate. But so far, everything that I've seen is that he's no different than other politicians.
-
I'm sure that he made such decisions in his capacity as a doctor. In fact, I'm sure he has the mental acuity to make rational and fact-based decisions. The question (for me) is does he do so consistently? I ask this because logic and faith aren't compatible tools; they aren't even complementary.
He's entitled to adopt any position he wants he wants vis-ŕ-vis evolution. But his position and the reasoning behind it, say something him.
They are when the faith-based decision requires disregarding facts. I'll give you two examples involving the use of faith:
- Believing that the universe was created by God: It may not necessarily be a position supported by logic and facts but can be supported on the basis of faith. Conclusion: we're cool.
- Believing that the earth is fixed and the sun revolves around it: This position contradicts established facts and defies logic. No amount of faith will fix that. Conclusion: you're a doofus.
Long story short: using faith to justify something irrational and dismiss actual facts is bad.
I form opinions on the only evidence available to me: his own statements. Is it possible that his statements paint him in an unflattering light? Sure. Is it possible that I am misinterpreting his statements? Sure. I remain open to being convinced that I am, actually, wrong and he is a great candidate. But so far, everything that I've seen is that he's no different than other politicians.
Faith and logic are different, but compatible. It's simplistic to say that a person who makes faith-based decisions is unintelligent, or incapable of consistently making fact-based, logical decisions. If that were not the case, you'd have to label a lot of highly intelligent people as "dumb," because they believe in God, believe in intelligent design, etc.
Regarding the beginning of life on earth, you do not have a fact-based belief in how life began (whatever your belief is), because we don't know how life began on day one. I've had a lengthy discussion about this on the Religion Board. Cannot remember if you were a part of it? But as much as people want to run from the "faith" label, having a belief in something that has not or cannot be proved is, at the end of the day, a faith-based belief. Also, there are often provable facts supporting faith-based beliefs.
I haven't seen anything about Dr. Carson so far that makes him like other politicians.
-
Faith and logic are different, but compatible.
They are not compatible in any sense: Reason and logic are a tool of knowledge. Faith isn't. Faith involves blind acceptance, induced by feelings and in the absence of any (or worse still, contrary to) rational evidence or proof.
It's simplistic to say that a person who makes faith-based decisions is unintelligent, or incapable of consistently making fact-based, logical decisions.
Except that's not what I said. You ought to read my post more closely. It's perfectly possible to be quite intelligent and reach faith-based decisions. Repeating my earlier examples:
- One can believe, on faith, that the Universe was created by a Supreme Being. This is fine and not necessarily irrational, although it certainly can be.
- One can also believe, on faith, that the earth is fixed and the sun revolves around it. This is not fine and it is demonstrably irrational because it contradicts established and easily observable and verifiable facts.
If that were not the case, you'd have to label a lot of highly intelligent people as "dumb," because they believe in God, believe in intelligent design, etc.
I'm an equal-opportunity labeler and I will label anyone who allows faith to override reason and evidence as an idiot. It's entirely possible (although, I would hope, rare) that highly intelligent people would fall into that category.
Be careful to not misunderstand or misrepresent my position: I don't claim that believing in God or believing in intelligent design qualifies one as an idiot. It's possible that someone could have received evidence which convinced him of the existence of God via personal revelation. But personal revelations have meaning only to the person receiving them. So if someone was, indeed, convinced by a personal revelation that a particularly flavor of the Christian God is real, then more power to them.
Regarding the beginning of life on earth, you do not have a fact-based belief in how life began (whatever your belief is), because we don't know how life began on day one. I've had a lengthy discussion about this on the Religion Board. Cannot remember if you were a part of it? But as much as people want to run from the "faith" label, having a belief in something that has not or cannot be proved is, at the end of the day, a faith-based belief. Also, there are often provable facts supporting faith-based beliefs.
Regarding the beginning on life on earth, my only position on the topic is one that can be supported by rational facts. Namely, that the building blocks of life can arise as the result of natural processes and our best evidence to date suggests that this is what happened. Generally speaking positing supernatural influences is irrational.
I'd be curious to know which faith-based beliefs you are referring to and what the "provable facts" are, since if there are provable facts the need for faith goes away.
I haven't seen anything about Dr. Carson so far that makes him like other politicians.
Look a little harder. It's like one of those puzzles where you have to squint to see the picture.
-
They are not compatible in any sense: Reason and logic are a tool of knowledge. Faith isn't. Faith involves blind acceptance, induced by feelings and in the absence of any (or worse still, contrary to) rational evidence or proof.
Except that's not what I said. You ought to read my post more closely. It's perfectly possible to be quite intelligent and reach faith-based decisions. Repeating my earlier examples:
- One can believe, on faith, that the Universe was created by a Supreme Being. This is fine and not necessarily irrational, although it certainly can be.
- One can also believe, on faith, that the earth is fixed and the sun revolves around it. This is not fine and it is demonstrably irrational because it contradicts established and easily observable and verifiable facts.
I'm an equal-opportunity labeler and I will label anyone who allows faith to override reason and evidence as an idiot. It's entirely possible (although, I would hope, rare) that highly intelligent people would fall into that category.
Be careful to not misunderstand or misrepresent my position: I don't claim that believing in God or believing in intelligent design qualifies one as an idiot. It's possible that someone could have received evidence which convinced him of the existence of God via personal revelation. But personal revelations have meaning only to the person receiving them. So if someone was, indeed, convinced by a personal revelation that a particularly flavor of the Christian God is real, then more power to them.
Regarding the beginning on life on earth, my only position on the topic is one that can be supported by rational facts. Namely, that the building blocks of life can arise as the result of natural processes and our best evidence to date suggests that this is what happened. Generally speaking positing supernatural influences is irrational.
I'd be curious to know which faith-based beliefs you are referring to and what the "provable facts" are, since if there are provable facts the need for faith goes away.
Look a little harder. It's like one of those puzzles where you have to squint to see the picture.
You are overstating how faith works, at least with me and many people I know. It's not about "blind acceptable" of irrational things. It's about using reason and logic in conjunction with the unknown. For example, most of my faith-based beliefs are rational (at least to me). Things need to make sense. For example, I believe in the Biblical principle of tithing. Can I prove that you will be blessed if you tithe? Not really. I can only tell you what happens to me (and many other people who do it). You can probably come up with a number of possible explanations for how or why I have been blessed with various things, but I link it directly to the challenge that if you return a tenth of what you earn, you will be blessed so much so that there will not be room enough to receive it. Not everyone believes this, and not everyone needs too.
But tithing makes sense to me. It teaches you to live on less than what you earn, and living below your means is one of the key factors in increasing your net worth. It helps you appreciate giving. It makes me feel good to give back. That's the logic behind my faith-based belief. I could give you numerous other examples like this.
That doesn't mean there are things that don't make sense. For instance, I don't understand suffering. I don't know why some good people die young and some corrupt people live a heck of a long time. I just went to a funeral on the mainland last weekend for a high school classmate. He was in what we call his "sweet spot." He ran his own business. Was making a lot of money. Incredibly successful. A terrific dude. One of the nicest, most level-headed persons I've known. Had just bought his dream house and dream cars. Had a beautiful wife and kids. Then he drowned in the middle of a thirty-day vacation in South America. About 1,000 people at his funeral. I don't get that. I have ideas, but no answer.
In any event, I will stop here, because I'm starting to make those absurdly long posts like you. lol
-
Rubio defends his immigration plan, calls Obama's policy a 'lure' in Central America
Published August 03, 2014
FoxNews.com
FILE: Nov. 17, 2012: Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's annual birthday fundraiser in Altoona, Iowa.AP
Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, pressed ahead Sunday with his multi-step immigration-reform plan, amid criticism that conservative voters have forced him to backtrack on comprehensive reform.
“I didn’t get elected to watch national poll numbers,” the first-term Republican senator said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Rubio said Washington has to address the “root causes” of the immigration issue, which has now turned into a crisis situation with tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American youths coming into the United States illegally along the country’s southern border.
He said those problems include a 2008 law intended to protect children from non-bordering countries against human trafficking and President Obama’s 2012 executive memo that defers deportation to young people brought illegally to the U.S.
Rubio pointed out that Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has said the ambiguities in U.S. law have resulted in human traffickers persuading families to hire them to deliver their children from their violent neighborhoods.
“It’s serving as a lure,” he said.
Rubio also defended his plan by saying it remains comprehensive but has to be executed in the only way it will now pass in Congress.
"We will never have the votes necessary to pass one bill," he told Fox.
Rubio vaulted onto the national political scene in 2010, as one of the Tea Party-backed Republicans elected to Congress that year in the GOP wave that also took control of the House.
His profile, as a child of Cuban immigrant parents, positioned him to become a leading Republican in helping pass the Senate’s 2013 bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill.
However, conservatives rallied to criticize the plan as “amnesty” for the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants now living in the U.S., which has effectively killed such a plan in the GOP-led House and caused Rubio to drop in polls.
The Democratic National Committee responded immediately to Rubio's comments.
"Rubio said he hasn’t flip flopped on immigration and that immigration reform is a priority for him," the group said. "If that’s the case, he has a pretty strange way of showing it. First he supported comprehensive reform and helped draft a bipartisan bill in the Senate, then he back tracked his support for his own bill. ...If that’s not flip flopping, then what is?"
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/03/rubio-defends-his-immigration-plan-calls-obama-policy-lure-in-central-america/
-
Ben Carson takes major step toward presidential campaign
Former neurosurgeon launches PAC, names national chairman
By John Solomon - The Washington Times - Friday, August 1, 2014
Ben Carson, the former neurosurgeon turned conservative sensation, is taking a major step toward a 2016 presidential bid by forming a political action committee and selecting the man who would run his campaign, The Washington Times has learned.
Emerging from two-days of meetings with supporters in Palm Beach, Fla., Dr. Carson told the Times on Friday morning he has selected Houston businessman Terry Giles to be his 2016 campaign chairman should he run and approved the formation of a PAC called One Nation.
“Now is the time to start all of the appropriate exploration and investigation, and put down the structure that is necessary,” Dr. Carson said in a phone interview.
Asked about the likelihood he will run for president in 2016, Dr. Carson said: “I would say we are definitely a step or two closer than we were a year ago.”
He said the outcome of the 2014 elections in which Republicans are trying to seize control of the Senate would be a major factor, and that his new PAC would try to support candidates with similar viewpoints as his.
“Obviously we are very interested in what happens in November,” he said. “And if the people also continue to show strong desire for me to run, obviously that would be an important factor too.”
“In the meantime, we will focus our attention on helping those candidates who understand the change we need in our nation, and how to lead toward the healing our of nation,” he said.
Dr. Carson, a popular Washington Times columnist, huddled for two days with about two dozen prominent strategists, potential fund-raisers and supporters in Palm Beach to study all of the “ramifications of a run and make sure all of that is fully understood.”
Among those attending the private meetings were Mr. Giles, TV and radio personality Armstrong Williams, and political email and fund-raising strategist Mike Murray. During the strategy sessions, Dr. Carson asked Mr. Giles, a friend for over two deacdes, to serve as his campaign chairman if he runs.
“Basically if Dr. Carson decides to go forward, I’ve been asked to chair the campaign and make a full commitment during the period of time leading up to a decision and during the election cycle,” Mr. Giles told the Times.
Mr. Giles, who like Dr. Carson won the Horatio Algers award for rising from humble means to business success, said the new PAC would be used to “explore and analyze and engage in homework to determine what the political landscape would look like and how it might materialize for a Carson for President campaign.
“We’re going to continue to watch the political landscape and analyze what it might look like should Ben decide to run, and assuming it continues to look good, we’ll be making additional steps that bring him closer to being a candidate,” he added.
Dr. Carson, for decades one of the world’s premier pediatric neurosurgeons whose work was celebrated in a made-for-TV movie, burst onto the political scene about 18 months ago when he confronted President Obama at a national prayer breakfast ceremony.
Since then, he has fast become a conservative favorite, with a best-selling book, a popular Times column and speaking engagements from coast-to-coast. His speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington back in March drew standing ovations from thousands of activists, heightening talk of a possible presidential run.
Soft-spoken, yet impassioned about issues, Dr. Carson has stressed common sense policy solutions to the nation’s problems while eschewing political correctness and government dependence. In private, Dr. Carson has been testing many of his policy solutions in small meetings with columnists and activists.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/1/ben-carson-takes-major-step-toward-presidential-ca/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS#ixzz39SgZlLvo
-
George Pataki: I Haven't Ruled Out Running for President
Thursday, 07 Aug 2014
By Bill Hoffmann
Former three-term New York Gov. George Pataki refused to rule out a bid for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination during an appearance Thursday on Newsmax TV.
Asked by Newsmax's Steve Malzberg whether he would rule out a run for the White House, Pataki — who has flirted with the idea before — deftly tap-danced around the question.
"People have talked about it in 2001 and 2008, including me, because I did look at it. This time I don't want speculation,'' Pataki said.
Story continues below video.
"You don't dip your toe in and pretend. Either you're in or you're out. The one thing I will say is that Albany is broken, Washington is perhaps even worse….
"It's enormously disappointing and any of us, all of us who care about this country, have to get involved in some capacity. That doesn't mean as a candidate, but help fight to take our country back from those who believe government should dictate how we lead our lives.''
Malzberg then asked, "So you're definitively not running for president?''
"I am definitively saying nothing. It's still summer,'' Pataki said.
"So you're leaving open the door? You're not saying no?'' continued Malzberg.
"I have thought about it in the past and I don't want people speculating. There are probably a dozen candidates out there,'' Pataki said.
"But you are not saying no,'' Malzberg asked again.
"At this point, I'm spending time with my family and our farm in upstate New York,'' Pataki said.
The former leader of the Empire State from 1995-2006 went on to say those most mentioned as possible GOP candidates — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — would all be a "dramatic improvement'' over President Barack Obama.
"And every one of them would be a dramatic improvement over [former Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton or, God forbid, [Massachusetts Sen.] Elizabeth Warren,'' said Pataki, 69.
"We just have seen the Democratic Party switch from being a liberal party with some conservatives to a leftist party with some liberals. We see that with Barack Obama, we see that with Elizabeth Warren, we see it here in New York City with … leftist mayor, Bill de Blasio, who goes to Cuba on his honeymoon.''
"The weakest of the Republican candidates in my view would be a dramatic improvement. This race to me is about not just who's going to be the president, Republicans or Democrats. It's about the nature of this country.''
He said Americans must not allow "a group of elites in Washington'' to dictate how they lead their lives.
While Pataki, chairman of the Pataki-Cahill Group, praised Christie, who is head of the Republican Governors Association, as a possible presidential candidate, he blasted his decision not to endorse Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.
Astorino is running against incumbent New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is now embroiled in a federal probe into whether he tampered with his own anti-corruption commission.
"Rob is a very good candidate. This is not somebody who we took out of some remote area. This is someone who for the last five years has been the county executive of Westchester County,'' Pataki said.
"This is a strong executive, a good candidate who can appeal across party lines…. For the head of the Republican Governors Association in July, [to say] it's a lost cause, it makes every other effort we make to try to get good people to run as Republicans that much harder.''
Asked if Christie should resign from chairing the association because of the Astorino snub, Pataki said: "That's for the Republican governors to decide.''
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/george-pataki-president-new-york-republicans/2014/08/07/id/587569#ixzz39or0s1w6
-
In Iowa, Rick Santorum Testing a Different Message for 2016
Wednesday, 13 Aug 2014
By Jennifer G. Hickey
In Iowa, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum sent another signal that he plans to run for president, but that he intends to do so by running on a different message that can reach a wider audience.
Santorum had traveled to Ames, Iowa, last weekend to attend the annual Family Leader Summit, one of the events presidential aspirants attend to make their initial pitches to the state's social conservatives.
Beginning his speech, Santorum said he planned to "do something different" by focusing his speech less on attacking Obama and more on laying out a positive agenda that is necessary if the Republican Party wants to broaden its base.
Story continues below video.
He noted that Republicans often speak directly to small business owners despite the fact that only 1 in 10 Americans are entrepreneurs.
"There's a lot of other people in America who are looking to us to see what we can communicate to them," he said, echoing the message in his new book, "Blue Collar Conservatives: Recommitting to an America That Work,'' published by Regnery.
Santorum spoke for almost half an hour about expanding U.S. energy policy, investing in infrastructure, proposing to cut the federal gas tax, and eliminating the Common Core education standards, all issues he says can appeal to the "average American" and "reach them where they are."
Naturally, Santorum touched on the social issues, specifically the need to strengthen the family structure and to fight a government that is "not just an idle bystander, but someone who makes it harder to build families" through tax policies and barriers to marriage.
The day before, Santorum did something really different – he said Republican candidates should end the tradition of channeling former President Ronald Reagan in their speeches.
"Every single Republican that runs, they talk about the same three things on the economy. No. 1, cut taxes. No. 2, shrink the government. No. 3, balance the budget. Can you imagine Ronald Reagan in 1979 giving a speech and saying, 'as Wendell Willkie said'?" It was a laugh line. "Because that's how long ago, 35 years, it was from Willkie to Reagan. Wendell Willkie!" said Santorum at an appearance at a picnic in Boone County, Slate reports.
Santorum, who won the 2012 Iowa Caucus, knows he must do some things the same way, including nurturing existing relationships in Iowa. He maintained connections with the grass-roots activists through his political action committee, Patriot Voices, he told the National Journal.
"We have a pretty good membership here, a pretty active membership. This is a state that is very much connected to national politics, and it's fun to be back in town," said the former Pennsylvania senator.
Santorum is in eighth place among potential GOP presidential candidates with 6 percent, according to RealClearPolitics.
Chuck Laudner, who ran Santorum's 2012 Iowa operations, stressed the importance of connecting with the activists on the ground.
"Iowa has this enormous number of grass-roots activists, people who have different spheres of influence — maybe in their county, or in a region of the state, or some are even statewide," Laudner told National Journal. "Inside the party, outside the party, on issues for candidates, everybody knows them. These are the most important people here."
Another sign of Santorum's seriousness about 2016 might be that two prominent Iowa conservatives — Bob Vander Plaats, the CEO of the Iowa-based group The FAMiLY Leader, and Sioux City pastor Cary Gordon of Cornerstone World Outreach — will accompany him when he departs for Israel on Aug. 17, according to TheIowaRepublican.com.
Santorum has attempted to differentiate himself from other Republican candidates on the issue of immigration, a subject he addressed during a July interview on Newsmax TV's "The Steve Malzberg Show."
"The sad thing is that … it doubles the level of immigration. We're talking about 50 million new immigrants here in the next 20 years. I'm a first-generation American. I believe in immigration, it's a wise thing,'' he said.
"If we quote 'fix immigration,' we simply create another problem by attracting tens of thousands and millions of more immigrants into this country who will create the next 12 million 20 years from now," he added.
Santorum, 56, served in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007, losing his 2006 re-election bid to Democrat Bob Casey Jr.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Rick-Santorum-Iowa-president/2014/08/13/id/588475/#ixzz3AIwVWDqi
-
Sounds like he's running again.
Romney on 2016 Run: ‘Circumstances Can Change’
by Eddie Scarry | 6:50 pm, August 26th, 2014 AUDIO
Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has denied he’s not going to make a third bid for the White House but on Tuesday he left open a very small window.
“I know you’re going to press, but you know, this is something we gave a lot of thought to when early on I decided we’re not going to be running this time,” Romney said in an interview with Hugh Hewitt. “And again, we said look, I had the chance of running. I didn’t win. Someone else has a better chance than I do. And that’s what we believe, and that’s why I’m not running. And you know, circumstances can change, but I’m just not going to let my head go there.”
Romney’s former running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) recently said he hopes Romney will run again.
Listen via Hugh Hewitt:
http://www.mediaite.com/online/romney-on-2016-run-circumstances-can-change/
-
Obama's numbers were horrible. He was SO beatable in 2016. Romney had his chance.
if he will do anything, he will run again... he will spend enough against a divided tea party field and get his 24% of the overall vote and win the nomination... then he'll be destroyed by "any given dem".
If he cannot win against Obama, in the horrible shape obama was in back in 2012... Ugh.
Romney's style of "I flirt with dems and pretend to be tea party" screwed the pooch in 2008 with mccain, it lost the most winnable election in years in 2012, and it'll lose to anyone in 2016.
Romney is amazing at many things - but he's just NOT a people person. He's not. They don't like him. yes, 47% of him like him, and some "repubs" here just adore the dude. But 52.9% of the population doesn't like him. Plain and simple. He's gooda t many thing, but he's just not likeable, sorry, but he's not. Never will be.
-
Texas Abuzz About Possible Perry-Cruz 2016 Battle
August 28, 2014
AUSTIN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – Two Texans, one White House. Is the 2016 Republican campaign trail big enough?
After plummeting from prime contender to political punchline three years ago, Gov. Rick Perry has spent months gearing up for a second run. And he’s turned his recent indictment on felony abuse-of-power charges into a campaign rallying cry.
But even as Perry works to convince conservatives that he’ll be better at coping with the national spotlight this time, he’s increasingly bumping up against his state’s junior senator, tea party darling Ted Cruz, whose firebomb approach on Capitol Hill has grassroots activists clamoring for him to make a White House run.
The prospect of a two-Texan presidential tilt is dominating political conversation in the state, even outshining a fiercely contested governor’s race – and starting to get noticed nationally. Perry’s preparations have long been obvious, while Cruz is working to raise his profile beyond just the far-right base and insert himself into the presidential conversation.
Asked about the 2016 prospects of both, Jim DeMint, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, replied, “I think Cruz even more than Perry right now.”
Though he’s not endorsing either yet, DeMint added, “Ted has become really the national conservative leader.”
Cruz and Perry, along with potential presidential rival Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, are addressing this weekend’s national gathering of the conservative political group Americans for Prosperity in Dallas, TX. Cruz has made himself the star of such events, sometimes introduced as “our next president.”
At a recent national gathering organized by the conservative blog RedState, hundreds of attendees bowed their heads to pray for him, calling Cruz an instrument of God’s will.
Cruz himself says “time will tell” if he joins the presidential race. Perry has made no secret he’s seriously considering a run.
Two Texans haven’t competed for the presidency since George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot in 1992. Things got testy that time, as the New England-born incumbent had his true-Texas credentials questioned by the billionaire Dallas businessman, with his exaggerated twang and outlandish axioms like, “If someone as blessed as I am is not willing to clean out the barn, who will?”
“I think they’re both running. They probably don’t like me saying it,” said Texas Republican Party chairman Steve Munisteri, who noted that Texas’ March 1 presidential primary in 2016 should make it the first to vote among large states, and could leave only one Texan standing.
Both, meanwhile, would be competing at least to start for the same slice of the Republican base, the religious and social conservatives energized by an intense mistrust of President Barack Obama.
Some Texas donors are already bracing for the prospect. “I’d be splitting dollars, no question,” said George Strake, Jr., a former Texas secretary of state and Perry 2012 donor who also served as Houston finance chairman for Cruz’s Senate campaign. “It’s going to split up a lot of people who used to give to the same one, or who maybe even used to be friends.”
Perry is a monster fundraiser but relies heavily on Texas. Cruz has raised big bucks from a large national base that tends to give in small increments.
Cruz has been unequivocal in standing behind Perry following the governor’s indictment for cutting off state funds to an office investigating statewide corruption after the Democratic district attorney who runs it ignored his calls to resign. But the two Republicans don’t always see eye-to-eye. Perry’s key selling point is his record as a job-creator, overseeing Texas’ white-hot economy. But Cruz counters that only the free market, not politicians offering tax incentives or pulling policy strings, as Perry has done, can create jobs.
Asked about the possibility that Cruz had outpaced him as Texas’ top conservative, Perry quipped in June, “Ask me in eight years if Senator Cruz has made an impact.”
At a recent event, Cruz made a subtle dig when he flubbed while counting off a list of his Senate accomplishments: “Victory number four – five,” Cruz said, adding, “I could say ‘oops,’ but that would make news.” That recalls Perry’s infamous 2011 “oops moment” brain freeze in a 2010 GOP debate that damaged his candidacy.
As the GOP field takes shape, Perry has been to Iowa five times since November, as well as to New Hampshire and South Carolina. Cruz has been to all three states even more often. His former regional director has founded a group called Draft Ted Cruz for President.
Jamie Johnson, a Republican Central Committee member in Iowa, which holds the first presidential caucus, says the buzz about 2016 is growing. Especially about Cruz.
“It’s not just name recognition or likability, it’s how much will people rearrange their schedule to go see someone or meet someone,” Johnson said “and that is happening for Ted Cruz.”
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/08/28/texas-abuzz-about-possible-perry-cruz-2016-battle/
-
James Carville: Romney Will Run Again in 2016
Thursday, 28 Aug 2014
By Greg Richter
Democratic strategist James Carville believes two-time presidential candidate Mitt Romney will go for a third try in 2016, even though the 2012 GOP nominee has said he won't seek the nation's top office again.
"He's run for president twice. I once noted that running for president was like having sex: No one did it once and forgot about it," Carville said Thursday on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor."
Editor's Note: Seniors Scoop Up Unclaimed $20,500 Checks? (See if You qualify)
Romney said on Tuesday's Hugh Hewitt radio show that "circumstances can change," and put him back in the field. He far outpaced other names in a recent poll of Republicans in Iowa.
"We know he wants to be president; he's run twice," Carville said, adding that 2014 has been a bad year for many expecting to toss their hats in the GOP ring. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has faced the "Bridge-gate" scandal, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently was indicted on charges that he misused his office in a case that even most Democrats see as political targeting.
"A lot of people who looked promising have sort of faded," Carville said. "Romney would be a classic Republican nominee. They always tend to go with the old, experienced white guy. And he's the old, experienced white guy right now."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/James-Carville-Mitt-Romney-president/2014/08/28/id/591547/#ixzz3BpDtB4CO
-
texans will choose Perry over Cruz. They'll be FOOLS to do it. But they will. Watch and see :(
-
Poll: Don't change election law for Rand Paul
James R. Carroll, jcarroll@courier-journal.com
8:September 1, 2014
WASHINGTON – Kentucky Republican Rand Paul has suggested that he might run simultaneously for the presidency and re-election to the Senate in 2016, but two-thirds of registered voters in the state — including a majority of Republicans — oppose changing the law to make that easier, according to the latest Bluegrass Poll.
As a matter of fact, only 15 percent of Kentucky registered voters think Paul should run for both offices, the survey finds. By a 24-22 percent split, slightly more believe he should run only for his Senate seat than make a bid for the White House. And a third of voters oppose the freshman senator running for anything.
Paul enjoys a 39 percent favorability rating in the state, the poll shows. Thirty-two percent of registered voters view the senator unfavorably, while 24 percent say they are neutral.
"I can see the dilemma," said Harvey Tincher, 67, of Waddy, Ky., referring to Paul's dual-office challenge. But Tincher, a farmer retired from a technology company, said the law doesn't need changing — the senator needs to make a choice.
"You've got to run for one or run for the other," Tincher said. "The backup is the fear of losing. … If you're going to do it, go all the way."
However, he is among those who would prefer that Paul try to stay in the Senate. The senator's world view would be a problem as president, Tincher said.
"He's more of an isolationist, and we don't live in an isolated world," he said.
The Bluegrass Poll asked the opinions of 647 registered Kentucky voters Aug. 25-27, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points on the question about changing the law; and plus or minus 3.9 percentage points on questions about Paul's favorability ratings and whether he should run for president, the Senate or both. The poll was conducted by SurveyUSA for The Courier-Journal, Louisville's WHAS-TV, The Lexington Herald Leader and Lexington's WKYT-TV.
Mary Dean is among that small group favoring a double candidacy by Kentucky's junior senator — and she's a Democrat.
"I do think he's a good senator and I think he'd make an excellent president, if they would change the law to allow that in the state of Kentucky," said the 58-year-old retired registered nurse, who lives in Liberty, Ky.
Dean's party affiliation is no barrier to her positive view of Paul. "I think he's a personable candidate — you can talk to him and he will answer you," she said.
Kentucky's junior senator has maintained a furious travel pace this year, including visits to early caucus and primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. That has fueled speculation in the media and Republican Party circles that he intends to be a presidential candidate in 2016.
The senator was among a group of possible 2016 Republican presidential hopefuls who spoke Friday and Saturday at a conference in Dallas sponsored by the conservative political group Americans for Prosperity.
Paul told The Courier-Journal in a July interview that a decision on mounting a presidential campaign "will be made in the beginning of 2015 sometime or the spring of 2015."
However, the senator also has told Kentucky Republicans his name will be on the ballot as a Senate candidate in 2016.
Kentucky law prohibits a candidate's name from appearing for two separate offices on the same ballot in most cases.
An effort earlier this year by Republicans in the Kentucky Legislature to change the state law was blocked by the Democrats running the state House.
Allowing Paul to run for two offices at the same time is not popular, with 54 percent of Republicans, 57 percent of independents and 78 percent of Democrats opposed to changing state law, according to the poll.
Stick to running for the Senate and never mind changing the law, advised Betty Jean Simmons, a 74-year-old Republican who lives in Paul's home town of Bowling Green. She is a retired farmer and newspaper carrier.
Simmons said Paul should not run for president because it's too soon.
"He doesn't have enough experience," she said. "I just don't think he's capable."
Paul's positive ratings with voters are helped by the 61 percent of Republicans who view him favorably. While 36 percent of independents also view him favorably, an identical percentage say they are neutral on the senator.
More women — 35 percent — view Paul unfavorably than favorably — 33 percent. Conversely, 45 percent of men have a favorable opinion of Paul, while 28 percent have an unfavorable view.
Although Paul has been making much-publicized efforts to reach out to black voters, that group in Kentucky is not swayed: 48 percent view him unfavorably, while just 13 percent have a favorable opinion. A third of black voters say they are neutral.
Paul's potential bid for the White House divides Republicans as much as Kentucky voters in general. The poll finds that 33 percent of registered Republicans in the state favor such a run, while 31 percent prefer Paul to seek a second term in the Senate. Just 19 percent of Republicans think Paul should pursue both the presidency and the Senate.
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/rand-paul/2014/09/01/bluegrass-poll-two-thirds-oppose-changing-law-help-rand-paul-run-two-offices/14944351/
-
September 23, 2014, 06:13 pm
Ann Romney on 2016: 'Well, we will see'
By Mario Trujillo
Ann Romney on Tuesday did not rule out a third presidential bid for her husband, Mitt, if former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) decides not to enter the 2016 race.
"Well, we will see, won't we, Neil?" she said, when Fox News host Neil Cavuto asked about the possibility. "I think Jeb probably will end up running myself. ... He's probably looking at it very carefully right now."
Romney later said and her husband have no plans "at this point" to run again. Bush and the former Massachusetts governor draw support from a similar base, she said.
Speculation has swirled about a third run for Romney with a wide-open field for the Republican nod in early polling, but the most recent nominee has continuously ruled it out.
Ann Romney has been a driving force in her husband's political career in the past. She was reportedly only one of two members of the Romney family to initially push to have her husband run a second time in 2012.
Romney told Cavuto she would “love to see” a female GOP contender, naming South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez.
“I'd love to see more women participate," she said.
During the interview, Romney also criticized Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz's (D-Fla.) comments as offensive, after the DNC chief was forced to apologize for comparing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) policies to domestic violence.
“It's ridiculous, honestly," Romney said. "I mean, I don't think they're getting very far with that, by the way. It's not going to work. I think women are a lot smarter than that. And that's kind of offensive to me, to tell you the truth."
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/218703-ann-romney-on-another-run-well-we-will-see-wont-we
-
Ben Carson Says 'Likelihood Is Strong' That He Will Run for President in 2016
BY LEONARDO BLAIR , CP REPORTER
September 23, 2014
(http://images.christianpost.com/full/59051/ben-carson.jpg)
Ben Carson
(PHOTO: CPAC/ERIC DRAPER)
Dr. Ben Carson at the Conservative Political Action Conference, National Harbor, Md., March 16, 2013.
Celebrated neurosurgeon and conservative darling Ben Carson declared Monday that the "likelihood is strong" that he will make a presidential run in 2016.
Carson told conservative commentator Hugh Hewiitt on "The Hugh Hewitt Show" that if he sees strong support for his candidacy, he will give it his all to win the Republican nomination and the presidential election.
"I know you like debating. And so, the question arises: Will we be seeing you on the presidential debate circuit next year that the Republicans are organizing for those who want the nomination of the party?" Hewitt asked Carson during the interview.
Carson replied: "I think the chances are reasonably good of that happening. I'm waiting for a few more months. I want to make sure that it's clearly something my fellow Americans want me to do. And I'm also waiting to see what the results are in November, because if the people indicate that they truly do want a nation that is for, of and by the people, then I, along with many other people, would be willing to give it everything we possibly have."
The Christian Post reported last month that the 62-year-old Republican has formed a political action committee under the name of One Nation which will act as a tool to provide campaign funding for Carson and other like-minded congressional candidates. Carson selected Houston business tycoon Terry Giles to run the PAC. Giles could be his campaign manager should he decide to run.
When asked if he felt like he had the experience to go up against more seasoned politicians like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Carson quipped: "I've been talking all of my life. And I will continue to talk. You know, I will never be a politician. I will tell you that right off the bat."
Carson then reiterated that he will not be making an official announcement on his final decision until May 2015, and insists the timeline will not be too late.
"I have a lot of consultants. One of the things I've learned is you need to talk to a lot of people. The Bible says in the multitude of consulars is safety, and you look at historical things, and you make sure you have all your I's dotted and your T's crossed, and we're doing that," Carson asserted.
"Unless the American people indicate in November that they like big government intervention in every part of their lives, I think the likelihood is strong [I will run for president]," he said.
When asked who he believes will be his base supporters, Carson said: "I hope it's going to be that individual who loves America, who understands that we should place the Constitution on the top shelf, that we should not pick and choose who the winners and losers are in our society, and that we shouldn't pick and choose which laws we want to enforce, and those people who understand that the person who has the most to do with what happens to you in life is you."
http://www.christianpost.com/news/ben-carson-says-likelihood-is-strong-that-he-will-run-for-president-in-2016-126882/
-
Please god let him run ;D
-
Please god let him run ;D
+1
Then when he flames out and crashes by the 3rd primary debate, his answer to why "God" wouldn't allow him to win is going to be comical to say the least.
-
+1
Then when he flames out and crashes by the 3rd primary debate, his answer to why "God" wouldn't allow him to win is going to be comical to say the least.
I cant wait. BB thinks the guy is a genius and i think he is a tool.
Time will tell.
-
Jeb Bush Returns to Fray and Finds Going Rough
By JONATHAN MARTIN
SEPT. 24, 2014
GREENSBORO, N.C. — In one of his first public appearances of the 2014 campaign, former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida had a vivid preview Wednesday of the challenges he would face with his party’s conservative base should he seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016.
Standing alongside Thom Tillis, the North Carolina House speaker and Republican Senate candidate, Mr. Bush outlined his views on two of the issues he cares most passionately about: immigration policy and education standards. But as Mr. Bush made the case for an immigration overhaul and the Common Core standards, Mr. Tillis gently put distance between himself and his guest of honor, who had flown here from Florida on a dreary day to offer his endorsement in a race that could decide which party controls the Senate.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush signing a copy of “Immigration Wars,” a book he wrote with Clint Bolick, in Maryland last year. His reputation as the “deepest thinker on our side,” according to the strategist Karl Rove, has earned him support in the Republican establishment.Jeb Bush Gives Party Something to Think AboutMAY 24, 2014
“You have to make it clear that amnesty shouldn’t be on the table,” Mr. Tillis said, referring to how to address those immigrants currently in the country illegally. “That doesn’t negate any opportunity to provide some with legal status and other things, but you only do that after you seal the borders and you make the problem no longer grow.”
Mr. Bush supports a pathway to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants and complained that not addressing the immigration system had “done us harm economically.” Speaking to a group of business owners in a lighting company’s warehouse, he said, “Fixing a system that doesn’t work is a big thing that I think will restore and sustain economic growth for this country.”
“If it was framed in that way, I don’t think there’s a big debate in the Republican Party about the need to do this,” he said. “And my hope is with a Republican-controlled Senate, we can begin to see a conversation about how to go about doing that.”
But an easy resolution is not likely in his party. After a reporter noted that Mr. Bush’s immigration stance was more “conciliatory,” the former governor chuckled and the Republicans in the audience let out a brief, nervous laugh.
On the Common Core, the educational standards first devised by a bipartisan group of governors, which have become deeply unpopular among conservative activists, Mr. Tillis also sounded far more conservative than Mr. Bush. The North Carolina House approved the standards in 2011, but, facing primary challengers from the right earlier this year, Mr. Tillis backed away from them.
“I’m not willing to settle just for a national standard if we think we can find things to set a new standard and a best practice,” Mr. Tillis said, pivoting to an attack on the federal Education Department as “a bureaucracy of 5,000 people in Washington” who make an average salary of a little more than $100,000.
While criticizing the Education Department is common among Republicans, Mr. Tillis was standing next to the younger brother of President George W. Bush, whose signature accomplishments include No Child Left Behind, the sweeping federal education law run by the department.
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
Mr. Bush sensed the need to play down any differences and returned to the microphone. “We can argue about what to call these things,” he said, but maintained that the focus ought to be on ensuring high standards.
The two issues, though, illustrate the rightward drift of the Republican Party since President Bush left the White House, and the pressure current candidates feel to respond to the more conservative party base.
For Jeb Bush, who has not been in office since 2007, all the rhetorical footwork showed what he would have to contend with should he seek the Republican nomination.
Mr. Bush deflected a question on his intentions during the event, but in a brief conversation as he headed for his car, he suggested that taking on his own party’s rank-and-file was not among his considerations. “It’s not a political process, so it won’t take that long once I start,” he said of his decision making.
Asked if his concerns were family-related, he said, “Yeah.”
Mr. Bush’s wife, Columba, showed little appetite for the political sphere when he served two terms as Florida’s governor. But many Republicans believe the more pressing concern for Mr. Bush is how a presidential campaign would affect his daughter, Noelle, who has struggled with substance abuse in the past.
For now, Mr. Bush, who until now has mostly appeared at fund-raisers closed to the press, said he was going to focus on electing Republican governors and members of Congress.
“I’ve done this every election cycle, when I was governor and post my governorship,” he said of his campaign schedule. “I guess because of the speculation, no one really cared back then, and now it’s a bigger deal.”
Correction: September 24, 2014
An earlier version of this article misstated the day of Jeb Bush’s appearance in North Carolina. It was Wednesday, not Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/us/politics/jeb-bush-returns-to-fray-and-finds-going-rough.html?_r=0
-
Christie ramps up 2016 push
By Peter Schroeder
With a bridge scandal potentially behind him, Chris Christie is taking a now-clear road to help fellow Republicans — and himself — on the campaign trail.
As head of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), Christie is ramping up his support for Republican governors nationwide, trying to regain ground ahead of the 2016 race for the White House.
Between his dual role as head of GOP governors and the state of New Jersey, Christie has not been an infrequent traveler. But with just over a month until Election Day, he is hitting a new gear, hoping to put miles between him and the bridge scandal that derailed his political hopes at the beginning of the year.
In June, Christie made five trips to four different states on behalf of the RGA, with a repeat swing through Pennsylvania. But by September, his itinerary had more than doubled, as he will visit a dozen more states by the end of the month.
The frequent travel isn’t just limited to governor’s races — it allows Christie to stump for top GOP Senate candidates and also gives him ample opportunity to regain a position as a GOP presidential front-runner. And it shows that Republicans in close races are not shying away from him as a surrogate and fundraiser.
Christie has spent much of his time working on behalf of fellow GOP governors, but he has also tried to use his influence in several contested Senate races as well. He has spent time in New Hampshire campaigning on Scott Brown’s behalf, and has also spent time in North Carolina and Michigan working on the behalf of Thom Tillis and Terri Lynn Land, respectively.
“He’s shedding pounds and racking up frequent flier miles,” said GOP strategist Ford O’Connell. “His focus has been on running for the nomination.”
In those travels, Christie is hitting up a broad variety of locales that could help bolster a 2016 bid. Appearing several times on his itinerary in the last few months are early primary states like New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina.
But Christie, who would be a formidable general election candidate thanks to his ability to win over moderates and some Democrats, is also repeatedly visiting presidential swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
And all along the way, Christie is lending his support and fundraising prowess to a host of GOP heavyweights who could prove useful in two years.
“Part of the case he will have to make when he runs for president is the record the RGA has in this cycle,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Texas-based Republican strategist.
The map for GOP governors is a tough one in 2014. And Republicans are playing defense in many of those races. Of the 27 governors races happening nationwide, 16 are held by Republicans. Democrats are expected to pick up a spot in Pennsylvania by ousting Gov. Tom Corbett, who has fallen well behind in the polls. And eight Republican governors are fending off challengers in races considered “toss ups” by Real Clear Politics, compared to six for Democrats. A solid run by Republicans could lead to GOP gains among governors in 2014, but it’s looking just as likely, if not moreso, that the party could lose top state spots come November.
Christie’s travel with the RGA has allowed him to cast a broad net and put himself in front of a host of GOP voters. In addition to swing states and early primary states, Christie has also spent time in very conservative parts of the country, like Alabama and Arkansas, appearing before voters who might be wary of his blue-state roots.
The ramped-up travel schedule comes as signs emerge that Christie could be cleared in a traffic jam scandal that upended his early momentum as a presidential pick. A New York NBC affiliate reported earlier this month that a federal probe into the politically motivated closure of the George Washington Bridge had found no signs Christie knew about it, although that probe is still ongoing.
That scandal threw Christie off the front-runner track when it first emerged, but the lack of evidence pointing to his knowledge is giving him some distance from that event. Christie has always professed his ignorance of the traffic jam created as political retribution, blaming the event on former staff.
As Christie continues to travel, he also is able to lean on his fundraising prowess as proof he is a strong 2016 candidate. Under his leadership, the RGA has broken fundraising records, bringing in more than $75 million. And that haul is all the more impressive given that most of the attention, and dollars, have been spent on the GOP bid to take over the Senate.
“The RGA credential does matter for you because you get to travel a lot and raise money, but what matters more is the record you had when you were there,” said Mackowiak. “So far, from what I can tell, Christie’s been pretty active and pretty successful.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/219076-christie-ramps-up-2016-push
-
Boo Hoo. Even Fox doesn't think he will win.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/09/28/fox-news-host-tells-tea-party-darling-ben-carson-president.html
During the most recent broadcast of Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace spoke to neurosurgeon Ben Carson about Carson’s possible Presidential run in 2016. Wallace had to break it to Carson that he really doesn’t have any shot at winning in 2016. Wallace also highlighted Carson’s complete lack of experience in the political world as a huge negative if he were to go through with a White House run in 2016.
-
I watched the interview. Good interview. That wasn't "Fox" saying he cannot win. It was Chris Wallace asking a good, accurate question. If Dr. Carson runs he will absolutely be a long-shot.
But I don't think the lack of political experience is a negative.
Was sort of a breath of fresh air to listen to a smart, honest person talk about the state of the country and where we need to be, rather than some political hack.
-
Christie ramps up 2016 push
By Peter Schroeder
If at first you don't succeed...
Well, Christie is a lot like RINOs mccain and romney. HUGE liberal history.
RINOs haven't been winning lately. Repubs choose Christie, and it's president hilary or warren.
-
Here's How Mitt Romney Could Become a Contender in 2016
National Journal
Rebecca Nelson
While the "will he or won't he" chatter of a third Mitt Romney presidential run balloons, the former Massachusetts governor and two-time candidate may be priming himself for a rare opportunity to get back in the game. And, at least according to some people close to the former candidate, that could come in a highly unusual way.
Though no Republicans have yet announced their candidacies, the field of potentials is already crowded. And aside from a few exceptions—former Pennsylvania Gov. Rick Santorum and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee among them—the possible 2016ers would be running on the national stage for the first time.
The GOP's election veteran hasn't completely ruled out running again. Last month, Romney toldThe New York Times Magazine, "We'll see what happens." Taken alone, that's not much to draw conclusions on. The ambivalence is a decidedly altered position, though, from his rhetoric since 2012, which can be summed up as a resolute "Never again." Even as late as August, he told a crowd in Chicago that he was definitely not running.
It helps that Romney hasn't faded quietly into political history. A household name for better or worse, he's gone on the Sunday shows and stumped for fellow Republicans. In the last two years, as he's hosted policy conferences and raised money for vulnerable Republicans, his hold on a significant slice of the GOP establishment has not eased up. If the 2012 election had been held in July of this year, according to a CNN/ORC poll, Romney would have beat President Obama handily, 53 percent to 44 percent.
Romney concedes the election © Provided by National Journal Romney concedes the election
"Every day, wherever he goes, morning, noon, or night, people stop him, call him, beg him, scream at him, 'Please run,' " Ron Kaufman, a former senior adviser to Romney, told National Journal. "An awful lot of people in this country feel that Mitt Romney would be the best person to be president."
Hindsight is 20/20, of course, and the chance to beat Obama won't ever come again. But under a special set of circumstances, Romney's closest advisers see a window—albeit a small one—for the onetime GOP nominee to get in the race.
"I think he wants to be in a position where if everyone else implodes, he's the one that party leaders call to save the day," one former Romney adviser told National Journal.
For a man who guessed he'd be branded a "loser for life," an eager jump into the fray could be embarrassing. If he was courted, though, the ambitious politician could be swayed by a call to fulfill his patriotic duty.
At the Chicago event, Romney said there were "other good people in the party" thinking about running, and he told CBS's Bob Schieffer earlier this year that he'd be "supporting one of them very vigorously." He's had his turn, he's said, and should step aside for the new crop of GOP leaders. But if the field collapses, the Republican establishment could find him waiting in the wings.
"Could he be drafted? Could everyone from the party come and say, 'You have to run because you're the only person'? Is that possible? Sure," Kaufman said.
But the odds of this playing out are still extremely slim. Kaufman, who doubts Romney would wind up in such a position, points out that the last person to be grudgingly enlisted into a presidential campaign was Dwight Eisenhower. Unlike Romney, Eisenhower had never run for president before, and boasted a better track record for victory: He had recently helped win World War II as supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe.
In other words, Romney swooping in to save a fractured party at the 2016 GOP nominating convention is not likely. But his supporters at least think that as an establishment favorite, Romney could play the hero if party upstarts and likely candidates Ted Cruz and Rand Paul crash and burn.
It all may hinge on whether another candidate who's popular with the establishment, such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, joins the field. In that case, Romney's unique position could be rendered null, closing his window. But the scattered clammering for a Romney candidacy could last all the way through the convention.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/heres-how-mitt-romney-could-become-a-contender-in-2016/ar-BB7SCOF
-
Here's How Mitt Romney Could Become a Contender in 2016
LOL at this line in particular:
"Could he be drafted? Could everyone from the party come and say, 'You have to run because you're the only person'? Is that possible? Sure," Kaufman said.
Sorry, but the GOP wins, and wins big, when they have a president that INSPIRES people. Mitt has all the resume in the world, but people don't like him, the base hates him, and he doesn't inspire. He's the "default" flavor. It was good enough to win nomination in 2012 when Cain was hiding 12 affairs, Bachman was hiding in bushes, Newt was hiding skittles, and Trump was playing hide the sausage with NBC, who pays him millions to make the GOP look bad. Mitt won because he showed up. But Mitt didn't have the star power to beat a weak-ass obama.
Mitt can't win, but repubs are just begging for a RINO with minimal damage, and after bridgegate, after showing his true colors (shady, weak, unlikable, blame his whole team, buck doesn't stop here), chris christie looks like shit.
-
It was good enough to win nomination in 2012 when Cain was hiding 12 affairs
I'm not going to ask you for a link or where you got this from, and just skip to the part where I call you a pathological liar.
-
I'm not going to ask you for a link or where you got this from, and just skip to the part where I call you a pathological liar.
well, it was a dozen accusers, right? He admitted the 11-year affair with the lesbian he was paying off.
-
well, it was a dozen accusers, right? He admitted the 11-year affair with the lesbian he was paying off.
You tell me, since you made the unqualified statement that "Cain was hiding 12 affairs"? Why did you lie about this?
And when did he admit an 11-year affair with the lesbian he was paying off? Are you lying yet again?
-
You tell me, since you made the unqualified statement that "Cain was hiding 12 affairs"? Why did you lie about this?
And when did he admit an 11-year affair with the lesbian he was paying off? Are you lying yet again?
Cain admits paying her off for over a decade:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/guy-White.html
The statement released by his legal team said it was "
http://www.redstate.com/2011/11/28/herman-cains-attorney-basically-admits-affair/
-
Cain admits paying her off for over a decade:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/guy-White.html
The statement released by his legal team said it was "
http://www.redstate.com/2011/11/28/herman-cains-attorney-basically-admits-affair/
Good grief. You still lying about this?
I clicked the first link you posted and the headline is: "Arise Dame Angelina! Hollywood royalty Jolie meets the real thing at Buckingham Palace to be awarded her honorary dame hood." LOL! I skimmed the rest of the page and saw nothing that says "Cain was hiding 12 affairs" as you claim.
I clicked the second link and there is no admission by Cain that he had an 11-year affair with a lesbian he was paying off, as you claim.
I've asked you this repeatedly, but why on earth do you repeatedly just flat out make stuff up?
-
I doubt he will run as an independent and even if he did, he'd have no shot. I've had a number of conversations with one of my very active Republican friends who is still all over the homosexual marriage issue and told him this is done already. There isn't going to be some Constitutional amendment, the Supreme Court is punting, public opinion has changed. It's over.
Huckabee's Threat Could Damage GOP Chances for 2016
Thursday, 09 Oct 2014
By Todd Beamon
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's threat to leave the Republican Party over the same-sex marriage issue could prove damaging to the GOP as it struggles to build a national strategy to win the White House in 2016, political observers told Newsmax on Thursday.
"Given the mood in the country, Mike Huckabee can do serious damage to the Republican nominee if he runs as a tea party independent against a mainstream republican nominee," said Democratic analyst and pollster Doug Schoen. "Best news Hillary Clinton has had all week."
Matt Towery, a GOP pollster and debate expert, said that Huckabee potentially bolting from the party would "be a huge issue for Republicans."
"They can ill-afford a very credible conservative leader shearing away any of their vote in the general election, if he were to get on the ballot in some of the states where that is an issue of significance," he said.
But Maggie Gallagher, senior fellow of the conservative American Principles Project, said that "many ordinary voters are going to be grateful" should Huckabee strike out on his own.
"He is the kind of man who speaks from the heart, not the pundits' polling playbook," she said. "For the last eight years, 'professional Republicans' in D.C. have urged GOP candidates to remain silent on some of the core moral issues of our time."
Bradley Blakeman, an adviser for former President George W. Bush, also welcomed a possible Huckabee departure — but for a different reason.
"If he wants to leave the party, I wish him good luck," he told Newsmax. "This party is about more than a person. It's about a lot of different ideas and principles — some of which, if you want to be a member, you don't aspire to and others that you do."
In an interview with the American Family Association on Tuesday, Huckabee charged that establishment Republicans had "abdicated" on gay marriage and other social issues, vowing that he might run for the White House in 2016 as an independent candidate.
"If the Republicans want to lose guys like me, and a whole bunch of still God-fearing, Bible-believing people, go ahead and just abdicate on this issue — and go ahead and say abortion doesn't matter, either," he said. "Because at that point, you lose me, I'm gone."
Huckabee was interviewed on AFA's "Today's Issues" radio show by Tim Wildmon, the association's president, and Ed Vitigliano, the association’s research director.
"I'll become an independent," the former governor continued. "I'll start finding people that have guts to stand. I'm tired of this."
He reiterated his position to Newsmax on Thursday.
"I don’t think the GOP is going to walk away from the entire body of values voters — but if so, then there would likely be no place for me as a voter or candidate," Huckabee said in an email. "I wouldn't be leaving them; they'd be leaving us."
The Supreme Court earlier this week refused to hear appeals from five states that sought to maintain their bans on gay marriage. The decision cleared the way for a broad expansion of same-sex marriage in as many as 30 states and the District of Columbia.
Special: The One Thing You Should Do for Your Prostate Every Morning
The states affected by the court's action on Monday were Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia. Officials had appealed lower court rulings to keep their bans.
Huckabee, 59, is among many Republicans weighing a White House run. Clinton, the former secretary of state, has said she will announce early next year whether she will run on the Democratic ticket. Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses in 2008. He also hosts a Fox News program.
In sizing up a potential Huckabee defection, the political strategists told Newsmax that the former governor's outrage with his party on gay marriage flies in the face of attitudes among many Republicans and conservatives.
"It shows the difficulty the Republicans are in," Towery said. "Nationwide, the polling continues to show that the swing voters that the Republicans need to attract are voters who are far more willing to accept same-sex marriage and are changing their position on these matters."
According to a Gallup poll released in May, 55 percent of Americans now approve of same-sex marriage, the highest level ever. That compared with 68 percent who opposed gay marriage in 1996, when Gallup first surveyed Americans on the issue.
Among Republicans, 30 percent backed same-sex marriage in the May survey, versus 16 precent in 1996.
For conservatives, regardless of party affiliation, Gallup found 31 percent in favor in May, compared with only 14 percent in 1996.
"While Governor Huckabee probably would have a very strong following that is critical to a Republican victory, his position probably isn't in line with the direction the GOP needs to go in order to be competitive in years to come," Towery said.
Also citing the Gallup data, Blakeman observed, "This is hardly a liberal agenda."
"Republicans make a mistake when we get bogged down in social issues at the expense of what's really the root cause of America's woes, and that's the economy and national security," he said.
Blakeman now is a professor of public policy, politics, and international affairs at Georgetown University.
"Republicans have a choice: If they don't like same-sex marriage, then they will not marry of the same sex," he said. "Likewise with abortion: If you don't agree with abortion, I don't suppose that you will be getting one.
"The law is the law, and Roe v. Wade, the chance of it being overturned is slim to none," Blakeman said, referring to the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
"Huckabee can dig in his heels, but if being a Republican is only about same-sex marriage, then he's not much of a Republican," he added. "Being a Republican is much more than this."
Towery countered that Huckabee's credibility as an independent presidential candidate could affect Republicans the way Alabama Gov. George Wallace did in a close 1968 election that was won the next morning by former GOP Vice President Richard Nixon.
Nominated by the American Independent Party, Wallace ran on a segregationist platform that was spurned by the Democratic Party. He took five states, all in the Deep South, winning 13.5 percent of the popular vote, to Nixon's 43.4 percent.
The Democratic candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, won 42.7 percent.
"Governor Huckabee would be a formidable independent candidate," Towery said. "Many feel that if Wallace had not been a candidate, that race would have easily gone to Nixon.
"A move by Huckabee, regardless of how one feels about this issue — whether it's a good idea, a bad idea, with him, or against him — from a sheer analytical standpoint, I see it as potentially having the same impact as George Wallace did in 1968."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/mike-huckabee-republicans-president-impact/2014/10/09/id/599823/#ixzz3Fkrz7Bua
-
Iowa Poll: Romney, Carson Top Picks for GOP 2016 Nominee
Wednesday, 15 Oct 2014
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Former Republican GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who says he won't mount a third presidential campaign, came in first among potential candidates in a new Iowa poll, with retired Baltimore neurosurgeon Ben Carson, a political newcomer, coming in second place.
But overall, the latest Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll shows that the state's Republicans are nowhere near a consensus on who to place on the ticket, The Register reported Tuesday.
Out of 425 Republicans likely to attend the 2016 GOP caucuses, 17 percent picked Romney as their first choice for the nomination, followed by Carson, with 11 percent. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were very close behind Carson, with 10 percent of the respondents picking Paul as first choice and 9 percent for Huckabee.
The poll carried a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
The field narrowed when it came to picking first or second choices. Romney came in first when the first and second choices were combined, followed by Carson, Paul, and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan each netted a combined 18 percent. Ryan was the first choice of 8 percent of the voters, but second choice for 10 percent, bumping his combined score up.
Many of the potential candidates have already been visiting Iowa, including Romney, who says he's not running but was still in the state this month to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst, reports The Register.
Many of the names in the poll were likely chosen because they are familiar political names, like Romney's. But Carson has never been a politician and has still gained national attention for his fierce opposition to Obamacare.
"I love Ben Carson," poll participant Cynthia Michel told The Register. "I like his no-nonsense thinking and his ability to say what he thinks and get his point across in a way that's not mumbo-jumbo political-speak."
Michel, 68, also likes that Carson has never held a political elective office.
"I think it would maybe be a good thing to have someone who's not schooled in the way of saying what you think people want to hear," she said.
Poll director J. Ann Seltzer said some candidates were favored more by certain factions in the party. For example, tea party supporters were likely to choose Carson and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, but Paul was popular among caucus participants under the age of 45. Women tended to choose Romney, and Ryan was favored by moderates.
Meanwhile, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who narrowly defeated Romney to win the Iowa caucuses in 2012, fared poorly in the poll. He was the first choice of only 3 percent and second choice of 5 percent of the participants.
He has suggested he may run again, and is planning to attend events Wednesday in Dubuque and Davenport.
The Iowa Poll was conducted on Oct. 1-7 by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, and based on telephone interviews with 425 registered voters who say they definitely or probably will attend the 2016 Republican caucuses, and 426 registered Iowa voters who say they definitely or probably will attend the 2016 Democratic caucuses.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/presidential-race-GOP-caucus-Romney-Carson/2014/10/15/id/600789/#ixzz3GEq8TeWe
-
Draft Ben Carson group raises over $10 million, on 'verge' of announcing
BY PAUL BEDARD | OCTOBER 15, 2014
If money talks in politics, then get ready for conservative populist Ben Carson to start campaigning for president.
The Draft Ben Carson for President Committee, which has been urging the celebrated doctor and Obamacare critic to run, on Tuesday said it has surpassed $10 million in donations. And at least one news outlet reports that he is on the “verge” of announcing.
“The great success of the draft effort is a testament to our belief that it is Dr. Carson who is best equipped to heal our country,” said committee campaign director Vernon Robinson.
The committee Tuesday morning released fundraising totals and said it collected $3.3 million in the third quarter of 2014. Overall, they have received money from 100,000 donors, and claim a volunteer base of over 20,000
“Thousands of Americans believe that Dr. Carson is the best hope for our country, and are showing overwhelming support for him to run for the GOP nomination in the 2016,” said Robinson. “Legions of supporters are signing the petition for him to run for president and are contributing to the effort because they want a president who is principled, honest and caring.”
They have been operating a petition drive to encourage Carson to run and claim that the African-American most noted for being the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head is listening and ready to toss his hat into the ring.
“Dr. Carson has said he will listen to the clamor of those who want him to run, and is closer to making a decision about running for the GOP presidential nomination. We hope that our continued efforts will achieve that goal,” said John Philip Sousa IV, national chairman of the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee.
Polls often have Carson near the top of GOP presidential polls and news outlets, including Bloomberg, claim he is on the “verge” of announcing.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/draft-ben-carson-group-raises-over-10-million-on-verge-of-announcing/article/2554816
-
it'll be 5 minutes before FOX base turns on Ben Carson, despite him being 10000% of what the party needs.
-
LOL @ ben carson and mitt romney even being in the same fcking political party haha. oh brother.
-
Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee Are on a Collision Course as Evangelicals Audition 2016 Contenders
Social conservatives are desperate to settle on a single candidate earlier than ever to avoid another "moderate" as the GOP nominee.
BY TIM ALBERTA AND SHANE GOLDMACHER
October 26, 2014
When Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee were asked to deliver dueling speeches at a secret gathering of America's most influential socialconservatives, both camps knew what the invitation represented: a private audition to be the evangelical movement's presidential candidate in 2016.
They prepared accordingly, and on back-to-back nights in mid-September, the White House hopefuls delivered impassioned addresses to the Council for National Policy's clandestine conference in Atlanta.
The courtship of Christian leaders by White House contenders—"the evangelical primary," as some call it—has become a staple of Republican presidential politics. But this year is different.
After back-to-back cycles in which social conservatives failed to coalesce around a single candidate—resulting, they believe, in the nomination of moderates who haven't mobilized the Christian base to vote in November—evangelical leaders are acting early and with unprecedented urgency. In a series of private meetings over the past two months in Washington, Iowa, Florida, and elsewhere, Christian political leaders have emphasized narrowing their options sooner than ever and uniting behind one candidate to defeat the establishment favorite.
The Atlanta event, then, signaled not just that the 2016 evangelical primary is well underway but that for many leading social conservatives, the field is already winnowing.
"Those are the two," Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said of Cruz and Huckabee. "And they share the same core base, so I do think there's probably only room for one of them to be successful."
Perkins is not alone in this view. Conversations with some of the country's most influential and well-connected evangelical power-brokers suggest an emerging consensus—out of private gatherings like CNP as well as public events like the Values Voters Summit—that 2016 is shaping up as a two-horse race. Even a senior adviser to former Sen. Rick Santorum, who won Iowa in 2012 and is considering another run, admitted that talk of Cruz and Huckabee distancing themselves from the field is "accurate."
It's still early, and neither Cruz nor Huckabee has stated publicly their intention to run in 2016. But the Texas senator has sent clear signals to his allies that he's planning to jump in, perhaps as soon as the end of this year; and the former Arkansas governor has left little doubt in private meetings with Christian leaders and GOP consultants that a campaign is imminent.
Of course, the race to win evangelical hearts (and wallets) is only part of the GOP's 2016 nominating contest. More establishment-allied Republicans—Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. John Kasich, Rep. Paul Ryan, former Gov. Jeb Bush—all are considering a bid. Sen. Rand Paul is perhaps the farthest along in the planning, though also the hardest to pin within the traditional GOP structures.
But the early indicators of a head-to-head contest for the social-conservative contingent could have a significant impact on the Republican primary season. And both the Cruz and Huckabee camps know it.
In recent months, allies of both men have eyed one another as mutual threats in the quest to win the evangelical endorsement—and have even launched early efforts to undermine the other. Cruz allies have suggested that conservatives won't be able to ignore Huckabee's questionable fiscal record; Huckabee's team has questioned Cruz's ability to connect with religious audiences.
While some have doubted aloud whether Huckabee will run, as he sits comfortably hosting a Fox News program and singing the praises of the Florida beach life, his travel schedule and rhetoric are suggesting otherwise.
“Concise coverage of everything I wish I had hours to read about."
"Ted Cruz is a cage rattler who likes to get out there and talk about limited government and defunding Obamacare and so on. But when it comes to connecting with the faith community nobody does it better than Mike Huckabee," said Alice Stewart, Huckabee's spokeswoman and senior adviser. "When it comes to rallying social conservatives, Ted Cruz doesn't hold a candle to Mike Huckabee."
Stewart continued: "We've been to a lot of the events where Ted Cruz and his dad speak. And listen, Rafael Cruz is not running for president. That's what a lot of people forget—when it comes to a social conservative crowd, it's Rafael Cruz, not Ted Cruz, who really connects with them."
Team Cruz, wary of fueling the perception that the Texas senator plans to slash-and-burn his way to the nomination, took the high road in response.
"I like and respect Mike Huckabee. He is a strong, positive voice for life and marriage—at a time when so many others refuse to speak out—and he encourages others to stand up for their values," Cruz said in a statement to National Journal. "I've been proud to stand with Gov. Huckabee, and I look forward to our continuing to work together to help turn our nation around."
Still, the narrative of a Cruz-Huckabee rivalry has cemented so quickly that, according to several neutral attendees of the CNP event in Atlanta, audience members felt like judges scoring a heavyweight title bout. The decision, each of these people said independently of one another, went to Huckabee.
"Huck just connects with that audience better," said one of the event's organizers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of its strict off-the-record rules. "Cruz was like a hyper lawyer roaming the stage and making a factual argument to a jury. Huckabee was like a friendly preacher speaking from the pulpit and appealing to emotion. Just two totally different styles."
STILL, THE FIELD IS CROWDED
While Huckabee and Cruz were the only invited speakers that night, they're hardly the only Republican contenders actively courting the evangelical vote.
In mid-August, when, after a long day of speeches to an annual summit of conservatives in Iowa, a swarm of 2016 hopefuls descended on a house party in Ames. There, joining about 150 of the state's top conservative activists and powerbrokers were Cruz and Huckabee, along with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. (Santorum would have been there, but he had to attend a wedding elsewhere in Iowa.) There were no speeches in this intimate setting—just finger food, lemonade, coffee, and lots of early elbowing.
There are other potentially viable contenders, but Santorum, the 2012 runner-up, is perceived by many top social conservatives as one of the very few who might be able to crack the Huckabee-Cruz competition.
"And frankly I'm not sure there's going to be much time for anybody else to get in," Perkins said of the strength of Cruz, Huckabee and Santorum, "because I do think you're going to see conservatives very possibly coalesce around a candidate fairly early in the process, while it would still have some significance."
TOO SOON?
All of this seems exceedingly premature, of course, considering the 2014 congressional elections have yet to occur. But to conservative leaders and activists still stung by the presidential primary results of cycles past, the only way to avoid a repeat—and another "moderate" nominee—is to act preemptively.
"There is a determination in the movement not to be divided in 2016. There is more conversation now about coalescing behind one candidate than there's ever been before," said Steve Deace, a popular Christian conservative radio host in Iowa. "We've watched what happened the last two times when we split our base."
Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader and one of Iowa's leading evangelical activists, has witnessed firsthand the consequence of conservatives waiting too long to agree on a candidate. He was chairman of Huckabee's winning Iowa campaign in 2008, but watched as Mitt Romney (then a conservative favorite) and Fred Thompson splintered the conservative vote and allowed McCain to take the nomination.
Four years later, Vander Plaats endorsed Santorum before Iowa's caucuses—but many of his allies held back, allowing Perry, Newt Gingrich, and others to siphon off conservative support and let Romney (now the establishment favorite) run uncontested up the middle.
This time, Vander Plaats said, conservatives understand the importance of rallying around one person early.
"They saw 2008. They saw 2012. They saw that when we divide our support we get who we don't want," Vander Plaats said. "You're going to get McCain or you're going to get Romney."
COURTING THE RAINMAKER
Cruz and Huckabee both have been courting Perkins, who's regarded as the chief rainmaker in evangelical politics. (In fact, during one recent stretch, Perkins said he spent five of six weekends with either Cruz or Huckabee—or both.) Cruz has paid a multiple visits to the early, evangelical-friendly states of Iowa and South Carolina this year. Huckabee has done the same—and, for good measure, is traveling with a group of nearly two-dozen Christian leaders from those states on a 10-day European trip next month.
Santorum supporters are quick to point out that he, too, has maintained a strong presence in Iowa this year—and, like Huckabee and Cruz, appears increasingly likely to run in 2016. In fact, Santorum and Huckabee appeared at the same Iowa Republican office in Sioux City last week—on back-to-back days.
Perry has been to the state repeatedly, too; Vander Plaats joked he could be running for "governor of Iowa." All have faithful followings in Iowa and elsewhere, making the goal of unifying early behind a single conservative candidate so difficult to achieve.
"It would take a Herculean effort to unite all of these people and all of these organizations," said one prominent conservative activist with ties to multiple contenders. "I mean, [Ronald] Reagan didn't even get that treatment."
Or, as Perkins summarized the talk: "It's easy to say, but hard to do."
As the August house party demonstrated, there certainly will be further competition for evangelical support—even if their efforts aren't as advanced. Besides Jindal and Perry, there are other names—surgeon Ben Carson, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker—mentioned as potential dark-horse candidates. (Walker, however, alienated some potential allies by saying the gay-marriage fight is "over" in Wisconsin. "Whatever air was in that balloon is gone," Vander Plaats said.)
Still, as evangelical leaders approach 2016 with unprecedented urgency and emphasis on coordination, it appears the decision to collectively endorse one person may come down to two very different candidates: Huckabee, the once-ran preacher with inimitable charm and religious bonafides; or Cruz, the fresh-faced agitator who refuses to compromise or play nice with his party's establishment.
"People love Cruz," Vander Plaats said during a recent interview in Iowa. "With one caveat."
That caveat has a name: Mike Huckabee.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/ted-cruz-and-mike-huckabee-are-on-a-collision-course-as-evangelicals-audition-2016-contenders-20141025
-
:o
Dole on Romney: 'I want him to run again'
By Eric Bradner, CNN
Tue October 28, 2014
(CNN) -- One-time Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole has his candidate for 2016: Mitt Romney.
Dole, a 91-year-old former Senate majority leader and 1996 GOP presidential nominee, said as he introduced Romney, the party's 2012 nominee, during a campaign rally Monday: "I want him to run again."
Dole and Romney were in Overland Park campaigning for Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, who faces a stiff challenge from independent businessman Greg Orman.
Romney brushed off the remark. "You never know what a 90-year-old is going to say, do you?" he said. "I'll tell ya."
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/27/politics/dole-romney/index.html
-
Going nowhere.
Updated: First-in-the-nation kickoff? Rick Perry in NH Sunday, Bob Ehrlich to return Friday
Posted By John DiStaso on Nov 3, 2014
Just three days after the polls close for the mid-term election, the first-in-the-nation presidential primary campaign will unofficially get underway on Friday as former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich returns to New Hampshire, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry returns on Sunday for a two-day visit.
Perry is not an announced candidate, of course, but he appears headed toward a run. He had to postpone a visit to the state in early October due to the Ebola situation in his state.
Perry is scheduled for six stops, three on Sunday, Nov. 9, and and three more on Monday, Nov. 10.
Ehrlich, who is also being mentioned as a potential 2016 candidate will headline the Strafford County Republican Committee’s “First Annual Red Dinner,” billed as a “celebration of GOP victories” in the midterms, at Cottage-By-The-Bay in Dover.
Meanwhile, Michael Dennehy, the state adviser to Perry’s group, Americans for Economic Freedom, said that on Sunday, the Texas governor will attend a reception with the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women in Concord, a reception with the Sullivan County GOP in Sunapee (we’re told this is pure coincidence!), and a reception with Dartmouth College Republicans in Hanover.
On Monday, Perry will attend the U.S. Marine Corps 239th Birthday Luncheon in Manchester, a Keene State College Republicans roundtable and a reception with the Cheshire County GOP in Keene.
And so, New Hampshire, we’re off and running toward 2016.
While Perry was unable to get to the state during the final push for the midterms, he was generous, contributing more than $60,000 from his political action committee to state GOP committees and candidates.
http://nhjournal.com/first-in-the-nation-kickoff-rick-perry-to-return-to-nh-on-sunday-monday/
-
Ryan May Sit Out Presidential Race in Congress
Wednesday, 05 Nov 2014
Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin was the first potential Republican presidential candidate of 2016 to have to decide whether to run. He's probably opting out.
After winning re-election last night, Ryan said he would seek the chairmanship of the the House Ways and Means Committee. That post would make it exceedingly difficult for him to seek the presidency next year.
When the Republicans hold their planning session for the next Congress this month, Ryan would be the favorite to succeed Representative Dave Camp of Michigan as Ways and Means chairman. In an interview on Bloomberg Television last night Ryan said he intended to seek the job.
Special: Steve Forbes Warns of Dollar Plunge, Hear Him . . . .
But Ryan also has been encouraged to go for the presidential nomination. One of the people reportedly pushing him is Mitt Romney, who selected him as his running mate in 2012. It's a wide-open race this time, the argument goes, and Ryan would be one of the favorites.
"We're going to start sorting out this presidential race quickly and Paul will be the first one," says Vin Weber, a top Republican strategist.
It's a difficult choice: No congressional committee will have a more important or fuller agenda than Ways and Means -- trade, tax reform, health care -- and Ryan is one of the foremost congressional experts on these issues. Moreover, under the current system, committee chairmen are important fundraisers for the party, and none more so than the head of Ways and Means because of the panel's wide jurisdiction over many vested interests.
A consideration for Paul, 44, is that his three children are young. A full-fledged presidential campaign, unlike his three-month quest for the vice-presidency, would demand hundreds of days away from home on the campaign trail next year.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/paul-ryan-white-house/2014/11/05/id/605359/#ixzz3ID0oOf2N
-
Meet Ben Carson: First Republican to Throw His Hat in 2016 Ring
Nov 6, 2014
By SHUSHANNAH WALSHE
(http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/gty_ben_carson_wake_up_america_jc_141106_16x9_992.jpg)
Dr. Ben Carson chats with guests at an event at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Sept. 5, 2014. Laura Segall/Getty Images
Yes, the 2016 race for the White House has already gotten started -- and it looks like Dr. Ben Carson is first in the ring.
Carson, a famous pediatric neurosurgeon and conservative political star, will air a nearly 40 minute-long ad introducing himself to the American people this weekend, an aide to Carson confirms to ABC News.
The documentary titled “A Breath of Fresh Air: A New Prescription for America” will air in 22 states and Washington, DC. The paid video will detail some of his biography and family life, including his rise from being born to a single mother with a poor childhood in Detroit to director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins for almost 40 years, known for his work separating conjoined twins, to potential 2016 presidential candidate.
How 6 Potential 2016 GOP Presidential Candidates Fared on the Campaign Trail
Carson first became a conservative star when last year he created a buzz at the National Prayer Breakfast when in front of an audience that included President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden spoke out about political correctness, health care and taxes.
He also called for a private health care savings plan and a flat tax in a speech that went viral and led to an editorial in the Wall Street Journal titled Ben Carson for President. He is known as a fierce opponent of the president’s health care law known as Obamacare.
In an ABC News/Washington Post poll from last month of the potential 2016 presidential candidates showed Carson in seventh place garnering seven percent of the vote after other notables including Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Chris Christie, and Marco Rubio.
Carson has a grassroots effort to draft him for a 2016 presidential run that has raised millions for the effort. In an interview last month with Jorge Ramos on our sister network, Fusion he said he’s considering a White House run.
“No, I don’t want to be president. Why would any sane person want to do that?” Carson said, acknowledging he has noticed the support. “I think I have to consider that, with so many clamoring for me to do it.”
The Washington Times first reported the news of Carson’s video. A production company run by Armstrong Williams, a conservative commentator, is paying for the airtime. They also filmed the documentary. Williams is Carson’s business manager.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/meet-ben-carson-republican-throw-hat-2016-ring/story?id=26735300
-
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's gonna be an interesting 2 years coming up. 8)
-
It's gonna be an interesting 2 years coming up. 8)
I like that Dr Carson came out immediately. Media on both left/right won't give him the attention they'll give a "conservative" like Trump or Christie or a Herman Cain. It's tv, it's media - they want the exciting stories. Carson is 10x more qualified and prepared and brilliant than a Palin, for example. But if Sarah *hinted* at a run, it'd knock Carson's announcement to Page ten of the news coverage :(
So it's good to get in during this window of "repub gloat/dems quiet/repubs confused on amnesty" to make his impact on the republican primary voter mindset.
-
I like that Dr Carson came out immediately. Media on both left/right won't give him the attention they'll give a "conservative" like Trump or Christie or a Herman Cain. It's tv, it's media - they want the exciting stories. Carson is 10x more qualified and prepared and brilliant than a Palin, for example. But if Sarah *hinted* at a run, it'd knock Carson's announcement to Page ten of the news coverage :(
So it's good to get in during this window of "repub gloat/dems quiet/repubs confused on amnesty" to make his impact on the republican primary voter mindset.
Speaking of which...
Donald Trump Taking 'Serious Look' at 2016 Presidential Run
In the wake of Tuesday's sweeping Republican electoral victories, businessman Donald Trump told Newsmax TV on Wednesday that he will take a "very serious look" at whether to run for president in 2016.
"I'm looking," Trump, who made appearances on the Republican presidential primary trail in 2012 but never joined the race, told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner.
-
Speaking of which...
Donald Trump Taking 'Serious Look' at 2016 Presidential Run
In the wake of Tuesday's sweeping Republican electoral victories, businessman Donald Trump told Newsmax TV on Wednesday that he will take a "very serious look" at whether to run for president in 2016.
"I'm looking," Trump, who made appearances on the Republican presidential primary trail in 2012 but never joined the race, told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner.
Yep, right on cue. And is there ANY doubt in ANYONE'S mind that
1) Trump will get 100x the media coverage, from both left and right
2) Trump will not run, has no intention of running at all
3) Dr Carson will lose impact in the GOP and the nation with Trump stealing spotlight.
it's fine for trump, doing what he can to steal media attention, Q rating, etc. But I hope nobody at all believes Trump gives a shit about the GOP. He never has. He was a lifelong lib that suddenly went tea party when that was popular. Love notes to pelosi as recent at 2006 and 2008. Longtime liberal on most positions. Making ten million a year from liberal ass NBC?
At some point, repubs have to call trump a piece of crap who doesn't care about the GOP winning in 2016.
-
Trump needs to go away - he had his chance and didn't do jack shit. he could have run for NYS gov, Pres, whatever - and didn't do it - go away Donald
-
Trump needs to go away - he had his chance and didn't do jack shit. he could have run for NYS gov, Pres, whatever - and didn't do it - go away Donald
I think he's "had his chance" many times. what years did he pretend to run? 1980? 92? 2000? 2008 and 2012?
He does this every time. He'll claim he's gonna drop a million "exploring", he'll tell us he has a strong extreme position on whatever the hot topic issue is (amnesty?), he'll trash obama, and the sexy number and boring other candidates will result in weeks of coverage. BOOM every time. Makes me sick.
Dr Carson, you are officially irrelevant now, in the media's eyes. Very sad. Trump stole your spotlight. Cause it's about HIM, not a republican win.
-
I think he's "had his chance" many times. what years did he pretend to run? 1980? 92? 2000? 2008 and 2012?
He does this every time. He'll claim he's gonna drop a million "exploring", he'll tell us he has a strong extreme position on whatever the hot topic issue is (amnesty?), he'll trash obama, and the sexy number and boring other candidates will result in weeks of coverage. BOOM every time. Makes me sick.
Dr Carson, you are officially irrelevant now, in the media's eyes. Very sad. Trump stole your spotlight. Cause it's about HIM, not a republican win.
Maybe a little less irrelevant now, but once the debates roll around things can change real quick.
-
Maybe a little less irrelevant now, but once the debates roll around things can change real quick.
Maybe. Remember last time - didn't trump try to MODERATE his own debate or something? If he was actually IN the debate, his combover and one-liners would get way more time and attention than Dr Carson, with his statesmanlike manner.
lol what a mess. i hope trump stays out of it, lets actual candidates get base voters attention.
-
Maybe a little less irrelevant now, but once the debates roll around things can change real quick.
Trump isn't going to make anyone irrelevant. That's silly.
-
Trump isn't going to make anyone irrelevant. That's silly.
So much of the pre-hype never really means anything regardless.
As much as some people want consider Hillary a done deal as the next President, things can change so quickly on that stage.
-
Trump isn't going to make anyone irrelevant. That's silly.
If trump gets a single MINUTE of airtime about 2016 possible candidacy (which he has gotten - today), then it means other GOP candidates aren't getting airtime.
We're talking about REAL candidates. Trump did not help the GOP in 2012. He made them look foolish. he soaked up their airtime, tried to stage his own debate. And this year, just 2 weeks ago, he shit all over ROMNEY already. Yes, he did.
The most HILARIOUS thing of all - it's Trump telling Romney "DONT YOU EVEN THINK OF RUNNING AGAIN" - I mean, trump is pulling our leg once again, and he's shitting on the 2012 candidate for multiple runs? LOL I don't understand how anyone from tthe repub party can defend trump at this point.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/10/21/Exclusive-Donald-Trump-To-Mitt-Romney-You-Blew-It-In-2012-Don-t-Even-Think-About-Running-Again
-
If trump gets a single MINUTE of airtime about 2016 possible candidacy (which he has gotten - today), then it means other GOP candidates aren't getting airtime.
We're talking about REAL candidates. Trump did not help the GOP in 2012. He made them look foolish. he soaked up their airtime, tried to stage his own debate. And this year, just 2 weeks ago, he shit all over ROMNEY already. Yes, he did.
The most HILARIOUS thing of all - it's Trump telling Romney "DONT YOU EVEN THINK OF RUNNING AGAIN" - I mean, trump is pulling our leg once again, and he's shitting on the 2012 candidate for multiple runs? LOL I don't understand how anyone from tthe repub party can defend trump at this point.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/10/21/Exclusive-Donald-Trump-To-Mitt-Romney-You-Blew-It-In-2012-Don-t-Even-Think-About-Running-Again
Nobody cares.
-
Nobody cares.
I bet Dr Ben Carson is punching holes in the coffee table, disgusted that his big announcement lasted all of 12 hours until the NBC-employed lifetime liberal Trump decided to commandeer the GOP headlines.
-
I bet Dr Ben Carson is punching holes in the coffee table, disgusted that his big announcement lasted all of 12 hours until the NBC-employed lifetime liberal Trump decided to commandeer the GOP headlines.
Yes, the mild-mannered, even tempered brain surgeon is punching holes in the coffee table. ::)
Nobody cares.
-
Scott Walker Hints at Presidential Run: Governors Make Better Presidents
Sunday, 09 Nov 2014
By Greg Richter
Fresh off a re-election victory, Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker hinted Sunday that he might be ready to seek the nation's highest office in two years.
"I said my plan was for four years. I've got a plan to keep going for the next four years, but, certainly, I care deeply not only for my state, but my country, and we'll see what the future holds," Walker told "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd.
Todd asked whether Walker would defer if his friend, Wisconsin Sen. Paul Ryan, sought the nomination again as he did in 2012.
Walker said that if former Secretary of State and Senator Hillary Clinton seeks the Democratic nomination as expected, the Republican Party should paint her as a Washington insider and part of what's wrong with D.C. politics. That would call for a governor, such as himself, to counter her, he said.
"Paul Ryan may be the only exception to that rule, but, overall, I think governors make much better presidents than members of Congress," Walker said.
Walker has become accustomed to seeking office every two years, thanks to a recall election in 2012 after his initial victory in 2010. The recall was spurred by his budget bill, which required state workers to contribute more to their pensions and health care.
On Sunday, he credited his win to independents, whom he attracted in double digits. Wisconsin is a traditionally blue state, and Walker noted, "We can't win without independents."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/scott-walker-presidential-run-paul/2014/11/09/id/606211/#ixzz3IgMAtPYn
-
Rubio to decide on 2016 'in the coming weeks'
By Jeremy Diamond, CNN
Fri November 7, 2014
Washington (CNN) -- Sen. Marco Rubio said Thursday that he will make up his mind on a 2016 run for the White House "in the coming weeks."
The Florida Republican made the comments while abroad in Colombia on a radio show, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Rubio said he would be mulling the decision with his family over the next few weeks and will consider where the best place is for him to advance his agenda.
"The decision that I have to make is where is the best place to advance this agenda as a presidential candidate or continue at the majority in the Senate," Rubio said on the radio show, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Rubio is visiting Colombia in his capacity as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Rubio's office did not immediately return a request for comment.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/07/politics/marco-rubio-2016-decision-in-weeks/index.html
-
rubio would be smart to get in the race early.
repubs from the base are going to lose their shit when Cruz announces. Rubio will be mccain lite footnote after that.
-
GOP eyes 32 presidential candidates including Cruz, Palin, Ron Paul
BY PAUL BEDARD | NOVEMBER 10, 2014 |
With the Democrats still licking their wounds from last week’s election losses, the Republican National Committee has pivoted to the 2016 presidential election and is offering up a list of 32 potential candidates, including Sarah Palin, Sen. Ted Cruz, Ron Paul, his son Sen. Rand Paul and Condoleezza Rice.
“In 2016, we will have the opportunity again to elect principled conservative leaders, including one Republican qualified to take on the Democrat running for president,” said an email from the party, in an apparent reference to Hillary Clinton.
“Voters proved our country is in need of qualified and strong Republican leaders who share our beliefs — especially in the White House. Let us know which Republican you would like to see as the presidential nominee in 2016,” it added.
The email linked to a presidential straw poll that included all of the most-buzzed about potential candidates, and several more including South Dakota Sen. John Thune, former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, and five African-Americans: Rice, businessman Herman Cain, Dr. Ben Carson, former Rep. Allen West and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. It asked those who received it for their three top choices.
The List
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour
Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
Businessman Herman Cain
Dr. Ben Carson
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
Ohio Gov. John Kasich
New York Rep. Peter King
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul
Former Rep. Ron Paul
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence
Texas Gov. Rick Perry
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott
South Dakota Sen. John Thune
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
Former Florida Rep. Allen West
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gop-eyes-32-presidential-candidates-including-cruz-palin-ron-paul/article/2555974?utm_campaign=Fox%20News&utm_source=foxnews.com&utm_medium=feed
-
LOL we're gonna need a drug test for whoever made this list>
Businessman Herman Cain
bwahahahahha
-
::)
-
Here's One More Reason Mitt Romney May Not Be Out Of The 2016 Presidential Race
The Huffington Post | By Sam Levine
Posted: 11/10/2014
Advisers to former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are trying to talk the one-time Massachusetts governor into running for president in 2016, The Washington Post reported Monday.
The advisers think their best shot at swaying the data-minded former Bain executive is using data that shows the success of candidates he backed in the midterm elections and his chances of beating Hillary Clinton, the Post reported. Three Republicans also told the paper that those close to Romney believe he is concerned the Republican field isn't strong enough to beat Clinton, and that Romney would consider running if former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) does not.
During a Sunday appearance on "Face The Nation," former President George W. Bush described his brother's chances of running as a "toss-up."
Romney stumped for several Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections, but has repeatedly said he is not interested in another campaign for the White House.
"I'm not running, I'm not planning on running, and I've got nothing new on that story," Romney told Bloomberg last month.
Despite his insistence that he won't run again in 2016, Romney has been unable to dodge speculation that he will run. And in an interview with The New York Times in September, Romney left open the possibility of running.
"We've got a lot of people looking at the race," he told the Times. "We'll see what happens."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/10/mitt-romney-2016_n_6135516.html
-
Please god let him run ;D
not the same as Herman Cane but still will be the driver of the Klown Car.
come on, Rick Santorum [wash your hands after shaking his hand]
Huckabee, Bachmann - please?
-
not the same as Herman Cane but still will be the driver of the Klown Car.
come on, Rick Santorum [wash your hands after shaking his hand]
Huckabee, Bachmann - please?
Uh, yeah, so who is driving the Democrat Klown Car?
Former presidential candidate and current VP Joe Biden?
(http://c3.nrostatic.com/sites/default/files/uploaded/biden_0.jpeg)
Former presidential candidate and current White House adviser Al (the pimp) Sharpton?
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YbB5DyTgRSI/UvKzkiuf8cI/AAAAAAAAYaU/IHqfL04Ores/s1600/video-retro-report-brawley-superJumbo-300.jpg)
With Hillary in the back seat? :D
(http://watchmen-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Hillary-difference-610x400.jpg)
-
Rand Paul meets with advisers on 2016
By Ashley Killough, CNN
November 12, 2014
Washington (CNN) -- Sen. Rand Paul made clear to his team of political advisers Wednesday that he'll run for re-election to the Senate in 2016 and reiterated that he won't make a decision on a presidential run until next spring, according to a spokesman.
His strategists met behind closed doors at a Washington hotel Wednesday to sketch out a road map for 2015 and review the past two years, during which Paul traveled to 35 states campaigning for candidates and raising his national profile.
Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, attended most of the meetings as well as a group dinner in the evening, said spokesman Sergio Gor.
The sessions, led by RAND PAC executive director Doug Stafford, covered fundraising performance, grassroots engagement, communications, outreach and other areas of interest, though Gor did not give specifics.
Paul has long made it known that he plans to campaign for a second term in the Senate, but questions have emerged over whether he can run for his seat and for the White House at the same time. Kentucky law prohibits candidates from appearing on the same ballot for two different offices.
Attempts to change the law were made last year in the GOP-controlled state Senate but stalled in the Democratic-controlled state House. Attempts by Republicans to retake control of the state House in last week's elections were unsuccessful, meaning the law will likely stay in the books for 2016.
Some of Paul's supporters have argued the law could be challenged, while others say there are ways he can get around it so that his name won't appear on the ballot twice. One such scenario would mean the state party changes its presidential primary to a caucus system.
Attendees at Wednesday's meeting included Michael Biundo of New Hampshire. Biundo, who previously chaired Rick Santorum's presidential campaign, was one of a number key hires this year by RAND PAC in early primary states. The team also added Steve Grubbs and A.J. Spiker -- both former chairmen of the Iowa Republican Party -- as well as Republican consultant John Yob in Michigan.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/12/politics/rand-paul-meeting/index.html?hpt=po_c2
-
GOP eyes 32 presidential candidates including Cruz, Palin, Ron Paul
BY PAUL BEDARD | NOVEMBER 10, 2014 |
With the Democrats still licking their wounds from last week’s election losses, the Republican National Committee has pivoted to the 2016 presidential election and is offering up a list of 32 potential candidates, including Sarah Palin, Sen. Ted Cruz, Ron Paul, his son Sen. Rand Paul and Condoleezza Rice.
“In 2016, we will have the opportunity again to elect principled conservative leaders, including one Republican qualified to take on the Democrat running for president,” said an email from the party, in an apparent reference to Hillary Clinton.
“Voters proved our country is in need of qualified and strong Republican leaders who share our beliefs — especially in the White House. Let us know which Republican you would like to see as the presidential nominee in 2016,” it added.
The email linked to a presidential straw poll that included all of the most-buzzed about potential candidates, and several more including South Dakota Sen. John Thune, former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, and five African-Americans: Rice, businessman Herman Cain, Dr. Ben Carson, former Rep. Allen West and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. It asked those who received it for their three top choices.
The List
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour
Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
Businessman Herman Cain
Dr. Ben Carson
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
Ohio Gov. John Kasich
New York Rep. Peter King
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul
Former Rep. Ron Paul
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence
Texas Gov. Rick Perry
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott
South Dakota Sen. John Thune
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
Former Florida Rep. Allen West
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gop-eyes-32-presidential-candidates-including-cruz-palin-ron-paul/article/2555974?utm_campaign=Fox%20News&utm_source=foxnews.com&utm_medium=feed
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
-
2016 contest overshadows GOP governors meeting
By STEVE PEOPLES and JILL COLVIN
Nov. 19, 2014
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — No fewer than a half-dozen potential presidential candidates are gathering in Florida as the Republican Governors Association prepares to select its next leader.
The organization's annual conference began Wednesday in a luxury oceanside resort where the nation's Republican governors are celebrating their party's recent success in the midterm elections while privately jockeying for position as the 2016 presidential contest looms.
None of the most likely White House candidates is expected to seek to replace the outgoing RGA chief, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as the group's chairman. It's a position with responsibilities that would conflict with the presidential primary season.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said he would not run for the RGA chairmanship for just that reason.
"It's pretty obvious at least it's something I should consider," Walker said of a White House bid during an interview with The Associated Press. "And if I'm going to do that, I'm not going to put my colleagues in the position of having someone in place who isn't 100 percent committed to the leadership of the organization."
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam acknowledged he has emerged as the favorite to lead the Republican Governors Association through the next year, although the formal vote won't occur until Thursday.
"I told them I'd be willing to do it," Haslam said in a brief interview.
"It's an important organization," he added, explaining his interest in the post. "I am one of those guys who thinks it matters who governs — particularly who governs in our states."
The conference comes two weeks after the GOP's midterm rout, in which they gained control of Congress and expanded their majority of governorships across the country. In January the Republican Party will control 31 compared with Democrats' 19. The party's strong performance offers a presidential springboard to governors who won re-election, Walker among them, and others, like Christie, who played a leading role in the GOP's success.
While Hillary Rodham Clinton remains the overwhelming Democratic front-runner should she seek the presidency, the prospective Republican field is crowded and without a clear leader. A handful of Senate Republicans may join the 2016 contest, but many donors and party officials would prefer a presidential nominee to emerge from the ranks of the Republican governors, who have executive experience and are not tainted by Congress' low approval ratings.
Christie arrives in Florida in a strong position after having broadened his national network while raising tens of millions of dollars to help elect Republican governors. Christie and Walker will spend this week alongside a list of other prospective presidential candidates that includes Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.
Governors, governors-elect, senior aides and prominent donors began to descend on the Boca Raton Resort & Club on Tuesday. The bright pink resort is a sprawling maze of fountains, manicured gardens, ballrooms and high-end restaurants, complete with its own beach club, marina and golf clubhouse.
While much of this week's action takes place behind closed doors, a Wednesday open session titled "Republican Governors: The Road Ahead" features five prospective presidential contenders: Pence, Perry, Jindal, Walker and Kasich.
"Whoever our nominee is, I'm going to be slugging with both fists," said Foster Friess, who was among the many prominent donors mingling with governors on Wednesday.
In one of the gathering's only formal agenda items, Christie will hand over the reins of the RGA on Thursday, ending what has arguably been a politically life-saving tenure as the group's chairman. Beyond boosting his 2016 prospects, he has used the position to help repair his reputation after the political retribution traffic scandal in New Jersey that badly tainted his brand earlier in the year.
But the role has also cost him at home. An AP analysis of his public schedule shows that Christie will have spent about 40 percent of his second term out of state by the time he finishes up in Florida on Friday. At the same time, his popularity has slumped at home, according to a number of local polls, with increasingly vocal critics charging that he's neglected local issues.
None of the Republican governors considering the presidency is particularly popular at home, however, according to interviews with voters after this month's midterm elections. Just a quarter of Louisiana voters said Jindal would make a good president, while one-third of Texas voters said the same of Perry. For Walker, who just won his third gubernatorial election in four years, just over 4 in 10 of Wisconsin voters said he is presidential material.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e4d6baa3a47047cdb3c0a2bc0b8b6df6/2016-contest-overshadows-gop-governors-meeting
-
Ouch.
Ron Paul on Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio: They're 'average'
By Ashley Killough, CNN
Wed November 19, 2014
(CNN) -- Ahead of a speech Wednesday in Florida, former Rep. Ron Paul seemed uninspired by two of the Sunshine State's two political big shots: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush.
"I'd say they were pretty average, status quo, middle-of-the-roaders," the former three-time presidential candidate and libertarian minded Republican told the Tampa Bay Times in a story published Tuesday.
Both men -- like Paul's son, Sen. Rand Paul -- are widely considered to be potential candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Paul's comments came ahead of a speech he's set to give Wednesday night at the University of South Florida, the same place where he held a rally that drew thousands during the week of the Republican National Convention in 2012, which was also in Tampa.
Paul famously refused to endorse the GOP's then-presumptive nominee Mitt Romney or speak at the convention.
In the interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Paul didn't elaborate on his son's expected presidential bid or whether Paul would be a part of that effort.
"I guess we will know next year," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/19/politics/ron-paul-florida/index.html
-
Ron Paul on Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio: They're 'average'
Ron Paul is somewhat right. Rubio is below average, very thin and new and hasn't done much but DREAM and rino on.
Bush is actually above average in many areas.
-
Ron Paul is somewhat right. Rubio is below average, very thin and new and hasn't done much but DREAM and rino on.
Bush is actually above average in many areas.
Says the person who touted Charlie Crist.
-
Bobby Jindal: Big GOP Presidential Field Will Let 'Voters Decide'
Thursday, 20 Nov 2014
By Elliot Jager
Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana lauded the abundance of Republican presidential aspirants, saying it would help the party pick the best nominee capable of capturing the White House.
"I think competition is great," Jindal told Politico, adding, "What I don't like is the idea of party insiders or the establishment in D.C." picking the nominee. "Let the voters decide."
Jindal said his own decision about declaring as a candidate would not be influenced by who else is running, his standing in the polls, or his capacity to raise money.
"For me, it would have to be, do I have a unique contribution to make based on my experiences, based on how we need to restore the American dream," he told Politico.
Other Republican governors who are weighing a run for the nomination include Chris Christie of New Jersey, Wisconsin's Scott Walker, Rick Perry of Texas, Ohio's John Kasich and Mike Pence of Indiana.
All could be seen conferring Wednesday with supporters, contributors and strategists at the Republican Governors Association's meeting in Boca Raton, Florida, Politico reported.
Jindal said that Republicans in Washington need to avoid "being nothing but the anti-Obama party" because such an approach would squander the majority GOP had achieved in November.
"Let's go and give this president the chance to do the right thing. Let's put on his desk, aggressive, bold reform proposals. Repealing but replacing Obamacare," he said.
He charged that President Barack Obama "may be the first president to ignore the separation of powers," the Sun Herald reported.
Jindal said that Democrats like Hillary Clinton believed in a top-down style of government and for running the economy "and our lives," whereas Republicans favored the "bottom-up" approach that gives power to the people, according to Politico.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/2016-Republicans-presidency-candidates/2014/11/20/id/608539/#ixzz3JdJkt0QF
-
Karl Rove: Of 23 Likely GOP Pres. Hopefuls, the Winner Might Be ...
Thursday, 20 Nov 2014
By Elliot Jager
By Karl Rove's count, there are 23 Republicans who might be interested in running for president — excluding Mitt Romney.
In his latest Wall Street Journal column aimed at "political junkies," Rove sketchily takes inventory of their pluses and minuses.
He sees Arkansas' Mike Huckabee as the GOP's "most visible social conservative" while questioning the breadth of support he can muster. "Jeb Bush is a big thinker," though he wonders if another Bush can win. A "thoughtful" Sen. Marco Rubio, also of Florida, appeals to the same Bush constituency.
Rove is unenthused about the "fearless" Rand Paul of Kentucky because of his "wild claims" and sporadic "flip-flops" when his libertarian message falls flat.
He likes Bobby Jindal's healthcare expertise, while noting the Louisiana governor might skip a race that is laden with other governors. Chris Christie is able to garner broad local support, but his style might not appeal outside the Garden State.
The Republican strategist wonders whether Rick Perry's economic accomplishments makes a comeback possible given "his dismal 2012" performance.
As for Ted Cruz, Rove acknowledges his popularity yet casts doubt as to whether the Texas senator's confrontational style is "the path to the GOP nomination or the White House."
Paul Ryan is dubbed the GOP's leading theorist and will have to decide between a presidential run and focusing on tax reform. Rove sees Scott Walker, also from Wisconsin, as "courageous" though someone who needs to project more passion.
Rove also calls attention to newer faces: businesswoman Carly Fiorina of California and Maryland neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
His roster also includes perennial favorites Allen West, Herman Cain, John Bolton and Rick Santorum.
Other politicians past and present round out Rove's list: Mike Pence, Bob Ehrlich, Rick Snyder, Peter King, George Pataki, John Kasich and Rob Portman.
The veteran GOP insider lauds his party's 2016 presidential primary schedule for not kicking off until February, so that candidates can first show their mettle with the voters — not just their fundraising prowess.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/2016-presidential-race-Republicans-Rove/2014/11/20/id/608531/#ixzz3JdKX3JUX
-
Says the person who touted Charlie Crist.
you're actually attacking the messenger, and not the message here.
You do nothing to address my point. Do you agree/disagree?
-
you're actually attacking the messenger, and not the message here.
You do nothing to address my point. Do you agree/disagree?
What was your point?
-
Says the person who touted Charlie Crist.
On paper, Crist has more experience than Rubio.
-
What was your point?
Your article said:
Ron Paul on Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio: They're 'average'
And I responded with:
Ron Paul is somewhat right. Rubio is below average, very thin and new and hasn't done much but DREAM and rino on.
Bush is actually above average in many areas.
And instead of saying "dude, you're an idiot, Marco Rubio has a great resume" or "dude, Jeb sucks", you just shit on me.
I'm touting Jeb as HIGHLY experienced and ready to be president. Rubio - we've yet to see him accomplish much legislatively. He gives a mean speech, and supports DREAM/amnesty, but we already tried that (with obama). Didn't work.
-
On paper, Crist has more experience than Rubio.
So does Joe Biden.
-
Your article said:
And I responded with:
Ron Paul is somewhat right. Rubio is below average, very thin and new and hasn't done much but DREAM and rino on.
Bush is actually above average in many areas.
And instead of saying "dude, you're an idiot, Marco Rubio has a great resume" or "dude, Jeb sucks", you just shit on me.
I'm touting Jeb as HIGHLY experienced and ready to be president. Rubio - we've yet to see him accomplish much legislatively. He gives a mean speech, and supports DREAM/amnesty, but we already tried that (with obama). Didn't work.
Ok. "Dude, you're an idiot, Marco Rubio has a great resume."
And, you are the same person who touted Charlie Crist.
-
So does Joe Biden.
Seeing how he is sitting VP for a second term by doing nothing more than smiling non stop in his debates, I would say that he is more qualified and experienced than both Rubio and Crist.
-
Seeing how he is sitting VP for a second term by doing nothing more than smiling non stop in his debates, I would say that he is more qualified and experienced than both Rubio and Crist.
Using that logic, Sheila Jackson Lee is more qualified than Rubio. But given that intelligence is a part of being qualified, no objective person would say that.
Same goes for Biden. He just might be the dumbest VP in history.
-
Yet, he is still VP. If intelligence is a measure of being qualified, Dubya Bush nor Palin would have been let out of the house unsupervised.
And Rubio is what again? Not even a gov'r. Which shows Crist is more experienced and qualified as he is again?
-
Yes, intelligence is a qualification for any reasonable, objective voter. And anyone (like you) who thinks Sheila Jackson Lee is more qualified than Marco Rubio has issues.
-
Anyone - like you - who thinks that Bachmann is qualified and (as you claimed) is "brilliant" lacks intelligence to determine who is or who isn't qualified by a long margin.
My statement stands. Crist does have more experience and qualifications than Rubio.
-
Yes, of course that's what you think. Not the least bit surprised. Keep in mind I was referring to the "reasonable, objective voter." That excludes you.
-
Keep in mind I was referring to intelligence. That excludes you.
-
::)
-
Rand Paul Shows Early Strength in New Hampshire Poll
Nov 24, 2014
The early numbers show the Republican primary field is wide open, with new faces ranking beside legacy names.
Republican Rand Paul is showing early strength for a possible 2016 presidential bid in the first primary state, where a Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm New Hampshire Poll shows him running slightly ahead of more established names.
When 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney is removed from the mix, the Kentucky senator and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie share the top spot, with each drawing 16 percent support from likely Republican primary voters. Romney, who has repeatedly said he has no plans to run for president a third time, leads the potential pack with 30 percent when included.
While Paul may be considered controversial among Republicans in Washington because of his ties to the party's Tea Party wing, New Hampshire Republicans don't see him that way. His favorable rating is the best of the potential 2016 Republican field, with 65 percent of likely primary voters viewing him positively and just 19 percent negatively. That’s on par with the state's Republican senator, Kelly Ayotte.
"Some of that is Rand Paul and a lot of it is Ron Paul."
Tom Rath, former New Hampshire attorney general
That appeal isn't lost on the competition. “I would think that Rand Paul would have significant appeal in New Hampshire because there is a very strong libertarian streak in our state,” said Terry Shumaker, a Democratic activist in Manchester.
By comparison, Christie is viewed favorably by just 50 percent of likely Republican primary voters, while a third view him unfavorably. The governor's unfavorable rating was the highest of any of the 10 potential Republican candidates tested in the poll.
That trepidation reflects an open question about a potential Christie candidacy: Whether his brash style will be accepted in Iowa and New Hampshire. He made national news last month when he told a constituent who was critical of New Jersey's response to mega-storm Sandy to “sit down and shut up.”
“It's that aspect of the persona that has given people some pause,” said Tom Rath, a former New Hampshire attorney general and longtime primary watcher who supported Romney in 2012. “It's an issue you hear come up with people.”
(http://media.gotraffic.net/images/i0xfkPBO0MZw/v2/-1x-1.jpg)
Romney won New Hampshire's primary four years ago. His popularity—in part fueled by his history as governor of neighboring Massachusetts—is still strong in the state.
With Romney removed from the list of potential candidates, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has the next highest level of support at 14 percent, followed by neurosurgeon-turned-conservative-activist Ben Carson at 9 percent. While known by just 39 percent of Republican primary voters, Carson is for now competitive with better-known names. The retired doctor registered higher than the 8 percent received by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, 7 percent for 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, 5 percent for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, 4 percent for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and 3 percent for Texas Governor Rick Perry.
The poll was conducted by Washington-based Purple Insights Nov. 12-18 and included 407 likely Republican primary voters. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
New Hampshire and Iowa are politically, geographically and economically different states, yet Republicans in both places seem to be sorting out the still-emerging field in similar ways. A Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll of likely 2016 Republican caucusgoers conducted in October also showed Paul and Carson with early strength in the state that hosts the first nomination balloting. In that survey, Carson received 11 percent and Paul 10 percent in what is still a mostly undefined field of potential candidates.
“Some of that is Rand Paul and a lot of it is Ron Paul,” said Rath, noting that Paul's father in 2012 finished second in both Iowa and New Hampshire. “He inherits a substantial block of voters from his father.”
The early polling is certain to change in the coming months, as local coverage of the primary is added to the mix of what has been mostly national coverage. Rath said that the “center-right” part of the potential candidate lineup, a group where he places Bush, is still unformed. “Until you get a decision, yes or no, his numbers don't really mean much,” he said.
Paul has already visited New Hampshire three times this year, while Christie has been there four times. “One of the advantages that both Christie and Rand Paul already have is that they are already running,” said Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. “They are here, they are hiring staff and they are moving around the state.”
(http://media.gotraffic.net/images/iOU8Fn7F228k/v2/-1x-1.jpg)
New Hampshire primary voters say they are much more likely to pick a candidate who closely aligns with their views on issues over someone who has the best chance of winning the presidency in a general election. On that question, 77 percent say issues are more important to them than winning.
In hypothetical 2016 match-ups, Hillary Clinton would have the potential to draw even some Republican primary voters. Against Jeb Bush, she attracts 11 percent of the Republican primary vote and against Paul she attracts 12 percent.
—Annie Linskey and Lisa Lerer contributed to this report.
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-11-24/rand-paul-shows-early-strength-in-bloomberg-politicssaint-anselm-new-hampshire-poll?hootPostID=1b974cab71c3f6bb12ccc98c69c868cf
-
Ben Carson: I'm Going To Make A Decision About Running For President By May 1st
On Sunday's broadcast of ABC's This Week, there was a consensus moment between former President Bush's chief re-election strategist Matthew Dowd and Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher of the liberal magazine The Nation: Dr. Ben Carson should run for president.
Carson, also a guest on the Sunday show, said he will make his decision to run for president by first of May.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, THIS WEEK: Jim Webb is already looking. Dr. Carson, as James [Carville] said, you're looking at the possibility of running for president. Closer to a decision?
DR. BEN CARSON: Every day I would get closer because I'm going to make a decision by May the 1st.
STEPHANOPOULOS: By May. You have a little bit of time. Make the 30-second case against Hillary
CARSON: Well, I don't want to make it specifically about Hillary. I want to make it about those who want the United States to be a country where the government conforms to the will of the people versus those who want the people to conform to the will of the government and that's the big divide that we have right now.
That's what the people are talking about. That's what they talked about a couple of weeks ago in the election. They are saying isn't this our country? Isn't it for, of and by the people? This is what we need to be talking about. I don't care if it's a Democrat or Republican. That's who needs to be up front.
MATTHEW DOWD, FMR. BUSH STRATEGIST: I hope Dr. Carson runs because I think we'd be behooved in this country by anybody participating in the process and part of the problem is people have stepped back -- good people have stepped back -- that are smart at this process and haven't tried to serve and I think it would be benefit whether or not I agree with you on the issues.
I think the interesting thing about the Republican party is, they would be benefited by an outsider coming in, whether it's somebody like Dr. Carson or a governor outside of Washington, D.C. The thing about the Republican party, everybody says they're going to nominate the most conservative figure in the party. They're not. They never do. They haven't since Goldwater in 1964. They nominate the person whose most electable and satisfies conservatives.
KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL, THE NATION: I hope Dr. Carson runs. I think -- I agree with Matt. An anti-establishment candidate, however, I think you're way overreading the results of that election. When you look at the issues that won around this country and that map was very conservative, it was an older, more affluent whiter crowd, it wasn't the emerging majority, young people minorities, single women and I think you see a country that is waiting for something different. They want a government that works for them. They don't want a rigged system that works for the corporations or the very wealthy and they want to be part of a recovery that they hear a lot about, but they don't feel they're part of.
CARSON: I don't think it's overread at all because I'm in four or five states a week. I've been for the last year and a half, and I predicted a long time ago what the results of the election would be because I'm hearing what the people are saying.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/11/23/ben_carson_im_going_to_make_a_decision_about_running_for_president_by_may_1st.html
-
Bloomberg/Saint Anselm Poll: Romney Leads GOP Field for 2016
Monday, 24 Nov 2014
By Cathy Burke
Former Massachusetts governor and two-time presidential contender Mitt Romney leads the Republican field of potential White House candidates by a double-digit margin in early-primary state New Hampshire – snagging the support of 30 percent of voters, a new poll showed Monday.
According to the Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm survey, Romney leads all other possible GOP contenders by nearly 20 points, with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul coming in second, at 11 percent, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sits in third at 9 percent and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush fourth at 8 percent. Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Romney's running mate in 2016, is tied for sixth with 5 percent of the vote.
The margin of error was plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
Despite Romney's frequent denials of 2016 presidential ambitions, the poll shows there's still plenty of interest in the Granite State, where Romney won the 2012 New Hampshire primary.
When Romney's name is off the potential list of GOP possibles, Paul and Christie share the lead at 16 percent, with Bush in third at 14 percent and Dr. Ben Carson, a retired Detroit neurosurgeon, in fourth at 9 percent.
Carson polled higher than the 8 percent received by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, 7 percent for 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, 5 percent for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, 4 percent for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and 3 percent for Texas Governor Rick Perry.
"Some of that is Rand Paul and a lot of it is Ron Paul," Tom Rath, former New Hampshire attorney general, told Bloomberg News.
Paul's father, Ron Paul, finished second in the 2012 New Hampshire primary.
"He inherits a substantial block of voters from his father," Rath said.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton leads all potential candidates by a mile. At 62 percent, the former secretary of State has a 46-point edge on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who received 16 percent of the vote, the survey showed.
Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is third at 6 percent, with Vice President Joe Biden comes in fourth with 5 percent.
When asked their pick in a hypothetical general election, Clinton also leads potential Republican candidates — but is only ahead of Romney by 1 percentage point, 46 percent to 45 percent, the survey showed.
The National Journal notes Romney's not likely to run.
But if "everyone else implodes," one former adviser told the outlet in October, Romney could be lined up to save the election for the party.
"As an establishment favorite, he could be drafted to unite the GOP should the others crash and burn," National Journal speculates.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/mitt-romney-republicans-president-poll/2014/11/24/id/609363/#ixzz3K6DKcmRl
-
Bloomberg/Saint Anselm Poll: Romney Leads GOP Field for 2016
Monday, 24 Nov 2014
B0y Cathy Burke
Former Massachusetts governor and two-time presidential contender Mitt Romney leads the Republican field of potential White House candidates by a double-digit margin in early-primary state New Hampshire – snagging the support of 30 percent of voters, a new poll showed Monday.
According to the Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm survey, Romney leads all other possible GOP contenders by nearly 20 points, with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul coming in second, at 11 percent, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sits in third at 9 percent and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush fourth at 8 percent. Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Romney's running mate in 2016, is tied for sixth with 5 percent of the vote.
The margin of error was plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
Despite Romney's frequent denials of 2016 presidential ambitions, the poll shows there's still plenty of interest in the Granite State, where Romney won the 2012 New Hampshire primary.
When Romney's name is off the potential list of GOP possibles, Paul and Christie share the lead at 16 percent, with Bush in third at 14 percent and Dr. Ben Carson, a retired Detroit neurosurgeon, in fourth at 9 percent.
Carson polled higher than the 8 percent received by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, 7 percent for 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, 5 percent for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, 4 percent for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and 3 percent for Texas Governor Rick Perry.
"Some of that is Rand Paul and a lot of it is Ron Paul," Tom Rath, former New Hampshire attorney general, told Bloomberg News.
Paul's father, Ron Paul, finished second in the 2012 New Hampshire primary.
"He inherits a substantial block of voters from his father," Rath said.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton leads all potential candidates by a mile. At 62 percent, the former secretary of State has a 46-point edge on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who received 16 percent of the vote, the survey showed.
Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is third at 6 percent, with Vice President Joe Biden comes in fourth with 5 percent.
When asked their pick in a hypothetical general election, Clinton also leads potential Republican candidates — but is only ahead of Romney by 1 percentage point, 46 percent to 45 percent, the survey showed.
The National Journal notes Romney's not likely to run.
But if "everyone else implodes," one former adviser told the outlet in October, Romney could be lined up to save the election for the party.
"As an establishment favorite, he could be drafted to unite the GOP should the others crash and burn," National Journal speculates.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/mitt-romney-republicans-president-poll/2014/11/24/id/609363/#ixzz3K6DKcmRl
This poll shows that 70% of republicans do NOT want the biggest name of the GOP. Romney almost won in 2008, he did win in 2012. He has a presidential face, a business mind, and he was plowed by a beatable obama after leading obama in polls after debate #1.
SEVENTY PERCENT of republicans don't want this guy. It'll be 2012 all over again - only without the stigma of "let's get rid of obama".
And of course, romney/gruber will come to light ;) Spend a month demonizing gruber then a year dismissing he and romney playing footsie on romneycare.
-
Couldn't win a senate election, still owes her last campaign $500,000, but thinks she can win a presidential election?? What is she smoking?
Carly Fiorina May Test Her Luck as GOP 2016 Hopeful
Wednesday, 26 Nov 2014
By Elliot Jager
Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina is actively pursuing a possible 2016 presidential run, The Washington Post reported.
Fiorina is the only woman and the only possible candidate in the Republican field who has never held elective office — though she did try for a U.S. Senate seat in California.
Her Unlocking Potential PAC has pulled together $1.7 million from a few donors.
Political consultant Frank Sadler, who worked for Koch Industries, is advising her. She has been meeting with contributors, searching for campaign workers, and visiting presidential battleground states.
She said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "When people keep asking you over and over again," about running for president "you have to pause and reflect. So I'll pause and reflect at the right time," the Post reported.
Among her upcoming appearances are speeches to the Iowa Freedom Summit in January and the Conservative Political Action Conference in February.
GOP political strategist David Carney says Fiorina, 60, is the kind of free-market advocate who could counter the arguments of left-leaning Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, according to the Post.
Fiorina also has her critics within the party, who say she is overrated and not at all presidential material.
Some Republican operatives are bitter over the $500,000 she still owes to staffers from her unsuccessful 2010 Senate bid. Others point to her forced resignation from Hewlett-Packard when the company merged with Compaq. Even those who say she has potential acknowledge that she does not have an obvious constituency within the Republican base, the Post reported.
Al Cardenas, a former chairman of the American Conservative Union, said "There will always be professionals out there looking to land the golden nugget of politics, which is a presidential campaign, and they'll be whispering sweet nothings in your ear, but you've got to come up with that $20 million or $30 million."
He added, "By virtue of the fact that she's a credible national figure and the only woman candidate out of 19, she should get her due attention at the outset," according to the Post.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/GOP-presidency-candidates-2016/2014/11/26/id/609657/#ixzz3KD5mR4PC
-
Couldn't win a senate election, still owes her last campaign $500,000, but thinks she can win a presidential election?? What is she smoking?
Carly Fiorina May Test Her Luck as GOP 2016 Hopeful
In a world where Sarah Palin is still the 6th most popular choice for GOP nomination, and the #1 woman for president not named Hilary... A highly intelligent Fiorina could certainly be a legit candidate. And she's worth 80 million approx, which always helps. She's probably smarter (experience + IQ + business acumen) than just about any other person that will be in the race, except a jeb or romney. Fiorina is light years ahead of a Rubio, and only a RINO would disagree with that.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poll-sarah-palin-tops-list-of-women-americans-want-to-run-for-president/article/2546376
-
In a world where Sarah Palin is still the 6th most popular choice for GOP nomination, and the #1 woman for president not named Hilary... A highly intelligent Fiorina could certainly be a legit candidate. And she's worth 80 million approx, which always helps. She's probably smarter (experience + IQ + business acumen) than just about any other person that will be in the race, except a jeb or romney. Fiorina is light years ahead of a Rubio, and only a RINO would disagree with that.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poll-sarah-palin-tops-list-of-women-americans-want-to-run-for-president/article/2546376
lol
-
GOP govs starting to strut their stuff for 2016
Associated Press By JILL COLVIN and STEVE PEOPLES
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — A half-dozen potential Republican presidential contenders spent last week peacocking across the sprawling grounds of a pink-hued luxury resort, schmoozing with donors and sizing up the competition in the party's most fractured field in decades.
They rarely criticized each other in public, but there were subtle jabs.
Within hours of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gracing the cover of a magazine in an illustration of him kissing a baby's head, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal suggested the party needs bold leaders, not showmen.
"We have enough politicians who try to be celebrities and kiss babies and cut ribbons," Jindal said.
Whether it was an intentional shot at Christie or not, the looming 2016 contest changed the context of every speech, interview and panel discussion at the Republican Governors Association's annual conference. The summit at the oceanside Boca Raton Resort & Club felt like a test run for what is increasingly shaping up to be a brutal showdown for the GOP presidential nomination among more than a dozen potential contenders, including a cluster of governors.
In contrast, Hillary Rodham Clinton has spent recent weeks basking in the glows of grandmotherhood and applause at a few public events — without any major challenger for the Democratic nod, should she choose to pursue it.
While the potential GOP field appears stronger than four years ago, the Republicans are without a front-runner.
"There are, like, 16 people who could run," said former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who downplayed the potential risk of so many candidates at each other's throats. "They won't all run, of course, but a lot of quality in there."
The candidates aren't expected to start formally declaring their intentions until the first quarter of next year. But the developing tensions were already apparent as five potential candidates appeared together on stage in a packed, grand ballroom to answering questions from moderator Chuck Todd, the host of NBC's "Meet The Press" — a dress rehearsal of sorts for the looming primary.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a former congressman, repeatedly crossed words with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, challenging Walker's telling of the history of the Bill Clinton administration. On another panel, Walker mentioned that he'd been in high school at a time when Kasich had voted on a piece of immigration legislation.
"Well, you don't look that much younger," Kasich quipped.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry left little doubt that the race is on.
"I think the campaign has engaged. We're talking about issues here that are going to affect the presidential election in 2016," Perry said. "I think we need to have this conversation with America."
The governors who would be president agreed on one thing: their superiority as candidates over their nongubernatorial competition. Those in attendance repeatedly stressed that the party's best hope for reclaiming the White House lies with a chief executive at the top of the ticket.
But they dismissed the idea of any kind of advance pact to ensure they don't inflict too much damage during the primary.
"Um, no, no pacts, at least none that I'm involved in," said Christie, joking that he'd be closely watching Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, another potential contender, to make sure he wasn't forging any deals.
Behind the scenes, however, that's exactly what the contenders were aiming for.
Dozens of the party's biggest donors enjoyed private audiences with prospective candidates. They mingled in hotel corridors, at fancy dinners, on a nearby golf course where basketball great Michael Jordan was spotted, and at fetes, like an oceanside reception decorated with twinkling lights, a clam cake station and ice sculptures.
The guest list included Republican heavy hitters like Paul Singer, Anthony Scaramucci and Foster Friess.
Christie, who arrived with what appeared to be his entire senior team, said he was enjoying spending time with donors "in an atmosphere that's a lot more relaxed, like this one this week."
Indeed, one top consultant who has served as senior adviser on numerous campaigns was spotted walking through the lobby in his bathing suit on the way to the pool between meetings. And at all times, lobbyists from companies like Google hovered, slipping business cards to governors and aides, who left one speed dating-style session with pockets bursting.
Still, the presidential undertones were more subtle at times than in annual retreats of years past when prospective candidates like Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani held private meetings to craft campaign strategy with key supporters.
"In prior election cycles, the RGA postelection meeting has been the kicking off point for presidential campaigns," said GOP operative Charlie Spies, who led Romney's super PAC in 2012, echoing several other longtime attendees. "This year's event was more low-key."
The event was "not about asking. This is about thanking and congratulating," said longtime Republican adviser and money man Fred Malek. "Part of it also is inspiration so that people will have their mind set on moving ahead in the next cycle."
https://news.yahoo.com/beginning-look-lot-2016-gop-govs-141418047--election.html
-
Good article that talks about the big money donors who will play a major role in selecting the nominee.
Rick Perry ramps up for 2016
Texas governor invites GOP donors to December sessions to discuss 2016.
By KENNETH P. VOGEL 11/28/14
(http://images.politico.com/global/2014/12/01/141201_rick_perry_ap_629_1160x629.jpg)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is inviting hundreds of prominent Republican donors and policy experts to a series of gatherings next month that are intended to rebuild his damaged national brand and lay the foundation for a potential 2016 presidential campaign, fundraisers and organizers confirmed to POLITICO.
The small-group sessions kick off Tuesday and Wednesday in Austin with a pair of lunches and dinners held in the governor’s mansion wedged between policy briefings at the nearby office of Perry senior adviser Jeff Miller. In all, Perry’s team expects he will meet in person with more than 500 major donors and bundlers from around the country in December as well as a slew of operatives, Republican National Committee members and policy experts.
Perry’s intensive month of foundation-building comes as other prospective Republican presidential candidates — notably former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — are engaging with the wealthy Texans who for years have been among the GOP’s most significant sources of cash. As the heir to a political dynasty with deep Texas ties, Bush in particular could seriously cut into Perry’s financial base. Bush over the last few months has met with major Texas donors.
Perry has long enjoyed support from Texas’s biggest wallets for his state campaigns, but some of the donors remain skeptical of his presidential viability as a result of his bumbling 2012 run, during which some abandoned him in favor of eventual nominee Mitt Romney.
Perry had entered the race to much fanfare as the most formidable GOP foe to Romney. But his debate performances induced cringes, his anti-establishment tough talk prompted grumbles in the business community and he had only limited success expanding his fundraising base beyond Texas. When he dropped out not long after finishing fifth in the Iowa caucuses, Perry further alienated his party’s business wing by snubbing Romney and backing the long-shot rival campaign of Newt Gingrich.
While some in the party wonder if his star dimmed even further this summer when he was indicted on public corruption charges, Perry has nonetheless tried to remake his public image over the past year. In a series of high-profile interviews, the governor, sporting trendy new glasses that give him a more studious look, has admitted that he bungled 2012. He’s said the experience “humbled” him, and admitted he erred by jumping into the race without sufficient preparation and just six weeks after back surgery that left him in pain and unable to sleep.
Things would be different if he ran again, say sources who have interacted with the three-term governor, who is leaving the office after having held it longer than any other person in Texas history. They describe his health as “tip-top” and his policy expertise as light years ahead of where it was in the last presidential cycle — all of which he intends to highlight in his December donor meetings.
“If Gov. Perry is going to run, he’s going to be better prepared, and he’s going to have the resources necessary to compete,” said Henry Barbour, a Republican national committeeman who is helping plan for a Perry 2016 campaign and organizing next week’s donor sessions.
After next week, there will be an additional four or five sessions throughout the month, as well as an array of briefings held at Miller’s office with policy experts from leading conservative think tanks, such as the American Enterprise Institute and the Hoover Institution, according to those familiar with the planning.
The sources said Perry has been receiving twice-a-week briefings on different policy areas for months, including one on health care this past week in Austin featuring leading Obamacare critic Avik Roy of the Manhattan Institute. Perry also has been briefed —both in Austin and over the phone — by Lanhee Chen, the highly regarded policy director for Romney’s 2012 campaign, who authored a 172-page job-creation outline for Romney and likely would have played a leading role in a Romney White House.
Miller — who has overseen Perry’s post-2012 reemergence, and who many expect would run a Perry presidential campaign — added that full preparation means “not just on policy, but also with the necessary relationships in both the early states and with major donors around the country.”
Several major donors and bundlers who supported Perry’s last White House run — including some who have been invited to the Austin sessions — were cautious or even skeptical when asked this week if they’d back a Perry 2016 campaign.
“I’m a huge fan of Gov. Perry’s and would do whatever I could to help, but other stars have emerged in the party, and I want to hear what they have to say,” said Matt Keelen, a GOP lobbyist who rallied Capitol Hill support for Perry’s 2012 campaign. Keelen specifically cited Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida as intriguing presidential prospects.
Fort Worth investor and GOP bundler Hal Lambert supported Perry in 2012. He described the governor as “very good at working crowds and talking to people, but he’s really going to have to pick it up on the debate side. Those debates really ruined his chances last time.” While he said he wasn’t ready to commit to Perry — or anyone else — in 2016, Lambert said he’ll bring an open mind when he attends a dinner with Perry at the governor’s mansion on Dec. 17.
“I’d need to hear what the overall strategy would be for victory,” he said.
A Washington lobbyist who supported Perry last time but has since cooled on him was more blunt, asserting that Perry “ran a crummy campaign in 2012” and hasn’t demonstrated that he’s figured out how to do things differently. Donors also are concerned about the unresolved corruption indictment hanging over Perry’s head, said the lobbyist. Perry has adamantly asserted his innocence in that case, and many across the political spectrum have rallied to his defense, calling the prosecution a witch hunt.
“None of the D.C. lobbyist crowd who were supporting Perry in 2012 are planning to support him this cycle,” said the lobbyist, who is considering supporting Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana or Scott Walker of Wisconsin should either run in 2016. “He is a good guy, but Perry’s time has passed.”
One prominent GOP bundler who was invited to Austin for one of the Perry sessions in December said, “I admire Perry, but my first commitment is to Jeb Bush and until Jeb makes up his mind, I and a lot of other folks in the Bush extended family are kind of frozen.” If Bush doesn’t run, the bundler said, “I think it’ll be time for a new generation.”
Some major bundlers for George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns — including Wayne Berman and Dirk Van Dongen — have been supportive of Rubio. But the Florida senator, who has not said whether he’s going to run, could face a difficult financial path if Bush ran, since the fellow Floridian has deeper ties to many of Rubio’s home-state benefactors, as well as the Bush family’s vaunted national money network.
Perry’s Texas network overlaps slightly with the Bush network. But there’s also been tension between the camps, stemming partly from the Bush crew’s support for then-Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a longtime Bush family ally, in her unsuccessful challenge to Perry in the 2010 Texas GOP gubernatorial primary.
A GOP fundraiser who has worked with Texas donors said some of the richest among them have been meeting with Jeb Bush in Texas, and that his brother, the former president — and former Texas governor — George W. Bush has been talking up Jeb to rich Texans. “Perry is responding to that, and a lot of these donors are caught in the middle,” the fundraiser said of Perry’s Austin meetings.
Lambert, however, said Jeb Bush’s primary reason for visiting Texas was supporting the successful campaign of his son, George P. Bush, for Texas land commissioner.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily been about meeting donors. He’s not going to have any problem there,” said Lambert, who conceded that Texas donors could have divided loyalties in 2016.
“Ted Cruz could compete as well,” Lambert said of the junior senator from Texas. Cruz is a favorite of the conservative grass roots, but he has struggled to win over GOP establishment donors, who view him as an impractical ideologue.
“There will definitely be a difference in the donor base, but I think he’s right in the mix,” said Lambert, who praised Cruz and added, “It will be a tough decision.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/rick-perry-2016-campaign-113210.html#ixzz3Klgh7caD
-
Ben Carson: Political phenomenon
By Mark Preston, CNN
Tue December 2, 2014
Washington (CNN) -- It was 1965 and Ben Carson, an eighth-grade black student in Detroit, was stunned.
Unable to control her anger, his teacher lashed out at white students for failing to outperform Carson, who had just been awarded the class's highest academic achievement. In an interview last week, Carson described the teacher as being from a time when some people thought "how can a black person ever intellectually do better than a white person?"
"To her, it was the most abnormal thing that ever happened in the history of the world," Carson said. "To me, I was determined I would show her."
Nearly 50 years later, Carson -- relatively unknown outside of conservative circles -- is on the verge of becoming a political phenomenon. He placed second behind Mitt Romney in a CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday asking Republicans about their preferred presidential nominee in 2016. Though his support only reached 10% in the poll, Carson outpaced more high-profile potential presidential contenders like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
He's gaining traction as an African-American in a party that is struggling to connect with minority communities. But Carson is remarkably checked when asked about how, to this day, he deals with racism.
"If somebody has a problem with the way that I look, more power to them," Carson said. "Let them sit and stew in it. I just got so many more important things to do than to deal with that."
That doesn't mean he's silent on the racial issues of the day. After last week's violence in Ferguson, Missouri, Carson slammed President Barack Obama for contributing to poor race relations.
"I actually believe that things were better before this president was elected," he told radio broadcaster Hugh Hewitt. "And I think that things have gotten worse because of his unusual emphasis on race."
He's offered provocative commentary on a wide range of other issues, telling FOX News in May that the Veterans Affairs scandal was a "gift from God to show us what happens when you take layers and layers of bureaucracy and place them between the patients and the health care provider."
In a March interviewt with Breitbart, he compared the modern American government to Nazi Germany.
And at the 2013 Values Voters Summit, Carson said Obamacare is "the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery."
The 'PC police'
For Carson, abandoning political correctness is a central element of his persona -- and something that's winning fans in the GOP base. Carson recently appeared at an event for the Family Leader, an influential social conservative organization in Iowa.
"He was very well received, and enthusiastically well received," said Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the organization, who noted Carson spoke to 900 attendees about pressing domestic concerns including cultural issues, foreign policy, and his disdain for political correctness.
"It is like a breath of fresh air when he talks about not being politically correct and how he won't be controlled by the 'PC police' and he will say what needs to be said," Vander Plaats said. "That message really resonated."
Carson is well known in the medical community -- he's a celebrated pediatric neurosurgeon -- and Cuba Gooding, Jr. played him in the 2009 made-for-television movie: "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story." But his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in February 2013 catapulted him onto the national political stage.
With Obama sitting just a few feet away, Carson warned that the U.S. was heading down the same path as Rome.
"Moral decay, fiscal irresponsibility," Carson said during his speech. "They destroyed themselves. If you don't think that can happen to America, you get out your books and you start reading."
Carson said 15 minutes after his remarks, organizers of the Prayer Breakfast called him and said the White House was "upset and that I needed to call and apologize. I said, 'I spoke to the president after the Prayer Breakfast and he was quite cordial and didn't seem upset. I don't see why he would be upset, unless what I said applied to him.'"
His speech was embraced by GOP activists and radio talk show hosts. Carson became an instant political celebrity for conservatives.
"I expected a reaction, but I didn't expect it to be that profound, quite frankly," Carson said of his remarks at the Prayer Breakfast. "Obviously, it touched a chord with millions of people and I thought it would die down after a while, but instead of dying down it continued to build."
Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist, said that Carson is "certainly someone to be taken seriously," in the GOP primary, but added that this does not necessarily transfer to the general election. "In terms of appeal in a general election, there are comments he has made that can come back to haunt him," she said.
Carson dismisses those who criticize him for his remarks, and said they are just blowing them out of proportion. Yet, Carson does acknowledge that he is trying to make a point when he speaks on the issues of the day.
"I try to talk about what I actually see that's going on and this is what we need in America," he said. "We need people who are not afraid to express themselves and who are not afraid to debate issues."
Cornell William Brooks, president of the NAACP, said he admires Carson as a surgeon and noted his son was inspired by one of Carson's books to become a thoracic surgeon. But in terms of race relations, the two men are not on the same page.
"He is an extraordinary surgeon, extraordinarily passionate human being," Brooks said. "But I disagree with the personalization of a set of policies that have been harmful, not only to African-Americans, but the country as a whole with any particular party. ... Dr. Carson stands like a giant in the operating room, but in the civil rights arena we would love to have more conversation with him about our positions."
From poverty to the operating room
Raised by a single mother with a third grade education, Carson rose from poverty and racial division to achieve success. Carson's mother left his bigamist father when he was eight years old and, despite her inability to read, forced him and his brother to spend their days with books and focusing on their schoolwork.
Carson struggled in his early elementary school years. At 10, though, Carson said the most defining moment in his life occurred: He was the only child in his class able to identify an obsidian rock held up by his teacher.
"It said to me that everyone thinks you are dumb, but you are not dumb at all," he said. "And that was really the beginning of change."
The second most defining moment in his life almost led to tragedy. Carson got into an argument with a friend and, in a fit of rage, lunged at him with a knife. A belt buckle blocked the blow and saved his friend from injury. Carson said he ran away from the scene.
"I locked myself in the bathroom and started thinking about my life and I started praying," he said. "In the three hours I stayed in that bathroom, I came to an understanding that to lash out at people is not a sign of strength, it was a sign of weakness."
Eventually, Carson earned his undergraduate degree from Yale and went to medical school at the University of Michigan and joined Johns Hopkins when he graduated, becoming a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon.
On the campaign trail
Carson recently switched his voter registration from independent to Republican -- a move he acknowledged was spurred on by a possible presidential run.
"If I decide to run, I need to run as a Democrat or Republican," he said. "I don't want to run as a third-party candidate. And I would have to choose one of the parties."
But the retired doctor noted that if he decides to seek the GOP presidential nomination, it would not be as a "traditional candidate."
"I'm never going to be a politician," he said. "I'm not going to listen to the people who've already tried ... because then I'll be them. I won't be me. If I am not me, what would be the point, even if you won, of being in office under false pretenses?"
Carson further embraces the status as an outsider with no government experience, which he said is a positive with voters.
"I see it as a drawback if you want to continue going down the pathway of government controlling every aspect of our lives," he said. "I don't see it as a problem at all if somebody wants to re-establish the original intent in this country, which was a nation where the government conformed to the will of the people and not vice versa."
It is this type of talk that has created a "buzz" among some conservatives in the early voting state of South Carolina, said GOP strategist Joel Sawyer.
"He is someone that activists are listening to, to a degree," said Sawyer. "People are talking about him."
Helping to fan the flames of a possible presidential bid was a documentary about Carson that his business manager, Armstrong Williams, paid to air in in 22 states and Washington, D.C., last month.
On the issues, Carson talks about revamping the tax structure, cutting back on government regulations, and asserting the U.S. as a world power that will "obliterate" ISIS, and stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When it comes to social issues, though, Carson emphasizes that there are more pressing issues the nation needs to address.
"I have likened America to a ship that's about to sail off Niagara Falls," he said. "And the social issues are like little barnacles on the side of the ship. There are a lot of people leaning over the edge saying we got to get that barnacle. No, we have got to turn the ship around. Until we get things moving in the right direction, get the economy moving ... bring people out of poverty ... deal with our energy resources in an appropriate way, get education back where it belongs ... those are the issues that are critical. The social issues as far as I'm concerned they are personal issues for most people."
Carson said if the right candidate emerges -- which he describes as "somebody who understands business and economics and somebody who understands our place on the world stage and the responsibilities that we have" -- he wouldn't run. He is giving himself until May 1 to get into the presidential race.
In terms of being the only black candidate publicly interested in seeking the GOP nomination, Carson reverts back to his time as a surgeon.
"I operate on the thing that makes the person who they are," he said. "The skin doesn't matter to me. I really don't think those superficial characteristics have a place in society today."
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/02/politics/ben-carson-gop-poll/index.html?hpt=po_c1
-
Sarah Palin, 2016 hopefuls on roster of new Iowa event
By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
Mon December 8, 2014
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131209122150-sarah-palin-women-hunt-story-top.jpg)
Washington (CNN) -- Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential pick, is headed to Iowa next month for a conservative gathering that will showcase no fewer than nine potential 2016 presidential contenders.
She's one of the confirmed speakers at the inaugural Iowa Freedom Summit, an event organized by Iowa Rep. Steve King and conservative group Citizens United to "bring grassroots activists from across Iowa to hear directly from national conservative leaders," per its website. The event is scheduled for Jan. 24.
Palin raised eyebrows last Spring when she said she'd "never say never" to a 2016 presidential run, and remains a star within the conservative wing of the GOP, but there's little indication she's moving forward with preparations for a bid.
If she ran, she'd face stiff competition for conservative support from a wide array of Republicans, many of whom will join her at the Iowa Freedom Summit.
Confirmed speakers for the event include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, physician Ben Carson, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Republican National Committee fundraiser Carly Fiorina — all of whom are openly contemplating a presidential run or haven't ruled it out.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee, the incoming chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, is also slated to speak.
The event will give the potential contenders the opportunity to test the waters with Iowa grassroots Republicans, which are key to any conservative presidential contender's chances. A strong showing in the Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the presidential primary, signals to major donors and conservatives in other states that a candidate is a viable option for the nomination.
Notably missing from the first round of confirmed speakers is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who has made no secret of his interest in running. His father, former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, posted a surprising third-place finish in the state's caucuses in 2012, but the Pauls' influence on the state has waned some in recent years.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/08/politics/sarah-palin-plots-iowa-trip/index.html?hpt=po_c2
-
Mitch McConnell ‘Almost Certainly’ Endorsing Rand Paul In 2016
Alex Griswold 8:49 PM 12/08/2014
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash Monday, incoming Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will “almost certainly” back fellow Kentucky Senator Rand Paul should he run for president in 2016. (RELATED: Rand Paul On Executive Amnesty: Obama Can’t ‘Defend The Indefensible’ [VIDEO])
WATCH:
BASH: Now, you said of your junior colleague from Kentucky, Rand Paul, that he can ‘count on me’ in 2016. What does that mean?
MCCONNELL: Well, I’m a big fan of his. I mean we started off on opposite paths, but we’ve become great allies. I’m a big fan of his. I think he’s a very, very smart, capable guy.
BASH: So does this mean that if and when Rand Paul runs for president, the Senate majority leader will endorse him…
MCCONNELL: I’m — I’m going to be helpful to him in any way I can be. But I’m not going to be tromping around in New Hampshire and Iowa, I can tell you that.
BASH: But you’ll formally endorse him?
MCCONNELL: I’m almost certainly going to be doing that at some point.
http://dailycaller.com/2014/12/08/mitch-mcconnell-almost-certainly-endorsing-rand-paul-in-2016-video/
-
Christie to Attend Conservative Summit in Iowa
Tuesday, 09 Dec 2014
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will attend a conservative summit in Iowa next month, a spokesman for a group sponsoring the event said.
Jeff Marschner with Citizens United said Monday that Christie will attend the Iowa Freedom Summit on January 24 in Des Moines. The conservative group is sponsoring the event along with Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa.
Christie is weighing a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He made several visits to the early voting state during the midterm election cycle, including a stop at a King fundraiser. The summit would put him in front of a more conservative crowd than he has seen in many of his past visits.
Mike DuHaime, Christie's top political adviser, said Christie will be appearing at the event because King invited him. He said it will be Christie's first visit to Iowa since the midterm elections.
"Gov. Christie very much values the friendships he's developed over the years with both Gov. (Terry) Branstad and Congressman King," DuHaime said in a statement.
He said there currently are no other plans for the trip. Still, it presents an opportunity for Christie to hold private meetings with potential caucus supporters or possible staffers. Christie has been aggressively touring the country and fundraising this year as chairman of the Republican Governor's Association.
Branstad has hosted Christie at several events in recent months, including his October birthday fundraiser. Branstad recently praised Christie for vetoing legislation that would have banned the use of certain pig cages in the state. New Jersey has few hogs but Iowa raises more than 20 million hogs annually.
Other confirmed guests for the summit include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Utah Sen. Mike Lee.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and Iowa Congressman-elect Rod Blum also are expected to attend.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/christie-iowa-conservative-summit/2014/12/09/id/611875/#ixzz3LQnmxT00
-
Ben Carson Movie Wows Conservatives, Airs on Newsmax TV All Week
Monday, 08 Dec 2014
By Jim Meyers
A just-released documentary about the best-selling author and rising GOP star Ben Carson is getting rave reviews from conservative activists — a strong sign that the renowned neurosurgeon is seriously looking at running for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.
The hour-long film "A Breath of Fresh Air: A New Prescription for America," airs every night this week on Newsmax TV at 9 p.m. and midnight Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
You can tune into Newsmax TV on DIRECTV 349 and DISH Ch. 223, on NewsmaxTV.com, or via the free Newsmax app on any smartphone. [Find out how to get Newsmax TV on your cable system –– Go Here Now.]
Already the film has drawn nationwide media attention with Carson's presidential boosters urging him to run and clean up Washington with their "Run, Ben, Run" campaign.
"The money behind Carson, combined with his bootstrapping life story and his success in medicine, show that he's not someone who should be so easily written off," National Journal observed in a story about the new film. "He's by no means a front-runner, but that doesn't mean he won't be a contender."
The documentary from Armstrong Williams Productions opened with illustrations of the Founding Fathers, pointing out that three of them were physicians.
"The Founding Fathers were Republicans, in the sense that they believed that serving as a government representative was a civic duty, not a license for unlimited power," the documentary's narrator says.
"Is it necessary to have spent one's whole life in politics, doing nothing else productive than running for office?"
Carson grew up in poverty in Detroit, and became acclaimed in the medical community for his success in separating conjoined twins. In 2008 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Today he is a professor emeritus of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery, and pediatric surgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
He has become an outspoken critic of President Barack Obama, criticizing his Obamacare program and administration efforts to trample on civil liberties.
Dr. Carson, a frequent commentator on Newsmax TV and Fox News, writes a weekly column and has authored five best-selling books. His latest, "One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future," reached No. 1 on The New York Times list of nonfiction books and remained in the top 10 for eight months.
Carson made headlines with his keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast in February 2013 when, standing just a few feet from Obama, he criticized liberal government, calling for a return to a culture of personal responsibility, free markets, and upward mobility.
The "A Breath of Fresh Air" narrator describes that event: "Carson stood by his prescription for America, and his critique of bloated, ineffective and ultimately tyrannical government overreach. From a surgeon with such renown and gravitas to directly contradict the reigning dogma about healthcare was pure heresy in the eyes of his critics. But to others, it sounded a lot like common sense."
As Carson states in the documentary: "I would like to see the government stop trying to regulate every aspect of our lives."
Instead of Obamacare, Carson backs free-market approaches, including health savings accounts, which allow people to use tax-free dollars to pay for health expenses, viewers of the documentary learn. "Bring it into the free market: that makes it work much better," he says.
He also asserts that the United States should fight "the plague of radical Islamic extremism," adding that if political leaders don't "micromanage" military leaders and let them "use their talents," then "we can take care of this problem pretty quickly."
Carson recalls in the documentary the tremendous influence Ronald Reagan had in shaping his views:
"I used to be a rather radical left-wing person. And I started listening to him, and I started listening to the things he was saying, and they made so much sense. And I actually began to think about the world in a very different way."
Armstrong Williams, a television station owner and media strategist who oversaw the documentary's production, has been friends with Carson since the 1990s, when Carson appeared on one of Williams' talk show.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/Ben-Carson-documentary-conservatives-Newsmax-TV/2014/12/08/id/611807/#ixzz3LQo9sL8q
-
Christie to Attend Conservative Summit in Iowa
Why?
-
Eh, no it won't.
Rick Santorum is running for president again — and says this time will be different
By Karen Tumulty December 9, 2014
Rick Santorum won primaries and caucuses in 11 states in 2012, coming in a respectable second in the GOP presidential primary season. And Republicans have a history of bestowing their nomination on the next guy in line, usually an also-ran from the last contest.
Yet the former senator from Pennsylvania is rarely mentioned in the already feverish pre-game 2016 chatter among the political commentariat and the donor class.
That’s just the way he likes it. Or so he says.
“America loves an underdog. We’re definitely the underdog in this race,” he said in an interview Tuesday. Santorum added that being underestimated — again — “has given me a lot of latitude.”
His iconic sweater vests will likely make a return appearance. But Santorum 2.0 will be a very different presidential campaign than the one that came from almost nowhere to win the Iowa caucuses in an overtime decision, he vows.
“I get the game,” Santorum said.
Where he had to build his operation from the ground up in 2012, Santorum now has a grass-roots operation called Patriot Voices, which boasts 150,000 activists across the country. Its current push, an online petition drive to oppose President Obama’s recent executive action on immigration, has generated what Santorum strategist John Brabender says are “30,000 new e-mail relationships.”
Whether Santorum can raise the money he needs is another question. Foster Friess, the benefactor who ponied up $2.1 million to a pro-Santorum super PAC in 2012, says he would support him again. The former senator is sounding out other deep-pocketed donors, whom he declined to identify.
He is retooling his message, hoping to appeal beyond his socially conservative base and reach blue-collar voters who are being left behind in the economy.
“I don’t think I’ve met a ‘suit’ yet,” Santorum said of his travels around the country. “It’s very much heart of America, average Americans who have found a place where they see someone who will stand up and fight for them. If the Republican Party has a future — and I sometimes question if it does — it’s in middle America. It’s not in corporate America.”
That is a theme he has sounded for years, though it often got overlooked in the 2012 campaign, where most of the attention was on Santorum’s culture warrior credentials.
“Part of what I had to do last time was lay out my bona fides” on moral and social issues, Santorum said. “That’s done.”
At the same time, Santorum is likely to have more competition for the support of social conservatives than he did in the last campaign. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 and retains a strong reservoir of support among evangelical voters, is considering another White House bid.
Santorum argues that the reemergence of immigration as an issue will work in his favor because he takes a tougher line than many other Republicans do.
“I take the approach that immigration policy in America ought to be about Americans,” he said. “The principal focus of immigration policy is not about the rest of the world. It’s about us.”
The former senator hopes to revive his profile in the coming months with a series of trips to the early-contest states of Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire.
Santorum and his wife, Karen, have also written a book, due out in February, about their family’s experiences since the birth of their daughter Bella, who has a rare, usually deadly genetic condition called Trisomy 18.
Reflecting on how a presidential campaign could be different this time around, Santorum said: “We’re just obviously in a better place right now. Our message will be a lot more focused this time than it was last time.”
Santorum is running again. The question is whether, as the race heads to new terrain, he’ll still be able to keep the pace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rick-santorum-is-running-for-president-again--and-says-this-time-will-be-different/2014/12/09/0c955498-7fca-11e4-9f38-95a187e4c1f7_story.html
-
Eh, no it won't.
Rick Santorum is running for president again — and says this time will be different
By Karen Tumulty December 9, 2014
\
He's a conservative and he's a smart man.
WAY better choice for America than Christie, Romney, or any other piece of shit liberal RINO.
-
He wasn't arrogant. He was a space cadet.
Rick Perry: I Was 'a Little Arrogant' During 2012 Presidential Run
Wednesday, 10 Dec 2014
By Cathy Burke
Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry says he was "a little arrogant" in his disastrous 2012 presidential bid, and won't make that mistake again if he runs in 2016.
In a sit-down at Austin's Bert's Bar-B-Q with John Harwood of CNBC – the reporter who pressed the governor in a debate after he couldn't remember the third federal agency he'd vowed to eliminate – Perry confessed he simply wasn't ready for a grueling national campaign.
Story continues below video.
"One of the errors that I made was in not being prepared," he said. "You know, I was a little arrogant and that had as much to do with my demise as a candidate as forgetting a third agency of government."
But that was then.
"I spent the last 22 or 23 months in preparation to run for the presidency," he declared, telling Harwood he’d decide by May or June if he'll go down the road to the White House again.
In his previous bid, Perry came late to the game for the Republican nominating process, tossing his hat in the ring when Iowa was already holding its first-in-the-nation caucuses, The Hill notes.
And though he rose to the top of the GOP field, mistakes in the fall and winter led him to withdraw in early 2012. Among the most ridiculed gaffes came in the CNBC-sponsored debate in 2011, when he had his infamous "oops" moment.
"I suspect that it happens to everyone, I’m just not sure that there are four million people watching," Perry said. "I’ve had a lot of fun with it subsequently. You have just made some really good 'Saturday Night Live' material."
He told Harwood the embarrassing moment makes "great political satire and comedy," but it won't be in his "obituary."
Perry's got a tough fight ahead should he decide to run; a CNN-ORC poll released in late November showed him in 10th place among GOP possible candidates, with only 4 percent support from Republicans.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/arrogant-republicans-president/2014/12/10/id/612346/#ixzz3LchYjUGL
-
He wasn't arrogant. He was a space cadet.
He was a little over his head. He was a bit drunk during that one speech when I believe he actually held up a bottle of liquor lol...
but he is among the best the GOP has to offer, and he leans way more right than romney or christie. Perry did a solid job as governor and would do a solid job as president. I do think perry would have had a better chance beating obama in 2012 than romney did. people do like perry. They dont like romney.
-
Perry is like Obama in that he is great at reading a teleprompter and horrible at thinking on his feet. Unless he had a personality and brain transplant, he will do exactly what he did in 2012: lose.
-
Perry is like Obama in that he is great at reading a teleprompter and horrible at thinking on his feet. Unless he had a personality and brain transplant, he will do exactly what he did in 2012: lose.
You should read more conservative sources - back in Dec 2011, Redstate was calling Perry very likable
http://www.redstate.com/diary/griffinelection/2011/12/08/perry-the-only-candidate-that-can-beat-obama/
Maybe the NYTimes disagrees, but I agree with redstate that Perry is a good looking, folksy guy, "one of us" with great hair. He's bush all over again.
And he's like obama? This dude obama you speak of... he is awfully good at, um, winning elections. Romney was 10x smarter and more qualified for office, but because he was not LIKABLE, he lost badly to a prez polling terribly.
I think perry would have beaten obama.
-
You should read more conservative sources - back in Dec 2011, Redstate was calling Perry very likable
http://www.redstate.com/diary/griffinelection/2011/12/08/perry-the-only-candidate-that-can-beat-obama/
Maybe the NYTimes disagrees, but I agree with redstate that Perry is a good looking, folksy guy, "one of us" with great hair. He's bush all over again.
And he's like obama? This dude obama you speak of... he is awfully good at, um, winning elections. Romney was 10x smarter and more qualified for office, but because he was not LIKABLE, he lost badly to a prez polling terribly.
I think perry would have beaten obama.
This is about as coherent and accurate as Perry during the 2012 debates.
-
This is about as coherent and accurate as Perry during the 2012 debates.
Perry was leading the GOP primary race by 10 points, at one point in the race. The GOP voter base is a bright, informed bunch that wouldn't just put some idiot clown ten points ahead of everyone else.
-
Perry was leading the GOP primary race by 10 points, at one point in the race. The GOP voter base is a bright, informed bunch that wouldn't just put some idiot clown ten points ahead of everyone else.
Whatever Perry had he lost as soon as he opened his mouth. I didn't know anything about him until I watched a speech, which was outstanding. Then looked at his record as governor, which was good. Then he started talking. The rest is history.
-
Definitely sounds like he's running again.
Backers: Romney more open to 2016 run
He has sounded unimpressed with the emerging GOP field, associates say.
By BEN WHITE and MAGGIE HABERMAN 12/11/14
For most of the past year, Mitt Romney supporters have publicly said he should consider running again. And for most of the past year, Romney has seemed uninterested.
Until recently.
While some people close to Romney insist he hasn’t moved from saying he has no plans to run, the 2012 Republican nominee has sounded at least open to the idea in recent conversations, according to more than a dozen people who’ve spoken with him in the last month.
In his private musings, Romney has sounded less than upbeat about most of the potential candidates in the 2016 Republican field, according to the people who’ve spoken with him, all of whom asked for anonymity in order to speak freely.
He has assessed various people’s strengths and weaknesses dispassionately, wearing what one ally called his “consultant cap” to measure the field. He has said, among other things, that Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, would run into problems because of his business dealings, his work with the investment banks Lehman Brothers and Barclays, and his private equity investments.
“You saw what they did to me with Bain [Capital],” he has said, referring to the devastating attacks that his Republican rivals and President Obama’s team launched against him for his time in private equity, according to three sources familiar with the line. “What do you think they’ll do to [Bush] over Barclays?”
Romney did not respond to a request for comment left with his son’s firm, Solemere Capital, where the former Massachusetts governor serves as an adviser. Spencer Zwick, finance chair of Romney’s 2012 campaign chairman and now a senior executive at Solamere, declined to comment on any discussions Romney may have had with investors or anyone else about 2016.
“I’d very much like him to run and think he would make a great president and a lot of people who supported him in 2012 and even those who did not support him want him to run,” Zwick said. “That doesn’t mean he will run.”
For most of the past year, even Republicans who admire Romney have believed the chatter about him possibly running for president has been mostly sparked by his former staffers or people involved with Solemere, seeing it as a boon for business.
Romney’s new tone in discussions with people behind closed doors came as Bush has seemed to move closer toward a run. A number of donors and operatives who had assumed Bush would take a pass now believe he is likely to enter the race.
People close to Romney stressed that he has deep respect for Bush.
(Also on POLITICO: Pence ally to head Club for Growth)
“He thinks Gov. Bush was a good governor,” said one source close to Romney, who added that the former Massachusetts governor has still maintained he has no plans to run. However, the source added, there is a “growing chorus” of people who would like to see him do it again.
“There’s a core group of people around Mitt who think he should take another stab at it,” said the source. That has grown to include some former donors, who have told other candidates that they are waiting to see what Romney does. With a crowded GOP field expected to take shape, the stance also buys donors time to decide on a candidate.
Those people say Romney has felt vindicated by many of the events of the past two years, such as Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
Most Republicans still doubt that Romney would subject himself to a third grueling national run. They believe he is basking in the praise of his supporters, after the sharp disappoint of his 2012 loss, for which he was vilified by some Republicans at the time. He was widely seen as running a feckless campaign, marked by overcaution and the questionable strategy of making his business record a centerpiece of his bid.
But top Wall Street executives who met with Romney on his recent trip to New York said they came away from the sit-downs – which mostly focused on Solemere, his son Tagg’s Solamere investment firm – more convinced the 2012 nominee was thinking about another run.
“I came away from the conversation with the distinct impression that he was running and that he did not think anyone in the field right now was particularly strong,” said one top executive who met with Romney and requested not to be identified while speaking about a private conversation.
“It sounded like he felt he could win, and that the country had turned in his direction and he looks at the field and does not see anyone who does not look very beatable,” said the executive.
This executive and another who met with Romney said they were struck by the former Massachusetts governor’s comments about Bush, who is also strongly considering a run. These executives said Romney indicated that he would not defer to Bush as the standard-bearer of the establishment wing of the Republican Party.
They also said Romney indicated that Bush would run into even more issues about his business dealings than Romney did over his private equity fortune in 2012. Bush’s latest investment funds, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek story published Thursday, include offshore tax havens and Chinese investors — an indication they would be an ongoing focus if the former Florida governor enters the race. (A Bush aide said in an email that “there are no offshore tax havens” and called the story’s conclusion “a huge and inappropriate leap.”)
As for Romney, he “tells people not to commit to a candidate that is not their first choice and that they aren’t excited about,” said the second executive, who was involved in the meetings. “He does not think much of the current field and does not think it is jelling. He still views himself as the leader of the establishment wing of the Republican Party. He does not feel he owes the Bushes anything and does not think Jeb is the de facto leader of the establishment GOP.”
Among the people Romney has spoken with recently is casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, according to three people familiar with the encounter. Adelson single-handedly kept Newt Gingrich alive against Romney in the 2012 GOP primary through a super PAC, before giving $30 million to a pro-Romney group after he clinched the nomination.
Another person close to Romney said that the former governor’s “body language” is different now and he is “certainly taking a harder look” at getting in the 2016 race. Still, one Romney supporter cautioned that people who want him to run sometimes hear what they want to hear in the former governor’s comments.
Nonetheless, several people have noticed a change in tone, which comes after Romney previously indicated to people that he would only get into the race under an extreme circumstance in which party leaders drafted him during an inconclusive primary process.
“In September he said to me that he’s run twice and now it’s other people’s turn,” said Bobbie Kilberg, a GOP fund-raiser in Virginia who is hoping Republicans can coalesce early around a single center-right establishment candidate.
People who believe Romney has shifted in his thinking said they are unclear about whether he would attempt to run regardless of the field, or whether he would wait to see how Bush and other candidates fare.
Another top Republican operative who is supportive of a Jeb Bush candidacy said that he did not believe Bush would have as much trouble with his financial dealings in a campaign as Romney did.
“Jeb’s wealth and investments are nothing on the scale of Romney’s. He is not building car elevators,” this person said, offering a hint of the bitterness that could ensue if both Romney and Bush run.
Indeed, Bush, for his part, has begun conducting opposition research on himself to identify any potential issues that could arise, a standard move for potential candidates but nonetheless one that indicates his level of seriousness about the process, two people familiar with his plans said.
He has also had discussions about how he would get out of his business ventures. Indeed, one Bush supporter said the former Florida governor would be far more proactive than Romney was in responding to attacks about his business record, which Romney made central to his run.
There will be “no fetal position” from Bush, said the source, a reference to Romney’s decision to wait until he had been defined by Democrats to start hitting back and defining himself.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/mitt-romney-2016-run-113518.html#ixzz3LhqTrNy6
-
9 Under-the-Radar Politicians Who'll Dominate News in 2015 — Including the 'Female Obama'
By Gregory Krieg December 15, 2014
As the rest of the world waits for Hillary Clinton's big announcement (spoiler alert: she's running) there will be other serious political fights unfolding in 2015. Many will revolve around who might oppose the former first lady's inevitable presidential campaign, while others will be centered on important, immediate issues like economic inequality and marijuana policy.
There is no separating the issues from the people who will be leading the debate. In the coming year, new faces are set to emerge on the national stage. And at least one is primed to return to old glory.
If you want to get a jump on what promises to be a dramatic and important year in American politics, get to know this formidable gang of nine:
1. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R)
(http://media3.policymic.com/MDg3NjYzNjc2YSMvSldabEtJRnFrT2JWZWllclhiYlFnT2hxdUFvPS8zeDIzMTo0NTY1eDMxMTMvODQweDUzMC9maWx0ZXJzOnF1YWxpdHkoNzApL2h0dHA6Ly9zMy5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL3BvbGljeW1pYy1pbWFnZXMvbXB3dm5jdmw0bjh4d2NyNGpmbm84eGwwNm9pdXZlY2FqeXNzenRpYm5udGZ0bW5lcThzaXN4ZHpwZnRrMWd3dy5qcGc=.jpg)
Source: AP
The dark horse: Mike Pence, the Hoosier State's Republican governor, has deep ties to the mega-donor Koch brothers, which means he'll be able to take the necessary time building up his inevitable presidential campaign. (Candidates with fewer backers need lots of early success to build fundraising momentum.) That he's spent these past two years working so nearby Iowa, home to those all-important first presidential caucuses, doesn't hurt either. Pence also enjoys the unique ability to sell himself as a "Washington outsider" — that priceless political talking point — while also being deeply connected to the Beltway, having spent a decade there as a congressman from 2003 to 2012.
What they're saying: "He is an evangelical Midwestern conservative who has the compelling family story to tell of his grandfather being an Irish immigrant who drove a bus in Chicago," John Dunagan, a former George W. Bush campaign aide told the Daily Caller. Mix that in with a spotless record of anti-union, pro-tax cut policy initiatives and you have the candidate Republicans hoped Ricky Perry would be in 2012.
2. California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D)
(http://media3.policymic.com/N2NmNjdiMzE1OSMvNzFaeFczTXdaNGY0ZWttMDU2QzBjQktMdkRZPS81NXgxODU6MjkzMngxOTM4Lzg0MHg1MTMvZmlsdGVyczpxdWFsaXR5KDcwKS9odHRwOi8vczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpY3ltaWMtaW1hZ2VzL3ppenpud2dkbHl3YWtmMWlwb3puY2RxamNveHh1a2FxYmx2dmNid2h0YjRjdGY4dGlndXVhY3BwY281YTdrbHguanBn.jpg)
Source: Getty Images
California's next senator? Kamala Harris was elected as California's first-ever black female attorney general in 2010, and she will begin her second term as the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the country's biggest state this January. But pundits are already speculating about Harris' next move. If someone like Vice President Joe Biden or former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley can upset Hillary Clinton and grab the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, expect to see Harris on the shortlist for vice president.
Barring that, she's expected to turn her attention to the Senate. Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer is looking more and more likely to retire at the end of her current term, meaning California is probably going to need a new senator in 2016. There's also going to be a governor's race in 2018. Harris will be a major player in one if not both of those races, and she'll need to lay the groundwork in 2015.
Oh, and she's open to to broader efforts to legalize marijuana.
What they're saying: "She very well could become the 'female Barack Obama' of liberal dreams," according to Politico.
3. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D)
(http://media3.policymic.com/MWJhZmNiMzEyNCMvRHBkVzRfX19ZNGNLbFBCRjJOUkV5UENEdmo0PS82MngxNzoyOTM4eDE4NzcvODQweDU0NC9maWx0ZXJzOnF1YWxpdHkoNzApL2h0dHA6Ly9zMy5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL3BvbGljeW1pYy1pbWFnZXMvZmllbnhma25hMWdudHJ5d2p0YWFnYW1pb3RrcXdxbmxncWdreGhkbndrM3Z2a3B5ZnlmczdvOW5vdHN0b25mci5qcGc=.jpg)
Source: AP
Not ready for Clinton: Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley doesn't have the following of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) or the progressive cred of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), but he is considered the most realistic threat to Hillary Clinton's claim to the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. The former Baltimore mayor showed his hand recently, calling on the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor to further investigate the individuals behind the CIA torture program. He knows it won't ever happen, but the words alone will gain him some traction with more liberal Democrats.
Pundits say that Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown's loss in a November race to succeed O'Malley, despite the governor's support, was a sign of weakness. But O'Malley remains a popular figure in the state and a crafty politician. (Fans of the HBO seriesThe Wire should know that councilman-turned-mayor Tommy Carcetti was conceived with O'Malley in mind.)
What they're saying: "I think right now O'Malley is running to become the other guy, with the hope that the field will quickly narrow to two candidates. ... Of all the people out there [who could run against Clinton in the primary], he's the one I would be most worried about," longtime Democratic strategist Joe Trippi told the Washington Post in September.
4. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R)
(http://media3.policymic.com/N2IzMzNkZjMzMyMvVUFDbkszVE5GLXA4ZnREc3hSZWpIUGYwdlcwPS82MngxNDc6MjkzOHgxOTYyLzg0MHg1MzAvZmlsdGVyczpxdWFsaXR5KDcwKS9odHRwOi8vczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpY3ltaWMtaW1hZ2VzL3Zjd3QxaGF0bmxhdGh6eXg2cnFpdnI0MXVyeDlubmhia2x4M2tkNndua2hlemtocXBpbDZ5emJnaXF5c3RmemEuanBn.jpg)
Source: AP
Future VP? The Washington press corps doesn't normally spend too much time on New Mexico politics. But that is going to change in 2015. While the usual suspects duke it out for the GOP presidential nomination, twice-elected Gov. Susana Martinez will be waiting just offstage, one of the heavy favorites to join the eventual nominee on the general election ballot.
Assuming the party goes with a white male candidate, Martinez will be zeroed in on as the answer to Democrats' strong standing with women and Latinos. (She criticized President Obama's executive actions to stop deportation of people living in the U.S. without permission, but has also advocated for some kind of comprehensive reform.)
Martinez and her husband Chuck are Republican converts — they used to be Democrats. She switched parties in 1996 before running for district attorney.
What they're saying: "She looks great on paper, and that's what the national operatives see," influential New Mexico journalist Joe Monahan told Real Clear Politics. "I think really the Achilles' heel here that she has to overcome is that perception of being the Sarah Palin-type figure. The national political community is not going to risk that again."
5. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)
(http://media3.policymic.com/NWVmYTBlYmJjMSMvWHB2eHpLYXY1LUJKWm9VVS1EMUFPN2RlUm53PS82N3g2NDc6NTM4OHg0MDA4Lzg0MHg1MzAvZmlsdGVyczpxdWFsaXR5KDcwKS9odHRwOi8vczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpY3ltaWMtaW1hZ2VzL3djZ2IzenczZnp0dnhibnF2b3ZpOGhwMnd3anZnbGNtaGNyc3cyazhkcjF3c2FrenVzZW4xYm51dG14d3BmMG0uanBn.jpg)
Source: AP
Mission impossible: The world's second most famous pair of Castro brothers are taking the capital by storm. Joaquin Castro is a Democratic congressman from Texas' 20th district, while his identical twin brother Julian left his post as mayor of San Antonio to become join President Obama's cabinet as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
But it is the one-minute-younger Joaquin who figures to have a very interesting 2015. Politico reports that he is one of two potential candidates to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Never heard of it? Just know this: If he gets the job, his charge will be to return Democrats to a House majority following three elections in which they have lost an incredible 69 seats.
Though he could wait until 2018 to challenge Texas Gov.-elect Greg Abbott, there is a growing belief that Castro is eyeing a 2016 showdown with tea party leader and likely presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R).
What they're saying: "He is, separate from his brother, an astute, emergent leader in his hometown, within his district, across the state of Texas, and you only need to look at the Sunday news programs to understand that he's got a voice that's listened to nationally," Henry R. Munoz Jr., family friend and national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee, told the Washington Post in August.
6. Sen.-elect Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
Source: YouTube
Ready to make D.C. squeal: "I'm Joni Ernst. I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm."
And with that, the soon-to-be senator from the Hawkeye State made a memorable entry on to the national stage. The Iraq War veteran will be the first female senator from Iowa and likely its most conservative in decades. Expect to see her alongside Sens. Cruz and Mike Lee (R-Utah), ruthlessly fighting against gun control legislation and anything the United Nations might agree on.
But contrary to what some critics might suggest, Ernst is no Sarah Palin. She is a smart politician whose "mother, soldier, leader" mantra during the campaign gives you an idea of how she'll allocate her power. Expect her to be, for better or worse, a strong voice on national security policy for years to come.
What they're saying: "I'd like to like her," an Iowa Democrat told Politico during the campaign. "She's personable; farmer's [daughter], in the National Guard. I think that carries a lot of weight. A lot of people admire the combination she's got."
7. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R)
(http://media3.policymic.com/NGYyYTRiMjgxZCMvTnBKQURjMHZFSGxYRVB0aTA0SzFfTWdHc2tVPS82MHgxNTM6Mzc3N3gyNTAwLzg0MHg1MzAvZmlsdGVyczpxdWFsaXR5KDcwKS9odHRwOi8vczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpY3ltaWMtaW1hZ2VzL21kY25ncHF1aWN0YnRmbG9uYWI5Z21laHBwd3AxbnZzcTl3aGN0YTlkZnRsNHpzZHFpYW9ieWJ6ZGd1ZXRrNGguanBn.jpg)
Source: AP
Wall Street's man in Ohio: Recently reelected Ohio Gov. John Kasich has quietly gone about the business of rebuilding the state economy, which was in shambles when he arrived on the job in 2010. Kasich is steeped in corporate America, having worked as a managing director at the criminally mismanaged financial house Lehman Brothers from 2001 to 2008, but he's no ideologue. He accepted the Medicaid expansion provision (which meant more federal money to insure the poor and elderly) from Obamacare when most Republican governors would not, though he still pays lip service to the idea of repealing other parts of the law.
Kasich will have a hard time not getting caught between bigger-money establishment candidates and tea party firebrands if he decides to enter the 2016 fray, but you can bet he'll be a big part of the discussion.
What they're saying: "I know he wants to have a legacy that shows he provides for citizens who have difficult circumstances, and more importantly for young people who need the opportunity to work," Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R) told Politico in October.
8. Dr. Ben Carson
(http://media3.policymic.com/OTQwMWNkZDdjOSMvM0UxMGF1VU4ydndDRjFxeFFUNEY5V1JYN3ZRPS80OXgxMzk6Mzc2OHgyNTU3Lzg0MHg1NDcvZmlsdGVyczpxdWFsaXR5KDcwKS9odHRwOi8vczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpY3ltaWMtaW1hZ2VzL2gzbjVpdXVya3g1YXBwZmhnMjBvcmhnemVvcXR1bW1nbWtxdmYyd2JtdWNiaG04amk2OHV2bGdqaWVvMXFxbDcuanBn.jpg)
Source: AP
The chosen one: Dr. Ben Carson is not going to be elected president in 2016. But he will certainly have a big influence in the Republican nomination contest, scheduled to formally begin in late summer 2015. Like him or not, the strict conservative pediatric neurosurgeon-turned-politician is a really compelling character. In October 2013, he called Obamacare "the worst thing that has happened to this country since slavery." In June, he had to clarify with a reporter that he did not think it was "worse than 9/11."
Consider this Nov. 20 exchange with an interviewer from the Christian Broadcasting Network:
David Brody: How is that conversation going with God about this potential presidential run? Has He grabbed you by the collar yet? I read an article about that.
Ben Carson: I feel fingers. But it's mostly me. I have to be sure and it's part of my personality that says always look before you leap, but don't leap before you have to.
Brody: I do cover the presidential campaign trail. May I potentially see you there soon?
Carson: I think there is a good chance you might.
The man feels the "fingers" of God pushing him toward the campaign trail. "Draft Ben Carson," indeed!
What they're saying: "If Herman Cain could poll 40% of the back vote, running against a black candidate, just imagine what percent of the black vote Dr. Carson would receive running against Hillary Clinton of any other far-left white Democrat!" said John Philip Sousa, the great musician's namesake, on Carson's website.
9. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
(http://media3.policymic.com/Zjk0ZWU4Mjc0NSMvZ2g5elFsRnk5OGVmSUlDNEp3aURhcVVNZThNPS82M3g2MDg6NTEyMXgzNDU2Lzg0MHg0NzQvZmlsdGVyczpxdWFsaXR5KDcwKS9odHRwOi8vczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9wb2xpY3ltaWMtaW1hZ2VzL2ZvaG5waWh1dGZycXF0emZzd3JpeGRqdTh3d3Zud2l2dXJmdDNuNXZwd3gyZW94cXV6azNxYm1wY3JvaWVsdnYuanBn.jpg)
Source: AP
Got her groove back: Laugh if you want, but the 27-year congressional veteran and former speaker of the House is looking primed for a serious revival in 2015. After spending the first six years of the Obama presidency working doggedly and at great political cost (see what happened to her majority after it passed Obamacare), Pelosi publicly broke with the White House over a Wall Street giveaway when it came time to hammer out a $1.1 trillion bill to fund the government.
The minority leader and her liberal allies, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), ultimately lost that battle, but they made a significant point: Republicans and a White House apparently willing to compromise on economic issues are going to have a smart, seasoned politician tearing at their pant legs for the next two years.
What they're saying: "What Pelosi's revolt [on the spending bill] made clear is that while there will be more Republicans in the House and Senate come January, nothing can get done (or at least nothing can get done easily) without some portion of liberal Democrats on board," the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza wrote on Dec. 11. "This was a warning to the White House and Senate Democrats not to cut Pelosi out or take her (or her liberal Democratic allies) for granted going forward."
Up next: Going forward, we will keep our eyes, ears and computer browsers open; in a year like this, with both major political parties looking for a new standard bearer, you never know who's going to pop up and change the game. What's not in doubt: It's going to be a lot of fun to watch.
http://mic.com/articles/106206/9-under-the-radar-politicians-who-will-make-waves-in-2015
-
McClatchy-Marist poll shows Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush leading GOP pack
By JENNIFER SHUTT 12/15/14
A new poll shows former presidential candidate Mitt Romney leading the field of likely 2016 Republican candidates.
The McClatchy-Marist poll, released Monday, shows Romney has the support from about 19 percent of Republican voters, with Jeb Bush receiving 14 percent.
Story Continued Below
The former governors were followed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Mike Huckabee, both with 9 percent. Ben Carson received 8 percent.
If Romney doesn’t enter the 2016 Republican primary, the poll showed Bush with 16 percent, Huckabee with 12 percent, Christie with 10 percent and Carson with 8 percent.
On the Democratic side, 58 percent of those polled said they hope the party will nominate a candidate who will break from President Barack Obama’s policies. That’s a 10 percentage point increase over last year.
As expected, Hillary Clinton leads over any other potential Democratic challenger by large margins, the poll finds.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/gop-poll-2016-mitt-romney-jeb-bush-113588.html#ixzz3M5hja643
-
Someone just shared this with me. Have no idea if it's reliable.
National Poll Shows Dr. Ben Carson In The Lead For 2016 Presidential Run
(http://files.buzzpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/poll.png)
National Poll shows Dr. Ben Carson in the lead for 2016 Presidential Run
The Patriot Action Network ran a poll yesterday and with nearly 5,000 votes came up with these results. As you can see, Dr. Ben Carson won with only 2 votes to spare. This is very interesting considering many people across the nation have yet to hear of this astounding doctor who would be president.
I knew the name, but did not know a lot of background on him until a few months ago when the buzz starting going around that there was a genius doctor who was taking the conservative crowd by storm. Each time I heard his name mentioned I would wonder what all the fuss was about, and then I found out. In one word ….. INSPIRING!
Take a look at this 27 minute video, and tell me what you think. I know that’s a long time commitment for some of you, but trust me, you will be glad you did.
He received a call after this conference from the White House team requesting that he issue the president an apology. Dr. Ben Carson denied any direct offense to the POTUS and did not comply, but later said in an interview of his remarks: “If the shoe fits, wear it.”
For the last few weeks, I’ve done a lot of research and here is what I have come to know about Dr. Ben Carson:
He is a man of integrity.
He is NOT worried about the PC Police.
He is a Christian and proud of it.
Inspiring life story of struggle and success. (Check out the book/movie “Gifted Hands”)
Director of Pediatrics Neurosurgery at world renowned institute of healing, Johns Hopkins.
Conservative based on our Founding Fathers and the Constitution.
He has a very easy way of speaking and without raising his voice, can make his point very cleverly.
Love this country.
Loves his family.
Will serve as president ONLY BY THE WILL of the people, as it is not his ambition, but his obligation to serve.
This was all very interesting to me. I don’t know if it’s my jaded soul or that I’ve been mixed up in politics far too long, but I must admit, after weeks of researching and being truly touched by the sincerity and knowledge of this man, all I could think of was, “Ok, so what is he hiding”? He almost seems too good to be true. I believe he may be exactly what this country needs to turn us back to our founding principles. He is educated, compassionate, a strong conservative and a straight shooter who has not an ounce of maliciousness in his demeanor.
Hmmmmm, sound good to you?
http://buzzpo.com/national-poll-shows-dr-ben-carson-lead-2016-presidential-run/?utm_content=buffer16f21&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=positivelyrepublican
-
Yeah, the biggest fear of repubs shouldn't be Hilary. It should be a young, fresh-faced person WITHOUT the burden of shit policy that obama was carrying.
imagine Mitt... who couldn't defeat the low, low number of Obama... up against a female fresh POSITIVE face. Obama was tired as shit in 2012 and still whooped romney by what, 70 or 80 or 90 electoral votes? imagine a fresh face against the same old, same old.
-
100% guaranteed Hildog vs Jeb
elections are rigged but you go ahead... go on believing you actually have a choice....
"baaaa.... baaaaaa...baaaaahhh" said the sheeple
-
100% guaranteed Hildog vs Jeb
elections are rigged but you go ahead... go on believing you actually have a choice....
"baaaa.... baaaaaa...baaaaahhh" said the sheeple
Who, specifically, has rigged the 2016 election and how did they do it?
-
Fox News Poll: Romney Beats Bush
Wednesday, 17 Dec 2014
By Jennifer G. Hickey
Mitt Romney sailed past Jeb Bush as the top choice among voters for the Republican Party's 2016 presidential campaign, according to a new Fox News poll.
Although he has continued to deny he is running again, Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, enjoys a healthy lead over all potential GOP rivals with the support of 19 percent of self-identified Republicans.
Coming in second with 10 percent support is Bush, a former Florida governor, who announced via Facebook this week that he was actively exploring the GOP nomination.
For the first time, the Fox News poll included Romney as one of the options, and he and Bush were the only two potential candidates with double-digit backing. In the previous poll, Bush led with 12 percent.
The rest of the field, which includes New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, all garner 8 percent of the vote, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker lags behind at 7 percent.
Former Fox News contributor and neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan both had 6 percent support, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has 5 percent, the poll says.
"Rumors about Romney running again are likely to get a further boost with these numbers," Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who joined with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, tells Fox News.
"With Romney and Bush running one and two among GOPers, you wonder if John McCain or Bob Dole want to get in on the action," Shaw added.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds an overwhelming 62 percent to 12 percent lead over her closest rival, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Since her less-than-impressive book tour and some well-publicized gaffes, speculation about a Warren candidacy have increased, which is reflected by Clinton's slight decline in the Fox News poll.
Since April, Clinton's support fell from 69 percent to 64 percent in July, and is now at 62 percent.
The findings of the Fox News poll are similar to a recent Quinnipiac University Poll, which also showed Romney and Clinton topping their respective party's presidential fields.
In that survey, released on Nov. 26, Republican voters nationwide favor Romney over Bush by a 19 percent to 11 percent margin. Christie and Carson are tied at 8 percent, while no other Republican tops 6 percent. Among national Republicans, 16 percent remain undecided.
If Romney sticks with his position that he is not running, Bush would take the top spot with 14 percent. Christie follows at 11 percent and Carson with 9 percent.
Meanwhile, the Quinnipiac poll found Clinton's support at 57 percent, with Warren garnering the support of 13 percent of national Democrats and Vice President Joseph Biden trailing at 9 percent.
"Remember Mitt? Republicans still have Gov. Mitt Romney top of mind and top of the heap in the potential race for the top job. But Jeb Bush looms large in second place," Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a press release.
"With New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie also in the mix, it looks like Republican voters are favoring more moderate choices for 2016," Malloy said.
In a new Monmouth University poll, Clinton also holds a strong 48 percent to 6 percent lead over Warren, although many voters appear open to alternatives.
"When nearly half of Democratic voters volunteer the name Hillary Clinton as their choice for 2016, it’s hard to deny that she is the clear front runner.
"At the same, time Democrats do not want the nomination process to be a coronation," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a press release.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/2016-presidency-candidates-romney/2014/12/17/id/613525/#ixzz3MBB8Fo7F
-
George Pataki ‘very seriously’ considering 2016 run for President after trips to New Hampshire, North Carolina
The three term Republican governor took a swipe at President Obama, saying his experience trumps ‘someone who may speak well but has never run anything.’
BY GLENN BLAIN NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2046744.1418726601!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/pataki16n-1-web.jpg?enlarged)
'I ran a big complex state government under very difficult circumstances, in my opinion, very well,' said Pataki of his three terms as governor.
ALBANY — Former Gov. George Pataki said Monday he is “very seriously” considering a run for President, adding, “I have no doubt in my mind that I have the ability to run this country well.”
Pataki told the Daily News he believes the nation needs leaders with exactly the kind of executive experience that he has.
“When you look at the last six years, we have someone who may speak well but has never run anything,” Pataki said in a swipe at President Obama.
His record of cutting taxes and shrinking government, he said, are what’s needed at the federal level.
“I ran a big complex state government under very difficult circumstances, in my opinion, very well,” he said.
Pataki, 69, will decide sometime next year whether to run, he said.
“What I have been doing is going to states and meeting with ordinary citizens, people who care and seeing what their opinion is,” the former three-term governor said.
“That's what I have always tried to do and the reaction I've been getting is very positive.”
Although political experts have scoffed at the idea of a Pataki 2016 campaign, suggesting that Pataki is simply trying to build up his legal and consulting business by elevating his profile, people close to the former governor insist a candidacy is a real possibility.
Recognizing this could be his last hurrah in politics, Pataki seems to more serious now than during his past flirtations with a national candidacy. He already has made a handful of trips to key primary states New Hampshire and South Carolina.
State GOP Chairman Ed Cox said Pataki would be a “very good” candidate but he stopped short of promising the backing of New York Republicans.
“We have a state committee that would do that if they were going to do it,” Cox said. Still, “He's a three term Republican governor of New York State, that says a lot,” Cox said.
Pataki spoke to The News after addressing a meeting of state Republican leaders that was called to discuss what the party must do to get its mojo back in New York. The GOP hasn’t won a statewide race since Pataki captured a third term in 2002.
Pataki and his former aide John Cahill, who lost his race for state attorney general this year, both said the GOP needs to make better inroads with minority communities in New York City to be successful.
“When you make a concerted effort and tell people that the ideas and principles you have are important to improving everyone's life, than you can expand and broaden the base of the party,” Pataki said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/george-pataki-run-president-article-1.2046745
-
Future uncertain, Romney sits atop GOP polls
BY BYRON YORK | DECEMBER 18, 2014
Mitt Romney, left, on the field before an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the...
It can be hard to take the idea of a Mitt Romney 2016 presidential run seriously. After all, this is the man who said of losing general election candidates, "They become a loser for life." At least in presidential terms, he had that mostly right.
But what to make of polls continuing to show Romney at the head of the Republican presidential pack a little more than a year before the Iowa caucuses? A Fox News survey released this week found Romney the GOP leader, with 19 percent, ahead of Jeb Bush, who was pretty far back at 10 percent. Everybody else was bunched together behind Bush.
A McClatchy-Marist poll a few days earlier showed a similar result, with Romney leading at 19 percent and Bush at 14 percent. A Quinnipiac poll before that found Romney at 19 percent and Bush at 11 percent.
Many polls don't include Romney in their surveys. But the many that do suggest that, at least for now, Romney is a front-runner, if not the front-runner in the 2016 Republican race.
People in Romney's circle realize that some of his standing in the polls reflects nothing more than name recognition; everybody knows the guy who ran for president in 2012. But they believe there's more to it than that. In discussions this week, they pointed to what they think is a widespread belief among voters, certainly among Republicans, that Romney was right about some key issues in the 2012 campaign.
"I don't really think you can objectively chalk it up to name ID," says one resident of Romneyworld. "People are saying, 'He was right.' I think that has happened in so many different ways that people are looking at it with a fresh perspective." Another Romneyworld insider points to Russia, terrorism, and the economy as areas where Romney was prescient in 2012.
Some of the people who talk with Romney say they specifically avoid the subject of his running in 2016. They still believe he would be a good president, but they don't want to push. "I don't press him on it," says yet another in Romney's circle. "It's a personal decision."
"I don't bring it up," says another. "When we talk, we talk about what's going on in the world."
Some of the donors who supported Romney in 2012 aren't so shy; they're happy to tell Romney they believe he should run again. "He's being encouraged by people every day," says one confidant.
The big mystery, of course, is what Romney himself is thinking. As long as Romney keeps quiet, the outside world will be guessing. But it's probably smart to divide the question into two parts.
The first is what Romney thinks about the actual decision to run or not to run. That, nobody knows. The second is what Romney thinks about who would be the best president. That's not so mysterious. Romney ran in 2012 because he believed he was the best man for the job. There's no indication he has changed his mind.
Those close to Romney don't believe the recent moves by Jeb Bush, who now says he is "actively exploring" a presidential run, will have any effect on Romney. A bigger question will be whether a leader emerges in the GOP field to bring Republican voters together.
"One of the luxuries he has is he doesn't have to necessarily make up his mind and make a decision right now," says one. "He can take stock of the field and how it develops."
So here is a scenario. The Republican race that develops in 2015 is splintered and unhappy, with no candidate gaining the stature and respect needed to make a good nominee. The campaign becomes a protracted fight that diminishes each of its participants. Party leaders look for a savior. Romney is there.
It probably won't happen. And Romney knows — we know he knows because he has said as much — that a political figure who has a halo around his head when he is out of the fray will be just another punching bag if he gets in.
Still, there are the polls. And, for some of those around Romney, the hope. Right now, all they know is that there is a chance — maybe a tiny one, but a chance — of another run.
"I can't really put any kind of prediction on it," says one of the Romneyworld insiders of the possibility that Romney will run again. "I wouldn't say there is zero chance of it. I would definitely not say it is zero."
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2557618/
-
Cuba decision boosts Rubio's profile
By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
Thu December 18, 2014
(CNN) -- Marco Rubio needed to get back on the radar after his fellow Floridian, Jeb Bush, jolted the political world this week with an announcement that he was considering a presidential run.
The Republican senator got help from an unlikely source: President Barack Obama
Rubio seized on Obama's decision to thaw relations with Cuba to become the first -- and most forceful -- of the potential 2016 presidential contenders to oppose the move.
Is Cuba all set for a tourism boom? President Castro's daughter speaks out Dan Rather: The country has not yet caved
He appeared on every major news network except for MSNBC on Wednesday, hammering Obama as "willfully ignorant" on U.S.-Cuba relations and promising to do everything within his power as an incoming chairman of a subcommittee that handles Cuba policy to "unravel" the administration's plans.
He spoke in both English and Spanish, and couched his opposition in his own family story, as the son of two immigrants who fled Cuba.
But more than an opportunity, seizing on the development is a necessity for the senator as he stares down the man — who has been a mentor of sorts to the young conservative star — that many Republicans are calling the "elephant in the room" crowding others out of the presidential race.
Bush's announcement on Tuesday that he's "actively exploring" a run for president immediately shifted the dynamic of the GOP presidential primary fight. Many political observers believe that Rubio won't run if Bush does — and, more than that, Rubio can't run if Bush does.
Indeed, GOP donors say his announcement has already begun to lock up much of the establishment money. And with the political establishment already speaking out in favor of Bush, Rubio's path to the nomination has narrowed.
Bush associates insist the two aren't at odds on the Cuba issue, noting the former Governor also came out staunchly opposed in a statement later Wednesday.
"I don't see how this is a 'fight' between them," a spokeswoman said. "The President made a very ill-advised decision and two Florida leaders who have engaged on the issue for decades engaged."
But the U.S. policy shift on Cuba offers Rubio a unique opportunity to regain control of the national spotlight, and draw a stark comparison with Bush in style, if not in substance.
Rick Wilson, a Florida-based GOP operative with ties to Rubio, noted that he came out early and aggressively on the issue, where Bush hesitated.
"All the way across the board he was the guy you could count on yesterday to correctly assess the situation. He became the counterweight against the the president," he said. "Bush handled it, but it was later in the news cycle."
The issue of U.S.-Cuba relations also gives him an opportunity to show his ability to get things done on Capitol Hill. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he's on board with whatever Rubio says on the issue.
And if the senator keeps his promise to block the administration's moves at every opportunity, he'll keep his name and message in the media even as other Republican contenders ramp up their own campaigns and draw much of the party's attention.
But more than that, the administration's announcement was an opening for Rubio to highlight what his supporters say is his best rationale for running — and why his choice, aides insist, will have nothing to do with what Bush decides: His compelling personal story.
The party acknowledged after the 2012 elections that it can't compete nationally if it doesn't mitigate its deep deficit with Latinos. Both Rubio and Bush are seen as credible messengers to that demographic group — they both speak fluent Spanish, and Bush's wife was born in Mexico.
But Rubio is the son of immigrants, and his supporters say that gives his message a particular resonance. And they note that he's one of the youngest potential contenders in the field.
"The Cuba situation ties into everything that makes Marco Marco, which is he understands, from the position of a son of two immigrants, what it means to come from a country like that to this one," said Matt Keelen, a GOP fundraiser and Rubio supporter. "It fits into what I believe, if he runs, his theme is going to be — which is the lack of belief in the American Dream," he added.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/18/politics/rubio-bush-cuba-relations/index.html?hpt=po_t3
-
National Journal: Bush, Paul, Rubio Seize Momentum as 2014 Ends
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=574cac1d-5c7e-4abc-a513-bfe0c3394fce&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: National Journal: Bush, Paul, Rubio Seize Momentum as 2014 Ends Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, R-Fla., Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images; Yuri Gripas/Reuters/Landov; and Michael Reynolds/EPA/Landov)
Monday, 22 Dec 2014
By Melanie Batley
With 2014 drawing to a close, the National Journal has analyzed the positions of a range of potential 2016 presidential candidates and determined whether they are better off or worse off than they were at the beginning of the year.
"2014 saw a flurry of activity from politicians jockeying for early position in the 2016 field at the Capitol, in statehouses, and on the midterm trail all across the country. Some emerged in a more fortunate position than others," the Journal said.
The six candidates the Journal believes are better off are all from the GOP field: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is actively considering a bid; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and outgoing Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
The five candidates the Journal says are worse off include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
"Bush has secured the inside track on becoming the GOP's establishment candidate. His early move will allow him to set the tone at the outset of the party's nominating contest: Bush is expected to cut into the bases of several potential rivals, and he may force other candidates to alter their timetables," the Journal wrote.
The Journal said, however, that there are still some factors that could affect his candidacy in unknown ways, such as how his moderate positions on immigration and education will play out in a GOP primary.
"At the beginning of the year, Paul was still widely seen as a fringe candidate who wouldn't be able to compete in a modern-day Republican primary. Paul still has not totally shed that reputation, but he is now more widely accepted within the mainstream of the party than he was in January," the Journal said.
The Journal said Rubio's strength lies in his hawkish foreign policy positions, most recently on Cuba.
"Bush's announcement will certainly make it tougher for Rubio to attract the money he would need from donors in Florida. But he already has a strong political team in place and the ability to be a top-tier candidate," the Journal said.
The Journal noted Scott Walker's recent landslide re-election as an indicator of his rising status, and said John Kasich has also had a boost from his massive re-election victory.
"Perry is in a better position than a year ago for one simple reason: He had nowhere to go but up. His disastrous 2012 campaign still haunts him, but he has gone to great lengths to improve his image ahead of an expected second bid for the White House in 2016."
Clinton is worse off than this time last year, the Journal said, because her favorability ratings are low and she had some bad publicity during the year surrounding her book tour.
"Overall, Clinton is in a slightly less favorable position than she was a year ago."
Christie has lost the most of all the candidates this year, the Journal said.
"No one had a worse start to the year than Christie. The George Washington Bridge scandal has permanently tarnished his image, and with federal indictments possibly around the corner, it might be just the beginning," the Journal wrote.
"Christie entered the year as a — if not the — top contender for the GOP nomination. He has some serious work to do if he wants to reclaim that status in 2015."
Meanwhile, while Cruz continues to have a strong sway among evangelicals, the Journal said, but he has suffered some setbacks in his status this year.
"Cruz may still be the tea party's favorite son, but the Texas senator's star power has diminished since the days of the 2013 government shutdown," the Journal said.
The Journal also said that Bobby Jindal has struggled to gain any traction this year and his approval rating in his own state has dropped. O'Malley's favorability has also dropped in his state, while his polling among Democrats nationally is in the low single digits, the Journal said.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/Jeb-Bush-Hillary-Clinton/2014/12/22/id/614415/#ixzz3Mg6chMjz
-
Team Rubio: Jeb won't push us out of 2016
By Alexander Bolton - 12/26/14
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is planning to take a more active role on the national political stage next month, undeterred by his former mentor Jeb Bush’s moves toward running for president.
Republican strategists predicted months ago that Rubio would not run for the White House if Bush waged a bid. They assumed Rubio’s fundraising base in Florida would migrate entirely to Bush, the state’s former governor.
Bush announced in mid-December that he would “actively explore” running for president. Now Rubio is gearing up for a busy January, when he will launch his new book, “American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone.”
“I know for a fact that the news last week didn’t change any of our team’s plans. Sen. Rubio will have a very aggressive travel schedule next month,” said a senior Rubio advisor.
Rubio assured a group of top GOP fundraisers at a dinner at the W Hotel in Washington earlier this month that Bush would not push him out of the race.
He said he would make a decision about the presidency irrespective of the intentions of any other candidate, said one GOP fundraiser who attended.
The 43-year-old conservative star doubled down on his pledge during television interviews last weekend.
“When you reach a point where you are thinking about running for president, as I am, what you have to make your decision is on is not on who is running. It's on whether you think that's the right place to achieve your agenda and serve your country,” Rubio said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
He said he would run for the White House only if he decides “that’s the right place for me to serve at this moment in my life.”
Rubio says he has “tremendous respect” for Bush and acknowledges he will be a “very credible” and “strong” contender.
Rubio gave the fundraising heavyweights assembled at the W Hotel, dubbed “Team Rubio,” a preview of what will likely become his presidential campaign theme: Restoring Americans’ fading hopes for upward economic mobility.
A nationwide New York Times poll conducted from Dec. 4 to 7 found that only 64 percent of respondents said they still believed in the American Dream.
Rubio’s top financial backers say Bush’s likely entry into the 2016 GOP primary doesn’t hurt him as much as it does candidates more aligned with the party’s establishment, such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee.
“I think Christie and Walker are more impacted by Jeb,” said Matt Keelen, a top Republican strategist and fundraiser. “I think a lot of people that were coalescing around Christie were Bush people and had ties to the Bush infrastructure. That’s probably not going to be there for him.
“Those two guys were the biggest beneficiaries of Jeb not running,” he said of Christie and Walker.
Vin Weber, a prominent Republican strategist who served as a top adviser to Romney’s 2012 bid, agreed that Jeb’s presumed entry into the race will not impact Rubio as much as some other candidates.
“If [Rubio] wants to run, he’ll be a competitive candidate too. The notion that there’s room for only one Florida candidate is pretty narrow,” he said.
“My own instinct and based on people I talked to is that Christie is more affected,” he added. “Gov. Bush getting into it early is going to take away a certain number of people who would have gravitated to Christie.”
But Rubio will also lose fundraising talent to Bush, his allies concede.
Dirk Van Dongen, the president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, says he has a longstanding commitment to Jeb and the Bush family. He was a leader of Rubio’s inside-the-Beltway fundraising team.
But the other leaders of Rubio’s D.C.-New York money machine, including former Rep. Bill Paxon (R-N.Y.), a senior advisor at Akin Gump, a lobbying and law firm, and Wayne Berman, a senior advisor for global government affairs at the Blackstone Group, are said to be sticking with Rubio.
Two other well-connected Rubio fundraisers with strong ties to the Bush family, Kirk Blalock, a partner at the Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock lobbying firm, and Charlie Black, the chairman of Prime Policy Group, are on the fence, according to members of Rubio’s finance team. The Wall Street Journal reported that Black has suggested he would support Jeb if he ran for president.
“Is it possible to raise an adequate amount of money with Jeb Bush in the race? I think most people say yes. Does it make it more difficult?... The answer to that is yes,” said a GOP fundraiser, who noted Bush’s donor base in Florida is different from Rubio’s.
The fundraiser said Rubio and Bush draw donors from different generations and different regions of the state.
On a national level, the source said, Rubio would draw donors and bundlers who supported Romney’s 2012 bid and Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) 2008 campaign, while Jeb would attract those who supported his brother’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/228014-team-rubio-jeb-wont-push-us-out-of-2016
-
GOP moves early to court conservative Christians
By Mark Preston, CNN
Wed December 24, 2014
Washington (CNN) -- The first votes of the 2016 campaign won't be cast for another year but there's already a race well underway: The Christian primary.
Republicans are actively courting white evangelical and born again Christian voters, knowing they will be crucial in early-voting states such as Iowa and South Carolina.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is urging people to join him next month in Baton Rouge for a day of fasting, repentance and prayer focused on the future of the United States.
The Year in Politics 2014 Door-to-Door in Des Moines Bush officials respond to the torture report More than 3 decades of Bushes & Clintons
On the same day, another gathering will take place in Des Moines, where at least five potential GOP presidential candidates will address Iowa voters on "core principles" that include "social conservatism."
In August, Marco Rubio spoke at South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan's "Faith and Freedom" fundraiser. Jindal, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and Mike Huckabee addressed the Iowa Family Leader Summit in that same month. And in November, Ben Carson was the keynote speaker at the Family Leader's annual fundraising dinner.
"It looks like we are going to have more social conservative candidates than we did the last time," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. "It is going to be very competitive."
That's great for social conservatives who are yearning for Republican presidential candidates to speak openly and forcefully about the issues they care about: abortion, religious liberty, and same sex marriage, among others. But a competitive primary could wind up hurting their cause if they aren't able to unite behind one or two candidates.
The splintering of white evangelical and born again Christians may provide an opening for a more centrist candidate to win the Republican nomination -- leaving social conservatives, once again, frustrated that a candidate of their political stripe failed to win.
"From my perspective, it would be a whole lot wiser for us to coalesce behind one candidate than divide up," said Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Family Leader. "But that is easier said than done. I think you let the process play out and if there is an opening, then coalesce. I think you try to do it, but I am not confident."
This lack of certainty has some leaders in the social conservative movement already engaged in discussions about how to avoid diluting their power, especially in Iowa and South Carolina.
For these leaders, the hope is to prevent a repeat of 2012 when Mitt Romney -- considered the more centrist, establishment candidate -- won the nomination in a crowded field of self-described social conservatives. Romney was initially declared the winner of the Iowa caucuses by a mere eight votes over Santorum, who made social conservatism a major part of his campaign.
Several weeks later, after all the caucus votes were certified, it was announced that Santorum, not Romney, had actually won Iowa. But it was too late. Romney had the wind at his back and eventually went on to win the nomination.
A review of the 2012 Iowa caucus entrance poll shows that Santorum won the white evangelical and born Christian vote with 32%, while the remaining support split among five of his rivals: Ron Paul, 19%; Newt Gingrich, 14%; Perry, 14%; and Michele Bachmann, 5%.
What if the white evangelical and born again voters had backed Santorum over one of the other five candidates?
It is not clear if a win in Iowa would have changed the ultimate outcome of Romney winning the nomination. After all, he had the money, infrastructure, and backing of the GOP establishment. But naming Romney the initial winner of the caucuses deprived Santorum the chance to fully seize on an important moment in the campaign.
"At the time, we thought it was ok," said Hogan Gidley, a senior aide on Santorum's presidential campaign. "We got all of the publicity and we called it a win, because we were outspent by so much. But looking back on it, we didn't realize it at the time what comes along with a win in Iowa such as the cover Newsweek, the cover of Time, all of the major publications would have pronounced Rick Santorum as the blue collar conservative and winner of Iowa."
Social conservative leaders also note that John McCain won the 2008 nomination under similar circumstances -- a fractured social conservative base.
"What has happened in the last two presidential election cycles is that the candidates that the Christian conservatives favored split the votes up," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association. "When you get three or four social conservative candidates splitting up the vote, McCain and Romney are going to win."
Jeb Bush and Chris Christie are two names that are often mentioned by social conservatives as centrist candidates who would benefit if the Christian vote splits between several candidates in this election cycle.
Discussions on how to rally Christian conservatives behind one candidate are quietly taking place on many levels, according to several sources familiar with the effort. The most influential group is the Council for National Policy, whose membership includes leaders representing prominent social conservative organizations. GOP candidates are invited to address the CNP in private meetings.
"My goal will be to give conservative leaders every opportunity to see the candidates, to get to know them and to do an apples to apples comparison at the right time," said Perkins, who also serves as the CNP's president. "If that time comes, encourage people to get behind a candidate. But I don't think it is going to be something that happens early."
The next CNP meeting is expected to happen in early 2015.
A major roadblock in unifying behind a singular candidate is the deep, personal relationships that social conservative activists and leaders have developed with individual candidates over the years. As one activist noted, "You bleed with them in battle. There are alliances, friendships ... people who worked hard for you. You don't want to burn them."
But this lack of early unity in the Christian conservative ranks gives the candidates time to sell their vision of governing to this important Republican constituency. And it has already begun in small meetings in Iowa and South Carolina as well as large public meetings over the past year.
Heading into 2015, the Conservative Political Action Conference is the biggest meeting -- drawing activists and leaders to the Washington suburbs in late February. In the spring, the Faith & Freedom Coalition is expected to hold its meeting in Washington, followed by the Values Voter Summit in the fall. And the Family Leader will host its leadership summit in Iowa.
Sprinkled throughout these events will be dinners, fundraisers and candidate forums in several states -- all soapboxes for candidates to woo social conservatives.
Penny Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America, said at the very base level, candidates need to embrace social conservative positions on "life, marriage, religious freedom, and support for Israel." But Nance noted that championing these policy positions is not enough for the candidates if they hope to receive support from conservative Christian voters.
"You have to have a winsome personality," she said. "You have got to have a message that works, that people understand, that deals with the issues that are in the hearts of the voters. And you need to have muscle, infrastructure, ground game and money to win. If you don't have one of these it will be very hard."
Over and over again, Christian conservative activists and leaders emphasized that they are not a single issue constituency group -- noting that candidates need to weave their personal position on social issues into their overall governing plan.
"Evangelical voters are concerned about other issues: the economy, immigration, foreign policy and the U.S. decline on the world stage," said Dr. Tony Beam, an ordained Southern Baptist minister who hosts a morning drive Christian talk radio program in Greenville, South Carolina.
At this point, there doesn't appear to be a frontrunner in the large group of candidates expected to vie for Christian conservative support.
But if Huckabee decides to run, he may have the early edge. The former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist minister hosts a program on Fox News Channel. He knows how to talk to social conservatives in a genuine way, which is key because authenticity will be closely watched by leaders and activists who make up the social conservative movement.
"Whatever they say, they need to truly believe it," said Lisa Van Riper, a longtime social conservative activist in South Carolina. "They need to have a clear action plan, not just give lip service. They need to talk about the current situation and need to be fluid in that and what specific kinds of policies they might propose. If they've done something on the issues, it gives them a lot more credibility than just talking about it."
Mark DeMoss, a leading Christian public relations consultant, said that in the past ideology has trumped pragmatism when social conservatives look at presidential candidates, although he noted in recent year there has been "a little more willingness to not have perfect alignment [on issues] in exchange for trying to win."
Still, DeMoss added, this ideological standard is unique to politics, not to everyday life.
"We don't apply it in business, in school, hiring of a plumber, a painter or an architect," said DeMoss, who was a senior adviser on Romney's presidential campaign. "There is nothing else we do in life where this person has to be my stripe of Christian or I won't work with them. I think it is a double standard litmus test."
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/politics/christian-primary/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
-
Rubio Moving Close to Decision on Presidential Run
WASHINGTON — Jan 1, 2015
Associated Press
Sen. Marco Rubio says he's moving closer to a decision on whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination, but he's not there yet.
Rubio tells National Public Radio "this is not a gut decision."
He also says in an interview broadcast Thursday that he doesn't have a "date in mind or a time frame in mind" for making his decision, "but certainly soon."
Rubio, a Florida conservative, says he has "tremendous respect" for former Gov. Jeb Bush, who already has announced formation of an exploratory committee. He says that if Bush gets into the race, "he'll be a very credible candidate."
He says the two know a lot of the same people, but adds that "it's not unprecedented" for two people from the same state to run for president.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/rubio-moving-close-decision-presidential-run-27945883
-
Rubio Moving Close to Decision on Presidential Run
WASHINGTON — Jan 1, 2015
Associated Press
I see Rubio sitting out IF Jeb enters the race. (Same move Romney is doing).
They know the base - true conservatives/tea party - are working their asses off to keep a RINO out of office. They don't want to divide the "moderate" vote between Jeb, Romney and Rubio, and whoever else. SO they all back Jeb, who easily gets enough share to win, as all the shithead RINO voters rally around him, and the ACTUAL conservatives have to split up their majority of votes between Santorum, Cruz, Rand, Carson?, and whoever else is in the mix from the far right.
And Rubio knows that Jeb would LOVE a veep choice like him ;)
-
Mike Huckabee ends talk show, weighs presidential run
By NICK GASS
Updated 1/4/15
(http://images.politico.com/global/2015/01/03/130105_mike_huckabee_ap_629_956x519.jpg)
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Saturday night that he would be ending his Fox News talk show to gauge support for a possible presidential campaign.
“There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether I would run for President,” Huckabee told his followers on Facebook. “I won’t make a decision about running until late in the spring of 2015, but the continued chatter has put Fox News into a position that is not fair to them.”
“I feel compelled to ascertain if the support exists strongly enough for another Presidential run. So as we say in television, stay tuned!” he added.
Huckabee, who ran for the Republican nomination in 2008 and hosted his show for more than six and a half years, had drawn renewed attention by criticizing former secretary of state Hillary Clinton last month after she said “smart power” also means empathizing and showing respect for enemies.
“How can we empathize with terrorists who think nothing of beheading innocent men, women and children?” Huckabee asked in a blog post on his website last month.
The 2016 race is already well underway online.
Even before Huckabee had made his announcement, Rand Paul’s PAC was firing away on the digital front. Just as the Kentucky Republican’s political arm had done when Jeb Bush signaled last month he was weighing a White House campaign, Paul’s team bought prime real estate for any Google searches using the terms “Huckabee record,” “Huckabee announcement,” “Huckabee taxes” and “Huckabee common core.”
“Less Taxes Not More,” read one ad for RandPAC. “We need leaders who will cut taxes not raise them. Join us.”
RandPAC also targeted users tweeting about Huckabee or his announcement with ads.
Huckabee’s leadership PAC, Huck PAC, took in $2.2 million in the 2014 cycle, spending approximately $2 million, with about $500,000 on hand. Huckabee’s daughter, Sarah Huckabee, also runs a super PAC called American Principles Fund. In the 2014 cycle, it raised $1.4 million, spent $1.3 million and had $60,000 on hand.
Huckabee came in a distant second to John McCain in the 2008 Republican primaries. The former pastor turned Arkansas governor started strong, winning the Iowa GOP caucus by 9 percentage points over Mitt Romney.
Three in five Iowa caucusgoers in 2008 were evangelical or born-again Christians, but, a week later in New Hampshire, fewer than 25 percent of GOP primary voters were evangelicals. Huckabee finished third in the Granite State, with only 11 percent of the vote.
He then captured his home state of Arkansas, along with Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia. Despite these victories, McCain secured the necessary number of delegates by early March with a clean sweep of contests in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont.
Even though Huckabee faded quickly in 2008, his win in the Iowa caucuses left a big mark on the electorate that votes in that contest, which is a more conservative and more evangelical group than even other segments of the GOP primary electorate elsewhere.
But his slow strip toward ultimately saying he wouldn’t run in 2012 has left many skeptical of his intentions for 2016. The former Arkansas governor appears to have profited financially from being in the national spotlight — raking in money from paid speeches, for instance, and making expansive use of chartered planes — and many believe he’s unlikely to leave aside a life of relative comfort for a long-shot campaign.
Sources say Huckabee still has paid speeches scheduled in the coming weeks. Huckabee also has a book coming out later this month, titled “God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy,” and speculation about a presidential run could add to the hype as he promotes the book.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/mike-huckabee-ends-talk-show-weighs-presidential-run-113948.html#ixzz3NywNzLNw
-
Long-shot Republican candidates weigh spicing up 2016 race
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
Published January 04, 2015
FoxNews.com
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/pataki_george660.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The 2016 Republican presidential field could be bigger than any in recent memory – thanks to a growing second tier of potential contenders.
While several prominent politicians already have insinuated themselves into the mix, from Ted Cruz to Rand Paul to Chris Christie to Jeb Bush, a number of under-the-radar names are now flirting with a 2016 candidacy.
They may be the long shots, but could shake things up -- by playing the spoiler in key primaries, positioning themselves as a potential running mate for the eventual nominee or even becoming a dark horse competitor in the final stage.
"It is definitely a new phenomenon," Ronald Reagan biographer Craig Shirley said of the increasingly crowded fields. (The 2008 and 2012 GOP contests were a political demolition derby.) "I don't think this has anything to do with the growth of the United States, you just have more people who are convinced they are qualified to run for president."
Some potential candidates are hardly new to the game, including Rick Santorum and others.
Longtime Republican pollster Glen Bolger said the lure is especially strong for pols who have inhabited that spotlight. "They figure, Barack Obama can come out of nowhere," he said, referring to the president's leap from one-term senator to president. "They think, 'I can be different, I can break the mold and get the nomination'."
He added: "[But] it's like catching lightning in a bottle. I won't say it can't be done, but that's what a lot of these candidates are relying on."
Here's a look at a few of them:
1. George Pataki
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/pataki_george660.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
AP
George Pataki, the three-term former New York governor, has said he's weighing a 2016 run, and he seems to be taking the idea seriously. He launched a super PAC called Americans for Real Change, which produced an ad this fall timed with appearances in New Hampshire. His message: fiscal responsibility, with a populist twist.
"Big government benefits the rich and powerful. They can afford to play the game -- you can't," he says in his televised ad. "It's time for a new America, with much smaller federal government. Washington can't run the economy, and shouldn't try to run our lives."
Asked about a possible bid, Pataki told Fox Business Network in November: "I'm thinking about it."
Some analysts consider him a long shot, however. Once a shining light of the Republican revolution in 1994 -- the first year he was elected governor of New York -- his support for gun control and gay rights could cause problems with the conservative base.
"It helps to be known, it helps to be supported by some key element of the base and it helps to raise money," Bolger said. "I'm not sure he fits in any of those categories, much less all three."
2. Rick Santorum
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn-latino/politics/876/493/santorum%20iowa.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
AP
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum remains popular among social conservatives, particularly evangelicals who support his position on abortion issues. And during the crowded 2012 race, he enjoyed a brief period as the "it" candidate.
So would he run again?
After The Washington Post in early December declared that he, indeed, would run, Santorum told Fox News the report might be "hyperbole."
But he acknowledged he's thinking about it.
"No announcements, but we're working at it right now and we are calling people in those [early primary] states ... and we'll make a decision sometime later next year," Santorum said.
The former senator is a divisive figure in politics, but said a "blessing" of his career is that "we've always been underestimated."
Meanwhile, Santorum continues to stay visible in the media as a voice on conservative issues, and has been making the rounds at conservative gatherings, including the Values Voter Summit, where he came in fourth in the straw poll (Cruz won with 25 percent).
According to the Des Moines Register, which is tracking candidate visits to Iowa, Santorum has been there nine times for events since 2012.
3. Carly Fiorina
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/Fiornia_Carley2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
REUTERS
Ex-Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has maintained a political profile since leaving HP. She worked on John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and ran for Senate, unsuccessfully, in California in 2010.
The Hoover Institution's Bill Whalen noted in a recent op-ed that Fiorina is so far the only woman showing an interest in the GOP nomination. He also called her the only potential candidate with "serious business experience."
She hasn't said she is in, but Fiorina is actively exploring the possibility, according to The Washington Post, which reported she has been talking privately with potential donors and recruiting staffers and grassroots activists.
On Friday, Republican National Committee spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores also announced she was going to work for Fiorina's Unlocking Potential PAC. Flores previously did consulting work for Mitt Romney in 2012.
Fiorina made a stop in the New Hampshire on Dec. 5, delivering remarks at a breakfast hosted by the state's Independent Business Council. She touched on her role as a woman in Republican politics. "Parties need to look as diverse as the nation and speak to people about issues that matter to them," she said.
She, too, hit an anti-big government message. "People who succeeded in bureaucracies want to preserve status quo because it benefits them," she said. "I could be talking about Washington or HP ... we need to think about reform in Washington, which is desperately needed in a systematic way."
4. Bobby Jindal
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/jindal_bobby_062712.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
AP
The son of Indian immigrants, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was once considered a rising star in the party. After he gave the Republican rebuttal to President Obama's 2009 State of the Union address -- and got mixed reviews -- his star dimmed.
But he's kept his hand in national politics, and though he has not said whether he will run, he's been making all the moves. He's taken four trips to Iowa since 2012, according to the Des Moines Register, and has been hitting the conservative gatherings hosting 2016 hopefuls over the last year.
"He's an undervalued stock," top aide Timmy Teepell told the Washington Examiner in October. The paper noted that pundits were skeptical of Jindal's chances, especially since he only had a 33 percent approval rating among his own constituency in Louisiana as of November. "Fortunately D.C. pundits don't get to decide elections," Teepell quipped.
Jindal came in third in September's Values Voter straw poll, indicating he still has a strong appeal to the social conservative base. Most recently, he gave a rare foreign policy speech at the conservative Foreign Policy Initiative. When asked on "Fox News Sunday" about his low ratings among presidential contenders, Jindal said he was substance over style. "This isn't about politicians [who are] popular by kissing babies and cutting ribbons."
"I was at less than two percent when I ran for governor," he said, and since, "we have transformed our state."
5. Robert Ehrlich
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/Ehrlich_Robert2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
AP
Robert Ehrlich, a former Maryland governor, has been giving speeches and keeping his name out there -- even if he's rarely mentioned alongside the Jeb Bushes and Ted Cruzes of the world.
"It all started pretty organically. I got invited to go to New Hampshire this summer and from that, been back a couple more times," Ehrlich told a Baltimore CBS affiliate. Ehrlich said he doesn't know how far he might go as a potential presidential candidate.
While he served as a Republican governor of a very blue state from 2003 to 2007, Ehrlich's name recognition beyond Maryland is lacking, and doesn't even register in the preliminary polling, political experts say.
While he hasn't formalized any exploratory apparatus, he told The Baltimore Sun in early December "there's been some discussion in the last week or so with some people who count."
6. John Kasich and Mike Pence
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Archive/fn2/876/493/AP_Kasich.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
AP Photo
John Kasich and Mike Pence, the current governors of Ohio and Indiana, respectively, also have been mentioned as possible GOP nominees but neither has said whether he will run. Kasich is a former congressman whom pundits say might have trouble with the party due to his support for a Medicaid expansion under ObamaCare.
Pence, also a former congressman, is popular with Tea Party activists and Christian conservatives -- and has been giving speeches outside his home state.
He also got an endorsement from Steve Forbes at his Reinventing America summit in Indianapolis in November.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/04/long-shot-republican-candidates-weigh-spicing-up-2016-race/
-
Imagine Biden shooting some guys foot off with a warning shot and then asking him to stand up afterwards.
Some of these are gold:
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/joebiden/a/biden-quotes.htm
lmao
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." --Joe Biden on Barack Obama
"I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack got tested for AIDS. There's no shame in being tested for AIDS. It's an important thing."
-
EXCLUSIVE — SCOTT WALKER TO IOWA TO SPEAK AT FREEDOM SUMMIT
by MATTHEW BOYLE
8 Jan 2015
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/01/Walker-16-Thumbnail.jpg)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will speak at the Iowa Freedom Summit at the end of January hosted by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Citizens United, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.
“Governor Walker looks forward to sharing the story of Wisconsin’s successful reforms and common sense message with grassroots conservatives,” Walker’s spokesman Tom Evenson told Breitbart News.
Citizens United president David Bossie added that he’s thrilled Walker will join the already impressive lineup of speakers.
“Congressman Steve King and I are thrilled Governor Scott Walker, a leading conservative voice, plans to attend the Iowa Freedom Summit,” Bossie said. “The Iowa Caucus is the first step for any conservative running for the Republican nomination and we are pleased Governor Walker appreciates and respects its importance.”
Walker, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has held off the left for years amid numerous attempts by Democrats to take him down. During his tenure as governor, he’s cut unemployment in Wisconsin substantially—it was 7.8 percent when he took office and it’s currently down to 5.2 percent. He cut taxes by $2 billion, including lowering property taxes in the state compared to their rise of 27 percent in Wisconsin in the decade before he took office. Taxpayers have saved an estimated $3 billion at the state and local level, too, thanks to Walker’s collective bargaining reforms—the catalyst which caused the institutional left, organized labor, and democrats to target him. He also froze tuition for all University of Wisconsin system students for two years and is aiming to do so again for another two years because of the system’s surplus.
The Iowa Freedom Summit event takes place on Saturday Jan. 24, 2015 at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines. “The Freedom Summit will focus on how we can get America back on track by focusing on our core conservative principles of pro-growth economics, social conservatism, and a strong national defense,” the event’s website states.
Other confirmed speakers include 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Dr. Ben Carson, real estate magnate Donald Trump, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA), former United Nations ambassador John Bolton, former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.
Two notable exceptions from the 2016 GOP presidential field won’t be there: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/01/08/exclusive-scott-walker-to-iowa-to-speak-at-freedom-summit/
-
Paul Ryan says he is not running for president in 2016
Published January 12, 2015
FoxNews.com
Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, one of the party’s young conservative stars, said Monday he won’t run for president in 2016.
The 44-year-old Ryan was the Republican nominee for vice president in 2012. His announcement comes just a few days after his then-presidential running mate, Mitt Romney, said he is considering a 2016 White House bid.
Ryan is the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Social Security and health care.
He said Monday that he wants to focus on his work in Congress and that running the committee will require his undivided attention.
Our work … over the next few years will be crucial to moving America forward,” Ryan said. "It's clear our country needs a change in direction. And our party has a responsibility to offer a real alternative. So I'm going to do what I can to lay out conservative solutions and to help our nominee lead us to victory."
Ryan, when chairman of the House Budget Committee, become a favorite among conservatives for developing detailed plans for reining in federal spending.
However, those plans have also made him a villain among many Democrats and liberal groups.
The Democrat National Committee said after Ryan’s announcement that he might be out of the running but his policy ideas live with such 2016 GOP White House hopefuls as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
“Even as Ryan removes himself from the primary race, the dangerous ideas in his budget plan will live on through each of the other potential GOP 2016 candidates,” the group said.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/12/paul-ryan-says-is-not-running-for-president-in-2016/
-
Ryan was weak against Drunk Uncle Joe in 2012 debates. He let Biden bully him.
imagine Jeb in that room with Biden talking to him like a bad child. I can picture jeb saying "You hold your tongue, mr biden, because you're acting like a damn fool!"
Ryan just nervously chugged his water and nodded along. he doesn't have gravitas yet. That comes when you're 55 or 60, not barely 40, no matter how brilliant you are (and ryan is a very smart man). He just doesn't have that swagger and balls to put a man on his ass. For biden being a clueless windbag, he has balls, and people do respect that, even if they hate the fcker.
-
Iowa GOP poll: Romney leads, followed by Bush, Wisconsin's Walker
Posted by: Patrick Condonnder
January 13, 2015
A poll of registered Iowa Republicans released Tuesday shows that Mitt Romney, the party's 2012 presidential candidate now mulling another run in 2016, is currently leading a large field of prospective challengers. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker came in third, behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
The nation-leading Iowa caucus is still about a year off, but prospective candidates have already started to openly discuss the race. The Washington Post reported on Monday that Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, is "almost certain" to run again, and has been discussing it with a number of close allies including former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
The poll by Gravis Marketing, a Florida-based pollster, found Romney leading a field of eight other potential candidates with the support of 21 percent of respondents. "Romney's name recognition and the loyalty Republicans have for their last nominee give him an opportunity that no one else has," said Doug Kaplan, the manager partner of Gravis Marketing.
Bush, the brother and son of the two former President Bushes, was next with 14 percent. Walker, recently re-elected to a second term as Wisconsin's governor despite a divisive first term that saw a failed recount attempt, was in third place with 10 percent. A number of additional potential candidates scored support below 10 percent. In order, they were: Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio. Another 18 percent of poll respondents were undecided.
Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, said Monday he would not run in 2016. The poll of 404 registered Iowa Republicans was taken Jan. 5-7.
The Iowa caucuses are tentatively scheduled for Jan. 18, 2016, though that date is not final. In 2012, Romney finished a close second in Iowa to former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton is seen as the prohibitive frontrunner. She has not made her candidacy official but is widely expected to announce this spring that she's running.
Clinton lost the 2008 Iowa caucus to then-Sen. Barack Obama, delivering an ultimately fatal blow to her candidacy.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/288435811.html
-
Karl Rove: Romney 'Has a Shot' at the White House
Monday, 12 Jan 2015
By Wanda Carruthers
Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney "has a shot" at winning the White House in 2016, and could follow in the footsteps of former Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan who failed to win the nation's highest office on their first attempt, said GOP strategist Karl Rove.
What Romney will have to do is to show he's serious and wasn't merely "teasing people" when he recently told donors he was interested in running again, Rove said. He would also need to convince voters and donors he was committed to changing the mistakes that caused him to lose the presidential race three years ago.
"He certainly has a shot. He was the Republican nominee in 2012, so he's got a lot of advocates and followers," Rove told Fox News' "Happening Now" on Monday. "He's going to have to say, 'Look. I get why I lost last time around, and I'm making changes that will make you feel that I'm going to be a better candidate.'"
The process of winning the presidency took Nixon eight years, Rove said, because he had to "prove that he was different and had changed," adding Reagan did the same when he ran for president.
"Ronald Reagan had to do it between 1976 and 1980. In 1976, his campaign was focused on knocking down [former Secretary of State] Henry Kissinger and his foreign policy. By 1980, it was the optimistic sunny Reagan talking about Kemp-Roth tax cuts," he said.
Rove said there were as many as 23 Republicans seriously eyeing a run for the White House, and predicted it was going to be an "unusual" contest. One thing that would be different was that all the candidates would be "judged on how they handle the dynamics of the campaign — how do they handle success and adversity over the next 12 months, 13 months?"
With so many potential candidates, he said it was both bad news and good news that "the big names are all talking about running," because it would put a "premium on people and on money and on time."
Rove said none of the Republicans interested in running would pull away from the party and run as an independent, predicting that "the odds of that are slim or none, and Slim's saddling up his horse and getting ready to ride out of town."
"Running as an independent is very difficult in modern American politics," he said. "I see all [of the potential candidates] as loyal Republicans who want to run as the Republican nominee, and who will support the Republican nominee, if it's not them."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/Karl-Rove-Mitt-Romney-White-House-2016/2015/01/12/id/618062/#ixzz3OjeyxGQV
-
dude, i'm so sick of the Roves talking about the Romneys chances.
just get some new faces and ideas in the white house. It's getting so old with amnesty-supporting, min-wage-supporting, anti-gun bill writing Romney.
sheesh, just call yourselves democrats and stop the flirting.
-
It's getting so old with amnesty-supporting, min-wage-supporting, anti-gun bill writing Romney.
I voted Romney. I've been very clear about that.
-
so are yo whining that i voted romney, or obama there, champ? you can't bitch about me for BOTH, now can you?
LOL
-
LOL! So let's see here. The lying liar (and his whole family) voted for Obama. Then he lies about voting for Romney. Then he claims he essentially hates Romney.
Liars have such a hard time keeping their "facts" straight. lol
-
LOL! So let's see here. The lying liar (and his whole family) voted for Obama. Then he lies about voting for Romney. Then he claims he essentially hates Romney.
Liars have such a hard time keeping their "facts" straight. lol
I do dislike romney greatly, but I had to vote for him in 2012 because it was him or obama. My family voted obama, that's their business.
I didn't vote obama, silly willy.
-
(http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Obama+liar+message+563971_469115803109000_139717551_n.jpg)
-
Romney’s reboot: Can the 2012 loser really fix his problems in 2016?
By Howard Kurtz
January 14, 2015
FoxNews.com
Will Mitt 3.0, as he’s already been dubbed, be a better model than the earlier two incarnations?
Without so much as a single syllable uttered in public, Mitt Romney has shaken up the 2016 race, employing a strategy of calculated leaks to indicate that he wants to mount a third presidential bid. I was skeptical of what seemed like a trial balloon to buy some time as Jeb Bush claimed the mantle of establishment candidate, but this has mushroomed into Mitt trying to get the gang back together.
But given that Romney muffed what Republicans viewed as a prime opportunity to oust President Obama, the media are asking this question: What exactly would be different next time?
The exercise is reviving some bad memories of Romney’s flaws as the GOP nominee. And Romney would have to explain his change of heart after he (and Ann) so repeatedly declared that they were done trying to move into the White House. What’s his rationale? To save the party from Jeb? Or has he just been badly bitten by the presidential bug?
Let’s stipulate that beating an incumbent president, even with an anemic economic recovery, was tough. Let’s also stipulate that Romney is an experienced businessman, has a good temperament, can raise truckloads of money, and proved to be a strong debater.
But there were so many self-inflicted wounds that it’s hard to catalogue them. Self-deportation. I like being able to fire people. Binders full of women. The 47 percent.
Not even Romney’s biggest fans would suggest he’s a natural campaigner. I watched him up close with crowds and while he gamely tried to connect with folks, there’s an awkwardness rooted in his natural reserve. And that extended to his arm’s-length relationship with the press corps.
Part of the chatter now is that Romney could fare better
Politico quoted one Romney campaign alumnus as saying the new effort would “tell the story of Mitt better.” Several Romney veterans recalled how well the accounts from parishioners in Romney’s Mormon community resonated with voters who had been bombarded with ads about his tenure at Bain Capital.” Romney, of course, mostly avoided talking about his religion.
Politico quoted another former top adviser as saying “he really has to show people that he’d do it differently, rather than just say he’d do it differently. He needs to assure folks he’d take a much more direct approach to laying out the vision for his campaign versus having those decisions driven by a bunch of warring consultants.”
So why is Romney gearing up to do this? The Washington Post’s Robert Costa, who has set the pace on this story, quoted yet another anonymous Romney adviser as saying, “Mitt’s a very restless character. He is not the type to retire happily, to read books on the beach. . . . He believes he has something to offer the country and the only way he can do that is by running for president again.”
But that explanation is more about Romney’s feelings than how he’d be a stronger candidate than last time around. And not everyone in the GOP is wild about the idea. John McCain, who defeated Romney in 2008 (and wants his friend Lindsey Graham to run this time) says: “I thought there was no education in the second kick of a mule.”
New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait poses the question bluntly:
“Why would Republicans, who grudgingly submitted to a Romney nomination in 2012 only after every other possibility had exhausted itself, give him another try when so many alternatives are available? What qualities would make a Romney candidacy more attractive to Republican voters in 2016 than it was in 2012?”
The Fix columnist Chris Cillizza admits he’s stunned by the prospect of a third Mitt campaign:
“I don't doubt Romney's sincerity. But I do think he and those close to him are fooling themselves that he can simply proclaim that he is running a new and different campaign -- one based on foreign policy and poverty, according to Politico -- and that will be that. It's literally impossible for me to imagine such a scenario.”
Breitbart goes back to the Netflix film “Mitt” that some acolytes are fondly remembering, and doesn’t give it two thumbs up:
“The best that can be said for the Romney portrayed in ‘Mitt’ is that, had he conveyed his behind-the-scenes personality to voters better, Romney might have mitigated the damage from Obama’s attacks. Maybe some of his self-effacing humor, or seeing Romney wear duct-taped gloves while skiing and pick up hotel-room trash like a normal person might could have offset the ruthless out-of-touch businessman image portrayed by his opponent.
“But the subtext of ‘Mitt’ is Romney’s tragic inability to actually be that person in public.
“For a man seeking his third shot at the presidency amidst the strongest GOP bench in decades, it’s not a flattering portrait.”
The former Massachusetts governor doesn’t have to win over the pundits, of course, but he does need a smarter approach to using the media to get out his message. There’s already talk that he won’t be bringing back his old communications team, which often didn’t bother to respond to reporters.
The media love the idea of a Mitt-vs.-Jeb showdown. But Romney, who once mused about how those who lose presidential elections are branded losers, needs to offer a compelling rationale for why he can win.
Click for more from Media Buzz
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/14/romneys-reboot-can-2012-loser-really-fix-his-problems-in-2016/?intcmp=latestnews
-
calling:
Sarah
Herman
Rick
Michele
please join in the fun!
-
calling:
Sarah
Herman
Rick
Michele
please join in the fun!
Paging:
Joe
Al
John
Dennis
please join the party!
-
Marco Rubio sharpens his potential 2016 pitch
BySTEPHANIE CONDONCBS NEWS
January 13, 2015
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, knows what sets him apart from most Republicans.
As a first-generation Cuban-American, Rubio is familiar with the American immigrant experience. At 43 years old, he's young enough to recognize an Internet meme. And, he argues, he's more focused on the structural problems that have led to economic inequality in the U.S.
Fostering upward mobility is largely the focus of his new book, "American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone," and it could be the basis for a presidential campaign. Rubio said he'll jump in the 2016 race if no one else in the Republican field puts forward an economic agenda like his -- even if that means running against his one-time mentor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
"If I run for president it won't be against anyone, it will be because I believe I have an agenda that no one else is offering on our side of the aisle," Rubio said Monday on CBS This Morning.
What he's known for
While he's been working on beefing up his policy credentials, it was Rubio's unique identity and political acumen that first generated buzz.
As a young, conservative Latino with the political chops to win in Florida -- the nation's largest swing state -- Rubio has been a star in the GOP since winning his Senate seat in 2010. He ran an insurgent campaign against Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist and twice defeated the governor handily to claim the Senate seat.
While he won his first Senate race with tea party support, he quickly made friends with the Republican establishment and made headlines in 2013 by supporting the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform package. Time magazine that year hailed Rubio as the "Republican savior."
At the very least, Rubio could help salvage the GOP's reputation with Latino voters. He won his 2010 race with 55 percent of the Hispanic vote in Florida, only to watch his party lose Latino support in the subsequent years with talk of electric border fences and "self-deportation."
Rubio's youth also remains a clear asset -- one that presents an easy contrast with Hillary Clinton (67 years old) and Jeb Bush (61). As early as page 8 in his new book, Rubio charges that Clinton is wedded to policies "of the past."
"It's not a matter of age, it's a matter of the age of your ideas," Rubio said to CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.
While the United States was prosperous during Bill Clinton's presidency, "the 1990s are over," Rubio said. "We're in the 21st Century. The notion you're going to take ideas that worked in the 20th Century and translate them to the 21st Century and they're going to solve our modern-day problems is just not true... The longer we keep insisting on it, the more people are going to be left behind."
Attributes like ethnicity and age can give candidates an "entry point" into the election, GOP pollster David Winston told CBS News, but it will take more substance to mount a successful campaign. Rubio is taking the right approach by focusing on economic policy issues, Winston said. Winston's post-midterm research showed that voters gave the GOP no clear mandate, other than to bring some good ideas to the table.
"If there's one mandate for Republicans, it's the expectation of effective governing," he said. "That means you have a vision of the direction the country should be going and how to get there."
As for whether Rubio has the right set of ideas, "the Republican electorate will decide that," Winston said.
Where he stands on the issues
Economic policy: In his book, Rubio lays out some of the economic proposals he's recently proposed, such as a "Student Investment Plan" to make college more affordable. The plan would let investors help pay for a student's tuition in return for a percentage of his or her income upon graduation.
He also promotes his plan to replace the Earned Income Tax Credit with a low-income wage subsidy he calls a "federal wage enhancement."
The senator also reiterates his support for a plan to add a "premium support" element to Medicare, which would give seniors the choice of getting a voucher for private insurance rather than government health coverage.
Foreign Policy: Rubio has set himself apart as one of the most hawkish potential 2016 candidates, standing in particular contrast to libertarian Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky.
Unlike Paul, Rubio maintains that opening up economic relations with Cuba will do nothing to ease the political repression there.
"My belief is that the Cuban government will pocket all of these changes... but it has already made very clear there will be no political change," he said on CBS This Morning. "There is no contemporary example of how a tyranny resistant to change is forced to change because of economic opening."
Meanwhile, in September, Rubio suggested that other Republicans are following his lead when it comes to stepping up the fight against ISIS. He also last year criticized the Obama administration for not doing enough to deter Russia from interfering in Ukraine.
Immigration: While Rubio supported the failed 2013 comprehensive Senate bill, Rubio told the Associated Press last week that he now supports a piece-by-piece approach to the issue.
"I ran for office to identify problems and try to solve them," he said. "Now, we tried to solve them last year through a comprehensive bill. And it's clear that that approach won't work."
Same-sex marriage: After Florida's ban on same-sex marriage ended earlier this month, Rubio restated his belief that "the institution of marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman."
However, he added to CNN, "I understand that voters in some states have changed that, and I respect it," he said. "And, you know, we have a court system that's beginning to weigh in -- and whatever the law is, we're going to abide by it and respect it."
Marijuana use: When states last year began experimenting with marijuana legalization, Rubio said he opposed legalization. However, he refused to comment on his own experience with the drug.
"If I tell you that I haven't, you won't believe me," he said. "And if I tell you that I did, then kids will look up to me and say, 'Well, I can smoke marijuana because look how he made it.'"
Why some Republicans may think twice about Rubio
Rubio's proven to be a charismatic conservative, and he has support from both establishment Republicans and the tea party-aligned wing of the party. Still, he may not have enough support to make it all the way to the nomination.
"Is he conservative enough to contest with [Ted] Cruz, [Rick] Santorum and whoever for the tea party types? Probably not," Florida-based GOP consultant John Stipanovich told CBS News. "Is he establishment enough to post up against Jeb [Bush] or [Chris] Christie? Probably not."
Stipanovich has strong ties to Bush, and while he's not working with the former governor currently, Stipanovich noted he's "not without bias" on the subject. He pointed out that many GOP operatives in Florida and across the country have, like him, "worked for, served with, supported, have hoped for one Bush or another for what -- 40 years?"
The fact that Jeb Bush has shown strong interest in running for president could make it more difficult for Rubio to tap into Florida's base of major GOP supporters and donors.
"I can't speak to Iowa or New Hampshire," Stipanovich said, but "if you want to run for something for Florida in the Republican Party, you don't want to run against Bush."
Bush's supporters are already aiming to raise $100 million for the former governor in the next three months, and Rubio has acknowledged that Bush should be able to pull it off.
Still, he told CBS This Morning that this fundraising goal isn't influencing his own decision.
"If I decide the best place to serve America at this time in my life is as president of the United States, I'll run for president, and I'm confident we can put together a campaign that makes us competitive and allows us to win," he said.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-rubio-sharpens-his-potential-2016-pitch/
-
Mike Huckabee: 'I'm More Than Just Thinking' About 2016 Run
Tuesday, 20 Jan 2015
By Wanda Carruthers
Former Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" he was "more than just thinking about" running for president in 2016 after giving up his popular Fox News TV show "Huckabee."
A final decision would take place after he could "determine if there's financial support" for his candidacy, he said.
"I'm more than just thinking about it," Huckabee said Tuesday. "Having jumped into that deep pool before, the one thing I've said, I'm not going to jump into it if there's not water in it."
Story continues below video.
Huckabee, who did not run for president in 2012, won numerous Republican primaries in the 2008 race.
He currently ranks third among a list of potential GOP contenders in a recent CBS poll, behind front-runner and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who placed second.
Rounding out the top six possible Republican candidates in the CBS poll were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
Huckabee said Romney and Bush would be "formidable candidates" who were able to "raise a boatload of money." However, he said he didn't place much emphasis in polls this far ahead of the race.
"At this point, polls don't mean a lot. They're indicative only of how people feel so far out before the process starts, and before people are going out there making speeches," he said.
"It's not substantive, because it's not really based on anything other than what headline they read yesterday, what little clip they saw. And, there's a whole lot of time between now and even the start of the race, much less the finish of the race."
A Huckabee presidency would bring a vision for the country that differs from that of President Barack Obama, one that emphasized strength on the international stage as well as placed a focus domestically on improving the economy, Huckabee told "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday.
"America would be a strong country. We wouldn't be bowing and apologizing. We would be a country that people would respect. If they didn't like us, they would respect us, if not fear us.
"The second thing is we change the way the economic outlook is. You don't punish people who are being productive. This president wants to punish everybody who is working, saving, investing," he said.
Story continues below video.
Huckabee said his credentials included governing in "the bluest state in America for 10˝ years," which was successful because of his ability to work with Democrats.
"There was no legislature more lopsided. I learned how to govern. One of the things this president has failed to do, he has failed to build relationships with his own party and people of the other party and learned how to govern.
"He knows how to make a speech," Huckabee said.
On the issues, Huckabee told "Morning Joe" that income disparity was a "huge issue," and maintained that the minimum wage, at whatever rate, still provided an "entry level" income and offered a way "to get your foot in the door." He said the federal bank bailout in 2008 was "utterly wrong."
"You don't bail out people for being recklessly irresponsible," he said. "They treated Wall Street like it was a casino, instead of a real tool of investment. And, they bet wrong."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/Mike-Huckabee-presidency-gop-2016/2015/01/20/id/619547/#ixzz3PNb9y7Ku
-
Romney, Bush work House for support, pick up several early endorsements
Published January 17, 2015
FoxNews.com
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/Romney2_2016.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Jan. 16, 2015: Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential nominee, at the Republican National Committee's winter meeting aboard the USS Midway Museum, in San Diego. (AP)
The recent announcement by former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney that he is considering a third White House run in 2016 has resulted in several early Capitol Hill endorsements.
The flurry of public endorsements, including several during this week's GOP congressional retreat, is largely split between Romney and former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, who last month said he was seriously considering a presidential run.
“I think Romney checks three boxes,” said Utah GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who backed Romney in 2012. “He’s well-vetted. We know exactly what we’re going to get. … And he is one of the few people that can raise the $1 billion it’s going to take to beat Hillary Clinton.”
Chaffetz said recent history shows Romney in his 2012 bid against incumbent Democratic President Obama was right on several issues, including his foreign policy position that Russia was the United States’ “No. 1 geopolitical foe.”
Earnest speculation about another Romney run started last week when he told a group of donors that he was interested in running again, which was followed by news reports that he and wife Ann were trying to contact former aides and donors.
And on Friday, Romney gave a campaign-style speech in San Diego before those gathered there for a Republican National Committee meeting.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, also reportedly got an early endorsement on Tuesday from Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa.
“Gov. Romney is the only person who has the credentials,” Kelly told NewsMaxTV. “He’s done it in the past, he can do it again.”
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen says she supports Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, all Florida Republicans.
Ros-Lehtinen told The Hill newspaper she was giving early support to both because likely “in the end only one will run.”
She was among a handful of House members at the retreat -- including Joe Wilson, S.C.; Mike McCaul, Texas, and Carlos Curbelo, Fla. -- who acknowledged having been contacted by several likely GOP presidential candidates seeking early support.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/18/romney-bush-work-house-for-support-pick-up-several-early-endorsements/
-
Romney and Jeb Bush to Meet in Utah
By JONATHAN MARTIN
JANUARY 21, 2015
WASHINGTON — Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney are scheduled to meet privately this week in Utah, raising the possibility that the two former governors will find a way to avoid competing presidential campaigns that would split the Republican establishment next year, two prominent party members said Wednesday night.
The meeting was planned before Mr. Romney’s surprise announcement two weeks ago to donors in New York that he was considering a third run for the White House.
Mr. Bush proposed the meeting, according to one of the party members familiar with the planning, who did not want to be quoted by name in discussing a secret meeting.
The original idea was for Mr. Bush, who announced his presidential ambitions in December, to show his respect for Mr. Romney, the Republican Party’s 2012 nominee. The meeting stayed on both men’s calendars even as Mr. Romney took steps to test the presidential waters, moves that could make the meeting awkward.
Aides to Mr. Romney and Mr. Bush did not reply to requests for comment.
Both men have been making a flurry of phone calls to Republican donors and officials to sound them out and gather commitments ahead of what could be a bruising primary race.
In some cases, Mr. Bush and Mr. Romney are calling the same people just hours apart. Many of the contributors and elected officials they are courting hope to stave off a collision between the two that could imperil the party’s chances in a general election.
Mr. Bush, a former Florida governor, and Mr. Romney, who was governor of Massachusetts, are neither friends nor adversaries. But Mr. Bush offered little help to Mr. Romney in his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, and tensions have grown since Mr. Bush said that he was exploring a presidential bid.
Mr. Bush has been critical of the way Mr. Romney ran his 2012 campaign, and Mr. Romney has raised questions in private about whether Mr. Bush, who has worked in the finance industry in recent years, would be vulnerable to the attacks that so damaged his own campaign against President Obama.
Both Republicans have deep ties to leading Republican fund-raisers, and Mr. Bush, the son of one former president and the brother of another, has already won pledges of support.
But Mr. Romney’s expression of interest, made public in a speech to the Republican National Committee last week in San Diego, has stopped some of the party’s coveted fund-raising bundlers from making firm commitments.
A number of Mr. Romney’s loyalists have made their own phone calls and sent emails asking associates to hold off on any commitments until Mr. Romney makes a decision.
Establishment Republicans are eager for Mr. Romney to make his intentions clear, but he said in a speech in California on Monday that he had no timeline for making a decision.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/us/politics/romney-and-jeb-bush-to-meet-raising-speculation-on-presidential-race.html?_r=3&referrer=
-
Why Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush top list of preferred candidates among Republicans
Despite the rise of the tea party, the GOP nomination process remains inclined to pick a candidate closer to the middle of American politics. Absent some drastic change, there’s no reason to believe that this won’t remain the case in 2016.
By Doug Mataconis, Decoder contributor JANUARY 21, 2015
(http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2015/0121-mitt-romney-sized.jpg/19497754-1-eng-US/0121-MITT-ROMNEY-sized.jpg_standard_600x400.jpg)
Gregory Bull/APView Caption
If you follow the commentary of conservatives in the blogosphere and on social media, the idea of another Mitt Romney run for the White House is pretty much the worst idea ever, a sentiment which is consistent with the revised history of recent American politics that one hears from this segment of the world of punditry. Notwithstanding the fact that in 2008 Romney was seen as the conservative alternative to eventual nominee Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona, by the time 2012 rolled around the former Massachusetts governor came to be seen during the 2012 cycle as the supposed moderate, with some even labeling the man who was cheered at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2008 even as he announced he was dropping out of the race as a “Republican In Name Only” due to his association with a health-care reform plan that many saw as being the impetus for the Affordable Care Act. After Romney lost the general election in 2012, the standard claim on the right blamed his loss on the fact that, once again, the GOP had not nominated someone who has “conservative enough” and that this caused conservative voters to stay home. The fact is that the 2012 Republican general election campaign was indeed quite conservative when it came to the economic and other messages that the Romney campaign put forward and that there is no evidence at all to support the assertion that Romney lost due to conservatives “staying home.”1
With the recent news that Mitt Romney was considering running for president again, these critics have come out of the woodwork again to loudly proclaim that they will not support him. Interestingly, though, many of their fellow Republicans clearly don’t feel the same way:
Fifty-nine percent of Republicans would like to see Romney jump into the 2016 race, while only 26 percent believe he should stay out, according to the CBS News poll.
Fifty percent of Republicans would like to see former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on the campaign trail as well, while 27 percent disagree. If both Romney and Bush run, analysts expect them to wage a competitive battle for the allegiance of the Republican establishment.
Another potential candidate viewed favorably by the GOP establishment, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, is sought less eagerly by Republicans. Only 29 percent say they’d like to see Christie launch a bid, while 44 percent say otherwise. (Only former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s numbers are more underwater: 30 percent of Republicans say they’d like to see her run, but 59 percent disagree.)
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee posts a respectable showing, with 40 percent of Republicans urging him to get in, and 29 percent urging him to stay out.
A trio of Republican senators who have stoked the enthusiasm of the grassroots have mixed numbers. Twenty-seven percent of Republicans would like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul to mount a bid, but 34 percent disagree. Twenty-six percent would like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to run, while 19 percent would not. Twenty-one percent want Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to run, while 25 percent want him to not run.
Republicans are similarly lukewarm on some of the party’s governors. Twenty-one percent want Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, to run, but 32 percent disagree. Fourteen percent want Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-Louisiana, to run, but 20 percent disagree. Wisconsin’s Scott Walker fares better, however: 22 percent want him to run, while 12 percent don’t.
Finally, 19 percent of Republicans would like to see former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum run, while 29 percent would not. And 21 percent would like to see a campaign by Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and conservative activist, while 17 percent disagree.
What’s most interesting about these numbers, of course, is the fact that so-called “establishment” candidates like Romney and Bush are doing far better in the polls right now than maverick candidates such as Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, or Rand Paul. To some degree, of course, the response to this poll can be attributed to name recognition and the fact that many of the potential candidates for president are still largely unknown to people who don’t follow politics closely. Still, it’s worthwhile to note what we’re seeing here, which is the fact that the top two candidates in the poll of self-identified Republicans are the so-called “establishment” candidates rather than the maverick conservatives. This runs counter to the arguments of people who are part of that base who claim, on a regular basis, that “the American people” are yearning for a hard-right conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan, not the Ronald Reagan who was actually president, mind you, but the myth that conservatives have created of a Ronald Reagan who governed to the hard right, never compromised, and provided the GOP with all it needs to know about how to win elections and govern, even in an era of divided government. Those candidates are far down the list of candidates that self-identified Republicans would like to see run in 2016, just as they were in 2012, 2008, and 2000.
While this is likely to be disappointing to the right-wing base of the GOP, it should not be too much of a surprise. Looking back through recent history, the Republican Party typically doesn’t end up nominating “maverick” candidates in the sense of picking the candidate that appeals most to the base. Instead, they have usually picked the candidate that arguably comes closest to appealing to the middle of American politics. In the era before primaries controlled the process, of course, this was largely due to the influence of party bosses and insiders in picking the nominees, but if anything the primary system has made the likelihood that the eventual GOP nominee will come from the “establishment” even more likely. For one thing, the fact that most Republican presidential primaries are open primaries means that voters who are generally politically independent are able to vote, and they are generally more likely to vote for more “middle of the road” candidates. This is how candidates like McCain and Romney were able to hold off challenges from the right and win the nomination, and it’s likely to have a similar impact on the race in 2016 as well. Combine that with the role of money in politics, and the fact that big money Republican donors are more likely to back traditional conservatives than mavericks like Cruz, Paul, or former US Sen. Rick Santorum, and it seems pretty clear that, despite the rise of the tea party, the GOP nomination process remains inclined to pick a candidate closer to the middle of American politics. Absent some drastic change, there’s no reason to believe that this won’t remain the case in 2016. Right now, that suggests that either Bush or, if he runs, Romney, would be the most likely person to be the nominee, but it could also mean that the nomination could go to one of the lesser known governors that might get into the race. It also means that those hoping for a Ted Cruz or Rand Paul at the top of the Republican ticket next year are likely to be disappointed.
Indeed, Mitt Romney received more raw votes in 2012 than John McCain did in 2008 even though overall turnout in 2012 was lower.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Voices/2015/0121/Why-Mitt-Romney-Jeb-Bush-top-list-of-preferred-candidates-among-Republicans
-
Good. Interested to see what he has to offer.
John Zogby: Rubio, Tied With Bush in Polls, Smart to Move on 2016
Friday, 23 Jan 2015
By Melissa Clyne and Newsmax Wires
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio couldn’t have planned better timing for the announcement that he is preparing to seek the White House in 2016, news that hit at the same time a new poll shows Rubio taking a major leap in the polls, pollster John Zogby said Friday on "America’s Forum" on Newsmax TV.
"It's huge and it's right at the moment where he's declaring that he's forming an exploratory committee," Zogby said. "He can't get a better one-two punch kickoff than that.
"Last month, he was at 6 percent and now he's at 13 percent, but it also puts him in the top tier with two very big names: Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush. It means he's a player, at least for now."
A senior Rubio adviser told ABC News that the senator informed his staff to proceed as if he is going to run. Rubio is reportedly organizing a fundraiser and planning trips to early voting states.
Rubio has chosen Anna Rogers, the finance director for conservative group American Crossroads founded by former President George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, to lead his fundraising effort, the adviser told Reuters in an email.
"We hired Rogers, will fundraise in California next week and visit early states next month," the adviser said, requesting anonymity.
Rogers will start work on Rubio's political action committee on Feb. 1 and become the finance director of his presidential campaign, the adviser said.
At 13 percent, Zogby’s latest poll puts Rubio in a dead heat with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Former GOP nominee Mitt Romney leads the pack at 16 percent, but having a newbie like Rubio in striking distance of two established names is huge.
"The former nominee at 16 percent and the scion of the GOP family, Jeb Bush, at 13 percent and little Marco Rubio at 13 percent right now, that's got to give you some pause," Zogby said. "Those are not good numbers for the two best known names in the party."
Forbes reports that the latest Zogby poll also shows New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 11 percent, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 9 percent, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 6 percent, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 4 percent, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz all at 3 percent.
Paul, a favorite of the tea party with a reputation as a "fighting outsider, libertarian and non-compromising guy," dropped from 10 percent to 3 percent in a month.
The change may be attributed to his changing message, according to Zogby, such as "gratuitously sponsoring a piece of legislation to cut off aid to the Palestinian authority not so much because of that issue in it of itself, but the very fact that it doesn't represent where he and his father (former Texas Sen. Ron Paul) have been."
"He's taken different stances and looking like just a garden variety political candidate," said Zogby.
Rubio will make a fundraising trip through California next week and scheduled a book tour that will include stops in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, his adviser said.
Rubio is up for re-election to the Senate in 2016. Florida does not allow candidates to run concurrent congressional and presidential campaigns.
The 43-year-old Rubio, who served in the Florida legislature while Bush was governor, would compete with many of the same donors in their home state.
In an appearance Wednesday after the State of the Union address, Rubio said Bush, with whom he is close, is a "very credible candidate" who could raise the amount of money necessary to run a presidential campaign.
But he also said the foreign policy experience he gained in the Senate would set him apart from the current and former governors making a White House bid.
Rubio was a fierce critic of President Barack Obama's move last month to normalize relations with Cuba.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/Marco-Rubio-jeb-bush-mitt-romney-polls/2015/01/23/id/620313/#ixzz3PfbBprb0
-
Marco Rubio Makes Moves Toward A 2016 Run, ABC Reports
Reuters
Posted: 01/23/2015
By Doina Chiacu
WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is preparing to launch a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, signing on a prominent fundraiser and planning trips to early voting states, a Rubio adviser said on Friday.
Rubio has chosen Anna Rogers, the finance director for conservative group American Crossroads founded by former President George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, to lead his fundraising effort, the adviser told Reuters in an email.
"We hired Rogers, will fundraise in California next week and visit early states next month," the adviser said, requesting anonymity.
Rogers will start work on Rubio's political action committee on Feb. 1 and become the finance director of his presidential campaign, the adviser said.
ABC first reported the moves, quoting a senior Rubio aide as saying, "He has told us to proceed as if he is running for president."
Rubio, a Cuban American whose entry into the race was in question after fellow Florida Republican Jeb Bush, the son and brother of former U.S. presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, moved toward a candidacy this month.
A Bush candidacy complicated the path to the White House for potential Republican rivals, including Mitt Romney, who ran unsuccessfully in 2008 and 2012. Other 2016 hopefuls competing for Republican fundraising dollars include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Rubio will make a fundraising trip through California next week and scheduled a book tour that will include stops in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, his adviser said.
Rubio is up for re-election to the Senate in 2016. Florida does not allow candidates to run concurrent congressional and presidential campaigns.
The 43-year-old Rubio, who served in the Florida legislature while Bush was governor, would compete with many of the same donors in their home state.
In an appearance Wednesday after the State of the Union address, Rubio said Bush, with whom he is close, is a "very credible candidate" who could raise the amount of money necessary to run a presidential campaign.
But he also said the foreign policy experience he gained in the Senate would set him apart from the current and former governors making a White House bid.
Rubio was a fierce critic of President Barack Obama's move last month to normalize relations with Cuba.
The candidates could clash on immigration, with Rubio having worked to placate conservative Republicans furious over a sweeping immigration reform bill he helped write two years ago. Bush, whose wife is Mexican-born, said in April that illegal immigrants who come to the United States to provide for their families are not committing a felony but an "act of love." (Editing by Susan Heavey and Chizu Nomiyama)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/23/marco-rubio-2016_n_6530922.html
-
Rasmussen Poll: Mitt Romney Leads GOP Pack
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8011e15c-89f6-45f9-931a-4b1a118d919b&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Rasmussen Poll: Mitt Romney Leads GOP Pack (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Friday, 23 Jan 2015
By Andrea Billups
A new poll from Rasmussen Reports has found Mitt Romney atop a growing field of GOP contenders.
The telephone survey of likely Republican voters found Romney, with his high name recognition, leading a slate of nine possible candidates with 24 percent support, Rasmussen said.
The poll asked respondents who they would pick if the GOP presidential primary were held right now — far in advance of its actual date.
Coming in behind the 2012 GOP presidential nominee were former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 13 percent, conservative columnist and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 12 percent and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 11 percent.
Both Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie earned 7 percent support while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio gained 5 percent along with former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Four percent chose other candidates and 12 percent said they were undecided, Rasmussen said.
Republicans are working to coalesce behind a strong candidate who might take on Hillary Clinton, the likely 2016 Democratic nominee.
News Update
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll, however, found Clinton beating all top GOP contenders in a head-to-head contest, creating concern for Republicans as more candidates ponder a White House bid, CNN reported.
Little emerged publicly from a meeting between Romney and Bush, who had a cordial talk over lunch Thursday in Salt Lake City, to discuss their competing ambitions, The New York Times reported.
A previous Rasmussen poll noted that voters want a fresh face, and not the usual suspects, as they choose a GOP presidential hopeful. Just 10 percent said they should choose a candidate who has run in the past.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/Rasmussen-Poll-romney-ahead-Jeb-Bush/2015/01/23/id/620354/#ixzz3PwYX8CbP
-
Watched a portion of his speech. He did a good job.
Round I in Iowa: Scott Walker Emerges
Sunday, 25 Jan 2015
By Greg Richter
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's rousing speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit on Saturday has early speculation favoring his "go big and go bold" call to Republicans.
Walker received multiple standing ovations during his speech, with news outlets reporting that the crowd was more receptive to him than to other potential GOP 2016 hopefuls including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
"If you’re not afraid to go big and go bold, you can actually get results," Walker told the enthusiastic crowd.
"There's a reason we take a day off to celebrate the 4th of July and not the 15th of April," said Walker, pacing the stage in rolled up shirtsleeves. "Because in America we value our independence from the government, not our dependence on it."
"In every fight for conservative principles Gov. Scott Walker has stood firm," David Bossie, president of the conservative group Citizens United, said when he introduced Walker. "This country is a better place because Scott Walker answered the call to lead."
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus told Time, "Scott Walker’s a guy you want to have a beer with — a Miller Lite."
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said Walker is a "proven vote-getter" after he survived a recall election, then was re-elected to a second term in 2014. "I think he will relate well [in Iowa]," Time quoted him as saying.
Walker highlighted his conservative bonafides on abortion and immigration, among other subjects, but he also sees himself as having a better ability to reach voters outside the conservative base.
"Walker was relatable, humorous, substantive, and more fiery than the crowd expected," Matt Strawn, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, told Bloomberg.
School teacher Joan Van Tersch told Bloomberg Walker is "focused on what we need to be focused on — that's empowering us, not the government. He speaks very well."
Council Bluffs Tea Party activist Lenny Scaletta was impressed with Walker's words about his humble beginnings in Iowa, the son of a minister and secretary who had to work his way through college flipping hamburgers at McDonald's.
"I'd want to talk to him, but from what he's said and his passion and his work history I'd definitely support him," Scaletta said told Bloomberg. "If it was between him, Mitt Romney, and Jeb Bush, by all means I'd be behind Scott Walker 100 percent."
The Freedom Summit, arranged by Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King, is seen as the kickoff of the Republican presidential campaign season, though no candidates have officially announced a campaign yet.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Headline/Scott-Walker-presidential-race-appeals/2015/01/25/id/620596/#ixzz3Pwa2HawO
-
Walker is the guy that said he considered planting rioters into a quiet protest, but didn't want to because he thought he'd be caught?
LOL sorry, he's shady and that line isn't one he can outrun. GOP should focus on rand, cruz, carson. Why tie the cart to a flawed candidate? and those pining for romney... he lost to an insanely beatable obama. People in the GOP base don't like him, can't outrun that. if fresh obamacare can't motivate them to hold nose and vote obama...
-
I like this guy.
Rubio Shines at Koch Forum
Cruz, Paul perform as well.
JAN 26, 2015 • BY STEPHEN F. HAYES
(http://www.weeklystandard.com/sites/all/files/imagecache/teaser-large/images/teasers/rubio%2C%20marco.jpg)
Rancho Mirage, California
Three top Republican senators joined top center-right donors Sunday evening for a lively, informal discussion on politics and policy to cap off a weekend that effectively marks the kickoff of the 2016 presidential primary. In oversized white chairs on stage at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio fielded questions for nearly 90 minutes from Jonathan Karl of ABC News, who capably pushed the potential candidates for responses on a wide range of issues.
The discussion came as part of a weekend seminar for wealthy conservatives and libertarians sponsored by Charles and David Koch and was livestreamed by ABC News.
There were few differences between the three senators over the first half of the discussion, which focused largely on domestic policy. On tax policy, none of the three said they would take the deal offered to GOP primary candidates in 2012 – $10 in spending cuts for every $1 of tax hikes. Cruz mocked the premise and suggested that it’s a question that only the media love. Rubio argued that even with the kind of cuts and tax hikes the question assumes, the U.S. government couldn’t “set aside” the looming entitlement crisis. Paul used the session to urge Republicans in Washington to take a bolder approach to tax reform, saying that if the GOP spends its time just fighting for “revenue neutral tax reform” he might as well return to his medical practice in Kentucky.
If the forum was characterized by agreement on domestic policy issues, the stark differences between Paul and Rubio on foreign policy were obvious. Karl asked specifically about Cuba policy and noted that Paul has voiced support for the Obama administration’s new approach. In an argument that echoes Obama’s, Paul argued that it’s time for a change after fifty years of a failed Cuba embargo. As he has before, Paul once again suggested that those who disagree with him are driven primarily by “emotion.” Rubio countered by accusing Paul – and Obama – of misunderstanding the purpose of the embargo, noting that the Castro regime confiscated property of many Americans during the revolution. Cruz, for his part, reinforced Rubio’s arguments and cited his family’s ties to Cuba.
The sharpest differences came during the discussion of Iran. Paul again supported the Obama administration’s case that even talking about additional sanctions could threaten the delicate talks. Invoking Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union, Paul touted the benefits of talking to your enemies and suggested that Cruz and Rubio were out of step with the Republican icon. Rubio scoffed at the suggestion that triggered sanctions are too tough. The Obama administration, he argued, is too solicitous of the Iranian regime. It’s hard to have serious negotiations with the mullahs, Rubio added, in part because of their apocalyptic views of a world that fails to embrace Islam.
If the first half of the discussion was a draw, Rubio stood out in the discussion of foreign policy and national security. It was clear that he has a command of the issues that far surpasses both Paul and Cruz – a fact that’s perhaps not surprising given Rubio’s service on both the Senate Foreign Relations committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rubio demonstrated a fluency on matters of national security that one might expect from a senator who has been in Washington much longer than four years.
Cruz hasn’t focused on national security issues the way Rubio has, but articulated positions that put him squarely in the mainstream of Republican thinking on those issues, and did so in a way that distinguished him from the views of his friend and frequent ally, Paul.
Paul showed no reluctance embracing the positions of the Obama administration, even before an audience that was very skeptical of the case he made. Both at the forum here and more generally, Paul is offering a less-crazy and more politically saleable version of the non-interventionism championed by his father. While the media have long predicted an emerging non-interventionist wing of the GOP, there did not appear to be many sympathetic to Paul’s case, with audible opposition to his arguments on Cuba and, in particular, on Iran.
. . .
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/rubio-shines-koch-forum_824428.html
-
I agree with the National Review... Rubio's cuddling with Schumer (D) NY and outright reveral on Amnesty should scare all republicans.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/351807/marco-rubio-we-hardly-knew-ye-jonathan-strong
Unless we're going to accuse the national review of being a liberal rag now, too? ;)
-
GOP Donors Appear in No Hurry to Commit to 2016 Candidate
Monday, 26 Jan 2015
Add Chris Christie to the list of prospective candidates for president now taking donations, a group of Republicans that might ultimately top two dozen.
But for all the flurry of activity in the GOP race, set off last month by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and amplified by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, some of the party's most sought-after donors appear content to let things shake out a bit before making a commitment to any one candidate.
For many of the party's biggest fundraisers, signing on with a contender is a two-year commitment that usually includes asking friends, family and colleagues for donations they can bundle into stacks of checks. It's not a decision taken lightly, especially with a field so large and in a campaign where total spending is sure to be measured in the billions.
"I don't think there's this rush that everybody's trying to create here," said Fred Malek, a longtime GOP donor and finance chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Interviews with more than a dozen donors and fundraisers across the country suggest many are choosing to hold back until they have a better sense of the field and get a chance to meet with the would-be presidents. The ranks of unaligned major donors include several top players in the party, including hedge fund investors Paul Singer and Robert Mercer, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
"It seems like there needs to be a little more clarity of who's running before people make commitments," said Barry Wynn, the former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party and a top GOP fundraiser. No candidate has formally entered the race, and several likely contenders — including Sens. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, as well as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry — plan to wait until late spring or the summer to do so.
That's not to say the work of raising money and making plans isn't already underway. The political machine backed by the billionaire Koch brothers on Monday told their most-loyal supporters they intend to raise and spend close to $900 million during the 2016 campaign, a sum that would more than double what the Republican National Committee spent on the 2012 election.
Christie took his most decisive step yet toward a bid early Monday when he announced the formation of a political action committee, which will essentially serve as a campaign-in-waiting. Meanwhile, Romney has acknowledged privately he will decide whether to mount a third White House campaign in the near future, likely within the next two weeks, largely out of fairness to those who are waiting on him to make up his mind.
"I don't think the state of play changes until Mitt decides what to do," said Bobbie Kilberg, a longtime GOP fundraiser from Virginia, who hosted a meet-and-greet for Christie last week but remains uncommitted. "Then you're going to find that donors are really going to be pushed to make a decision."
To be viewed as credible, candidates will be expected to raise the sort of money that powered Romney to the nomination during the last campaign. The former Massachusetts governor collected an average of $215,000 each day from the time he started raising money in 2011 until the start of 2012, a total that ended up at more than $57 million before the first votes were even cast.
Few doubt Christie's ability to raise that kind of cash; he spent much of the last year collecting more than $100 million as the chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Said Mike DuHaime, a senior adviser to the new Christie PAC, "We feel very comfortable we're going to raise what we need." Home Depot billionaire co-founder Ken Langone reiterated Monday that he's eager to start bringing in cash for Christie.
Christie's efforts will be challenged by Bush and, potentially, Romney. Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, for example, is both Christie's longtime political mentor and from a family with ties to the Bushes that reach back four generations. He also supported Romney in 2012.
"To me, it's too early to make a choice until you know everybody who's running," Kean said. Aside from those with deep loyalties to a particular candidate, "An awful lot of the donors are just going to sit back and say, 'Let's see if they're really serious. Let's see how far they're going into it," he said.
Bush has been perhaps the most aggressive in trying to force such decisions. He recently invited Kean to a meeting along with other prominent New Jersey Republicans he's trying to woo in Christie's backyard. Kean declined to attend, citing a scheduling conflict.
For all the pressure from potential candidates on donors to make a commitment, Malek believes every serious contender will be able to raise enough money to mount a serious run. That's due in part to the plans of many top donors to write checks to several candidates, just to play it safe.
Joshua Alcorn, a Democratic fundraiser who helped then-Sen. Joe Biden raise money for his unsuccessful 2008 primary, said he often saw some of his donors also appear on the campaign finance reports of Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards.
"Bundlers like to hedge their bets a little bit, especially the establishment ones," he said.
http://www.Newsmax.com/US/gop-fundraising-candidates-wait/2015/01/26/id/620833/#ixzz3Q2TgL000
-
Which Republican 2016 hopeful might be most like Reagan?
By Chris Moody, CNN Senior Digital Correspondent
January 27, 2015
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150127084301-reagan-2016ers-super-169.jpeg)
Washington (CNN)Let the 2016 Reagan wars begin.
As we enter another Republican presidential primary season, it's an easy bet that the contenders will compare themselves to former President Ronald Reagan, each with a lofty explanation about how they're the one who can make it Morning Again in America.
But which one of the possible contenders is most likely to govern like the Gipper?
For the answer, we turned to Crowdpac, a group started by Stanford University political scientists that ranks politicians on an ideological scale between liberal and conservative by examining public statements, voting records, donors and their own giving to other candidates.
Crowdpac issues politicians a score on a scale of 0-10, zero being the most moderate and 10 being the most conservative. (Democrats are ranked on the same scale, but the 10-score for them goes from moderate to liberal.) Of course, ideological rating systems that compare a combination of political actors—governors, senators, House members, former presidents and private citizens--are never perfect. But Crowdpac's analysts say their system of tracking money in politics is one of the best way to predict how a politician will vote on an issue.
Here we go!
For Reagan, Crowdpac issued a score of 7C, placing him a little to the right of the Republican middle.
By this measurement, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry nestles the nearest to the Gipper, ideologically, with a score of 6.9C. (Congrats!) Coming in a close second, with a score of 6.7C is Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, followed by Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon.
Meanwhile, Crowdpac's award for the least Reaganesque White House hopeful goes to the most moderate Republican in the field, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (2.5C). Christie is also the most moderate candidate of either party currently considering a run for the White House. Next furthest from Reagan, according to Crowdpac's model, is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (4.2C), former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (4.7C) and Mitt Romney (5.0C), the party's presidential nominee in 2012.
All of the potential candidates have invoked and heaped praise on Reagan in one way or another, some more aggressively than others.
Perry, who spoke at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif. in October, Perry took to the pages of the Washington Post to attack Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on foreign policy by saying he would be nothing like Reagan.
In a National Review essay last year, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio gushed that Reagan's 1964 "A Time for Choosing" address was "A Speech for all Time." Rubio spoke at the Reagan Library in 2011, where he famously rescued former First Lady Nancy Reagan from a fall while walking her to her seat.
Christie also spoke at the Reagan Library in 2011, where he praised him for working with Democrats and passing immigration reform, two pieces of his legacy that conservatives ignore or point to as a darker point of his presidency.
LIke Christie, Bush has also praised Reagan's willingness to compromise. Bush's father, former President Geroge H.W. Bush, served as vice president under both of Reagan's terms.
"He embodied the strength, perseverance and faith that has propelled immigrants for centuries to embark on dangerous journeys to come here, to give up all that was familiar for all that was possible," Christie said. "His commitment to making America stronger, better and more resilient is what allowed him the freedom to challenge conventional wisdom, reach across party lines and dare to put results ahead of political opportunism."
Rand Paul stands at the other end of the Crowdpac scale, several points to the right of Reagan. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Walker are a few steps closer, followed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
"I'm a great believer in Ronald Reagan," Paul has said. Despite his praise, Paul has also been critical of the Republican icon--from the right.
"Spending rose more dramatically under Reagan than it did under Carter," Paul said during a 2009 speech at Western Kentucky University, a year before he became senator. "You say, 'Well, Reagan's a conservative. Carter's a liberal.' It's not necessarily always what it seems."
Regardless of who ends up running, all the GOP candidates will pay a visit together to the Reagan Library in September for a presidential debate hosted by CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/27/politics/crowdpac-reagan-2016-duplicate-2/index.html
-
Walker takes step toward 2016 bid, forms political committee
Published January 27, 2015
FoxNews.com
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/governor%20walker%20iowa%20freedom%20summit.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Jan. 24, 2015: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks during the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday he's launching a new political committee, in a potential step toward a 2016 presidential bid.
Walker, who gave a well-received speech to a forum of conservative voters in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, set up the committee “Our American Revival” on Jan. 16. A new website for the so-called 527 organization, which will help him get his message out as he works toward building his political clout, went live Tuesday morning.
Though the two-term governor has been vocal about his interest in running for the GOP nomination, establishing a committee is the first formal step Walker has taken.
"Our American Revival encompasses the shared values that make our country great," Walker said in a written statement. He called for "limiting the powers of the federal government to those defined in the Constitution while creating a leaner, more efficient, more effective and more accountable government to the American people."
Walker recently hired Rick Wiley, a former Republican National Committee political director, to lead the effort.
“Governor Walker has demonstrated bold leadership, something that’s sorely lacking in Washington, D.C.,” Wiley said in a written statement. “This country needs leaders with records of accomplishment.”
Walker’s steps are in stride with other prospective candidates, like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who earlier this week launched a political action committee.
During his speech Saturday in Iowa, home of the first-in-the-country caucus, Walker drew on his highly publicized battle with unions in his home state and told an emotional story of how he and his family received death threats for speaking out against the groups.
“If you are not afraid to go big and bold, you can actually get results,” he told the crowd.
Following his speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit, Walker went west – attending an event in California hosted by the billionaire Koch brothers.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/27/walker-2016-committee/?intcmp=latestnews
-
I like walker because he has the balls to consider starting riots to help his political causes.
most politicians like to follow the law and couldn't consider a thing. Walker, he really considers it, but in his own words decided he might get caught.
-
I like walker because he has the balls to consider starting riots to help his political causes.
most politicians like to follow the law and couldn't consider a thing. Walker, he really considers it, but in his own words decided he might get caught.
Something tells me we are going to see one of these 2 girls for Veep Candidate on this ticket
Carly Fiorina
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/CarlyFiorina49416.jpeg)
Susana Martinez
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Governor_NewMexico.jpg/220px-Governor_NewMexico.jpg)
-
i think it'd be carly. She brings $ and the romney pro-biz voters.
Martinez is obnoxious. She gave a speech last time round and kept using gun titles like she'd never held one in her life. "So then I pick up my A R FIF TEEN!!" to the cheers from the crowd. Grow up, and stop acting like it's anything but a tool. Treat the weapon with respect and reverence.
She needs 12 more years in office before she has the gravitas to hold that office.
-
i think it'd be carly. She brings $ and the romney pro-biz voters.
Martinez is obnoxious. She gave a speech last time round and kept using gun titles like she'd never held one in her life. "So then I pick up my A R FIF TEEN!!" to the cheers from the crowd. Grow up, and stop acting like it's anything but a tool. Treat the weapon with respect and reverence.
She needs 12 more years in office before she has the gravitas to hold that office.
So you are thinking of her more as a long term project? If at at all?
I can understand the deep respect you show for firearms. I think you've been carrying for what? 15 or 20 years?
I just don't know how big of a segment of voters carry the same reverence. You stated the crowd began to cheer. Off putting for a guy like yourself but perhaps in some way the crowd with lesser knowledge/reverence was inspired with that display by Martinez?
Still, her ability to carry a Blue state as a Republican AND consistently have one of the highest approval rating among Governors does state something about her political ability.
-
So you are thinking of her more as a long term project? If at at all?
I can understand the deep respect you show for firearms. I think you've been carrying for what? 15 or 20 years?
I just don't know how big of a segment of voters carry the same reverence. You stated the crowd began to cheer. Off putting for a guy like yourself but perhaps in some way the crowd with lesser knowledge/reverence was inspired with that display by Martinez?
Still, her ability to carry a Blue state as a Republican AND consistently have one of the highest approval rating among Governors does state something about her political ability.
true... i can think of a few getbiggers that don't even carry guns, and love martinez, probably because they see guns in that same mythical status.
if she's that smirky and giggly live, I don't want her as vp. I dont want any VP so eager to please the room. I want a jeb, a hilary, a ron paul... "I dont care if you like me, but this is what i want to do as prez". They'll frown when needed. They'll shrug off differences. I see young politicians smiling at everything, I dont like it. paul ryan with the nervous fake smile when stressed against biden - no good. I want older, respected, dignified, seen the world, good for wisdom kinda veep. that means they've carried a gun for decades and know it's a tool - not a punchline to rile people up.
-
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/01/bobby_jindal_preps_for_presidential_run_with_a_known_hate_group_s_the_response.html?wpsrc=fol_tw (http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/01/bobby_jindal_preps_for_presidential_run_with_a_known_hate_group_s_the_response.html?wpsrc=fol_tw)
Bobby Jindal’s Presidential Rollout Is Off to a Terrible Start
As a kid growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I watched Louisiana State University play basketball at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. On Saturday, instead of basketball, I watched as a man lay with his face pressed against the floor, for half an hour. Robin May, a photographer standing next to me in the press area, asked the security guard if the man was OK.
“He’s just praying,” the guard said, “he must have a lot of people to pray for.”
We were at The Response, an evangelical prayer revival organized by the American Family Association, a known hate group. More than 3,000 people had gathered to save America, through prayer and fasting, from the threats of Sharia, homosexuality, pornography, and abortion. Materials promoting the event described natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina, as well as the national debt, as the just result of America’s sins, punishments akin to the biblical wave of locusts.
People cried as they sang along to Christian rock. A woman wearing a blue T-shirt with the word “Life” stood in front of TV cameras and raised her arms. One preacher, as if he were speaking to a classroom, exhorted the audience to pray together, saying, “Get in your groups.” He specified, “Small groups.” I watched as young men huddled together, a few speaking in tongues. One of them, Jesse, told me, “We don’t want revival, we need revival.”
Me? Instead of fasting, I sinned and snuck in a root beer float from Frostop, a Baton Rouge institution.
The headline speaker of The Response was Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. He provided personal testimony about his conversion to Christianity while he was a student at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, which is also my alma mater. The event was supposed to be apolitical in nature, but it was widely viewed as part of the rollout for Jindal's inevitable run for president. New Orleans’ Gambit described Jindal’s presidential ambitions as the “worst-kept secret in Louisiana politics.”
In 2011, Rick Perry, then Texas governor, held his own gathering of The Response in Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Perry announced his campaign for the presidency five days later.
Another feature of high school was prominent at the event: bullies.
The promotional materials for Jindal’s event were the exact same ones Perry used. Someone even forgot to change the dates. Before they were taken down, prayer guides for The Response said Hurricane Katrina happened six years ago (it has been almost a decade).
Jindal’s staff and political allies have insisted The Response was a religious gathering rather than a political one, in an attempt to avoid the appearance of exploiting faith. Timmy Teepell, Jindal’s former chief of staff and his most important political adviser, attended the rally with his family. When I asked Teepell about the politics of the event, he told me that there were “no political implications, just spiritual” ones.
Still, the political overtones of Jindal’s participation in the event were obvious. On letterhead from the governor’s office, Jindal invited the 49 other governors to attend the event. None did. Jindal’s current chief of staff, Kyle Plotkin, was darting around the event, ensuring it went off without hiccups. Even Jindal’s giant belt buckle declared, “Bobby Jindal State of Louisiana.”
-
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/01/bobby_jindal_preps_for_presidential_run_with_a_known_hate_group_s_the_response.html?wpsrc=fol_tw (http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/01/bobby_jindal_preps_for_presidential_run_with_a_known_hate_group_s_the_response.html?wpsrc=fol_tw)
Bobby Jindal’s Presidential Rollout Is Off to a Terrible Start
As a kid growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I watched Louisiana State University play basketball at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. On Saturday, instead of basketball, I watched as a man lay with his face pressed against the floor, for half an hour. Robin May, a photographer standing next to me in the press area, asked the security guard if the man was OK.
“He’s just praying,” the guard said, “he must have a lot of people to pray for.”
We were at The Response, an evangelical prayer revival organized by the American Family Association, a known hate group. More than 3,000 people had gathered to save America, through prayer and fasting, from the threats of Sharia, homosexuality, pornography, and abortion. Materials promoting the event described natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina, as well as the national debt, as the just result of America’s sins, punishments akin to the biblical wave of locusts.
People cried as they sang along to Christian rock. A woman wearing a blue T-shirt with the word “Life” stood in front of TV cameras and raised her arms. One preacher, as if he were speaking to a classroom, exhorted the audience to pray together, saying, “Get in your groups.” He specified, “Small groups.” I watched as young men huddled together, a few speaking in tongues. One of them, Jesse, told me, “We don’t want revival, we need revival.”
Me? Instead of fasting, I sinned and snuck in a root beer float from Frostop, a Baton Rouge institution.
The headline speaker of The Response was Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. He provided personal testimony about his conversion to Christianity while he was a student at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, which is also my alma mater. The event was supposed to be apolitical in nature, but it was widely viewed as part of the rollout for Jindal's inevitable run for president. New Orleans’ Gambit described Jindal’s presidential ambitions as the “worst-kept secret in Louisiana politics.”
In 2011, Rick Perry, then Texas governor, held his own gathering of The Response in Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Perry announced his campaign for the presidency five days later.
Another feature of high school was prominent at the event: bullies.
The promotional materials for Jindal’s event were the exact same ones Perry used. Someone even forgot to change the dates. Before they were taken down, prayer guides for The Response said Hurricane Katrina happened six years ago (it has been almost a decade).
Jindal’s staff and political allies have insisted The Response was a religious gathering rather than a political one, in an attempt to avoid the appearance of exploiting faith. Timmy Teepell, Jindal’s former chief of staff and his most important political adviser, attended the rally with his family. When I asked Teepell about the politics of the event, he told me that there were “no political implications, just spiritual” ones.
Still, the political overtones of Jindal’s participation in the event were obvious. On letterhead from the governor’s office, Jindal invited the 49 other governors to attend the event. None did. Jindal’s current chief of staff, Kyle Plotkin, was darting around the event, ensuring it went off without hiccups. Even Jindal’s giant belt buckle declared, “Bobby Jindal State of Louisiana.”
Oh no... Slate.com doesn't approve of him ::)
-
Something tells me we are going to see one of these 2 girls for Veep Candidate on this ticket
Carly Fiorina
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/CarlyFiorina49416.jpeg)
Susana Martinez
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Governor_NewMexico.jpg/220px-Governor_NewMexico.jpg)
I like Martinez. She is one of my dark horse candidates, if she runs.
-
If the major donors get behind him he'll give Romney and Bush a run for their money (so to speak).
Koch donors give Marco Rubio early nod
Straw poll at donor summit rates 5 GOP hopefuls.
By KENNETH P. VOGEL and TARINI PARTI 1/28/15 5:40 AM EST Updated 1/28/15 11:38 AM EST
(http://images.politico.com/global/2015/01/27/150127_koch_gty_1160_1160x629.jpg)
David Koch, executive vice president of chemical technology for Koch Industries Inc. is pictured. | Getty
The Koch brothers’ conservative network is still debating whether it will spend any of its massive $889 million budget in the Republican presidential primaries, but the prospect of choosing a GOP nominee loomed over the network’s just-concluded donor conference in the California desert.
In an informal straw poll of some conference donors, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida came out ahead of four other would-be GOP presidential candidates who had been invited, according to an attendee familiar with the results. The poll was conducted by Frank Luntz, a veteran GOP pollster, during a break-out session of the conference, which wrapped up Tuesday after a long weekend of presentations and discussions at the Ritz-Carlton in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul — who received the least enthusiastic response from donors during a Sunday night forum of prospective candidates that also featured Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — finished last in Luntz’s poll, the source told POLITICO.
The poll is by no means a definitive assessment of the feelings of the hundreds of wealthy business leaders who comprise the vaunted network created by billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch. But it does provide an early glimpse into the leanings of a pool of megadonors who are being hotly courted by the field of would-be candidates, and whose checkbooks could go a long way toward determining who emerges with the GOP nomination — regardless of whether the Koch network decides to formally back a candidate.
The network has thus far steered clear of endorsing specific candidates in primaries, but it is coming under internal and external pressures to do so. It hopes to raise $889 million from wealthy backers like those who gathered in Rancho Mirage to push its agenda in 2015 and 2016, more than double what it spent in the 2012 election cycle.
In addition to Cruz, Paul and Rubio, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker paid a visit to the Ritz meeting, though he was not present for the forum.
The three-day conference was organized by Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit outfit that oversees the vast political and policy network created by the Koch brothers.
The meeting — part of an ongoing series of twice-a-year “seminars” as they’re called in the Kochs’ orbit — featured a mix of presentations on policy, politics and business. This winter’s session included a discussion moderated by conservative journalist Stephen F. Hayes on principled corporate citizenship and a luncheon discussion featuring MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, according to an attendee.
But the meat of the program consisted of detailing the network’s accomplishments and lessons learned in 2014, when it spent about $290 million and was credited with helping defeat vulnerable Democratic senators, and laying out its plans for the next two years.
Those plans are not exclusively or even primarily about partisan politics. Rather, they include everything from academic programs to public policy research and advocacy around the Kochs’ free-market philosophies to criminal justice reform, which is an increasing area of interest for Charles Koch.
The Kochs once abhorred both major political parties equally as intellectually bankrupt facilitators of unchecked government expansion. But their network has increasingly waded into campaigns on behalf of Republicans in recent years.
And one attendee at the Rancho Mirage seminar said donors were told that the network would boost its staffing for politically engaged groups to 1,500 for the next two years. That’s an increase of at least a couple hundred employees that is expected to include a significant number of field staff, whose jobs it will be to mobilize voters around fiscally conservative issues and — potentially — candidates.
Several of the network’s groups are likely to benefit from that increased staffing. Among those represented in Rancho Mirage are a handful of nonprofits that court voters with fiscally conservative messaging — including Americans for Prosperity (the most muscular group in the network), the LIBRE Initiative (which targets Hispanic voters), Generation Opportunity (millennials), Concerned Veterans for America (military personnel and veterans).
LIBRE, which already has a presence in eight states, plans to expand to Wisconsin and North Carolina this year and increase its staff by about 30 percent ahead of 2016, the group’s president Daniel Garza told POLITICO after the Rancho Mirage conference.
Garza stressed that the group also gets contributions from donors not affiliated with the Koch network and has no plans to jump into the 2016 primaries.
The group, which aired ads targeting Democrats in the run-up to the midterms, might start media buys later this year, Garza said. But it plans to spend the bulk of its 2015 budget on hosting events around the country to expose Hispanics to its policy agenda, which includes state’s rights, school choice and reforms to the federal tax code, immigration system and Obamacare.
Another outfit expected to benefit from cash steered through the network is a for-profit company called i360 that assembles and mines data for voter outreach, including by nonprofits in the network.
Americans for Prosperity and Concerned Veterans for America have hinted they may jump into contested GOP congressional primaries under the right circumstances.
Dan Caldwell, legislative and political director for Concerned Veterans for America, explained Tuesday that his group — which is planning to expand this year into Iowa, South Carolina, Colorado and Pennsylvania — wouldn’t rule out primary engagement. “If we feel like members aren’t supporting or impeding our legislative agenda or they’re misrepresenting their record, we will start our issue advocacy,” he said.
Some leading Republicans wonder whether it would be possible for any of the would-be GOP presidential candidates to win over the Koch operation as a whole given the diversity of social and national security positions embraced by the brothers’ increasingly wide donor network.
The results of the informal Rancho Mirage straw poll highlight the fractured — and unpredictable — nature of the Koch network when it comes to 2016. Rubio got the most votes despite espousing hawkish foreign policy stances that seem to clash with the Kochs' non-interventionist sensibilities. Paul, meanwhile, finished last despite a libertarian worldview that in some ways seems most similar to the Kochs' own philosophies — and his loss marks a potential setback in his effort to build a base of wealthy supporters for a presidential bid.
“It would seem to me that it would be too difficult for them to form a consensus on a candidate,” said Fred Malek, a top Republican bundler and donor who has attended past Koch seminars. He called the $889 million goal for 2016 “breathtaking, eye-opening kind of money. But it illustrates the dedication of hardworking Americans to changing the direction of the country.”
The Koch network has been known for hitting its lofty fundraising goals. The $889 million target would more than double the amount spent by the Republican National Committee during the 2012 cycle. The comparison underscores the migration of power and money away from the political parties and their candidates and to outside groups that — unlike the parties and candidates — can accept unlimited donations from individuals, corporations and unions.
“Political money now flows through outside groups because of laws that were passed that really weakened the parties, (so) these outside efforts are incredibly important,” said Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union. Schlapp — who worked for Karl Rove in the Bush White House political office before leading the Washington office for Koch Industries, the brothers’ multinational industrial conglomerate — said the Kochs and their operation “represent a very important voice and a very important perspective” and are “going to play an important role in 2016.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/koch-donors-marco-rubio-2016-114673.html#ixzz3Q9D64QoT
-
Mitt Romney will not run in 2016
By Alexandra Jaffe, Dana Bash and John King, CNN
January 30, 2015
Washington (CNN)Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will not make a third run for president, he told supporters on a Friday morning call, saying he believes it's "best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity" to become the nominee.
Romney acknowledged during the call that he may not have been the strongest contender for the GOP in a general election, and said that was the primary motivation behind his decision.
Former Romney co-chair 'not happy' with 2016 interest
"I feel that it is critical that America elect a conservative leader to become our next president. You know that I have wanted to be that president. But I do not want to make it more difficult for someone else to emerge who may have a better chance of becoming that president," he said.
The 2012 GOP nominee said on the call that he'll "do whatever I can" to help elect that person — and attempted to tamp down any further speculation over whether he'll change his mind.
"That seems unlikely," he said. "Accordingly, I'm not organizing a PAC or taking donations; I'm not hiring a campaign team."
Romney said that while he's "convinced that we could win the nomination ... it would have been a difficult test and a hard fight."
"Our finance calls made it clear that we would have enough funding to be more than competitive. With few exceptions, our field political leadership is ready and enthusiastic about a new race. And the reaction of Republican voters across the country was both surprising and heartening," he said, noting early primary polling that's had him leading the potential GOP primary field.
But since his surprise announcement to donors earlier this month that he was interested in making another bid, Romney has had a rocky start.
Wall Street wasn't ready for another Mitt Romney campaign
He's faced deep skepticism from some quarters within the party, including some of his major donors and former campaign aides. Many expressed concerns that Romney wasn't the best option to take on expected Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, whom the GOP plans to portray as old news and out of touch — both characterizations that could dog the former Massachusetts governor if he runs again as well.
And the decision this week of a top Romney operative in Iowa to sign up with Bush's campaign was the latest in a series of defections, raising doubts on Romney's chances going forward.
But Romney's decision not to run doesn't remove him from the 2016 calculus. Rather, it sets him up as a certain kingmaker in the wide-open GOP primary, as he still holds sway over many major donors and has deep respect within the party.
And it solidifies former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's position as the preferred candidate of the establishment in the GOP primary, improving his chances in the overall fight. A wide array of conservative contenders are expected to jump in the race and will jockey for position; Romney's exit leaves just Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as the clear establishment contenders.
Bush used his social media accounts Friday to praise Romney's decision.
"Though I'm sure today's decision was not easy, I know that Mitt Romney will never stop advocating for renewing America's promise through upward mobility, encouraging free enterprise and strengthening our national defense," Bush posted on his Facebook wall Friday after the announcement came. "Mitt is a patriot and I join many in hoping his days of serving our nation and our party are not over.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/politics/romney-2016-call/index.html
-
Fox News cover photo. lol
(http://a57.foxnews.com/www.foxnews.com/images/root_images/0/0/romneynotrunning3_20150130_114318.jpg)
-
All you can eat buffet? lol
Mitt Romney Won’t Run in 2016 Presidential Election
By JONATHAN MARTIN and MICHAEL BARBARO
JAN. 30, 2015
WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, told a group of supporters on Friday that he would not seek his party’s nomination for president in 2016.
Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, shared his decision on a conference call with a small group of advisers.
In a second call to a larger group of supporters, Mr. Romney said, “After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee.”
Mr. Romney said he believed he could win the nomination, but he expressed concern about harming the party’s chances to retake the White House. “I did not want to make it more difficult for someone else to emerge who may have a better chance of becoming the president,” he said.
He added that it was “unlikely” that he would change his mind.
Mr. Romney, who did not take questions and ended the call shortly after reading a prepared statement, said that his family had been gratified by the outpouring of support, but had decided that it was best for the Republican Party to step aside. Mr. Romney said he would have no leadership PAC and no exploratory committee.
By not pursuing a third White House bid, Mr. Romney frees up scores of donors and operatives who had been awaiting his decision, and creates space for other potential center-right candidates such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Mr. Romney, 67, had expressed renewed interest in another presidential run to a group of donors earlier this month, roiling the nascent Republican race. Many of his loyal contributors, staff members and supporters had been reluctant to come out for one of his potential rivals until they knew Mr. Romney’s plans.
But his flirtation had also prompted a fierce backlash across Republican circles, and some of Mr. Romney's former aides and donors have begun moving on to other candidates.
In a more than four-hour meeting last week, Mr. Romney’s top staff members and trusted advisers from 2012 relayed a sobering reality — they supported Mr. Romney and thought he would be the best president, but they did not necessarily encourage a third run.
One by one, loyal supporters talked about surveying their troops from 2012, and finding that the enthusiasm and support were just not there. Some Iowa precinct leaders were not coming back, and even in New Hampshire — where Mr. Romney had won the primary — the mood was described at best as “cautiously optimistic.” The situation with donors was also going to be an uphill climb.
Word of Mr. Romney’s decision sent waves through the Republican donor world early Friday, as Romney aides began to telegraph the news to donors and other staff members and strategists. Some donors immediately began calling representatives of other potential candidates, such as Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, to discuss offering their support.
Mr. Romney’s announcement started a day of reckoning with his would-be rivals. He is scheduled to have dinner with Mr. Christie on Friday evening, according to two people with knowledge of his schedule, suggesting that Mr. Romney may be considering throwing his support, and that of his own political operation, to Mr. Christie. The two men are friendly, and Mr. Christie, along with Mr. Bush, was a main rival of Mr. Romney for the favor of the Republican establishment.
Mr. Bush offered his own warm words for Mr. Romney in a post on Facebook on Friday morning.
Now that Mr. Romney publicly and finally admits he lost the 2012 Election, it is time for Sen. John McCain to do the same for 2008.
A lot of people are really enjoying this but I wonder what they would do in the same situation. He was the 2012 nominee and he ran a fairly...
“Mitt is a patriot and I join many in hoping his days of serving our nation and our party are not over,” Mr. Bush wrote. “I look forward to working with him.”
At 11 on Thursday night, a blast email was sent from a mittromney.com address, alerting supporters about a conference call on Friday morning.
“Please join me for an update call tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. EST, 8:00 a.m. PST,” wrote Mr. Romney, adding the dial-in information and concluding, “All the best, Mitt.”
But well before that email was sent, Mr. Romney had already made the decision not to get into the campaign, according to two people close to Mr. Romney. He and his wife had decided against a third run the previous weekend, but wanted to “sit with it for a few days to make sure.”
In an appearance at Mississippi State University on Wednesday, Mr. Romney sounded themes that could have shaped another campaign. But he also lamented the nature of the political process and offered a dose of barely veiled self-criticism, discussing some of the shortcomings of his 2012 campaign and the lessons he learned from his loss to President Obama.
Mr. Romney’s decision will almost certainly bring an end to his decade-long quest to become president. He lost in the Republican primary in 2008 before becoming his party’s standard-bearer four years later.
Friday’s conference call seemed bittersweet for the Romney family. At one point, Mr. Romney’s wife, Ann, came on the line and thanked the former aides for their steadfast support.
But luck was clearly not with Mr. Romney this time, even as he shared the news with his former staff members on his morning call. Mr. Romney’s voice fell off the line as the connection was suddenly dropped.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/us/mitt-romney-2016-presidential-election.html?_r=0
-
if mitt's out, then jeb's in.
-
Scott Walker surging, Hillary Clinton dominating new Iowa poll
BY KELLY COHEN | JANUARY 31, 2015
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks at the American Action Forum in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 29,...
Don’t look now, but Gov. Scott Walker is becoming a presidential favorite.
While the Wisconsin Republican seems to be surging in a new poll of Iowans, he has close competition in other GOP possibles in the latest Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll.
Walker is leading the Republican race with 15 percent, up from just four percent in the same poll done in October. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul stands at 14 percent, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 10 percent.
The poll also found that Bush’s appeal is slipping; 46 percent of Republicans viewed him favorably, compared to 43 percent who said unfavorably.
Interestingly enough, six of 10 likely Republican voters said they consider the candidate’s values more important than electability, a clear representation of how wide open the Republican race is.
Obama's defense budget requests will likely trigger automatic sequester cuts unless Congress raises the cap.
Unfortunately, the poll was done before Mitt Romney’s Friday announcement that he would forgo another White House bid – he garnered 13 percent in the poll.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is far and away the leader among Democratic candidates. With 46 percent, her next closest competitor is Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has 16 percent.
The poll of 402 Republican likely caucus-goers and 401 Democratic likely caucus goers was conducted from Jan. 26-29, with a margin of error of plus or minus of 4.9 percentage points.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/scott-walker-surging-hillary-clinton-dominating-new-iowa-poll/article/2559626?utm_campaign=Fox%20News&utm_source=foxnews.com&utm_medium=feed
-
Jeb Bush has become the GOP front-runner for 2016 — so now what?
(http://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2015/02/01/Interactivity/Images/207605630.jpg?uuid=c-y-CKm3EeSnwgPTevmEQA)
For his presidential campaign, Jeb Bush plans to emphasize themes related to middle-class wage stagnation, upward mobility for those trapped at the bottom and outreach to minority communities. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg)
By Karen Tumulty and Matea Gold
January 31, 2015
Mitt Romney’s decision to forgo a third try at the White House has settled the question of whether the 2016 GOP presidential field has a front-runner — bestowing a coveted status on former Florida governor Jeb Bush that also raises new challenges and perils.
Republicans have a tradition of picking an anointed one early. That establishment candidate almost always ends up with the nomination, although not without a fight and some speed bumps along the way.
But this is a particularly unsettled time for the party. It is struggling to define its identity amid open warfare among its various factions. And there are a raft of fresh and potentially appealing faces emerging on the scene, comprising what many Republicans believe could be the strongest undercard of early-bout contenders in decades.
Losing Romney as a rival is “a mixed bag for Bush,” said veteran GOP strategist Saul Anuzis, a former chairman of the Michigan Republican party. “He also becomes the target of everyone who is anti-establishment. Before, you had Romney and Bush kind of splitting up that ire.”
Bush was already assembling a formidable army of fundraisers and talented operatives, including poaching Romney’s top Iowa strategist, David Kochel, to be his national campaign manager.
That process appeared to intensify after the 2012 GOP presidential nominee bowed out on Friday.
“It’s a great day for Jeb Bush,” said Brian Ballard, a lobbyist who led Romney’s 2012 fundraising effort in Florida and switched to Bush this time around. “I think Jeb had 75 percent of the money folks here. This brings in the other 25 percent.”
Chicago private-equity executive Bill Kunkler and his wife, Susan Crown, had been top fundraisers for Romney in the last election and had expected to be there again for him in 2016.
Now, Bush is “the only one my wife and I will work for,” Kunkler said. “If it’s not Jeb, we’re done for this cycle. I know in my heart that Jeb is the only one who passes the presidential test. . . . We’ll be all in for him.”
But there will be plenty of competition for the big funders who built the massive Bank of Mitt in 2012.
Virginia fundraiser Bobbie Kilberg, who with her husband, Bill Kilberg, raised more than $4 million for Romney, said they had committed to help him again if he ran. Now, she will support New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — and bring as many other donors over as she can.
Still, “we shouldn’t assume that the only people competing for the center-right pie will be Jeb and Chris. I don’t think any of the prospective candidates will be shy about going after these donors. It’s a race between everyone,” said Kilberg, who cited former Texas governor Rick Perry, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker as also making strong appeals.
Marshaling resources, however, is not the only challenge for Bush that may have been heightened with Romney’s decision not to run.
“It raises expectations in kind of an unrealistic way,” said one member of the former Florida governor’s nascent campaign team, who did not want to be identified discussing Bush’s strategy.
Bush’s biggest challenge — and now, arguably, his most urgent — is to define himself for an electorate whose impression of him has been shaped largely by the last name that he shares with two former presidents, his father and his brother.
That is not an unalloyed asset at a moment when many Republicans are looking to turn the page politically and are intrigued by relative newcomers. Walker, who was a big hit at a conservative gathering in Iowa last weekend, led a tight field in a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll of that state’s caucusgoers released Saturday night. Christie can boast of a landslide 2013 re-election in a heavily Democratic state. Another potential candidate is Bush’s fellow Floridian, the charismatic Sen. Marco Rubio.
The former governor also does not have a strong connection with elements of the grass-roots base of his party, as do such figures as tea party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), libertarian Paul, or social-issue warriors such as former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and former senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
Bush himself last ran for public office more than 12 years ago — in the middle of his brother’s first term, before the launch of the Iraq war and at a time when the first iPhone was nearly five years in the future. (He does fancy himself a technology buff; his official portrait as governor features him standing beside a bookshelf, on which a BlackBerry rests in its charger.)
As the front-runner, he and his record are guaranteed to come under more scrutiny.
Two questions about Bush will be answered only by running: Will he be able to build a state-of-the-art campaign operation for a digital age? And does he have the retail political skills to prevail in early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, which are a repetitive grind of town-hall meetings, living-room receptions and candidate forums?
Bush expects his rivals to paint him as a moderate, given his positions on issues that inflame the GOP base, including his support for a path to legalization for the undocumented immigrants and for Common Core. Conservatives, libertarians and even some liberals have criticized the K-12 academic standards in math and reading as undermining local control of education.
Bush believes he can run as an unabashedly conservative, free-market Republican without backing away from stances that have rankled the right. What will truly differentiate him, his strategists vow, is his determination to run on a positive message that resonates with a broad audience nationally.
Among the themes he will emphasize are middle-class wage stagnation, upward mobility for those trapped at the bottom and outreach to minority communities that could hold the key to GOP hopes of winning in 2016. He named his political action committee “Right to Rise,” a slogan borrowed from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who was Romney’s 2012 running mate.
Bush will go to Michigan on Wednesday to road-test his pitch before the Detroit Economic Club, which is known as a venue where presidential candidates of both parties go to showcase their policy bona fides.
But Bush advisers say his appearance in a heavily Democratic, economically devastated city is also designed to send another message — that he believes he is the Republican best equipped to compete across the map.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/jeb-bush-has-become-the-gop-front-runner-for-2016--so-now-what/2015/01/31/0105ca68-a96e-11e4-a06b-9df2002b86a0_story.html
-
Don't have any idea how scientific this poll is, but pretty surprising showing for Walker.
https://polldaddy.com/poll/8625087/?view=results
-
Bush, Walker Lead 2016 GOP Pack in NH Poll
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e9be6605-682b-45c9-ad93-f11504ecb71e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Bush, Walker Lead 2016 GOP Pack in NH Poll (Bill Pugliano/Darren Huack/Getty Images)
Thursday, 05 Feb 2015
By Cathy Burke
Jeb Bush and Scott Walker are at the top of the heap of potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates in New Hampshire, a new poll shows.
The WMUR Granite State survey released Thursday finds Bush, the former Florida governor, with 17 percent support among likely 2016 Republican primary voters, followed closely by Wisconsin Gov. Walker – who's surging in popularity since his speech last month at the conservative Iowa Freedom Summit – with 12 percent.
"Scott Walker is interesting here … because less than half the voters in the state know him, but he has the highest net favorability rating of all the Republican candidates, so there's something about Scott Walker that Republicans seem to like," said Andy Smith of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, which conducted the poll.
Following the leaders were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, each of whom received 9 percent support. Retired pediatric neurosurgeon and conservative activist Ben Carson received 8 percent support.
Polling below 5 percent were former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
"This is absolutely a wide-open race," Smith said. "In fact, this is the first time in the modern primary cycle since 1972 that the Republican primary field has been this wide open."
The survey also is the first from the TV station since former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney declared he wouldn't take a third run at the White House, The Hill reports.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton maintains her formidable edge, the poll shows.
"She's still leading clearly over the rest of the Democratic candidates," Smith said. "Clinton is at 58 percent. Then, it drops way off to 14 percent for Elizabeth Warren."
Still, the poll shows Clinton, who has yet to declare her candidacy, is vulnerable, Smith said.
"Only about 31 percent think she's the most believable," Smith said. "Only 32 percent of primary voters think she's the most likable candidate, so there is some weaknesses that she has there."
The poll shows more than 75 percent of voters in each party have not made a decision about their 2016 presidential choice.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percent for Republicans and 5.7 percent for Democrats.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/bush-walker-new-hampshire-poll/2015/02/05/id/623085/#ixzz3Qz4WhcK7
-
Bush/Walker or Bush/Rubio seem realistic, status quo choices.
Cruz would be a lightning rod and would make Hilary looks like a corporate tool.
But repubs want what they want. They are familiar with Jeb, they like the idea of a "repub" who supports amnesty.
-
Carson getting 'personnel, rationale' in place for possible 2016 White House run
Published February 08, 2015
FoxNews.com
Dr. Ben Carson acknowledged Sunday that he is building a campaign team for a potential 2016 presidential run and indicated he will make a formal announcement by May.
“We’re making sure all the infrastructure is in place -- personnel and rationale,” said Carson, a conservative favorite expected to run in the Republican primary. “We’re putting all of that together.”
Carson indicated on “Fox News Sunday” that he will, in the next couple of weeks, announce an exploratory committee toward a White House bid and that he would make public in May whether we will formally enter the race.
The 63-year-old Carson continues to do well in early polling.
“We’re making sure all the infrastructure is in place . . ."
- Dr. Ben Carson
He finished tied for fifth in a Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm New Hampshire Poll for potential GOP candidates released Sunday.
He finished behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Carson tied with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Carson criticized President Obama’s plan to provide free community college education to Americans. He said existing Pell Grants already help students from low-income families receive a higher education. And he offered advice for those who don’t qualify for assistance.
“W-o-r-k,” he said, arguing that government is not responsible for providing everything to it citizens, including those in low- and middle-income families.
“They’re looking for a pathway out,” Carson said. “That’s what we have to provide for them.”
Carson also weighed in on the recent debate about immunization and the measles outbreak that has divided the potential 2016 GOP White House field. He said parents should immunize their children.
Carson said many parents who don’t immunize are the victims of old misinformation and suggested the public health community hasn’t done a good enough job of getting out the correct information, which is that the obvious upsides outweigh the potential downsides, such as allergic reactions.
However, he argued the issue shouldn’t be partisan.
“It’s not a Republican or Democratic issue,” Carson told Fox News.
Days earlier, Paul suggested parents should have their children immunized, but also argued: “The state doesn’t own the children.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/08/carson-says-getting-personnel-rational-in-place-for-2016-white-house-run-hints/
-
Huckabee: Wouldn't be a 'shock' if I run
Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
Mon February 9, 2015
Washington (CNN)Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Monday that to consider him likely to run for president in 2016 is a "pretty good assessment of where things stand."
"I don't think it'll be a big shock to anybody if I jump in the fray and once again run for president in 2016," he said on CNN's New Day, calling his resignation from Fox as a host and commentator the "tip of the hand that things are moving in that direction."
Huckabee has ramped up his political activity in preparation for that potential presidential bid, visiting early primary states and calling former political advisers to discuss plans. But he's thus far made cultural issues a centerpiece of his message, drawing frequent headlines for his criticism of pop star Beyonce and opposition to same sex marriage.
Polling has shown, however, public sentiment shifting in favor of gay marriage nationwide, and even a significant portion of the Republican Party coming around to the idea. A recent CNN/ORC poll found that 57% of Americans think gay couples should have the right to marry, and 36% of Republicans agree.
But asked whether the polling suggests he's on the "wrong side of history," Huckabee defended his opposition to gay marriage as being supported by a long tradition of "biblical marriage."
"When you say 'the wrong side of history,' let's just be reminded that there's been a relatively, and I mean a very relative brief history of same-sex marriage. The overwhelming history is the natural law of marriage, biblical marriage," he said. "So I don't think there's a side of history that's overwhelming at this point. People have their opinions."
He argued, however, that the presidential race won't center on the candidates' views on gay marriage, but rather their economic visions and proposals to combat poverty and inequality.
"I don't care whether people are straight or gay, they want to be able to know that they have a real chance to live the American dream, which they can't as long as the economy keeps its boot on their face," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/09/politics/huckabee-presidential-run-shock/index.html
-
Huckabee: Wouldn't be a 'shock' if I run
the only run he's doing is the crooked trot to the front yard when he hears the ice cream truck rolling down the road.
-
SCOTT WALKER TAKES WIDE LEAD IN CALIFORNIA; JEB BUSH, BEN CARSON TIED FOR SECOND
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/02/scott-walker-spotlight-Reuters-640x480.jpg)
A new survey of 600 likely California 2016 Republican primary voters shows that when presented with a lengthy list of potential GOP presidential contenders, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker comes out on top with a healthy 20% of the vote.
Behind him, nearly tied, are surgeon and author Ben Carson and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, at 10% each. Notably, Carly Fiorina, a former head of Hewlett Packard and former GOP U.S. Senate nominee in California, enjoys a scant 1.7% support.
The survey was commissioned by California Political Review and its publisher, respected conservative leader James Lacy, and conducted by the reputable pollsters NSON out of Utah. You can dig into most detailed data, crosstabs and poll questions here.
Of course you may be reading this and asking yourself, “California? Who cares how well these candidates are doing in such a blue state?”
If someone is able to clinch the nomination in the early or middle stages of the primary–perhaps California will not matter much. But with no incumbent or natural strong front-runner at this stage, here is why California, even with its late primary in early June, could still matter.
“There will likely be a total of 2,461 delegates at the 2016 GOP Convention. California should be allotted 172 of those delegates, about 7% of the total. Of California’s delegates, 10 are awarded to the candidate who wins the statewide vote,” says Jim Lacy in his analysis.
He goes on to say: “In addition, a candidate who finishes first in any one of California’s 53 Congressional districts is awarded 3 delegates. The state party chairman and two national committee members are also delegates.
“The winning margin at the Republican National Convention will be 1,230 delegates. Theoretically, a candidate who could sweep California’s Republican Presidential primary election could count on the state to deliver just over 14% of the total delegates needed for victory.”
Bottom line: The California delegation at the RNC nominating convention will be really, really big.
Unlike other partisan races in California, where June contests are open to voters of all political persuasions (following the passage a few years ago of Proposition 14, the so-called “open primary” ballot measure), presidential primary voting for Republicans is open to registered party members only.
Even with limited resources available for such a late-voting state, it will be prudent for contenders looking at the long road to the nomination to be concerned with a California campaign and infrastructure.
The need for a ground game in this traditionally television-dominated state came about because of a reform of California Republican Party Rules that took place fifteen years ago, when then-State Chairman John McGraw and then-State Senator Ray Haynes championed a new “Winner Take All By District” system. Essentially, it means that whichever candidate wins the plurality of the vote in each of California’s 53 U.S. House Districts will be awarded the three delegates from that district. In addition, a small number of statewide delegates will all go to the winner of the plurality of the statewide GOP vote.
“It was a real kick to attend the 2008 RNC convention in Tampa as a Romney delegate, even though McCain won California,” former State GOP Vice Chairman Steve Baric told me. Romney won the Orange County-centered U.S. House seat where Baric lived, even though McCain’s statewide vote was 42% to Romney’s 34%. And this was without any meaningful voter-contact taking place in the state (McCain had sewn up the nomination).
These rules mean that candidates do not have to approach California as a huge, monolithic and prohibitively expensive place in which to campaign. Candidates can campaign regionally, or even micro-target specific Congressional Districts.
Our very blue state has a vast number of very liberal seats where the number of voting Republicans is, frankly, miniscule. But these small voting universes of GOP voters in Democratic strongholds will decide the fate of three delegates to the RNC convention.
When I say miniscule turnout–let me throw out some examples. In the Los Angeles district of Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA), 6,103 Republicans voted in the GOP Presidential primary, and in the San Francisco district of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi there were 9,965 GOP votes cast.
Perhaps Rand Paul has made inroads already in the GOP-lite 13th Congressional District of Rep. Barbara Lee, which includes U.C. Berkeley, where the Kentucky Senator spoke last year and was received enthusiastically. In that seat, only 11,449 Republicans voted in the GOP Presidential primary in 2012.
While it is early yet in the GOP presidential primary race, it would behoove smart candidates to start organizing early in California. A smart candidate will be sure to have a volunteer campaign chairman in each of California’s congressional districts.
I understand that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will be in California next week. Wonder if he’s thought about his South-Central Los Angeles campaign strategy?
-
Interesting. Walker is making quite a splash, but it's early. Look for the liberal hit pieces to start soon. They are probably combing his Kindergarten records looking for dirt.
-
Interesting. Walker is making quite a splash, but it's early. Look for the liberal hit pieces to start soon. They are probably combing his Kindergarten records looking for dirt.
I think from high school on... what a person does, certainly tells us what kind of adult he will be.
if John Doe is accused of date rape a dozen times in high school...
if John Doe beats up gay students in high school...
If john doe uses illegal drugs for a decade...
Then YES, these are relevant. Even if the person is only 14 years old. I get so tired of the old, tired liberal talking points of "oh, he just did coke for a few years in college" or "oh, everyone was illegally smoking pot for a decade back then".
here's an idea... Stop breaking the law, a**hole. If you break the law as an adult, if you used illegal drugs, you have shitty judgment and you're selfish and abusive, and you have poor judgment. Sorry, you do. If youo shoot a man in a bar fight at 18, it follows you. If you use, deal coke at 18, it should follow you too.
WAY too much sympathy for drug users, those committing violent assaults, etc. Sorry, they shouldn't be prez. Not obama, not bush. Maybe it'll cut down drug use if people actually held these standards.
-
if John Doe is accused of date rape a dozen times in high school...
I know right? What are we going to do about all those teenaged rapists who are raping so many high school students? I mean, I've heard of numerous instances of a kid raping more than ten girls in high school. They should suffer the same fate as all those kidnapped and murdered passengers on Flights 77 and 93. >:(
-
Marco Rubio Is Quietly Moving Up the 2016 Republican Ladder
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=207ce5b6-67a4-425a-9b9e-ffb31b3baa6e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Marco Rubio Is Quietly Moving Up the 2016 Republican Ladder (Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Landov)
Tuesday, 17 Feb 2015
By Melanie Batley
Among many in the Republican Party, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has moved up the list of viable candidates in a crowded field otherwise being dominated by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, The Wall Street Journal reported.
At a recent gathering of donors organized by the Koch brothers, he was well-received and gave a solid performance. It was noted with admiration that he has engaged Jim Merrill, a former top aide to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, to join his team and also has the support of George Seay, a high-end Texas donor.
And Rubio appears to be serious about a run with a recent visit to Iowa for a book signing and planned visits to other early primary states, such as New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, evidently undeterred that he would be competing against his political mentor, Bush.
The Journal outlined the "case for Marco Rubio," saying it starts with the fact that he's a bright and articulate politician with broadly conservative credentials, while his Spanish-speaking skills lend him an advantage in attracting Hispanic voters.
At the same time, his success will depend on political timing, the Journal said, and some conditions that are out of his control.
For one, Republicans will need to be disillusioned enough with the political establishment that they are will to take a chance on someone new and younger who hasn't "waited his turn."
The Journal noted that the Democrats did as much when picking Barack Obama in 2008 as their nominee. Usually, the Republican Party chooses candidates who have paid their dues to the party by biding their time and having previous runs, such as Romney, Bob Dole, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, all of whom had been serious prior candidates before getting the ultimate nod.
There are signs, however, that the GOP may be ready to take on a less-tested candidate, as evidence by the lack of enthusiasm when Romney considered a third bid, the Journal said.
Rubio also has an asset of having a strong track record on foreign policy, an advantage over both New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Walker, for example.
But at just 43 years old and with just four years' experience in the Senate, some will see him as too close a parallel to Obama in 2008 and would argue against repeating the experience, the Journal said.
Rubio also might have detractors for his role in negotiating the comprehensive immigration reform package in the Senate that would have given a pathway to citizenship for many illegal immigrants.
"These aren't small obstacles. The question for Mr. Rubio is whether they are trumped by the advantage of good timing," the Journal concluded.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/Marco-Rubio-Republicans-2016-candidate/2015/02/17/id/625165/#ixzz3S22SZ4ER
-
Rising.
Scott Walker Surges to Double-Digit Lead in Iowa Poll
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=bcadc667-49e8-46e8-815e-e368658bb580&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Scott Walker Surges to Double-Digit Lead in Iowa Poll (Jim Young/Reuters/Landov)
Wednesday, 18 Feb 2015
By Jennifer G. Hickey
With less than one year before the critical Iowa caucuses, Scott Walker is gaining strength among Hawkeye State voters, according to recent polls.
The Wisconsin governor holds a commanding double-digit lead among a packed Republican field with 24 percent, according to a Feb. 12-13 Townhall/Gravis poll of 969 registered Iowa voters.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul are tied for second at 10 percent. A Gravis poll conducted January 5-7 found former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ahead of the field with 21 percent and Bush with 14 percent.
"We see Scott Walker leading; he clearly took the Mitt Romney vote. The debates the Republicans will have that start later in the year will be much more important than previous years," said Doug Kaplan, the managing partner of the Florida-based firm.
"It is hard in a large field to get a real number, when out of a dozen or more possible candidates, only six or eight will be viable Jan. 5, 2016, the day of the Iowa caucuses," he added.
Walker also leads in a recent Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll, which was taken before Romney announced he would not run for the nomination, with 15 percent and is the second-choice among caucus voters who favor an "establishment" candidate. Paul was one point behind Walker.
Outside of Iowa, Walker's prospects also are brightening. The National Journal has bumped him up to second on its GOP Presidential Power Rankings survey, which rates potential candidates' chances of winning based "on their individual strengths and weaknesses, political organizations, poll numbers — and on the odds that they even decide to run."
Bush was rated first in the first Power Rankings survey, a position he continues to hold, but Walker has moved from fourth place into second, in part due to his strong showing at last month's Iowa Freedom Summit.
"The question now is how Walker handles the scrutiny of being a perceived front-runner. Already this past week, the Boston Globe and Washington Post published lengthy stories digging into Walker's college years. (He didn't graduate from Marquette University.)
"And during a trip last week to the United Kingdom, Walker was unprepared to answer questions about foreign policy and evolution.
"There's nothing wrong with sitting atop the polls this early; it lends Walker legitimacy in the eyes of donors and activists alike. But the Wisconsin governor now has a target on his back — and his opponents have an entire year to take their shots," The National Journal said.
Walker's reluctance to answer the question about evolution is one reason why some believe he would not make a good candidate, while his past run-ins with labor unions is another.
"Unions might otherwise feel ambivalent about a Hillary Clinton candidacy, especially with the prospect of an insurgent campaign by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who would likely embrace more firmly the divisive rhetoric about income equality that union members love to hear.
"If Walker is the GOP nominee, ambivalence will be trumped by anger. An activated and animated base of union supporters throwing money at the Democrats is a headache that Republicans don't need," writes CNN contributor Ruben Navarrette.
Navarrette also argues that Walker lacks the foreign policy experience needed to lead the nation in a "dangerous world."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/Scott-Walker-Iowa-polls-Jeb-Bush-Rand-Paul/2015/02/18/id/625426/#ixzz3S7a8caq
-
Rand Paul Is Looking to April to Announce Plan to Run for President, Associates Say
By JEREMY W. PETERS
FEB. 17, 2015
WASHINGTON — Senator Rand Paul is eyeing April 7 as the day he will announce his plans to run for president, people close to him said, a step that would position him ahead of his potential Republican rivals as a declared candidate and allow him to begin raising money directly for his campaign 10 months before the Iowa caucuses.
Mr. Paul, the junior senator from Kentucky and the heir to the robust Ron Paul grass-roots network, will take the next month to continue talking with members of his family about whether they are comfortable moving forward with the exhausting and, at times, agonizing rigors of a modern presidential campaign.
Only his family’s doubts could change his mind at this point, said associates of the senator, who insisted on anonymity because Mr. Paul’s plans had not yet taken final shape.
An announcement in early April would afford Mr. Paul certain advantages with the Federal Election Commission calendar. April 1 is the beginning of a quarterly reporting period, and he would have almost that entire time to raise money toward what his advisers hope would be a strong initial total to demonstrate that he is a serious competitor. Once he announced, Mr. Paul would also be able to transfer into his presidential campaign any of the $2.9 million he had in his Senate campaign account at the end of 2014.
“It just makes it neat and clean at the beginning of the quarter,” said one of Mr. Paul’s associates. Aides to Mr. Paul said Tuesday that they had no comment.
The senator’s associates said he would most likely declare his candidacy in Kentucky, the state that elected him in 2010 when he was still an ophthalmologist with no experience in government. He would then depart on a campaign swing through states with the earliest nominating contests, like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
One issue Mr. Paul has yet to resolve is how he can run for both president and senator at the same time. State law in Kentucky bars candidates from seeking two offices at once.
His Senate term is up in 2016, and Mr. Paul is planning to make his case to the Kentucky Republican Party on March 7 that it should hold a presidential caucus instead of selecting its candidate in the primary scheduled for May 2016. The Senate primary would still be held in May, but a presidential caucus would be held earlier, so Mr. Paul technically would not appear twice on the same ballot.
Mr. Paul laid out this argument in a letter to state Republicans recently, asking that they allow him the same option Representative Paul D. Ryan had in 2012, when he ran simultaneously for his congressional seat in Wisconsin and as Mitt Romney’s running mate. “My request to you is simply to be treated equally compared to other potential candidates for the presidency,” Mr. Paul wrote.
If he fails to persuade Kentucky Republicans to switch to a caucus, his advisers say, one possible recourse could be to challenge the law in court.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/us/politics/rand-paul-is-looking-to-april-to-announce-plan-to-run-for-president-associates-say.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1
-
Scott Walker to attend private dinner with supply-siders in New York
By Robert Costa
February 18, 2015
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=http://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2015/02/16/National-Politics/Images/208044966.jpg&w=1484)
Walker has been courting this particular bloc of conservatives for over a year. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is scheduled to attend a private dinner Wednesday with longtime advocates of supply-side economics.
The gathering, set for the upscale “21” Club in Manhattan, is the latest effort by the potential Republican presidential contender to bolster his relationships with the GOP’s anti-tax wing. It also reflects the interest business-friendly conservatives have in his possible candidacy, in spite of the recent ascent of former Florida governor Jeb Bush.
Economists Larry Kudlow, Arthur Laffer, and Stephen Moore will host Walker, according to several people with knowledge of the event.
For decades, that trio of friends — all associated with President Ronald Reagan’s economic policies — have been high-profile proponents of using tax cuts to boost economic growth.
Laffer is best known for authoring the “Laffer curve,” an argument for increasing federal revenue by lowering taxes. Moore, a former Wall Street Journal editorial writer and founder of the Club for Growth, now works at the Heritage Foundation. Kudlow, a fixture on cable television, was one of Reagan’s advisers on fiscal and economic matters.
John Catsimatidis, the billionaire supermarket owner and former Republican mayoral candidate in New York, is sponsoring the occasion, which will feature a roundtable discussion among Walker, the hosts, and a mix of wealthy financiers and political personalities.
Among those planning to appear: investment banker Lewis Lehrman, anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, and philanthropist Jimmy Kemp, the son of Jack Kemp, the late New York congressman who ushered Reagan’s tax reforms through Congress.
For Walker, who had a breakout speech at a conservative summit in Iowa last month, the dinner is not a fundraiser but a reintroduction and opportunity for him to impress influential conservatives and potential mega-donors.
Walker has been courting this particular bloc of the conservative movement for more than a year as he has moved closer to running, casting himself as a devotee of Reagan’s economic philosophy in phone calls and meetings.
Last May, Walker appeared at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York for another Catsimatidis-sponsored dinner celebrating Kudlow’s tenure at CNBC, according to the New York Post.
Walker, however, has competition. In January, former Texas governor Rick Perry was a guest of the same group of conservative economists at the same restaurant.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/02/18/scott-walker-to-attend-private-dinner-with-supply-siders-in-new-york/
-
NH PRIMARY POLL: 85% BELIEVE SCOTT WALKER QUALIFIED TO BE POTUS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREE
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/02/Scott_Walker_primary_victory_2010-640x480.jpg)
Scott_Walker_primary_vic tory_2010
by TONY LEE19 Feb 2015
An overwhelming majority of potential New Hampshire GOP primary voters believe Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is plenty qualified to be president even without a college degree.
According to an NH1 New Hampshire poll, “85 percent of Republicans and independents likely to vote in next year’s GOP presidential primary say it doesn’t matter that Walker didn’t graduate college, and that he’s qualified to be the next president.” The poll found that “fifteen percent of those questioned say the lack of a college degree should disqualify Walker from serving in the White House.”
As NH1 noted, Walker, who has been leading in some early polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, “left Marquette University in the spring of his senior year to start a job with the American Red Cross,” and “if elected to the White House, he’d be the first president without a bachelor’s degree in more than 60 years.”
Insecure observers, pundits, and journalists in the permanent political class who, in a shallow manner, obsess about where people went to school, though, keep bringing up the issue. So have some Democrats. After former Vermont Governor Howard Dean (D) questioned “how well educated” Walker was last week on MSNBC, Walker blasted the “elitist” attitudes of his critics.
In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Walker said he went to “college not only to get an education” but to ultimately get a job and jumped at the Red Cross job opportunity. He said he meant to go back to school but got married, had children and before he knew it all of his time and money were going to his family.
Walker said that though he does not have a Ph.D. or a law degree from Ivy League schools, he hoped that voters would see his results reforming government against unions and left-wing interests.
“I hope they’ve seen that my results… show I got a graduate degree in taking on the big-government special interests,” he told Baier.
In 2014, Walker touted his “UW Flexible Degree” proposal and indicated that he would like to one day complete his degree through the program, which “will allow adults to start classes anytime, work at their own pace, and earn credit for what they already have learned in school or on the job once they prove college-level competencies.”
The NH1 poll was conducted Wednesday and has a margin of error is +/- 3.85 percentage points.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/02/19/nh-primary-poll-85-believe-scott-walker-qualified-to-be-potus-without-college-degree/
-
Kasich heads to South Carolina
By Terence Burlij, CNN
February 11, 2015
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/111109025526-ohio-governor-john-kasich-horizontal-large-gallery.jpg)
Ohio Gov. John Kasich heads to South Carolina, stoking talk of a potential presidential campaign.
Washington (CNN)Ohio Gov. John Kasich will travel to the first in the South primary state of South Carolina next week to promote his brand of fiscal conservatism, a move likely to stoke speculation the Republican might be considering a possible presidential bid in 2016.
The news of Kasich's travel to South Carolina was first reported by The Washington Post.
The visit to South Carolina next Wednesday, and West Virginia the following day, will focus on Kasich's push for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget, according to a spokesperson for the governor. Kasich traveled to South Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho last month to also put a spotlight on his balanced budget effort.
While in the state Kasich will hold a reception with GOP and elected officials on Wednesday evening and then speak to the House caucus on Thursday, according to a Republican source familiar with the plans.
Kasich resoundingly won re-election to a second term in 2014, trouncing Democrat Ed FitzGerald by more than 30 points in the all-important battleground Buckeye State.
The Ohioan has made little noise about launching a 2016 campaign, with the South Carolina visit the first by Kasich to an early voting state this year.
In a CNN/ORC poll released last December Kasich received the support of 3 percent of likely GOP voters.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/politics/john-kasich-2016-candidate-south-carolina/index.html
-
Carly Fiorina forms new political action committee
By Tom Hamburger
February 24, 2015
Supporters of former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina announced the establishment of a new super PAC Tuesday to support a possible GOP presidential candidacy by the former Senate candidate from California.
The new organization, Carly For America, is designed to "build conservative support and help lay the groundwork for a potential presidential candidacy," said Steve DeMaura, the PAC's executive director.
The announcement was sent via e-mail to potential supporters Tuesday evening, two days before Fiorina is due to address the Conservative Political Action Conference that meets in Washington.
In the e-mail, DeMaura said that Fiorina received a strong response to the PAC she formed in 2014 called "Unlocking Potential," also a super PAC that could collect unlimited donations from individuals, unions and corporations. That super PAC was set up to galvanize women voters and boost the Republican ground game. It provided modest support to several GOP Senate campaigns.
"This is an entirely new effort being brought forward by Carly's supporters because they'd like to see her run for president," DeMaura said of Carly For America on Tuesday evening.
An accompanying press release announced new staff for the organization, including William B. Canfield, who will serve as general counsel; Greg Mueller, a former senior adviser to the presidential campaigns of Pat Buchanan and Steve Forbes, who will serve as president.
Like other potential candidates in 2016, Fiorina is not yet saying whether she will actually run. That decision may coincide with the upcoming release of her second book, "Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey."
In a new video, Fiorina touts her rise from secretary to Silicon Valley CEO and offers viewers a look at a determined and resolute conservative.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/02/24/carly-fiorina-forms-new-political-action-committee/?wprss=rss_politics
-
Good commentary.
Bobby Jindal for President?
By Cal Thomas | February 13, 2015
Gov. Bobby Jindal's name is not first on most people's list of candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, but maybe we should at least start paying attention to him. If one's political enemies are any indication of potential strength, Jindal of Louisiana may be a more formidable force than some people realize.
During a visit to Washington Monday, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank couldn't wait to attack Jindal and his record. Why bother with someone he and others consider a lightweight from a small Southern state, unless there is more there than the elites think?
In an interview with me, Jindal gave long and rapid-fire answers. The governor, ineligible for re-election due to term limits, seemed in a hurry. He said he'd decide in "two to three months" whether to run for president.
In January 2009, when I interviewed Jindal in his office in Baton Rouge, just days before President Obama's inauguration, the governor told me Republicans must decide what they are for before picking a presidential candidate. How's that going?
"We're doing better," he says, "but we have more work to do." He thinks Republicans should stop attacking Obamacare and start emphasizing what they would replace it with. He also faults members of his party for running against Obamacare in the last election and then "throwing in the towel and saying, 'Well, you can't really repeal tax increases; you can't really undo an entitlement program.'"
Jindal wants Republicans to get away from defining themselves as anti-Obama and the party of "no" and start showing people "we can be principled, conservative, not just a cheaper version of the Democratic Party."
What about Hillary Clinton? Can she be defeated if she runs?
"Absolutely," says a confident Jindal, as if he were coaching a team against a superior opponent. "As Republicans we don't need to obsess about our opponents, we don't need to define ourselves in opposition to our opponents. Let (Democrats) look backward; we need to look forward."
He says voters want the hard truth told to them, which immediately brings to mind the oft-quoted Jack Nicholson line from "A Few Good Men": "You can't handle the truth." In the age that obsesses with cultural embarrassments like the Kardashian family, the truth -- if we can agree on what that is -- may be the last thing people want to hear. But Jindal's sentiment is a noble one.
I ask him about the potential candidacy of former former-Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, and Jindal adopts Reagan's "11th Commandment" admonition never to criticize a fellow Republican: "Anybody who is thinking about running doesn't need to define himself against particular candidates. We need to say what we are for." While Jindal says he "has a lot of respect" for Bush, who once championed Common Core federal education standards. Jindal, however, opposes it. He adds he doesn't want to see "the establishment, the party donors, trying to clear the field for anybody. An open debate is good for the voters."
On foreign policy, he and former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) have written a paper on the subject. Among other things, he wants to arm the Kurds in their fight against ISIS in Iraq and demonstrate to our allies America's resolve to support them in any fight against the Islamic State, support he thinks is lacking under the Obama administration. He would also send arms to the Ukrainian military now fighting Russian troops.
On social issues, Jindal, a Roman Catholic, says: "I'm not changing my position on marriage or protecting human life. I know it's fashionable for a lot of politicians to change their minds..." It doesn't matter what the polls say on this. I'm not evolving with the polls."
Jindal is a long shot for president and even vice president, but he brings enthusiasm, a positive outlook and a decent record as governor and that's not a bad start for any presidential candidate.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/cal-thomas/2015/02/13/bobby-jindal-president#sthash.j0PBxaVa.dpuf
-
Scott Walker Winning Support Across Entire GOP Spectrum
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=6227d70e-4229-4ae0-a54c-23561a3eb127&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Scott Walker Winning Support Across Entire GOP Spectrum (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
Friday, 27 Feb 2015
By Melanie Batley
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has distinguished himself among a large field of potential 2016 presidential contenders for having achieved widespread support across a broad range of Republican voters, National Journal reported.
The Journal noted a Quinnipiac poll out this week that gave Walker a 25 percent lead among likely participants in the Iowa Republican caucus, twice as much as the second-place finisher, with consistent support across almost all of the party's religious, class and ideological factions.
The Journal noted that no Republican presidential candidate has demonstrated that level of broad appeal since George W. Bush in 2000.
"The real opportunity for the party is if someone like a Scott Walker can unite this populist wing with the more establishment wing. I think that's a stronger general election candidate than just going down the establishment side [for a nominee] with a lack of energy on the populist wing," John Weaver, chief strategist for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, told the Journal.
"He has the opportunity to do so — but he doesn't have any definition yet."
The Journal pointed out that in the Quinnipiac poll, Walker leads with both evangelical voters, who make up a substantial voting bloc, as well as non-evangelical voters, by double digits, in sharp contrast with every other rival.
It is unclear whether Walker will be able to continue to appeal to a wide range of Republicans and also the broader public as the fight for the nomination gets underway, the Journal said.
Walker had a difficult few weeks after he refused to clearly embrace evolution, renounce Rudy Giuliani's comments about the president, or describe Obama as a Christian.
"He can't have more weeks like that where he cross-pressures the non-evangelical, secular wing of the party," Weaver told the Journal. "There is going to be tremendous pressure on him to define himself with that one wing in order to produce an Iowa victory."
According to the Journal, all of the other leading candidates in the Quinnipiac poll had a much narrower range of support. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's support drops the more conservative the voter is, while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's support demonstrated a similar trend.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Scott-Walker-gop-conservatives-establishment/2015/02/27/id/627232/#ixzz3SyYg6ieY
-
Rand Paul Wins CPAC Straw Poll
BY MICHAEL O'BRIEN
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won an influential straw poll of conservative activists' preference in the next GOP presidential nominee.
Thirty-one percent of attendees of the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference named Paul, the libertarian-minded, first-term senator, as their top choice for the Republican presidential nominee in 2016.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz finished second at 11 percent, and longshot neuroscientist Ben Carson registered a surprising third place finish, at 9 percent.
The straw poll is traditionally an early benchmark of conservatives' passion for various Republican candidates for the presidency.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a favorite of establishment Republicans who has sometimes tangled with conservatives and who has struggled with a recent political scandal, finished in fourth place at 8 percent. Christie made an appearance at CPAC this year after organizers declined to invite him in 2013.
Other notable finishers: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 7, Rick Santorum at 7 percent, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 6 percent, Rep. Paul Ryan at 3 percent and Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 3 percent.
The Paul family has often represented itself well in the CPAC straw poll. Fueled in part by fervent, college-aged supporters (participants aged 18-25 made up almost half of straw poll participants), Ron Paul won the event in 2009 and 2010. His son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, won his first straw poll last year.
But it's also an imperfect predictor of White House hopefuls' fortunes once they reach the Republican primaries. Mitt Romney won the straw poll in 2012, but over the significant criticism of other candidates who accused him of gaming the process. Sen. John McCain, the GOP's 2008 nominee, never won the straw poll.
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cpac/rand-paul-wins-cpac-straw-poll-n47996
-
(https://img.4plebs.org/boards/pol/image/1387/08/1387088958441.jpg)
-
(https://img.4plebs.org/boards/pol/image/1387/08/1387088958441.jpg)
Would love to see Donald Trump and Ted Cruz going at it on the debate stage.
-
Would love to see Donald Trump and Ted Cruz going at it on the debate stage.
Cruz would DEMOLISH Trump.
Trump's entire 2012 "platform" was birth cert (which I believe, but he's very terrible and talking about it without making it all about himself). Trump was awful on issues such as China.
I've said it many, many times... CRUZ OR LOSE. It's that simple. Run a strong, far-right fiscal conservative like Cruz or a Walker, or lose with another RINO.
-
Rand Paul wins 2015 CPAC straw poll
Published February 28, 2015
FoxNews.com
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/U.S./876/493/paulinternal146215.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Feb. 27, 2015: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md. (AP)
Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul won the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll for potential GOP White House candidates for the third consecutive year.
"Our party is filled with constitutional conservatives who have chosen to stand with me for a third consecutive straw poll victory," Paul said. "Since President Ronald Reagan, the (conference) has been the gold standard on where conservatives stand. The constitutional conservatives of our party have spoken in a loud and clear voice today."
Paul finished with 26 percent of the vote, ahead of Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker, who finished with 21 percent of the vote.
Former Florida GOP Gov. Jeb Bush, a popular establishment candidate who has struggled to reconnect with conservatives, finished in fifth place, with 8 percent of the vote.
The poll was conducted over the conference’s three days of seminars and speeches by most the leading potential Republican candidates. CPAC organizers said 11,344 people attended the event in Oxon Hill, Md., that 3,007 people participated in the poll and that 42 percent of the voters were students.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, consider a top-flight candidate since the 2012 presidential elections, finished 10th with 2.8 percent of the vote.
His would-be candidacy has since been plagued by the political scandal known as BridgeGate, an up-and-down state economy and his reputation of being a hot head.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz finished in third place with 11.5 percent of the vote, followed by retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson in fourth with 11 percent.
The others receiving votes were former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, in sixth place with 4.3 percent of the vote. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio finished in seventh with 4.3 percent. Donald Trump finished eighth with 3.5 percent, Carly Fiorina was ninth with 3 percent, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry finished after Christie, in 11th place, with 1.1 percent and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal finished 12th with .9 percent of the vote.
Former GOP vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin finished 13th with .8 percent, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee finished 14th with .3 percent of the vote.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/28/rand-paul-wins-2015-cpac-straw-poll/
-
Ben Carson Establishes Presidential Exploratory Committee
by ELIANA JOHNSON
March 3, 2015 9:45 AM
Dr. Ben Carson on Tuesday announced that he has established a presidential exploratory committee. The retired pediatric neurosurgeon who rocketed to national fame after tut-tutting the president at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2012, has publicly toyed with a presidential bid for months now and has in recent weeks begun to hire the personnel to make it happen. “In every aspect of Dr. Carson’s life, he has exemplified true leadership,” Carson’s longtime friend Terry Giles, who is likely to serve as chairman of his campaign, said in a statement. “Overcoming dire poverty in his youth to become head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Carson is uniquely situated to understand the needs and hopes of all Americans. His undeniable abilities and extraordinary life experiences drive his passion to ensure that, through hard work and perseverance, the American dream remains attainable to all. For the next few months, Dr. Carson looks forward to listening to the American people to gauge support for a presidential candidacy.” Carson has also launched a new website, www.bencarson.com, which previews the themes of his likely campaign: “Unite. Heal. Thrive.”
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/414727/ben-carson-establishes-presidential-exploratory-committee-eliana-johnson
-
I can't wait for Carson to hit the primary debates. He is going to provide plenty of LOL material for the nation.
-
I can't wait for Carson to hit the primary debates. He is going to provide plenty of LOL material for the nation.
don't worry, if it's anything like 2008 and 2016, his logical words will be drowned out by the screams from Rush, Levin, and their RINO peons on getbig. You know the argument, "he's not electable, he's too extreme, we need a moderate!"
I really hope carson runs, and I hope he kicks the fcking shit out of the RINOs, and I hope he cleans Warren's clock in the main election. I hope the repubs wont' stand in his way
-
Mar 10, 2015
Jim Webb Ramps Up Careful Approach to 2016
By REBECCA BALLHAUS
(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-HI404_webb_G_20150310134836.jpg)
Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb walks off stage after speaking at the International Association of Firefighters forum in Washington on Tuesday. Associated Press
Mr. Webb, who became the first presidential candidate of the 2016 cycle to launch an exploratory committee in November, has since appeared to take a more leisurely pace as he prepares to launch his official campaign. Whereas Republican 2016 hopefuls have been making frequent trips to the early-nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Mr. Webb has yet to venture to either of those this year. His most recent public trip to Iowa was last August.
Whether Mr. Webb—seen as a long-shot candidate, particularly for a nomination that is widely expected to go to Hillary Clinton, if she runs—will mount a serious campaign has come under scrutiny because of the dearth of viable Democratic candidates who are considering running against Mrs. Clinton. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is the only other Democrat who has so far expressed interest in entering the race. Republicans, meanwhile, have nearly a dozen potential candidates to choose from.
Addressing reporters in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Mr. Webb said he and his team are still “carefully and methodically” considering whether to officially launch a presidential campaign. “I’m looking at this issue in terms of whether this is something that I can fully commit myself to, and we’re also trying to figure out if we can get the sort of financial support” needed, he said.
Next month, Mr. Webb will head to Iowa, followed by a trip to South Carolina in May and another to New Hampshire in June. On Tuesday, his team also launched a new website (http://webb2016.com) that better reflects a campaign, his spokesman said.
Mr. Webb said he began “doing more media” last month and said he has seen “tremendous support” in response. “In terms of the visits, we’re a little bit behind, but in terms of putting together the structure that will allow us to make a decision, we’re right where I want to be,” he added.
Speaking at an event Tuesday sponsored by the International Association of Fire Fighters, Mr. Webb received a warm reception as he emphasized his time as a marine in Vietnam. “I suppose there are a lot of people who can say that they’ve seen firefighters fight a fire. But there aren’t very many who can say they’ve fought a fire,” he said. “When I was in the Senate, a lot of my colleagues liked to point out how many times they’d been to Iraq and Afghanistan. But watching a war isn’t the same thing as fighting a war.”
William McQuillen, the secretary-treasurer of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire, called Mr. Webb a “fascinating guy” with an “important and powerful story to tell.”
Talking to reporters, Mr. Webb once again steered clear of any criticism of Mrs. Clinton. Asked his opinion about last week’s revelation that she used a private email account as secretary of state—which she is expected to address in a press conference Tuesday afternoon—he said, “I think it’s a good time for the air to be cleared.”
Mr. Webb has been hesitant to take a stance on a number of issues since expressing his interest in the 2016 race. Asked Tuesday his opinion of states legalizing marijuana, he said it’s an “interesting national experiment” and “we’ll see how it plays out.”
The senator acknowledged his own vagueness, citing a list published following President Barack Obama‘s inauguration of people the president “needed to worry about” on which he ranked No. 9—because “no one understands where he stands on any one issue.” He called himself “intellectually independent.”
In articulating how he might contrast his candidacy against the rest of the contenders eyeing the White House, Mr. Webb emphasized that he has spent time both in and out of public office. He described his career as “a lifetime of leadership that has been interspaced with periods out in the private sector where you live in the world that the government creates.”
If he launches a campaign, he would face a number of contenders who have spent nearly their entire careers in public office. Mrs. Clinton went from the White House to the U.S. Senate to the State Department. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, has been a politician since he was in his 20s. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was elected to the Florida House of Representatives before he was 30.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/03/10/jim-webb-ramps-up-careful-approach-to-2016/
-
If no hilary in the race, I could see a Warren/Webb ticket.... the extreme left, the military middle dems.
Warren would need some military credibility.
-
Insider Buzz Grows for Marco Rubio
by ELIANA JOHNSON
March 12, 2015
Are we on the cusp of a Rubio moment? ‘Everybody’s talking about Rubio.” So says a top Republican operative who’s been in touch with nearly every potential presidential campaign, as well as with several top donors. Jeb Bush’s announcement in December launched both a fundraising juggernaut and an aggressive hiring spree, and Scott Walker’s speech in Iowa the following month lifted Walker to the top of national polls. But a little more than a month later, says the operative, “The Jeb boom is over and people are having second thoughts about Walker.”
The beneficiary in terms of buzz is Marco Rubio, who now has many of the party’s top donors looking at him in a way they weren’t even a month ago. Though Rubio hasn’t made as much noise as his competitors as the 2016 campaign has gotten underway in earnest, his knowledgeable presentations and obvious political talent are nonetheless turning heads or, at least, enough of them. Rubio hasn’t made a big splash, neither building a “shock and awe” campaign like Bush nor delivering a marquee speech like Walker (who afterward seemed almost to be caught off guard by his rapid ascent). Instead, Rubio appears to be gambling on the idea that, in what is sure to be a long primary with a crowded field, a slow-and-steady approach will prevail.
The buzz about Rubio comes on the heels of a successful but nonetheless low-profile book tour that took him through the early-primary states of Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada, and New Hampshire, and as the frenetic motion around Bush and Walker has begun to subside.
Bush’s announcement left many conservatives searching for an alternative to the establishment candidate, and Walker has at times looked like he could fill that space. But he has stumbled a couple of times before the press and displayed some shakiness on policy issues.
“He hit his escape velocity so quickly that I’m not sure his infrastructure, or he, can sustain this,” says a top Republican policy adviser. At the Club for Growth’s winter economic conference last month in Palm Beach, Fla., the governor fumbled responses to questions on the Dodd-Frank regulatory bill and the Export-Import Bank. His campaign has hired foreign- and domestic-policy experts and, because Walker spends his days running the state of Wisconsin, he is fitting in briefings in hour-long increments when time permits. The scramble to get him up to speed on national issues has shown.
We haven’t heard nearly as much about Rubio as about Walker, but it’s been a good few months for the Florida senator. Just last week, the Miami billionaire auto dealer Norman Braman told multiple news outlets, including National Review, that he will make a substantial financial contribution to Rubio’s presidential campaign if, as seems likely, he decides to run. At the American Enterprise Institute’s annual donor retreat in Sea Island, Ga., one attendee says Rubio got rave reviews from a crowd that included several billionaires. And in late January, the senator impressed the libertarian-leaning crowd at the Koch brothers’ donor conference in Palm Springs, Calif., and came out on top of an informal straw poll conducted there.
Rubio is also getting positive reviews from conservative intellectuals, and not just from the reform conservatives among whom he’s long had a fan base.
“Senator Rubio is going to be a formidable candidate in 2016, should he decide to run,” says Lanhee Chen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution who served as policy director for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. “He’s spent the last several years developing thoughtful, conservative policy proposals, and he will be a dynamic messenger who can tell the story of how his ideas will contribute to upward mobility, opportunity, and security for all Americans.”
Rubio has made it a point to offer a series of detailed policy proposals over the past two years, including on foreign policy, where he has staked out a muscular internationalist position that has won him plaudits from several officials who served in the George W. Bush administration and who have broadly been referred to as “neoconservatives.”
A major question lingering over Rubio and threatening to dog him with tea-party voters who boosted him to victory in 2010 is his support for the Senate’s Gang of Eight bill, which would have provided a path to legal status for illegal immigrants already in the country. Though Rubio has since said he favors an approach that would secure the border first, it remains to be seen how his role in the 2013 immigration showdown will play with voters. But the latest NBC News/WSJ poll gives some indication: More Republicans say they could see themselves supporting Rubio — a full 56 percent — than anybody else. Forty-nine percent said they could see themselves backing Bush. By the same token, the resistance to a Rubio candidacy is also lower than to a Bush candidacy: While 26 percent said they couldn’t see themselves supporting Rubio, 42 percent said so of Bush.
As conservatives search for an alternative to the establishment candidate, the question right now is whether Rubio can actually break out. Says the GOP policy adviser, “If he never gets escape velocity, he’ll linger around 7 or 8 percent” in the polls. Then again, he says, Rubio “has the greatest potential to make noise in this race.”
For now, he is taking advantage of his opponents’ mistakes and turning the right heads.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/415280/insider-buzz-grows-marco-rubio-eliana-johnson
-
Insider Buzz Grows for Marco Rubio
by ELIANA JOHNSON
March 12, 2015
LOL @ "EVERYONE" is talking about Rubio...
The mainstream republican news machine is talking about Rubio.
The BASE won't vote for the dude. They didn't vote for a RINO named Mccain, they didn't vote for a RINO named Romney.
-
WaPo: 'Lost' Bobby Jindal Looks to Reclaim GOP Star Status
Monday, 16 Mar 2015
By Andrea Billups
Bobby Jindal was once a rising GOP star, but now his future political interests have stalled as he travels to reclaim his spotlight and define what might set him apart in what is shaping up to be a crowded 2016 presidential field, The Washington Post reported.
Jindal, noted the Post, seems "lost" and "an afterthought" for his party, after early successes, dropping off to just 2 percent in national GOP polls, and coming in at 12th place in a February Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll.
In seeking to reclaim his stature, wrote the Post, Jindal appears to have "wound up looking as if he's trying to be every politician at once. A hawk. A wonk. A tea party rebel. A Christian revivalist. A first-generation American. A Bubba."
The Post added of the Louisiana governor's positioning quandary: "Not long ago, the Louisiana governor was the Republican candidate of the future — the son of immigrants and also a proud product of the Deep South. He is a devout Catholic, an experienced governor and — in a political sphere dominated by shallow cable-television shouters — a data-driven Rhodes scholar."
Jindal himself told the Post that he isn't yet running for president.
"We don't have a campaign strategy," he told the Post. "So it would be too early to change it."
The Christian Post reported that Jindal says he's about two months from making a decision on running in 2016. He said he believes the next president should come from the ranks of governors as he continues to discuss policy issues in speeches around the country.
ABC News described his latest pitch to possible voters as a "full-spectrum conservative."
"We need to be the party of everybody," Jindal told ABC at the most recent Conservative Political Action Conference. "We need to fight for 100 percent of the votes."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Bobby-Jindal-GOP-CPAC-poll/2015/03/16/id/630354/#ixzz3UZtkq196
-
Mike Huckabee returns to Iowa
By Chris Moody, CNN Senior Digital Correspondent
Fri March 13, 2015
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150106121722-01-mike-huckabee-0106-exlarge-169.jpg)
(CNN)Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee plans to return to Iowa next week in anticipation for a possible second presidential campaign, CNN Politics has learned.
According to a schedule provided by Huckabee's political action committee, he intends to make a brief, one-day swing through the western part of the state on Wednesday, with stops in Council Bluffs and Sioux City.
READ MORE: Jeb Bush makes his first Iowa foray
Huckabee, who won a majority of Republican votes in the Iowa caucuses when he first ran for president in 2008, will likely make a major push in the state if he launches another bid.
A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in late February found that 11 percent of likely caucus-goers supported Huckabee among a crowded field of Republican contenders, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in the lead with 25 percent
Huckabee's Iowa trip comes after a brief swing through Washington, D.C., where he met with the American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks and Senate GOP lawmakers. Last week, Huckabee joined several other Republican potential White House contenders at the Iowa Agriculture Summit in Des Moines.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/13/politics/mike-huckabee-iowa/index.html
-
Nobody can match Marco Rubio’s upside
By Aaron Blake March 16, 2015
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=http://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2015/02/09/Others/Images/2015-02-09/mr31423519986.jpg&w=1484)
In a Republican Party defined by infighting and a pitched battle between the establishment and the tea party, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) is somewhat above the fray. (Charles Ommanney for The Washington Post)
Marco Rubio isn't exactly the buzziest candidate in the 2016 presidential race. In fact, ever since the senator's effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform failed, he has been pretty quiet. Then fellow Floridian Jeb Bush got into the 2016 race, and suddenly the one-time future leader of the GOP is an afterthought — a second-tier candidate.
He shouldn't be.
The fact remains that Rubio, more than anybody, is the guy Republicans should want to earn the nomination. That's not to say that he's definitely their best candidate — just that he's the one with the most of what is described by pro-sports draft analysts as "upside."
And it's not just because he's young, a gifted messenger, Hispanic and comes from a swing state. All of those things are important to making Rubio the GOP's upside candidate, but it's also because he's the kind of guy who could — in theory, at least — unite a fractured Republican Party.
Case in point: a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
Although Rubio hasn't been at the top of GOP primary polls for many months, the new poll shows he's the guy most Republicans could see themselves voting for. Fifty-six percent of Republicans say this about Rubio, and while that's hardly a resounding number, it's more than what anybody else received.
By contrast, 49 percent say they could see themselves voting for Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) or Bush, the nominal front-runner. Just 40 percent say they could see themselves backing Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), and just 32 percent say the same of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
And while about four in 10 Republicans say they can't see themselves voting for Paul, Bush and Cruz, and 57 percent say the same of Christie, just 26 percent say they can't see themselves backing Rubio.
The only candidate who can come close to matching Rubio's upside is, in fact, Scott Walker. While 53 percent say they could see themselves backing the Wisconsin governor, just 17 percent say they can't. Nobody else is even close to being a potential consensus GOP candidate — at least at this very early juncture.
And there's a reason Rubio and Walker have that distinction. It's because they have both ties to the GOP establishment and conservative bona fides. While Bush and Christie are very much establishment guys, and Paul and Cruz are much more aligned with the tea party, there's something about Rubio and Walker for everyone to like.
And we would argue Rubio has even more upside than Walker, because of some of the intangibles mentioned above.
To reinforce, this is all in theory. Once Rubio got into the 2016 campaign, his actions on immigration would quickly be at issue with conservatives. And there's always the matter of, you know, building a campaign that is capable of actually winning the nomination. Rubio has lots of work to do re-asserting himself as a frontrunner.
But in a party that is defined by infighting, Rubio is somewhat above the fray. Or, at the least, he's got fewer built-in enemies and a higher ceiling at the outset.
If he can capitalize on this potential, we might again start talking about Rubio as a leader of the GOP pretty soon. And if he could make that happen, his party would probably be better for it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/03/16/marco-rubio-the-gops-upside-candidate/
-
Good news for Marco Rubio in GOP poll
By LOUIS NELSON 3/15/15
(http://images.politico.com/global/2015/03/15/150315_marco_rubio_ap_1160_956x519.jpg)
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. waves as he leaves the stage during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md., Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
It’s not clear if momentum is building behind Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for a run at the White House in 2016, but he has not turned off Republican voters. The junior senator from the Sunshine State led all other 2016 contenders among GOP primary voters, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released March 11.
Fifty-six percent of GOP voters said they could see themselves supporting Rubio while just 26 percent said they could not. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee trailed close behind Rubio, with 53 and 52 percent of Republican voters, respectively, saying they could see themselves supporting each candidate.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul tied for fourth place in the poll with 49 percent each.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s 2016 aspirations took the biggest hit in the poll.
Just 32 percent of Republican voters said they could see themselves supporting him while 57 percent said they could not. Only Donald Trump, who 74 percent of GOP voters said they could not see themselves supporting, did worse; 51 percent said they would not consider supporting South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The poll was conducted March 1-5, surveying 229 registered Republican primary voters by telephone with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.48 percentage points. A total of 14 potential candidates were included in the poll.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/good-news-for-marco-rubio-in-gop-poll-116081.html#ixzz3UfEIu1EZ
-
Rubio = Romney, mccain. The media darling RINO.
It's getting so predictable.
-
::)
-
-
-
TRANSCRIPT: Cruz announces presidential campaign
Published March 23, 2015
FoxNews.com
The following is a transcript of Sen. Ted Cruz' remarks at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., where he announced his presidential campaign.
SEN. TED CRUZ: "Thank you so much President Falwell. God Bless Liberty University. [cheers and applause]
I am thrilled to join you today at the largest Christian university in the world. [cheers and applause] Today, I want to talk with you about the promise of America. Imagine your parents when they were children. Imagine a little girl growing up in Wilmington, Delaware; during World War II - the daughter of an Irish and Italian Catholic family - working class. Her uncle ran numbers in Wilmington.
She grew up with dozens of cousins because her mom was the second youngest of 17 kids. She had a difficult father - a man who drank far too much; and frankly, didn't think women should be educated. And yet this young girl, pretty and shy, was driven, was bright, was inquisitive and she became the first person in her family ever to go to college.
In 1956 my mom, Eleanor, graduated Fice University with a degree in math and became a pioneering computer programmer in the 1950s and 1960s. [applause]
Imagine a teenage boy, not much younger than many of you here today. Growing up in Cuba [audience member cheers - laughter]. Jet black hair, skinny as a rail. [laughter] Involved in student council and yet Cuba was not at a peaceful time - the dictator Batista was corrupt. He was oppressive and this teenage boy joins a revolution.
He joins a revolution against Batista, he begins fighting with other teenagers to free Cuba from the dictators. This boy at age 17 finds himself thrown in prison, finds himself tortured, beaten. And then at age 18, he flees Cuba. He comes to America.
Imagine for a second the hope that was in his heart as he road that ferry boat across Key West and got on a Greyhound bus to head to Austin, Texas - to begin working, washing dishes making 50 cents an hour.
Coming to the one land on earth that has welcomed so many millions. When my Dad came to America in 1957, he could not have imagined what lay in store for him. Imagine a young married couple living together in the 1970s. Neither one of them has a personal relationship with Jesus. They had a little boy and they're both drinking far too much.
They're living a fast life. When I was 3, my father decided to leave my mother and me. We were living in Calgary at the time. He got on a plane and flew back to Texas. And he decided he didn't want to be married anymore and he didn't want to be a father to his 3-year-old son.
And yet when he was in Houston, a friend, a colleague from the oil and gas business invited him to a Bible study; invited him to Clay Road Baptist Church - and there my father gave his life to Jesus Christ. [applause] And God transformed his heart - and he drove to the airport, he bought a plane ticket and he flew back to be with my mother and me. [applause]
There are people who wonder if faith is real. I can tell you, in my family there is not a second of doubt - because were it not for the transformative love of Jesus Christ, I would have been saved and I would have been raised by a single mom without my father in the house.
Imagine another little girl living in Africa - in Kenya and Nigeria. [audience member cheers] This is a diverse crowd. [laughter] Playing with kids, they spoke Swahili - she spoke English. Coming back to California [crowd cheers and laughter]. Where her parents who had been missionaries in Africa had raised her on the central coast.
She starts a small business when she is in grade school, baking bread. She calls it Heidi's Bakery. She and her brother compete baking bread. They bake thousands of loaves of bread and go to the local apple orchard where they sell the bread to people coming to pick apples.
She goes on to a career in business - excelling and rising to the highest pinnacles. And then, Heidi becomes my wife and my very best friend in the world. [applause]
Heidi becomes an incredible mom to our two precious little girls, Carline and Catheryn, the joys and loves of our life. [applause]
Imagine another teenage boy being raised in Houston hearing stories from his dad about prison and torture in Cuba, hearing stories about how fragile liberty is, beginning to study the United States Constitution, learning about the incredible protections we have in this country that protect the God-given liberty of every American.
Experience challenges at home, the mid 1980s oil prices cratered. And his parents business go bankrupt. Heading off to school, over a thousand miles away from home in a place where he knew nobody. Where he was alone and scared and his parents going through bankruptcy meant there was no financial support at home.
So at the age of 17, he went to get two jobs to help pay his way through school. He took over 100-thousand dollars in school loans. Loans, I suspect a lot of y'all can relate to. [laughter] Loans that, I'll point out, I just paid off a few years ago. [cheers and applause and laughter]
These are who we are as Americans. And yet, for so many Americans, the promise of America seems more and more distant. What is the promise of America? The idea that, the revolutionary idea that this country was founded upon, which is that our rights, they don't come from man. They come from God Almighty. [applause]
And that the purpose of the constitution, as Thomas Jefferson put it, is to serve as chains to bind the mischief of government. [applause] The incredible opportunity of the American dream, what has enabled millions of people from all over the world to come to America with nothing and to achieve anything.
And then the American exceptionalism that has made this nation a clarion voice for freedom in the world, a shining city on a hill. That's the promise of America. That's what makes this nation an indispensable nation. A unique nation in the history of the world.
And yet so many fear that that promise is today unattainable. So many fear it is slipping away from our hands. I want to talk to you this morning about reigniting the promise of America.
Two hundred and forty years ago on this very day, a 38 year old lawyer named Patrick Henry stood up just 100 miles from here in Richmond, VA and said "give me liberty or give me death." [applause]
I want to ask each of you to imagine, imagine millions of courageous conservatives all across America rising up together to say in unison "we demand our liberty." [applause]
Today, roughly half of born again Christians aren't voting. They're staying home. Imagine instead millions of people of faith all across American coming out to the polls and voting our values. [applause] Today, millions of young people are worried about the future, worried about what the future will hold. Imagine millions of young people coming together and standing together saying "we will stand for liberty." [applause]
Think just how different the world would be. Imagine instead of economic stagnation, booming economic growth. Instead of small businesses going out of business in record numbers, imagine small businesses growing and prospering. Imagine young people coming out of school with 4-5-6 job offers. [applause]
Imagine innovation thriving on the internet as government regulators and tax collectors are kept at bay and more and more opportunity is created. [applause] Imagine America finally becoming energy self-sufficient as millions and millions of high paying jobs are created. [applause]
Five years ago today, the President signed Obamacare into law. [boos and laughter] Within hours, Liberty University went to court filing a lawsuit to stop that failed law. [applause]
Instead of a joblessness, instead of the millions forced into part time work, instead of the millions who lost their health insurance, lost their doctors, have faced skyrocketing health insurance premiums. Imagine in 2017 a new President signing legislation repealing every word of Obamacare. [applause]
Imagine healthcare reform that keeps government out of the way between you and your doctor that makes health insurance personal and portable and affordable. [applause]
Instead of a tax code that crushes innovation that imposes burdens on families struggling to make ends meat. Imagine a simple flat tax. [applause] that lets every American to fill his or her taxes on a postcard. [applause] Imagine abolishing the IRS. [applause]
Instead of a lawlessness and the President's unconstitutional amnesty, imagine a President that finally, finally, finally secures the borders. [applause] and imagine a legal immigration system that welcomes and celebrates those who come to achieve the American dream. [applause]
Instead of a federal government that wages an assault on our religious liberty. That goes after Hobby Lobby, that goes after the little sisters of the poor, that goes after Liberty University. Imagine a federal government that stands for the first amendment rights of every American. [applause]
Instead of a federal government that works to undermine our values, imagine a federal government that works to defend the sanctity of human life. [applause] And to uphold the sacrament of marriage. [applause]
Instead of a government that works to undermine our second amendment rights, that seeks to ban our ammunition. [applause] Imagine a federal government that protects the right to keep and bear arms of all law abiding Americans. [applause]
Instead of a government that seizes your emails and your cell phones, imagine a federal government that protected the privacy rights of every American. [applause] Instead of a federal government that seeks to dictate school curriculum through common core [ applause] imagine repealing every word of common core. [applause]
Imagine embracing school choices the civil rights issue of the next generation. [applause] But every single child, regardless of race, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of wealth or zip code, every child in America has a right to a quality education. [applause]
And that's true from all of the above. Whether it is a public schools or charter schools or private schools or Christian schools or Parochial schools or home schools, every child [applause]
Instead of a President who boycotts Prime Minister Netanyahu, imagine a President who stands unapologetically with the nation of Islam. [applause and cheers]
Instead of a President who seeks to go to the United Nations to end run Congress and the American people. Imagine a President who says I will honor the constitution and under no circumstances will Iran be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. [applause]
Imagine a President who says we will stand up and defeat radical Islamic terrorism. [applause] And we will call it by its name. [applause]
We will defend the United States of America. [applause] Now all of these seem difficult. Indeed to some they may seem unimaginable. And yet, if you look at the history of our country, imagine it's 1775 and you and I were sitting there in Richmond listening to Patrick Henry say "give me liberty or give me death." Imagine it's 1776 and we were watching the 54 signers of the Declaration of Independence stand together and pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to igniting the promise of America.
Imagine it was 1777 and we were watching General Washington as he lost battle after battle after battle in the freezing cold as his soldiers with no shoes were dying fighting for freedom against the most powerful army in the world. That too seemed unimaginable.
Imagine it's 1933 and we were listening to Franklin Delano Roosevelt tell American at a time of crushing depression, at a time of a gathering storm abroad that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Imagine it's 1979 and you and I were listening to Ronald Reagan [applause] And he was telling us that we would cut the top marginal tax rate from 70% all the way down to 28%. That we would go from crushing stagnation to booming economic growth to millions being lifted out of poverty to prosperity and abundance. That the very day he was sworn in, our hostages who were languishing in Iran would be released and that within a decade, we would win the Cold War.
And tear the Berlin Wall to the ground. Would've seemed unimaginable and yet with the Grace of God, that's exactly what happened. [applause] From the dawn of this country and every stage America has enjoyed, God's providential blessing. Over and over again when we faced impossible odds, the American people rose to the challenge.
You know compared to that, repealing Obamacare and abolishing the IRS ain't all that tough. The power of the American people when we rise up and stand for liberty knows no bounds. (applause) If you're ready to join a grassroots army across this nation, coming together and standing for liberty, I'm going to ask you to break a rule here today and to take out your cell phones and to text the word CONSTITUTION to the number 33733. You can also text IMAGINE, we're versatile.
Once again, text CONSTITUTION to 33733. God's blessing has been on America from the very beginning of this nation and I believe God isn't done with America yet. [Applause] I believe in you. I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America, and that is why, today, I am announcing that
I am running for President of the United States . [Applause and cheering]
It is a time for truth. It is a time for liberty. It is a time to reclaim the Constitution of the United States [Applause]. I am honored to stand with each and every one of you, courageous conservatives, as we come together to reclaim the promise of America, to reclaim the mandate, the hope and the opportune for our children and our children's' children. We stand together for liberty.
This is our fight. The answer will not come from Washington. It will come only from the men and women across this country, from men and women, from people of faith, from lovers of liberty, from people who respect the Constitution. It will only come as it has come from every other time of challenge in this country, when the American people stand together and say we will get back to the principles that have made this country great. We will get back and restore that shining city on a hill - that is the United States of America.
Thank you and God Bless You."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/23/transcript-cruz-announces-presidential-campaign/
-
Unhappy With a Moderate Jeb Bush, Conservatives Aim to Unite Behind an Alternative
By TRIP GABRIEL
MARCH 25, 2015
OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Fearing that Republicans will ultimately nominate an establishment presidential candidate like Jeb Bush, leaders of the nation’s Christian right have mounted an ambitious effort to coalesce their support behind a single social-conservative contender months before the first primary votes are cast.
In secret straw polls and exclusive meetings from Iowa to California, the leaders are weighing the relative appeal and liabilities of potential standard-bearers like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and the former governors Rick Perry, of Texas, and Mike Huckabee, of Arkansas.
“There’s a shared desire to come behind a candidate,” said Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, a national lobbying group that opposes abortion and equal rights for gays.
“It would be early for a group of leaders to come out for a candidate, but not too early for the conversations to begin,” he said.
The leaders of evangelical and other socially conservative groups say they do not believe that Mr. Bush, the former governor of Florida — whom they already view as the preferred candidate of the Republican Party’s establishment — would fight for the issues they care most about: opposing same-sex marriage, holding the line on an immigration overhaul and rolling back abortion rights.
The efforts to coalesce behind an alternative candidate — in frequent calls, teleconferences and meetings involving a range of organizations, many of them with overlapping memberships — are premised on two articles of conservative faith: Republicans did not win the White House in the past two elections because their nominees were too moderate and failed to excite the party’s base. And a conservative alternative failed to win the nomination each time because grass-roots voters did not unite behind a single champion in the primary fight.
This time, social conservatives vow, will be different. They plan to unify behind an anti-establishment candidate by this summer or early fall, with the expectation that they will be able to overcome the presumed fund-raising advantage of the Republican elite by exerting their own influence through right-wing talk radio and social media, and by mobilizing an army of like-minded small donors.
“Conservatives smell blood in the water,” said Kellyanne Conway, a Republican pollster who has participated in the vetting. “They feel they’ve got the best shot to deny the establishment a place.”
Ms. Conway said the candidates seen as having potential to energize the party’s right wing would be invited to make their case before national groups of social conservatives in the coming weeks and months.
Richard Viguerie, the conservative direct-mail pioneer, said he was involved in the effort to rally behind a candidate so “we won’t go into this season divided six or eight different ways.”
Otherwise, he said, “It’s going to make it very difficult to stop the establishment’s candidate, i.e., Jeb Bush.”
Of course, the basic premise driving the conservatives’ effort — that Republicans have a better shot at the White House by nominating a hard-right candidate who excites the grass-roots – is rejected by the party’s establishment, which views a hard-line nominee as a recipe for a crushing defeat in 2016.
Some on the Christian right remain skeptical of the effort to settle on a single socially conservative candidate. Similar attempts in 2008 and 2012 collapsed because no consensus was reached, they say. And it is unclear what impact an endorsement by national social conservatives would have on a primary competition that will probably be driven by gobs of outside money, debate performances and long months of retail campaigning.
“I think it’s a useless process,” said David Lane, who arranges expenses-paid meetings of conservative pastors to hear from potential candidates, most recently at a gathering in Des Moines where Mr. Cruz and Mr. Jindal spoke. “My goal is to give the constituency access to candidates, then let them decide.”
But participants in the effort say that the lessons of recent elections have sunk in, and that this time they will not allow their debate to devolve into discord.
“I think everybody understands — more, even, at the grass-roots level — that there has been a pattern, and the pattern needs to be broken,” said Gary L. Bauer, a conservative activist and a former presidential candidate. He led an effort called the Arlington Group that tried to galvanize support for a social conservative standard-bearer in the 2008 and 2012 elections.
The yearning for a single conservative contender to unite behind was perhaps most in evidence last month, when a dozen leaders of evangelical and other groups gathered for a half-day conference to discuss possible candidates in Dana Point, Calif.
The retreat, at the five-star St. Regis Monarch Beach resort, was the latest in a series organized by Mr. Perkins, of the Family Research Center, according to people briefed about the proceedings.
The session culminated in a vote for “the most viable candidate.” The result, projected on a screen at the front of a conference room, showed Mr. Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher, as the winner. In a three-way tie for second were Mr. Perry, Mr. Jindal and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, according to a cellphone photo of the results shared with The New York Times.
But on Sunday, just hours after news broke of Mr. Cruz’s impending announcement, there were signs here in Oskaloosa, a farming town in central Iowa, that grass-roots conservatives had taken notice of him.
“Ted Cruz, there’s a fire inside of him,” said Julie Tvedt, the administrator of the Jubilee Family Church, who met for lunch with 12 other Republican evangelical activists after church.
“I really like his backbone,” said Curt Block, a salesman. “Compromise is one thing, but when you’re compromising everything, for what are you even standing?”
The instant gravitation toward Mr. Cruz here could be significant, or it could be momentary — in which case the efforts of national leaders to settle on a candidate for the Christian right could prove misguided. After all, voter sentiment shifts quickly, and sometimes mysteriously, and endorsements by authority figures are often of dubious value.
“No question that conservative leaders around the country would love to coalesce around a candidate,” said Bob Vander Plaats, a social conservative leader in Iowa. “But it’s easier said than done.”
At the recent gathering of pastors in Des Moines, Governor Jindal curried favor on one of their top issues: opposition to same-sex marriage. “I know it is popular to evolve on this issue,” he said. “I’m not evolving.”
His first questioner was a woman who asked if Mr. Jindal and other socially conservative contenders could decide among themselves who should be the one true standard-bearer.
Her tone was heartfelt, even desperate. “I would love to see you godly leaders pray and fast and see who God would be anointing to raise up,” she said. “We would rally behind him. We cannot be so divided. Our money, our time, our loyalty is so divided.”
To which Mr. Jindal offered a one-word response: “Amen.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/us/politics/2016-elections-conservatives-jeb-bush.html?_r=0
-
"Rubio's HOT right now" = Everyone realizes Jeb is entirely too liberal and we need a moderate we can call a conservative.
-
:o
Ben Carson calls Obama a 'psychopath'
By Eric Bradner, CNN
Wed March 25, 2015
Washington (CNN)Ben Carson says President Barack Obama is a psychopath.
His comment came in an exchange between the neurosurgeon who's likely to mount a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination and his chief adviser, Armstrong Williams, captured by a GQ reporter on the night of this year's State of the Union address.
Williams had said Obama looked "elegant" that night.
And Carson responded: "Like most psychopaths. That's why they're successful. That's the way they look. They all look great."
Later in the exchange, Carson accused Obama of knowingly selling the American public "a lie."
"He's trying to sell what he thinks is not true!" Carson reportedly said. "He's sitting there saying, 'These Americans are so stupid I can tell them anything.'"
It's the latest in a long string of controversial comments from Carson, who's touted himself as an outsider -- someone who isn't a career politician and doesn't carry himself as one.
His blunt comments about Obama have been part of Carson's appeal to conservatives who have detested the President during his six-plus years in office.
Carson has also compared Obama's signature health care law to "slavery," and said homosexuality is a choice because some people enter prison straight and leave it gay.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/ben-carson-obama-psychopath-gq/index.html
-
Rubio planning mid-April announcement in Miami
By Alexandra Jaffe and Dana Bash, CNN
Mon March 30, 2015
Washington (CNN)Sen. Marco Rubio is planning a major announcement for mid-April in Miami, sources tell CNN, with that announcement likely to be the launch of his presidential campaign.
The announcement is expected the week of April 13, and will very likely come as soon as that day, a Rubio source confirmed to CNN.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, which first reported news of Rubio's announcement, the Florida senator has reserved the Freedom Tower on the campus of Miami Dade College — which once housed the Miami News — for an undisclosed event that day.
A Rubio aide hinted that some clarity on the announcement could come Monday, during the senator's appearance on Fox News' "The Five."
"You should tune in," the aide said.
Rubio has not publicly confirmed plans to run for president, but he's been making preparations for a campaign, traveling to early primary states and reaching out to donors and supporters to gauge support for a bid.
While he's drawn interest from Republican kingmakers, he routinely polls in the middle of the likely field, recently drawing 7% support in a CNN/ORC poll.
His announcement is one of a handful of expected presidential launches in a busy April as the contest gears up.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz kicked off the competition and became the first prospective contender to make his bid official this week. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is slated to announce on April 7, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is planning an April launch as well.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/28/politics/rubio-announcement-april/index.html
-
George Pataki 'Strongly Leaning' Toward 2016 Presidential Run
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=4bf5a41e-44a0-4d62-9b49-3be97729f689&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: George Pataki 'Strongly Leaning' Toward 2016 Presidential Run Former Governor George Pataki, R-N.Y. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters/Landov)
Monday, 30 Mar 2015
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Former New York Gov. George Pataki fell just short of officially announcing his presidential campaign Sunday, telling a New York radio show that if he were a "betting person," he "would make the decision to go."
"I'm not a betting person, but if I were, that's the way I'd bet," he said on The Rita Cosby Show, which aired Sunday on WABC Radio. "Strongly leaning towards it."
Pataki, 69, was the Republican governor for his state from 1995 to 2007, and says that experience gives him the "ability to not just lead a big complex
He believes the country and its government is headed in the wrong direction, and said it's "hard to sit on the sideline if you believe you have the ability to run a government, like this country's government, well."
But even though Pataki said that he is "closer to making that decision than I've ever been," the way federal rules are structured, "I am not going to make that announcement, or the decision, at this time."
The former governor earlier this year announced that he launched a super PAC as part of his plan to explore a possible presidential bid, and also considered running in the 2008 and 2012 races.
Pataki, in the exclusive Sunday interview, also discussed several other issues with Cosby, including police department body cams in the wake of the Freeport, Long Island, police department mandating them.
"I think it should be a local decision," he said. "I don't think we should have a federal policy [and] I don't think we should have a state policy."
Latest News Update
Pataki was also outspoken about the Bowe Bergdahl case, saying he was outraged and believes President Barack Obama "broke the law" by exchanging prisoners for him.
"Congress said that you cannot, the president cannot, release a prisoner from Guantanamo without 30 days' written notice to the members of Congress," he said. "This points out a bigger problem with this administration. That it seems to be above the law whether it's unilaterally changing Obamacare, ignoring the law that prevented them from doing this Bergdahl exchange without prior written notification to Congress, or in so many other ways."
The topic of Hillary Clinton's private email server also came up, with Pataki describing it as "just another example that the powerful in Washington think that the rules that apply to us, don't apply to them."
He also discussed the United States' dealings with the threat of the Islamic State, pointing out that he was governor during the Sept. 11 attacks.
"I saw the consequences of government thinking that because this radical Islam was thousands of thousands of miles overseas, it didn't pose a threat to us," he said. "It obviously did. We cannot sit back and simply say they are over there. They want to attack us here and I believe we have to go in, destroy as many of them as we can, as quickly as we can, destroy their recruiting centers and training facilities and then get out."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/George-Pataki-New-York-super-PAC/2015/03/30/id/635261/#ixzz3VtpxiPHM
-
I like Rubio because he waters down the fucking RINO vote for Jeb.
All those brain-dead fucks that can't stop jerking off the kinda-dem-kinda-repub RINO candidates, they'll love Rubio.
seriously, they're worse than dems, because dems don't choose their opponent. Keep on chumming the waters with a dipshit RINO with a huge liberal history, keep on giving the white house to the democrats.
-
(http://oi59.tinypic.com/67qwlu.jpg)
-
Rand Paul: 'I'm putting myself forward as a candidate for president'
By Ashley Killough, CNN
Tue April 7, 2015
Louisville, Kentucky (CNN)For Rand Paul, it's all led to this moment.
Since riding the tea party wave into the Senate in 2010, Paul has carefully built a brand of mainstream libertarianism -- dogged advocacy of civil liberties combined with an anti-interventionist foreign policy and general support for family values -- that he bets will create a coalition of younger voters and traditional Republicans to usher him into the White House.
The test of that theory began Tuesday when the Kentucky senator made official what has been clear for years: He's running for president.
"Today I announce with God's help, with the help of liberty lovers everywhere, that I'm putting myself forward as a candidate for president of the United States of America," Paul said at a rally in Louisville.
Paul immediately hit the campaign trail for a four-day swing through New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa and Nevada -- the states that traditionally vote first in the primaries and caucuses.
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150407055615-rand-paul-poster-2016-election-exlarge-169.png)
A poster from the Rand Paul for President campaign.
In his speech, he called for reforming Washington by pushing for term limits and a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. He argued that both parties are to blame for the rising debt, saying it doubled under a Republican administration and tripled under Obama.
"Government should be restrained and freedom should be maximized," he said.
The line-up of speakers who introduced Paul sought to paint the senator as a nontraditional candidate with diverse appeal, and by the time he got on stage, he was the first white man to address the crowd.
The speakers included J.C. Watts, a former congressman who's African-American; state Sen. Ralph Alvarado, who's Hispanic; local pastor Jerry Stephenson, who's African American and a former Democrat; and University of Kentucky student Lauren Bosler.
"He goes everywhere. It doesn't matter what color you are. Rand Paul will be there," Stephenson said, firing up the crowd.
So far, Paul joins only Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as a declared candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. "His entry into the race will no doubt raise the bar of competition," Cruz said in a statement welcoming Paul into the race.
But the field is certain to grow in the months ahead with Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, Lindsey Graham and others eyeing a campaign. Marco Rubio, a Florida GOP senator, is expected to launch his campaign next week.
Bush, who said his 2016 decision is a "while off," told reporters in Colorado Springs on Tuesday that "libertarianism definitely has a place in the GOP" but stressed that he differs with Paul on foreign policy.
For now, the nomination is up for grabs with no clear front-runner. Paul came in third place at 12% in a CNN/ORC International Poll of Republicans. Bush led the pack at 16% while Walker came in second at 13%.
Ron vs. Rand Paul
Paul, the son of former Texas congressman and three-time presidential hopeful Ron Paul, will build on his father's legacy as a candidate eager to bring civil liberties to the forefront of the national dialogue. He's already used his perch on Capitol Hill to draw attention to those issues, including a 13-hour filibuster two years ago blasting the Obama administration's drone policies and a lawsuit against the National Security Agency's phone metadata collection effort.
But Paul, 52, will split from his father in one important way: his approach to the campaign. Where Ron Paul often focused on creating a libertarian movement, Rand Paul is planning a more strategic, less purist operation that could have a hope of competing in a general election.
The elder Paul sat on stage at the rally on Tuesday with his wife, though he's not expected to be a public face for his son's campaign. He merely attended the event as a "proud papa," a source close to the senator said.
Elected in 2010 with strong tea-party support, Rand Paul quickly rose to national fame in part due to his father's back-to-back White House runs in 2008 and 2012, but also because of Rand Paul's willingness to fight fellow Republicans.
He engaged in a war of words with Chris Christie two years ago over national security and federal spending and, more recently, he's taken swipes at Bush over issues like Common Core and medical marijuana.
Still, Paul has carefully worked to form inroads with establishment Republicans and other factions of the party's base. He's done so by becoming close political allies with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and backing mainstream candidates who competed against libertarian opponents during last year's midterms.
He's also tried to make peace with national security Republicans, taking nuanced positions that try to shed an isolationist label while still showing his apprehension toward foreign intervention. Last year, for example, he supported limited airstrikes against ISIS but vigorously fought against arming Syrian rebels.
While he bills himself as a conservative realist, Paul still tries to wear the mantle as the Republican most reluctant to take the country into war.
War's 'unintended consequence'
"I can tell you there will be one loud voice in our party saying, think of the unintended consequence," Paul said in Iowa two months ago. "Think about what we're going to accomplish and whether it will work before we go to war.' I promise you that will always be something I take very, very seriously."
The cautious foreign policy dance has drawn criticism from his father's supporters, who say Paul has become too moderate, and from hawkish Republicans who fear he wouldn't go far enough as commander in chief to tackle problems overseas. Democrats and some Republicans, meanwhile, have accused him of flip-flopping and pandering to donors.
On Tuesday, the Foundation for a Secure & Prosperous America -- a hawkish group from the right -- released a $1 million television ad buy against Paul's foreign policy, which hits the airwaves nationally on cable, as well as in the key early states that Paul will visit this week.
"Rand Paul is wrong and dangerous," says the narrator in the 30-second spot, arguing that Paul doesn't understand the threat of Iran's nuclear program. The ad ends with an image of a nuclear bomb detonating.
Paul had been silent on the Iran deal until his speech on Tuesday, when he vowed to oppose any deal that doesn't guarantee Iran gives up its nuclear ambition.
He also sought to sound aggressive on terrorism. "The enemy is radical Islam and not only will I name the enemy, I will do what ever it takes to defend America from these haters of mankind," he said.
In an interview later Tuesday, Paul argued that the ad was "crazy" and represented what he called the "the naivety of the neocons."
"These loud, sort of juvenile voices putting pictures of bombs on ads, these are the people who are so reckless that it would be a grave danger to our country to ever have these people in charge of our country," he said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
In the same interview, Paul also weighed in for the first time on the religious freedom debate that took center stage last week after an Indiana law -- which has since been changed-- came under fire for what critics said was discrimination against gay and lesbian couples getting married.
The 2016 Republican field largely came out in defense of the law, standing by the rights of small business owners such as florists and bakers to decline participating in same-sex weddings. Paul said he felt the law was "unnecessary" and that the country's founding fathers would be "aghast" that laws needed to be in place to protect religious rights.
"That being said," he added. "I think the law ought to be neutral and we shouldn't treat people unfairly."
Asked which takes precedence, religious liberty or same-sex marriage rights, Paul said, "freedom."
"I don't think you can have coercion in a free society very well," he said. "So I would think we ought to try freedom in most of these things."
Ferguson
Paul is actually running for two offices at the same time, trying to hold onto his Senate seat while also running for president. Kentucky's election laws say candidates can't appear on a ballot twice, but with reluctant support from McConnell, a Kentucky powerhouse, the state's GOP will likely change its presidential preference vote from a primary to a caucus. That would allow Paul to get around the rule.
His interest in the Oval Office has never really been a secret. Shortly after the 2012 presidential election, he started crisscrossing the country to paint himself as a nontraditional Republican eager to court voters who don't typically live and vote in red areas.
He spoke at historically black colleges and universities, as well as Democratic strongholds like inner city Detroit and the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on criminal justice reform and civil liberties, two issues he believes can bring more people into the Republican Party.
"Liberal policies have failed our inner cities," he said Tuesday. "Our schools are not equal and the poverty gap continues to widen."
But Democrats are eager to paint Paul as another member of the "same old Republican Party."
"On issue after issue his policies are the same as the rest of the GOP, but even more extreme, and will turn back the clock on the progress we have made," said Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in a statement.
As one of the few national politicians who went to Ferguson, Missouri, Paul frequently boasts that there is no "bigger defender of minority rights in the Congress" than himself.
But those efforts could prove futile if he can't get beyond controversial comments he made in 2010, when he questioned parts of the Civil Rights Act, especially provisions that place restrictions on private property.
He's steered clear of such hot-button issues more recently. Last week, for example, he was one of the few Republicans who didn't weigh in on religious freedom laws in Indiana and Arkansas that critics argued would allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians.
Paul has also worked to maintain a following that includes a large swath of young voters who he partly inherited from his father. Heavy on tech and social media, his political team has opened an office in Austin, Texas, and will soon establish one in the heart of Silicon Valley. Like clockwork, Paul frequently holds up his phone during his stump speech and declares that what people do on their smartphones is "none of the government's damn business."
His nontraditional style is complemented by Paul's wardrobe. The senator is known for wearing blue jeans with boots and a blazer when he's on the trail, and during the winter, he opts for a turtleneck and sport coat rather than a tie.
But in his quest to become a national figure, Paul's comments have come under scrutiny and some of his statements have led critics to question whether he's ready for prime time. Earlier this year, Paul, an ophthalmologist, lent credibility to theories that vaccinations cause mental disorders, and last fall he caused a stir when suggesting that people could catch Ebola at cocktail parties.
And while he's not media shy—he's given hundreds of interviews in the past year alone—Paul can get short-tempered with reporters. He shushed a female interviewer in February, and last fall he blew up at a reporter who asked a question about foreign aid to Israel.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/07/politics/rand-paul-president-2016/
-
Hey, the race needs moderates to balance out what Jeb is offering. I'm glad Rand is here to offer that.
Now, I hope Ted Cruz wipes the floor with him and gets the tea party vote. Rand has given that up by becoming the big-biz, big-military, big-spending candidate.
The RINOs won't get it.
-
Ben Carson: You Can Bet I'll Run for President
Friday, 10 Apr 2015
By Bill Hoffmann
Dr. Ben Carson, the famed neurosurgeon turned rising conservative political star, tells Newsmax TV he's leaning heavily toward running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
In fact, you can bet on it, Carson revealed Friday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
"The things that I look for are how strong the financial support is. It seems to be very strong. It's looking quite positive," said Carson, who added that his exploratory committee has raised over $2 million in 28 days.
Host Steve Malzberg then asked, "If I were a betting man, you would tell me to go to Vegas and put more down that you will run than down that you wouldn't run?"
"Yeah, that would be a reasonable thing," Carson replied. "I would hope you would not lose your money.
"I'm certainly going to work toward providing the American people with a choice that they will be enthusiastic about," he said.
Carson — author of "One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America's Future," written with Candy Carson and published by Sentinel — said he'll make an announcement about his political future the first week in May.
He was one of several Republican heavyweights to address the National Rifle Association's annual convention in Nashville on Friday. He extolled the importance of Americans' right to bear arms.
"If we lose sight of the reason for the Second Amendment and we begin to relax … we cannot relax even one bit. We can't give any ground on that issue," Carson told Malzberg.
"All we have to do is look historically at other nations where tyrants have come in and decimated the population and what they always do first is they always get [the weapons]."
Carson is considered a great American success story, rising from a single-parent upbringing in Detroit to become one of the world's foremost physicians and scientists.
He was the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Children's Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 29 years. In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded him the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
If Carson throws his hat in the ring, he will join a quickly growing field of GOP stars who have already declared or are mulling joining the race.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have announced their candidacies, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is expected to do so next week.
Others thought to being close to declaring include Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/leaning-running-presidential-nomination/2015/04/10/id/637834/#ixzz3WxprRcgJ
-
Marco Rubio: Time for 'A New American Century'
Friday, 10 Apr 2015
By Joel Himelfarb
Sen. Marco Rubio, who is expected to announce his presidential candidacy on Monday, has released a video highlighting some of his strongest speeches defining a conservative vision for the United States.
"This is about whether we are going to be the first generation of Americans to leave our children worse off than ourselves or the next generation that will allow them to inherit what they deserve, inherit what we inherited, give to them what every generation before us has given to the next: the single greatest nation in all of human history," Rubio says in the video, which lasts five and a half minutes.
Rubio described the video as "a quick preview of what I'll be saying on Monday during my announcement."
In the video, the freshman Republican describes his family's departure from Cuba and its migration to Florida, his plans for a more robust U.S. foreign policy to tackle the threats posed by jihadists, and his belief that the massive expansion of government spending and regulation during the Obama administration is crippling initiative and destroying economic opportunity.
Rubio says that "everything I will ever accomplish I owe to God, to my parents' sacrifices, and to the United States of America."
The video is entitled "A New American Century," which provides "a subtle hint at how Rubio plans to cast himself as a generational change agent not only for his party but for the country," The Washington Post observed.
Aides to Rubio say the fact that Hillary Clinton will announce her candidacy on Sunday will enable him to draw generational contrasts with the former secretary of state, who will be 69 years old on Inauguration Day 2017. (Rubio will be 45.)
The video is a blistering indictment of the Obama administration's domestic policies, ranging from Obamacare to a panoply of new federal regulations.
Domestically, Rubio says, "we have a government that increasingly controls every aspect of our lives, including even the Internet."
Rubio also skewers the "Obama/Clinton foreign policy."
"The world is a safer and better place when America is the strongest country in the world," he says. But the current administration, according to Rubio, has implemented a foreign policy of bullying allies and appeasing enemies – one "that treats the ayatollah in Iran with more respect than the prime minister of Israel."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/marco-rubio-video-speeches-conservative/2015/04/10/id/637840/#ixzz3WxtSEobN
-
Domestically, Rubio says, "we have a government that increasingly controls every aspect of our lives, including even the Internet."
The National Review is a highly respected conservative media outlet - they are calling Rubio a liberal:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/351807/marco-rubio-we-hardly-knew-ye-jonathan-strong
NBC praises Rubio for embracing immigration reform:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/once-hailed-gop-savior-marco-rubio-now-underdog-2016-n309641
New Republic says Liberals really like Rubio on a surprising number of positions:
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/120768/marco-rubios-american-dreams-lays-out-agenda-modern-gop
Looking at those liberal positions, it looks like Rubio enjoys a govt that controls aspects of our lives - a govt with liberal policies.
-
Rubio announces his 2016 GOP presidential campaign
Published April 13, 2015
FoxNews.com
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Monday that he is running for president and feels “uniquely qualified” to talk about the future.
Rubio, a Republican, is scheduled to make a full-scale announcement later today in Miami at an event before hundreds of supporters and that will include a video message.
The first-term senator has long been assembling his political team, including donors who helped previous presidential nominees collect tens of millions of dollars. Now, Rubio's campaign kickoff formalizes what has been unfolding for months.
It comes a day after Hillary Clinton announced her bid for the Democratic nomination and as she is traveling to Iowa on her first trip as a candidate.
That's likely to rob some attention from Rubio's splash into the race. But as his team sees it, the timing also presents an opportunity to cast the presidential contest as one between a fresh face representing a new generation of leadership and a long-familiar figure harking to the 1990s.
Rubio had, for the past week, teased supporters on social media, asked them to sign up for an email to get first word of his announcement and offered tickets for $3.05 (Miami's area code is 305). The effort will capture names, addresses and other information about potential voters and campaign donors.
Rubio's team also mounted television screens across the street from the main rally site and plans to pass out Rubio signs.
Rubio faces steep challenges to winning the nomination, one of them from his mentor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Rubio would become the third major GOP contender to declare himself a candidate, after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, in a field that could grow to 20 or more candidates.
A young man in a hurry, Rubio, 43, will no doubt hear rivals tell voters he's not ready for the White House.
A first-generation immigrant whose parents fled Cuba, Rubio could make history as the nation's first Hispanic president (as could Cruz). Rubio frames his pitch to voters as the embodiment of the American Dream, a son of a maid and bartender who worked his way through law school and now sits in Congress.
His is an appealing biography for a party that has struggled to connect with minority and younger voters. Those voters have been solidly behind Democrats in recent presidential elections. Rubio's advisers see his candidacy as a way to eat into that Democratic bloc, even if capturing it would be almost impossible.
Starting right after the 2014 elections that tipped the Senate into Republican hands, Rubio has been methodically moving toward a presidential announcement. His top political adviser and likely campaign manager, Terry Sullivan, has been building his team, tapping Jim Merrill, who ran Mitt Romney's New Hampshire campaigns, veteran spokesman Alex Conant, advertising chief Todd Harris and former Romney political director Rich Beeson.
His political advisers have told party leaders that they should start recruiting a candidate to run for his Senate seat.
Not even two weeks after the 2012 presidential election, Rubio visited Iowa to headline a birthday event for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a kingmaker in Iowa presidential politics.
He's been making inroads with activists after turns at the anti-tax Club for Growth confab and the grassroots Conservative Political Action Conference. And in his day job in the Senate, Rubio has been a leading voice against President Barack Obama's engagement with Cuba and Iran.
On Tuesday, fresh off his 2016 declaration, he is set to return to the Senate to participate in a hearing about Iran.
Rubio also has been lining up a network of donors, who can tap their friends to finance Rubio's campaign, expected to cost about $50 million to get to Iowa's lead-off caucuses. Longtime donor Wayne Berman is leading the money chase for Rubio; Dallas investor George Seay and Goldman Sachs' Joe Wall are lined up, too.
But Rubio faces a hurdle with some conservative activists in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina over his work on a failed bipartisan immigration bill that proposed a long and difficult pathway to citizenship for those who were in the country illegally. The measure cleared the Senate, but collapsed in the House in the face of conservative suspicion.
Rubio has since shifted how he is approaching the thorny subject, saying his bill does not have the support to become law and the first focus should be on border security, a standard GOP position. Rubio ultimately wants to create a process that leads to legal status and, then, citizenship.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/13/rubio-announces-his-2016-gop-presidential-campaign/
-
9 Reasons Why Marco Rubio Is a Strong Presidential Candidate
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=4576e54d-2b56-4767-89ee-731b55e7191d&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: 9 Reasons Why Marco Rubio Is a Strong Presidential Candidate (wikimedia/commons)
Monday, 13 Apr 2015
By Jim Meyers
Sen. Marco Rubio announced on Monday that he will seek the 2016 Republican presidential nomination — and there are compelling reasons why the Florida legislator would be a strong candidate in a White House race.
1. His fundraising prospects are good. He has hired a leading GOP fundraiser — Anna Rogers, finance director for American Crossroads, Karl Rove's political advocacy group. She will lead the effort to raise at least $50 million for a campaign. It is also significant that Rubio is one of only four potential GOP candidates invited to a gathering hosted by major Republican donors Charles and David Koch. Romney and Jeb Bush were not invited.
2. He's the son of Cuban immigrants. Rubio would likely garner a larger share of the Latino vote in the general election than recent GOP candidates. Poor showings among Hispanic voters have hurt Republicans in past elections.
3. Rubio would expand the voter base among all immigrants. Rubio has bucked a GOP trend and backed a plan providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, although he has more recently backed away from some of the provisions.
4. He hails from Florida. With California and New York solidly blue and Texas solidly red, Florida stands as the most significant swing state and the key to winning a presidential election. Look no further than the 2000 race when a handful of votes in the Sunshine State gave George W. Bush the win over Al Gore.
5. He is getting an early start in what could be a primary battle. While the GOP presidential field is expected to be crowded, so far only two other candidates have officially announced that they are running: Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul.
6. Rubio's Tea Party credentials are solid. The Washington Post has referred to him as the "crown prince" of the Tea Party movement, and he has earned perfect 100 ratings from the American Conservative Union.
7. His new book put him in the spotlight. Rubio has been on tour to promote "American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone." It outlines his proposals for addressing a number of issues including economic security and income inequality.
8. He is articulate and would fare well in presidential debates. Political observers have praised Rubio's rhetorical skills and he was chosen to deliver the official Republican response to President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union address.
9. Rubio has considerable political experience. Before joining the U.S. Senate, he served four terms in the Florida legislature and had stints as speaker of the House, majority leader, and majority whip. And those who maintain that he would not be a formidable candidate after just one term in the Senate need to be reminded that Obama had been in the Senate barely two years when he announced what would be a successful run for president.
http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/reasons-marco-rubio-strong-presidential/2015/01/23/id/620414/#ixzz3XDqxnP6D
-
9 Reasons Why Marco Rubio Is a Strong Presidential Candidate
10. Because people will make f**king lists about anything. There are 10,000 reasons Rubio sucks. Only LIBS and RINOs support him.
-
(http://i0.wp.com/www.powerlineblog.com/admin/ed-assets/2015/03/Cant-Handle-2-devices-copy.jpg?hc_location=ufi)
-
Why Marco Rubio has a real shot at 2016 Republican nomination
By Erick Erickson
Published April 13, 2015
FoxNews.com
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Politics/876/493/GOP_2016_Rubio__Judson.Berger@foxnews.com_1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Feb. 27, 2015: Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks in National Harbor, Md. (AP)
Ted Cruz remains a conservative favorite in 2016. In 2012, the establishment backed his Senate opponent in Texas, then Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. The conservative grassroots backed Cruz and pushed him over the finish line. Cruz has since remained a favorite of the grassroots with a continually antagonist relationship with the Republican establishment.
In 2010, Rand Paul, before Cruz, was a grassroots favorite. The Republican Establishment backed his rival, Trey Grayson. Paul rallied a coalition of conservative grassroots and Ron Paul acolytes to trounce Grayson and win the Kentucky Senate seat. Since then, Paul has wobbled between maintaining grassroots support and developing establishment support. In 2014, for example, he backed Mitch McConnell for re-election and has taken an occasional aggressive position to contrast himself from Cruz.
Marco Rubio is the original Tea Party candidate. His candidacy united the grassroots against the leadership and he won. The Washington crowd convinced themselves he could not win, but the grassroots proved they could pick a winner. Rubio was the first.
In the same year Rand Paul won, the man who started the major revolt between grassroots activists and party leaders ran. It was the Rubio race that really exposed the divide between the base and the leadership. The leadership backed then Florida Governor Charlie Crist. The grassroots, led by former Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, allied with Marco Rubio. Activists began urging a boycott of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Washington group that helps the GOP take the Senate.
Rubio, over 2009, rose in the polls from three percent to victory. Crist was forced to flee the GOP to the Democratic Party where he has been beclowning himself ever since.
Once in Washington, Rubio remained a favorite of the grassroots until he tried to cut a deal with the Democrats on immigration. To his credit, he went on Rush Limbaugh’s program to defend it. He made aggressive outreach to conservatives behind the scenes. But it hurt him and the deal died.
Since then, Rubio has been very quiet. Behind the scenes, he has voted quite often with Senators Cruz and Mike Lee of Utah. He has been a voice for fiscal sanity, small government, and strong foreign policy.
He is also one of the kindest and most approachable men in Washington. He would rather talk football than politics. He would rather be with his wife and kids than at a fundraising event or Washington social party.
Monday, Rubio will declare his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. Cruz and Paul have gotten the attention so far. All three of these conservative senators, the grassroots revolutionaries, are announcing ahead of the smorgasbord of governors and other would be Republican contenders. Rubio’s path to the stage in Miami today explains why he might be better positioned than Cruz or Paul to make some headway.
Cruz remains the conservative grassroots’ darling. They see him as the purest conservative candidate and he probably is. If Cruz starts making deals to garner establishment support, however, he potentially sees his base collapse with a sense of betrayal. Cruz thinks he has the base firmly on his side. That is usually the moment the ground begins to soften.
Paul has ceded the conservative grassroots to Cruz and has set about reorganizing his father’s coalition. Many conservative grassroots, though they sympathize with Paul on fiscal and civil libertarian issues, murmur in aggravated tones that Paul backed McConnell in 2014 and did not back Ted Cruz’s efforts to defund ObamaCare in 2013. Instead, Paul used that to try to contrast himself as an adult in the room versus Cruz and the grassroots. Then there are his national security issues, which give a lot of the right heartburn.
Rubio, however, is the original Tea Party candidate. His candidacy united the grassroots against the leadership and he won. The Washington crowd convinced themselves he could not win, but the grassroots proved they could pick a winner. Rubio was the first.
While Cruz and Paul began forging coalitions, Rubio worked to not undermine his relations with the grassroots while not antagonizing the establishment. His immigration compromise hurt him, but he seeks the nomination in an party that nominated both John McCain and Mitt Romney, two men to the left of Rubio on immigration.
Monday in Miami, Marco Rubio will declare his candidacy for the presidency and of the three conservative Senators to run, he is most likely the Goldilocks of the bunch. He is not too tied to the grassroots to antagonize the establishment. He is not too tied to the civil libertarians to antagonize the conservatives. And he has not gone out of his way to reject the base of grassroots supporters who got him elected in order to curry favor with the leadership.
He strikes the right balance. He has also been so sufficiently off the radar, by design, for so long that many donors and primary voters will want to listen again to the man who united the right to beat Charlie Crist and the establishment in 2010.
They may like what they hear.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/04/13/why-marco-rubio-has-real-shot-at-2016-republican-nomination/?intcmp=ob_homepage_opinion&intcmp=obnetwork
-
Why Marco Rubio has a real shot at 2016 Republican nomination
By Erick Erickson
Published April 13, 2015
FoxNews.com
It took FOX about 5 minutes to practically endorse this RINO. Figures.
Actual legit candidates don't need ten articles a day from FOX trying to convince us why this guy is ready.
-
Kochs Signal Support for Scott Walker
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2015/04/20/us/politics/20firstdraft-scott-walker-koch-bros/20firstdraft-scott-walker-koch-bros-tmagArticle.jpg)
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, at a Republican Leadership Summit in Nashua, N.H., on Saturday.Credit Ian Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist for The New York Times
Charles G. and David H. Koch, the influential and big-spending conservative donors, have a favorite in the race for the Republican nomination: Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.
On Monday, at a fund-raising event in Manhattan for the New York State Republican Party, David Koch told donors that he and his brother, who oversee one of the biggest private political organizations in the country, believed that Mr. Walker was the Republican Party’s best hope for recapturing the White House.
“We will support whoever the candidate is,” said Mr. Koch, according to two people who attended the event. “But it should be Scott Walker.”
The remark — made before dozens of top New York donors who had gathered to hear Mr. Walker speak at the Union League Club — could effectively end one of the most closely watched contests in the “invisible primary,” a period where candidates crisscross the country seeking not the support of voters but the blessing of their party’s biggest donors and fund-raisers.
Most of the leading Republican candidates have aggressively courted the Kochs, who control a network of political nonprofits, “super PACs” and hundreds of like-minded donors, all of which are planning to spend almost $900 million over the next two years advancing conservative candidates and policies.
But while the Kochs are influential among their peers, it is unclear whether they will favor Mr. Walker with more than good will.
In his remarks, made after Mr. Walker had addressed the group, Mr. Koch suggested that the political organizations they oversee — which include Americans for Prosperity, a grass-roots organization, and Freedom Partners, a donor trade group with an affiliated super PAC — would not intervene in the Republican primary process on behalf of a single candidate.
But according to the two attendees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely describe the remarks, Mr. Koch indicated that the Koch family might personally offer financial support to Mr. Walker.
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/20/koch-brothers-signal-support-for-scott-walker/
-
Carly Fiorina to Launch Presidential Campaign on May 4
(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-IA635_0422FI_J_20150422153939.jpg)
Carly Fiorina, former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Co., will formally declare her Republican campaign for president on May 4. PHOTO: JERRY MENNENGA/ZUMA PRESS
By REID J. EPSTEIN
April 22, 2015
Carly Fiorina plans to launch her presidential campaign on May 4, in an online announcement that dispenses with the pageantry that has become de rigueur in 2016 White House runs.
Instead, Mrs. Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Co., will formally declare her Republican campaign online and hold a conference call for the national press, according to a person with knowledge of the campaign’s plans.
The lack of fanfare stands in contrast to GOP candidates who already have declared. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida held choreographed events to officially launch their 2016 efforts. Mrs. Fiorina won’t hold a public event the day she begins her campaign.
It will also put Mrs. Fiorina at odds with two other GOP candidates announcing their 2016 plans that week. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson also plans to declare his candidacy on May 4, but he is planning to do so at an event in Detroit, where he was born. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has an event planned the next day in Hope, Ark., his hometown. Detroit and Hope will be mere stage sets for Messrs. Carson and Huckabee—both men now live in Florida.
And instead of immediately heading to states with early nominating contests, Mrs. Fiorina will be in New York when her campaign formally launches. The former tech CEO is scheduled to speak at Techcrunch’s Disrupt NY 2015 conference on May 5. She has a new book due out that day and is expected to sit for cable TV interviews as well.
Of course, the lone declared Democrat in the race, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, announced her candidacy in an email to donors and an online video. But with six years of anticipation for Mrs. Clinton’s 2016 campaign, she hardly needed the publicity boost that comes with a bells-and-whistles campaign launch. But Mrs. Clinton did make her first public appearances as a candidate in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Mrs. Fiorina, who was the Republican nominee for Senate from California in 2010, has never held elected office. She faces a long road to contention—a national CNN poll released Monday found just 2% of Republicans named her as their first choice in the presidential election, less than 12 other candidates and likely candidates. A survey for New Hampshire cable network NH1 showed she has 2% of support there.
But Mrs. Fiorina, likely the lone woman in the 2016 Republican field, has a unique ability to attack Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Fiorina has impressed activists at early-state candidate events by making the argument that by nominating a woman—namely her—the party would undercut the historic nature of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign.
Mrs. Fiorina’s first early-state stop as an official candidate will be May 7, when she is expected to speak in West Des Moines, Iowa, at an event for the Dallas County GOP. She is scheduled to appear at a dinner hosted by the New Hampshire High Tech Summit in Manchester. Mrs. Fiorina is also the commencement speaker at Southern New Hampshire University’s undergraduate commencement on May 9 in Manchester.
The school’s commencement ceremony is a quadrennial favorite for presidential contenders. Jon Huntsman spoke to graduates in 2011 and Barack Obama did so in 2007.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/carly-fiorina-to-launch-presidential-campaign-on-may-4-1429732381
-
Marco Rubio takes lead in Sheldon Adelson primary
Sources say the billionaire casino mogul is close to throwing his millions behind the hawkish Florida senator.
By ALEX ISENSTADT
4/23/15
Before Iowa and New Hampshire, GOP candidates are competing in the Sheldon Adelson primary, and some will travel to his posh Venetian hotel in Las Vegas this weekend in hopes of winning it. But one candidate — Marco Rubio — has emerged as the clear front-runner, according to nearly a half-dozen sources close to the multibillionaire casino mogul.
In recent weeks, Adelson, who spent $100 million on the 2012 campaign and could easily match that figure in 2016, has told friends that he views the Florida senator, whose hawkish defense views and unwavering support for Israel align with his own, as a fresh face who is “the future of the Republican Party.” He has also said that Rubio’s Cuban heritage and youth would give the party a strong opportunity to expand its brand and win the White House.
Winning the backing of the 81-year-old Adelson would give Rubio a serious boost in his quest for the 2016 Republican nomination. His campaign is predicated on the idea that he can appeal to a broad swath of primary voters and stay in the race long enough to outlast well-funded establishment favorites like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. To do so, he’ll need the support of deep-pocketed contributors like Adelson, whose $32 billion net worth makes him the nation’s 12th-richest person, according to Forbes.
In 2012, Adelson’s financial support allowed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to stay in the presidential race long after other donors gave up on him.
Adelson’s attraction to Rubio is in no small part centered on the Florida senator’s outspoken support for Israel, an issue near and dear to the billionaire’s heart. Rubio has reached out to Adelson more often than any other 2016 candidate, sources close to Adelson say, and has provided him with the most detailed plan for how he’d manage America’s foreign policy.
Since entering the Senate in 2011, Rubio has met privately with the mogul on a half-dozen occasions. In recent months, he‘s been calling Adelson about once every two weeks, providing him with meticulous updates on his nascent campaign. During a recent trip to New York City, Rubio took time out of his busy schedule to speak by phone with the megadonor.
The connection is also personal. Adelson, whose father emigrated from Lithuania and worked as a cab driver, has come to admire Rubio, the son of a bartender and a hotel maid, for his compelling life story. On March 2, the two had a private dinner at Charlie Palmer, a posh steakhouse at the foot of Capitol Hill. There, they talked for hours about their families and personal lives. “It lasted quite a while,” said one source close to Rubio.
Alex Conant, a Rubio spokesman, declined to comment on the outreach to Adelson. “We don’t discuss private meetings,” he said.
Adelson has yet to declare his support for a 2016 candidate, and those familiar with his political views stress that he could ultimately get behind a candidate other than the Florida senator. But he’s also provided subtle public hints about his leanings. On April 7, two Florida-based Adelson lobbyists, Scott Ross and Nick Iarossi, headlined a Rubio breakfast fundraiser in Tallahassee.
Andy Abboud, an Adelson spokesman who doubles as his political gatekeeper, wouldn’t comment on the Rubio discussions other than to say: “It’s a wide-open field and he’s going to keep his powder dry until he needs to weigh in. He’s excited about the field of candidates.”
Should he make an endorsement, Adelson’s advisers say, he would not do so until after the second Republican primary debate, which is expected be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in September. But he’s already playing a public role in the 2016 sweepstakes. This weekend, at his Venetian hotel, Adelson will preside over the Republican Jewish Coalition’s spring meeting, a key cattle call for presidential aspirants.
In attendance will be a group of well-heeled Jewish Republican donors, many of whom see Adelson, who serves on the RJC’s board of directors, as a leader. Ari Fleischer, who was a press secretary in the George W. Bush White House and is also active with the group, said most people in the coalition supported either Bush, Walker or Rubio.
“I think there are many people at the RJC who are going to be influential in the primary,” he said. “A lot of the people who aren’t behind a candidate yet, including me, are shopping.”
During the 2012 campaign, Adelson made his voice heard loud and clear. Of the $100 million he spent on Republican causes, about $15 million was devoted to supporting Gingrich, his favored candidate in the primary. His benevolence enabled the former House speaker, who was waging a long-shot campaign, to remain in the primary until late April.
This election, though, Adelson’s advisers say he’s determined to get behind a more mainstream candidate who has a better chance of becoming the party’s nominee. “He doesn’t want the crazies to drive the party’s prospects into the ground,” said one person close to him.
He’s held private meetings with most of the Republican candidates, many of whom have courted him with fervor. But he’s become particularly fond of Rubio, who attended last year’s RJC meeting but who will not be present this year. He has told some friends that the senator would offer the party a freshness that most other contenders, including Bush, cannot.
In private, Adelson, who’s had labor disputes with workers at his Venetian property, has also said positive words about Walker and that he admired how Wisconsin governor handled his 2011 clash with organized labor.
But Adelson’s desire to get behind an electable candidate may also mean that others with whom he has close ties will be left by the wayside. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who shares many of Adelson’s foreign policy views, and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who last year sponsored an anti-Internet gambling bill that the casino magnate supported, will be appearing at the RJC confab on Saturday in hopes of winning the mogul’s support.
But, Adelson’s advisers say, there remain questions about whether either will be able to establish the kind of broad national following that would be needed to win the presidency.
For another 2016 hopeful, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, it’s not about winning Adelson’s endorsement — it’s about making sure he doesn’t come after him.
During an appearance on a Jewish-themed radio program last month, Paul, who’s come under fire from the neoconservative wing of his party for his more isolationist foreign policy views, said he’d recently had a private meeting with Adelson and his wife, Miriam, and asked him about a report that he was considering funding a campaign against him.
“They assured me there was no truth to that,” Paul said.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/marco-rubio-takes-lead-in-sheldon-adelson-primary-117268.html#ixzz3Y9px0lYJ
-
Carly Fiorina Drawing Good Crowds and Interest in Iowa
(http://theiowarepublican.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Carly-Fiorina-Marshaltown-4-22-15-17-X3.jpg)
Carly Fiorina may not be an official presidential candidate yet, but her Iowa itinerary seems to indicate that she’s all in. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, is in the midst of a five day, 13-stop tour of Iowa that included stops in all of the state’s major media markets.
On Wednesday evening, Fiorina traveled to Marshalltown for a campaign event at Legends Bar & Grille. Marshalltown is about 50 miles northeast of Des Moines and 40 miles east of Ames. Fiorina might not be a household name like Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, or as known to Iowans as former caucus winners Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum are, but that didn’t stop 70 locals from turning out to see her.
Fiorina began her remarks by saying that she couldn’t confirm the Wall Street Journal story from earlier in the day that said she would be launching her campaign on May 4th. She did, however, say that when a man approached her in the airport on her way to Iowa earlier in the week and asked if she was still 60/40 in her decision to run for president, she replied, “The probability is more like 98 to 2.”
Fiorina’s remarks were centered on leadership and citizenship. During her remarks, she stated, “Leadership is different than management. Leaders change the order of things for the better.” She also added that the highest priority for a leader is to unlock potential in others. Underlying her remarks was the idea that leadership is sorely missing in Washington.
-
Good.
Rubio signs the tax 'Pledge' again; Bush never will
Alex LearyAlex Leary, Times Washington Bureau Chief
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
He signed it as a Florida House speaker. He signed it as a U.S. Senate candidate.
Now Marco Rubio, presidential candidate, has signed Grover Norquist's "Pledge" again.
"By signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to the American people, Senator Rubio continues to protect American taxpayers against higher taxes," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "Senator Rubio understands that government should be reformed so that it takes and spends less of the taxpayers' money, and will oppose tax increases that paper over and continue the failures of the past."
PolitiFact Florida determined that Rubio has, in fact, supported tax increases.
During the 2012 presidential election every Republican candidate signed the pledge, except Jon Huntsman. Norquist can count on at least one candidate refusing to sign it this time, Jeb Bush.
“If Governor Bush decides to move forward, he will not sign any pledges circulated by lobbying groups,” spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said earlier this year. “His record on tax cuts is clear. He didn’t raise taxes.”
Norquist, who says tax increases under George H.W. Bush's cost him a second term, has become a major Jeb Bush basher. But he wasn't always critical. In 2006, Norquist praised Bush as an "ice breaker," and said he should run for president.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/rubio-signs-the-tax-pledge-again-bush-never-will/2227313
-
Pledges are dangerous. And meaningless at the same time. If extreme circumstances happen, you can bet your ass that ANY president will raise taxes to pay for stuff. If a meteor hits and 20 million people enter TX in 2 weeks, you can bet our taxes are going to go up. If there's a global currency collapse and gas hits $15 a gallon, you can bet they raise taxes.
These pledges are for idiots, and only idiots sign them.
I applaud Jeb for not groveling at Grover Norquist's feet on this one!
-
Pledges are dangerous. And meaningless at the same time. If extreme circumstances happen, you can bet your ass that ANY president will raise taxes to pay for stuff. If a meteor hits and 20 million people enter TX in 2 weeks, you can bet our taxes are going to go up. If there's a global currency collapse and gas hits $15 a gallon, you can bet they raise taxes.
These pledges are for idiots, and only idiots sign them.
I applaud Jeb for not groveling at Grover Norquist's feet on this one!
Rand Paul, Ted Cruz First 2016 Candidates To Sign Grover Norquist's Anti-Tax Pledge
04/24/2015
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is the first 2016 candidate to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising "to protect American taxpayers against higher taxes." He was followed closely by his colleague and 2016 rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
. . .
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/24/rand-paul-grover-norquist-pledge_n_7137536.html
-
Rand Paul, Ted Cruz First 2016 Candidates To Sign Grover Norquist's Anti-Tax Pledge
04/24/2015
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is the first 2016 candidate to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising "to protect American taxpayers against higher taxes." He was followed closely by his colleague and 2016 rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
. . .
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/24/rand-paul-grover-norquist-pledge_n_7137536.html
not a smart move by either of them.
cruz is right on 99% of his other moves, so I'll give him a pass. nobody is perfect.
Rand just took selfies with a poker player who threw a hooker off a roof and kicked a model in the face, so his judgment, well...
-
Carson, Fiorina launch 2016 bids as diversity of GOP field grows
Published May 04, 2015
FoxNews.com
The GOP presidential field grew by two Monday as retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former technology executive Carly Fiorina both announced they are running for president.
The two new candidates enter a quickly expanding GOP field as Democrats get off to a relatively slow start, with another Republican -- former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee -- set to make his announcement on Tuesday. Together, Carson and Fiorina add to the diversity on the Republican side; Fiorina is the first, and possibly only, female Republican in the race, while Carson is the first black candidate of either party to enter the campaign.
Carson formally launched his campaign in his hometown of Detroit on Monday.
"I'm Ben Carson, and I'm a candidate for president of the United States," Carson said, after being introduced with a series of musical acts.
In his soft-spoken tone, Carson blasted big government -- and the Affordable Care Act -- while also acknowledging his history of controversial comments. He described his candor, however, as an asset.
"I'm not politically correct," he said, to applause. "I'm probably never going to be politically correct, because I'm not a politician. I don't want to be a politician. ... Politicians do what is politically expedient. And I want to do what's right."
Carson tipped his hand a day earlier, also telling Ohio's WKRC-TV that he was announcing his campaign for the White House.
Meanwhile, Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard CEO, confirmed her widely expected run on Twitter, and in an interview with ABC News. Her Twitter account included a link to her new campaign website.
The top of the Fiorina site carries the slogan: "New Possibilities. Real Leadership."
The two candidates join senators Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz as members of a GOP field that is shaping up to be younger and more diverse than in recent years. Cruz and Rubio are both Cuban-Americans. The field reflects a growing diversity in professional backgrounds as well, with two doctors and a businesswoman now in the mix.
By contrast, the field of declared and potential Democratic candidates includes mostly white, current and former government officials. However, the front-runner, Hillary Clinton, would be the first female U.S. president if elected -- something that is a centerpiece of her political brand.
Fiorina has been blunt in recent weeks in saying that her entry into the race minimizes the effectiveness of Clinton playing the "gender card." Still, Clinton unquestionably leads the Democratic primary race, which currently consists of just two candidates. By contrast, recent polling shows Fiorina at the very back of the Republican primary field. A Fox News poll released last week showed Carson with 6 percent, and Rubio leading with 13 percent.
Fiorina could still gain ground on the heels of her announcement. And in a video accompanying the announcement, she again took aim at Clinton's candidacy.
It begins with her watching the former secretary of state's recent announcement video. "Our founders never intended us to have a professional political class," Fiorina says after turning away from a television on which Clinton declared her own candidacy. "We know the only way to reimagine our government is to reimagine who is leading it."
Fiorina, 60, has long been a fierce critic of Clinton. Fiorina's announcement comes one day before the release of her book "Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey."
Fiorina also was planning to host an interactive town hall Monday afternoon via the video streaming app Periscope before beginning a swing through early primary states, including Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Democrats made clear, though, that they would use her private-sector record against her.
"If Carly Fiorina believes she is qualified to be president, that just goes to show how out of touch the Republican Party is with what everyday Americans need," Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Holly Shulman said in a statement. "Fiorina's short time at Hewlett-Packard is all we need to know -- laying off 30,000 employees, while being rewarded with a multimillion dollar bonus. While she is attempting to run on her business record, it consists of mass layoffs, tumbling stock prices, and a failed merger. If this is how Fiorina ran her business, just imagine what she would do to the country."
Meanwhile, a campaign source told Fox News that Carson had to cancel a scheduled appearance in West Des Moines, Iowa later Monday so he could travel to Dallas "to say goodbye" to his ailing mother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A senior Carson aide also told Fox News that the candidate had canceled a planned appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday due to his trip to Dallas, and other interview cancelations were expected to follow.
Carson, who has never run for public office, is expected to be the only high-profile black GOP presidential candidate trying to parlay his success as an author and speaker into a competitive campaign against more established politicians.
Fiorina, meanwhile, has a resume more likely to draw support among the Republican establishment. The former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Co., she became a prominent figure in Republican politics in 2010, when she ran for Senate in California and lost to incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer by 10 points.
Carson earned national acclaim during 29 years leading the pediatric neurosurgery unit of Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, where he still lives. He directed the first surgery to separate twins connected at the back of the head. His career was notable enough to inspire the 2009 movie, "Gifted Hands," with actor Cuba Gooding Jr. depicting Carson.
On Monday, Carson recalled his difficult upbringing being raised by a single mother in a crime-ridden neighborhood. Citing his personal story, he blasted those who accuse him of wanting to scrap the social safety net as peddling a "blatant lie." Rather, Carson said he wants to end "cradle-to-grave" policies for those who don't need them.
"I have no desire to get rid of safety nets for people who need them. I have a strong desire to get rid of programs that create dependency in able-bodied people," Carson said.
The 63-year-old has established a strong base of vocal support among tea party-backers, some of whom launched an effort to push Carson into the race before he set up an exploratory committee earlier this year.
Yet he has stumbled at times in the glare of national politics. He has suggested the Affordable Care Act is the worst thing since slavery, compared present-day America to Nazi Germany, and called problems at the nation's Veterans Affairs hospitals "a gift from God" because they revealed holes in country's effort to care for former members of the military.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/04/ben-carson-tells-tv-station-is-running-for-president/?intcmp=latestnews
-
Huckabee announces 2016 White House bid
Published May 05, 2015
FoxNews.com
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Tuesday he is running for president, entering an already-crowded Republican field in his second campaign for the White House.
“I am a candidate for president of the United States of America," said Huckabee during an event in his hometown of Hope, Ark.
Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, ran for president in 2008, winning eight states including the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses before running out of money and exiting the race.
The 59-year-old Huckabee has a strong following among the party’s evangelical Christian base but this time will face stiff competition for that vote from such primary candidates as Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas.
Huckabee, who left his job as a Fox News host earlier this year in preparation for a potential 2016 run, was Arkansas governor from 1996 to 2007, serving after Bill Clinton, who also is from Hope. And he was the state’s lieutenant governor from 1993 to 1996.
He already is trying to position himself as the GOP candidate best equipped to defeat Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner.
In a recent campaign video, Huckabee argued that in his more than 10 years as governor, he took on Democrats in "Bill Clinton's Arkansas" after then-candidate Bill Clinton won election to the White House in 1992.
"Every day in my life in politics was a fight," Huckabee says in the video, released as a preview of his Tuesday announcement. "But any drunken redneck can walk into a bar and start a fight. A leader only starts a fight he's prepared to finish."
The field of confirmed and potential GOP presidential candidates includes more than a dozen people.
The most recent average of polling by nonpartisan RealClearPolitics.com shows former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush leading the GOP filed with 15 percent of the early vote, followed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Paul, Cruz, and then Huckabee at 8 percent.
Neither Bush nor Walker have decided whether they will officially run.
Huckabee is the third Republican this week to announce a 2016 White House bid, following Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, and former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina on Monday. They join Cruz; Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.; and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
Campaign aides say Huckabee’s path to winning the party nomination this time will be to appeal to working-class cultural conservatives, pitching their candidate as an economic populist and foreign affairs hawk who holds deeply conservative views on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
Huckabee advocates a national consumption tax, which is similar to a sales tax, to replace the existing federal taxes on personal income and payrolls. He rejects calls for a minimum wage hike, saying his proposals will yield a "maximum wage" for workers.
On immigration, he insists on a secure border and bemoans the presence of millions of people who are living in the country illegally, though he favors a creating a path to citizenship for children of immigrant parents who brought them to the U.S. illegally.
Like other Republican White House hopefuls, Huckabee is sharply critical of President Obama's foreign policy. He has called for "bombing the daylights" out of Islamic State targets in the Middle East, though he says American troops should be deployed to the region only as part of an international coalition that includes nations such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
But whatever the issue, Huckabee, also an author, wraps his appeal as a pitch to everyday Americans who he says "don't feel like anybody understands or knows who they are, much less cares what's happening to them."
Evangelical Christian voters helped Huckabee win the Iowa caucuses in 2008 and finish a strong second in South Carolina, the largest of the early-voting states.
He would need to replicate that early success to create an opening to build a wider coalition and compete deep into the primary schedule.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/huckabee-announces-2016-white-house-bid/
-
Carly Fiorina will run for president as a successful tech CEO. Silicon Valley says that's a fantasy
Carly Fiorina will run for president as a successful tech CEO. Silicon Valley says that's a fantasy
When Carly Fiorina launches her campaign for president this week, her message to the world will be emphatic: what she did for HP, she can do for America.
From spaghetti dinners in New Hampshire to startup conferences in New York, the former head of Hewlett-Packard is expected to keep staking her claim as a pioneering executive prodigy: “It is only in the United States of America that a young woman can start as a secretary and become CEO of the largest technology company in the world,” she recently posted on Facebook, next to a low rating from a pro-choice group that she called “a badge of honor”.
Fiorina, 60, has never held public office. A 2010 run for US senate collapsed amid images of private jets and million-dollar yachts. Now, she hopes the revived record of a dot-com businesswoman will vault her over the otherwise all-male Republican field of mostly professional politicians – or at least lead to a spot as one of their vice-presidential running mates to face Hillary Clinton head-on.
“We went from a market laggard to market leader,” Fiorina has said of her six years running the computer giant. “Unlike Hillary, I have actually accomplished something.”
But those who watched what Fiorina did to HP – mishandling the $25bn acquisition of Compaq, getting ousted by the board in 2005 with a $21m golden parachute, repeatedly being named one of the worst CEOs in American corporate history – say those supposed accomplishments are already coming back to “haunt” her run for the White House.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/03/carly-fiorina-run-for-president-hewlett-packard
-
the last 2 presidents who were "business" guys were Hoover and Bush2. You know, the great depression Part 1 and 2.
It looks great on paper, but the USA isn't a business, where you can dump the dogs and milk thw cows. Romney can pick/choose which companies to sell, which to invest in. You cannot jjust "dump" shitty states with low employment numbers.
You need a manager that can relate to people and manage crisis... not an "investor" who quickly buys cows and dismisses dogs. (this coming from an MBA and realizing they aren't ideal choices for prez)
-
Scott Walker Surges In Iowa
(http://images.politico.com/global/2015/05/06/150506_scott_walker_ap_1160_956x519.jpg)
The latest Iowa polling numbers are great news for Scott Walker, and terrible news for Jeb Bush.
The Wisconsin governor retains his advantage among Iowa Republican caucus-goers, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, with 21 percent of likely participants saying they would vote for him if the caucus were held today.
Bush, the former Florida governor, comes in seventh — with just 5 percent responding that they would vote for him. Only 39 percent said they viewed him favorably, compared with 45 percent who said they did not.
Below Walker and above Bush, the race is tight between Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at 13 percent, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 12 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 11 percent.
Sixty-nine percent of participants said that Walker is honest and trustworthy (versus 11 percent who didn’t), compared with 58 percent to 30 percent who say the same for Bush.
For Rubio, 72 percent to 13 percent said he is honest and trustworthy, while Paul got high marks as well (77 percent to 13 percent).
“More of those surveyed view Bush unfavorably than favorably, compared to Walker’s 5-1 positive ratio. And 45 percent say Bush is not conservative enough. It’s among the GOP conservative base that Bush finds himself trailing Sen. Ted Cruz, former Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Rand Paul,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll.
For favorability ratings, no other candidate scored better than Rubio. Just 9 percent of likely caucus-goers said they have an unfavorable opinion of the junior Florida senator, while 69 percent said they viewed him favorably.
“For national unknowns like Walker and Rubio, a fast start in Iowa may be critical to their chances of overall success, while supporters of national names like Bush note that fewer than half of Iowa winners wind up inhabiting the Oval Office,” Brown said.
The poll was conducted April 25-May 4, surveying 667 likely caucus participants via land lines and cellphones with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.8 percentage points.
-
Scott Walker Surges In Iowa
(http://images.politico.com/global/2015/05/06/150506_scott_walker_ap_1160_956x519.jpg)
The latest Iowa polling numbers are great news for Scott Walker, and terrible news for Jeb Bush.
The Wisconsin governor retains his advantage among Iowa Republican caucus-goers, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, with 21 percent of likely participants saying they would vote for him if the caucus were held today.
Bush, the former Florida governor, comes in seventh — with just 5 percent responding that they would vote for him. Only 39 percent said they viewed him favorably, compared with 45 percent who said they did not.
Below Walker and above Bush, the race is tight between Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at 13 percent, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 12 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 11 percent.
Sixty-nine percent of participants said that Walker is honest and trustworthy (versus 11 percent who didn’t), compared with 58 percent to 30 percent who say the same for Bush.
For Rubio, 72 percent to 13 percent said he is honest and trustworthy, while Paul got high marks as well (77 percent to 13 percent).
“More of those surveyed view Bush unfavorably than favorably, compared to Walker’s 5-1 positive ratio. And 45 percent say Bush is not conservative enough. It’s among the GOP conservative base that Bush finds himself trailing Sen. Ted Cruz, former Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Rand Paul,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll.
For favorability ratings, no other candidate scored better than Rubio. Just 9 percent of likely caucus-goers said they have an unfavorable opinion of the junior Florida senator, while 69 percent said they viewed him favorably.
“For national unknowns like Walker and Rubio, a fast start in Iowa may be critical to their chances of overall success, while supporters of national names like Bush note that fewer than half of Iowa winners wind up inhabiting the Oval Office,” Brown said.
The poll was conducted April 25-May 4, surveying 667 likely caucus participants via land lines and cellphones with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.8 percentage points.
Should be a pretty competitive race for the GOP nomination.
-
Marco Rubio’s Immigrant Story, and an Aging Party in Search of a Spark
By JONATHAN MARTIN and ASHLEY PARKER
MAY 7, 2015
(http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/08/us/RUBIO/RUBIO-master675.jpg)
Marco Rubio last month in Miami. That his parents fled Cuba and worked in humble jobs has sent some Republicans swooning. Credit Joe Raedle/Getty
ANKENY, Iowa — At a recent ice cream social here, Jim Hallihan liked what he heard from Senator Marco Rubio.
He praised the Florida senator’s youthful optimism and his eloquent testimony to the opportunities America offered.
But there was something larger that drew Mr. Hallihan, a former Iowa State basketball coach, to Mr. Rubio, 43, the son of poor Cuban immigrants.
“The day of the older white guy is kind of out,” said Mr. Hallihan, a 70-year-old white guy.
As Mr. Rubio has introduced himself to curious, and overwhelmingly Caucasian, Republican audiences from Iowa to New Hampshire, he has vaulted to the front ranks of the early pack of likely presidential candidates, partly because of his natural political talent. But it may owe just as much to the combination of his personal story and the balm it offers to a party that has been repeatedly scalded by accusations of prejudice.
He says he is highlighting his background only to share his own twist on the American dream — not out of any desire to make history on behalf of Hispanics. But Mr. Rubio and those around him are also acutely aware of the sometimes raw tensions in his party, between those unsettled by an increasingly diverse society and those who say Republicans must embrace the multihued America of 2015.
To the party operatives and donors who have placed long bets on him, and to the rank-and-file primary voters he has impressed, Mr. Rubio’s candidacy seems to affirm the idea that in a free market, anyone can rise without the benefit of connections or wealth. That he did so as the child of Latin American parents who fled an autocratic government and toiled in the humblest of jobs — maid and bartender — has sent some Republicans swooning.
“The identity politics people in the party want a champion who looks like him to mitigate accusations of racism,” said Ben Domenech, a conservative writer. “And the classical conservatives look at him and say, ‘This is somebody who can sell our ideas to the public.’ ”
Conservatives have long had a philosophical contempt for politics driven by gender, racial or class designations. But those sentiments are giving way as the party tries to compete with Democrats, who galvanized support among targeted demographics to decisively win consecutive presidential elections.
Republican voters are overwhelmingly white: The composition of the electorate in almost every contested state during the 2012 party primary was about 90 percent or more non-Hispanic white, according to exit polls.
A New York Times/CBS Poll this week found that 68 percent of Republicans think America is ready to elect a Hispanic president. And after nearly eight years in which Republicans have angrily disputed charges that their opposition to President Obama is rooted in racial animus, Mr. Rubio could serve as an unspoken, but forceful, rebuttal.
“The same things that ignited Democrats about Obama are what will ignite Republicans for Rubio,” said Ed Failor Jr., an Iowa Republican strategist.
Or, as Mr. Domenech put it, “If we look to politicians to make us feel good about ourselves, do you want to go with just another Republican caricature, or somebody who has this unique appeal?”
(http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/08/us/08RUBIOweb/08RUBIOweb-articleLarge.jpg)
Mr. Rubio at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, N.H., in April. Credit Ian Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist for The New York Times
Andrea Szewczyk, 51, a Republican and a schoolteacher in Romeo, Mich., who was surveyed in the Times poll, said she believed that Mr. Rubio’s ethnicity could excite the electorate, much as she said Mr. Obama’s identity did. “We’d get some Democrats voting Republican because of it,” she said.
Indeed, much as many white liberals treasured the opportunity to support Mr. Obama, white conservatives may welcome a Bible-quoting, handsome Hispanic capable of evangelizing the gospel of American exceptionalism in two languages.
Mr. Rubio disputes suggestions that he is capitalizing on the history-making potential of becoming his party’s first minority nominee.
“The presidency is too important to say we’re going to share it among ethnicities,” he said in an interview.
Much as Mr. Obama avoided running expressly as a black candidate, Mr. Rubio is uneasy about explicitly invoking his ethnicity in the primary of a party that can seem split between tapping into and trying to overcome white-resentment politics.
Instead, just as Mr. Obama’s talk of “hope and change” in 2008 allowed voters to project their own vision onto the candidate, Mr. Rubio’s campaign is its own Rorschach test.
His advisers assert that Mr. Rubio’s background is compelling to voters across racial lines, many of whom are themselves only a few generations removed from Ellis Island narratives. But they have also studied the voter rolls to see how Mr. Rubio might spur Hispanic turnout in some heavily white states — say, by delivering as few as 5,000 Hispanic votes in Iowa.
Still, if some Republicans love the idea of what Mr. Rubio’s ethnicity represents, others are wary.
Wayne R. LaPierre, chief executive of the National Rifle Association, said at its annual conference last month, “Eight years of one demographically symbolic president is enough,” referring to Mr. Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, if elected, would be the first female president. (The Republican field includes another Latino, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whose father emigrated from Cuba.)
But Mr. Rubio seems mindful of the risks of confronting the most conservative elements of his party over delicate racial issues.
At a candidate forum in New Hampshire last month, he passed up the chance to offer even a gentle reproach to a woman who, citing bilingual store signs and automated phone lines, complained that immigrants were not “coming here and learning English.”
“Well, here’s the bottom line,” Mr. Rubio told her. “If you don’t speak English, you’re not going to prosper economically in America.”
At a similar gathering recently in Iowa, Mr. Rubio recounted vowing to his dying grandfather, in Spanish, that he would study hard and not squander opportunities. But Mr. Rubio told the story in English.
Asked if he was comfortable speaking Spanish on the campaign trail, Mr. Rubio seemed to grow momentarily defensive. “Sure,” he said, adding, “I don’t want to make Spanish illegal.”
(http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/08/us/08RUBIO2web/08RUBIO2web-articleLarge.jpg)
Marco Rubio at the announcement of his candidacy in April with his wife, Jeanette, and their children. Credit Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“I’m ultimately saying that you have to have a unifying language where your schools are taught, what your laws are written in and how others communicate with each other,” he continued. “Every nation needs a unifying language; our unifying language is English.”
As for those with dial-1-for-English gripes, Mr. Rubio said, “I know Hispanics that complain about that, especially people in the second or third generation.”
Mr. Rubio has met with some pushback in his party from people who see the country changing and want to stop placating those who are unhappy about it.
“You can’t allow yourself to be pushed back into ‘English only, English only,’ ” said former Representative Henry Bonilla of Texas, a Republican and Mexican-American. “This is the U.S.; our language is English. But we’re in a global economy now, so why wouldn’t you want to know more than one language?”
Mr. Rubio does not entirely avoid speaking Spanish: He frequently gives interviews to Spanish-language journalists, especially in Florida. And in his announcement speech in Miami last month, he shared a saying from his late father: “En este país, ustedes van a poder lograr todas las cosas que nosotros no pudimos,” Mr. Rubio said. Then he translated it: “In this country, you will achieve all the things we never could.”
But he is careful about how he presents his dual identity. In a video his campaign released shortly after he entered the race, Mr. Rubio was shown answering the questions about him posed in frequent Google searches. “What nationality is Marco Rubio?” he said, reading one. “I’m an American — of Hispanic descent.”
By contrast, Jeb Bush, whose wife is Mexican and who often refers to their “bicultural” children, is not so torn: He delights in opportunities to demonstrate his fluent Spanish, and last week he courted voters in Puerto Rico. “I know the power of the immigrant experience because I live it each and every day,” he said there.
The legislative embodiment of the conflicting forces tugging at Mr. Rubio was the effort to overhaul American immigration laws. He helped write a comprehensive bill including a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country. But it died in the Republican-controlled House and provoked outrage from the party’s most reliable primary voters.
Last month, when Mr. Rubio made his first trip to Iowa after announcing his campaign, he was confronted at a closed-door meeting by Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a former congressional candidate, who pointedly urged him not to retreat from an immigration overhaul.
“My advice to Senator Rubio was to be honest with people, be yourself,” Ms. Miller-Meeks said afterward, “because that will carry a lot of weight.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/08/us/politics/marco-rubio-campaigns-on-his-immigrant-story-cautiously.html?_r=0
-
Why is he running? Last thing we need is another person who has spent most of his career in DC.
Sources: Graham to announce 2016 White House bid on June 1
By Serafin Gómez
Published May 08, 2015
FoxNews.com
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham plans to announce his presidential campaign on June 1, GOP sources tell Fox News.
Graham, a three-term senator from South Carolina, is known as a foreign policy hawk in Congress. Though he is considered a long shot -- and ranks near the bottom in recent polls of declared and potential Republican presidential candidates -- Graham could help drive the debate on national security among a GOP field that includes candidates who sharply question policies ranging from drone strikes to NSA surveillance.
Graham, however, polls better in his home state of South Carolina, which holds the critical first-in-the-South primary. Graham is considering launching the campaign from Seneca, S.C., where he lives.
A Graham spokesperson would not confirm the June 1 date when reached by Fox News.
Several other Republicans are considering jumping in the race in the coming weeks. Currently declared candidates include: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky; Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; former HP head Carly Fiorina; and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/08/sources-graham-to-announce-2016-white-house-bid-on-june-1/?intcmp=latestnews
-
Why is he running? Last thing we need is another person who has spent most of his career in DC.
Sources: Graham to announce 2016 White House bid on June 1
By Serafin Gómez
Published May 08, 2015
FoxNews.com
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham plans to announce his presidential campaign on June 1, GOP sources tell Fox News.
Graham, a three-term senator from South Carolina, is known as a foreign policy hawk in Congress. Though he is considered a long shot -- and ranks near the bottom in recent polls of declared and potential Republican presidential candidates -- Graham could help drive the debate on national security among a GOP field that includes candidates who sharply question policies ranging from drone strikes to NSA surveillance.
Graham, however, polls better in his home state of South Carolina, which holds the critical first-in-the-South primary. Graham is considering launching the campaign from Seneca, S.C., where he lives.
A Graham spokesperson would not confirm the June 1 date when reached by Fox News.
Several other Republicans are considering jumping in the race in the coming weeks. Currently declared candidates include: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky; Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; former HP head Carly Fiorina; and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/08/sources-graham-to-announce-2016-white-house-bid-on-june-1/?intcmp=latestnews
I'm wondering how they are going to fit all these candidates on stage!? ???
-
I'm wondering how they are going to fit all these candidates on stage!? ???
Will need a big stage. I'm looking forward to the debates. Will be better than the Democrat side, since they have already handed the nomination to Hillary.
Unless Biden jumps in to shake things up. :)
-
I wish drunk uncle joe would run lol. Better resume than Hilary. Fact.
-
Amid 2016 appeals to rich donors, middle-class voters, Carson stays focused on poor
Published May 10, 2015
FoxNews.com
As 2016 presidential hopefuls reach out to the country’s vast middle class to win their votes and the White House, Republican candidate Ben Carson is making a personal effort to connect with America’s poor and lower-income families.
Carson, a retired neurosurgeon raised in poverty, on Sunday defended his flat-tax proposal against criticism that it would overburden the poor, saying that notion is “condescending.”
“I grew up very poor,” he told “Fox News Sunday.” “Poor people have pride.”
He also disagreed with the argument that his plan would result in lower-income families paying a tax of 15 to 20 percent, saying the flat-tax is just part of an overall plan that includes putting trillions in federal coffers by closing tax loopholes.
Carson also turned questions about his lack of political experience into a message for Americans who face long odds for success.
“My life has been so full of people telling me what I couldn’t do that I would be more concerned if people told me I could do it,” said Carson, citing his rise through the military’s Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and his leadership of surgical teams and a national scholarship program.
“There’s real life experience, and there’s politics,” said Carson, a first-time candidate, in an apparent reference to career politicians. “There are some good people in the political arena, but I’m not sure that they actually, in many cases, understand real life.”
Carson, an African-American who became a conservative star in part by being critical of President Obama, also defended earlier comments that suggested ObamaCare was like slavery, saying the president’s signature health care law makes Americans "subservient to the government" and "is about control."
“ObamaCare fundamentally changes the relationship between the people and the government,” he told "Fox News Sunday." “The government is supposed to respond to the will of the people, not dictate to the people what they are doing. And with this program, we’re allowing that whole paradigm to be switched around.”
Carson also said the United States should rethink the notion that a president must enforce laws the Supreme Court declares constitutional.
"We need to discuss" the court's long-held power to review laws passed by Congress," he said.
That authority was established in the 1803 landmark case Marbury v. Madison.
When asked whether the executive branch is obligated to enforce laws that the Supreme Court declares constitutional, Carson said, "We need to get into a discussion of this because it has changed from the original intent."
Carson has said a president is obliged to carry out laws passed by Congress, but not what he called "judicial laws" that emanate from courts.
And he said he would not rule out military force against Russia, but that it should be used only if the United States' safety were clearly at risk.
"I would, obviously, do that in consultation with very competent generals and people who are more knowledgeable in that area than I would be," said Carson, who has called Russian President Vladimir Putin a bully. "But, clearly, if the interest and the existence and the safety of the people of the United States was at stake -- and that was the only way to protect them -- of course, I would do whatever was necessary."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/10/amid-2016-appeals-to-rich-donors-middle-class-voters-carson-stays-focused-on/
-
Well played. :)
Fiorina answers NBC's website flap questions by snapping up 'ChuckTodd.org'
Published May 11, 2015
FoxNews.com
WASHINGTON – More than one can play at "domain-gate."
After Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina was questioned on NBC's "Meet the Press" by host Chuck Todd about a cyber-squatter snapping up www.carlyfiorina.org and using it to slam Fiorina’s record at Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina answered back.
By laying claim to www.ChuckTodd.org.
During the interview, Fiorina defended her time as HP's CEO from 1995-2005. Afterward, she tweeted to Todd.
Turns out Fiorina’s camp has registered the Chuck Todd domain and redirected all traffic to her campaign website.
This isn’t the first time Fiorina’s team has bought the rights to a domain. She did the same thing when she appeared on Seth Meyers' show last week. The www.SethMeyers.org address continues to forward all users to a pro-Fiorina site.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/11/fiorina-teaches-nbc-chuck-todd-lesson-in-domain-names/
-
Bloomberg NH Poll: Jeb Loses Lead, 5 Now Vie for Top Spot
Monday, 11 May 2015
There's no clear front-runner in New Hampshire among GOP presidential candidates, according to a new Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm New Hampshire Poll.
If the New Hampshire Primary was held today, here's who GOP voters would choose:
Candidate 1st Choice 2nd Choice
Rand Paul 12 percent 9 percent
Scott Walker 12 percent 12 percent
Jeb Bush 11 percent 10 percent
Marco Rubio 11 percent 9 percent
Donald Trump 8 percent 4 percent
Chris Christie 7 percent 5 percent
Ted Cruz 6 percent 4 percent
Ben Carson 5 percent 3 percent
Mike Huckabee 4 percent 5 percent
Carly Fiorina 3 percent 4 percent
Lindsey Graham 1 percent 0 percent
Bobby Jindal 1 percent 2 percent
John Kasich 1 percent 2 percent
Rick Perry 1 percent 3 percent
Rick Santorum 1 percent 2 percent
None of the Above 3 percent 4 percent
Not Sure 12 percent 6 percent
Rubio, who announced his candidacy April 13, more than doubled his level of primary support since the poll's last sample, in February. Bush, who isn't expected to formally announce until June, dropped five percentage points, his lowest level since the poll started tracking the state's voters in November.
Poll respondent Stephanie Korb, 57, a Republican dental assistant from Belmont, N.H., said she is leaning toward Rubio.
Special: Homeowners in for a Huge Surprise about their Mortgage. Read:
“He seems like a less offensive choice than the others,” she said. “I want to hear what the candidates want to do to turn this country around and you're not hearing that.”
Support for Paul and Walker have remained steady since February. Paul has formally announced his candidacy, while Walker is expected to hold off until June or later.
Donald Trump's 8 percent is up 5 percentage points from February.
Walker does best when first and second choices are combined, a positive sign for his prospects in the state. He's backed by 24 percent in that case, followed by 21 percent for Bush and Paul and 20 percent for Rubio.
“The Republican primary remains as wide open as ever, and there are no signs here that any candidate has a clear route to winning in New Hampshire,” Usher said.
Part of Paul's strength is his ability to attract independent voters, a key group especially in New Hampshire, where they can vote in partisan primaries. He's supported by 18 percent of independents who said they were likely to vote in the Republican primary, easily the most of anyone in the field. That means he's going to want to see the state's Democratic primary remain a lopsided affair, prompting independents to stick with the action on the Republican side and continue to support him.
Bush is relatively weak among independents. While drawing support from 15 percent of Republicans, he has the backing of just 6 percent of independents. That's a potential problem for Bush, especially if he runs poorly in the Iowa caucuses set for the week before New Hampshire's primary. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week showed Bush in 7th place in Iowa, so he might need a top finish in New Hampshire to rebound.
Fred McGarry, 69, a semi-retired engineer from Deerfield, N.H., said he's leaning toward Bush, although the moderate Republican said he wishes he had other choices.
“I'd be happier if his last name wasn't Bush,” McGarry said. “All the others are too far to the right for me and my guess is that some of them will play well in the strongly red states, but not get elected nationwide.”
The poll shows gender differences developing among likely Republican primary voters. Paul does twice as well among men as he does among women, while Rubio does slightly better with women than men. Walker also does slightly better among men. Bush performed equally well among both genders.
“Walker has got a lot of good credibility and his conservative vocabulary is excellent,” said John Van Uden, 79, a retired manager for a farm equipment company who lives in Bedford, N.H. “He knows what he's talking about from his experience as a governor.”
And New Hampshire voters aren't convinced that the next president will be named either Bush or Clinton. Asked to choose which of the two would be the next president, a third of New Hampshire's likely general-election voters said Clinton, 27 percent didn't venture a guess, 22 percent said someone else, and 18 percent said Bush.
Among Republican primary voters, 31 percent say they think another Bush will move into the White House in 2017, while 34 percent say someone else, 24 percent said they're not sure, and 10 percent said Clinton.
Hillary Clinton is the first choice of 62 percent of likely Democratic primary voters roughly nine months before the primary. That's her best showing since November and suggests a recent wave of influence-peddling allegations about her family's foundation as well as the controversy over her use of a private e-mail server while she was secretary of state haven't tarnished her with the party's base.
There are warning signs for Clinton in New Hampshire. Since the last poll in February, three of the top-polling Republican candidates—Bush, Paul, and Rubio—have moved into striking distance and are now within the poll's margin of error of tying her in hypothetical match-ups.
The poll, conducted May 2-6 by Washington-based Purple Insights, shows Bush and Rubio as Clinton's closest competitors in potential head-to-head contests. Both trail her by 2 percentage points. Paul is next, 3 percentage points behind her, followed by Walker, who trails Clinton by 6 points.
Clinton's closest New Hampshire primary competitor, Senator Bernie Sanders of neighboring Vermont, was the first choice of 18 percent of likely Democratic voters. Vice President Joe Biden was at 5 percent and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley at 3 percent. Neither Biden nor O'Malley have said they'll run.
“Clinton’s strength in the primary remains historic," said Purple Insights' Doug Usher. "But she’s facing the laws of political gravity among independent voters more quickly than her campaign might have hoped.”
Clinton's numbers with independent voters were destined to fall at some point, Usher said, as the campaign becomes more fully formed and intensely competitive.
Among independent general-election voters in New Hampshire, Clinton is tied or nearly tied with Bush, Paul and Rubio. She does better against Walker with this group, leading 42 percent to 36 percent.
The poll included 500 general-election voters as well as over-samples to have 400 Republican primary voters and 400 Democratic primary voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points on general-election questions and plus or minus 4.9 percentage points on primary election questions.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Bloomberg-New-Hampshire-poll-Jeb-Bush-Marco-Rubio/2015/05/11/id/643801/#ixzz3Zr6iK3yh
-
Jeb Bush to skip Iowa Straw Poll
Jennifer Jacobs, jejacobs@dmreg.com
May 12, 2015
No Iowa Straw Poll for Jeb Bush.
The likely Republican presidential candidate will instead attend a competing event, the RedState Gathering in Atlanta, the day of the Iowa event, GOP sources in Iowa told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday. A spokesman for Bush confirmed the report.
Bush, a former Florida governor, is the first well-known Republican in the 2016 presidential field to officially opt out of the straw poll, a nationally renowned event that has drawn significant criticism over the years.
The Republican Party of Iowa, which hosts the Iowa Straw Poll, has been working to shore up the event's reputation and lure candidates by addressing some of the most prevalent complaints. Last week, Iowa GOP officials announced they'll provide free tent space and utilities for the campaigns. The straw poll has been bashed as having outsized importance, even to the point of having losing candidates drop out of the race. Campaigns sometimes spend hundreds of thousands of dollars at the straw poll as a sort of dry run for the Iowa caucuses.
But for the GOP presidential contenders, whether to compete in the straw poll is more of a risk-reward analysis. For those who compete, the aim is to do better than expected. This cycle, some contenders have said, they intend to focus instead on the caucuses, which will take place in precincts across the state on Feb. 1.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann told the Register: "We hope Governor Bush rethinks his decision and realizes that grass-roots will only grow in Iowa if he waters them. The RedState Gathering is a four-day event, and other candidates have already indicated that they will be attending both. We don't buy this excuse and neither will Iowans."
Bush for months has been considered a likely abstainer. His rivals tried to raise expectations for him, arguing he had a recipe for a strong showing because he hired top strategists and because Iowa has a long-standing Bush network that should benefit him. Bush's brother won the straw poll in 1999 and his father won it in 1979
But polling has shown that Iowa isn't exactly friendly territory for Bush. In a Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll from late January, 43 percent of likely Republican caucusgoers rated Bush as mostly or very unfavorable, the second worst after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
More recently, Bush ranked in seventh place out of 14 GOP contenders tested in a April 25-May 4 Quinnipiac University poll. When Quinnipiac asked likely GOP caucusgoers whether there is any candidate they would definitely not support, 25 percent named Bush. Bush was at the top of that negative list.
Bush will be in Iowa this weekend for several events, including a town hall meeting in Dubuque, fundraisers for Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Dinner, a big fundraiser that has attracted a total of 11 presidential contenders.
Late Monday, the founder of RedState, Erick Erickson, announced on his blog that Bush, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker would speak during the four-day RedState Gathering Aug. 6-9. The Register was first to report that Bush will address the GOP activists in Georgia on Aug. 8, the same day as the Iowa Straw Poll.
South Carolina U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is at the bottom of polling in Iowa, will sit out the straw poll, too, he told Radio Iowa in March. To help Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul do well in the straw poll, a Minnesota GOP aide said he's leaving his Minnesota job to move to Iowa, the Star-Tribune reported Tuesday. But an aide for Paul told the Register Paul is undecided about straw poll participation. Others unwilling to commit Tuesday: Walker, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and others.
So far, none of the presidential contenders have committed to attending the straw poll, but Iowa GOP officials won't send out the formal invitations for a couple more weeks. Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has said he plans to participate, and his campaign aides say they will review the new rules for the event before officially RSVP'ing.
Republican Party of Iowa officials have said they intend to rally such a big audience of Iowans that the presidential contenders feel pressure to attend. Iowans who buy tickets before May 18 get a $5 discount on the $30 entry fee plus premium parking.
Who competes in the event, which will take place at the Central Iowa Expo in rural Boone, is about gamesmanship. All it will take is for one candidate to jump in who's expected to stay out, or vice versa, to change the dynamics. Some candidates will likely wait as long as possible to reveal their plans.
David Kochel, who will be Bush's campaign manager if he decides to run for president, was among the Iowans who agreed with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad when he said in November 2012 that the straw poll had outlived its usefulness.
Kochel told the Register in January this year that the unscientific poll is a meaningless exercise because it "artificially drives candidates from the race by forcing them to spend unnecessary resources"; gives other states more ammunition to criticize the caucuses, Iowa's premier event; and, with Michele Bachmann's win in 2011, proved it's no longer predictive of what happens in the caucuses just a few months later.
"It has become completely optional for candidates — each of the last two nominees of our party chose not to participate in the straw poll in the cycle in which they were nominated," Kochel said in January.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/05/12/jeb-bush-skip-iowa-straw-poll/27187589/
-
Jeb Bush to skip Iowa Straw Poll
What he meant to say is, "Iowa to Skip Jeb".
no way a RINO like that wins in Iowa. So he pretends "oh, i didn't care anyway" and will rapidly swtich resources there last minute if there's even a chance, ala Romney.
-
Only 1 Republican running for president scored a 100% conservative rating(Hint: he is from Texas)
Tough job, but somebody has to do it. For the 44th year in a row, the American Conservative Union has released its annual Congressional ratings for lawmakers who either uphold conservative values - or find them akin to kryptonite. The ratings have become a kind of gold standard, the organization says, in holding every member of Congress accountable for their voting record - and their support of limited government, prosperity, individual freedom and traditional values.
“There are several takeaways from ACU’s 2014 Rating of Congress,” says Matt Schlapp, chairman of the group. “First, the liberals in Congress tend to vote together as a block. The Left does a great job of enforcing lockstep orthodoxy, to the detriment of the constituents they represent. When it comes to passing real conservative reforms, the Left collectively obstructs implementation of commonsense economic, national security, and cultural reforms.”
On a 100-point ratings system for their conservative voting records, there are essentially no Democrats in House or Senate who breeched the 40th percentile. Over 30 Democrats had a score of 0 percent this year, including Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.
“We can only conclude that the former Democratic National Committee Chairman plans to serve one-term representing the Commonwealth of Virginia before he returns to lead the fringe portion of the liberal activist base,” Mr. Schlapp observes.
A slim few Republicans were rated between 40 and 49 percent on the scale, with the majority of them scoring 60 percent and above. Sixteen earned a 100 percent rating this year, including Sen. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz and Rep. Ron De Santis.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/12/american-conservative-union-releases-its-annual-ra/
-
Only 1 Republican running for president scored a 100% conservative rating(Hint: he is from Texas)
Tough job, but somebody has to do it. For the 44th year in a row, the American Conservative Union has released its annual Congressional ratings for lawmakers who either uphold conservative values - or find them akin to kryptonite. The ratings have become a kind of gold standard, the organization says, in holding every member of Congress accountable for their voting record - and their support of limited government, prosperity, individual freedom and traditional values.
“There are several takeaways from ACU’s 2014 Rating of Congress,” says Matt Schlapp, chairman of the group. “First, the liberals in Congress tend to vote together as a block. The Left does a great job of enforcing lockstep orthodoxy, to the detriment of the constituents they represent. When it comes to passing real conservative reforms, the Left collectively obstructs implementation of commonsense economic, national security, and cultural reforms.”
On a 100-point ratings system for their conservative voting records, there are essentially no Democrats in House or Senate who breeched the 40th percentile. Over 30 Democrats had a score of 0 percent this year, including Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.
“We can only conclude that the former Democratic National Committee Chairman plans to serve one-term representing the Commonwealth of Virginia before he returns to lead the fringe portion of the liberal activist base,” Mr. Schlapp observes.
A slim few Republicans were rated between 40 and 49 percent on the scale, with the majority of them scoring 60 percent and above. Sixteen earned a 100 percent rating this year, including Sen. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz and Rep. Ron De Santis.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/12/american-conservative-union-releases-its-annual-ra/
I think it's a great way to keep politicians in check. I noticed that Breitbart puts their rating next to their names in practically every article. Have websites like Breitbart been doing this for very long or is this a relatively new thing?
-
Cruz or Lose.
-
Cruz or Lose.
Ted Cruz is the only true conservative out there. Most Republicans no longer represent American families. They sold their souls to the Chamber of Commerce and international corporate welfare recipients. If you want to defeat the liberals in both the Democratic and Republican parties vote for Cruz.
-
Ted Cruz is the only true conservative out there. Most Republicans no longer represent American families. They sold their souls to the Chamber of Commerce and international corporate welfare recipients. If you want to defeat the liberals in both the Democratic and Republican parties vote for Cruz.
What is that?
-
What is that?
http://reason.com/archives/2011/03/24/end-corporate-welfare
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2012/08/20/where-to-cut-the-federal-budget-start-by-killing-corporate-welfare/
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/374321/corporate-welfare-queens-stephen-moore
-
Ted Cruz is the only true conservative out there. Most Republicans no longer represent American families. They sold their souls to the Chamber of Commerce and international corporate welfare recipients. If you want to defeat the liberals in both the Democratic and Republican parties vote for Cruz.
I like what I'm hearing from him. We'll see if he can pull the big money away from Jeb. That has to happen if he has any shot.
-
http://reason.com/archives/2011/03/24/end-corporate-welfare
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2012/08/20/where-to-cut-the-federal-budget-start-by-killing-corporate-welfare/
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/374321/corporate-welfare-queens-stephen-moore
Thanks.
To fix that you need a different electoral proces. Money gets politicians elected and when they do, they owe a shitloads of favors.
Every politician is bought and paid for. Campaigning is expensive.
-
Marco Rubio & Mike Huckabee move up in PPP national survey of GOP 2016 candidates
By Mitch Perry - May 13, 2015
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker continues to have a national lead of Republican presidential candidates in a new Public Policy Polling survey, but Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee have the most momentum in this new poll.
Walker continues to lead the field nationally with 18 percent support, followed by Rubio at 13 percent, Huckabee and Ben Carson at 12 percent, Jeb Bush at 11 percent, Ted Cruz at 10 percent, 5 percent for Chris Christie, and 2 percent for Rick Perry.
In the six weeks since PPP last did a national poll, two candidates have gained clear momentum – Rubio and Huckabee, both of whom have announced their candidacies since that last survey. In addition to being in second place overall, Rubio is the most frequently named second choice of GOP voters at 15 percent. The 28 percent of Republicans who name him as either their first or second choice matches Walker for the lead. And Rubio’s 13 percent represents a 7=point gain from his 6 percent standing in late March. Huckabee’s gained 6 points from the last national poll PPP did, and his 58 percent favorability rating is the highest of the GOP field and his net +34 rating at 58/24 is tied with Rubio’s at 56/22 to make him the most popular candidate.
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush continues to go backwards. He previously was at 17 percent with the PPP poll, now he’s at 11 percent and in fifth place. And he continues to struggle with voters identifying themselves as ‘very conservative.’ Just 5 support him for the nomination and his favorability with them is under water at 35/44.
On the Democratic side Hillary Clinton leads with 63 percent to 13 percent for Bernie Sanders, 6 percent for Jim Webb, 5 percent for Lincoln Chafee, and 2 percent for Martin O’Malley.
Public Policy Polling interviewed 685 Republican primary voters and 600 Democratic primary voters nationally from May 7th to 10th. The margins of error for the surveys are +/-3.7% and +/- 4.0% respectively.
http://www.saintpetersblog.com/archives/230928
-
Marco Rubio & Mike Huckabee move up in PPP national survey of GOP 2016 candidates
By Mitch Perry - May 13, 2015
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker continues to have a national lead of Republican presidential candidates in a new Public Policy Polling survey, but Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee have the most momentum in this new poll.
Walker continues to lead the field nationally with 18 percent support, followed by Rubio at 13 percent, Huckabee and Ben Carson at 12 percent, Jeb Bush at 11 percent, Ted Cruz at 10 percent, 5 percent for Chris Christie, and 2 percent for Rick Perry.
In the six weeks since PPP last did a national poll, two candidates have gained clear momentum – Rubio and Huckabee, both of whom have announced their candidacies since that last survey. In addition to being in second place overall, Rubio is the most frequently named second choice of GOP voters at 15 percent. The 28 percent of Republicans who name him as either their first or second choice matches Walker for the lead. And Rubio’s 13 percent represents a 7=point gain from his 6 percent standing in late March. Huckabee’s gained 6 points from the last national poll PPP did, and his 58 percent favorability rating is the highest of the GOP field and his net +34 rating at 58/24 is tied with Rubio’s at 56/22 to make him the most popular candidate.
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush continues to go backwards. He previously was at 17 percent with the PPP poll, now he’s at 11 percent and in fifth place. And he continues to struggle with voters identifying themselves as ‘very conservative.’ Just 5 support him for the nomination and his favorability with them is under water at 35/44.
On the Democratic side Hillary Clinton leads with 63 percent to 13 percent for Bernie Sanders, 6 percent for Jim Webb, 5 percent for Lincoln Chafee, and 2 percent for Martin O’Malley.
Public Policy Polling interviewed 685 Republican primary voters and 600 Democratic primary voters nationally from May 7th to 10th. The margins of error for the surveys are +/-3.7% and +/- 4.0% respectively.
http://www.saintpetersblog.com/archives/230928
Damn, looks like poor ole Bernie is getting SMOKED! :o
-
Damn, looks like poor ole Bernie is getting SMOKED! :o
He's the political version of NFL training camp fodder.
-
He's the political version of NFL training camp fodder.
I guess that makes Rubio at 13 percent also NFL training camp fodder and the rest of the clowns are waterboys with Huckabee and Ben Carson at 12 percent, Jeb Bush at 11 percent, Ted Cruz at 10 percent, 5 percent for Chris Christie, and 2 percent for Rick Perry
-
I guess that makes Rubio at 13 percent also NFL training camp fodder and the rest of the clowns are waterboys with Huckabee and Ben Carson at 12 percent, Jeb Bush at 11 percent, Ted Cruz at 10 percent, 5 percent for Chris Christie, and 2 percent for Rick Perry
LOL
-
He's the political version of NFL training camp fodder.
Down by 50 POINTS!? :-X
You think he can make any headway during the primaries?
-
-
Down by 50 POINTS!? :-X
You think he can make any headway during the primaries?
Nah. He might compete with Biden for a handful of votes.
The Democrat field (and potential field) is pretty pathetic. We really deserve better choices.
-
:o
Jeb Bush, Ben Carson tied atop crowded Republican field, Fox poll shows
(http://twt-thumbs.washtimes.com/media/image/2015/05/10/BenCarson_c0-93-4064-2461_s561x327.jpg?86a97476067bbd6481f4498252f8bca14df76e24)
Ben Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon, set himself apart from the 2016 Republican field by boasting of his outsider status and “real life” experience. (Associated Press)
By David Sherfinski - The Washington Times - Thursday, May 14, 2015
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson sit atop a crowded 2016 GOP field at 13 percent apiece in a new Fox News poll, with both men gaining on other contenders compared to last month.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was next at 11 percent, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was at 10 percent, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was at 9 percent.
Next was Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky at 7 percent, followed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 6 percent apiece. No other candidate or potential candidate included in the survey topped 4 percent.
Support for Mr. Carson and Mr. Bush both jumped up from a survey taken in April, when Mr. Carson was at 6 percent and Mr. Bush was at 9 percent. Mr. Rubio had led that survey at 13 percent, followed by Mr. Walker at 12 percent and Mr. Paul at 10 percent.
Mr. Carson and Mr. Huckabee both announced last week they are running for president, as did former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who was at 1 percent in the poll. Mr. Cruz, Mr. Paul, and Mr. Rubio had all previously announced they are running.
Compared to other Republicans, Mr. Bush actually fared the best head-to-head against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the choice of 63 percent of Democratic primary voters in the poll. He led Mrs. Clinton by 1 point, 45 percent to 44 percent.
Mrs. Clinton, meanwhile, had 6-point, 48 percent to 42 percent leads over Mr. Carson and Mr. Walker, a 5-point, 48 percent to 43 percent lead over Mr. Cruz, a 4-point, 47 percent to 43 percent lead over Mr. Rubio and a 3-point, 47 percent to 44 percent lead over Mr. Huckabee.
She also had a 12-point, 49 percent to 37 percent lead over Ms. Fiorina and an 8-point, 48 percent to 40 percent lead over Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The full survey of 1,006 registered voters was taken May 9-12 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The margin of error among Democratic primary voters was plus or minus 5 percent, and the margin of error among Republican primary voters was plus or minus 4.5 percent.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/14/jeb-bush-ben-carson-tied-atop-crowded-republican-f/#ixzz3a8LiGvMO
-
Scott Walker Still Leads GOP Pack but Others Gaining: Poll
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=b997437f-bafd-4ae3-a0be-18ce9507c492&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Scott Walker Still Leads GOP Pack but Others Gaining: Poll (Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
Thursday, 14 May 2015
By Melanie Batley
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is in the lead among a wide field of potential Republican presidential candidates, but his status as front-runner has become less secure, a new poll has found.
According to a survey by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling of 1,285 primary voters conducted May 7-10:
Walker has 18 percent support
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has 13 percent support
Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson is at 12 percent
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is also at 12 percent
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has 11 percent
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has 10 percent
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has 9 percent support
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gets 5 percent support
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry picks up 2 percent
Walker's support has fallen in each of the last two PPP surveys. In the same poll from February, Walker had 25 percent support and held with a 7-point lead over the next closest candidate. In March, Walker stood at 20 percent.
Rubio and Huckabee have seen the largest gains since that time. In late March, Rubio had just 6 percent support while Huckabee also had 6 percent.
Special: New Probiotic Fat Burner Takes GNC by Storm
Bush and Cruz are among the candidates who suffered the worst setbacks. Bush, who has fallen to fifth place, was formerly in second place with 17 percent support. Cruz, who is in sixth place, was formerly in third place with 16 percent support.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a commanding lead:
Clinton has 63 percent support
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has 13 percent support
Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb has 6 percent support
Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee has 5 percent
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has 2 percent support
"Republicans are bouncing up and down much as they did in 2012," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, in a statement. "Meanwhile Hillary Clinton maintains her dominant hold on the Democratic lead."
The survey also tested candidates' favorability. Rubio and Huckabee are tied for the highest favorability rating in the field.
Fifty-eight percent have a positive view of Huckabee compared to 24 percent with an unfavorable view. Rubio has a positive favorability of 56 percent compared to 22 percent, the poll found.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/scott-walker-poll-2016-gop/2015/05/14/id/644521/#ixzz3a8Qvvpjh
-
ben carson... leading the polls.... oh brother.
-
ben carson... leading the polls.... oh brother.
Troll.
I like him a lot, but think he lacks the national profile of a Cruz. Prove me wrong :)
-
Pollster Zogby: Jeb Bush Making Mistakes, Rubio Looking Good
Thursday, 14 May 2015
By Todd Beamon
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been "making some mistakes" before he has entered the race for the 2016 Republican nomination, while Sen. Marco Rubio is "looking very good right now," pollster John Zogby told Newsmax TV on Thursday.
"Obviously, he is among the frontrunners," Zogby said of Bush to "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth. "He has to be taken very, very seriously because of the name, the demeanor, his ability to get elected in Florida twice and to raise a whole lot of money.
"On the other hand, he's making some mistakes. He's in a difficult position; having to defend his brother," the pollster added. "These are very difficult questions that he has to answer — and so far, he's not doing a very good job of it."
Bush, who has yet to officially announce that he is running for the White House, said Thursday that — on hindsight — he would not have invaded Iraq in 2003. He had refused to speak on the issue for several days, prompting attacks from other declared and potential candidates.
Regarding Rubio, Zogby said that the first-term senator had "a better chance than anyone else in the field to win the nomination." He cited Rubio's strong speech Wednesday on world affairs to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
"Not only didn't he trip over himself, but he was in command of himself. He's the best speaker out there. Youth seems to be playing to his advantage, as opposed to any disadvantage."
He also likened Rubio, 43, to two young Democratic senators who "beat their party establishments in their respective years" and went on to the White House: John Kennedy, also 43, in 1960, and Barack Obama, 47, in 2008.
"Marco is looking very good right now," Zogby said.
The pollster also believes that the first-term senator will be able to withstand attacks from other challengers and conservative groups, particularly on the Gang of Eight immigration bill that stalled in the House in 2013.
"He seems to be good on his feet. He appears to be confident and appears to be acting like a winner," Zogby told Hayworth. "Now, we have to see if he gets defensive or if he backs down.
"Let's see if maybe youth can be a disadvantage too — but right now, he's doing a good job."
On the Democratic side, Zogby said that former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who plans to announce on May 30 that he will challenge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the nomination, could turn last month's Baltimore riots into an advantage.
The unrest broke out after the April 27 funeral of Freddie Gray, 25, who died from a fatal spinal injury while in police custody. Six Baltimore city police officers have been charged in the case.
"He was a beloved mayor and a good governor," Zogby said of O'Malley. "He can speak to the issue of race — and he's running on the progressive side of the party, which always does well in primaries against the mainstream.
"Everybody's saying 'Hillary, Hillary, Hillary.' I am too, but I add a 'but' — and the 'but' is that fourth Hillary is a lot smaller," he cautioned. "She's running against herself, and I don't think the fire is there with her as it may have been in 2007 and 2008."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/john-zogby-pollster-jeb-bush-marco-rubio/2015/05/14/id/644719/#ixzz3aDttaIwq
-
Pataki Looks to Join Republican Presidential Field
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=5fcefe25-1b49-4123-9c52-d1b5e922803c&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Pataki Looks to Join Republican Presidential Field Former Gov. George Pataki, R-N.Y. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Former New York Governor George Pataki indicated on Wednesday that he would announce his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination next week in New Hampshire.
Last week, Pataki said he would be in Exeter, the New Hampshire town known as the birthplace of the Republican Party, on May 28 to announce whether he would be a candidate. In an interview on CNN on Wednesday he joked about his trip to the state, which plays a key role in determining presidential nominees.
"There are some things going on in New Hampshire," he said. "I think it's called a primary, something like that, first in the nation."
While stopping short of announcing plans to run, Pataki said he thought conditions had gotten worse globally. "If you have an ability to lead and you sit it out, shame on you."
Pataki, who served three terms as New York governor from 1995 through 2007, would join a Republican presidential field that already includes Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul; former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee; former corporate executive Carly Fiorina; and political newcomer Ben Carson.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/pataki-gop-former-field/2015/05/20/id/645666/#ixzz3ahLa5ubx
-
Ben Carson wins SRLC straw poll
Former surgeon edges Walker, Cruz at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.
By Alex Isenstadt
Updated 5/25/15
(http://images.politico.com/global/2015/05/23/150523_ben_carson_gty_629_1160x629.jpg)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 22: Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson speaks during the Energizing America Gala at the 2015 Southern Republican Leadership Conference May 22, 2015 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. About a dozen possible presidential candidates joined the conference and lobby for supports from Republican voters. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Ben Carson won the straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference on Saturday, demonstrating his popularity among conservative activists at one of the party’s traditional presidential cattle-call events.
Carson, a retired surgeon who formally launched his underdog campaign this month with an appeal to the GOP’s tea party wing, finished with 25 percent. He was followed by Scott Walker, who received 20 percent, and Ted Cruz at 16 percent. Chris Christie and Rick Perry tied at 5 percent. Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal and Rand Paul each received 4 percent.
The straw poll victory doesn’t necessarily represent a breakthrough for Carson. Carson and Cruz, both middle-of-the-pack candidates in the early 2016 polls, mounted serious efforts to win the straw poll, but most candidates did not compete. They hoped it would give them badly needed momentum as they compete against a sprawling field of better-known and better-funded rivals. Four years ago here, Mitt Romney notched a narrow, one-vote win over Ron Paul.
The announcement of the results brought an end to a three-day event that has become a mainstay of the party’s nominating contest. It drew 2,000 or so activists from around the South, organizers said, with 958 casting votes in the straw poll. It also drew many of the 2016 Republican hopefuls, all of whom used 25-minute speeches at the downtown Cox Convention Center to throw out red meat to the conservatives gathered.
Rubio and Cruz, who were originally scheduled to make appearances, had to cancel as a result of the ongoing negotiations in Washington over renewal of the PATRIOT Act.
The three front-runners for the party’s nomination — Bush, Walker and Rubio — did not have a major presence in the halls. Privately, their advisers said they saw little point in investing time and resources in winning a contest without any electoral implications. None wanted to be seen as seriously competing for a straw poll, which would have little upside and could result in an embarrassing loss.
Cruz and Carson, however, decided to participate in a big way. Both candidates had supporters who manned booths, where they passed out literature, took down information from prospective supporters, and encouraged them to cast votes in the straw poll. Carson backers, wearing blue “I’m with Ben” stickers, crowded the halls and invited attendees to take pictures with a life-size cardboard cutout of the candidate.
“He has a large contingency here,” Steve Fair, Oklahoma’s Republican national committeeman, said of Carson.
For Cruz — who was initially slated to be the keynote speaker at a Friday night dinner but had his father, Rafael, substitute for him — the organizing surrounding the straw poll was nearly a month in the making. Weeks ago, his top advisers developed a projection of which activists would be most likely to attend the conference and set out to contact them. The campaign would end up calling about 2,000 people throughout Oklahoma, northwest Louisiana, North Texas and western Arkansas — all areas likely to be heavily represented at the event — and encouraged them to come and register their support for the Texas senator.
The cost of the effort was low — Cruz’s advisers estimate they spent only around $1,800 — but they saw a return in competing. By doing so, they made contact with thousands of conservatives across the South, a constituency that could be inclined to support the Texas senator. Several of Cruz’s top aides spent the conference roaming the halls and talking to activists and party leaders in hopes of increasing his support.
Republicans are grappling with a similar discussion over whether to compete in the Iowa Straw Poll in August, a traditional measuring stick that has been seen as an early barometer of a candidate’s strength in the critical first-caucus state. Earlier this month, Bush said that he wouldn’t be competing, saying that it’s not relevant. Mike Huckabee also announced earlier in the week that he would skip the Iowa Straw Poll. Walker, the current front-runner in Iowa, has yet to say whether he will participate. For both, a loss in the Iowa event — which carries more political cachet than the SRLC poll — would be seen as a black eye.
The SRLC represents one of the party’s major events of the pre-primary season, bringing together activists from the most reliably Republican region in the nation. The 2016 hopefuls who trekked to Oklahoma City, a hub for oil and gas interests, came to speak but also to court influential local political leaders and donors with private meetings. Walker, Bush and Rick Santorum all organized get-togethers in the Devon Tower, the 50-story skyscraper that towers above the city. Christie, meanwhile, held an event for a super PAC that’s been set up to to support his anticipated candidacy.
Some Southern leaders are looking to increase the region’s influence in the nominating process by altering the primary calendar. A number of states, including Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, have announced plans to hold their contests on March 1 and create an “SEC primary,” a reference to the NCAA’s Southeastern Conference. In recent presidential election years, Southern states had their primaries on different dates.
As the conference wrapped up on Saturday, a number of candidates were expected to formally launch their campaigns in the coming days. Santorum is set to launch his bid next week in Pennsylvania, with Perry and Lindsey Graham the week after. Christie, Bush and Walker, meanwhile, are expected to formally launch their candidacies later in the summer.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/carson-wins-srlc-straw-poll-118248.html#ixzz3bHxk0axk
-
WTF is everything thinking? Ben Carson has already made enough verbal snafu's to lose ten elections.
these idiots being straw polled don't know it... but if Carson won the nomination, people would know very quickly.
-
Despite Polls, Perry Is Optimistic and Getting Ready to Announce
Tuesday, 26 May 2015
By Cathy Burke
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is coming to terms with his "oops" moment, conceding his health — both physically and mentally — brought his 2012 presidential aspirations to a disastrous halt.
Gearing up for a June 4 announcement on whether he’ll make a 2016 bid for the GOP presidential nomination, Perry says things are vastly different this time around, NPR’s "Morning Edition" reports.
"There were two issues with me in 2011. One is I wasn’t healthy," Perry told reporters in Souix City, Iowa, referring to back surgery in 2011 prior to his campaign bid, NPR reports.
The other issue was that he wasn't prepared and had not spent the time "on all the issues that are important to a person that's gonna stand up and answer their questions there. And it's across the board: economics, domestic policy, monetary policy, foreign policy."
But on the campaign stump last week in Iowa, Perry spoke of optimism for the nation — and himself. Perry is polling in the low single digits nationally, according to a Real Clear Politics average.
"I believe with all my heart, as soon as the sun's going to come up in the east tomorrow, that the best days of this country are in front of us," he tells voters, NPR reports. "We're just a few good decisions and a leadership change at the top from the best days this country has ever seen."
He’s making a long climb back; when Perry announced his intent to run for the GOP nomination in 2011, he was leading Iowa polls. Then there was a deal-breaking November debate, where he forgot the last of three agencies he vowed to abolish as president, trying to laugh off the lapse, saying: "I can't, the third one. I can't. Sorry. Oops."
He finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses, sixth in the New Hampshire primary and ended his bid before South Carolina.
"I see an absolutely different Rick Perry," state Sen. David Johnson, who supported Perry four years ago and is behind him for 2016 too, told NPR. "He has done his homework. He has studied very seriously the issues, both foreign and domestic, that this country faces."
"He's a governor who doesn't have to govern right now," Johnson added. "He is free to get out there and campaign."
And Perry is making the best of it, NPR reports.
"Executive experience is what's been missing out of the White House," he told a voter in Sioux Center. "After eight years of this young, inexperienced United State senator, I think America is going to be ready for somebody who's got a proven track record and results."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Rick-Perry-announcement-ready-physically/2015/05/26/id/646861/#ixzz3bI0Ty3DJ
-
Perry doesn't need polls in May 2015. He'll be the big man on stage in the debates. he has gravitas. Finally.
-
lol
-
lol
it's funny, cause in 16 months, you'll be kneepadding Perry and I'll be shitting on him.
(http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x36/evilcrash9/1189971335666qt2.gif)
-
it's funny, cause in 16 months, you'll be kneepadding Perry and I'll be shitting on him.
(http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x36/evilcrash9/1189971335666qt2.gif)
In 16 months you will still be a liberal lackey, living on this board, wishing Obama could run for a third term.
-
Santorum to Enter 2016 White House Race
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=ee062928-00ae-4497-8873-47e2b690cc05&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Santorum to Enter 2016 White House Race (Laura Segall/Getty Images)
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a staunch conservative whose 2012 White House bid fell short, will announce on Wednesday his plan to make another run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, according to ABC News.
Santorum, a senator from 1995 to 2007, will make the announcement later on Wednesday at an event near his childhood home in Cabot, Pennsylvania, ABC News reported. The network said it has a planned interview with the candidate.
A representative for Santorum could not be reached immediately to comment on the report.
In the 2012 Republican nomination race, Santorum finished behind eventual nominee Mitt Romney. He had strong support from voters who were drawn to his unwavering social and religious conservatism and wary of the more business-oriented Romney.
Santorum won Iowa's kickoff contest and a string of later primaries in 2012, outlasting other White House hopefuls before falling to Romney in the Republican nominating race.
His support has languished in the low single digits in most polls ahead of the 2016 race and he faces a stronger and potentially larger field of Republican hopefuls this time around, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and U.S. senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/santorum-enters-2016-race/2015/05/27/id/646979/#ixzz3bMb460Gt
-
Santorum... One of the few people running that is actually a conservative.
He's ten time the conservative of a Jeb or huck.
-
The Republican party at the presidential level hasn't functioned as a democratic institution for a while now, drifting inexorably away from the general populace's views on virtually all matters of importance as the influence of the wealthy over the party has expanded. It can't even rely on its standard repertoire of so-called "wedge issues" -- gay marriage, immigration, etc. -- to muster votes and present the visage of being anything but an instrument of the wealthy, as most Americans now disagree with the party on these matters as well.
The circus that is the Republican presidential nominee contest will provide ample entertainment, at least.
-
Pataki announces 2016 bid, says he would back 'boots on the ground' to fight ISIS
Published May 28, 2015·
FoxNews.com
Former New York Gov. George Pataki, announcing Thursday that he'll seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016, told Fox News that he would authorize American "boots on the ground" to go after Islamic State targets in Iraq.
The former Republican governor weighed in on a debate that has divided the party. Pataki insisted he does not want to see a "trillion-dollar, decade-long war," but said the U.S. cannot allow ISIS to have "recruiting" and "training" centers.
"If necessary, we will send in American boots on the ground to destroy those training centers, destroy those planning centers and then get out," he said. The U.S. has more than 3,000 troops in Iraq to train and equip Iraqi forces, but they are not technically in a combat role.
Pataki, meanwhile, pledged to run on a "reform agenda" as he joins a crowded field seeking the GOP nomination in 2016.
"My whole life has prepared me for this moment," Pataki told Fox News. "I am running."
Pataki formally announced his campaign shortly afterward at a rally in Exeter, N.H., which served as the state capital during the Revolutionary War and claims to be the birthplace of the Republican Party. "Let the next decade be the decade where America proves to the world, you ain't seen nothing yet," Pataki told the crowd.
In announcing his White House bid, Pataki's campaign also posted a three-and-a-half-minute video to its website featuring an anti-big government message, "Washington has grown too big, too powerful, too expensive, and too intrusive." The video highlighted Pataki's role as governor of New York following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
"We have always understood that we have a common background and a common destiny, and when we stand together, we can accomplish anything," Pataki said in the video. "I saw that on the streets of New York in the days and weeks after September 11."
Pataki is the eighth Republican candidate to announce his run for the White House, and does so one day after former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum launched his second presidential campaign.
Pataki, 69, has worked as a lawyer and opened a consulting firm since leaving office in 2006. He's been a frequent visitor to the early nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire over the years, and has made more than half a dozen trips to New Hampshire this year alone as he explored a 2016 campaign. His earlier efforts never resulted in a full-fledged campaign, however.
Clearly a longshot, Pataki has cited his electoral success in a heavily Democratic state -- he knocked off liberal icon Mario Cuomo to become governor in 1994 -- and ability to work with Democrats as among his strengths. But he's spent recent months promoting his conservative credentials, as those running for the Republican nomination invariably do.
In an earlier trip to New Hampshire, he campaigned against President Obama's health care law, criticized Obama's executive order to offer protections against deportation to millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, and said the nation can't afford another Democratic president.
Speaking with Fox News, Pataki said he knows how to "put together a coalition" and said the Republican nominee will have to appeal to independents, conservative Democrats, young voters, minority voters and more.
Pataki served as governor from 1995 through 2006. The lengthy tenure was the pinnacle of a long career in politics that began with a run for mayor in his hometown of Peekskill. He won in 1981, and served two terms before going on to the New York State Assembly, then the State Senate, where he served one term.
He rode a national Republican wave into the governor's mansion in 1994, and was held in high esteem as a fiscal conservative who was able to win the top office in a traditionally blue state. But his positions on gun control, gay rights and global warming created a schism with his more socially conservative supporters, and some fiscal conservatives were still underwhelmed by his economic policies during his years as governor.
Nonetheless, he has taken a populist, small-government tone in recent television appearances and PAC commercials.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/former-new-york-gov-pataki-announces-run-for-2016-gop-presidential-nomination/?intcmp=latestnews
-
First meeting with Al Sharpton, then disrespecting women, now this? He is not ready for prime time.
Rand Paul Holds Republican Hawks Responsible for ISIS
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2015/05/27/us/politics/27firstdraft-rand-paul-comments/27firstdraft-rand-paul-comments-tmagArticle.jpg)
Senator Rand Paul with a supporter at a book signing in New York City on Tuesday night.Credit Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has been doing his best to differentiate himself from fellow Republicans who are running for president and, on Wednesday, he ratcheted up his talking points by holding foreign policy hawks in his own party responsible for the growing strength of Islamic State militants.
Asked whether he was concerned that a potential rival for the nomination such as Senator Lindsey Graham would target him for being an isolationist on international affairs, Mr. Paul said that people like Mr. Graham helped add to the chaos in the Middle East.
“ISIS exists and grew stronger because of the hawks in our party who gave arms indiscriminately, and most these arms were snatched up by ISIS,” Mr. Paul said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Mr. Paul’s comments are likely to anger many Republicans and come at a time when responsibility for the Islamic State is a matter of debate. This month, a college student in Nevada told former Gov. Jeb Bush that President George W. Bush, his brother, created ISIS.
Mr. Paul also sought to tie Republicans to the policies Hillary Rodham Clinton promoted as secretary of state.
“ISIS is all over Libya because these same hawks in my party loved Hillary Clinton’s war in Libya, they just wanted more of it,” he said. “Libya is a failed state. It’s a disaster.”
Mr. Paul has been critical of Mr. Graham and his close friend Senator John McCain in the past and recently called them “lap dogs” of President Obama’s foreign policy. He doubled down on that sentiment on Wednesday, saying that they have been wrong on everything regarding foreign policy in the last 20 years.
“And yet somehow they have the gall to be saying and pointing fingers otherwise,” Mr. Paul said.
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/05/27/rand-paul-holds-republican-hawks-responsible-for-isis/?_r=0
-
Lindsey Graham Announces Presidential Bid
By ALAN RAPPEPORTJUNE 1, 2015
(http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/06/02/us/politics/02GRAHAM-web-sub/02GRAHAM-web-sub-master675.jpg)
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, announced his bid for the presidency on Monday. Credit Rainier Ehrhardt/Associated Press
Advertisement
CENTRAL, S.C. — Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Monday returned to the neighborhood where he was raised and announced that he is running for president, injecting a hawkish foreign policy voice into a crowded field of Republican contenders.
Mr. Graham’s entry into the race comes a year after his political career appeared briefly to be on the ropes, when Tea Party conservatives targeted him as a moderate to be ousted in the midterm election.
After fending off that challenge with ease, Mr. Graham, 59, has said his fear that the world is “falling apart” inspired him to run for the White House. He will try to convince voters that a platform of pragmatism at home and “security through strength” abroad is the formula that gives Republicans the best chance to beat Hillary Rodham Clinton if she becomes the Democratic nominee.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, greeted supporters after announcing his bid for the presidency on Monday.Lindsey Graham on the IssuesJUNE 1, 2015
“I want to be president to protect our nation that we all love so much from all threats foreign and domestic,” he told the crowd assembled in his hometown. “So get ready. I know I’m ready.”
Mr. Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving eight years in the House of Representatives. He joins the nominating contest as an underdog who has struggled in early polls next to rivals who include former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.
“I think that no one here in South Carolina has any illusions that Lindsey Graham is on a fast track or even near the front part of the pack in that crowded group,” said Robert Wislinski, a political strategist in the state.
What Lindsey Graham Would Need to Do to Win
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Monday joined the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Here is a look at what he will need to do to win.
In previous election cycles, that might not have been the case for someone with Mr. Graham’s credentials.
A former Air Force lawyer and judge, Mr. Graham has made multiple trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, burnishing his reputation as an authority on international affairs. With his years of experience, he may be seen as an elder statesman who can cast a light on Mr. Rubio’s scant record, or scold Senator Rand Paul for his isolationist policies.
As Mr. Graham traveled the country mulling a run, he mixed his usual wry humor with tough talk about terrorism. Speaking at the Lincoln Day Dinner in Iowa in April, the senator left no doubt about how he would handle the rise of the Islamic State group, also called ISIS or ISIL.
“If I’m president of the United States and you’re thinking about joining Al Qaeda or ISIL, I’m not going to call a judge,” he said. “I’m going to call a drone, and we will kill you.”
On domestic policy, Mr. Graham has left himself vulnerable to criticism from within his party. Open to making deals with Democrats to move bills forward, he is often criticized for sounding like a Democrat on climate change, spending and immigration.
In 2013, he worked with a bipartisan group of senators on legislation that would have created a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants. The plan failed, but Mr. Graham has made the case that Republicans are in danger of further losing Hispanic support because of opposition to immigration reform.
Strategists say that fund-raising will be an obstacle for Mr. Graham but that if his candidacy gains traction he could benefit from South Carolina’s status as an early primary state.
“Jeb Bush has pulled up the Brink’s truck and is about to dump it on the 2016 field, so it will be interesting to see how everybody competes with that,” said Luke Byars, who advised Mr. Graham during his last campaign.
One way Mr. Graham will look to compete is by opening up.
Unlike many other candidates, Mr. Graham is unmarried and has no children. To help connect with voters, he often talks about his sister and shares stories of his days working at the pool hall and liquor store that his family operated. Experiencing the early deaths of his parents, he sometimes recalls, made him mature more quickly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/us/politics/lindsey-graham-presidential-campaign.html?_r=0
-
Bobby Jindal To Announce June 24 Whether He's Running for President
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=12ebd935-60c5-414b-bb95-ff562ffe3c3e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Bobby Jindal To Announce June 24 Whether He's Running for President (Steve Nesius/Reuters)
Wednesday, 03 Jun 2015
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he will announce June 24 in New Orleans whether he will join the large field of Republicans running for president.
"If I decide to announce on June 24th that I will seek the Republican nomination for President, my candidacy will be based on the idea that the American people are ready to try a dramatically different direction," Jindal said in a statement emailed by his exploratory committee.
He said that “"other Republican leaders are talking about change" but that he had worked on actual plans to replace Obamacare, make the U.S. energy-independent, and change education policy.
Jindal is the first choice of just 1 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers in the key early nominating state of Iowa, according to a Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register poll published Saturday.
A slew of Republican governors and former governors are expected to join the race in coming weeks, including Rick Perry of Texas on Thursday in Dallas. Republican TV personality and businessman Donald Trump is expected to announce his decision on June 16 in New York.
On the Democratic side, former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is set to announce his run Wednesday in Virginia.
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Jindal-announcement-president-june/2015/06/03/id/648398/#ixzz3c1KqL3QV
-
Scott Walker Plans 2016 Announcement After State Budget Talks
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=ae41bbc6-3e0a-4ed6-bd75-ec69bbc7b542&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Scott Walker Plans 2016 Announcement After State Budget Talks (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Wednesday, 03 Jun 2015
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who holds a slight lead in many national polls for the GOP presidential nomination, said Wednesday he plans to announce officially if he'll be a candidate after pressing business in his own state concludes.
"I haven't made an announcement yet, and won't until after our budget is done at the end of this month," Walker told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program.
"Hopefully, we will get our fifth and sixth years' property taxes down from when I took office."
But he is already planning to be in Iowa again this weekend, and believes it will take a "grassroots organization" to pull off a campaign, as he did three times in the past few years in Wisconsin.
He admitted an announcement could give him a bump in the polls, but said, "our interest is less about the timing of a bump but getting through our state budget and then announcing what our intentions are."
He lauded the large group of Republicans who are seeking the nomination, and said that what he's seeing among voters is they want someone who can fight and win "for taxpayers like them."
There are good fighters, Walker said, including senators "who have been fighting the good fight but have yet to win any real victories there," and another group, "governors and former governors who are good at winning."
He pointed out that many of those governors "haven't taken on the big fights in their states," but "what would make us unique is we have done both. We have fought the fight on issue after issue."
Walker not only crushed most public employees' right to bargain with his support of the state's Act 10, resulting in a recall election that Walker won, he also signed off on a bill that made Wisconsin the 25th right-to-work state in the union.
Meanwhile, he railed against runaway Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, telling Fox that people see her and her husband, ex-President Bill Clinton, as people who have different sets of rules for themselves and anyone else.
"People don't want a leader anointed in America," said Walker. "They don't want someone who is part of a monarchy or legacy. They want someone who earns it by working hard."
And he said he thinks it would be a real challenge for someone like Clinton to win a nomination without a "serious primary," but the number of "great candidates on the Republican side and those coming in the future is good for the party and, most importantly, good for America."
Walker also voiced his concerns on the troubled relationship between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he traveled to Israel recently and told the leader he would like to try to establish a strong relationship.
Further, he said that he spoke with leaders who are concerned about the proposed nuclear deal with Iran, as "they see it as a direct threat to their safety and security."
Also on Wednesday, the governor said he is glad the Senate passed the USA Freedom Act, which modifies controversial provisions of the Patriot Act, but would have preferred a full reauthorization of the Patriot Act instead.
The new act is not a step back, he said, which would mean doing nothing, but he still considers the new act as "another example of the failure of this president to lead."
"This is an example where the president could lead, have used the bully pulpit to tell the American people to make sure we will prevent another terrorist attack out there," said Walker. "This is one of the many tools we need. I hope we will re-establish the Patriot Act."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Scott-Walker-budget-announcement-2016/2015/06/03/id/648437/#ixzz3c1LWJSPB
-
22 pages of future 2016 losers.
-
22 pages of future 2016 losers.
anything can happen.
the last 2 presidential elections were toss-ups, not sure if you saw that.
-
anything can happen.
the last 2 presidential elections were toss-ups, not sure if you saw that.
Skin of the teeth kind of results we are talking about.
-
Ex-Texas governor unveils 'Perry for President' website ahead of 2016 announcement
Published June 04, 2015
FoxNews.com
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry unveiled his apparent presidential campaign website Thursday morning ahead of an expected announcement that he will officially seek the 2016 Republican nomination.
The "Perry for President" website went live Thursday morning. It includes stats highlighting tax cuts and other policies from his lengthy term as Texas governor, as well as a promotional and biographical web video.
A senior Perry adviser says the former governor plans to make his bid official at an event in Dallas later in the day.
Perry would become the 10th Republican to enter the race for the White House. He has already made several visits to the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, and will look to erase the memories of his disappointing 2012 campaign.
When Perry entered the Republican race last cycle, he was considered to be among the front-runners. Then, at a November 2011 debate in Michigan, he forgot the name of the third federal agency he said he would close if he was elected, then muttered "Oops." In that moment, he went from from powerhouse to punchline and gradually faded from contention.
However, Perry still has the policy record that made him an early force last time.
Perry left office in January after a record 14 years as governor of Texas. Under him, the state generated more than a third of America's new private-sector jobs since 2001.
While an oil and gas boom fueled much of that economic growth, Perry credits lower taxes, restrained regulation and limits on civil litigation damages. He also pushed offering economic incentives to lure top employers to Texas and repeatedly visited states with Democratic governors to poach jobs.
Perry was thought to be a cinch for four more years as governor in 2014, but instead turned back to White House ambitions. His effort may be complicated this time by a felony indictment on abuse of power and coercion charges, from when he threatened -- then carried out -- a veto of state funding for public corruption prosecutors. That came when the unit's Democratic head rebuffed Perry's demands that she resign following a drunken driving conviction.
Perry calls the case against him a political "witch hunt," but his repeated efforts to get it tossed on constitutional grounds have so far proved unsuccessful. That raises the prospect he'll have to leave the campaign trail to head to court in Texas.
Perry blamed lingering pain from back surgery in the summer of 2011 for part of the reason he performed poorly in the 2012 campaign. He has ditched his trademark cowboy boots for more comfortable footwear and wears glasses that give him a serious look.
Perry also traveled extensively overseas and studied policy with experts and economists at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He met such business moguls as Warren Buffett and Rupert Murdoch.
Lately, Perry has traveled to Iowa, which kicks off presidential nomination voting, more than any GOP White House candidate.
"People realize that what the governor did in the high-profile debate, stumble, everyone has done at some point in their lives," said Ray Sullivan, Perry's chief of staff as governor and communications director for his 2012 presidential bid. "I think he's already earned a second look, particular in Iowa."
"I think he's kind of been freed up to be Rick Perry again," said Brendan Steinhauser, a Texas political consultant who was director of state and federal campaigns for tea party-backed FreedomWorks before managing the re-election campaign of veteran Sen. John Cornyn last year. "That's going to give him a lot of freedom to do what he does best, which is talk to voters one-on-one, shake hands, do the small meetings."
As an underdog, Perry has visited out-of-the-way places in Iowa, often traveling with a single SUV rather than the busloads in his 2012 entourage. Steinhauser said Perry shouldn't "start out trying to be larger than life."
One thing Perry hopes to emulate from 2012 is his fundraising, when he amassed $18 million in the first six weeks. He has strong donor contacts nationwide as a former Republican Governors Association chairman. However, his indictments may cause some to hesitate to write him checks.
Perry's camp notes that many past Republican candidates, including Mitt Romney in 2012, rebounded to win the party's presidential nomination after failing in a previous bid. But GOP strategist Ford O'Connell said the 2016 field is "extremely talented and deep" compared to four years ago.
"For him to win the nomination," O'Connell said, "he's going to have to be great, but a lot of people are going to have to trip and fall along the way."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/04/former-texas-gov-rick-perry-to-join-2016-gop-field/?intcmp=latestnews
-
Jeb Bush to Announce White House Bid on June 15
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=f52c9901-d619-492a-92fd-e81c8ce6abc1&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Jeb Bush to Announce White House Bid on June 15 (Joe Readle/Getty Images)
Thursday, 04 Jun 2015
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is expected to formally announce his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on June 15 in Miami, according to a new campaign website that went live early Thursday.
"Coming soon ...," Bush said on his Twitter account, linking to the website. A companion message was posted in Spanish.
Bush, the son of former president George H.W. Bush and brother of former president George W. Bush, is entering a crowded field of Republican candidates ahead of the November 2016 presidential election, with former Texas Governor Rick Perry the latest to join.
Bush, 62, has been raising money and campaigning for months, but not as an official candidate.
Watchdog groups are asking the Justice Department to investigate him and others for possibly using his "non candidacy" to skirt federal election fundraising laws. Bush's spokeswoman said, in response to questions about his fundraising, that he is fully complying with the law.
With an announcement, he would immediately become one of the top-tier candidates for the nomination. As the candidate who most represents the establishment wing of the party, he already leads many national polls of Republicans who are considering a wide-open field for the 2016 nomination.
His main challenge is to convince conservative Republicans to set aside concerns he is too moderate, even as he tries to expand the reach of Republicans who have lost the last two presidential elections and are seen as facing an uphill battle in 2016.
The pressure will be on to show how he is different from fresher faces in the party like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Both he and Rubio are from Florida.
One issue that may give him trouble with conservatives is his more welcoming attitude toward illegal immigrants. He has geared his candidacy toward making himself more appealing to Hispanic-Americans, a voting bloc growing in significance, particularly in key swing states like Nevada, Colorado and his home state of Florida.
http://www.newsmax.com/US/jeb-bush-2016-announcement/2015/06/04/id/648632/#ixzz3c6z4n1kF
-
The only one in Jeb's immediate family with a clean record is his dog.
Of course, everyone is going to over look that once he gets the nod. Which he will most likely get the nod unless he drops out simply because no one wants a conservative to run. Then everyone is going to harp on and on about his great "family values".
-
Christie Backers: Don't Count Him Out of 2016 Race
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=7da4e0f2-a1a3-436d-9501-00af1e1b0a85&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Christie Backers: Don't Count Him Out of 2016 Race (Oliver Douliery/Getty Images)
Monday, 08 Jun 2015
Some of Chris Christie’s early financial backers are sticking it out, saying the New Jersey governor’s troubles may make him a better candidate if he is chosen for the first Republican presidential debate.
The George Washington Bridge traffic scandal? Republicans will get over it, said Home Depot Inc. co-founder Ken Langone. Christie’s high negative ratings? The more people get to know him, the more they’ll like him, said New York investor Nick Loeb. His polling in the middle of a crowded field? The Nov. 8, 2016, election is a long way off, said Bobbie Kilberg, a Republican donor and fundraiser.
“Polls that run 10 percent on the high end and 2 percent on the low mean very little at this point,” said Kilberg, president of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. “Chris being smack in the middle is just fine with me.”
The support fuels Christie’s determination even as newspaper editorials declare his race over before its official start. With the governor hovering near the bottom of the list of candidates who will make the cutoff for the debate and its opportunity for a breakout moment, his backers point to his record of thriving under stress.
So far, at least eight major Republican candidates have joined a field that may feature as many as 18 contenders. Only the top 10 as determined by an average of five polls will participate in the August forum in Cleveland.
While Christie has yet to announce a run, he’s been to 14 states this year to meet voters, raise money and give speeches. This week, he’s back in New Hampshire for a sixth time and will return to Iowa to discuss education.
Approval Ratings
Christie, 52, became a national figure during his first term with calls for employee-benefit cuts and lower taxes, and confrontations with detractors.
His approval surged after he led the state through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. After winning a second term in 2013, his ratings crumbled amid a sluggish recovery, record credit-rating downgrades and the intentional lane closings at the George Washington Bridge, which crippled the town of a mayor who failed to endorse him.
Three investigations found no evidence that Christie knew of the plot. The governor labored to shake it off, stumping the country as Republican Governors Association chairman. He set fundraising records and helped his party add two governorships to the 29 it held.
‘Shared Ideas’
Phil Cox, a former RGA executive director who formed the America Leads super-political action committee in March to raise unlimited sums to support a Christie run, said his energy and ability to connect have allowed him to remain in the game.
“On the majority of issues, the Republican candidates for president will agree,” Cox said. “What donors are looking for is the candidate who can sell our shared ideas to independent voters.”
Kilberg, who donated $15,000 to the RGA last year and last month hosted an event that she said raised $175,000 for Christie’s Leadership Matters for America PAC, said candidates in such a crowded field don’t need an early lock on fundraising. Christie needs enough to get to the debates and campaign in early-voting states, she said.
“It’s very clear why I’m backing Chris -- he’s willing to take on hard public-policy issues, he’s the most talented retail politician out there and the fact that what you see is what you get is all very appealing to me,” she said.
Decision Time
During recent trips, Christie has outlined his positions on foreign policy, entitlements and economic growth. The specific plans distinguish him from the pack, Langone said.
Langone, 79, a donor to past Christie campaigns who supports Leadership Matters, said the governor needs to formally announce his intentions within the next month.
“When people know he’s committed, that will be a big barrier down,” Langone said in a June 1 telephone interview. “People will line up behind him strongly and more profoundly.”
Should he run, Christie has his work cut out for him. In a Bloomberg Iowa poll, 45 percent of likely Republican caucus participants said they’d never support him. Only Donald Trump scored worse, with 58 percent.
Campaign Scandals
Donor Chris Vincze, chairman of TRC Cos., a Massachusetts energy and infrastructure consulting company, said the bridge affair was overblown. It pales in comparison to disclosures about Democrat Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server and links to her family’s foundation, he said.
“She’s had two of them now and it’s just assumed she’s going to win the nomination,” said Vincze.
Christie came closest to declaring himself a candidate on May 22, when he told the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Oklahoma that members would never have to guess where he stands.
“I will fight with every ounce of energy I have to return America to prominence and prosperity at home, and to leadership around the world,” he said.
Voters want candor, Langone said, and Christie “has that in spades.”
Loeb, who donated to the PAC and is helping it raise money, said he met Christie in 2012 at the White House Correspondents Dinner, when the governor and Mary Pat Christie were seated next to him and actress Sofia Vergara, his former fiancée. Christie “blew him away” because he spoke like a regular guy, not a “robotic politician.”
“For me to support a candidate, I have to actually like that candidate -- it doesn’t matter whether they get good press or bad press,” Loeb said. “We just need to get Chris in front of as many people as possible.”
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/christie-supporters-press-on/2015/06/08/id/649265/#ixzz3cUccWmJf
-
Rubio gaining ground with donors and in polls, but still far behind Bush's coffers
By Andrew O'Reilly
Published June 08, 2015
Fox News Latino
(http://global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn-latino/politics/Rubio%20Bush%20Donations.jpg)
Sen. Marco Rubio at the First in the Nation Summit April 17, 2015 in Nashua, New Hampshire. (Getty)
Marco Rubio's tenacious politicking and fundraising efforts appear to be working out so far for the Republican candidate as the campaign season heats up and more and more presidential hopefuls join the fray.
The Florida senator recently has seen a surge in both the polls and in campaign contributions, with many GOP strategists and fundraisers raving about the Cuban-American lawmaker – much to the chagrin of his main rival, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
"After meeting Marco and listening to him — he is almost astounding, he is so articulate and he has got such great vision," Anthony Gioia, a top GOP fundraiser in Buffalo, told the Washington Post. "I hate to overuse the word ‘transformational,' but I really feel he is."
The recent upwelling of support for Rubio has helped the junior senator jump ahead in the numbers game, with a Washington Post/ABC News poll released this week showing that the he has a better split between his favorable rating and his unfavorable rating than anyone else in the fast-growing 2016 Republican field. Bush and the other GOP favorites fell flatly in the middle, while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ranked toward the bottom alongside Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Analysts say this early support and fundraising by Rubio is necessary for him to compete for advertising and outreach during a Republican primary season that is expected to be a long, arduous campaign — especially given the already deep coffers of competitors like Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
In a game of fundraising it's all about meeting and beating your competitors.
- Susan MacManus, professor at the University of South Florida
Bush, who has yet to formally declare his bid for presidency, is expected to report at the end of July that his super PAC, Right to Rise, has raised more than $100 million for his campaign. By April, people familiar with Rubio's campaign, on the other hand, noted that a super PAC supporting the Florida senator had raised around $20 million.
"This is the part of the campaign where people are thinking about who they are going to support and who giving money to will help the most," Susan MacManus, a political campaign expert and professor at the University of South Florida, told Fox News Latino. "Rubio doesn't have the depth of networks that Bush does so it is very important for him to get ahead in fundraising at this early stage."
Part of that fundraising effort entails winning over donors who have become either disinterested in Bush or put off by what many consider his moderate stance on topics like immigration and education.
Before Buffalo's Gioia was gung-ho for Rubio, he had raised more than $500,000 for Bush's brother, former President George W. Bush. Wayne Berman, who worked in the administration of Jeb's father, President George H.W. Bush, and was a fundraiser for his brother, is now a senior advisor to Rubio.
Political observers are now saying that while Bush may have the name recognition, thanks to his relatives, this does not automatically guarantee that he will get the support – or the money – from his family's former backers.
"I don't think anyone, including Jeb Bush, should expect to automatically pick up support to become president — especially by virtue of being related to a past president. And I doubt he would disagree with that," Neil Patel, a Bush White House official and publisher of The Daily Caller told the New York Times. "Lots of former colleagues are lined up behind Jeb but many are also with Rubio, Walker and others."
Besides snagging up prospective Bush donors, Rubio is also benefiting from the support of newer bundlers, including billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Randy Kendrick, an influential Arizona donor and the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick.
Rubio also has the almost unconditional backing of former Philadelphia Eagles owner and Miami billionaire Norman Braman, who has harbored ill will toward Bush ever since the former Florida governor vetoed $2 million in state funds that had been allocated for the Braman Breast Cancer Institute. Braman already committed to hand over as much as $10 million into a pro-Rubio super PAC.
Despite Rubio's hectic fundraising and growing popularity with both big-time donors and the voting public, most observers agree that he – and all other GOP candidates – will all be playing catch-up with Bush when it comes to campaign contributions.
"In the game of fundraising it's all about meeting and beating your competitors," MacManus said. "Bush jumped out early in terms of money and is still beating everyone in funding by a lot."
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2015/06/08/rubio-gaining-ground-with-donors-and-in-polls-but-still-far-behind-bush-coffers/
-
DONALD TRUMP GAINING GROUND: 12% SUPPORT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
(http://www.fixthisnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/trump.jpg)
Today on his show, Howie Carr featured a Gravis Marketing poll in New Hampshire that has Jeb Bush up big at 21%, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
and Scott Walker both trailing with 13% and Donald Trump right on their heels at 12%. Nine percent of respondents were “unsure. Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee each came in at 5%, while Chris Christie and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) brought up the rear with 4% each.
-
DONALD TRUMP GAINING GROUND: 12% SUPPORT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Today on his show, Howie Carr featured a Gravis Marketing poll in New Hampshire that has Jeb Bush up big at 21%, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
and Scott Walker both trailing with 13% and Donald Trump right on their heels at 12%. Nine percent of respondents were “unsure. Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee each came in at 5%, while Chris Christie and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) brought up the rear with 4% each.
Repubs are in denial about one thing with Trump. He's not prepared in most areas.
You know what will happen? He'll get on a realy big stage - like the debates against Hilary - and he'll step in verbal shit with some really big gaffe on a common sense position, simply because he DOESNT know it all. "I'm going to tell china who the boss is" can cause fcking wars. Or "I will just tell the muslims, YOURE FIRED!" can lead to dead US troops.
Seriously, the only people who support Trump are part-time idiot voters that watch more NBC primetime than actual news.
-
Florida Poll: Rubio Surging, Beats Jeb Bush in Head-to-Head Contest
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=6a8901bc-ff06-4fb9-86b1-ce63aa097931&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Florida Poll: Rubio Surging, Beats Jeb Bush in Head-to-Head Contest (Joe Readle/Getty Images; Laura Segall/Getty Images)
By Greg Richter | Wednesday, 10 Jun 2015
A new poll of Florida Republican primary voters by Saint Leo University’s Polling Institute finds that the race is tightening between former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio.
In a theoretical head-to-head matchup with no other Republican candidates, Rubio beats Bush by 8 percentage points, 48 percent to 40 percent.
When other Republicans are included, the poll shows that Bush has 30 percent support among likely Republican voters in Florida while Rubio is coming up fast with 24 percent — a surge of 8 points for the junior senator since St. Leo’s last poll in March.
Rubio continues to do well in Florida as a strong second choice for primary voters — 29 percent call him their second choice. Bush, who is set to declare his candidacy next week after widely being considered a frontrunner with strong financial backing, comes behind with 12 percent listing him as their second choice.
Rubio declared his candidacy in April.
"The surge for Senator Rubio is significant and is easily the most interesting finding in our recent politics poll," said Frank Orlando, instructor of political science at Saint Leo University. "Bush is still holding off Rubio in Florida, but the only factor keeping Rubio from the lead is the large number of conservative candidates who have siphoned his support."
Bush is more popular with moderates, while Rubio gets the support of conservatives, Orlando said.
The poll also shows that more Floridians now believe Rubio has a chance of getting the Republican nomination than they did three months ago. In March, only 9 percent believed Rubio was likely to take the GOP crown, but in June that number had tripled to 27 percent.
In the same period, the number of Floridians who thought Bush would win the nomination dropped from 38 percent to 34 percent.
The poll findings:
March June Candidate
31 % 30 % Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
16 % 24 % U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida
10 % 7 % Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
9 % 7 % Dr. Ben Carson
7 % 7 % U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky
4 % 6 % Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
The poll of 535 Florida adults was conducted between May 25 and May 31. The margin of error on political questions (which only talked to likely voters) is about 4.5 percent with a 95 percent confidence level. The poll used an online questionnaire.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/rubio-surging-florida-poll/2015/06/10/id/649845/#ixzz3chtnAOGR
-
Repubs are in denial about one thing with Trump. He's not prepared in most areas.
You know what will happen? He'll get on a realy big stage - like the debates against Hilary - and he'll step in verbal shit with some really big gaffe on a common sense position, simply because he DOESNT know it all. "I'm going to tell china who the boss is" can cause fcking wars. Or "I will just tell the muslims, YOURE FIRED!" can lead to dead US troops.
Seriously, the only people who support Trump are part-time idiot voters that watch more NBC primetime than actual news.
No way. We can make a million jokes about his hair and his political positions but Trump is an Ace Salesman and I just can't see him making an ass out of himself on camera in the way you are describing. Even if he doesn't know the "correct response" he will be able to smooth talk his way out of it with the greatest of ease.
From a "On Camera Presence" standpoint he will be one of the best on stage.
-
No way. We can make a million jokes about his hair and his political positions but Trump is an Ace Salesman and I just can't see him making an ass out of himself on camera in the way you are describing.
Okay - I will share some quotes he made when he WAS NOT under the pressure of a national election, trailing in polls, shaking hands/speaking for 18 hours a day... that's when candidates get bad. Here are some things Trump has said while calm and collected.
"I have people that have been studying [Obama's birth certificate] and they cannot believe what they're finding... I would like to have him show his birth certificate, and can I be honest with you, I hope he can. Because if he can't, if he can't, if he wasn't born in this country, which is a real possibility…then he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics." –Donald Trump, three weeks before Obama released his long-form birth certificate in 2011
"I have a great relationship with the blacks." –Donald Trump
"Let me tell you, I'm a really smart guy." –Donald Trump, on his intelligence
"The beauty of me is that I'm very rich." –Donald Trump
. Now he's after the Chinese. Before a rambunctious Vegas crowd yesterday, he got all fired up and threatened China with an export tax:
"Listen you motherfuckers, we're going to tax you 25%."
-
Okay - I will share some quotes he made when he WAS NOT under the pressure of a national election, trailing in polls, shaking hands/speaking for 18 hours a day... that's when candidates get bad. Here are some things Trump has said while calm and collected.
"I have people that have been studying [Obama's birth certificate] and they cannot believe what they're finding... I would like to have him show his birth certificate, and can I be honest with you, I hope he can. Because if he can't, if he can't, if he wasn't born in this country, which is a real possibility…then he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics." –Donald Trump, three weeks before Obama released his long-form birth certificate in 2011
"I have a great relationship with the blacks." –Donald Trump
"Let me tell you, I'm a really smart guy." –Donald Trump, on his intelligence
"The beauty of me is that I'm very rich." –Donald Trump
. Now he's after the Chinese. Before a rambunctious Vegas crowd yesterday, he got all fired up and threatened China with an export tax:
"Listen you motherfuckers, we're going to tax you 25%."
The man has been joking around with the media for 30 years. There is a difference between knowingly going out there and trolling the press versus just being a bumbling buffoon who falls apart in front of the camera. It wasn't pressure that made him say any of that stuff. I doubt he has any regrets over any of those comments.
-
Off to a great start.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/rick-santorum-iowa-event-one-voter-turnout-118774.html
At first, one was the loneliest number for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Monday.
Just one Iowan showed up at 2 p.m. campaign stop Monday at a restaurant in the unincorporated community of Hamlin, population 300, according to a report from The Des Moines Register — Peggy Toft, an insurance agent who chairs the county’s Republican Party.
“We didn’t have a lot of notice that he was going to be there,” Toft said in a telephone interview with POLITICO, explaining the low turnout.
But even she would not endorse Santorum outright.
The Audubon County Republican chair said that she is “leaning” toward supporting Santorum but has not yet made a decision about whom she would support in the caucus.
“I feel like I have to get all of the facts,” she said.
The presidential candidate spoke for about 10 minutes one-on-one with Toft, outlining what differentiates him from the rest of the Republican field, she said.
Toft said she agrees with Santorum’s views on the Affordable Care Act, marriage, family and his overall conservative views.
The two also discussed Santorum’s business experience.
“It helps a lot as far as grassroots,” she said. “Should I decide to vote for him, I will get the word out.”
Eventually, there were four Iowans gathered at Santorum’s table (not counting photographers and campaign aides), where the 2016 hopeful lunched on a breaded tenderloin with a side of onion rings.
-
Louie Gohmert and other Texas congressmen to endorse Ted Cruz’s 2016 bid
(http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000474059588/ae423b08bb7a6e382fbd54184d3257a9_400x400.jpeg)
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz‘s presidential campaign will announce the endorsements of four members of the Texas congressional delegation.
Republican U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess of Lewisville, John Culberson of Houston, Louie Gohmert of Tyler and John Ratcliffe of Heath are all backing the state’s junior senator on Thursday, according to a Cruz campaign news release obtained by The Texas Tribune.
The quartet’s support of Cruz is not altogether surprising, as the representatives constitute four of the state’s most conservative U.S. House members.
Gohmert was part of the “Tortilla Coast Caucus,” a group that met with Cruz in a Capitol Hill restaurant basement during the government shutdown and is known to follow his lead on House floor votes.
Culberson previously announced his support for Cruz last month on his own. Ratcliffe defeated longtime U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall last spring, successfully challenging the GOP establishment. And Burgess is a vocal conservative, specifically on the 2010 health care overhaul law.
Gohmert had a specifically pointed statement in the batch of endorsements.
“With a Ted Cruz Presidency, America will finally be respected around the world again as other nations will see a courageous and intellectual leader, NEVER wavering on principle, who stands by our allies leaving other countries afraid to be our enemy,” he wrote.
The Texas GOP’s congressional delegation is known to wield its influence by sticking together as a voting bloc. But when it comes to presidential politics, the 25-person GOP House delegation is likely to splinter.
There are three other presidential contenders with direct ties to Texas who will be competing for congressional endorsements. Former Gov. Rick Perry is the state’s longest-serving executive. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush grew up in Texas.
A slew of other presidential contenders are making frequent Texas stops to court Texas donors.
But one Texas delegation member said earlier this year he will not be endorsing Cruz, or anyone else. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn told the Tribune in January he has no intention of backing any contender in the GOP nomination fight.
-
Louie Gohmert and other Texas congressmen to endorse Ted Cruz’s 2016 bid
(http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000474059588/ae423b08bb7a6e382fbd54184d3257a9_400x400.jpeg)
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz‘s presidential campaign will announce the endorsements of four members of the Texas congressional delegation.
Republican U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess of Lewisville, John Culberson of Houston, Louie Gohmert of Tyler and John Ratcliffe of Heath are all backing the state’s junior senator on Thursday, according to a Cruz campaign news release obtained by The Texas Tribune.
The quartet’s support of Cruz is not altogether surprising, as the representatives constitute four of the state’s most conservative U.S. House members.
Gohmert was part of the “Tortilla Coast Caucus,” a group that met with Cruz in a Capitol Hill restaurant basement during the government shutdown and is known to follow his lead on House floor votes.
Culberson previously announced his support for Cruz last month on his own. Ratcliffe defeated longtime U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall last spring, successfully challenging the GOP establishment. And Burgess is a vocal conservative, specifically on the 2010 health care overhaul law.
Gohmert had a specifically pointed statement in the batch of endorsements.
“With a Ted Cruz Presidency, America will finally be respected around the world again as other nations will see a courageous and intellectual leader, NEVER wavering on principle, who stands by our allies leaving other countries afraid to be our enemy,” he wrote.
The Texas GOP’s congressional delegation is known to wield its influence by sticking together as a voting bloc. But when it comes to presidential politics, the 25-person GOP House delegation is likely to splinter.
There are three other presidential contenders with direct ties to Texas who will be competing for congressional endorsements. Former Gov. Rick Perry is the state’s longest-serving executive. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush grew up in Texas.
A slew of other presidential contenders are making frequent Texas stops to court Texas donors.
But one Texas delegation member said earlier this year he will not be endorsing Cruz, or anyone else. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn told the Tribune in January he has no intention of backing any contender in the GOP nomination fight.
He has really fallen off the radar the past few weeks.
-
He has really fallen off the radar the past few weeks.
Maybe so but things can change drastically once all the candidates are up on stage answering questions.
-
Maybe so but things can change drastically once all the candidates are up on stage answering questions.
I agree. The debates will help weed out the weak and create separation between the handful who will be legitimate contenders and the rest of the pack going into the primary season. I think Cruz, Rubio, and Walker will do very well in debates.
-
I agree. The debates will help weed out the weak and create separation between the handful who will be legitimate contenders and the rest of the pack going into the primary season. I think Cruz, Rubio, and Walker will do very well in debates.
Yep. I remember when Rudy Guliani was the pick of alot of people going in and a few weeks later he just fell off the map.
-
Yep. I remember when Rudy Guliani was the pick of alot of people going in and a few weeks later he just fell off the map.
Same with Rick Perry.
-
He has really fallen off the radar the past few weeks.
thats a good thing. He hasn't been under indictment like Perry or stepping in shit like Jeb. He's been quietly campaigning and building his base in key early states.
-
thats a good thing. He hasn't been under indictment like Perry or stepping in shit like Jeb. He's been quietly campaigning and building his base in key early states.
Yeah. Sure he has. lol
-
Yeah. Sure he has. lol
Maybe you missed him speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition summit in Iowa this week. Said some great things.
But I guess you're too busy tracking "electable" "sorta-conservatives" like Christie.
-
Maybe you missed him speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition summit in Iowa this week. Said some great things.
But I guess you're too busy tracking "electable" "sorta-conservatives" like Christie.
Dude I don't take anything you say at face value, because you are a chronic liar.
I would bet dollars to donuts you didn't watch whatever speech he gave. You don't support him or any other Republican running for office.
-
Some mealy mouthed promises and a few good ones.
The GOP Hopefuls Talk About What They'd Do First
Thursday, 11 Jun 2015
If there's any question a presidential candidate should be ready for, it's: What's the first thing you would do if you were president?
In an interview with the Washington Post published Wednesday, Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said he would work on repealing any executive orders from President Barack Obama that exceed the legal authority of the office. Given that Cruz has made a name for himself in part by railing against what he perceives to be Obama's “lawlessness,” it's a fitting answer.
A president's first 100 days is shorthand stemming from the Franklin D. Roosevelt era for what can a leader accomplish during their honeymoon period with the American public. A look at what other presidential hopefuls have said, then, is a stand- in for the one goal they're most willing to spend their political capital on. Below, we've collected what 10 official and unofficial candidates have said about the early days of their hypothetical presidencies. Ted Cruz
The White House is well aware of the potential for a Republican president to dismantle Obama’s legacy. “Our first 100 days we spent a lot of time signing executive orders undoing what [President George W.] Bush did,” Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior aide to Obama, told the Wall Street Journal last year. “I would like not to be sitting on a beach somewhere reading about President Cruz doing that to us, so it’s very important to us” that the actions stand, Pfeiffer said.
Cruz says he would do just that. “If you live by the pen, you die by the pen,” he told the Post. “Everything put in place by executive order can be undone by executive order.” He added that he would use his first 100 days “to engage in a careful, systematic review of each executive action and to rescind every one of them that exceeds the Constitutional and legal authority of the president.”
Rand Paul:
On his first day, he said, he would also convene his national security team to conduct a “serious, careful, sober” analysis of Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Since launching his presidential campaign on April 7, the Kentucky senator has focused on the National Security Agency's spying program, and he says ending it would be his first order of business.
Carly Fiorina
On day one of the Fiorina presidency, the former HP CEO says she would make three calls. “First is to the prime minister of Israel because how we treat our friends is reassuring to our other friends,” she said during an interview in May after her campaign announcement. Her second call would be to “the head of Iran” to say the U.S. is imposing more sanctions, she said, and her third call would be to the Democratic Party. “I would tell them, ‘We have work to do and I look forward to working with both Republicans and Democrats to get work done.’”
Rick Perry
In his announcement speech last week, the former Texas governor laid out a vision for a very busy first day in the Oval Office.
“On my first day in office, I will issue an immediate freeze on all pending regulations from the Obama administration,” Perry said. “That same day, I will send to Congress a comprehensive reform and rollback of job-killing mandates created by Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, and other Obama-era policies.” He'd also sign an executive order approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, he said.
Jeb Bush
The former Florida governor, who is expected to announce his campaign on Monday, said in May that during his first 100 days in office he would try to change the regulatory environment and “focus on the things the executive branch, the presidency, the president can do without a whole lot of interaction with Congress.”
He said he would hire officials who aren't “just political hacks and academics,” undo executive orders he doesn't agree with, and focus on proposals that have bipartisan support. He said he would also work to “restore the relationships” with countries abroad (specifically with Netanyahu) that foster peace, and repeal Obamacare.
“I think repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a 21st century, consumer-directed, patient-driven heath care system has to be a high priority,” he said.
Ben Carson
“Well, I think it would be important to have a conversation with the House and the Senate and talk about what our goals as a nation should be,” the retired neurosurgeon said in an April video before he announced his campaign. He goes on to say that he and congressional leaders would lay out “common goals and objectives” and “start by doing some things we all agreed needed to be done.”
He said getting through the easy tasks would help build stronger relationships. He went on to say that the U.S. needs to do “something” to address the national debt and to stimulate the economy with deregulation.
“I think if we use that kind of approach we'll be just fine,” Carson says.
Scott Walker
In March, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt asked the Wisconsin governor if he would reject any Iran deal he inherited from the Obama administration if it allowed Iran to continue its uranium enrichment program. “Absolutely, on Day One,” replied Walker, who is expected to announce his campaign in coming weeks.
Chris Christie
The New Jersey governor hasn't formally announced yet, but in February he laid out three priorities for his first 100 days. “Within the first 100 days, if I were to run for president and be elected, we would change this tax system in this country so that people and companies aren't leaving the country anymore,” he told a group of New Hampshire Republicans.
“Secondly, we would pass a national energy policy, and one that takes full advantage of all of the resources that we have available to us to help grow our economy and make the world a more peaceful and stable place,” he continued, adding, “And the third thing is ... is to reestablish American leadership around the world.”
Bobby Jindal
In May, the Washington Examiner's David M. Drucker asked the Louisiana governor what he would do on “Day One” if he was elected president. “The very first thing the president's got to do, domestically, is repeal and replace Obamacare,” replied Jindal, who is expected to announce his campaign on June 24.
When Drucker said he might not have the votes, Jindal said Democrats wouldn't be as supportive of Obamacare with a Republican in the White House. “I don't think Republicans should start off assuming that Democrats won't help them to get rid of Obamacare. We won elections in a lot of states the president carried, in 2014, [by running] on Obamacare,” he said.
Lindsey Graham
The South Carolina senator's most well known statement on his first days in office came in March, before he announced his campaign, when he told an audience in New Hampshire that he would “literally use the military” to keep Congress in Washington until they ended sequestration cuts to the defense budget.
"And here is the first thing I would do if I were president of the United States: I wouldn’t let Congress leave town until we fix this. I would literally use the military to keep them in if I had to. We’re not leaving town until we restore these defense cuts. We’re not leaving town until we restore the intel cuts. Killing terrorists is the only option other than capturing them, because they're not deterred by death."
As Bloomberg's David Weigel noted, this was a joke, though some media outlets didn't take it that way.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/BBCHTO-BGOVBILLGO-BGOVCODES-BIZNEWS/2015/06/11/id/649938/#ixzz3cmfNivbw
-
Lindsey Graham told an audience in New Hampshire that he would “literally use the military” to keep Congress in Washington
Not sure Lindsey Graham understands Posse Comitatus Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
Or, he thinks it's a joke.
-
Lindsey Graham told an audience in New Hampshire that he would “literally use the military” to keep Congress in Washington
Not sure Lindsey Graham understands Posse Comitatus Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
Or, he thinks it's a joke.
"As Bloomberg's David Weigel noted, this was a joke, though some media outlets didn't take it that way."
-
"As Bloomberg's David Weigel noted, this was a joke, though some media outlets didn't take it that way."
joking about using the US military on its own citizens? Maybe they'd be giggling if obama 'joked' about using FEMA to round up republicans, or if HIlary "joked" about locking people in camps if they protest her stealing the 2016 election.
I guess jokes about face-f**king the Constitution are only funny when RINOs like Graham make them.
-
joking about using the US military on its own citizens? Maybe they'd be giggling if obama 'joked' about using FEMA to round up republicans, or if HIlary "joked" about locking people in camps if they protest her stealing the 2016 election.
I guess jokes about face-f**king the Constitution are only funny when RINOs like Graham make them.
Nobody cares. Except for low information voters.
-
Nobody cares. Except for low information voters.
(http://i.imgur.com/2JrU4f6.gif)
-
(http://www.sciencefocus.com//sites/default/files/imagecache/490px_wide/qanda/images/qanda_yawn.jpg)
-
If I were Cruz I'd pay Gohmert to go away and not endorse him
http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/whfeyg/louie-gohmert-on-gays-in-the-military
-
(http://www.sciencefocus.com//sites/default/files/imagecache/490px_wide/qanda/images/qanda_yawn.jpg)
open that mouth a little wider and democrat senator larry craig might come kicking around your bathroom stall.
-
open that mouth a little wider and democrat senator larry craig might come kicking around your bathroom stall.
::)
-
WALKER FLOATS RUBIO AS RUNNING MATE — ‘ARM WRESTLE OVER WHO WOULD BE TOP OF THE TICKET’
(http://hypeorlando-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/jason-henry-project/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/03/MRSW.jpg)
Thursday on Bloomberg’s, “With All Due Respect,” potential Republican presidential candidate Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) said both he and Sen. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)talk and joke about the idea of running together as a ticket, they just can’t decided who would be at the top.
When asked by co-host Mark Halperin if he would be open to being on a presidential ticket with Rubio, Walker said, “I do like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), I think he and I have similar thoughts on national defense and foreign policy.”
Walker said, “I’ve actually had quite a few people, grassroots supporters, donors, and others, who have made that suggestion. I think for now, you know, Marco is a quality candidate. He’s going to be formidable in this race as things progress. And if we were to get in, we’d be as well, and we’ll see where things take us.”
He added, “Marco and I joke about it that people mention it. It’s just we would have to arm wrestle over who would be top of the ticket.”
-
WALKER FLOATS RUBIO AS RUNNING MATE — ‘ARM WRESTLE OVER WHO WOULD BE TOP OF THE TICKET’
(http://hypeorlando-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/jason-henry-project/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/03/MRSW.jpg)
Thursday on Bloomberg’s, “With All Due Respect,” potential Republican presidential candidate Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) said both he and Sen. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)talk and joke about the idea of running together as a ticket, they just can’t decided who would be at the top.
When asked by co-host Mark Halperin if he would be open to being on a presidential ticket with Rubio, Walker said, “I do like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), I think he and I have similar thoughts on national defense and foreign policy.”
Walker said, “I’ve actually had quite a few people, grassroots supporters, donors, and others, who have made that suggestion. I think for now, you know, Marco is a quality candidate. He’s going to be formidable in this race as things progress. And if we were to get in, we’d be as well, and we’ll see where things take us.”
He added, “Marco and I joke about it that people mention it. It’s just we would have to arm wrestle over who would be top of the ticket.”
He's more likely to be Bush's running mate. :-\
-
He's more likely to be Bush's running mate. :-\
For The Love Of God.....NO MORE BUSH VS CLINTON!!!! :( >:(
-
For The Love Of God.....NO MORE BUSH VS CLINTON!!!! :( >:(
I don't want to say it's inevitable, but the amount of money they will each raise is going to be obscene. Bush may very well crush his competition in fundraising. I hope it doesn't happen, but cash is king.
-
WALKER FLOATS RUBIO AS RUNNING MATE — ‘ARM WRESTLE OVER WHO WOULD BE TOP OF THE TICKET’
hilary did this in 2008, pretending she'd choose obama in order to win his supporters.
-
Sabato says Bush, Walker, and Rubio, with lots of caveats. I tend to agree at this point, subject to the debates.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4291142490001/sabato-only-3-republicans-can-win-presidential-nomination/?intcmp=obnetwork#sp=show-clips
-
Sabato says Bush, Walker, and Rubio, with lots of caveats. I tend to agree at this point, subject to the debates.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4291142490001/sabato-only-3-republicans-can-win-presidential-nomination/?intcmp=obnetwork#sp=show-clips
Bush will win if repubs want more of the same. The base seems to hate Jeb though. Rubio is Paul Ryan all over again, without all the mental horsepower that Ryan had. Just lacking the gravitas and depth you want in a person needing to stare down Putin. Anyone that thinks Rubio has the balls, the power, the gravitas to stare down the G8 or Putin, you're living in dream land. I actually prefer the mess of Jeb because he has the depth/gravitas that Rubio lacks.
-
Jeb Bush Announces White House Bid, Saying ‘America Deserves Better.’
By MICHAEL BARBARO and JONATHAN MARTIN
JUNE 15, 2015
(http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/06/15/us/16BUSH/16BUSH-master675.jpg)
Jeb Bush formally announced his presidential campaign in Miami on Monday. Credit Joe Skipper/Reuters
MIAMI — Jeb Bush declared Monday he is running for president, promising to remove Washington as an obstacle to effective government and economic prosperity and declaring that “America deserves better.”
“I am a candidate for president of the United States,” he told a cheering crowd kicking off his candidacy at Miami Dade College.
Mr. Bush, whose two terms as governor of Florida were marked by the privatization of traditional state services, vowed to “take Washington – the static capital of this dynamic country – out of the business of causing problems” in “the campaign that begins today.”
Mr. Bush called upon his own record of ambitious, conservative-minded change as Florida’s chief executive. “I know we can fix this,” Mr. Bush said. “Because I’ve done it.”
Mr. Bush, 62, is declaring his White House ambitions nearly 27 years after his father was elected president, molding a political dynasty that would propel one son into a governor’s office and another into the White House.
What Jeb Bush Would Need to Do to Win
But Mr. Bush will enter a presidential contest — unruly in size, unyielding in pace and voracious in cost — that is unlike any faced by his father, George Bush, who won the office in 1988, or his brother, George W. Bush, who claimed it in 2000.
In his speech, Mr. Bush offered himself up as a counterpoint to a Republican Party that has struggled to connect with minority voters, costing it the last two presidential elections. He also vowed to remain true to his principles, an implicit attack on his Republican rivals who have changed their views to appeal to the party’s conservative base.
And as the third member of his family to seek the nation’s highest office, he brings to the race a last name that at once burnishes and tarnishes, evoking the nobility of public service and a deep distrust of political entitlement.
Mr. Bush’s campaign will highlight that tension on Monday with the selection of a spare logo, first used in his failed 1994 race for governor, that excludes his surname. It reads simply “Jeb!” And while Mr. Bush’s wife, Columba, and his three adult children plan to attend his speech, aides said his father and brother would not join him for the announcement at the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College.
Mr. Bush’s advisers and allies once predicted that he would emerge as the dominant Republican in the 2016 campaign, fueled by his record of conservative accomplishment as Florida’s governor, his popularity at the end of his time in office and the fund-raising prowess of the Bush family network. But now they are resigned to a far longer and uglier slog for him in the Republican nominating contest.
“The operative word inside the campaign is patience,” said Al Cardenas, a former Florida Republican Party leader and longtime ally of Mr. Bush. “As people get to know him, things will get better.”
Mr. Bush will make a formal announcement at 3 p.m. here in the multicultural city that allowed him to escape from his family’s patrician roots in the ivy-covered walls of Connecticut and in the oil patches of Texas. It was Miami that eventually nurtured the political ambitions that had long been a birthright of his clan.
In his speech, he will both embrace elements of his heritage and try to transcend them, portraying himself as an entrepreneurial figure who, in the Bush family way, struck out on his own, built up a real estate business and became a governor who delivered on a promise of sweeping change.
“I said I was going to do these things, and I did them,” Mr. Bush declared in a video released by his political operation on Sunday night. “The result was Florida’s a lot better off.”
Continue reading the main story
Joining a field crowded with governors and senators, he will try on Monday to distinguish himself as an executive animated by big ideas and uniquely capable of carrying them out, pointing to his record in Florida of introducing a taxpayer-financed school voucher program, expanding charter schools, reducing the size of state government by thousands of workers and cutting taxes by billions.
Above all, he will offer himself as a messenger of optimistic conservatism, uninterested in the politics of grievance, obstructionism and partisanship that, in his eyes and those of his allies, have catapulted less accomplished rivals, like Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, to national prominence.
Leadership, he says in the video, is “not just about yapping about things,” an unmistakable attack on his voluble, less seasoned rivals from the Senate.
He adds: “There’s a lot of people talking. And they’re pretty good at it. But we need to start fixing things.”
The risk for Mr. Bush, a cerebral figure who seems more at ease debating the intricacies of education policy with business leaders than electrifying a crowd of voters, is that the charismatic talkers in his party may outshine him before ballots are cast. He has yet to emerge as a front-runner in polls, lagging rivals in crucial states like Iowa, which will hold its caucuses early next year.
Mr. Cardenas said Monday’s speech was only the beginning of a long sales pitch that Mr. Bush must make in states with early nominating contests like Iowa and New Hampshire.
“I consider the early states an asset for most candidates who are introducing themselves, and a burden for Governor Bush,” Mr. Cardenas said.
“The reason for that is that since 2006, many of our pundits in the party have not been kind to the Bush family,” Mr. Cardenas said.
Jeb Bradley, the majority leader in the New Hampshire State Senate, said that Mr. Bush met his three criteria for an endorsement — leadership skills, appealing stances on most issues and ability to win — but that he was still open to backing two other Republicans, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.
“I want to see what Governor Bush says in Monday’s speech, see him at a town-hall meeting up here, see what his fund-raising looks like,” Mr. Bradley said.
The announcement of Mr. Bush’s White House run ends an unusual, legally problematic and occasionally comical phase in which Mr. Bush traveled, raised money and campaigned as a full-fledged candidate but insisted, despite all evidence to the contrary, that he was not officially exploring a presidential run.
It was a claim that allowed Mr. Bush to collect vast sums of cash for the political entities that could supercharge his campaign, but it produced several moments of semantic gymnastics. (A few days ago, to the barely suppressed laughter of the reporters nearby, Mr. Bush referred to “election night” and the “campaign that is likely to take place.”)
Despite Mr. Bush’s stumbles so far, his friends and allies said his biggest asset was his unwillingness to transform himself into something he is not.
“I think he needs to put aside the last few months and continue to calmly show a grown-up attitude,” said Barry Wynn, a prominent South Carolina Republican and donor. “The two things that will distinguish him are his stature, that he is a grown-up ready for the presidency, and his consistency, that he’s not changing to make everyone happy.”
“The worst thing for Jeb to do,” Mr. Wynn said, “is give his opponents any opportunity to close the stature gap he enjoys.”
But it remains unclear whether conservative-leaning voters will be as animated by Mr. Bush’s “grown-up” qualities as the party’s donor class, which has formed his core of early support.
“I am going to be who I am,” he said in Europe last weekend, on a trip during which he barely interacted with ordinary people. He seemed content mostly to bat around policy ideas, as he did on Saturday in Estonia with a group of technology executives who briefed him on the digitalization of the country’s government.
“I’m not going to change who I am,” Mr. Bush said as he left the meeting, his last in Europe, and headed home.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/us/politics/jeb-bush-presidential-campaign.html?_r=0
-
It's just Jeb! 2016?
That's it? Trying to distance himself from the Bush name. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Fail.
-
:o
Ben Carson leads crowded GOP field in latest poll
Alicia Secord, Detroit Free Press
June 15, 2015
(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/8aea98eeccde942b5fba7741a828ffc01a87aa8b/c=136-0-2264-1600&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/06/15/DetroitFreePress/DetroitFreePress/635699957504178677-Carson-050415-rhb30.jpg)
(Photo: Regina H. Boone/DFP)
In it's latest poll, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., found that "undecided" has a nine-percentage-point lead among Republican voters when asked who they support for their party's nomination, but native Detroiter Ben Carson rose to the forefront of the crowded field of GOP candidates.
Carson leads the pack with the support of 11% of voters, followed closely by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (10%), former Florida Gov. Bush (9%), Florida Sen. Rubio (9%), and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (8%). Other potential picks include Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (6%), Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (5%), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (4%), former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (4%) and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (3%). The other candidates in the poll -- businesswoman Carly Fiorina (2%), South Carolina Sen Lindsey Graham (2%), businessman Donald Trump (2%), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (1%), Ohio Gov. John Kasich (1%), and former New York Gov. George Pataki (0%) -- fall below the top-10 cut-off that will be used by Fox News and CNN to determine who gets an invitation to their debates in August.
The poll was conducted before Bush formally announced his candidacy today.
Carson's standing has increased by 4 points since the last Monmouth poll in April, and "undecided" has gone up by 6 points. Meanwhile, his favorability rating is up to 45% favorable and 12% unfavorable today, up from 39% favorable and 16% unfavorable in the previous poll. But this early in the game, it's hard to say what voters will do when they head to the polls in 2016.
"You would be hard pressed to look at these results and identify an emerging top tier in the Republican field, let alone a so-called front runner," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
View the full results at monmouth.edu.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/06/15/ben-carson-gop-poll/28782625/
-
the thing about ben carson is this... if you don't like his latest inflammatory remark, don't worry. Wait another 15 minutes and it'll be replaced by another equally outlandish remark.
-
Trump Launches Campaign with Tea Party Playbook
“I would build a great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/06/GettyImages-4702238741-420x315.jpg)
New York — Real estate mogul and businessman Donald Trump announced he’s running for president at a private event in his own Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York City on Tuesday in front of dozens of reporters and media outlets.
Trump took the stage and promised to be a different type of candidate. While other presidential candidates have provided rhetoric, he promised to implement policies. “If I’m elected president,” he announced, “we will make America great again.”
To begin with, “we have to repeal Obamacare,” he said, adding that Obamacare’s biggest effects won’t begin until President Obama is safely out of office and, Trump says, on the golf course. That said, he also noted he owns several golf courses, and he invited President Obama to feel free to retire early and play them instead of finishing out his term.
He promised to bring jobs back to the United States, and crack down on illegal immigration from Mexico. Trump promised to “immediately terminate President Obama’s executive order on immigration.” And that’s not all.
“I would build a great wall on our southern border,” he added, “and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
He also promises to beef up the military by finding “the guy, the Gen. Patton or Gen. MacArthur” to lead it. He also vows to get tough with Iran. Unlike Secretary of State John Kerry, Trump says he knows how to negotiate a good deal.
He also took a jab at Jeb Bush. “Education has to be local,” Trump said, announcing he’ll staunchly oppose Common Core. Bush, who just announced yesterday, has supported Common Core.
“Our country is in serious trouble. We don’t have victories anymore,” Trump warned.
Trump said America needs him to beat China and keep the crime and drugs from over the border outside of the United States.
He said Islamic terrorism is eating up large portions of the Middle East.
“So now ISIS has the oil and what they don’t have, Iran has,” he warned.
Trump said he wants to have the strongest military and that America needs it now.
He also touted his business expertise, warning about the unemployment rate, GDP and America’s economy.
He also took a jab at Obamacare and the increasing deductibles which make it “useless” and “a disaster” waning that doctors are quitting.
Trump joins the already crowded field of GOP presidential candidates vying for the 2016 nomination.
His campaign message will be that he can make America great again.
“They will never make America great again,” Trump said of the career politicians, but suggests he can.
Trump chose to announce his formal 2016 White House run in Trump Tower because it’s symbolic. He says it shows his personal success and shows he can do the same for America. he says he’s proud of his success, and has employed “tens of thousands of people” over his career. When his financial statement is filed, Trump says, it will show he has $9.240 billion in assets. His net worth, after all debt, he says, is upward of $8.7 billion.
His daughter Ivanka Trump – who has followed in her father’s business footsteps – introduced him before he took the stage. She has publicly supported her father’s run for president, telling the Daily Mail recently that she supports him “wholeheartedly.”
She said he has employed tens of thousands of people and motivates them to achieve the impossible – leading everyone by example.
“My father is the opposite of politically correct,” she said, adding he is the best negotiator she’s ever met and bold, what America needs.
Following Trump’s formal announcement, he conducted one on one interviews with only a few reporters including Breitbart News’ Matthew Boyle.
Trump will also appear on Fox News with Bill O’Reilly this evening.
-
thank you, The Donald, for making the election fun again!
-
“I would build a great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
Please god let this man become president ;D
-
Trump chose to announce his formal 2016 White House run in Trump Tower because it’s symbolic. He says it shows his personal success and shows he can do the same for America. he says he’s proud of his success, and has employed “tens of thousands of people” over his career. When his financial statement is filed, Trump says, it will show he has $9.240 billion in assets. His net worth, after all debt, he says, is upward of $8.7 billion.
:o
-
Poll: Jeb Bush Has Handicap in 2016 Race — His Last Name
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=950a2e4b-f39a-4330-b381-96fc03243786&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Poll: Jeb Bush Has Handicap in 2016 Race — His Last Name (Steve Nesius/Reuters)
By Bill Hoffmann
Tuesday, 16 Jun 2015
What's in a surname? If you're Jeb Bush, it could be the difference between life in the White House and a failed presidential bid.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey has found the Sunshine State's former governor comes with a downside that the other Republican candidates he faces don't have.
His famous last name.
The survey reveals that 43 percent of likely voters say they are less likely to vote for Bush due to the fact that his father, George H.W. Bush, and brother George W. Bush both served as president.
But another 15 percent said they are more likely to vote for Jeb Bush because of the Bush dynasty's political stature.
Thirty-nine percent of those polled said the Bush name would have no impact on their vote. Three percent weren’t sure.
The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted June 14 and 15, 2015 by Rasmussen, with a sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Jeb-Bush-last-name-George-H-WBush-George-WBush/2015/06/16/id/650759/#ixzz3dFrFAweA
-
Reuters Poll: Walker Favorite of Republican Conservatives
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=32c31058-0643-4547-b144-5b1c01ff3242&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Reuters Poll: Walker Favorite of Republican Conservatives (Dave Kaup/Reuters)
Thursday, 18 Jun 2015
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is the clear favorite of conservative voters as he readies an expected bid for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2016, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Walker has gained little traction among the moderate voters who account for the majority of the party, the poll shows. But his strength on the right gives him a good base of support, analysts said.
"It's never bad to be the most conservative guy in a Republican primary fight - he could win the nomination that way. The question is can he do so in a way that does not alienate moderates?" said David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.
Walker and Texas Senator Ted Cruz can each claim about a quarter of the most conservative party members, the poll shows. While ardent conservatives only account for 1 in 10 Republican voters, they are more likely to vote in primary contests and take an active role in politics. He also wins a large share of conservative-leaning voters who are less inclined to see every issue in terms of black and white.
Overall, 11 percent of Republicans say Walker is their pick to be the party's nominee for the November 2016 election, putting him in third place behind former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Walker supporters said they admired his willingness to take on public-sector labor unions and govern as an uncompromising conservative in a politically competitive state.
"I think he did a commendable job fighting against the unions, I think the unions are just out of control," said poll respondent Don Oliphant, 49, a prison guard from Lewes, Delaware.
PROS AND CONS
Reuters surveyed 2,852 self-identified Republicans over the month of May and asked them about topics like health care and foreign policy as well as which candidate they liked best.
The results provide insight into an electorate that has been sharply divided over issues like immigration and upended by the grass-roots Tea Party movement. The online poll among all Republicans has a credibility interval of 2.1 percent. The credibility interval ranges from 3.2 percent to 7.1 percent for smaller groups broken out by the poll.
Though Walker does best among the most conservative voters, he also does well among those who are open to compromise on some issues. For example, he gets the support of 20 percent of those who have no interest in renewable energy but believe that not all illegal immigrants should be deported, 6 points ahead of any other candidate.
Walker gets the backing of only 7 percent of moderates, ranking below six other Republican candidates.
Wisconsin resident Duane Feustel, 58, said he supported Walker's fight against the unions but didn't like how budget cuts affected his wife's job helping people with disabilities.
"He's done what he's done for Wisconsin - there's pros and cons to it," said Feustel, an unemployed scrap-metal worker who backs Bush at this point in the race.
Walker's path to the nomination, if successful, would mark a shift for a party that in past elections has nominated candidates who draw their support from moderates, like Mitt Romney in 2012 and John McCain in 2008.
Republican strategists said Walker could pick up more support among moderates once he formally enters the race and voters start paying closer attention. But several questioned whether he will hold up to scrutiny, noting that he has already fumbled questions on evolution, religion and foreign policy.
"People are still projecting a lot on Scott Walker," said Craig Robinson, a former political director for the Iowa Republican Party. "He's everyone's favorite - we're not kicking the tires yet."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/walker-conservatives-favorite-2016/2015/06/18/id/651113/#ixzz3dQkDPt8W
-
Dana Perino is terrific. She is absolutely right (so to speak).
-
Dana Perino is terrific. She is absolutely right (so to speak).
Trump says Bush is the stupidest president we've had. So it'd make sense for his former press secretary to be the stupidest press secretary in american history also.
unless you're saying Trump is wrong. Bash no republican = reagan wisdom.
-
Trump says Bush is the stupidest president we've had. So it'd make sense for his former press secretary to be the stupidest press secretary in american history also.
unless you're saying Trump is wrong. Bash no republican = reagan wisdom.
::)
-
GOP 2016ers battle for second in fundraising war
By Sara Murray, Theodore Schleifer and Tom LoBianco, CNN
Wed June 24, 2015
Washington (CNN) The money race for second place is on.
With a June 30 fundraising deadline drawing near, speculation over how much money Republican presidential candidates will collect is reaching a fever pitch. It's already clear that Jeb Bush will come out on top regardless of whether he hits or even surpasses the $100 million target many in the donor world set for the former Florida governor. The more interesting question, many donors and campaign operatives say, is who will come in second.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has an unusually broad donor list thanks to his highly publicized recall election and big dollar backers like Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has worked meticulously to make inroads with prominent GOP fundraisers who aren't sold on Bush. And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has drawn in small dollar donors, as well as the support of a handful of super PACs. A leader of the super PACs backing Cruz expects those groups and the official campaign committee to raise a combined $50 million by the end of the week.
"When it comes to fundraising in a presidential race, it's the expectation game," said Craig Robinson, a GOP activist in Iowa and editor of The Iowa Republican website. "Every candidate has a different bar they're going to have to clear."
READ: From living rooms to Lady Gaga, Clinton on aggressive fundraising push
The price tag to wage a competitive primary campaign is likely to come in well below $100 million. Republican fundraisers said if a candidate and allied groups can raise $10 million to $20 million by the end of the month, they will be viewed as credible rivals.
Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of SkyBridge Capital who is supporting Walker, said he expects Walker to raise $15 million to $22 million.
"There's a number that's enough and there's a number that's not enough," Scaramucci said. "The $20 million number is enough."
The best-positioned candidates should plan to barrel into Iowa with $20 million to $40 million in the bank between their campaign accounts and their super PACs, GOP strategists said.
A candidate could win the Iowa caucuses with as little as $2 million, Robinson said. And in New Hampshire, "there's sort of a practical limit on how much TV time you can buy," said Tom Rath, a GOP operative there.
But a bitter faceoff in Florida -- the home state of Bush and Rubio -- is a much more expensive proposition.
It could cost $20 million to $30 million, said Miami-Dade Republican Party Chairman Nelson Diaz, for candidates to cover the four major media markets and adapt to a new primary system due to the timing of the Florida contest. All of the state's delegates will be awarded to the winner of the March 15 primary, the earliest possible date when states can do so rather than divvying them up proportionally.
"Only one of them survives the encounter in Florida," said Steve Schmidt, who was the senior strategist for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008.
All of this requires not only strong fundraising, but also disciplined spending. That's particularly true for Bush and Rubio. While other candidates may chart their course to victory by investing heavily in a single state, both contenders from Florida are expected to compete in several states simultaneously.
"Obviously we want to raise as much as we can and then be very careful about how we spend it," said Rubio spokesman Alex Conant. "We're not going to raise as much as the others."
READ: GOP candidates head to the border
Rubio will spend the rest of the month crisscrossing the country to average roughly one fundraiser a day. He'll do most of that on commercial flights while a lean staff keeps his campaign headquarters humming.
At a recent Bush fundraiser in Washington, donors forked over $2,700 per person to stand around tables munching on potato chips and croissant finger sandwiches as organizers sought to keep event overhead costs low.
"We understand that we're going to have to compete everywhere and that we're going to need the resources to compete everywhere," said Tim Miller, a spokesman for the Bush campaign. That requires building a campaign operation that's flush with cash and ready to spring into action when a number of states hold their contests on March 1.
The leader of Cruz's super PACs said the structure -- four separate organizations largely controlled by three donors -- allows them to minimize costs by tapping donors' own professional networks.
"Everybody thinks this structure, as it relates to us, is somehow limiting our capacity and there's a chokehold -- actually it's the opposite," said the group's leader. "I'm not going to have to buy a whole bunch of computers that I throw away at the end of this deal."
Candidates' overall fundraising totals will receive plenty of attention, but Republicans cautioned that every dollar isn't created equally. Many candidates will be able to stretch their dollars further than Bush, who has the biggest target on his back and will have to combat fatigue from his family name.
Frank VanderSloot, a GOP fundraiser in Idaho and chief executive of wellness company Melaleuca, said he views Bush, Walker and Rubio as the top tier of GOP candidates. At the moment, Rubio is his favorite.
Bush faces a tougher path because of his family legacies, VanderSloot said. At a recent board meeting for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mr. VanderSloot said some business executives confessed they were uncomfortable with the idea of "crowning" another Bush president.
"There's a general feeling of we don't have a monarchy here," Mr. VanderSloot said.
Bush's unique hurdles help explain why he and his allies are pressing donors for big contributions right up to the fundraising deadline.
After wrapping up his official announcement in Florida, Bush hopped on a call with his finance director and donors and prodded them to give to his official campaign account, according to someone familiar with the call. Dave Kochel, the campaign's senior strategist, assured fundraisers that Bush would be a formidable competitor in the early states.
The super PAC supporting Bush has been making similar moves. On a call last week, Mike Murphy, who is running the group, encouraged donors to keep up their fundraising so he could "weaponize" their total.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/24/politics/2016-election-republican-fundraising/index.html
-
Would like to see him in the field. Interested to see how he performs with others if he can ever make it on the stage with them.
Bobby Jindal: The GOP Presidential Field Is 'Wide Open'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=0f4323ab-f85d-4ba1-88e6-e2b44086d242&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Bobby Jindal: The GOP Presidential Field Is 'Wide Open' (REUTERS/Steve Nesius)
By Sandy Fitzgerald |
Wednesday, 24 Jun 2015
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, just hours before his expected presidential campaign announcement Wednesday afternoon, told Fox News that he knows he'll be facing a crowded field in a "wide open" race and vows to continue to fight against Obamacare.
"It's not a coronation ... the race is wide open," Jindal told "America's Newsroom" host Bill Hemmer. "If I listened to polls I never would have run for governor, I never would have done statewide school choice or privatized our hospitals in Louisiana."
Jindal said that he is the "only potential candidate that has offered a detailed plan" on replacing Obamacare, and also has detailed plans on education reform and how to get the nation to energy independence.
"We have a proven track record," he said. "We measure prosperity by how people are [in] the private sector, not the government sector."
Jindal will make his announcement at 5 p.m. in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, and while he won't be officially a declared candidate until that time, the two-term governor, 44, has already traveled several times to early primary states, reports The Washington Post.
A devout Catholic and the son of Indian immigrants, Jindal argues that immigrants need to assimilate into American culture, complaining about people who identify themselves as "hyphenated Americans."
And he says that congressional Republicans too often surrender to President Barack Obama on immigration, healthcare reform and other major issues.
Obama, Jindal said on the Fox program, is "trying to turn the American dream into a nightmare. We need to not just send a Republican to Washington, we need somebody who will make big changes."
Even before the upcoming Supreme Court decision in the King v. Burwell case that will determine if Obamacare subsidies can continue, he said he believes that Republicans "need to repeal and replace" the act, as "the president has lied to us."
Obama has said his healthcare plan would reduce premiums and costs but that hasn't happened, said Jindal, pointing out that his own plan for the nation's healthcare will work much better.
Access to affordable healthcare must reduce costs, give affordability and choice, allow insurance sales to go across state lines, and allow people to join voluntary purchasing pools, said Jindal. Further, he called for expanded services through health savings accounts and a crackdown on frivolous lawsuits.
"We don't need government bureaucrats between doctors and their patients," said Jindal. "That's the fundamental mistake of Obamacare thinking Washington, D.C., knows best."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/bobby-jindal-campaign-gop-obamacare/2015/06/24/id/651960/#ixzz3dzvNrDN8
-
Jindal = creepy as fck. he doens't walk, he slinks. He has a scary eye and makes others uncomfortable. not easy on the eyes, and if anyone still lives in the radio age, you may not realize appearane is a major part of winning an election.
jindal is great on paper and has a good career as a lawmaker if he can bring up his terrible approval ratings in his own state.
-
Fuck... Bobby Jindal. Another bad candidate with a poor track record on things that matter (Higher taxes? Check!) and a great record on the things that don't (Praise Jesus? Check!)
I'm generally very unhappy over the quality of candidates from the GOP side. I can't name a single candidate that I'd be happy to vote for and only one or two that I'd be OK to vote for while holding my nose. Given the choices presented so far, and with an eternity still to go before election night, I'm concerned that the GOP will lose the 2016 election - an election that's practically theirs.
-
Fuck... Bobby Jindal. Another bad candidate with a poor track record on things that matter (Higher taxes? Check!) and a great record on the things that don't (Praise Jesus? Check!)
I'm generally very unhappy over the quality of candidates from the GOP side. I can't name a single candidate that I'd be happy to vote for and only one or two that I'd be OK to vote for while holding my nose. Given the choices presented so far, and with an eternity still to go before election night, I'm concerned that the GOP will lose the 2016 election - an election that's practically theirs.
all the shit candidates will wash out the message of the few good ones, like cruz or rand paul.
nobody will hear cruz saying we need to cut down the spending, they'll hear trump screaming and ranting about silly stuff.
-
all the shit candidates will wash out the message of the few good ones, like cruz or rand paul.
nobody will hear cruz saying we need to cut down the spending, they'll hear trump screaming and ranting about silly stuff.
You will understand if I don't classify Ted Cruz as a "good one"...
-
Fuck... Bobby Jindal. Another bad candidate with a poor track record on things that matter (Higher taxes? Check!) and a great record on the things that don't (Praise Jesus? Check!)
I'm generally very unhappy over the quality of candidates from the GOP side. I can't name a single candidate that I'd be happy to vote for and only one or two that I'd be OK to vote for while holding my nose. Given the choices presented so far, and with an eternity still to go before election night, I'm concerned that the GOP will lose the 2016 election - an election that's practically theirs.
I like Jindal, but one of my good friends just told me that he not only thinks Hillary will win, but that we'll never have another Republican president.
-
I like Jindal, but one of my good friends just told me that he not only thinks Hillary will win, but that we'll never have another Republican president.
obama (and the repubs) just let amnesty happen. Four million new voters who are mostly dems.
-
obama (and the repubs) just let amnesty happen. Four million new voters who are mostly dems.
False and embellished again.
-
I like Jindal, but one of my good friends just told me that he not only thinks Hillary will win, but that we'll never have another Republican president.
That greatly depends on the meaning of "never" and "Republican." I'll be very blunt... Rick Santorum? Rick Perry? Newt Gingrich? Mike Huckabee? Lindsey Graham? If that's the caliber of candidate that the GOP puts forth then, frankly, it deserves to never win again.
-
Jinduh has the lowest approval rating of all governors right now. He will announce he is running this week. Good luck with that chum.
Never fear though, the governor with the second lowest approval rating will be announcing his intent to run this week as well.
-
False and embellished again.
dude, most of the illegals are going to vote dem. accept it.
-
That greatly depends on the meaning of "never" and "Republican." I'll be very blunt... Rick Santorum? Rick Perry? Newt Gingrich? Mike Huckabee? Lindsey Graham? If that's the caliber of candidate that the GOP puts forth then, frankly, it deserves to never win again.
None of those guys were ever in serious contention late in the game to get the nomination. I like what I've seen from Cruz, Rubio, and Walker so far. I'd probably take any of them over Hillary.
And speaking of Hillary, if the caliber of candidate Democrats put forward are Hillary and Bernie Sanders, then they shouldn't sniff the White House either.
A pretty sad state of affairs overall.
-
dude, most of the illegals are going to vote dem. accept it.
I accept the fact your claim that there are 4 million new registered Democrat voters is something you pulled out of your rear end.
-
I accept the fact your claim that there are 4 million new registered Democrat voters is something you pulled out of your rear end.
I never said registered. Why did you add that?
-
None of those guys were ever in serious contention late in the game to get the nomination. I like what I've seen from Cruz, Rubio, and Walker so far. I'd probably take any of them over Hillary.
LOL! Probably? Make that a definite, please. In what world would you ever vote Hilary over Cruz?
-
I never said registered. Why did you add that?
You said this:
obama (and the repubs) just let amnesty happen. Four million new voters who are mostly dems.
"Four million new voters" are obviously registered voters. Hard to keep up with the lies eh?
-
LOL! Probably? Make that a definite, please. In what world would you ever vote Hilary over Cruz?
The world in which they are both the nominee for each party, I watch both campaigns, watch the debates, listen to what they have planned for the county, and she sounds like the better candidate. I doubt that will happen, but that's what independent thinkers do. :)
-
"Four million new voters" are obviously registered voters. Hard to keep up with the lies eh?
I never said registered. You did. Your sympathy for amnesty sickens me, I can barely finish this ice cream sundae.
-
None of those guys were ever in serious contention late in the game to get the nomination. I like what I've seen from Cruz, Rubio, and Walker so far. I'd probably take any of them over Hillary.
I'm reserving judgement on them. As for Hillary, I'd never vote for her regardless.
And speaking of Hillary, if the caliber of candidate Democrats put forward are Hillary and Bernie Sanders, then they shouldn't sniff the White House either.
A pretty sad state of affairs overall.
No doubt. I don't think they're putting up good candidates, but then again, I'm not voting (D) so I don't care about who they put up.
As a sidenote, although I think Bernie Sanders is completely crazy, I have to admit that I respect him in a way: at least he's open and honest about what he wants and where he wants to take this country. So although I completely disagree with him politically, I give him props for his honesty.
-
I never said registered. You did. Your sympathy for amnesty sickens me, I can barely finish this ice cream sundae.
They cannot vote if they are not registered. Your chronic lying does not surprise.
-
I'm reserving judgement on them. As for Hillary, I'd never vote for her regardless.
No doubt. I don't think they're putting up good candidates, but then again, I'm not voting (D) so I don't care about who they put up.
As a sidenote, although I think Bernie Sanders is completely crazy, I have to admit that I respect him in a way: at least he's open and honest about what he wants and where he wants to take this country. So although I completely disagree with him politically, I give him props for his honesty.
I agree about Sanders. That's actually a little refreshing. He's a socialist, but at least he's being open and honest about it.
I will seriously consider sitting out 2016 if it is Hillary v. Bush, which appears likely at the moment. :-\
-
They cannot vote if they are not registered. Your chronic lying does not surprise.
dems do it all the time. they vote dozens of times in each election. they vote for dead people. they vote as felons.
-
POLL: TRUMP JUMPS 7 POINTS TO SECOND PLACE
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/06/Trump-thumb-up-ReutersBrendan-Mcdermid-640x480.jpg)
GOP presidential candidate and real estate mogul Donald Trump had a great day in the polls.
A new Fox News poll has Trump in second place to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as a favorite for the Republican nomination.
Trump jumped seven percentage points since the previous poll prior to his formal announcement.
Trump also placed high in a Citizens United poll released Wednesday.
He also trailed Bush at second place in a recent Suffolk University Poll of New Hampshire voters.
However, the bad news for Trump is that the poll showed he had something in common with Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee.
“More than twice as many say Trump is not honest and trustworthy as think he is (64 percent vs. 30 percent). That gives him an honesty score of negative 34,” Fox News reported. “Clinton’s honesty score is negative seven. Less than half of voters — 45 percent — rate her as honest. That’s unchanged from earlier this year, but down from a record 54 percent who said she was honest in 2014. A 52-percent majority says Clinton is not honest.”
The poll was conducted June 21-23rd with roughly 1,005 registered voters. The results have a plus or minus three percent margin of error.
-
POLL: TRUMP JUMPS 7 POINTS TO SECOND PLACE
many of predicted his common sense, straight forward, blunt and rude talk would resonate well with RINO "people" that love an anti-obama republican with liberal value system.
-
many of predicted his common sense, straight forward, blunt and rude talk would resonate well with RINO "people" that love an anti-obama republican with liberal value system.
He's evidently connecting with somebody. Impressive little spike in his polling numbers.
-
He's evidently connecting with somebody. Impressive little spike in his polling numbers.
repubs need a hero that screams loudly about how much he hates obama.
They don't care that trump is a lifetime liberal/NBC employee or in bed with pelosi, etc. They just want to be entertained by someone as angry and hateful as them.
-
repubs need a hero that screams loudly about how much he hates obama.
They don't care that trump is a lifetime liberal/NBC employee or in bed with pelosi, etc. They just want to be entertained by someone as angry and hateful as them.
I know you like slip these in to see what you can get away with but you're trying a little too hard with that one. :D ;D
-
I know you like slip these in to see what you can get away with but you're trying a little too hard with that one. :D ;D
Donald Trump praised Nancy Pelosi as 'the best'
onald Trump sent Nancy Pelosi warm wishes when she was sworn in as House Speaker in January 2007, praising her as "the best" in a personal note.
Trump, who’s now mulling a Republican run for president, penned the note on a copy of a New York Times article that chronicled Pelosi's swearing-in, and wrote, "Nancy — you're the best. Congrats. Donald," according to sources familiar with the missive.
Pelosi lost the Speaker's gavel in January, after Republicans retook the House in the midterm elections. Pelosi, plagued with low approval ratings in in many districts, was widely pilloried by Republicans during the congressional races, and she was used as a pivot point for many of the candidates.
Trump, now a registered Republican, is a former independent and former registered Democrat. And the Pelosi note is a reminder that he has a past political history of supporting both sides of the aisle.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52651.html#ixzz3e2lho2Cs
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52651.html#ixzz3e2lc7XZB
-
dems do it all the time. they vote dozens of times in each election. they vote for dead people. they vote as felons.
LOL!!
-
Donald Trump praised Nancy Pelosi as 'the best'
onald Trump sent Nancy Pelosi warm wishes when she was sworn in as House Speaker in January 2007, praising her as "the best" in a personal note.
Trump, who’s now mulling a Republican run for president, penned the note on a copy of a New York Times article that chronicled Pelosi's swearing-in, and wrote, "Nancy — you're the best. Congrats. Donald," according to sources familiar with the missive.
Pelosi lost the Speaker's gavel in January, after Republicans retook the House in the midterm elections. Pelosi, plagued with low approval ratings in in many districts, was widely pilloried by Republicans during the congressional races, and she was used as a pivot point for many of the candidates.
Trump, now a registered Republican, is a former independent and former registered Democrat. And the Pelosi note is a reminder that he has a past political history of supporting both sides of the aisle.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52651.html#ixzz3e2lho2Cs
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52651.html#ixzz3e2lc7XZB
Meh. Pretty weak premise you are working with there.
-
Meh. Pretty weak premise you are working with there.
trump has a pretty liberal record also - supporting many lib issues over the years.
See his many quotes here. RINOs like that, hence his rise to #2 in the polls
http://www.rawstory.com/2011/04/donald-trump-secret-liberal-the-top-10-reasons-conservatives-should-hate-him/
-
trump has a pretty liberal record also - supporting many lib issues over the years.
See his many quotes here. RINOs like that, hence his rise to #2 in the polls
http://www.rawstory.com/2011/04/donald-trump-secret-liberal-the-top-10-reasons-conservatives-should-hate-him/
it basically comes down to this question...Do you want to be taken serious on this forum or do you want to be a cartoon character?
Personally I love both but with your comments I'm questioning where you are attempting to go with all this.
Trump sent Pelosi the equivalency of a Hallmark card and all of the sudden "He is in bed with her"?
Rob, you need to calm down bro.
-
Jindull formerly announces his intent to run.
By his statements, he is seeking to draw the bulk of his support from the religious ding bat fringe of the GOP party. Which even if he wins the support of every single one of those, it won't be enough to secure the nomination for him. In other words, he's doomed.
But hey.... that 27% approval rating he has won't be a factor at all I bet.
-
Christie to Join 2016 GOP Field Tuesday
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=ee3fe63a-4cee-4a83-b09a-e9b1d164bddd&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Christie to Join 2016 GOP Field Tuesday (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Thursday, 25 Jun 2015
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will join the crowded Republican 2016 field on Tuesday, two people with knowledge of his plans said.
Christie, 52, will cap months of speculation with an announcement in his hometown of Livingston, said the people, who asked for anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak before his speech.
While Christie previously said he hadn’t made up his mind about a run, he’s spent recent months making policy speeches and holding meetings in key primary states including New Hampshire and Iowa. He’s traveled as “honorary chairman” of Leadership Matters for America, his political action committee.
Samantha Smith, a committee spokeswoman, didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
The Republican will join a field that includes more than a dozen candidates vying for the party’s nomination in 2016. Christie turned down calls from business and political leaders to run four years ago and has struggled to recapture that momentum after allies created a massive traffic snarl as political retribution for a mayor.
His approval among New Jersey registered voters fell to a low of 30 percent in a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released June 23. In New Hampshire, which has the first-in- the-nation primary, Christie got 5 percent of the vote in a Suffolk University poll released the same day.
Matthew Hale, who teaches political science at Seton Hall University in South Orange, said the announcement’s timing makes sense as the Democrats who control the Legislature were poised to approve a budget today that would raise taxes. Christie is expected to veto those provisions.
“He’s got to get in, and the window is closing with so many people in the race,” Hale said in an interview. “He can stand up and say: ‘I’m the Republican keeping these crazy Democrats in check.’ That’s a plausible line.”
His plans for a campaign announcement were reported earlier Thursday by WNYC radio.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/christie-announce-2016-GOP/2015/06/25/id/652196/#ixzz3e6WOXQho
-
^^ Governor with the second lowest approval rating joins the clown car.
-
Scott Walker to Announce Presidential Decision Week of July 13
Thursday, 25 Jun 2015
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said on Thursday he will announce the week of July 13 whether he will seek the Republican U.S. presidential nomination in 2016.
"The week of the 13th is when we will be likely to make our announcement as to what our intentions are," Scott told Fox News.
Walker is in second place among the large field of Republican presidential candidates and expected entrants, trailing front-runner Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor, in an average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.
If he decides to run, Walker, 47, would enter the race with the potential to appeal to a wide swath of Republican primary voters, from establishment-minded moderates to conservative Christians.
Shortly after becoming governor in 2011, Walker proposed curbing the collective-bargaining rights of teachers and other public employees in the state. The ensuing political battle rallied conservatives and brought him national attention.
When Walker's measure became law, labor unions mounted an unsuccessful effort to recall him in 2012.
Walker won re-election in 2014, claiming victory for a third time in a political battleground state that has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/scott-walker-presidential-announcement-july/2015/06/25/id/652301/#ixzz3eCFRFPwW
-
Bobby Jindal is so white.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/sahilrizwan/bobby-brown#.oyXg5v3m0a
And stupid. But let's just get rid of the SCOTUS huh? ::)
-
Ben Carson wins conservative straw poll, Fiorina and Walker close behind
(http://cdn.washingtonexaminer.biz/cache/r620-d306e761678bff3ec1a3a6714b926bcf.jpg)
Ben Carson, the famed surgeon turned presidential candidate, rode his outsider message to victory on Sunday at the Western Conservative Summit straw poll sponsored by the Washington Examiner, edging out former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
Taken together, the results point to the resonance of the anti-Washington message among conservative audiences, as all three candidates argued in different ways that they would shake up the D.C. status quo.
Carson garnered 26 percent of the 871 votes cast; Fiorina got 23 percent; Walker was at 22 percent; and Ted Cruz, at 11 percent, was the only other candidate to make it into double-digits (he didn't speak at the conference, though his father gave a rousing talk on his behalf).
The results were especially disappointing for Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, who both spoke at the conference. The attendees were heavily socially conservative, generally Huckabee and Santorum's core supporters. But Santorum was only at two percent of the vote and Huckabee got just one percent — and actually earned fewer raw votes than Donald Trump, who was also at 2 percent.
-
straw poll... awesome for people that love explosive quotes and extreme anger.
-
John Kasich to announce presidential bid July 21
By MIKE ALLEN
Updated 6/29/15
(http://images.politico.com/global/2015/06/28/150618_kasich_2_ap_00000002_956x519.jpg)
Ohio Gov. John Kasich will jump into the crowded Republican presidential field on July 21 at the student union at his alma mater, The Ohio State University, in Columbus, advisers tell POLITICO.
Kasich, 63, who was overwhelmingly reelected in November, will aim to appear less scripted and guarded than the leading candidates. Advisers say he combines establishment appeal with a conservative record going back to his stint as House Budget Committee chairman, during his 18 years as a congressman from Ohio.
Despite his late start, Kasich will be one of the most closely watched candidates — partly because Ohio is such a crucial presidential state, putting Kasich on many short lists for vice president.
Kasich briefly pursued a presidential bid in the 2000 cycle, but got no traction and dropped out in July 1999, endorsing then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
For Kasich’s announcement on July 21, doors will open at 9:30 a.m. at The Ohio Union at Ohio State.
The announcement date puts Kasich a week behind the other Midwestern governor in the race, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who plans to announce the week of July 13.
The July launch gives Kasich a shot at raising his national profile enough to qualify for the first GOP debate, on Aug. 6 in his home state. But participation in the Cleveland debate will be based on national polling, and Kasich advisers admit that qualifying will be tough, even with his announcement bump.
Kasich, who graduated from Ohio State in 1974, can expect an excited crowd in the Buckeye capital. He’ll follow his kickoff rally with an announcement tour that includes Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Michigan.
The GOP talent pool is getting shallow, with so many credible candidates vying for the nomination. But Kasich landed two of the best-known names in Republican politics:
His chief strategist will be John Weaver, mastermind of John McCain’s insurgent campaigns of 2000 and 2008. And the lead consultant for Kasich’s super PAC, New Day for America, will be ad maker Fred Davis, based in the Hollywood Hills, who worked on McCain ’08 and has had several viral hits. Both worked on Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign in 2012.
Matt Carle, who ran Kasich’s successful reelection campaign, will play a role on the campaign or at the super PAC.
An adviser said Kasich will be positioned “in Jeb’s back right pocket” — with establishment appeal, but slightly more conservative.
Kasich has made his hunger for the job apparent in recent months, with a series of interviews, stops in D.C., and visits to early states.
In a May interview with Jonathan Karl on ABC’s “This Week,” Kasich said: “I’ve been very pleased with what I’ve found out on the ground in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Michigan. … I hope people will help me, if they like my sort of unique voice in this whole thing, and we look at organization. … I [am] increasingly optimistic about all of this.”
Kasich called himself “the most experienced in the field, with being an executive running a big state like Ohio, dealing with problems like [shootings by police in] Cleveland. At the same time, being in Congress, balancing the budget — I was the chairman — and also serving on the defense committee for 18 years.”
Acknowledging he’s an underdog, Kasich said: “You know the way this system works. You know, you go to New Hampshire and you do well and you’re on a rocket ship.”
Asked about being the vice presidential nominee, Kasich replied: “Forget it. … Forget it. … Forget it, Jon. I don’t play for seconds.”
Jonathan Karl said with a laugh: “I’m going to save this tape.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/john-kasich-2016-presidential-bid-119517.html#ixzz3eTLUv5Pg
-
Why is Ben Carson rising?
BY BYRON YORK
JUNE 29, 2015
DENVER — Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who has never held or run for elective office, is currently fourth in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls — ahead of five governors, four senators, one CEO and one billionaire. Carson has been climbing in the polls since he announced his candidacy on May 4. On the day before the announcement, Carson was at 4.8 percent in the RCP average; now, he's at 9.4 percent.
The combination of Carson's rise and his unorthodox campaign style — Carson's short-on-specifics stump speech is like no other — has left some of his rivals baffled. "I just don't get it," one said in a private conversation recently. "I don't get it."
Much of the Republican presidential conversation is old versus new, which is shorthand for Jeb Bush versus any other candidate. Along with that conversation there is the senator versus governor debate, the Washington versus not-Washington debate, the populist versus establishment debate, and others. Carson stands apart from all of them.
Carson has scored points before audiences around the country by arguing that his lack of political experience is an asset, not a liability. "The professional pundits say, you can't do it because you're not a politician," he told a crowd at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver Saturday night. "I would say I can do it because I'm not a politician." A certain type of conservative crowd — usually ones who are fed up with Republicans — loves that line.
Carson makes the case that everyday life can prepare a person to be president. "Experience can actually come from a variety of different things," he said in Denver, "and I've had a lot of lifetime experiences that I think are very useful — experiences growing up in dire poverty, and experiencing every socio-economic level in our society. I think that's valuable experience, because it helps you see a lot of things."
Of course, not everyone grows up to be a world-renowned surgeon. But doing anything is better than being a politician, in Carson's view; as he tells it, political experience is a uniquely unqualifying experience for public office. "Ordinary people, citizens, can have all kinds of experiences," he explained. "For those who happen to have spent their lives pushing papers around and trying to get re-elected, to think that that is better life experience when it comes to solving problems, that they have the best experience, I think it's a suspension of intellectual activity, to believe something like that." More applause.
By the end of the Denver gathering, Carson came out on top of the straw poll.
Why do conservative audiences like him so much? The simplest answer is that Carson is a really appealing man. Another is that he speaks to the throw-'em-out strain among conservatives, the same kind of thinking that would be open to a third-party candidate. Yet another is that Carson's it's-really-very-simple commonsense approach to complex issues resonates with a significant segment of the party. And finally, as the only black candidate, Carson's race might have something to do with it; he might appeal to that part of the Republican mind that has been scarred by years of accusations of racism, and also to those who believe the GOP needs a minority candidate to win more minority voters.
Finally, Carson projects a serenity and faith that attracts a following. It's hard to overstate the degree to which he believes that God has guided him not just through his life but to this campaign. Speaking to him at the Western Conservative Summit, I noted that in his memoir, Gifted Hands, Carson wrote that he believes God gave him a special talent for surgery. Does he now also believe God gave him a special talent to be president of the United States?
"Well, I think the people will make that decision," Carson answered. "You know, one of the wonderful things about the system that we have is you have an opportunity to be out there with all of the, quote, political experts, and the people will be able to hear what I have to say and they'll be able to hear what they have to say. And they will be able to make the decision. If it were up to the political experts, of course not, I would have no chance. But it's up to the people. And our government was really designed for the people, not for a political class. And I think we'll find out what the people decide."
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/why-is-ben-carson-rising/article/2567210
-
Fat Man is in it to win it. :)
Christie announces 2016 White House bid, vows 'I mean what I say'
Published June 30, 2015
FoxNews.com
WASHINGTON – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie returned to his alma mater on Tuesday to formally announce his 2016 presidential bid, embracing his blunt-talking persona as he strives to stand out from the jam-packed field.
“I mean what I say and I say what I mean, and that’s what America needs right now,” Christie said, from a podium at Livingston High School, where he stood with his wife and children.
At times, Christie, who delivered his remarks in front of a large American flag and without a teleprompter, sharply criticized both Republicans and Democrats.
“Both parties have failed our country,” he said.
Christie, a former U.S. attorney who is serving his second term as governor of the Garden State, is the 14th Republican to enter the 2016 race.
Christie spent much of his 20-minute speech reintroducing himself to a national audience that’s seen him fade from favor among the GOP faithful. Days earlier, he launched a website under the campaign slogan, "Telling It Like It Is."
Christie slammed the persistent bickering in Washington, saying “Compromise is now a dirty word,” and also took aim at President Obama's foreign policy record. He said Obama's "second mate, Hillary Clinton" should not be allowed to take charge after years of "weak and feckless foreign policy."
Christie made his announcement from the gymnasium at Livingston – the location of some of his very first political victories. Christie spent three years as president of his high school class there.
"If you were to poll and ask who would one day be governor, I think Chris would have overwhelmingly won," Harlan Coben, now a best-selling author who served as student council president when Christie was senior class president, told The Associated Press.
Once considered an early frontrunner, Christie and his camp hope to rebuild momentum as the race for the White House gets under way. The "Bridgegate" scandal set his national profile back, but his team is still looking for an opening among a diverse cast of GOP primary candidates.
Christie is one of four current governors to in the mix on the GOP side. He joins Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal, who announced his candidacy last week, as well as expected candidates Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Their announcements are expected in July.
Christie gained national attention after he took on public-sector unions in New Jersey. His long-running battle with the teachers' unions created a backlash against many of his state policies but helped him gain popularity on a national level with the party.
Born in 1962, Christie has often pulled from his working-class roots. His father paid his way through college by working at a Breyers ice cream plant, while his Sicilian mother “set the tone” at home, he has said.
Christie’s camp released a video Sunday titled, “Telling It Like It Is,” which drew on his interactions with his late mother, Sondra, and played up his signature brash persona, that he has quipped is “as slick as sandpaper.”
In 2009, Christie defeated Gov. John Corzine – New Jersey’s widely unpopular Democratic governor who was dogged by allegations of corruption. Christie was re-elected in 2013. That year, he was also elected that year as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, succeeding Jindal.
More recently, though, Christie has dealt with a lengthy criminal investigation over his staff’s involvement in a politically motivated bridge closure.
Christie has maintained he was not involved in the matter.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/30/christie-announces-2016-bid-for-white-house-becomes-14th-gop-hopeful/
-
EXCLUSIVE — DR. BEN CARSON TELLS WASHINGTON AS GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING GROWS: ‘HERE WE COME’
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/06/GettyImages-476137722-e1433638556501-640x480.jpg)
Dr. Ben Carson, the gifted neurosurgeon and political conservative who’s running for the Republican nomination for president, has a message for the political class in Washington, D.C., as he releases extra-impressive grassroots fundraising numbers at the end of this Federal Election Commission (FEC) quarter: “Here we come.”
“I am extremely gratified with the level of enthusiasm and support that our campaign has received, from all 50 states,” Carson said.
The response to our message, namely demanding a more responsive and accountable government, has been clear and unequivocal, as demonstrated in the number of people who have shown their financial support for our campaign – 209,940 donations from 151,060 individual donors. The message to me and my campaign is keep working. The message to the Washington political class is, “Here we come!”
The numbers, provided to Breitbart News by Carson campaign spokesman Doug Watts, are nothing short of incredible for a first-time political candidate’s effort. Since March 3, Carson has raised $10.5 million. Some $8.3 million of that is in the quarter that just wrapped Tuesday evening. Since March 3, he’s earned 209,940 separate donations to his presidential effort—and 151,060 unique donors. Contributions are pouring in from all 50 states and donors from California, Arizona, Texas and Florida are Carson’s largest donor base in terms of numbers of contributors and amount of money donated. Lots of this fundraising, Watts says, has been done online but much of it has also been done over the phone and via direct mail.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Carson’s campaign, but he’s definitely a force to reckoned with. He just won the straw poll at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver this weekend, and clearly enjoys support across the country.
In the recently released Quinnipiac poll, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s lead slipped and Carson is one of those gaining on him. In May, Walker had 21 percent but now only has 18 percent. Businessman Donald Trump and Carson tied for second place with 10 percent each. Carson’s number rose from 7 percent in May, meaning the three percent shaved off Walker’s lead went to Carson. In May’s poll, Trump wasn’t even included so his 10 percent is extraordinarily impressive.
-
Rubio's slipping. Of course this just shows fickle polls can be depending on the time and location they are conducted.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/marco-rubios-support-suddenly-crumbled-212000338.html
The CNN poll showed that Rubio's support has plunged to 6% among likely Republican primary voters. In May, he was leading the GOP pack with 14%.
This drop represents the largest shift among any Republican candidate. While most candidates remained statistically within the margin of error, Rubio's drop is the only significant movement up or down among candidates. He also lost ground in a theoretical head-to-head matchup with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton — he now trails her by 17 points after coming within three in May.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who has yet to officially enter the race, also dropped several percentage points to 6%, but he was within the poll's 5% margin of error.
Several factors may be behind Rubio's drop. For one, Rubio didn't grab many headlines during the week that the poll was taken like some of his opponents — including real-estate mogul Donald Trump, who was the biggest gainer in the poll. Michael Traugott, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, told Business Insider that Rubio's drop "just means he hasn't been generating much press coverage lately."
GOP strategist Liz Mair pointed out that Rubio's strong suit — personal-finance issues and foreign policy — took a back seat last week to topics like gay marriage, the Affordable Care Act, and the Charleston shooting.
"Probably for Rubio, it's better for people to focus on foreign policy," Mair told Business Insider on Wednesday.
Rubio might also be suffering from a mini-surge by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) and Trump, who both announced their presidential campaigns just more than two weeks ago.
"Rubio and Walker have lost a little altitude as Jeb Bush has righted his ship. Not sure I believe the Rubio numbers, but Jeb is looking like the front runner once again — at least until Aug. 6," Greg Valliere, the chief political strategist at Potomac Research Group, told Business Insider, referencing the date of the first Republican primary debate.
In any event, as The Huffington Post notes, Rubio's overall popularity has remained steady for the last several months, indicating that voters' attitudes toward him haven't shifted too greatly.
-
In any event, as The Huffington Post notes, Rubio's overall popularity has remained steady for the last several months, indicating that voters' attitudes toward him haven't shifted too greatly.
Sounds about right.
-
Pretty good for someone with no political experience, but he'll have to raise a heck of a lot more.
July 01, 2015
Carson campaign raises $8.3M
By Mark Hensch
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/carsonben_050715getty.jpg?itok=GyO6sZBa)
GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson has raised over $8.3 million in the last three months, according to The Associated Press.
Campaign spokesman Doug Watts said 151,000 separate donors contributed since Carson launched his exploratory committee in early March. That includes contributions through Tuesday.
Carson is the first Republican White House hopeful to release his fundraising totals this election cycle.
The retired surgeon is one of more than a dozen GOP contenders, comprising one of the most crowded presidential fields in recent memory.
Watts predicted Wednesday that no other campaign will “come even close to the number of engaged donors” Carson commands, AP reported.
His announcement follows Democrat Hillary Clinton’s record-breaking haul for the first quarter of a presidential bid earlier on Tuesday.
Clinton announced on Twitter that her campaign has received $45 million in donations from supporters.
She also retweeted a post from campaign chairman John Podesta, who said 91 percent of all donations were $100 or less.
“Thank you so much for being a part of this campaign,” Clinton told supporters on Twitter. “I’m grateful for all you’ve done and excited for what comes next.
“While the road ahead is tough, you need the best people by your side,” Clinton added. “That’s why I’m thankful for you. With warm regards, Hillary.”
Clinton’s first quarter scoop bests President Obama’s previous record of $42 million set during the first quarter of 2011 during his reelection campaign.
That figure was part of a larger $68 million haul, most of which was raised by the Democratic National Committee that election cycle.
Election law dictates that first quarter fundraising ends on June 30. Candidates then have 15 days to file their results.
Clinton announced her Oval Office bid on April 12, only 12 days into the fundraising window. That move helped her campaign staff seek contributions for most of the quarter.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/fundraising/246674-carson-campaign-raises-83m
-
Rubio's slipping.
The sort of voters that liked Rubio are moving to Trump.
You know the type... they want a 'fresh face' that they can relate to - Goodness knows jeb and huck and santorum do not. Rubio is like a young JFK, if JFK lied about his parents persecution and had some lobbying shadiness under his belt.
Trump has stolen away the "i'm bored with the GOp establishment but don't have any true real feeling about the issue" vote from Rubio.
-
Scott Walker to Make 2016 Announcement July 13
Thursday, 02 Jul 2015
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will announce his presidential campaign intentions on the afternoon of July 13 in suburban Milwaukee, a Walker aide who wasn't authorized to speak on the record said.
The two-term governor will make his announcement in Waukesha, just west of his home in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The date of the announcement was reported earlier Thursday by Politico.
Walker, 47, is also expected on Thursday to file his papers of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, the aide said.
If he formally enters the race as expected, he would be the 15th Republican to do so. The most recent public polling in Iowa shows him atop the field in the state that will host the first nomination voting in February, although his standing has slipped this year as others have officially joined the contest.
Walker had pledged not to enter the presidential race until the Wisconsin legislature completes its two-year budget bill. Lawmakers in Madison will meet next week to try to hammer out the final details, but it remains unclear whether they'll finish their work before July 13.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/walker-presidential-campaign-announcement/2015/07/02/id/653214/#ixzz3eksEWx3Z
-
The 10 Republicans most likely to win the GOP’s 2016 nod
By Niall Stanage
07/06/15
With just one month to go before the first GOP presidential debate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has surfed a bounce from his official campaign launch to claim the top spot in The Hill’s rankings.
Bush placed second in our most recent rankings in May.
The leader in May, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), has drifted to third place as questions deepen over whether his undoubted strengths will translate into victories in early states.
Among the other big movers: Ben Carson has climbed three places to fourth, largely on the back of some surprisingly strong poll results, while Donald Trump, unranked in May, now demands inclusion. The businessman is at No. 8.
1. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (previously 2)
Bush has claimed a clear lead in polling both nationally and in New Hampshire. He runs 7 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival in CNN’s latest national poll and beats the field in New Hampshire by about 5 percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics (RCP) average.
He’s also expected to have truckloads of cash, meaning he can sustain a long campaign.
That could help him on Super Tuesday, March 1, when 11 states are scheduled to vote. If the race is still competitive by March 15, Bush’s money edge will be augmented by home-court advantage when Florida votes, along with Illinois, Missouri and Oregon.
The bad news: Despite his national strength, Bush is highly unlikely to win the Iowa caucuses, where he places sixth in the latest major poll, from Quinnipiac University. That ups the stakes for Bush in New Hampshire. If he fails to win the Granite State, he could be in trouble.
2. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (3)
Walker is the favorite in Iowa, where his 17.5 percent support in the RCP average sounds modest but is approximately double the support claimed by his nearest challenger.
An Iowa win would help Walker position himself as the main conservative challenger to Bush. If he locked in that status with an adequate performance in New Hampshire and a stronger one in more ideologically friendly South Carolina, other conservatives are likely to drop out. Walker would be perfectly placed to hoover up their support.
The bad news: Skeptics question whether Walker, the only top-tier contender not officially in the race, has the personal dynamism to deliver on his potential.
3. Sen. Marco Rubio (1)
Rubio has the potential to expand the Republican tent without unduly antagonizing the base.
The Florida senator also has greater crossover appeal to the different factions within the GOP than any other candidate. He was first elected with Tea Party backing; his hawkish foreign policy positions appeal to national-security conservatives; and his youth, Cuban heritage and charisma lead many in the GOP establishment to believe he would be the party’s strongest choice to take on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
The bad news: Rubio is in fourth place in the RCP national polling average and faces a pressing question: Where, exactly, is he going to win?
In Iowa, Rubio is tied for fourth in the RCP average and seventh in the latest major poll. Unlike Bush, he cannot be confident of bouncing right back in New Hampshire, where he is currently running fifth.
If, as seems probable, he fails to win either contest, there is no guarantee South Carolina would prove more hospitable. Rubio may have a broad base, but it’s easy to see how he could find himself 0-3.
4. Ben Carson (7)
It would be hard to find a Beltway insider who believes Carson has a serious shot at becoming the GOP nominee. But he’s polling well ahead of expectations.
Carson is tied for second in the latest major poll in Iowa and third in the RCP national average.
The past two presidential cycles have thrown up Republican candidates whose chances were derided right up until they became serious challengers: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008 and former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) in 2012. Carson could become the 2016 equivalent.
The bad news: Carson is a poor fit for New Hampshire, which means that any momentum he would pick up from a strong performance in Iowa could quickly dissipate. He has never run for public office before, a fact that could give voters pause. And Carson’s lack of political experience could lead to serious gaffes.
5. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (unchanged)
There’s no denying that Huckabee is an outside bet to end up as the GOP’s standard-bearer. But, unlike several of his rivals, he at least has a plausible path to becoming a major player in the race: do well in the Iowa caucuses, which he won in 2008; minimize the importance of the more liberal New Hampshire; and come back strongly in South Carolina, where many Republican voters share the one-time preacher’s social conservatism.
If all of that goes according to plan, Huckabee could then look forward to March 1, nicknamed “the SEC primary” because Deep South states, including Alabama, Georgia and his native Arkansas, are set to vote as are Tennessee and Texas.
The bad news: Huckabee is not running as strongly as he needs to in Iowa. He is sixth in the RCP average in the state and trailed in eighth in the latest poll, from Quinnipiac.
That could point to a more fundamental problem with his candidacy: Are the fervent conservatives whom his success depends upon being drawn away by Walker and Carson?
Huckabee will only have a real shot if he becomes the clear conservative alternative to a more establishment-friendly front-runner — and it’s hard to see how he gets into that position.
6. Sen. Rand Paul (4)
Paul’s backers believed at the outset of the race that the Kentucky senator could expand the appeal of his father, former Rep. Ron Paul (Texas). The theory was based on a sense that the electorate had become more amenable to libertarian ideas and that the younger Paul is a less eccentric figure than his dad.
The bad news: There’s little evidence to support this theory so far. Paul has a decent level of support in both Iowa and New Hampshire, according to the polls, but he is a long-odds bet to win either contest. South Carolina, with a GOP electorate in which social conservatives and military families are well-represented, is an even worse fit.
7. Sen. Ted Cruz (6)
The rationale for a Cruz victory at the outset of his campaign was clear: The combative senator could claim the backing of Tea Party activists and would then augment this base by drawing significant support from foreign policy hawks and social conservatives.
The bad news: It hasn’t happened, at least so far. Cruz languishes in eighth place in the RCP national average and — more damaging to his overall hopes — fills the same spot in the Iowa average.
The “grassroots conservative” lane is a crowded one and, despite the high media profile he enjoys, Cruz is getting squeezed out by Walker, Carson and Huckabee.
8. Donald Trump (unranked)
Trump is clearly on the move in the polls, which earns him a place in these rankings. In three recent polls — one national, one in New Hampshire and one in Iowa — Trump has placed second, second and tied for second, respectively.
It is more likely than ever that he will earn a position in the first two televised GOP debates, which are capped at 10 candidates apiece.
Most Republicans don't think Trump will emerge as the GOP nominee, but he is well-placed to stick around for a long time.
The bad news: Even for someone with Trump’s ego, there can be such a thing as bad publicity. Business partners, including NBC and Macy’s, have distanced themselves from him after he made derogatory comments about Mexican immigrants.
9. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (unchanged)
Christie’s hope is that people will warm to his campaigning style — encapsulated by his “telling it like it is” slogan — and be won over by his debating skills. Then, so the theory goes, the maverick-loving voters of New Hampshire will provide him with the kind of Lazarus-like resurrection enjoyed by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008. This boost of momentum will be great enough to propel Christie toward the front of the pack as the most electable Republican in a general election.
The bad news: This is a very, very long shot. Christie has been badly bruised by “Bridgegate,” and social conservatives had not been enthused about him even before that scandal erupted.
It’s not a sure thing that Christie will even make the debate stage — he currently sits in 10th place in the RCP national average. And even if he were to win in New Hampshire — an idea that looks fanciful for now — it’s not at all certain that he could build on that achievement in the more conservative states that follow.
10. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (unranked)
Kasich will likely be the final major figure to join the GOP field, with an announcement expected on July 21. His boosters believe he can carve out a niche as a governor of a large, important state with bipartisan appeal — in essence, a candidate with Christie’s upside and none of the downside.
The bad news: Getting in late to a crowded field is fraught with difficulty — especially if your national profile is modest at best. Kasich has some political strengths, but will voters care? He barely registers in the polls for now.
Dropping out of The Hill’s Top Ten since last time are former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and businesswoman Carly Fiorina.
Other also-rans: Former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former New York Gov. George Pataki.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/246778-the-10-republicans-most-likely-to-win-the-gops-2016-nod
-
Don't know anything about this guy.
Former Virginia Gov. Gilmore entering crowded GOP field
By Tom LoBianco, CNN
Wed July 8, 2015
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150708102707-jim-gilmore-iowa-freedom-summit-january-24-2015-exlarge-169.jpg)
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore speaks to guests at the Iowa Freedom Summit on January 24, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Washington (CNN)Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore will be the latest Republican to enter the ever-growing field of White House candidates.
Gilmore told the Richmond Times-Dispatch Tuesday that he will jump in. Gilmore was governor from 1998 to 2002, served as Republican National Committee chairman in 2001 and lost Virginia's 2008 U.S. Senate race to then-Gov. Mark Warner in a blowout.
The Times-Dispatch reports that Gilmore will formally announce his candidacy early next month. He told the paper that he doesn't believe other Republicans are addressing major national security concerns.
Gilmore adds to the list of former governors running, including former New York Gov. George Pataki, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is seeking the Democratic nomination.
There are so far 14 official Republican presidential candidates, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich expected to announce their candidacies later this month.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/08/politics/jim-gilmore-enters-2016-race/index.html
-
Don't know anything about this guy.
there are a group of repubs.... they hate the lowbrow tea party base, they hate the RINOs and Jeb/christies too.
They half-attached themselves to someone like Jindal, bright but with no real positions they know of.
Once they learn about jindal, they'll need another 'unknown' to attach themselves to... along comes dudes like this Gilmore, not really known but hey, in a slow news week there will be a "just who is gilmore, and can he UPSET everyone" just for shits and giggles.
Repubs have no frontrunner, they're ashamed right now. Jeb and Trump are #1 and #2... what the motherfck is wrong with that picture? What, 15 people in the race and THAT is who they're choosing?
Insane.
-
Donald Trump surges to first place in North Carolina
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/trumpdonald_022715gn.jpg?itok=n6ja8H3y)
Donald Trump is leading the Republican field in North Carolina, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The billionaire businessman has the support of 16 percent of GOP primary voters in the Tar Heel State in the latest survey from left-leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP).
The poll comes with Trump mired in controversy over his recent remarks on Hispanics and immigration from Mexico.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Gov. Scott Walker (Wis.) trail him in the PPP poll with 12 percent support each. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.) is third, with 11 percent.
PPP found Trump has a 55 percent favorability rating with a 32 percent rating him unfavorably.
Trump is especially popular with “very conservative voters,” PPP found, with 66 percent of them seeing him favorably versus 24 percent who hold a negative view. He also claims 29 percent support among younger voters and 20 percent support with men.
Trump sparked controversy during his presidential campaign launch last month, when he said Mexico was "sending people who have a lot of problems" over the border to the U.S.
"They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists," he said. "And some, I assume, are good people."
Despite that controversy, Trump has done well in early GOP polls, placing second in a survey in Iowa and another in New Hampshire — both early voting states.
Wednesday's PPP poll also found retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) tied at 9 percent each, followed by Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) at 7 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) snagged 6 percent, while Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.) took 5 percent.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina received 4 percent, trailed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.) and former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), who all tied at 1 percent support.
Gov. John Kasich (Ohio) and former Gov. George Pataki (N.Y.) finish out the field with less than 1 percent support each.
Hillary Clinton remains the top Democratic pick for North Carolina’s primary voters, PPP found.
The former secretary of State currently has 55 percent of voters’ support there.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is in second at 22 percent. Former Sen. Jim Webb (Va.) then takes 7 percent, while former Govs. Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) and Martin O’Malley (Md.) are tied at 4 percent.
PPP surveyed 529 registered primary voters from July 2-6 for its latest sampling. The poll has a 5.8-percentage-point margin of error. That total includes 288 GOP primary voters and 286 Democratic primary voters.
-
GOP debate: Who is in, who is out
By Jennifer Agiesta, CNN Polling Director
Thu July 9, 2015
Washington (CNN)Four weeks from Thursday night, a group of at least 10 Republican candidates for president will take the debate stage in Cleveland, Ohio, with polling playing a major role in determining which candidates out of the ever-expanding field get to be behind a podium -- and which will be watching from home.
Fox News, which is co-sponsoring the debate with Facebook, has said that those on the stage must "place in the top 10 of an average of the five most recent national polls, as recognized by FOX News leading up to August 4th at 5 PM/ET. Such polling must be conducted by major, nationally recognized organizations that use standard methodological techniques."
That description, as pollsters will tell you, isn't quite as easy to interpret as it seems.
Taking it at its most literal, the most recent five polls include the CNN/ORC poll conducted June 26-28, the Fox News poll conducted June 21-23, the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll conducted June 14-18, the Monmouth University poll conducted June 11-14 and another Fox News poll conducted May 31-June 2. All of these are telephone polls conducted by live interviewers, dialing random samples of adults reached on both cellphones and landline telephones.
Although Fox News hasn't specified how they define a standard polling methodology, this almost certainly meets that standard.
If those five polls are included, using results among registered voters -- rather than adults where applicable -- and assuming the entire field meets Fox's other criteria for appearing on stage by filing with the Federal Election Commission and paying the appropriate filing fees, the 10 on stage would be: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, businessman Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Left on the outside looking in are former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former CEO Carly Fiorina, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former New York Gov. George Pataki and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, who hasn't been tested in any national polling this cycle.
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150708181719-gop-2016-candidates-polls-exlarge-169.png)
Looking at how these averages could vary depending on how Fox defines its criteria, the only candidate in that outside group who seems to stand a chance of getting inside is Santorum, and then only by tying for 10th.
If Monmouth University's polling is not considered major, then the average would roll in the CNN/ORC poll from May 29-31. That wouldn't change who winds up on the stage, though there is a bit of shifting in the order of finish.
One change that could have a greater impact would be dropping the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll due to the unconventional question wording used to gauge Republicans' preferences for the nomination. In their June survey, the pollsters asked those who said they would vote in the Republican primary if they could see themselves supporting each of 16 candidates.
Rather than repeating that list of 16 candidates in their horse race question, they followed those individual questions by asking, "If the next Republican primary for president were being held today, which one of the following candidates would you favor: Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rick Perry, or Ben Carson, or would you vote for one of the other candidates that were mentioned in the previous question?"
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/09/politics/gop-debate-top-ten-polling-fox/index.html
-
LOL @ anyone that trump believes on this day, Trump is only the 7th most popular republican in the race.
LOL @ GOP trying to use old polling data to keep Trump out of it. 7th? Are you high? Are you high???
Huck polling higher than Trump, huh? What the F planet are you on? lol
-
Trump Leads Pack In Latest GOP National Poll
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/07/GettyImages-473663054-640x480.jpg)
Real estate billionaire Donald Trump bested 15 other GOP candidates to lead the pack, thanks to his strong stance against illegal immigration, according to an Economist/YouGov poll.
Trump trounced runner-up former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: 15 percent of Republicans selected him as their first choice, and 12 percent as their second. Bush trailed him by four points, with 11 percent saying he’s their first choice, and only seven percent as their second.
A quarter of Republican voters picked him as their first or second choice for the GOP presidential nominee. The pollsters note that Trump’s blistering attack on illegal immigrants and the crimes they commit on U.S. soil has “struck a chord” with fed-up voters. Two thirds of Trump supporters back a Tea Party agenda and are more likely to identify as “very conservative” than other Republicans who chose GOP establishment figures such as South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham (one percent) or former New York Gov. George Pataki (nonexistent).
Forty-nine percent of Republicans view Trump favorably, while 43 percent view him unfavorably.
-
Trump Leads Pack In Latest GOP National Poll
FOX has him in 7th in their poll ranking for the debate. Therefore once he slips to #2 in any poll to jeb, they can declare him #11 and keep him out of the debate ;)
-
FOX has him in 7th in their poll ranking for the debate. Therefore once he slips to #2 in any poll to jeb, they can declare him #11 and keep him out of the debate ;)
WTF? ???
How is that even possible!?!?
I can understand maybe not being first place but 7th??
-
That's a pretty telling stat right there ---> "Trump trounced runner-up former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: 15 percent of Republicans selected him as their first choice, and 12 percent as their second. Bush trailed him by four points, with 11 percent saying he’s their first choice, and only seven percent as their second."
Looks like The Don has had a helluva good week.
-
WTF? ???
How is that even possible!?!?
I can understand maybe not being first place but 7th??
they're averaging in OLD polls ;)
Cause early June should dictate who debates in August. Everything before June 17, when he declared...
-
they're averaging in OLD polls ;)
Cause early June should dictate who debates in August. Everything before June 17, when he declared...
Even though Donald is pulling in a significant number of "second choice" votes, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would settle for the VP position.
-
Even though Donald is pulling in a significant number of "second choice" votes, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would settle for the VP position.
if it reaches that point - a brokered convention where #1 jeb bribes Trump to be the veep so they can get on with it..
Trump will already have a LOT of skin in the game and believe he'll stick with politics. He's 69, he'll have retired/sealed/ended many biz relationships by that point. His legacy will be "wait 4-8 more years", and that'll make him 72 or 77 and zero chance.
Trump can pretty much retire from business, he's ended so much of it over this POTUS run. SPending 4-8 years in the white house (as a lazy veep) is an awesome retirement.
-
if it reaches that point - a brokered convention where #1 jeb bribes Trump to be the veep so they can get on with it..
Trump will already have a LOT of skin in the game and believe he'll stick with politics. He's 69, he'll have retired/sealed/ended many biz relationships by that point. His legacy will be "wait 4-8 more years", and that'll make him 72 or 77 and zero chance.
Trump can pretty much retire from business, he's ended so much of it over this POTUS run. SPending 4-8 years in the white house (as a lazy veep) is an awesome retirement.
Not in his blood, 240.
A man like Trump has to own the board room.
It's all he's ever known.
-
Not in his blood, 240.
A man like Trump has to own the board room.
It's all he's ever known.
he's 69 though. His TV days are over. He's not going to move down to a second rate
I think for his story, his career... crowning it with 4 or 8 years as VEEP would be pretty badass.
That is, of course, if he doesn't win the whole doggone thing. Trump has shown us really how much of wimps the rest of the party is.
-
he's 69 though. His TV days are over. He's not going to move down to a second rate
I think for his story, his career... crowning it with 4 or 8 years as VEEP would be pretty badass.
That is, of course, if he doesn't win the whole doggone thing. Trump has shown us really how much of wimps the rest of the party is.
Still say it's far fetched but what the hell...I'm sure Dick Cheney sat in office for 8 years thinking he was smarter than Bush.
-
Still say it's far fetched but what the hell...I'm sure Dick Cheney sat in office for 8 years thinking he was smarter than Bush.
7 billion people knew cheney was smarter than Bush. But cheney knew he'd never be president.
I don't see how Jeb could stomach trump after trump shit on jeb's wife... but in a brokered convention, which we may see, anything can happen.
-
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker officially enters 2016 presidential race
By Terence Burlij, MJ Lee and Tom LoBianco, CNN
Mon July 13, 2015
(CNN)Scott Walker, the political phenomenon who rose to national fame by taking on unions in one of the most blue-collar states, tweeted Monday morning confirming that he'll seek the Republican nomination for president, just hours ahead of his in-person announcement.
"I'm in. I'm running for president because Americans deserve a leader who will fight and win for them," Walker tweeted, signing the message with his initials "SW," indicating it was written by him and not his staff.
Walker also put out a video Monday morning, outlining his political history and why he thinks he would be the best candidate to be president.
"America needs new fresh leadership and big bold from outside of Washington to actually get things done. In Wisconsin we didn't nibble around the edges, we enacted big bold reforms, took power out of the hands of big govt special interests and gave it to the hardworking taxpayers," Walker said in the video.
His Monday afternoon event in Waukesha, Wisconsin -- a Republican enclave just outside Milwaukee -- will be a remarkable political milestone for the 47-year-old second-term governor, who vaulted from the obscurity of the Milwaukee County executive to the top tier of a presidential campaign, thanks in large part to a historic gubernatorial recall effort that nearly ended his career in 2012.
In his first foray into a presidential campaign, Walker -- one of the most recognizable and polarizing governors in the country -- has emerged as a potentially formidable opponent to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Polling has consistently shown Walker leading the pack in Iowa, which borders southern Iowa, but he has fallen off in other national polling following a series of gaffes.
The biggest question for him now, as he becomes the 15th major-name Republican candidate, will be whether he can break out of the pack in other key states like New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.
Walker has been a torchbearer for top conservative priorities, showing again this that he had a few more presents for the party's rightwing base. Just a day before he was set to kick off his campaign, Walker was signing a $73 billion budget that only narrowly made it to his desk
Included in there was the elimination of the "prevailing wage" -- a minimum wage for construction projects -- and a sizable cut to the state's university system. Walker was forced to backtrack, however, on an unannounced plan to curb government transparency by limiting access to public records.
Although Walker waited to launch his White House bid, he has been laying down the groundwork for a national campaign for months. The union-busting governor has been courting donors, traveling overseas and boosting his national profile by publicly tussling with President Barack Obama on issues like the nuclear deal with Iran.
The next several months will be a critical test for Walker. After his campaign announcement, the governor will crisscross the country, including a three-day RV tour through Iowa this coming weekend..
Taking on the unions
A few months after taking office in 2011, Walker signed a measure to curb collective bargaining rights for most public employees in the state, framing it as an effort to take on the "big government special interests" and give power back to Wisconsin taxpayers.
The move triggered fierce backlash from labor unions and their progressive allies, sparking massive protests at the state capitol in Madison.
Conservatives in Wisconsin and around the country came to Walker's defense, helping the governor withstand a recall effort in 2012. Walker went on to win re-election by six points in 2014, his third statewide victory in four years.
It is that recall experience, more than any other, that has helped lay the groundwork for Walker's presidential bid. At the time, Walker said his recall victory proved that "voters really do want leaders who stand up and make the tough decisions."
That is a message that Walker has promoted in recent months while exploring a presidential campaign, calling on the Republican Party to look for "fresh leadership" and someone with "big, bold ideas and the courage to act on it."
Veteran GOP strategist Kevin Madden, who served as a senior adviser to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in 2012, says Walker's union-busting efforts helped him to burnish his conservative credentials by demonstrating his ability to taken on "the national [Democratic]establishment" and beat them on three consecutive occasions.
Midwest appeal
Beyond his record as governor, Walker's Midwestern roots will be an invaluable asset in the GOP nominating fight -- Wisconsin voters haven't picked a Republican for president since 1984.
Walker is poised to make the case that his candidacy could put other Great Lakes states on the electoral map that have been out of reach for Republicans in recent cycles, including Michigan and Pennsylvania, which haven't voted for the GOP nominee since 1988.
"The path for a Republican to win the presidency comes through the Midwest," Walker told a crowd in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in April. "It comes from Iowa and Wisconsin and Michigan and Ohio and we're even going to include Pennsylvania because they're part of the Big Ten," he added.
Walker also has a personal narrative that could enable him to appeal to low-income voters, a group Republicans lost overwhelmingly in 2008 and 2012, with the struggles in the latter campaign fueled in part by Mitt Romney's "47 percent" comments.
Walker is the son of a Baptist minister and an Eagle Scout, who attended Marquette University for three years before dropping out to take a job with the Red Cross. Walker has taken to citing his humble beginnings during recent appearances, setting up a contrast between his background and that of one of his key 2016 rivals -- Bush.
"I realize unlike some out there I didn't inherit fame or fortune from my family," Walker said during a speech to a Christian broadcasters convention in February. "I got a bunch of things that were a whole lot better than that. I got from my parents and my grandparents the belief that if you work hard and you play by the rules, here in America you can do and be anything you want."
Early stumbles
Walker has already experienced challenges that come with being thrust into the national spotlight in the months leading up to his campaign's official launch.
Unlike some of his peers in the Republican field like Bush, who lived through the White House campaigns of his father and brother, or former 2012 presidential candidates Rick Perry or Rick Santorum, Walker is facing head-on for the first time the reality of just how much scrutiny comes with a presidential campaign.
And it's shown.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, Walker raised eyebrows when he seemed to compare the task of fighting ISIS to taking on thousands of protesters in his state.
Earlier
that month, a trip to London resulted in a slew of unflattering headlines when Walker, despite his best efforts to avoid making news during the overseas trip, punted on a question about the theory of evolution.
In March, several news outlets, including CNN, reported that at a private gathering in New Hampshire, Walker had endorsed a pathway for citizenship for undocumented immigrants. This would have marked a notable reversal for Walker who had staked out a more conservative position on the divisive issue, and pundits were quick to suggest that the governor had flip flopped.
Joe McQuaid, publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader whose office is a must-visit early state stop for presidential candidates, remarked at the time that the controversy surrounding Walker's reported immigration remarks showed that this is the governor's "first time outside of Wisconsin."
"It is a guy in his first presidential campaign trying to get himself grounded and see where he needs to be nuanced," McQuaid said in a recent interview. "He hasn't dealt with these issues on a regular basis."
Building a fundraising operation
Walker could give Bush a run for his money.
Over the past few months, the governor has made aggressive overtures to wealthy financiers and prominent Republican donors, presenting himself as a conservative alternative to others in the field.
Bush's extensive fundraising network, founded on decades-old family friendships, will be difficult to compete with. But in the earliest stages of the campaign, Walker's political action committee, Our American Revival, has boasted impressive commitments and donations from prominent donors and bundlers in fundraising epicenters like New York, California and Texas.
And it's not just deep-pocketed donors that Walker is banking on.
The recall fight that made the governor a national figure could be a boon for his fundraising efforts among small-dollar donors.
Walker raised more than $30 million for the recall campaign, which helped him grow his donor to list to some 300,000 supporters. Walker and his supporters say they're eager to win over a new generation of donors.
"Our donor is not the tried and true Republican donor in New York City that's given to everybody since Reagan, Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of the investment firm SkyBridge Capital who is raising money for Walker, told CNN earlier this month. "We don't have the mercenary donor that's paying for past political favors."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/13/politics/scott-walker-2016-presidential-announcement/index.html
-
First on CNN: Cruz super PAC's plan to win presidency
By Theodore Schleifer, CNN
Fri July 17, 2015
Washington (CNN)The $38 million super PAC supporting Ted Cruz plans to highlight polarizing issues as part of a full-throttle plan to turn out the white evangelical voters that can power him to victory, a new document reveals.
Keep the Promise, whose strategy is detailed in a 51-slide PowerPoint presentation titled "Can He Win?" recently posted to the organization's website, mercilessly attacks 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney as unable to elevate "wedge issues," or divisive issues that polarize voters, to the forefront of the Republican debate. Calling Romney a "terrible candidate with a terrible campaign," the slides pillory him as a Republican who managed to squander winnable states just like every other "loser" moderate candidate.
By deploying these issues and emphasizing his Hispanic heritage and religious roots, Cruz can win the presidency, the super PAC says.
The presentation, seemingly written to appeal to donors, syncs with much of the pitch that Cruz himself makes on the stump: that Republicans have their best chance of winning the White House if they nominate a clear-eyed conservative who can turn out the GOP base. But the presentation makes the fullest case yet for how Cruz's allies believe he has a path both to win the Republican nomination and then to defeat Hillary Clinton, who is mentioned by name in the presentation.
The motivation for posting the plan was unclear. Dathan Voelter, the treasurer of the super PAC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
On the slides' properties page, a person named Chris Sipes is listed as the "author." They were last edited on Sunday and come days after Cruz's campaign posted hours of unscored B-roll footage to an old YouTube account. The super PAC, which can't legally coordinate with the campaign, originally called on Cruz to upload exactly that. Sipes could not immediately be reached for comment.
A 'positive campaign'
The constellation of the four super PACs that comprise Keep the Promise, which together say they have raised $38 million, plans to begin a "positive campaign" in the early-voting states around the time of the first debate on August 6, according to the presentation. Cruz and his allies plan to highlight his "deep faith" in order to capitalize on "upside potential" that they believe the Texas Republican has not yet captured.
Using a May survey commissioned by the Republican polling firm TargetPoint, the super PAC argues that Cruz has the perfect mix of awareness and popularity with GOP primary voters. The only other candidates with more potential growth are Scott Walker and Marco Rubio, it argues.
Cruz has placed a heavy, although not exclusive, emphasis on Iowa, which tends to nominate more conservative candidates like himself. Yet his campaign has secured endorsements in states that don't vote until as late as June, and Cruz himself has mused openly about a brokered convention.
His super PAC, though, appears to think he may be able to score a quick win.
"Schedule is significantly different than past years -- favors more conservative candidate," reads one bullet point. "At least six well-funded candidates -- making it very difficult for Establishment to destroy the conservative challenger."
Three consecutive slides together emphasize Cruz's path to victory: "The calendar leans SOUTH," reads one. "The calendar leans RIGHT," reads the next. "The calendar leans CRUZ."
The super PAC is expected to be surprisingly well financed, and the presentation confirms that three of the top 10 super PAC donors in 2012 -- Robert Mercer, John Childs, and Bob McNair -- have all donated to the group. The super PAC is decentralized into four different organizations to give three clusters of donors -- Mercer, Toby Neugebauer, who has donated $10 million to the group, and a third unknown family -- more control over their contributions.
Keep the Promise highlights six candidates who they see as well-financed -- Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Rubio, Walker and Cruz -- but in ensuing slides, it takes down those competitors as insufficiently conservative by grading them on a spectrum of issues critical to the base.
Cruz allies also see him as having "the most complete portfolio of 'Assets'" compared to Bush, Paul, Rubio, Walker and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Only Cruz has tsihe five ingredients for a win: "Small dollar donors," "large super PAC,' "social media followers," "grass roots support," and "sophisticated data analysis."
Prospective Cruz backers also hear the super PAC pitch the accomplishments of the Houston-based campaign, over which it has no control but nevertheless says can run an "Obama" quality campaign.
"Campaign managed by great executives," reads one bullet point, "not people who can write and produce TV commercials."
Defeating Hillary
The organization has already began plotting a path to defeat Clinton -- which more or less revolves around repudiating everything that Romney did in his campaign in 2012. Cruz himself has said Romney was a poor candidate, but he generally has done so gently and taken pains to note that he respects Romney as a person.
"He was the one man on the planet who could not use ObamaCare as a wedge issue," the super PAC claims, calling him a "social media amateur." "Romney HAD NO WEDGE OR MAGNET ISSUE to turn out the voters he needed."
Keep the Promise then walks readers through multiple states where Romney failed and Cruz can succeed, including Florida, New Mexico and Colorado, where the organization sees Cruz holding appeal as a Hispanic candidate. It appears to project that Cruz can defeat Clinton in the Electoral College by a 296-242 margin if it wins Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.
They key nationwide, though, is to harness conservative energy as a magnet for evangelical voters. That won't happen if they nominate Bush, who the super PAC seems driven on tearing down.
"The Establishment Never Learns," one section head says. "For 2016 they have chosen, Jeb Bush. The one person on the planet that forfeits Republicans on every Hillary wedge issue."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/16/politics/ted-cruz-super-pac-plan/index.html
-
Ben Carson looks for attention without inflammatory comments
By RYAN LOVELACE
7/18/15
(http://cdn.washingtonexaminer.biz/cache/1060x600-ffff7ff2d0e3d860c0e98e8b2101ba25.jpg)
Ben Carson told reporters gathered at the Family Leadership Summit that the most important lessons have to do with how he wants to gain the public's attention. (AP Photo)
AMES, Iowa — As Donald Trump continues to make controversial comments designed to gain attention, Ben Carson hopes to gain support by doing the opposite.
He has learned several lessons since launching his presidential campaign in May, Carson told reporters gathered at the Family Leadership Summit. But he said the most important lessons have to do with how he wants to gain the public's attention.
"Probably the biggest lesson I've learned is how to speak in a way that allows people to actually hear what you are saying, rather than focus on one or two buzz words," Carson said.
Carson did not comment on Trump's accusation that Arizona Sen. John McCain may not have been a "war hero" had he not been held in captivity. Instead, Carson told reporters, McCain has done some wonderful things but calling him a war hero depends upon your definition of "war hero." Carson chose not to explain his definition of the term.
Carson, who enjoys the support of many evangelical Christians in the crowd on Iowa State's campus, received a standing ovation following his appearance onstage at the event sponsored by the Family Leader, a social conservative organization.
While taking questions from moderator Frank Luntz at the event, Carson proposed cutting "everything" the federal government does.
"I'm a surgeon so I know how to cut," Carson quipped as the crowd howled with a mixture of applause and laughter.
Carson was traveling with his wife in Iowa and told reporters that he was headed to Milwaukee, Wis., next on the campaign trail.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2568539
-
Ohio Gov. John Kasich Announces He's Running for President
by CARRIE DANN
POLITICS JUL 21 2015
(http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2015_30/1133251/150721-kasich-campaign-launch-1213p_803dd03d1ddcf1bc46ff8d43ace7e67a.nbcnews-ux-600-480.jpg)
Image: Republican U.S. presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich arrives on stage to formally announce his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally in Columbus
Ohio Gov. John Kasich officially announced his presidential run Tuesday, telling a crowd at Ohio State University that "the sun is rising" in America again.
"I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support, for your efforts because I have decided to run for president of the United States," he said.
In a speech that described the woes of Americans worried about lost jobs, health care costs and crushing student debt -- and that made a point to reference the specific worries of minorities -- Kasich also tried to strike an optimistic note.
"The sun is rising, and the sun is going to rise to the zenith in America again," he said. "I promise you."
Highlighting his experience working with former President Ronald Reagan, the former congressman said he has the right resume to serve as the commander in chief.
"I have to humbly tell you that I believe I do have the skills, and I have the experience and the testing that shapes you and prepares you for the most important job in the world," he said.
Kasich also spoke at length about the need for compassion from public officials as well as the importance of religious faith in his life.
""I am just a flawed man trying to honor God's blessing," he said.
The Republican governor joins fifteen other candidates hoping to capture the GOP nod. Three of them are his fellow sitting governors: Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
He enters the race just one day after a new Washington Post/ABC News poll showed businessman Donald Trump topping the field in the GOP primary.
The former congressman is considered a relatively moderate Republican with an impressive resume and executive experience, and his home state of Ohio is a perennial key to his party's success in a presidential general election.
But his late entry to the race could be a challenge. At least at this point, he is polling in the low single digits, still without sufficient support to be eligible for FOX News' first Republican primary debate in less than three weeks.
He has also angered conservatives with his 2013 decision to expand Medicaid within his state as a part of Obamacare, and with his openness to a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/john-kasich-says-hes-running-president-n395396
-
Two weeks to go: Republicans scramble to make debate stage
By Jonathan Easley
07/27/15
The race is on for the final spots on stage for the first Republican debate.
With the highly-anticipated showdown less than two weeks away, candidates with low polling numbers are in a high-stakes scramble to qualify for an event that represents their best shot at breaking out.
Fox News is capping the Aug. 6 debate in Cleveland at 10 candidates based on five as-of-yet unspecified national polls released by 5 p.m. on Aug. 4.
Based on five polls used by RealClearPolitics (RCP), eight candidates look like locks to make the stage, while the race for the final two slots is headed for a controversial photo finish. For the candidates currently ranked between ninth place and 14th place, the polling differential is negligible.
“It’s a roll of the dice,” said Monmouth University polling director Patrick Murray. “It’s going to come down to the vagaries of how independent pollsters round off their results — we’re talking tenths of decimal points. It could come down to the five or six people who didn’t pick up their phones for a national survey and the five or six people who did.”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal are separated by only 1.5 percentage points, according to the RCP national average at the end of last week.
Christie looks to be in the best shape of the bunch, sitting in 9th place with 2.8 percent support. Perry and Kasich are tied for 10th with 1.8 percent support, followed by Fiorina and Santorum at 1.4 percent, and Jindal at 1.2. (By contrast, the lowest of the top eight, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), has 5.4 percent support; the highest, Donald Trump, has 18.2 percent.)
Getting left out of the first debate would be a significant blow to all of their prospects.
“It’s extremely important to be out there,” said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. “If you’re not there, it’s out-of-sight-out-of-mind for voters, and just as importantly right now, for your fundraising efforts.”
For Christie and Santorum, missing the debate would put a spotlight on how far their stars have fallen.
Christie was once flying high in the polls. As early as last year he was considered by many a favorite to win the nomination. And Santorum is the most recent winner of the Iowa caucuses, having emerged in 2012 as the primary challenger to eventual nominee Mitt Romney.
Meanwhile, Kasich risks being frozen out of a debate that will take place in a state where he’s the sitting governor. For Perry, it would mean a missed opportunity for redemption after a mortifying brain-freeze on the debate stage essentially ended his presidential run in 2012.
A spot on the debate stage could legitimize Fiorina’s outsider bid while allowing her to showcase her much-lauded skills as a communicator. And some Republicans believe Jindal’s firebrand conservatism could catch on in Iowa, if only he could get the exposure.
It’s setting up as a dogfight among the campaigns to boost their standing nationally ahead of the debates. It means weighing the return on investment of spending early in an attempt to make the debate, versus mapping out a longer-term strategy.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said GOP strategist David Payne. “These candidates who are not polling well are forced to spend early money for national ad buys, while the earned media pathway is complicated by Donald Trump, who is costing every other candidate a chance to get in front of the camera. It’s a challenge.”
The campaign strategies for how the candidates plan to address that challenge are coming into view.
Christie’s campaign is betting big that a national advertising push can shore up his standing. This week, the campaign put $250,000 behind ads that will run on Fox News. The New Jersey governor is also getting an assist from a supporting super-PAC, which last week put more than $1 million into ads that will run in the Northeast.
Perry is hitching his train to Donald Trump. He has emerged as the most vocal opponent of the businessman and reality TV star, who is riding a media frenzy to the top of the polls. Perry could get a lift from Trump’s media coattails.
In addition, the former Texas governor is getting help from the well-funded super-PACs backing his bid. The Opportunity and Freedom PAC has booked nearly $1 million in national ads on conservative TV and radio outlets ahead of the debate.
Austin Barbour, who runs the PAC, noted that Perry tied for seventh in last week’s ABC News-Washington Post poll. “My hope is that we’ll see a couple more polls like that because of this earned media he’s getting off Trump, the speeches he’s giving and what we’ve been doing with paid media.”
Meanwhile, Santorum said at an event in Washington earlier this month that he’d ramp up his media appearances before the debate, and he’s following through. On Wednesday, Santorum did two Fox News hits, appeared on CNN and a Bloomberg online show and finished the day sparring with liberal host Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.
Kasich’s political team says their strategy is to focus on New Hampshire rather than on resources meant to raise his profile nationally. But the Ohio governor’s political team spent significantly on TV ads ahead of his launch and will hope his late entrance into the race is perfectly timed to give him a polling boost heading into August.
Predictably, the complaining over Fox News’s debate standards has picked up in recent days.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is barely registering in national polls, said on MSNBC last week that the parameters “suck,” while an adviser to Jindal’s campaign wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal arguing that every Republican running for president deserves a prime-time slot.
“When did we start fearing debates? And if we do fear debates, what business do we have trying to win elections,” wrote Curt Anderson. “The plan to limit the participants in these debates is ridiculous in almost every respect.”
The Louisiana governor has temporarily suspended his campaign to deal with a shooting at a movie theater in Lafayette.
Fox News is holding a one-hour forum for the candidates who don’t qualify for the main event earlier in the day.
“That secondary forum will have a lot of qualified, highly knowledgeable and articulate folks,” said Dave Catalfamo, a spokesperson for former New York Gov. George Pataki, who also barely registers in the polls. “It might end up being more substantive because the candidates won’t have to respond to whatever idiotic thing Donald Trump says.”
But most Republicans view it as a second-tier gathering nonetheless.
“If you’re not in that top 10, you’re not going to be taken as seriously,” said Bonjean. “You risk getting left behind."
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/249161-low-tier-republicans-scrambling-to-get-into-fox-news-debate
-
Walker: We May Not Know GOP Nominee Until Close to Convention
By Courtney Coren
Tuesday, 28 Jul 2015
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=0a264603-16e8-432e-a817-65888b270f80&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Walker: We May Not Know GOP Nominee Until Close to Convention
Associated Press
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday that with such a crowded and well qualified field of candidates, it's possible the GOP nominee may not be known until close to the Republican convention.
On a stop in Philadelphia, where Walker attended two fundraising events, the Wisconsin Republican said that some states that hold later primaries, like Pennsylvania, which votes in April, may play a more deciding role in the nomination process than they typically do, Politico is reporting.
For that reason, Walker said that "we're not just running an early-state campaign."
He is just finishing up a tour of the four earliest voting states — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada — following the announcement of his White House bid. But he has also made stops in Chicago and Philadelphia.
"We think with the quality of the field it’s very likely that even states like [Pennsylvania] later in April will play a role," he told Politico. "It may go as far as — it could be close to the convention before we know who the ultimate nominee is."
Walker's advice for other candidates, if they want to win, is to start showing up in Pennsylvania now, which is a traditional swing state.
"If you want to make a case in November of 2016 that you care about people's votes, you can't just show up a couple months before," he said. "You've got to make the case early on."
Trump Slams Scott Walker in Iowa
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Republican-Convention-GOP/2015/07/28/id/659331/#ixzz3hJY31tPC
-
Fox News announces candidate line-up for prime-time debate
Published August 04, 2015
FoxNews.com
Fox News has announced the line-up for the prime-time Republican presidential debate this Thursday, and here's who qualified:
Real estate magnate Donald Trump; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The roster of 10 candidates was determined based on an average of the five most recent national polls. Trump as expected made the cut, securing the top slot. Right behind him were Bush and Walker, who each have posted strong numbers in recent surveys.
The drama, rather, was at the edge of the top 10. Christie and Kasich, who were hovering by that edge in recent polling, were able to qualify.
Kasich, who leads the state where the debate is being held, said in a statement, "As governor, I am glad to welcome my fellow debate participants to our great state and I look forward to discussing the issues facing our country with them on Thursday."
But former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and several others will not be on the prime-time, 9 p.m. ET stage. The seven who did not make the top 10 will be invited to a separate 5 p.m. ET debate. Aside from Perry and Santorum, this includes Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; former HP head Carly Fiorina; South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham; former New York Gov. George Pataki; and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.
Perry tweeted:
"I look forward to being @FoxNews 5pm debate for what will be a serious exchange of ideas & positive solutions to get America back on track."
The five polls included in the average that determined the line-up were conducted by Bloomberg, CBS News, Fox News, Monmouth University and Quinnipiac University.
The debates, hosted by Fox News and Facebook in conjunction with the Ohio Republican Party, will be held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
With the primary campaign lately being rocked by Trump's rise in the polls above the jam-packed field, the big question is how the other nine candidates will hold their own on the prime-time stage -- and whether Trump will remain the front-runner after his debate debut.
For political outsiders like Trump and Carson, Democratic strategist Doug Schoen said, "The question is are they ready, literally and metaphorically, for prime-time?"
The debate will test whether they can articulate a "cogent narrative of what they'll do to promote and provoke change in our country," Schoen said.
Analysts have warned that Trump, whose bomb-throwing persona has seemingly fueled his climb, stands to lose traction if he can't command the stage.
Steve Deace, who hosts a conservative radio talk show in the Hawkeye State, said: "His entire campaign is based on him being a blunt instrument" and if he holds back, "that would be the death knell for him."
Plenty of candidates are eager to seize the spotlight from him. Ahead of the debates, Bush on Monday outlined his plan for improving border security and immigration enforcement.
Tough-talking Gov. Christie last week vowed to enforce marijuana laws if elected president, and tangled over the weekend with the teachers unions after saying on CNN they deserve a "punch in the face."
Paul on Tuesday introduced an amendment to crack down on "sanctuary cities" by requiring local officials to notify the feds about the arrest of an illegal immigrant.
Trump, meanwhile, has continued to climb in the polls despite attracting the ire of fellow Republicans for recently questioning Sen. John McCain's war record.
In the latest Fox News poll, Trump got the support of 26 percent of primary voters -- the highest level of support for any candidate so far and up from 18 percent in mid-July.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, after the debate line-up was announced, touted the breadth of the 17-candidate primary field.
"Our field is the biggest and most diverse of any party in history and I am glad to see that every one of those extremely qualified candidates will have the opportunity to participate on Thursday evening," he said. "Republicans across the country will be able to choose which candidate has earned their support after hearing them talk through the issues."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/04/fox-news-announces-candidate-line-up-for-prime-time-debate/?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Trump just said the Repubs should have listened to TED CRUZ when it came to obamacare and stuck together. Had they done that, they could have stopped obamacare.
Interesting. He wants those conservative Cruz voters.
-
Krauthammer on Carson: 'He's the tortoise [in the race]'
Published August 04, 2015
FoxNews.com
Charles Krauthammer told viewers Tuesday on 'Special Report with Bret Baier' that he sees several surprises among the top ten candidates who qualified for Fox News' primetime Republican presidential debate on Thursday.
Businessman Donald Trump will take center stage, followed by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and Dr. Ben Carson.
Also making the main event are Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Governors Chris Christie, R-N.J., and John Kasich, R-Ohio, who edged out former Texas Governor Rick Perry for the tenth lectern on the stage.
"Obviously the most interesting and unexpected, as of a month ago, is Trump in the center," the Fox News contributor and syndicated columnist said.
"But I think the more recent surprises, first of all, are [John] Kasich, that he makes the top 10. He came in very late, he holds down the left-wing of the GOP, he's a bleeding heart conservative like Jack Kemp and he's there."
Krauthammer said he was also surprised to see Carson on the list: "You would have thought with Trump taking all the space for the non-politician, Carson would suffer, but he's going to be two people over."
"He's the tortoise [in the race]... He's slow, he's steady, he's quiet, but he's staying there, and he's got staying power."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/04/krauthammer-on-carson-tortoise-in-race/
-
Hey Beach, will you take a bet on whether or not Carson will implode (=show how stupid he really is) at the debate(s)?
-
carson has said some crazy shit to get into the spotlight, but has toned it down bigtime.
he may be able to just act like an adult and scoot into the top 3 as the others implode.
-
Hey Beach, will you take a bet on whether or not Carson will implode (=show how stupid he really is) at the debate(s)?
Nah. I don't bet. I don't like taking people's money. :) Plus it's pretty dumb to put money on something you have no control over.
I have no idea how Dr. Carson will do in debates. I have never seen him debate. But if you think Dr. Carson is stupid then more power to you.
Now if you wanted to bet lunch on some kind of fitness/strength competition (lifting, sprints, distance, cycling, etc.), I'm down.
-
Hey Beach, will you take a bet on whether or not Carson will implode (=show how stupid he really is) at the debate(s)?
He already has. Can't answer a simple yes or no question apparently.
I guess when God told him about his grand plan he had for Carson, he left out some key facts.
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/watch-ben-carson-crashes-and-burns-when-asked-a-simple-constitutional-question/
This morning on Meet the Press, Tea Party “darling” and Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson failed miserably at answering what should’ve been a ridiculously easy question concerning the separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution.
One host Chuck Todd asked him, “Does the Bible have a authority over the US Constitution?”, The Republican candidate looked visibly shaken and pathetically refused to answer the ridiculously easy yes-or-no question, instead mumbling on about the unfairness and complexity of the question.
Although he may be very good at performing brain surgeries, this Tea Party simpleton doesn’t even understand one of the most basic tenets of our Constitution.
-
Nah. I don't bet. I don't like taking people's money. :) Plus it's pretty dumb to put money on something you have no control over.
I have no idea how Dr. Carson will do in debates. I have never seen him debate. But if you think Dr. Carson is stupid then more power to you.
Now if you wanted to bet lunch on some kind of fitness/strength competition (lifting, sprints, distance, cycling, etc.), I'm down.
Fair enough :)
-
He already has. Can't answer a simple yes or no question apparently.
I guess when God told him about his grand plan he had for Carson, he left out some key facts.
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/watch-ben-carson-crashes-and-burns-when-asked-a-simple-constitutional-question/
This morning on Meet the Press, Tea Party “darling” and Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson failed miserably at answering what should’ve been a ridiculously easy question concerning the separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution.
One host Chuck Todd asked him, “Does the Bible have a authority over the US Constitution?”, The Republican candidate looked visibly shaken and pathetically refused to answer the ridiculously easy yes-or-no question, instead mumbling on about the unfairness and complexity of the question.
Although he may be very good at performing brain surgeries, this Tea Party simpleton doesn’t even understand one of the most basic tenets of our Constitution.
He also had a really bad quote, about healthcare being the center piece in Lenin's brand of communism. I think he can easily beat Kerry's performance in the last pres election.
-
Not exactly scientific. :)
Scott Walker Draws Informal Straw Poll Applause
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=326557e5-572b-417b-a6cb-ec716d2e35c5&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Scott Walker Draws Informal Straw Poll Applause (Photo by Theo Stroomer/Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Thursday, 06 Aug 2015
Gov. Scott Walker was the favorite in an informal straw poll of wealthy donors attending the Koch brothers' gathering of GOP candidates in California, literally becoming the hands-down favorite of most of the hundred or so donors in a closed door session.
Republican pollster Frank Luntz asked donors to clap to show their choice for the 2016 nominee, and Walker by far got the most applause, sources at the gathering told Politico.
He was followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, with former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina after them.
One source, though, said former New York Gov. George Pataki and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham got no claps at all, and Luntz joked about how quiet the room had become.
The group was only about a quarter of the 450 conservatives at the St. Regis Monarch Beach resort in Dana Point, Calif., last weekend at the gathering of the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, an umbrella organization for groups led by Charles and David Koch. The gathering attracted many of the 17 GOP presidential candidates, except for frontrunner Donald Trump.
According to reports, the Kochs are blocking Trump's access to influential tools in their political armory, including access to their state-of-the-art data and analytics services. He has also been excluded from their annual grassroots summit next month in Columbus, Ohio, run by Americans for Prosperity, as well as the weekend's California gathering of mega-donors, although most of his GOP rivals were invited and made appearances.
Freedom Partners would not comment to Politico about the informal straw poll or which donors were at the breakout session.
However, if donors are lining up behind Walker, they could provide a much-needed boost to his campaign coffers. His own super PAC has raised $20 million to date, but he's far behind the $103 million raised by Bush's organization.
There are still many donors who are not committed to any of the candidates, including the billionaire Koch brothers themselves or Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who sent a political adviser to the California gathering.
Walker's informal straw poll win came as a surprise, after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz received most of the applause on Sunday during a presentation to the donors. Also, Walker's stance concerning $250 million in taxpayer funds for a new arena for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks raised eyebrows, as the Kochs oppose government intervention in the free market system.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/scott-walker-straw-poll-koch-brothers-donors/2015/08/06/id/665744/#ixzz3i3iz7CkV
-
Missed the debate, but watched a number of clips. They all sounded pretty decent. Didn't look like anyone pulled a Rick Perry, but I didn't see all of it.
http://video.foxnews.com/playlist/politics-gopdebate/?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Trump loses Republican debate but Rubio, Cruz and others triumph
By Liz Peek
Published August 07, 2015
FoxNews.com
The moderators of the GOP debate Thursday night at the Quicken Loans arena gave Donald Trump plenty of rope – and sure enough he hanged himself. Right out of the box, the candidates were asked to pledge their support to whomever ultimately wins the GOP nomination; the only hold-out was Trump, who refused to make that commitment and who elicited boos from the audience.
Later, in response to a sharp question from Megyn Kelly about his history of calling women “fat pigs” and “slobs,” Trump argued that the big problem with the country was political correctness. He concluded, “If you don’t like it Megyn, too bad; you haven’t been very nice to me.” Bad decision, Donald.
Trump was also asked to provide proof of his claims that the Mexican government was intentionally funneling criminals into the U.S. He didn’t provide the requested back-up, but rather claimed, “If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be talking about illegal immigration.” He followed that absurd claim with a rant about how much smarter the Mexican government was that our “stupid” America’s leaders.
In recent weeks Trump had explained that he gave money to numerous Democrat campaigns in order to secure favors – portraying those contributions as normal business transactions.
During the debate he was asked to provide specific examples of such benefits, and said that because he gave money to Hillary Clinton’s foundation and to her campaigns, he asked her to come to his wedding…and she did. Does he even know how tacky that sounds?
Undoubtedly, Trump will soon complain that the Fox anchors were out to get him. The truth is, the debate was his to lose and he lost it.
Trump was asked about his earlier support of a single-payer health care system, his several business failures, what he would do specifically about the visit of Quds Commander General Suleimani’s visit to Moscow (illegal under today’s sanction regime) and other issues that might (and should) give his enthusiastic followers some pause.
He was by turns bombastic and evasive, not answering the questions but rather launching into various diatribes about the stupidity of everyone not named Trump. And so it went.
Undoubtedly, Trump will soon complain that the Fox anchors were out to get him. The truth is, the debate was his to lose and he lost it.
Thankfully, it wasn’t all Trump all the time, though occasionally it seemed some candidates might have stepped out for some fresh air. When finally asked a question by Kelly, Dr. Ben Carson, thanked her and said “I wasn’t sure I was going to get to talk again.”
Who won the debates tonight? In the earlier round, Carly Fiorina once again proved herself a smart, formidable contestant, leaving many to wonder why her campaign has thus far failed to take off, relegating her to Stage 2.
Senator Marco Rubio did not lunge offstage for a glass of water, but instead handled himself well. His answers were crisp and thoughtful; on the contentious issue of immigration, he balanced a forceful demand for tightened borders with realism about the need to resolve the problem of our large illegal population.
He was challenged to defend his lack of executive experience and did so by reminding viewers of his several years running Florida’s state legislature. He also (rightly) noted that if the election came down to a resume competition, then Hillary Clinton would win.
Ted Cruz was also a winner Thursday night. His skills as a debater served him well, as did his forceful criticism of President Obama’s inability to confront ISIS, and his scathing rebuke of sanctuary cities.
John Kasich had a good night, too, and his success was essential. He entered the race late and he is not well known nationally. But, Kasich is popular with moderates who are skittish about electing another Bush, and this debate allowed him to reach a bigger audience.
Former Governor Jeb Bush failed to excite. His delivery was not crisp, and once again he got himself tangled up answering a question about the Iraq war. Really, he needs to get this down – his slightly fuzzy answers about his brother and the Iraq invasion make him appear irresolute. Maybe he really is simply rusty. The only issue on which he scored was education; he defends his support of Common Core with vigor.
Governor Chris Christie had a chance to crawl out of the doghouse last night, but barely made it past the door. He got into a shouting match over Rand Paul’s opposition to NSA snooping, with Christie citing his post-September 11 experience as reason to encourage more, not less, intelligence gathering. The confrontation was vintage Christie but somehow it lacked authenticity. Maybe Trump has simply stolen his tough-talk persona.
Carson, Huckabee and Walker all performed credibly, with Carson having the debate’s best line: “I’m the only one on the stage to separate Siamese twins. I’m the only one to remove half a brain, though you would think if you went to Washington that someone had beat me to it.”
Rand Paul seemed on the defensive, and did not impress. Though the country is tired of war, people are alarmed about ISIS, Iran, China and Russia. Paul’s semi-isolationist stance was an easier sell when our engagements in the Middle East were still building. His dustup with Christie came across as nasty on both sides, with Paul accusing the New Jersey governor of “blowing hot air.”
In the final minutes of the Great Debate, Senator Marco Rubio said “God has blessed the Republican Party; we have some very fine candidates; Democrats can’t even find one.”
On the basis on both the forums held Thursday in Cleveland, the voters may well agree.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/08/07/trump-loses-republican-debate-but-rubio-cruz-others-triumph.html?intcmp=hphz03
-
GOP: Play it Conservative, Not Safe
Posted on August 10, 2015
by Keith Koffler
It’s the common wisdom of Washington’s allegedly “smart” crowd that Republicans need to reach out. They need to broaden their appeal. They need to show how nice, how tolerant they are. They need to work some political correctness into their message, or they’ll never overcome the otherwise unconquerable “math” of the Electoral College.
And the purveyors of the common wisdom think they have come up with something new. But it’s the same thing they say every election cycle.
And they’re wrong every election cycle, because what has carried a candidate to victory in practically every presidential election since 1980 is ideology, or at least, the appearance of an ideology. If Republicans reject conservatism in 2016, they risk needless defeat yet again.
Enthralled by their databases and drinking the Kool-Aid of the rest of the Beltway crowd, the Washington hands don’t understand what really animates American voters.
It is not any specific poll-tested position. It is, rather, the sense that a candidate stands for something, that he or she have a philosophy, a theory of politics and life.
What has carried a candidate to victory in practically every presidential election since 1980 is ideology, or at least, the appearance of an ideology.
Let’s take a look at who has won every election since Ronald Reagan shocked the sensibilities of the smart people in 1980. Reagan’s nomination by the GOP was viewed by then-President Jimmy Carter’s camp as a gift that fell out of heaven. Reagan was too conservative to ever take up residence in the White House and would be sent to the Home for Defeated Ideologues to live out his days with Barry Goldwater.
And yet Reagan trounced Carter and then won 49 states in 1984 without ever apologizing for his conservatism.
Let’s skip George H.W. Bush for a moment and consider Bill Clinton. While often viewed as a “moderate” Democrat, it is increasingly forgotten that Clinton offered his ideas as a philosophy, calling himself a “New Democrat” pursuing a “Third Way” toward prosperity and justice. The idea was that government would continue to provide benefits, but that it could be limited and recipients had to in some way earn it.
He defeated the hapless Bush, extinguishing his “thousand points of light,” or whatever it was he had that passed for an idea, and then in 1996 swatted away the ideologically bereft Capitol Hill dealmaker Bob Dole.
George W. Bush turned the “Third Way” on its head, pledging to limit government but provide some benefits, packaging the idea as “compassionate conservatism.” Never mind that this betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of conservatism, which is the most compassionate of the ideologies, even if it sometimes administers a dose tough medicine in the short run. It sounded like Bush was some serious new type of conservative.
Conservatism is the most compassionate of the ideologies, even if it sometimes administers a dose tough medicine in the short run.
While he took some pains to hide it in 2008, no one every really doubted that “spread the wealth around” Barack Obama was a left-wing ideologue who wanted to go about “fundamentally transforming” America. His campaigns confounded ideologically impure Hillary Clinton and then his successive moderate GOP opponents — John McCain and Mitt Romney — by digging down into the Democratic base and unearthing every last liberal vote.
It’s true, George H.W. Bush won in 1988 possessing no particular set of organized thoughts. But, as the vice president to a stupendously successful president, Bush was really running for Reagan’s third term, and he vanquished someone dryly pledging “competence,” Michael Dukakis.
Having nominated a couple of nice guys who finished last in 2008 and 2012, the cognoscenti are again counseling Republicans to select a person of moderation and supposed broad appeal, someone without the sharp edges of a conservative ideology. For example, another Bush, this one a man named Jeb.
But America is not the country these operatives think it is. With their micro-analyses and trend charts, they are tapping sap from individual trees while missing the larger forest.
Americans, unlike people in most other nations, are not bound by race and ancestry. They are assembled out of many into one by ideas. And it is ideas that Americans look for in their candidates.
Republicans are threatening to focus-group themselves into extinction. A candidate who can articulate a conservative philosophy and then, with some charisma and forcefulness, explain and sell it to voters, will win the nomination and defeat Hillary Clinton and her assortment of poll-tested, carefully selected slogans.
This piece first appeared in LifeZette.
http://www.whitehousedossier.com
-
Iowa Poll: Trump Leads; Christie, Paul Least Popular
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=732e6903-2810-40d7-b10c-3e7334bdc2c3&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Iowa Poll: Trump Leads; Christie, Paul Least Popular (Getty Images)
By Melanie Batley
Tuesday, 11 Aug 2015
They made headlines after they went head-to-head during the first GOP debate last week, but Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are the most unpopular candidates with Iowa Republican voters, a new poll has found.
According to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Aug. 7-9 of 1,186 voters in Iowa, 45 percent of voters have an unfavorable opinion of Paul while 44 percent say they do not like Christie.
At the same time, Christie can take heart that the current poll shows an improvement from April when he stood at negative 50 percent favorability.
Donald Trump is not far behind with a 40 percent unfavorability rating, despite the huge lead he maintains in the polls.
Christie and Paul argued over the powers of the National Security Agency last week, with Christie insisting the bulk data collection program was necessary to fight terrorists.
"I don't trust President Obama with our records. I know you gave him a big hug, and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead," Paul said.
Christie blasted Paul saying, "Senator, you know, when you're sitting in a subcommittee, just blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that."
The poll also found that former pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson is the most popular of all Republicans, with 69 percent of the GOP saying they have a favorable view of him.
The favorability ratings are not the only story.
In the current poll, Donald Trump maintains his lead at 19 percent. The rest of the candidates trail Trump:
Carson and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are at 12 percent
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is at 11 percent
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina is at 10 percent
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is at 9 percent
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tied at 6 percent
All other nine candidates are at 3 percent or lower, including Paul who fell from 10 percent in April.
"Donald Trump's public fight with Fox News might hurt him in the long run," Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, said in a statement. "But for the time being he continues to lead the pack."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chris-christie-rand-paul-trump-iowa/2015/08/11/id/669504/#ixzz3iXzJLW2e
-
things are getting rough for rand paul. he may have to pull out of prez race soon, or risk losing right to run for his own job in KY.
-
Just seen Trump hold a press conference on the Greta show.
Obama, Clinton and Reagan all had big time charisma but Trump is the best I've ever seen when it comes to handling the media in that type of environment.
His policies still will likely take him down but the way he handles the mic is really something special.
-
His policies still will likely take him down but the way he handles the mic is really something special.
whenever you see those old west movies, there's always a guy in a cart selling magic elixir... this snake oil salesman with a bottle of whatever, that can cure gout, take away wrinkles, and bring your jimmy back to life, all with one swig.
That's how I picture trump. People who are actually educated on politics, who actually understand the way legislation works, how the bodies of govt work together... well, they look at trump and realize he is entirely capable of starting a war or having another nation smack us with some SERIOUS penalties. Trump could put us in a depression by refusing to shake this guys' hand, or telling a reporter that this female leader needs Midol. NODBOY here believes he can "turn if off", because in 40 years in the public eye, he's never turned it off.
Trump is dangerous as fck. Luckily, only very stupid people buy into the angry nationalist thing he's pushing. They're a big part of the base, however, and with 16 or 17 other candidates in the mix, trump CAN get 25% of the votes and win a ton of early states, and just buy enough ads to clean up the shit states later.
I will say this - IF IF IF repubs gave a shit, they'd all pull out tomorrow and leave ONE person in the race - cruz, fiorini, even Jeb. ANd trump would lose badly cause 60% of the repub base DOES have a brain. The way it's split now, however, trump can win.
-
whenever you see those old west movies, there's always a guy in a cart selling magic elixir... this snake oil salesman with a bottle of whatever, that can cure gout, take away wrinkles, and bring your jimmy back to life, all with one swig.
That's how I picture trump. People who are actually educated on politics, who actually understand the way legislation works, how the bodies of govt work together... well, they look at trump and realize he is entirely capable of starting a war or having another nation smack us with some SERIOUS penalties. Trump could put us in a depression by refusing to shake this guys' hand, or telling a reporter that this female leader needs Midol. NODBOY here believes he can "turn if off", because in 40 years in the public eye, he's never turned it off.
Trump is dangerous as fck. Luckily, only very stupid people buy into the angry nationalist thing he's pushing. They're a big part of the base, however, and with 16 or 17 other candidates in the mix, trump CAN get 25% of the votes and win a ton of early states, and just buy enough ads to clean up the shit states later.
I will say this - IF IF IF repubs gave a shit, they'd all pull out tomorrow and leave ONE person in the race - cruz, fiorini, even Jeb. ANd trump would lose badly cause 60% of the repub base DOES have a brain. The way it's split now, however, trump can win.
Charisma bro.
We've had some really crappy leaders all over the world take the reins of power through that alone.
That shit can take you REALLY far as a political candidate if you have enough of it, policies be damned.
Greta just did a poll post press conference and over 80% of the viewers liked him MORE after hearing him speak.
Trump can sell the hell out of that snake oil, no doubt about it.
-
Good analysis by Sabato. His Tier 1 is Jeb, Walker, Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich. I agree that as of today the nominee will likely come from that group.
Republicans 2016: What to Do With the Donald?
Handicapping a frontrunner who (almost certainly) cannot win
Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik and Geoffrey Skelley, Sabato's Crystal Ball
August 13th, 2015
Whatever you think of him, Donald Trump is a stick of dynamite thrown into the presidential pond. All the boats have been rocked, and given Trump’s potential for more explosiveness, the political waters show little sign of settling down anytime soon.
Donald Trump is so special that we’ve created a category (and perhaps a word) just for him in our Republican presidential rankings: “The Un-Nominatable Frontrunner.”
Trump’s tier has partial precedents. Remember when then-Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN), businessman Herman Cain, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich led national and/or early state polls at various times in the 2012 cycle? There was no way that any of the trio was going to end up as the Republican nominee for president. You could say the same about former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the early stages of the 2008 election.
Friends, this is also true today for The Donald. Or perhaps we should say: If Trump is nominated, then everything we think we know about presidential nominations is wrong.
History has shown that presidential nominations tend to follow a certain set of “rules.”
First, the nominee has to have widespread backing from party elites — those in public office (many of whom will have to run on the same election ticket), the people in party leadership positions, large donors, and the heads of factional, well-funded organizations outside the party structure but still under the broader partisan umbrella.
No question Trump has plenty of his own money — if he chooses to spend it — so he may not need sizable donors. But in every other respect, Trump comes up short or altogether empty with party elites. Not only does the Washington, DC crowd want nothing to do with him, but some segments of the party that typically fight the Republican establishment are staying far away. For instance, the Club for Growth, which often supports primary challengers to sitting GOP members of Congress, dislikes Trump. RedState’s Erick Erickson, also a frequent opponent of party leadership, disinvited Trump to an event he held in Atlanta last weekend.
Second, a likely nominee needs a layered, professional organization that has been carefully constructed at the national level and in each of the early critical states. Trump has some of this, but all reports suggest he is throwing together most of his organization, only now hiring seasoned second and third-level aides that are essential to victory.
Trump’s campaign has had a seat-of-the-pants feel to it, with the candidate relying on his easy access to TV anchors and reporters who are always eager to air Trump’s latest stream of consciousness. But Iowa and New Hampshire, in particular, are not won by sound bites and celebrity coverage.
Third, a party winner is a disciplined politician who knows the language of politics and the dangerous curves that exist all along the campaign trail. As the first debate proved beyond doubt, Trump has little knowledge of any of this, and contempt for what he calls “politically correct” conventions. Short cuts in politics catch up with a candidate sooner or later. Moreover, as experienced pols know, you don’t win the votes of those you insult.
Finally, veterans of politics understand that many voters become more cautious and thoughtful as the real Election Day — primary or general — approaches. One’s vote for president is special, with enormous consequences; after all, this is the most powerful office in the world, still possessing the ability to end civilization as we know it.
Answering a polling question early in the campaign is far different than casting a ballot. Is Trump the kind of person to whom most Republicans (or Americans generally) would entrust the Oval Office? Would voters want to welcome Trump into their homes on television every evening for four years, not as an entertainment show host whose antics can be amusing, but as president of the United States, whose words can move markets and start wars?
Trump is an early season fling for many people, fun while it lasts but doomed to breakup somewhere along the path to the nomination. There have already been some signs this week that his polling may — may — have peaked. Moreover, we need to constantly remind ourselves that few people are paying very close attention to the race right now.
That’s not to say Trump won’t have consequences for the GOP. For example, somehow the party is going to have to reconcile Trump’s supporters with a more establishment nominee. Some candidates will be able to foster unity more easily than others — and this assumes Trump does not run as an independent in fall 2016.
The Summer of Trump is unlikely to turn into a Year of Trump, much less four years of President Trump. Current frontrunner? No question. The Republican nominee for president? Doubtful in the extreme.
Table 1 shows our revamped and streamlined rankings of the 17 Republican presidential contenders. Analysis of the five candidates we believe have at least some chance of winning the nomination, followed by 11 others that we do not think have much of a chance but might influence the race, is below the table.
. . . .
http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/republicans-2016-what-to-do-with-the-donald/
-
Good analysis by Sabato. His Tier 1 is Jeb, Walker, Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich.
MSNBC is in love with Kasich. every day is literally, 'wow, that kasich is so sensible and moderate and a real solution to what the country needs...'
the left loved trump when he was calling other republicans names. now that he's a legit threat, they're scared of him. they want kasich... and if you hear him talk, you'll see why. Super cautious and careful with every sentence, very good at political-speak. congress and a gov, he's everything the left loves about republicans.
-
MSNBC is in love with Kasich. every day is literally, 'wow, that kasich is so sensible and moderate and a real solution to what the country needs...'
the left loved trump when he was calling other republicans names. now that he's a legit threat, they're scared of him. they want kasich... and if you hear him talk, you'll see why. Super cautious and careful with every sentence, very good at political-speak. congress and a gov, he's everything the left loves about republicans.
I doubt any of this true.
-
I doubt any of this true.
i doubt you watch msnbc.
They love him, i mean morning joe gives his name a verbal back rub daily. Their coverage is so flattering, it's disgusting.
John Kasich: The surprising standout of the GOP debate
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/kasich-the-surprising-standout-the-gop-debate
Look at the flattering coverage - they truly love him:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=john+kasich+msnbc
-
i doubt you watch msnbc.
They love him, i mean morning joe gives his name a verbal back rub daily. Their coverage is so flattering, it's disgusting.
John Kasich: The surprising standout of the GOP debate
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/kasich-the-surprising-standout-the-gop-debate
Look at the flattering coverage - they truly love him:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=john+kasich+msnbc
I doubt you tell the truth. In fact, I know you don't.
-
Why This Unexpected GOP Candidate Is Breaking Away From the Pack
Aug 19, 2015
By RYAN STRUYK and KATHERINE FAULDERS
Second place in Iowa. Top three nationally. No, it’s not Jeb Bush or Scott Walker -- it’s Ben Carson.
The neurosurgeon, who has never held elected office, is emerging from the middle tier as a top contender after the first Republican debate.
Carson, the only black candidate in the 2016 presidential field, is polling at 12 percent in a national Fox News poll out Sunday and 14 percent in a CNN Iowa poll out last week -- good enough for second place in the GOP field behind only Donald Trump. Carson is in third place in a national CNN poll out Tuesday.
So, what’s behind Carson’s rise to the top tier?
The candidate is not the most eloquent in the Republican field, nor does he have the most experience or money. But in a campaign that has so far revolved around Donald Trump, Ben Carson brings to the table much of what Trump is – a Washington outsider, not a politician, authentic and genuine -- without the bombast and spectacle.
Instead, he embodies a compelling personal story -- from troubled youngster with a horrible temper to prominent neurosurgeon who became the youngest physician to ever head a major division at Johns Hopkins and the first to successfully separate Siamese twins joined at the head. And while the candidate isn’t the most charismatic on the stump, he often hits a rhythm while engaging with voters’ questions.
Carson is currently campaigning in Arizona, where he drew one of the largest crowds of the election cycle last night at the Phoenix Convention Center -- estimated at 12,000 people, according to his campaign. ABC News has not independently verified these numbers.
His campaign says his recent success is a product of the way he is aggressively reaching out to all Americans with his authenticity and speaking style.
“I think that people are just really attracted to him because he’s authentic. He plants his feet and he tells the truth,” Press Secretary Deana Bass told ABC News. “It doesn’t matter if he’s on the Southside of Chicago, in the middle of Iowa with farmers. It doesn’t matter where he is: he tells the same truth everywhere.”
Correction -- it's actually over 1,000 engaged residents and supporters in Durango! #BC2DC16 pic.twitter.com/wSAUqkGUam
— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) August 18, 2015
So what makes Ben Carson more forthcoming and plain-spoken than the rest of the pack? He never prepares remarks. But will this change with his increased popularity and with more people watching? His campaign says no.
“I can’t imagine that would be the case. Will there be a time when he actually has prepared remarks? It’s possible. When he has a speech written out in advance? It is possible,” Bass said. “But it certainly won’t change the things that he wants to talk about, his mannerisms or his delivery style.”
And the polls show it’s working: GOP voters picked Carson as the most likable candidate in a new Fox News poll out Sunday. The neurosurgeon led the pack with 19 percent of GOP voters, with Trump close behind. When asked who was the least likable candidate, a plurality of GOP voters chose Trump. How many picked Carson? Less than one percent.
During the first GOP debate, one of Ben Carson’s main jobs was introducing himself to people who were unfamiliar with him. However, after his first question he went 38 minutes with no air time. He later redeemed himself in the final moments of the debate, talking about unity despite racial tensions.
Dr. Ben Carson on race: "The skin doesn't make them who they are...it's time for us to move beyond that." #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/opCXllIrOy
— ABC News (@ABC) August 7, 2015
This tweet from ABC News -- featuring a quote from Carson’s closing statement -- was the most retweeted media tweet of the first GOP debate, according to Twitter.
“When I take someone to the operating room, I’m operating on the thing that makes them who they are,” he said. “The skin doesn’t make them who they are.” He continued: Those that want to divide us, we shouldn’t let them do it.”
And his closing remarks were not prepared. “Some people think that his closing remarks [debate] were prepared. That wasn’t the case. He was waiting for his turn. The Lord kinda told him what to say. It wasn’t at all prepared,” Bass told ABC News. “His performance in the debate certainly introduced him to a larger audience. People were impressed, it was refreshing. It was really a breath of fresh air.”
Despite the minimal airtime, Carson was the second-most talked about candidate on Facebook and Twitter and was the second-most searched candidate on Google -- all behind Donald Trump -- the night of the debate.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/unexpected-gop-candidate-breaking-pack/story?id=33178866
-
I doubt you tell the truth. In fact, I know you don't.
I posted links. And anyone here who has seen MSNBC in the last 4 weeks will tell you, they practice swoon when they say Kasich's name. They love the dude.
-
I posted links. And anyone here who has seen MSNBC in the last 4 weeks will tell you, they practice swoon when they say Kasich's name. They love the dude.
How many times have you "posted links" that didn't support whatever point you were tying to make?
-
What's Fueling the Ben Carson Buzz
By Rebecca Berg - August 21, 2015
(http://images.rcp.realclearpolitics.com/316086_5_.jpg)
DES MOINES, Iowa — Before Ben Carson spoke, the crowd gathered around the Iowa State Fair soapbox on Sunday took stock of the man.
An undecided couple asked a campaign volunteer why Carson is different. “He’s a true, honest man,” the volunteer gushed. “A man of integrity. Not a politician.”
“He’s a tame version of Donald Trump,” another Carson supporter a few feet away remarked separately. “I like that.”
In another corner of the crowd, an elderly woman fainted in the simmering heat. People gathered around her began to call for a medic.
“Call Dr. Carson!” one spectator exclaimed, only half joking, as the woman was tended to by medical personnel not running for president.
Donald Trump’s meteoric rise in the GOP primary has obscured that of another first-time candidate and political outsider: Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon, who is polling in the top three of Republicans nationally, according to the RealClearPolitics average. In South Carolina, Carson also ranks third; in Iowa, he is second only to Trump.
Inside the Beltway, Carson is scarcely discussed. In the states that will help choose the Republican nominee, his name is on thousands of lips.
Following the first Republican debate, it was Carson’s performance that data suggests stood out to many voters. That weekend, he was not among the candidates who filtered through the conservative RedState Gathering in Atlanta, hosted by the influential conservative blogger Erick Erickson; Carson had not received an invitation. Instead, Carson headlined a rally in Des Moines that drew at least 1,000 people, according to an Iowa Republican report. Over the course of three events in Iowa that weekend, Carson’s campaign signed up 5,000 volunteers, by its count. This week, a crowd for Carson in Phoenix numbered roughly 12,000.
It is easy to explain Carson’s momentum in the same breath as Trump’s, as being fueled by enthusiasm for political outsiders. But Carson’s allies don’t think that tells the whole story.
“I don’t think there is anything that’s touched the Ben Carson mold. He’s so uniquely different than anyone who has run as an outsider, a non-politician,” said Ryan Rhodes, Carson’s Iowa state director. “I don’t think you can compare anyone, including the outsiders that are in the race now.”
Indeed, Carson has a story unlike anyone else running for president: raised poor and a mediocre student, he rose to become a world-renowned neurosurgeon, the first to successfully separate conjoined twins. President George W. Bush awarded Carson the Medal of Freedom for his work.
That story has captivated many of Carson’s supporters. It is also at the center of his campaign, whereas policy prescriptions that typically drive presidential campaigns are secondary.
"I'm the only one to separate Siamese twins," Carson said during the Republican debate. "The only one to operate on babies while they were still in the mother's womb, and the only one to take out half of a brain. Though, you'd think that if you've gone to Washington, someone had beaten me to it.” The crowd roared with laughter; the moment was among the most talked about on social media.
On the road, The Ben Carson Show is much the same, centered on his achievements in medicine and his inspirational personal success story. The guiding principle of Carson’s bid for president is the idea that an intelligent person without experience in government is qualified by virtue of his other successes to hold the office of presidency.
“Together, using our brain, we can save our nation,” Carson said from the soapbox in Iowa.
But even as that unconventional theme has earned Carson admiration from his supporters, it has also made him the butt of jokes.
“Ben Carson Wows Iowa State Fair Attendees With Massive 300-Pound Brain,” read a headline this week at the satirical news site, The Onion.
Like Trump, Carson is running a nontraditional campaign — which has its perks, but also comes with its share of distinct challenges. Carson does not boast the muscular fundraising apparatus of more traditional candidates like Jeb Bush or Ted Cruz, nor is his campaign staff as large. And he might confront the challenge of attracting new supporters into his fold who are skeptical of his credentials or unfamiliar with his work.
“He has a grassroots enthusiasm that propels him to a low-double-digit floor, but that’s also been his ceiling,” said Tim Albrecht, an Iowa Republican strategist. “Carson will have to prove he can grow his appeal into a larger voting bloc.”
But, in a recent blog post, Albrecht also noted that Iowa has historically been fertile ground for “outsider” Republican candidates. During the 1996 Iowa caucuses, Sen. Bob Dole came out on top — but just barely. Just three points behind him was Pat Buchanan, who went on to win the New Hampshire primary, with the businessman Steve Forbes in third place. In 2000, Forbes went on to place second in the caucuses behind George W. Bush.
With a little more than five months until the Iowa caucuses, Carson appears to be well positioned to conform to that model — and, if not win the caucuses, to impact the outcome.
“Our supporters are evangelists for us,” said Rhodes. “They’re the ones who go out and say, ‘You’ve got to see this guy.’”
Meanwhile, Carson himself still seems in transition from long-shot outsider to serious Iowa contender. As he walked through the fairgrounds Sunday following his speech, he would not discuss with RealClearPolitics who is advising him on policy matters, saying, “That will come later.”
Nor does he feel any particular pressure, as a first-time candidate, to prove his muscle in the policy arena: “As our numbers rise in the polls, that will come. People will start to ask about it.”
Carson thinks that what he and Trump have in common is not so much their outsider status, but their “records of success.” And, in Carson’s estimation, they are telling people the truth.
“I think people want truth," he said.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/08/21/whats_fueling_the_ben_carson_buzz.html
-
How many times have you "posted links" that didn't support whatever point you were tying to make?
come on champ, let's stick with discussing the issues. Continuous attacks against Cruz supporters such as myself are just not cool. I don't want to assume, but a lot of those new trump bandwagon fans have been bashing me. Are you one of them?
-
Creating a buzz. Pretty impressive given his lack of name recognition and political experience.
Ben Carson Quietly Builds Support Among Likely Primary Voters
By PATRICK O'CONNOR
Aug 25, 2015
(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-JT277_LBGOP__G_20150806220351.jpg)
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during the first Republican presidential debate Aug. 6, 2015, in Cleveland. John Minchillo/Associated Press
Don’t forget Ben Carson.
The retired pediatric neurosurgeon isn’t generating the headlines or drawing the crowds of Donald Trump, but his numbers in some surveys suggest the appetite for his presidential candidacy might be just as great, if not greater.
Consider a recent survey by TargetPoint Consulting, a top Republican polling and data-research firm. Roughly two-thirds of likely Republican primary voters polled said they would consider backing Mr. Carson, the highest level of support for any candidate in the field. Just 16% said they wouldn’t, the lowest such tally. Those results include voters who didn’t know who Mr. Carson is.
By comparison, 54% of GOP primary voters would consider voting for Mr. Trump—a big jump from the 20% who said that in May—but a third said they wouldn’t, twice the level of resistance as for Mr. Carson.
Republicans were about as open to backing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Hewlett-Packard Co. Chief Executive Carly Fiorina and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
That doesn’t mean Mr. Carson will overtake Mr. Trump in the polls—or, for that matter, be the nominee—but it does suggest that Republicans eager to elect someone without political experience rank the doctor high on their list. In other words, it looks like there is plenty of oxygen available for the low-key Mr. Carson to catch fire, should other candidates flame out.
Mr. Carson is in third place in the GOP nominating contest, behind Mr. Trump and Mr. Bush, according to an average of national polls compiled by Real Clear Politics.
The nationwide TargetPoint survey of 742 likely Republican primary voters, conducted Aug. 17-18, offers more evidence that many voters are more receptive to candidates without political experience than those who do have it. The survey was done for TargetPoint’s internal use, not for any candidate or associated organization. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
The results seem to divide the contenders into three categories: those whose numbers are on the rise (Mr. Carson, Ms. Fiorina, Mr. Trump and, to a lesser extent, Ohio Gov. John Kasich); the initial top tier whose numbers are flat or down (Messrs. Bush and Rubio, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz); and everyone else. Mr. Bush’s numbers remain sturdy but unremarkable, while Mr. Walker has lost ground and risks falling out of the top tier.
This poll, like just about every other done since mid-July, testifies to Mr. Trump’s swift rise. He leads the field among voters with the clearest sense of whom they will support, at 18%, ahead of Mr. Carson, at 12%, and more than double the support for Mr. Bush. Messrs. Bush, Rubio and Walker have all lost a lot of ground on that front. But roughly a third of the electorate remains more or less undecided.
The TargetPoint survey suggests one of every three Republicans who would consider voting for Mr. Trump said he was their clear favorite to be the nominee, a much higher conversion rate than anyone else in the field. That’s something of a mixed blessing for the celebrity real-estate magnate: On the one hand, voters open to Mr. Trump have a clear preference for him; on the other, there isn’t as much room for him to grow.
By comparison, more than half of all GOP primary voters would consider backing Messrs. Carson and Rubio—in addition to those voters who already name either as their clear favorite. For Mr. Carson, three of every four Republicans who know who he is would consider nominating him for president.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/08/25/ben-carson-quietly-builds-support-among-likely-primary-voters/
-
carson is good at finding ways to include nazis in every president obama reference he makes.
curt schilling approved.
-
Pollster Zogby: Trump Just Weeks From Running Out of Gas
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8021ade1-efd5-4021-8d6f-3257c28d2044&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Pollster Zogby: Trump Just Weeks From Running Out of Gas (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
By Bill Hoffmann
Tuesday, 25 Aug 2015
Donald Trump is still riding high in the polls, but his day-in and day-out outrageousness is about to do him in, veteran pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax TV.
"I just don't see how he sustains this over a long period of time. Frankly, I give it another month … mid-September," Zogby, CEO of Zogby Analytics, said Tuesday to J.D. Hayworth on "Newsmax Prime."
"So much of [Trump's campaign] is based on being outrageous. How long can you be outrageous? And be outrageous every single day is what he's being."
Zogby's prediction came as Trump reignited his war with Megyn Kelly by tweeting and retweeting insults about the Fox TV star, who he's been steamed at since the first GOP presidential debate.
Zogby said Trump "feeds off of all of this attention … [which] equals lots of social media, equals lots of major media coverage.
"As soon as he puts together two or three days where there isn't anything outrageous, where the press isn't there, where he just doesn't get this kind of attention, he himself may very well just get bored with that.
"This probably has taken off for him a whole lot bigger and a whole lot faster than he even dreamt."
Appearing with Zogby was Craig Shirley, president of Shirley & Bannister Public Relations, who said of the billionaire developer who remains the GOP frontrunner:
"An old political consultant, Ronald Reagan's campaign manager, John Sears, said politics is motion and the one person in this race who does seem to understand that axiom is Donald Trump.
"He is in motion every day. He's making new news every day, he's saying new things every day, some of them outrageous, some of them substantive.
But he's saying things that most people want to hear or at least are talking about and that indicates to me he does understand what this business is about, what his message is about, and he's not going to stop until he stops himself, quite frankly."
Shirley said Trump's appeal lies more with the "Joe Six Pack, blue collar, lunch bucket crowd" than it does with the "country club elites."
"It's interesting that so many populist leaders over the past, both Democratic and Republican, whether it's Teddy Roosevelt or Franklin Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan, came out of the middle class or even the upper classes," he said.
"Some came out of the military elites, but they saw for themselves the corruption of the elites and in fact led populist upheavals in America and we're seeing that today."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/John-Zogby-Craig-Shirley/2015/08/25/id/671875/#ixzz3jweWZfG1
-
Pollster Zogby: Trump Just Weeks From Running Out of Gas
Zogby is really good at being a pro-repub-establishment outlier.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/worst-pollster-in-world-strikes-again/
-
Pollster Absolutely Astonished By Focus Group Results on Donald Trump: ‘My Legs Are Shaking’
Aug. 25, 2015
Pollster Frank Luntz was left in absolute astonishment Monday night by the results of a focus group who espoused support for Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, despite watching a series of video clips which some might use to undermine his campaign.
Luntz played for the 29-person focus group a series of videos which showed apparent flip-flops, derogatory comments toward women and his brash manner when laying out policy, Time reported. The group was made up of 23 white people, three black people and three Hispanics — mostly college educated and financially comfortable.
(http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/GettyImages-481219132-620x419.jpg)
Republican presidential hopeful businessman Donald Trump fields questions from Frank Luntz at The Family Leadership Summit at Stephens Auditorium on July 18, 2015 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
But, despite this, most were still committed to the real estate tycoon — some even more than when they entered the room.
“You guys understand how significant this is?” Luntz reportedly asked the press, who observed the polling, after the results were in. “This is real. I’m having trouble processing it. Like, my legs are shaking.”
“This is real. I’m having trouble processing it. Like, my legs are shaking.”
“I want to put the Republican leadership behind this mirror and let them see. They need to wake up. They don’t realize how the grassroots have abandoned them,” Luntz continued, according to Time. “Donald Trump is punishment to a Republican elite that wasn’t listening to their grassroots.”
The group reacted strongly to Trump’s promise to put an end to illegal immigration and strengthen the U.S. military.
“We love our country and we love what our country stands for,” one woman told Time. “I look at where we are now as a country where entitlements are just totally out of control. Our borders have completely dissolved. We’re not what we used to be. I want to people to represent my interest.”
Another woman, who voted for Obama twice, said she liked that Trump was “not afraid.”
“He keeps prodding on even if people give him negative press. He doesn’t change and apologize,” she told Time.
The focus group was somewhat significant. After the first Republican presidential debate, hosted by Fox News, Luntz found himself the target of some of Trump’s ire when his focus group suggested the billionaire’s performance had caused him to lose support.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/08/25/pollster-absolutely-astonished-by-his-focus-group-results-on-donald-trump-my-legs-are-shaking/
-
Good perspective.
WSJ: Two Factors That May Help Trump Secure GOP Nomination
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c1b05d4c-6bd0-4f88-aab3-30216ef95227&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: WSJ: Two Factors That May Help Trump Secure GOP Nomination (Wire Services)
By Courtney Coren
Friday, 28 Aug 2015
If two factors work in Donald Trump's favor, he could secure the Republican nomination for president, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.
The first factor is the number of voters who now say they are willing to consider voting for Trump, and second, is what will happen to Trump's support as the GOP field narrows.
In May, only 20 percent of Republican primary voters said that they could consider supporting Trump, according to survey by TargetPoint. That number in August is now 54 percent.
By comparison, the number of GOP voters who say they can't see themselves supporting the billionaire real estate mogul has dropped from 51 percent in May to 33 percent in August.
The Journal notes that the numbers are similar to those of other candidates, such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, showing that voters see them as a possible option to their favorite candidate.
In the latest poll from Quinnipiac University, Trump was leading the field with 28 percent of the vote, but that means that almost seven-in-10 Republican voters support other candidates.
The other major question is whether voters will move into Trump's camp as other GOP candidates drop out of the race.
According to the Journal, the type of voters who support Trump also support retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
However, Carson and Cruz are currently polling well and aren't likely to drop out of the race anytime soon. This fact may help candidates other than Trump, the Journal notes.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/donald-trump-secure-republican-nomination/2015/08/28/id/672473/#ixzz3k94pIeRB
-
Good perspective.
WSJ: Two Factors That May Help Trump Secure GOP Nomination
[
soooo you think he's more than a sideshow now? you think he can win nomination?
-
soooo you think he's more than a sideshow now? you think he can win nomination?
Only a troll would take that away from my post.
-
IOWA: CARSON, TRUMP TIE FOR LEAD
Released:
Monday, August 31, 2015
Most voters can see themselves supporting several candidates
West Long Branch, NJ – The Monmouth University Poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers finds Ben Carson and Donald Trump tied for the top spot. This marks the first time since July 26 that a poll in any of the first four nominating states has not shown Trump with a nominal lead. Not surprisingly, given the top two contenders in the poll, most Iowa Republicans prefer someone without a traditional political pedigree. At this early stage, though, the vast majority of voters say their eventual support could go to one of several other candidates in spite of their current preference.
When Iowa Republicans are asked who they would support in their local caucus, Ben Carson (23%) and Donald Trump (23%) tie for the top spot. The next tier of candidates includes Carly Fiorina (10%) and Ted Cruz (9%), followed by Scott Walker (7%), Jeb Bush (5%), John Kasich (4%), Marco Rubio (4%), and Rand Paul (3%). The last two Iowa caucus victors, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, each garner 2% of the vote. None of the other six candidates included in the poll register more than 1% support.
“These results mark a significant shake-up in the leaderboard from Monmouth’s Iowa poll taken before the first debate,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ. “Carson and, to a lesser extent, Fiorina have surged, while Walker has faded into the background.”
In mid-July, Walker was the front runner in Iowa, with Trump and Carson following behind. Since then, Walker’s support has dropped by 15 points, while Carson’s has increased by 15 points and Trump’s by 10 points. Support has also increased for Fiorina by 7 points since Monmouth’s last Iowa poll.
Only 12% of likely Republican caucusgoers say they are completely decided on which candidate they will support in February. Another 42% have a strong preference now but are willing to consider other candidates, 27% percent have a slight preference, and 20% say they are really undecided even if they are able to name a choice now. Just 1-in-4 voters (25%) say they have their choice narrowed down to one or two candidates, while most (54%) say they can see themselves caucusing for any of 3 to 4 candidates currently in the race. Another 17% say they are realistically considering giving their support to 5 or more candidates in field.
Among voters who say their current decision is strongly locked in, Trump leads with 30%, compared to 22% for Carson. Among those who say they only have a slight preference or are up in the air, 25% support Carson and 16% back Trump.
“Trump’s support is currently more solid than Carson’s, but Iowa voters are still considering quite a few candidates before they come to a final decision,” said Murray.
Iowa GOP caucus goers say that, regardless of who they support in the primary, the country needs a president from outside of government who can bring a new approach to Washington (66%) rather than someone with government experience who knows how to get things done (23%). Among those who prefer an outsider, more than two-thirds are backing one of the three candidates who have never held elected office – Trump (32%), Carson (26%), or Fiorina (13%). However, even among those who say the country needs someone with government experience, 30% are currently supporting one of these three candidates.
Looking at the fundamental strengths of leading candidates, Iowa Republicans now hold an almost universally positive opinion of Ben Carson at 81% favorable to just 6% unfavorable, compared to 63% favorable and 11% unfavorable in July. Carly Fiorina has also seen her numbers improve to 67% favorable and 8% unfavorable, up from 44% and 10% in July. John Kasich’s name recognition has also gone up but the gap between his positive and negative ratings remains similar at 32% favorable and 23% unfavorable, compared to 24% and 17% in the prior poll.
Donald Trump’s rating has ticked up slightly – now standing at 52% favorable and 33% unfavorable, compared to 47% and 35% in July – while the ratings for Scott Walker and Jeb Bush have taken a dip over the past month. Walker’s rating is now 64% favorable and 16% unfavorable, compared to 73% and 9% last month. Bush’s rating is now 32% favorable and 51% unfavorable, compared to 40% and 42% last month. Ted Cruz’s rating of 58% favorable and 21% unfavorable is similar to the 53% and 17% rating he held last month.
The poll also identified candidate support among key groups of GOP caucus goers, including:
Tea Party –Trump leads Carson 27% to 22% among Tea Party supporters, with Cruz at 16%. Among non-supporters of the Tea Party, Carson takes a 25% to 19% lead over Trump.
Ideology – Very conservative voters split their vote among Carson (24%), Trump (23%), and Cruz (16%). Somewhat conservative voters are most likely to back either Carson (25%) or Trump (23%). Moderate to liberal voters prefer Trump (26%), followed by Fiorina (18%) and Carson (17%).
Evangelicals – Evangelical voters favor Carson (29%) followed by Trump (23%). Non- evangelical voters prefer Trump (24%), Carson (18%), and Fiorina (13%).
Gender – Men prefer Trump (27%) over Carson (17%), while women prefer Carson (30%) over Trump (19%).
“After more than a month of Trump winning virtually every Republican demographic group, we’ve finally got a little variation in voting blocs to talk about,” said Murray.
Hawkeye State Republicans are divided on whether their final decision about who to support in the Republican primary will come down to the candidate’s positions on the issues (45%) or their personal qualities and experiences (45%).
The Monmouth University Poll was conducted by telephone from August 27 to 30, 2015 with 405 Iowa voters likely to attend the Republican presidential caucuses in February 2016. This sample has a margin of error of +4.9 percent. The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ.
. . . .
http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/85775b52-ec99-4ad3-bbee-14826bdf86e5.pdf
-
Only a troll would take that away from my post.
only a clever guy like you could sidestep in this manner.
-
IOWA: CARSON, TRUMP TIE FOR LEAD
Released:
Monday, August 31, 2015
Most voters can see themselves supporting several candidates
West Long Branch, NJ – The Monmouth University Poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers finds Ben Carson and Donald Trump tied for the top spot. This marks the first time since July 26 that a poll in any of the first four nominating states has not shown Trump with a nominal lead. Not surprisingly, given the top two contenders in the poll, most Iowa Republicans prefer someone without a traditional political pedigree. At this early stage, though, the vast majority of voters say their eventual support could go to one of several other candidates in spite of their current preference.
When Iowa Republicans are asked who they would support in their local caucus, Ben Carson (23%) and Donald Trump (23%) tie for the top spot. The next tier of candidates includes Carly Fiorina (10%) and Ted Cruz (9%), followed by Scott Walker (7%), Jeb Bush (5%), John Kasich (4%), Marco Rubio (4%), and Rand Paul (3%). The last two Iowa caucus victors, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, each garner 2% of the vote. None of the other six candidates included in the poll register more than 1% support.
“These results mark a significant shake-up in the leaderboard from Monmouth’s Iowa poll taken before the first debate,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ. “Carson and, to a lesser extent, Fiorina have surged, while Walker has faded into the background.”
In mid-July, Walker was the front runner in Iowa, with Trump and Carson following behind. Since then, Walker’s support has dropped by 15 points, while Carson’s has increased by 15 points and Trump’s by 10 points. Support has also increased for Fiorina by 7 points since Monmouth’s last Iowa poll.
Only 12% of likely Republican caucusgoers say they are completely decided on which candidate they will support in February. Another 42% have a strong preference now but are willing to consider other candidates, 27% percent have a slight preference, and 20% say they are really undecided even if they are able to name a choice now. Just 1-in-4 voters (25%) say they have their choice narrowed down to one or two candidates, while most (54%) say they can see themselves caucusing for any of 3 to 4 candidates currently in the race. Another 17% say they are realistically considering giving their support to 5 or more candidates in field.
Among voters who say their current decision is strongly locked in, Trump leads with 30%, compared to 22% for Carson. Among those who say they only have a slight preference or are up in the air, 25% support Carson and 16% back Trump.
“Trump’s support is currently more solid than Carson’s, but Iowa voters are still considering quite a few candidates before they come to a final decision,” said Murray.
Iowa GOP caucus goers say that, regardless of who they support in the primary, the country needs a president from outside of government who can bring a new approach to Washington (66%) rather than someone with government experience who knows how to get things done (23%). Among those who prefer an outsider, more than two-thirds are backing one of the three candidates who have never held elected office – Trump (32%), Carson (26%), or Fiorina (13%). However, even among those who say the country needs someone with government experience, 30% are currently supporting one of these three candidates.
Looking at the fundamental strengths of leading candidates, Iowa Republicans now hold an almost universally positive opinion of Ben Carson at 81% favorable to just 6% unfavorable, compared to 63% favorable and 11% unfavorable in July. Carly Fiorina has also seen her numbers improve to 67% favorable and 8% unfavorable, up from 44% and 10% in July. John Kasich’s name recognition has also gone up but the gap between his positive and negative ratings remains similar at 32% favorable and 23% unfavorable, compared to 24% and 17% in the prior poll.
Donald Trump’s rating has ticked up slightly – now standing at 52% favorable and 33% unfavorable, compared to 47% and 35% in July – while the ratings for Scott Walker and Jeb Bush have taken a dip over the past month. Walker’s rating is now 64% favorable and 16% unfavorable, compared to 73% and 9% last month. Bush’s rating is now 32% favorable and 51% unfavorable, compared to 40% and 42% last month. Ted Cruz’s rating of 58% favorable and 21% unfavorable is similar to the 53% and 17% rating he held last month.
The poll also identified candidate support among key groups of GOP caucus goers, including:
Tea Party –Trump leads Carson 27% to 22% among Tea Party supporters, with Cruz at 16%. Among non-supporters of the Tea Party, Carson takes a 25% to 19% lead over Trump.
Ideology – Very conservative voters split their vote among Carson (24%), Trump (23%), and Cruz (16%). Somewhat conservative voters are most likely to back either Carson (25%) or Trump (23%). Moderate to liberal voters prefer Trump (26%), followed by Fiorina (18%) and Carson (17%).
Evangelicals – Evangelical voters favor Carson (29%) followed by Trump (23%). Non- evangelical voters prefer Trump (24%), Carson (18%), and Fiorina (13%).
Gender – Men prefer Trump (27%) over Carson (17%), while women prefer Carson (30%) over Trump (19%).
“After more than a month of Trump winning virtually every Republican demographic group, we’ve finally got a little variation in voting blocs to talk about,” said Murray.
Hawkeye State Republicans are divided on whether their final decision about who to support in the Republican primary will come down to the candidate’s positions on the issues (45%) or their personal qualities and experiences (45%).
The Monmouth University Poll was conducted by telephone from August 27 to 30, 2015 with 405 Iowa voters likely to attend the Republican presidential caucuses in February 2016. This sample has a margin of error of +4.9 percent. The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ.
. . . .
http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/85775b52-ec99-4ad3-bbee-14826bdf86e5.pdf
Wow, talk about an Anti-Establishment Poll...The Top 3 are all private sector outsiders, the 4th Cruz is despised by whole portions of his own party and Jeb Bush sits at a measly 5%!
-
Wow, talk about an Anti-Establishment Poll...The Top 3 are all private sector outsiders, the 4th Cruz is despised by whole portions of his own party and Jeb Bush sits at a measly 5%!
Yep. Small sample, but it is sending a pretty clear message about the unhappiness of rank and file Republican voters.
-
Yep. Small sample, but it is sending a pretty clear message about the unhappiness of rank and file Republican voters.
agreed.
-
Inside Ben Carson's quiet surge
Teddy Schleifer
By Nia-Malika Henderson and Theodore Schleifer, CNN
Tue September 1, 2015
While the bombastic real estate tycoon dominates much of the GOP field, the retired pediatric neurosurgeon with a calm bedside manner is quietly emerging as a serious presidential contender.
Carson is tied with Trump for first place in a new Monmouth University survey of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers, with the rest of the field lagging by double digits. The Carson surge comes as Trump has set the terms of debate for the past two months, forcing other candidates to shift their focus and decide whether -- and how -- to fight back against his constant attacks.
Carson, who was awarded the Medal of Freedom for his groundbreaking surgical work, is charting his own unorthodox campaign, running as a mild-mannered culture warrior with an inspirational biography. But the challenge is whether he is the Republican who could topple Trump, and move beyond the cult-of-personality phase of the campaign to create a lasting coalition energized more by substance than style.
"The most important number right now is his net favorability, which is about popularity and personality. Our guy is 71 and Trump is at 26. That is the highest we have seen since (President Barack) Obama," said Armstrong Williams, Carson's business manager. "The key for us to be able to maintain such high ratings through the ideas portion of the primary."
No war of words
Carson's gains are especially notable considering he's one of the few Republican presidential contenders who hasn't engaged in a war of words with Trump. In fact, Trump, who has battled with Republican rivals including Jeb Bush and Rick Perry, has gone out of his way to praise Carson.
"I like Ben Carson very much," Trump said last week in South Carolina. "He's really a fine man. He's a friend of mine. He's doing well also."
Carson hasn't criticized Trump. In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" in August, Carson insisted he isn't trying to "catch" Trump.
"What I am doing is steadily getting the message out, and connecting with the American people," he said. "And they are responding."
And though Trump's rhetoric has upended the Republican presidential race, Carson is no stranger to controversy. He told CNN earlier this year that some people become gay in prison, indicating homosexuality is a choice -- a comment for which he later apologized. And in August, he said that while he wouldn't use drones to kill undocumented immigrants, he would order strikes on caves used to transport people across the southern U.S. border.
Carson will likely roll out policy ideas in the coming weeks. But the most immediate focus for his campaign is the next debate, hosted by CNN and set for September 16 in Simi Valley, California. While the goal of the first debate was for Carson to simply look like a credible presidential candidate, now that he is firmly in the top tier, he must offer more.
Carson seized on momentum from the first debate, flooding the airwaves in Iowa and New Hampshire for two weeks with radio and television ads with Carson speaking directly to the camera.
"Our children face a very harsh future, unsustainable debt. Future generations will suffer," Carson said in the ad. "Washington is broken. The political class broke it. Please join me."
In Iowa, he has hosted a series of "family festivals" in three cities, featuring pony rides, popcorn and entertainment. Some 6,000 people showed up to the small scale fairs that doubled as political events.
"That was really, really smart because most candidates aren't doing events where the candidate isn't the highlight but a side detail," said Kedron Bardwell, a political science professor at Simpson College. "It burnishes his credentials as unconventional and focuses on value issues and family and he did it in a way that is nonthreatening. It was almost like a circus."
Head start
As far back as June, Carson's allies dropped thousands of copies of "Ben Carson, Rx for America," on doorsteps in central Iowa, giving him a head start in a crowded field.
"We have to keep doing the same thing. Keep delivering the message that Washington is broken and we need new leaders and you can do that in a way where people are working together and not banging everyone's head together," said Ed Brookover, a senior Carson strategist. "That's Dr. Carson's style."
Carson, who rose to prominence in 2013 when he criticized Obama's health care plan as he sat a few feet away during an annual prayer breakfast, polls well among evangelicals, a voting bloc that will be crucial in Iowa and throughout the South.
Like Trump, Carson has never held an elected office, and is riding a wave of deep discontent with the political establishment.
But as a campaigner, Carson is more like the antithesis of Trump.
Carson announced his run in Detroit, a rollout that included a stop at a school named for him where students asked him for advice on how to study. Trump announced at Trump Tower in New York with a fiery speech that slammed illegal immigrants. Trump brags about his billions while Carson talks about delicate surgical procedures and how his mother's emphasis on reading helped him overcome poverty. And days after Trump packed thousands into an Alabama football arena, Carson held a small luncheon and fundraiser in Montgomery.
African-Americans
Aides said that Carson also has another advantage over the rest of the field because of his connection to African-Americans, who have long celebrated his medical achievements. They argue that he could get 13% of the black vote in the general election.
"A lot of his likeability is driven by his story growing up and his story and career as a neurosurgeon and his personality," said Cody Hoefert, co-chairman of the Iowa GOP. "People say he just seems trustworthy and they compare that to Hillary Clinton and the rest of the field. He has developed a real presence here. And people are responding."
Carson got six minutes and 46 seconds of speaking time in the first debate, landing fifth in the GOP pack. But his closing statement, in which he touted his unique resume, won over skeptics who thought he was this cycle's Herman Cain, an African-American GOP candidate whose 2012 campaign rose to the top before quickly flaming out.
In an August blogpost called "The One I got Wrong," RedState.com's editor-in-chief, Erick Erickson, said Carson's debate performance and the engagement of his supporters made him give Carson a second look.
"He was and is a legitimate contender. His closing at the debate was one of the best closings I've seen in a debate. He did not have the depth as some of the others on the issues, but showed he has been spending his time learning," Erickson wrote in a mea culpa over not inviting Carson to his annual summit. "Above all, he was humorous, respectful and showed a real good nature. And I know, based on all the incoming polling, that I was not the only one to take a second look at Ben Carson. It seems a great many people realized Ben Carson is a legitimate candidate for President."
Unique fundraiser
Carson has proven himself to be one of the most unique fundraisers in the 2016 field, and his unconventional way of raising presidential money could give him a financial base that no candidate can rival.
Carson raises money for both his campaign and super PAC in the same way: by spending big to steadily raise just a little more. While most candidates prioritize the bundlers who collect $2,700 checks from their networks or the megadonors who can write seven-digit donations with ease, Carson's fundraising operation is almost entirely focused on low-dollar donors who have powered a surprisingly effective money shop.
But low-dollar fundraising is vastly more expensive than traditional courting of super PAC megadonors, and Carson's groups have already shown signs of financial duress that may bedevil a candidate who can't count on a seven-figure check from a wealthy donor.
Carson's campaign raised $8.5 million in the opening months of his campaign, two-thirds of which came in donations under $200. That gives the neurosurgeon a vast fundraising base of donors who aren't even close to hitting the ceiling on the amount they can give. Aides have set a $65 million goal through the primary season.
"I absolutely think that Carson could win Iowa, it's more likely if the Trump balloon deflates," Bardwell said. "A lot of those people who are primed to hear stuff that is unconventional will move to another candidate that is not a politician and Carson would be the main beneficiary."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/01/politics/2016-election-ben-carson/index.html
-
Ben Carson Surges to No. 2 Spot in Latest Polls
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=f2b3c83a-9d01-4ba7-b381-15206e901221&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Ben Carson Surges to No. 2 Spot in Latest Polls (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke
Wednesday, 02 Sep 2015
Ben Carson's surge to No. 2 in the polls, fatter donations and big campaign-trail crowds is being touted by supporters as proof the GOP presidential contender is a serious in-it-to-win-it threat to win the nomination.
"The press has never taken him seriously," former campaign manager and current super PAC fundraising coordinator Terry Giles tells The Hill.
"Even up until three days ago, they'd talk about everyone but him. Now they have no choice but to talk about him."
Though rival GOP contender Donald Trump dominates national polling, with 26.5 percent, Carson is the only other candidate in double digits, with 12 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
But it was the Des Moines Register-Bloomberg survey released last weekend that seemed to seal the deal, showing Carson catching Trump in Iowa, where both notched 23 percent support.
It's been all uphill since Carson's understated but strong performance in the first GOP debate hosted by Fox News – and his increased profile is being felt in his war chest, which added $6 million in August, more than twice what was collected in July, The Hill reports.
"August was a record-breaking month," Mike Murray, president and CEO of the firm handling Carson's small-dollar donations, tells The Hill. "The initial boom came right after the debate in the early part of the month and it has held throughout."
Carson's political team also points to the candidate's improved ground game.
At one stop in Phoenix last month, 12,000 supporters turned out, The Hill notes, and the retired neurosurgeon drew 3,000 people at an event in Arkansas and 2,000 at a stop in rural Colorado.
"In one week, Dr. Carson started in Harlem, then campaigned in New Hampshire, Las Vegas and Reno. From there, he went to the state fair in Des Moines, was off to Jackson Hole for a fundraiser and visited the mine spill in Durango where 2,000 people showed up," Carson campaign strategist Ed Brookover tells The Hill.
"As nice as he is, Dr. Carson is very competitive and believes he can win. Ask anyone he's played pool with."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Ben-Carson-polls-surge-number/2015/09/02/id/673197/#ixzz3kbxGMGzG
-
trump 26.5%.... carson at 12%. not exactly something to brag about.
look at the inbred voting base in Iowa, i mean trump is actually too bright for them there.
-
trump 26.5%.... carson at 12%. not exactly something to brag about.
look at the inbred voting base in Iowa, i mean trump is actually too bright for them there.
Why do you even bother? ::)
-
Long, but good read. Silver knows his stuff.
Donald Trump’s Six Stages Of Doom
By NATE SILVER
August 5, 2015
The recent polling surge by Donald Trump has launched a thousand stories about Trump’s “unprecedented campaign.” But it’s nothing all that unusual: Similar surges occurred for almost every Republican candidate four years ago, including Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich (twice).
History’s lesson isn’t necessarily that Trump’s candidacy will go bust tomorrow, however. There are plenty of examples of fringe or factional candidates who held on to their support for much longer than the month or two that Cain and Bachmann did. Sometimes, they did well enough in Iowa or New Hampshire, or even won them. Pat Buchanan claimed New Hampshire in 1996, for instance, while Mike Huckabee won Iowa in 2008. Steve Forbes took 30 percent of the Iowa vote in 2000.
The lesson, rather, is that Trump’s campaign will fail by one means or another. Like Cain, Bachmann and Gingrich, Buchanan, Huckabee and Forbes came nowhere close to winning the Republican nomination.
If you want absurd specificity, I recently estimated Trump’s chance of becoming the GOP nominee at 2 percent. How did I get there? By considering the gantlet he’ll face over the next 11 months — Donald Trump’s Six Stages of Doom:
Stage 1: Free-for-all
When it happens: This is the stage we’re in now; it will continue through the next couple of months.
Potential threat to Trump: Increased attention to other GOP candidates.
One of the occupational hazards for those of us who write about politics for a living is a kind of time dilation. If you’re charged with filing several campaign stories a week, then two or three weeks can seem like an eternity.
But most Americans have other things on their minds right now. Paying the bills. Finally taking that vacation. Baseball. They’re not really paying a lot of attention to the campaign. Based on historical patterns of Google search traffic, the level of public interest in the primary campaign right now is less than one-tenth as high as it will be later in the cycle.
This is why it’s absurd to focus on how Trump’s polling is changing from day to day. When Trump made his idiotic comments about John McCain’s military service a few weeks ago, there were a few news outlets like the New York Post who suggested it might bring about his immediate demise. We were skeptical of that conclusion at FiveThirtyEight. For a variety of reasons, Trump isn’t affected much by negative media coverage — it may even help him. But a lack of media coverage might be a different story.
If, like most Americans, you’ve been paying only passing attention to the GOP campaign, then pretty much the only candidate you’ll have been hearing about is Trump. According to data compiled by the Media Research Center, Trump has received more network news coverage than Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio combined. So if a pollster calls you and rattles off 17 names, and there are six or seven candidates you like well enough, which name might you mention when asked for your first choice? Possibly Trump, since his name will be top-of-mind. There’s a near-perfect correlation, in fact1 between how much news coverage a candidate has received and where they rank in recent national polls:
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/silver-datalab-moartrump-1.png?w=1150&h=1024)
silver-datalab-moartrump-1
The causality here is murky. Do candidates receive more news coverage because they’re polling well? Or do they poll well because they receive more news coverage? Undoubtedly, there’s some of both, which creates the possibility of a feedback loop.
But the circuit could be broken once there’s some news about another candidate. Every Republican on stage will have the opportunity to make news in the debate tonight, for instance. It’s possible we’ll still be talking about the Trump surge in a few weeks, but it’s also possible that we’ll be contemplating the Ben Carson or Ted Cruz or Chris Christie surge instead.
Stage 2: Heightened scrutiny
When it happens: Mid-November or thereabouts, as voters up their level of attention to the campaign
Potential threat to Trump: Polling support doesn’t translate to likely, more-informed voters.
In the general election, Labor Day is the traditional benchmark when there’s a substantial acceleration of public interest in the campaign. I’m not sure there’s quite the same demarcation in the primaries, but, in my experience, the timbre of the race will have changed by Thanksgiving or so. Voters, especially in the early voting states, will be doing less “window shopping” and instead will be thinking about who they might cast a ballot for. The polls will change too, starting to home in on what they deem to be “likely voters.” There’s some evidence that Trump is over-performing among “low-information voters.” By November, their ranks will decrease: They’ll either have become more informed, or they’ll be screened out by pollsters because they aren’t likely to vote.
Stage 3: Iowa and New Hampshire
When it happens: Feb. 1 and Feb. 9, based on the provisional calendar.
Potential threat to Trump: Middling performance in one or both states, either in an absolute sense or relative to polls.
Eventually, we’ll have some real votes to test the polls against. The odds are that the polls will be pretty far off in the first few states; they’re historically not very accurate in primaries and caucuses. One reason for this, perhaps the principal one, is because turnout is hard to predict. Trump has built some semblance of an organization in Iowa (he has less of one in New Hampshire), but it probably won’t be the best in the state at persuading voters to turn out.
Despite the relatively poor track record of polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, however, they have a major influence on how the results are interpreted by the press. Historically, the candidates who get the most favorable media coverage and receive the biggest “bounces” out of Iowa and New Hampshire are not those who perform the best in an absolute sense but instead those who beat the media’s expectations. It’s possible that Trump will master expectations management between now and Iowa, but, given his tendency to trumpet every favorable poll, he could also set himself up for a fall. A Trump who finishes in third place with 14 percent of the vote in Iowa won’t have much to brag about.
Stage 4: Winnowing
When it happens: mid-February through mid-March
Potential threat to Trump: Other candidates drop out, and remaining ones surpass Trump.
But some candidates with parallels to Trump have done perfectly well in Iowa and New Hampshire. In fact, there’s been about one such Republican, on average, in every contested election cycle. Below, I’ve listed past Republican candidates who (i) had less than 5 percent of the party’s endorsement points as of the date of the Iowa caucuses, meaning they had very little support from the party establishment, but (ii) won at least 20 percent of the vote in Iowa anyway. There are six of these candidates, ranging from rabble-rousers like Buchanan to religious-right candidates like Huckabee, to another self-funded billionaire in Forbes.
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/silver-datalab-moartrump-2.png?w=1150&h=748)
silver-datalab-moartrump-2
The problem is that they didn’t go very far from there, winning an average of just 14 percent of the popular vote across all the remaining primary and caucus states that year. Even a candidate who did a little better than that, retaining 25 or 30 percent of the vote, would soon be bypassed as the rest of the field consolidated down to one or two other establishment-backed alternatives. This is especially likely to be a problem for Trump. Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, he’s actually not all that popular among Republicans. His favorability ratings among Republicans have improved since before he declared himself a candidate2 but remain in the bottom half of the GOP field and well below the standard of candidates who have been nominated in the past.
We’ll handle the final two stages together:
Stage 5: Delegate accumulation
When it happens: mid-March through final primaries in June
Potential threats to Trump: Poor organization in caucus states, poor understanding of delegate rules, no support from superdelegates.
Stage 6: Endgame
When it happens: June through Republican National Convention, July 18-21
Potential threat to Trump: The Republican Party does everything in its power to deny him the nomination.
If Trump makes it past Stage 4, we’ll have to consider his campaign successful, up to a point. He’ll have gotten further than any similar candidate has in the past. But he’d still be a long way from winning the nomination, and the final two stages might be his hardest yet.
The Republican Party’s delegate selection rules are straightforward in some states but byzantine in others, especially in caucus states where delegates are sometimes not formally pledged to the candidate who apparently earned their support on election night. Furthermore, about 7 percent of delegates to the RNC are party leaders — what Democrats would call “superdelegates” — who are usually not bound by the results of the popular vote in their states at all.
This introduces a little bit of slack into the system. It works in favor of establishment-backed candidates, or those who have an intricate understanding of the delegate rules. And it works against candidates like Trump.
Regular FiveThirtyEight readers will be familiar with “The Party Decides” paradigm of the nomination process. It posits that the nominee represents the consensus choice of influential members of the party, and that rank-and-file voters serve mostly to vet and validate the candidates in the event of a close call.
Much of the party’s influence consists of what you might call “soft power,” the ability to influence outcomes by persuasion rather than coercion. But the party also has some “hard power”: It literally makes the rules. It can rule against candidates it doesn’t like in the event of delegate-counting disputes. It can probably even change the rules midstream. There isn’t a lot of precedent to worry about violating, since it’s been 40 years since Republicans came close to a brokered convention.
If Trump made it this far, the Republican Party would go to extraordinary lengths to avoid nominating him. In “The Party Decides” view, parties are basically looking for two things from their nominees: They want them to be reliable (meaning, they can be counted on to enact the Republican agenda once in office), and they want them to be electable (meaning, they can win in November). It’s hard to think of a candidate who does worse on those two measures than Trump. He’s exceptionally unpopular among independent voters. But he also has a checkered political past that includes once having supported abortion rights and universal health care. For the Republican Party, he’s the worst of all possible worlds.
So, how do I wind up with that 2 percent estimate of Trump’s nomination chances? It’s what you get3 if you assume he has a 50 percent chance of surviving each subsequent stage of the gantlet.4 Tonight’s debate could prove to be the beginning of the end for Trump, or he could remain a factor for months to come. But he’s almost certainly doomed, sooner or later.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/donald-trumps-six-stages-of-doom/
-
Donald Trump signs RNC loyalty pledge
MJ LeeChris Moody
Thu September 3, 2015
New York (CNN)Donald Trump has signed the pledge.
The Republican presidential front-runner met privately with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus Thursday afternoon, and soon after, came out to the lobby of Trump Tower to declare that he has signed a loyalty pledge. This means Trump has promised to support the party's eventual nominee -- whoever that may be -- and that he will not run as a third-party candidate.
"The best way for the Republicans to win is if I win the nomination and go directly against whoever they happen to put up. And for that reason, I have signed the pledge," Trump said, holding up the paper. "So I will be totally pledging my allegiance to the Republican Party and for the conservative principles for which it stands."
He added: "We will go out and fight hard, and we will win."
All 17 Republican presidential candidates have now pledged to support the GOP's eventual presidential nominee, Priebus announced Thursday evening in a statement, billing it as a sign of "party unity."
But if Trump's official declaration of allegiance to the party serves to calm the nerves of establishment Republicans -- at least for now -- it could also invite backlash from some of the bombastic candidate's die-hard supporters.
Trump has propelled himself to the top of the polls by casting himself as an anti-establishment, outsider candidate, railing against career politicians and the Washington political class.
Signing an RNC pledge complicates that image.
Katrina Pierson, a spokeswoman for the Tea Party Leadership Fund and a Trump defender, told CNN she personally does not condone the pledge.
"The GOP has not been loyal to members of its own party during previous election cycles," PIerson said. "I can't see any reason why he would give up that leverage considering a lot of his supporters like the idea that he's running against the establishment."
Thursday's 15-minute sit-down with Priebus comes amid unease about whether the billionaire businessman would rebuff the party and seek the White House as an independent. Soon after Trump announced his candidacy, Priebus asked the real estate magnate to tone down his fiery rhetoric on immigration, as establishment Republicans grew increasingly worried that Trump was angering the Hispanic community.
Trump explained Thursday that he came to the decision to sign the pledge because the Republican Party in recent months has been "extremely fair" to him.
"The RNC has been absolutely terrific over the last two month period and as you know, that's what I've wanted," Trump said. "I don't want to be treated any differently."
Asked what he got in return for signing the paper, Trump responded: "assurance that I will be treated fairly."
RNC officials began circulating a pledge to various GOP presidential campaigns this week, measuring up how much appetite there is in the field to commit to supporting the eventual nominee.
"I, ________, affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is," it reads.
RELATED: Source says Trump likely to rule out independent bid
The pledge continues: "I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party."
Advisers to the candidate have said all along that Trump was never seriously interested in launching an independent run, which is an arduous -- and costly -- process.
The pledge has not only put pressure on Trump to commit to the party, it's also forcing some of his rivals to promise to support Trump if he were to clinch the GOP nomination.
It's a particularly uncomfortable position for a candidate like Jeb Bush, who in recent weeks has publicly clashed with Trump. The two men have released attack videos on social media, and openly criticized one another on the trail.
On ABC's "Good Morning America" Thursday morning, Bush lashed out at Trump, saying, "I think Donald Trump is trying to insult his way to the presidency and it's not going to work."
However, pressed on whether he would support Trump if he were to become the nominee, the former Florida governor answered in the affirmative.
"Yes, I would, of course. We need to be unified. We need to win," Bush said.
After Trump's press conference, Bush tweeted a tongue-in-cheek version of the pledge that said, "Voted Republican since 1972."
Meanwhile, others are raising questions about just how enforceable a loyalty pledge is.
"You're right, it's unenforceable," said Carly Fiorina on CNN's "New Day." "It is, more than anything else, your word."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/03/politics/donald-trump-2016-rnc-pledge-meeting/index.html
-
I admire you, Dos Equis.
You know Trump could end up being a national dumpster fire. And you're looking for any Silver lining showing his democrat ass will get bounced down in polls before the primaries.
-
Yes.
Can Marco Rubio win?
By Stephen Collinson, CNN
Tue September 8, 2015
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150318113453-marco-rubio-gallery-3-exlarge-169.jpg)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (CNN)It's the riddle of Marco Rubio.
The Florida Republican might be the most natural politician in the 2016 White House field. Yet for all his potential, he's stuck low in the pack of GOP candidates after a riotous summer hijacked by Donald Trump. His aspirational, optimistic brand of conservatism has struggled for traction in a season of seething political anger.
Still, If GOP strategists had sat down to build a candidate to win back the White House, amid the wreckage of 2012, their prototype would look a lot like the youthful Rubio. With silky political skills, an American Dream story rooted in humble beginnings, hawkish national security reflexes and historic potential as a pioneering Latino, Rubio also offers a generational contrast with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
"Marco Rubio is like Roy Hobbs in baseball: The Natural," said Bob Vander Plaats, a top social conservative activist in Iowa, referring to the movie about a young hotshot prospect played by Robert Redford. "He is very skilled at being a politician."
Even Rubio's foes acknowledge his flair.
"When Marco Rubio speaks, young women swoon, old women faint and toilets flush themselves," said Dan Gelber, a former Florida House Democratic minority leader, recalling a warning he gave his troops when his silver-tongued rival was the state's speaker. "This guy is really good. Marco is instinctive. He is also very, very disciplined."
But despite his credentials, which also include a statewide power base in the crucial swing state of Florida, the 44-year-old has yet to establish a strong position in the polls in any early voting contest. He failed to get the jump pundits expected after a strong first debate.
Rubio's struggles
His struggles are a reminder that in presidential politics, timing is as important as talent. In an election season that's giving outsiders the advantage, voters aren't very attracted to polished politicians. In fact, the candidates who are prospering amid a storm of anti-Washington anger are those who are not politicians at all, including Trump, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina.
And it's possible that, after President Barack Obama, GOP voters are not looking to elevate another freshman senator.
Rubio's campaign, however, is not panicking. The senator is working methodically through early states, raising cash at a healthy clip and laying out detailed policy plans, particularly on national security as he vows to rip up Obama's Iran deal and stiffen the U.S. stance toward Russia and China.
"We don't pay much attention to the polls at this stage," said Rubio's communications director Alex Conant. "It's very early in the process ... there are going to be a lot more debates."
He added: "In the long run, Marco is somebody who can unite the party and inspire the nation."
History is on Rubio's side: Summer front-runners rarely prosper once the weather cools and primary voting starts.
But given the scouting reports on Rubio, and buzz that he represents the future of the conservative movement, his polling does seem tepid. He averages seventh place in Iowa and South Carolina polls, came 10th in an NBC/Marist poll published Sunday in New Hampshire, and averages fifth place in national surveys, 20 points behind Trump.
Of course, it's early -- there are five months before the Iowa caucuses, plenty of time for the GOP race to mature, and thoroughbreds to move to the front. But Rubio's low-key start does beg questions about whether he has a viable path to the GOP nomination.
Many Republican veterans feel he will improve over time. And he could benefit from a lack of early scrutiny as rivals like Scott Walker struggle to adapt to a national stage and his mentor, Jeb Bush, risks damage from a clash with Trump.
"Rubio ... has a combination of a factors that can make his fortunes rise if in fact he has the staying power," said Ken Blackwell, a former Republican secretary of state in Ohio. "That means he has to raise the money, he has to develop the organization and capacity in key states, he has to resonate on his message."
In a normal year, Rubio's methodical strategy -- touring battleground states, building a finance and get-out-the vote network, and laying out policy might be shrewd.
Race on steroids
But the 2016 race is on steroids. No one knows how its going to turn out.
"There is just not a lot of oxygen left in the room. Donald Trump sucks the air out of any room he walks into," said Scott Huffmon, a professor of political science at Winthrop University, South Carolina.
Rubio says he's playing the long game, and draws similarities with his 2010 Senate race, in which his tea party-backed campaign fought an establishment candidate and won.
"When I entered that race, the only people who thought I could win all lived in my home. Four of them were under the age of 10," Rubio told crowds in South Carolina and Nevada during recent campaign swings.
Late last month in Columbia, South Carolina, Rubio demonstrated his breadth before an audience of 900 students, getting into detail on poverty reduction, preserving the American dream and threats to U.S. national security.
Rubio held another audience rapt the next morning at a steakhouse in Myrtle Beach, a tea party stronghold. His half-hour stump speech made a case for a candidacy anchored on a conservative approach to a key 2016 theme: the millions of Americans left marooned by the slow-growing economy.
His stump persona suggests a politician in a hurry and a clipped delivery that contrasts with the halting style of Bush, his mentor. It's an emerging paradox about his campaign: While Rubio seems to be struggling to make noise in the GOP race, many Democrats privately say they fear him.
There's no mystery that Clinton was the target of Rubio's initial campaign mantra: "Yesterday's over."
He jumps on chances to engage Clinton. He has said she's desperate for comparing GOP views on women's issues to those of terrorist groups. Rubio has recently stepped up attacks on Clinton over her email controversy, saying it is "disqualifying" for someone seeking the presidency.
But before he can battle the former secretary of state, Rubio must figure out how to confront the insurgent wave powering Trump, Carson and Fiorina.
'First place in February'
"We are trying to build a campaign here," Rubio told CNN's Jeff Zeleny in Puerto Rico last week. "We want to be in first place in February, not in August or September. We have a campaign that is designed to achieve that goal."
While other candidates have tried to match Trump in outrage, Rubio argues that being angry will not solve anything, countering the billionaire's promise to make America great again by arguing the nation is already pretty special.
But he's got an ear to the ground on the economy. He frequently notes concern that millions of people think "the American dream is out of reach," talks about how to cut the cost of college and how free enterprise -- not government power -- is the way to cope with economic volatility. It doesn't hurt that Rubio's father was a bartender and his mother a housekeeper.
It's an approach meant to address perceptions that Republicans simply don't care about those left behind by an economy that seems to favor the wealthy, a narrative that helped tank 2012 nominee Mitt Romney.
While the campaign will not divulge its early-state strategy, it admits Rubio must perform well in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.
"Anyone who wants to win the Republican nomination has to prove themselves in the early states," said Conant.
Rubio may have an opening in South Carolina, where he won support from former senator and tea party champion Jim DeMint, when he ran for the Senate. The state may also be a fit for his fiscal conservatism and robust foreign policy views. His Hispanic heritage meanwhile may be helpful in Nevada, a state where he has wide contacts along with family ties after living there as a teenager. Senior figures in his campaign brain trust also hail from the state.
In Iowa, Rubio could benefit from his backing of insurgent Republican Joni Ernst in her successful midterm Senate race. But a number of Iowa activists expressed private concerns that Rubio had yet to fully commit to the Hawkeye state.
When conservatives are asked about Rubio, they often say they want to find out more. But he doesn't provoke the gushing response reserved for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Carson or Trump.
While Cruz can convincingly argue that he lived up to his promise to sabotage what he calls the Washington "cartel," Rubio still has to explain his ill-fated work on a comprehensive immigration reform package, which is radioactive among the conservative grass-roots.
Some key Republicans also question whether Rubio really knows where his base is.
"I think he is trying to thread an awkward needle," said Vander Plaats. "Rubio might be able to be the establishment candidate. But he would also like to be the tea party, outside candidate."
Ultimately, Rubio needs a moment in the spotlight -- not easy to come by in such a crowded Republican field.
"If Marco gets open water he is going to separate himself from a lot of the crowd, " said Gelber. "But I am not sure when that is going to happen."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/politics/election-2016-republicans-rubio/index.html
-
Yes.
you are just in love with Rubio. He doesn't stand for ANYTHING except capitulation to the RINO cause. He's mccain all over again.
-
you are just in love with Rubio. He doesn't stand for ANYTHING except capitulation to the RINO cause. He's mccain all over again.
Why do you care? You are voting for Hillary anyway.
-
Why do you care? You are voting for Hillary anyway.
you are lying right now. I will never vote Hilary, and it's a sin for you to say something that isn't true.
Swear I will vote hilary. Do it. Swear it.
-
haha, I swear Rob is like the Andy Kaufman of this forum.
To this day I STILL can't tell if he is doing a bit or not. :D
-
you are lying right now. I will never vote Hilary, and it's a sin for you to say something that isn't true.
Swear I will vote hilary. Do it. Swear it.
Silence troll.
-
haha, I swear Rob is like the Andy Kaufman of this forum.
To this day I STILL can't tell if he is doing a bit or not. :D
I don't take him seriously at all. Not even a little bit.
-
Silence troll.
you won't swear. you know it's not good to swear on a lie.
you made a statement, you claimed i'd vote hilary, and I cannot stand hilary and never will.
Swear on it, Dos Equis. Swear on it.
-
you won't swear. you know it's not good to swear on a lie.
you made a statement, you claimed i'd vote hilary, and I cannot stand hilary and never will.
Swear on it, Dos Equis. Swear on it.
I swear you are the most dishonest person posting on this board.
-
And this man wants to be president? ::)
Donald Trump insults Fiorina's appearance in magazine profile
Published September 09, 2015
FoxNews.com
Donald Trump is under fire yet again after insulting the physical appearance of fellow GOP presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
"Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president," the Republican frontrunner said in the interview. "I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?"
Trump has been criticized for his insults against women. During last month's Fox News' GOP debate he was asked about calling some women "fat pigs" and "disgusting animals."
Fiorina told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly on “The Kelly File” Wednesday that Trump’s comments “speak for themselves” and are “very serious.”
“Maybe just maybe I’m getting under his skin a little bit because I’m climbing in the polls,” she said.
Asked about his comments on Thursday, Trump told Fox News he probably made them but clarified: "I'm talking about persona, I'm not talking about look."
He also said he was speaking "in a jocular manner, obviously."
Fiorina has been rising in the polls since her strong performance in the Aug. 6 debate for second-tier GOP candidates sponsored by Fox News and Facebook.
The former Hewlett-Packard chief executive has fought to be included in the main event for CNN’s Republican presidential debate to be held Sept. 16th.
The deadline to qualify for the networks national televised, main-stage debate is Sept. 10.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/09/donald-trump-insults-fiorina-appearance-in-magazine-profile/?intcmp=hpbt4
-
And this man wants to be president? ::)
Donald Trump insults Fiorina's appearance in magazine profile
Repubs have an amazingly winnable election. And they have decided to blow it by nominating an immature, classless man who won't tell us his beliefs. LET THEM!
-
Good. He sounds like an insecure little kid.
Trump under fire for Fiorina comments, as Jindal launches broadside
Published September 10, 2015
FoxNews.com
Donald Trump is getting slammed from all sides for disparaging comments about Carly Fiorina's appearance, with his GOP rivals once again calling on the Republican presidential front-runner to end the "personal attacks."
At the same time, Republican candidates are stepping up their own attacks. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal used a National Press Club speech Thursday to ridicule Trump's candidacy, warning the party is in danger of nominating a "non-serious, unstable, substance-free candidate."
As the criticism mounts over his bid and his behavior, Trump's standing in the polls is holding steady. One recent national poll shows his support topping 30 percent for the first time.
Yet the Fiorina remarks have put Trump on defense, at least for now.
Trump made the comments about the former HP exec in a Rolling Stone article. "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president," Trump told the magazine. "I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?"
Asked about his comments on Thursday, Trump told Fox News he probably made them but claimed: "I'm talking about persona, I'm not talking about look."
He also said he was speaking "in a jocular manner, obviously."
His GOP rivals weren't buying it.
Fiorina, who has risen in the polls in recent weeks, suggested in an interview with Fox News' "The Kelly File" Wednesday that Trump was taking notice.
"Maybe, just maybe, I'm getting under his skin a little bit because I'm climbing in the polls," she said, adding his comments "speak for themselves."
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also tweeted:
Trumps demeaning remarks are small and inappropriate for anyone, much less a presidential candidate. Carly & country deserve better. Enough
4:52 AM - 10 Sep 2015
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tweeted:
Trump's personal attacks against @CarlyFiorina are plain inappropriate and wrong. It's time for these shameless attacks to end. - SW
3:22 AM - 10 Sep 2015
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also took a swipe at Trump during a stop in Ohio, saying he "seems to delight in insulting women" and if he emerges, "I would love to debate him."
Trump has faced criticism before for disparaging remarks about women, and was challenged by Fox News' Megyn Kelly at last month's debate over his rhetoric.
At the National Press Club on Thursday, Jindal said "silly summer season is over" and Trump should be sent "back to reality TV."
"We cannot send this narcissist, we cannot nominate this egomaniac," Jindal said.
The Trump campaign fired back late Thursday, highlighting Jindal's low standing in the polls. "He did not make the debate stage and therefore I have never met him. I only respond to people that register more than 1% in the polls. I never thought he had a chance and I've been proven right," Trump said in a statement.
While Trump is averaging about 30 percent in recent national polls, according to RealClearPolitics, Jindal's support is under 1 percent.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/10/trump-under-fire-for-fiorina-comments-as-jindal-launches-broadside/?intcmp=hpbt2
-
Good. He sounds like an insecure little kid.
Who, Jindal? Or the GOP frontrunner?
-
Who, Jindal? Or the GOP frontrunner?
::) You're not even remotely funny.
-
CNN: Fiorina Makes Cut for Sept. 16 GOP Debate
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8ab65582-da01-442f-a858-93fde4057fc5&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: CNN: Fiorina Makes Cut for Sept. 16 GOP Debate (Newsmax File Photo)
Thursday, 10 Sep 2015
Eleven Republican presidential candidates have qualified for next week's primetime debate, a slate that features the full diversity of the GOP's 2016 class and is believed to be the largest group to share a presidential debate stage in modern political history.
The candidates scheduled to meet for Wednesday's primetime affair, announced Thursday night by debate host CNN, will include former technology executive Carly Fiorina, whose weak polling numbers kept her out of the first debate. But a bump in the polls and an aggressive lobbying effort persuaded CNN to broaden its participation criteria, a coup for Fiorina and GOP officials eager to feature the party's only 2016 female candidate in the nationally televised clash.
But don't expect Fiorina to get as much airtime as Donald Trump, who will be positioned front and center when the candidates meet at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The undisputed leader in national polls, Trump is generally considered the biggest reason why Fox News Channel reached 24 million people for the first GOP presidential debate last month — the most watched program in Fox News history.
Sharing the stage with Trump and Fiorina at next week's 8 p.m. EDT debate will be former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Republican National Committee officials have praised the diversity of the field, which includes a woman, an African-American and two Hispanics.
Five candidates lagging in national polls did not qualify for the main event and will instead be featured in a 6 p.m. debate in the same venue: former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former New York Gov. George Pataki.
The final lineup offers few surprises, yet plenty of challenges for candidates and organizers ahead of the crowded affair.
Special: New Probiotic Fat Burner Takes GNC by Storm
Anticipating Fiorina's attendance, Trump last week cited the obvious challenges associated with sharing the stage with so many people.
"I don't like the fact there are 11 people there now as I understand it," the billionaire businessman said in a press conference. "There are too many people. Because when you've got 11, you're not going to hear me and you're not going to hear other people talking, and I think that's too bad."
Next week's debate is among five scheduled before the 2016 primary season's first voting contest in Iowa next February.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/fiorina-cnn-republican-debate/2015/09/10/id/684242/#ixzz3lRzloU7e
-
He's right.
Jindal Dumps on Trump
Posted on September 10, 2015
by Keith Koffler
Hovering at near zero percent in national polls, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday drew some attention to himself with a blistering, highly personal attack on Donald Trump, characterizing the GOP front-runner as an unprincipled narcissist who has no business running the country.
“He’s non-serious. He’s a carnival act,” said Jindal during an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington. “Here’s the truth about Donald Trump. Donald Trump is shallow. He has no understanding of policy. He is full of bluster — he has no substance.”
Trump has the support of nearly 30 percent of Republican voters, according to the most recent RealClearPolitics summary of polls.
“Donald Trump is not a serious candidate,” Jindal said. “He’s a narcissist. He’s an egomaniac. The only thing he believes in is himself.”
Jindal said Trump is without political principles — that he is neither a Republican nor a Democrat. He’s just for Trump.
“Donald Trump is dangerous,” Jindal warned. “The question for conservatives is this: Are we going to rely and trust proven conservative principles or we are going to turn to a man who believes in nothing but himself?”
Jindal flavored his assault with heavy doses of ridicule.
“Just because a lot of people like watching Kim Kardashian — we wouldn’t put her in the White House either,” Jindal said. Trump, of course, has the reality TV show background with “The Apprentice.”
Jindal said the multi-billionaire who is trouncing him in the polls is “weak.”
“He is an entertaining narcissist, but he is still a narcissist,” Jindal said. “Like all narcissists, Donald Trump is insecure and weak. He’s afraid of being exposed. That’s why he tells us, always and constantly, how big and strong and wealthy he is.”
He added that the country won’t become great again “by putting an unserious and unstable narcissist in the White House.”
Jindal’s attack comes just a day after retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who is second in the polls, said he didn’t have the “impression” that Trump’s religion is a major part of his life.
“I realize where my successes comes from, and I don’t in any way deny my faith in God,” Carson said in differentiating himself from Trump.
Jindal echoed Carson’s skepticism. “It’s clear Donald Trump has never read the Bible. The reason we know he’s never read the Bible? He’s not in the Bible,” Jindal scoffed.
Jindal claimed he likes “the idea of Donald,” saying an outsider willing to go after the D.C. political class is a good thing. The bad thing, according to Jindal, is that it’s Trump.
“Donald Trump himself is full of foolishness and nonsense as well,” Jindal added.
A version of the story first appeared in PoliZette.
http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2015/09/10/jindal-dumps-trump/
-
Good decision. He was never going to be the nominee anyway.
Perry suspends presidential campaign
Published September 11, 2015
FoxNews.com
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced Friday that he's suspending his presidential campaign, becoming the first in the crowded Republican field to bow out.
The longest-serving governor in Texas history announced his decision during a speech Friday night in St. Louis before conservative activists.
"I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States," Perry said.
Perry, who also ran in 2012, has struggled to get his campaign off the ground, finding himself strapped for cash and stuck in polling at near 1 percent.
In his St. Louis speech, Perry took some parting, albeit veiled, shots at primary front-runner Donald Trump, saying the eventual nominee "must make the case for the cause of conservatism more than the cause of their own celebrity."
But he went on to say, "We have a tremendous field of candidates -- probably the greatest group of men and women -- I step aside knowing our party is in good hands."
He said the party must "listen to the grassroots, listen to that cause of conservatism."
With the campaign crunched for cash, Perry's senior staff had been volunteering for the past month.
Asked what led to Friday's decision, a source close to the campaign told FoxNews.com Perry's team was behind him "all the way" and it was "his decision in the end."
But the source also said: "Finances are never simple when there are 17 candidates, quality candidates, in a presidential race. It's very expensive to run for president, and even more so with so many people in the race."
Perry is the first major candidate to bow out, leaving the field of Republicans at 16 candidates, just days before the next GOP debate.
His former GOP opponents were quick to praise him once he announced he was leaving the race. Donald Trump tweeted that Perry was "a terrific guy and I wish him well." Dr. Ben Carson's statement, delivered via his press secretary, described Perry as a "very decent and fine gentleman" while Jeb Bush tweeted, "Amen. God bless Rick Perry for his continuing commitment to that cause."
At the lead-off GOP debates in August, Perry's polling left him in the undercard debate, but former HP head Carly Fiorina stole the spotlight in that event. She has climbed in the polls since; Perry has not, and was again relegated to a pre-debate forum at next week's debate at the Reagan Library outside Los Angeles.
He still delivered a stronger performance at that first debate than he did four years ago, when he couldn't remember the third federal agency he'd promised to close if elected and muttered, "Oops" -- a moment that doomed his bid in 2012. But few noticed in a GOP campaign dominated by billionaire Donald Trump, who stole away Perry's Iowa campaign chairman after Perry was forced to suspend paying members of his staff as his campaign fundraising dried up.
A group of super PACs, largely funded by three big Perry backers, briefly kept him afloat by raising $17 million, hiring their own Iowa staff and producing television and digital ads and mailers. His decision Friday appeared to come as a surprise to those groups.
A pro-Perry super PAC emailed its supporters Friday morning saying it was back on television in Iowa to promote his candidacy. A Twitter message from the group sent later in the morning further emphasized, "In It For the Long Haul."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/11/perry-suspends-presidential-campaign/?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Dropping like a rock. I thought he would be a contender.
With dropping polls numbers, Walker cancels events to reportedly focus on Iowa, S. Carolina
Published September 12, 2015
FoxNews.com
Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker, who has recently dropped in the polls after a much-anticipated start, has dropped out of an upcoming event with the California GOP party.
The Walker campaign said Friday night that the Wisconsin governor cannot attend the state Republican Party’s Saturday night event because of a scheduling conflict but that he hopes to get back to California soon.
However, the campaign told The Washington Post that Walker has also cancelled an event Friday night in Michigan so he can campaign in early-voting states Iowa and South Carolina.
Walker entered the White House race in mid-July touting his experience running a state government (a familiar theme for governors seeking the White House) and as a bona fide conservative capable of taking on and defeating powerful, public sector labor unions.
He entered the race at 11 percent, about 5 percentage points below his high mark of 16 percent in April.
Walker is now at 5 percent, according to an averaging of polls by the non-partisan website RealClearPolitics.com. And a Quinnipiac University poll released Friday shows him at 3 percent among likely caucus-goers in Iowa, which in February becomes the first state to vote in the presidential primary.
A low finish in either or both Iowa or South Carolina, the third state to vote, frequently results in donors pulling out of campaigns, forcing them to end. New Hampshire votes second.
Walker was scheduled to speak at a California Republican convention in Anaheim, as reported first by The Los Angeles Times.
Former Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee is still scheduled to attend the event.
Both have qualified for CNN’s main GOP primary debate Wednesday at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
However, they, like most others in the crowded GOP field, have struggled to connect with voters amid the unexpected run by leading candidate Donald Trump.
The Michigan event that Walker will no longer attend is the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, according to The Post.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/12/with-dropping-polls-numbers-walker-cancels-events-to-reportedly-focus-on-iowa-s/?intcmp=hpbt2
-
Club for Growth: Trump 'Worst Republican, Simply Awful'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=f62f673e-4bf3-4bfd-87d1-6c17f4d3f4b4&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Club for Growth: Trump 'Worst Republican, Simply Awful'
By Newsmax Wires
Sunday, 13 Sep 2015
Them be war words.
Club for Growth President David McIntosh released an email letter this weekend saying the group was not going to "back down" in their fight against Donald Trump.
McIntosh claimed Trump is "posing" as an anti-establishment conservative, but in reality he’s a liberal.
The letter accuses the billionaire of supporting single-payer socialized medicine "to the left" of Obamacare; advocating the largest tax increase in history; opposing a flat tax; use of eminent domain laws to seize private property; and protective tariffs that will lead to "massive trade wars."
McIntosh described Trump as the "worst Republican candidate on economic issues" and that "short of Bernie Sanders, he may be the most liberal candidate" in the race.
Trump, for his part, has also trashed the Club on Twitter, claiming they run an "extortion" racket after they asked him for a donation that he declined to give.
The Club responded that the donation ask came after Trump requested to meet with the group and before he revealed his platform.
The Club has earned kudos from conservatives for its long history of holding Republicans in Washington accountable for their voting records.
Now, expect the Twitter firestorm to continue.
Here’s McIntosh’s letter:
Dear Friend:
I’d rather not talk about Donald Trump.
Everyone is talking about Donald Trump and I’d rather talk about just about anything else. But I have to talk about Donald Trump. The Club for Growth has to talk about Donald Trump. There’s simply too much at stake not to talk about Donald Trump.
By now, you may have seen some of the very public clashes between Trump and the Club for Growth. I don’t expect them to end anytime soon.
Because perhaps the only thing that Donald Trump and the Club for Growth have in common is that neither of us back down from a battle, even a tough battle!
The Club believes that Donald is the worst Republican candidate on economic issues – plain and simple. In fact, short of Bernie Sanders, he may be the most liberal candidate in the whole field on fiscal policy.
Not only has Trump been all over the map on some of the Club’s key issues – but he has taken several positions that are downright horrendous!
Trump came out for socialized medicine that was to the left of Obamacare, and he still thinks it works.
Trump proposed the largest tax increase in U.S. history. That’s not easy to do, but Trump did.
Trump not only supported eminent domain to take people’s private property so developers could use it for casinos and amusement parks, he’s tried to do it himself!
Trump jumped on board with Obama’s tax-the-rich mantra, dismissing a flat tax because he wants rates that "graduate upward." Note to Donald: that’s the system we have in place.
Trump doesn’t just saber-rattle about trade wars, he wants to take up the sword and rush the U.S. into massive trade wars with huge tariffs that would be a devastating tax on American businesses and consumers.
Donald Trump poses as anti-establishment. But that’s exactly the problem. He’s posing, just like the reality star he is. Playing a part for the sake of an audience – he really is the worst kind of politician.
The Club for Growth has also built a reputation on being anti-establishment, especially when it comes to fighting against the Republican Party for failing to cut taxes and shrink government.
But that’s the key difference between the Club and Donald Trump. The Club is anti-establishment but it is also FOR something: "Prosperity and Opportunity through Economic Freedom."
The only thing Donald Trump is for – is Donald Trump.
This past week I wrote an op-ed explaining how the failure of Republican leaders in Washington has given birth to the Donald Trump show.
You and I don’t want any more excuses from John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. We want them to fight for the principles they were sent to Washington to defend. And Republicans are angry because they haven’t done the job. So, they’re looking for presidential candidates to stir things up and force real change.
The Club for Growth has done exhaustive work researching the economic liberty records of GOP presidential candidates, and there are decidedly pro-growth candidates with policies that could turn things around.
Donald Trump is absolutely not one of them. His record on taxes, trade, spending, and entitlement reform is simply awful. And his posturing on all sides of issues makes him the worst kind of politician.
So it’s great that Donald Trump is anti-establishment. But I’m more concerned about what he’s FOR than just what he’s against – and we hope you are too.
Best regards,
David McIntosh
President | Club for Growth
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/club-for-growth-trump/2015/09/13/id/691339/#ixzz3ljYeloso
-
WaPo/ABC Poll: Trump, Carson Surge in Popularity With GOP Voters
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=4ccf17a8-b6f1-45f7-b3c2-ad58c3d45de6&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: WaPo/ABC Poll: Trump, Carson Surge in Popularity With GOP Voters (Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke
Monday, 14 Sep 2015
Political outsiders Donald Trump and Ben Carson continue to surge in popularity with GOP voters, pulling far ahead of the rest of the Republican presidential primary pack, a new poll shows.
The Washington Post/ABC News survey, released Monday, shows real estate billionaire Trump with 33 percent of Republican-leaning voters and retired pediatric neurosurgeon Carson with 20 percent.
Polling for the rest of the field included:
Jeb Bush, 8 percent
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, each with 7 percent
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, 5 percent
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 3 percent
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, 2 percent each
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal , Rick Santorum, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has quit the race, all with 1 percent.
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, 0 percent.
In a general election among registered voters, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is neck-and-neck with Trump, ahead 46 percent to 43 percent. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
In other polling on Democrats, the survey finds:
Clinton was the top choice, at 42 percent, a fall of 21 percent since July's level of support. Her support from women fell to 42 percent, compared with 71 percent in July.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Vice President Joe Biden, who has not yet announced his candidacy, follow with 24 percent and 21 percent respectively.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Donald-Trump-Ben-Carson-GOP-Voters-poll/2015/09/14/id/691398/#ixzz3ljZ2YKIt
-
WaPo/ABC Poll: Trump, Carson Surge in Popularity With GOP Voters
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=4ccf17a8-b6f1-45f7-b3c2-ad58c3d45de6&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: WaPo/ABC Poll: Trump, Carson Surge in Popularity With GOP Voters (Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke
Monday, 14 Sep 2015
Political outsiders Donald Trump and Ben Carson continue to surge in popularity with GOP voters, pulling far ahead of the rest of the Republican presidential primary pack, a new poll shows.
The Washington Post/ABC News survey, released Monday, shows real estate billionaire Trump with 33 percent of Republican-leaning voters and retired pediatric neurosurgeon Carson with 20 percent.
Polling for the rest of the field included:
Jeb Bush, 8 percent
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, each with 7 percent
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, 5 percent
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 3 percent
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, 2 percent each
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal , Rick Santorum, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has quit the race, all with 1 percent.
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, 0 percent.
In a general election among registered voters, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is neck-and-neck with Trump, ahead 46 percent to 43 percent. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
In other polling on Democrats, the survey finds:
Clinton was the top choice, at 42 percent, a fall of 21 percent since July's level of support. Her support from women fell to 42 percent, compared with 71 percent in July.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Vice President Joe Biden, who has not yet announced his candidacy, follow with 24 percent and 21 percent respectively.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Donald-Trump-Ben-Carson-GOP-Voters-poll/2015/09/14/id/691398/#ixzz3ljZ2YKIt
Haha Jim Gilmore at 0% :)
Poor bastard can't catch a break. :D
-
Dropping like a rock. I thought he would be a contender.
With dropping polls numbers, Walker cancels events to reportedly focus on Iowa, S. Carolina
Many people were upset that Walker considered adding violence to the peaceful protests in order to justify cracking skulls.
He admitted it on that recorded phone call. Decided against using violence to achieve his political goals (terrorism), so I think many people are forgiving. He didn't actually use violence against Americans, it was just an option he considered until he thought he'd be caught for it.
-
Haha Jim Gilmore at 0% :)
Poor bastard can't catch a break. :D
At least he'll do better than Perry. :)
-
Many people were upset that Walker considered adding violence to the peaceful protests in order to justify cracking skulls.
He admitted it on that recorded phone call. Decided against using violence to achieve his political goals (terrorism), so I think many people are forgiving. He didn't actually use violence against Americans, it was just an option he considered until he thought he'd be caught for it.
Only some liberals, internet trolls, 9/11 Troofers . . . .
-
Ben Carson draws close behind Donald Trump in national poll
By Tom LoBianco, CNN
Tue September 15, 2015
Washington (CNN)Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is continuing to ride a surge of support for outsiders, pulling up close behind Donald Trump in the latest CBS News/New York Times poll.
Republican voters nationwide continue to back Trump in large numbers, climbing from 23% support in the last CBS poll, conducted before the Fox News debate last month, to 27% in the poll out Tuesday. But Carson rocketed in that same period from 6% to 23%. The survey also found Carson doing well across demographic groups, edging out Trump among college-educated Republican voters.
The rest of the field, with the exception of Carly Fiorina and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, has slipped behind with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker falling farthest from 10% support last month to 2% now.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio all tied for third place with 6%.
The margin of error for the 376-person sample of Republican voters in this newest poll is plus-or-minus 6%, and was conducted Sept. 9-13.
The latest CNN/ORC survey, released last week, showed Carson rising in the polls -- landing at 19% support among Republicans, behind Trump's 32% support. The latest poll from ABC News/Washington Post also showed Trump significantly ahead of Carson.
READ: Donald Trump surges to 32% support
Facing a rising Carson last week, Trump took some potshots at the retired neurosurgeon, even as Carson apologized for questioning Trump's faith.
"We need energy," Trump said last Saturday during a campaign stop in Iowa. "I don't think Ben has the energy. Ben is a nice man, but when you're negotiating against China, and you're negotiating against these Japanese guys who are going to come at you in waves ... we need people that are really smart that have tremendous deal-making skills and have great, great energy."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/15/politics/poll-ben-carson-donald-trump-second/index.html
-
Club for Growth Rips 'Worst Republican' Trump in $1 Million Ad Blitz
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=eeeb4151-93d7-4089-b026-b166067cb573&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Club for Growth Rips 'Worst Republican' Trump in $1 Million Ad Blitz (Club for Growth)
By Bill Hoffmann
Tuesday, 15 Sep 2015
The war of words between Donald Trump and Club for Growth escalated to a new high Tuesday as the conservative political action group launched two nasty TV ads slamming the billionaire developer.
“Club for Growth Action is committed to exposing Donald Trump for the liberal he is on economic policy,” the group said as it announced the release of two 30-second ads which it is paying over $1 million to air.
Story continues below video.
“Donald Trump is the worst Republican candidate on economic issues,” Club for Growth president David McIntosh said.
“It’s astonishing that he’s even running as a Republican. Trump is the most liberal candidate on fiscal policy in the whole field, with the possible exception of Bernie Sanders.
“His angry style may reflect the deep frustration Americans have with Washington leaders who have failed to keep their promises. But the policies he’d implement would benefit himself and his own interests, not the American people. That makes him the worst kind of politician.”
The ads come a week after Trump slammed the group, which advocates limited government and tax cuts, as a “phony” organization for threatening to run negative ads against him after it asked him for a $1 million donation.
Trump called on Club for Growth to release the letter its president, David McIntosh sent on June 2 requesting the donation. When Club for Growth didn't bite, Trump tweeted out a copy of the letter himself.
In a Sept. 6th message on Twitter, Trump wrote: The phony Club For Growth, which asked me in writing for $1,000,000 (I said no), is now wanting to do negative ads on me. Total hypocrites!”
Story continues below video.
But McIntosh said Tuesday:
“Club for Growth Action is committed to exposing Trump for the liberal he is on taxes, trade, health care, and eminent domain.
“These ads let Trump speak for himself, about his Democrat core and his full support for giving government the power to take private property and give it to corporations.”
In one ad, images of Trump, and Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders are flashed as viewers are asked, “Which presidential candidate supports higher taxes, national health care, and the Wall Street bailout? It’s Donald Trump.”
Trump is then heard saying, “In many cases, I probably identify more as a Democrat.”
In the second ad, images of property being condemned are shown as a narrator says: “The Supreme Court’s Kelo decision gave government massive new power to take private property and give it to corporations. Conservatives have fought this disaster. What’s Donald Trump say about the decision?”
Trump is heard saying: “I happen to agree with it one hundred percent.”
The Club for Growth narrator continues: Trump supports eminent domain abuse because he can make millions while we lose our property rights. Trump: the worst kind of politician.”
The Club for Growth PAC says it “endorses and raises money for House and Senate candidates who stay true to the fundamental principles of limited government and economic freedom.”
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Club-for-Growth-Donald-Trump-ad-blitz/2015/09/15/id/691615/#ixzz3lpXZFc1N
-
As a local resident I can tell you his arrival was right up there with The Cowboys debut game and The Rangers pennant race as far as local buzz was concerned. Parents were pulling their kids out of school to go see him because THE KIDS wanted to see him. haha
I'm thinking this guy might be SUCH a celebrity/pop culture name in a similar way to Hillary that he is definitely going deep in this race and won't be bowing out anytime soon.
Trump Draws 20,000 in Dallas
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/09/AP_291281511684-640x480.jpg)
-
As a local resident I can tell you his arrival was right up there with The Cowboys debut game and The Rangers pennant race as far as local buzz was concerned. Parents were pulling their kids out of school to go see him because THE KIDS wanted to see him. haha
I'm thinking this guy might be SUCH a celebrity/pop culture name in a similar way to Hillary that he is definitely going deep in this race and won't be bowing out anytime soon.
Trump Draws 20,000 in Dallas
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/09/AP_291281511684-640x480.jpg)
Meh. I remember Ron Paul drawing large crowds too. Like Paul, I think Trump's support is a mile wide and an inch deep. I agree with Zogby (and others) that Trump is going to fizzle.
Pollster Zogby: Trump Campaign About to Fizzle
By Bill Hoffmann
Monday, 14 Sep 2015
Donald Trump's presidential campaign is just days from running out of gas and stalling — and those of Jeb Bush and Scott Walker are also on shaky ground, veteran pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax TV.
"Just as Donald Trump has risen, because of personality and because of bluster, he is in control of his own fall," Zogby, CEO of Zogby Analytics, said Monday to J.D. Hayworth on "Newsmax Prime."
"It could be a combination of does he run out of outrageous things to say, can he handle two or three days in a row where he doesn't get enough attention to fuel his ego?"
As well, Zogby said, the campaigns of Bush, former Florida governor, and Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, are also facing their day of reckoning.
"[Bush has] got to start breaking away a little bit. He was the frontrunner," Zogby said.
"But one of the people who could face an extinction tomorrow is Scott Walker as well — if he doesn't give a compelling reason for voting for him, he could easily fall by the wayside. He's on a downward spiral."
Ken Blackwell, former Mayor of Cincinnati and senior fellow at the Family Research Council, who appeared with Zogby, said he was impressed with candidate Carly Fiorina's ad ripping Trump for making fun of her face, noting it will appeal to women.
"She's talking to the largest voting bloc in the American electorate. She's identifying with them and she in fact has ignored Trump. That's something that infuriates Trump, when you ignore him," Blackwell said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/john-zogby-ken-blackwell-campaign/2015/09/14/id/691529/#ixzz3lpxqcLw5
-
The GOP Outsiders Rule as Trump, Carson and Carly Top New Poll
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=98fbb79d-955d-4d6f-b81b-149eee87a84e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: The GOP Outsiders Rule as Trump, Carson and Carly Top New Poll (Getty Images)
By Bill Hoffmann
Wednesday, 16 Sep 2015
The GOP's three political outsiders are leading the pack in New Hampshire, with Donald Trump in first place, Dr. Ben Carson right behind him, and followed by Carly Fiorina, according to a new poll released Wednesday by WBUR, Boston's NPR news station.
In the telephone survey of 404 likely primary voters, the billionaire developer grabbed 22 percent of the vote, with the retired pediatric neurosurgeon taking 18 percent.
But with the margin of error having a 4.9 percent spread, that puts Trump and Carson in a statistical dead heat. Fiorina, the former Hewlett Packard CEO, scored 11 percent of the vote.
Tying in fourth place were former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
"This is a much closer race than we've seen over the last few months in pretty much any state," said Steve Koczela, of The MassINC Polling Group, which conducted the WBUR survey.
"But it's similar to a couple polls that have come out just in the last few days, and a couple in Iowa from the last few weeks that have shown Ben Carson doing much better against Donald Trump than anybody has done in quite a while."
The new poll, released just hours before the second GOP presidential debate is aired on CNN, is a jarring letdown for the rest of the pack.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida scored just 2 percent, with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a onetime frontrunner, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee taking just 1 percent apiece.
Way out in the bleachers were Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina with 0.9 percent, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with 0.4 percent, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 0.3 and former New York Gov. George Pataki with 0.2 percent.
And Jim Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia, received zero percent.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Trump-Carson-Carly-Poll/2015/09/16/id/691802/#ixzz3lwXjz0Lw
-
I've watched over an hour so far. Very disappointed in the level of discourse. Rand Paul was right that some of that stuff belonged in middle school. I think the primary reason is Trump has dumbed down the entire process. All this talk about name-calling, attacking people's appearance, attacking people's spouses, his stupid facial expressions, etc. is absurd. Huge distraction from the issues. I will lose all faith in my fellow Americans if that man survives this process.
In terms of performance on the merits, I liked Fiorina, Cruz, Rubio, Carson, and Fat Man. Not impressed by Bush. I like Walker, but he was pretty much ignored.
Rand Paul and Huckabee need to quit. So does Trump, but no way does that narcissist quit until his poll numbers tank and/or he starts losing primaries/caucuses.
-
Links to the first two debates:
-
Pollster Zogby: 'Summer Flirtation' With Trump is Over
By Cathy Burke
Thursday, 17 Sep 2015
Donald Trump's dominance in the national polls will likely decline in the wake of the second Republican presidential candidates' debate Wednesday night, pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax TV.
In a post-debate interview with hosts Ed Berliner and J.D. Hayworth, the polling analyst declared Trump "begins the process of losing points tonight."
"He was a big loser in the debate tonight," Zogby said. "Look for him to go down."
"The summer flirtation is over," Zogby added. "By mid-September, after two and half months on top, you got to start getting specific and you can't continue to obfuscate, to counterpunch, to name-call and then to treat that as running for president. This has been pure entertainment on Donald's part, and when it comes to getting specific, he can't even name any of his advisers yet."
Zogby said the "big winner" of the debate was Carly Fiorina.
"That's almost universal now — it certainly was for me," he said. "She was strong, she was forceful, she was clear, experienced and all of that. She gets a big bump."
He also praised Ohio Gov. John Kasich, saying he "did fine" and "stayed on message."
But besides Trump, Zogby also panned Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's performance.
"Jeb Bush, even though more forceful, even funny at moments — got a big applause line defending his brother — I just don't see him making a move — yet anyway."
Zogby's reference was Bush's defense of his brother, former President George W. Bush, against criticism from Trump, saying "he kept us safe."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Zogby-Debate-GOP-Trump/2015/09/17/id/691975/#ixzz3m0vy53vd
-
(http://imageshack.com/a/img540/5043/1wFJF7.gif)
-
lol :D
-
Jeb is 6 foot 3, wearing the high-based heel shoes, and STILL playing tipsy toes.
he's lived in a bubble.
-
(http://imageshack.com/a/img540/5043/1wFJF7.gif)
That man is pathetic.
-
Jeb is 6 foot 3, wearing the high-based heel shoes, and STILL playing tipsy toes.
he's lived in a bubble.
Hopefully Trump shames him about it at the beginning of the next debate. :)
I got a little chuckle at that dig he took at Rand.
-
(http://imageshack.com/a/img540/5043/1wFJF7.gif)
Isn't this the same as Phil Cheath stepping over the line on stage at the Mr O?
-
(http://imageshack.com/a/img540/5043/1wFJF7.gif)
perhaps the funniest moment so far of the 2016 election season.
-
Poll: Carson edges Trump as most likely to win GOP nomination
By PAUL BEDARD (@SECRETSBEDARD)
9/18/15
A post-debate poll finds that surgeon Ben Carson has leapfrogged over businessman Donald Trump as the candidate most Republican voters believe will win the GOP nomination.
Rasmussen Reports said that 59 percent of likely Republican voters believe Carson will end up on top after the primary and caucus season is over next year.
He is closely followed by Donald Trump, at 58 percent, Carly Fiorina at 41 percent and Jeb Bush at 40 percent.
The poll shows the clearest proof that Carson has caught fire, in part due to his debate performances. When he announced in May, just 25 percent of likely Republican voters expected him to win the nomination.
Fiorina also saw a huge surge in voter confidence in her. When she announced in May, just 16 percent saw her as the eventual nominee.
In its analysis of the findings, Rasmussen said, "Jeb Bush is treading water, but Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina appear to have dramatically improved their chances for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Carson is now in a virtual tie with recent front-runner Donald Trump."
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poll-carson-edges-trump-as-most-likely-to-win-gop-nomination/article/2572402#.VfwudGdqqMU.twitter
-
The same Rassmussn that had Romney beating Obama, in their final prediction, the night before obama landslide won over romney?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_michael_barone/going_out_on_a_limb_romney_beats_obama_handily
-
Scott Walker Out of Race
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2015/09/22/us/22WALKER-web/22WALKER-web-tmagArticle.jpg)
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has concluded he no longer has a path to the Republican presidential nomination and plans to drop out of the 2016
campaign, according to three Republicans familiar with his decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Mr. Walker called a news conference in Madison at 6 p.m. Eastern time.
“The short answer is money,” said a supporter of Mr. Walker’s who was briefed on the decision. “He’s made a decision not to limp into Iowa.”
The supporter said Mr. Walker’s fund-raising had dried up after his decline in the polls and that campaign officials did not feel they could risk going into debt with the race so uncertain. The governor, who was scheduled to be in New York and Washington this week, partly to raise money, had built up an expansive staff, bringing on aides and consultants detailed to everything from Christian conservative outreach to Super Tuesday states. But his fund-raising did not keep pace with the money needed to sustain such an infrastructure.
Mr. Walker’s intended withdrawal is a humiliating climb down for a Republican governor once seen as all but politically invincible. He started the year at the top of the polls but has seen his position gradually deteriorate, amid the rise of Donald J. Trump’s populist campaign and repeated missteps by Mr. Walker himself.
In the most recent CNN survey, Mr. Walker drew support nationally from less than one-half of one percent of Republican primary voters. He faced growing pressure to shake up his campaign staff, a step he was loath to take, according to Republicans briefed on his deliberations.
In recent weeks the Walker campaign has seen its fund-raising in a downward spiral, with the candidate undertaking a heavy travel schedule of political events but spending far less time raising money. Two top Walker donors said on Monday that potential backers who had been leaning toward Mr. Walker had started expressing strong misgivings about the direction of his campaign after his middling performance in the last Republican debate. The two donors were helping organize a fund-raiser for Mr. Walker this Thursday in New York City at the apartment of Todd Ricketts, a national finance co-chair of the Walker campaign, but were struggling to lock in people to attend.
“Donors have totally dried up for Walker, and getting people to come on Thursday was unbelievably hard,” said one of the donors. “Everyone I know was just totally stunned by how difficult the fund-raising became, but the candidate and the campaign just couldn’t inspire confidence.”
Mr. Walker burst into attention in late January with a fiery speech in Iowa, where he upstaged other 2016 Republican hopefuls before a conservative crowd, speaking of how he had withstood angry protesters and threats as Wisconsin’s governor.
Courting Republican primary voters who are more conservative than the Wisconsin electorate, Mr. Walker moved to the right, taking hawkish positions on immigration, signing an anti-union bill in Wisconsin and asking the state Legislature to send him a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks.
He continued to lead the Republican pack in Iowa all spring, and roared over the open road on a Harley-Davidson to a seven-candidate political fund-raiser in the state in June.
But Mr. Trump’s surge as a political outsider galvanized grass-roots Republicans who are angry at all conventional politicians, and he drew support more from Mr. Walker than from anyone else.
-
Scott Walker Out of Race
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2015/09/22/us/22WALKER-web/22WALKER-web-tmagArticle.jpg)
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has concluded he no longer has a path to the Republican presidential nomination and plans to drop out of the 2016
campaign, according to three Republicans familiar with his decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Mr. Walker called a news conference in Madison at 6 p.m. Eastern time.
“The short answer is money,” said a supporter of Mr. Walker’s who was briefed on the decision. “He’s made a decision not to limp into Iowa.”
The supporter said Mr. Walker’s fund-raising had dried up after his decline in the polls and that campaign officials did not feel they could risk going into debt with the race so uncertain. The governor, who was scheduled to be in New York and Washington this week, partly to raise money, had built up an expansive staff, bringing on aides and consultants detailed to everything from Christian conservative outreach to Super Tuesday states. But his fund-raising did not keep pace with the money needed to sustain such an infrastructure.
Mr. Walker’s intended withdrawal is a humiliating climb down for a Republican governor once seen as all but politically invincible. He started the year at the top of the polls but has seen his position gradually deteriorate, amid the rise of Donald J. Trump’s populist campaign and repeated missteps by Mr. Walker himself.
In the most recent CNN survey, Mr. Walker drew support nationally from less than one-half of one percent of Republican primary voters. He faced growing pressure to shake up his campaign staff, a step he was loath to take, according to Republicans briefed on his deliberations.
In recent weeks the Walker campaign has seen its fund-raising in a downward spiral, with the candidate undertaking a heavy travel schedule of political events but spending far less time raising money. Two top Walker donors said on Monday that potential backers who had been leaning toward Mr. Walker had started expressing strong misgivings about the direction of his campaign after his middling performance in the last Republican debate. The two donors were helping organize a fund-raiser for Mr. Walker this Thursday in New York City at the apartment of Todd Ricketts, a national finance co-chair of the Walker campaign, but were struggling to lock in people to attend.
“Donors have totally dried up for Walker, and getting people to come on Thursday was unbelievably hard,” said one of the donors. “Everyone I know was just totally stunned by how difficult the fund-raising became, but the candidate and the campaign just couldn’t inspire confidence.”
Mr. Walker burst into attention in late January with a fiery speech in Iowa, where he upstaged other 2016 Republican hopefuls before a conservative crowd, speaking of how he had withstood angry protesters and threats as Wisconsin’s governor.
Courting Republican primary voters who are more conservative than the Wisconsin electorate, Mr. Walker moved to the right, taking hawkish positions on immigration, signing an anti-union bill in Wisconsin and asking the state Legislature to send him a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks.
He continued to lead the Republican pack in Iowa all spring, and roared over the open road on a Harley-Davidson to a seven-candidate political fund-raiser in the state in June.
But Mr. Trump’s surge as a political outsider galvanized grass-roots Republicans who are angry at all conventional politicians, and he drew support more from Mr. Walker than from anyone else.
Good decision, but it's too bad. He was a good candidate.
-
Good decision, but it's too bad. He was a good candidate.
Amazing how quickly things can turn in politics.
Seems like he was trying to change his image towards the end but it never really caught on.
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/_O9Jhw6ILHTUTMTooVM7FQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztmaT1maWxsO2g9Mzc3O2lsPXBsYW5lO3B4b2ZmPTUwO3B5b2ZmPTA7cT03NTt3PTY3MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/bc40a25517094528810f6a706700a195.jpg)
-
Amazing how quickly things can turn in politics.
Seems like he was trying to change his image towards the end but it never really caught on.
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/_O9Jhw6ILHTUTMTooVM7FQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztmaT1maWxsO2g9Mzc3O2lsPXBsYW5lO3B4b2ZmPTUwO3B5b2ZmPTA7cT03NTt3PTY3MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/bc40a25517094528810f6a706700a195.jpg)
Agree. People go from hero to zero (and vice versa) overnight.
-
Good points. As the field narrows, Trump will fade.
Walker suspends 2016 campaign, urges party to find Trump alternative
Published September 21, 2015
FoxNews.com
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, once a leading candidate in the Republican presidential race, suspended his struggling 2016 campaign on Monday -- while issuing an appeal to his party to counter the rise of front-runner Donald Trump.
At a hastily called press conference in Madison, Walker confirmed the news that by that point had leaked out: "I will suspend my campaign immediately."
But the governor also lamented that the contest has "drifted into personal attacks" and urged other contenders to consider following him out of the race, if only to help elevate those who can compete against the front-runner. Without naming Trump, Walker warned that he thinks the billionaire businessman could damage the party.
"I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive, conservative message can rise to the top of the field," Walker said. "... I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner."
The decision marks a swift reversal in fortunes for Walker, who over the summer was seen as the candidate to beat in the key state of Iowa. But the governor who forged a national reputation on his record battling union power in his home state saw his position slide in recent months.
Walker was plagued by a series of missteps, and was seen as performing poorly in the first two primary debates, generally struggling to stand out amid a crowded and boisterous 2016 field.
The 47-year-old had told Fox News before last Wednesday's debate at the Reagan Library that he planned to "be aggressive" and show the kind of "passion" that brought him to victory in the past. Walker did have a few notable moments -- including telling Trump "we don't need an apprentice in the White House ... we have one right now.” But he was arguably outshined not only by Trump but Carly Fiorina and others.
For Walker, much was riding on his performance in that debate. In the aftermath, a CNN/ORC poll released Sunday showed Walker polling nationally at less than 1 percent.
Throughout his campaign, Walker cast himself as an "aggressively normal" conservative, campaigning as a fighter who had a number of victories in a state that hasn't voted for a Republican president since 1984.
Walker was elected governor in 2010, before winning a tough recall election in 2012 against a labor-backed effort to remove him from office, becoming the first governor to survive a recall election. Walker was elected to a second term in 2014.
However, when campaigning for president, he appeared to struggle in stating his policy positions. He appeared to flip-flop on whether he supported ending birthright citizenship in August, and showed interest in building a wall between the U.S. and Canada, only to later laugh it off as ridiculous.
Immediately after the decision to suspend the campaign was reported, fellow 2016 candidate Ben Carson called Walker "an outstanding leader with a strong record of fighting for conservative principles."
"I wish him the very best," Carson said.
Trump also praised Walker on social media ahead of the formal announcement.
While Walker may be leaving the race, his well-known feud with major labor unions showed no sign of fading away. AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka released a scathing and brief statement: "Scott Walker is still a disgrace, just no longer national."
The move may have come to a surprise to supporters following Walker on Twitter, as he tweeted Monday he was "here to fight and win in Iowa."
A Walker donor told Fox News that even large donors were kept in the dark about the decision. A Monday afternoon conference call with donors gave no hint that this was coming, the donor said.
The announcement makes Walker the second GOP candidate to suspend his campaign, following former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Walker's exit leaves 15 major candidates remaining in the race for the Republican nomination.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/21/gov-walker-to-suspend-2016-campaign-fox-news-confirms/?intcmp=hpbt1
-
The more I listen to him and watch him perform the I'm starting to believe he might be the nominee. I think he is the most electable of the current bunch.
Rubio Team Moves Immediately to Capitalize on Walker Flameout
by BRENDAN BORDELON
September 21, 2015 5:33 PM @BRENDANBORDELON
Mere minutes after news broke that former Wisconsin governor Scott Walker will suspend his presidential campaign, Marco Rubio’s campaign was already moving to pick up the pieces. “We’ve actually just nailed down [Walker’s] New Hampshire state co-chair to endorse Marco,” Rubio campaign manager Terry Sullivan told reporters at National Review’s 2016 Campaign Managers event at Google’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. “We’re prepared, as people move on in the race, to capitalize on it and move forward.” New Hampshire’s WMUR TV named the defecting co-chair as Cliff Hurst, the Manchester Republican Committee chairman and former state vice chairman. After two lackluster debate performances and rapidly-sliding poll numbers, many observers expected a Walker campaign staff shakeup. But Walker’s scheduled 6 p.m. EST announcement that he is dropping out of the race didn’t come as a huge surprise to Sullivan. “People don’t stop running for president because they run out of ideas or they run out of desire,” he said. “They stop running because they run out of money.”
Sullivan touted the Rubio campaign’s extreme frugality, saying it gives them a competitive edge and the ability to keep coasting on middling poll numbers while other candidates flame out. “Marco flies 95 percent commercial,” he said. “We just booked a Frontier Airlines flight today, which is a special kind of hell for anybody. But we do it because we gotta — we want to spend our money where it matters.”
Sullivan explained the Florida Republican senator’s advantage over the other candidates, saying he strikes a compelling middle ground between relatability and responsibility. “Voters want somebody they can have a beer with, but who’s also responsible enough to drive them home,” he said. And he downplayed the idea that former Florida governor Jeb Bush is Rubio’s main competition for the GOP nod. “We need everybody not named Marco to fizzle,” he said. “We need everybody to slowly fizzle out, and we think they will.” He later added that Rubio wasn’t “intimidated” by Bush.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424393/rubio-team-moves-immediately-capitalize-walker-flameout-brendan-bordelon
-
Good points. As the field narrows, Trump will fade.
I'm sure the other republicans in the race are all fighting over the 0.5% that Walker was carrying.
-
Poll Puts Rubio Ahead of Bush in Florida; Trump Still Leads
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=a74241ee-0113-4812-a844-84e36b38c9f6&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Poll Puts Rubio Ahead of Bush in Florida; Trump Still Leads (AP)
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Wednesday, 23 Sep 2015
Sen. Marco Rubio has pulled ahead of Jeb Bush in their home state of Florida following the GOP debate earlier this month, according to a new Florida Atlantic University poll that puts the senator in second place behind part-time Floridian Donald Trump.
Bush, a former governor and political mentor of Rubio's, placed third in the poll, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The numbers break down as follows:
•Trump, 31.5 percent
•Rubio, 19.2 percent
•Bush, 11.3 percent
•Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who lives in West Palm Beach, Fla., 10.3 percent
•Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, 8.3 percent
"Marco Rubio being that far ahead of Jeb Bush is surprising," Kevin Wagner, an associate professor of political science at FAU and a research fellow at the university's Business and Economics Polling Initiative, commented. "Some of the early Florida polling suggested that Bush was in a stronger position."
But while the debate pushed Rubio up in the poll, 38.4 percent of the voters surveyed said Fiorina won the Sept. 16 GOP debate, followed by 14 percent for Trump, 11.3 percent for Rubio, and 10.4 percent for Bush.
The survey was conducted by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative in the College of Business between Sept. 17- 20
Also in the poll, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton remained on top, with 59.5 percent of likely voters from her party. Vice President Joe Biden, who has not yet announced his candidacy, netted 15.9 percent, followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, with 15.2 percent. The remaining candidates received less than 2 percent of those polled.
In matchups between the Republican candidates and Clinton, though, she came in behind the GOP frontrunners:
•Carson had 51.7 percent of the Florida vote to Clinton's 39.5 percent
•Rubio had 50.4 percent to Clinton's 42.2 percent
•Bush beat Clinton, 49.1 percent to 40.9 percent
•Trump and Clinton were tied, with 45.9 percent for him and 44.5 percent for her
Wagner said the primary poll itself was "very good news" for Clinton, but the potential pair-ups between her and Republicans in the general election "show pretty strong weakness for her. She's going to have to make up some ground in Florida."
Clinton also marked a negative favorability rating in the poll, which showed she was viewed unfavorably by 53.7 percent of Florida voters and favorably by 40.7 percent, giving her a negative net rating of 13 percentage points.
In other ratings:
•Bush, negative unfavorability: 4.3 percentage points
•Carson had a net favorable rating of 22.5 percentage points in the survey. However, Wagner said too few people were surveyed after Carson's comments Sunday to draw any conclusions on his ratings
•Rubio, net favorable rating, 11 percentage points
•Sanders, net unfavorable, 20.2 percentage points
•Trump, net unfavorable rating, 22.7 percentage points
The survey of 298 Democratic likely voters carried a margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 percentage points, a margin of 5.2 percentage points for its 352 Republican likely voters, and overall, the general election survey of 801 registered voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Marco-Rubio-Jeb-Bush-Donald-Trump-Florida/2015/09/23/id/692885/#ixzz3mb0msHeb
-
Poll Puts Rubio Ahead of Bush in Florida; Trump Still Leads
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=a74241ee-0113-4812-a844-84e36b38c9f6&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Poll Puts Rubio Ahead of Bush in Florida; Trump Still Leads (AP)
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Wednesday, 23 Sep 2015
Sen. Marco Rubio has pulled ahead of Jeb Bush in their home state of Florida following the GOP debate earlier this month, according to a new Florida Atlantic University poll that puts the senator in second place behind part-time Floridian Donald Trump.
Bush, a former governor and political mentor of Rubio's, placed third in the poll, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The numbers break down as follows:
•Trump, 31.5 percent
•Rubio, 19.2 percent
•Bush, 11.3 percent
•Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who lives in West Palm Beach, Fla., 10.3 percent
•Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, 8.3 percent
"Marco Rubio being that far ahead of Jeb Bush is surprising," Kevin Wagner, an associate professor of political science at FAU and a research fellow at the university's Business and Economics Polling Initiative, commented. "Some of the early Florida polling suggested that Bush was in a stronger position."
But while the debate pushed Rubio up in the poll, 38.4 percent of the voters surveyed said Fiorina won the Sept. 16 GOP debate, followed by 14 percent for Trump, 11.3 percent for Rubio, and 10.4 percent for Bush.
The survey was conducted by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative in the College of Business between Sept. 17- 20
Also in the poll, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton remained on top, with 59.5 percent of likely voters from her party. Vice President Joe Biden, who has not yet announced his candidacy, netted 15.9 percent, followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, with 15.2 percent. The remaining candidates received less than 2 percent of those polled.
In matchups between the Republican candidates and Clinton, though, she came in behind the GOP frontrunners:
•Carson had 51.7 percent of the Florida vote to Clinton's 39.5 percent
•Rubio had 50.4 percent to Clinton's 42.2 percent
•Bush beat Clinton, 49.1 percent to 40.9 percent
•Trump and Clinton were tied, with 45.9 percent for him and 44.5 percent for her
Wagner said the primary poll itself was "very good news" for Clinton, but the potential pair-ups between her and Republicans in the general election "show pretty strong weakness for her. She's going to have to make up some ground in Florida."
Clinton also marked a negative favorability rating in the poll, which showed she was viewed unfavorably by 53.7 percent of Florida voters and favorably by 40.7 percent, giving her a negative net rating of 13 percentage points.
In other ratings:
•Bush, negative unfavorability: 4.3 percentage points
•Carson had a net favorable rating of 22.5 percentage points in the survey. However, Wagner said too few people were surveyed after Carson's comments Sunday to draw any conclusions on his ratings
•Rubio, net favorable rating, 11 percentage points
•Sanders, net unfavorable, 20.2 percentage points
•Trump, net unfavorable rating, 22.7 percentage points
The survey of 298 Democratic likely voters carried a margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 percentage points, a margin of 5.2 percentage points for its 352 Republican likely voters, and overall, the general election survey of 801 registered voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Marco-Rubio-Jeb-Bush-Donald-Trump-Florida/2015/09/23/id/692885/#ixzz3mb0msHeb
Trump seems to get off by bitch slapping Bush every time he gets an opportunity, which in an indirect way probably has helped Rubio.
It would be interesting to see how Rubio matches up head to head against Bush with Trump out of the picture because I think the Anti-Dynasty sentiment on the right is real this year.
-
Trump seems to get off by bitch slapping Bush every time he gets an opportunity, which in an indirect way probably has helped Rubio.
It would be interesting to see how Rubio matches up head to head against Bush with Trump out of the picture because I think the Anti-Dynasty sentiment on the right is real this year.
True. I think Rubio might be the last man standing at the end of the primaries.
-
Amazing how someone so successful can act like a butt-hurt sissy.
Trump says he won't appear on Fox News
The Republican front-runner says Fox has been treating him unfairly, while Fox says it dumped Trump first.
By Nick Gass
09/23/15
Updated 09/23/15
Citing unfair treatment, Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is not going to appear on any Fox News shows "for the forseeable future," reigniting a feud that has heated up and cooled throughout the summer.
".@FoxNews has been treating me very unfairly & I have therefore decided that I won't be doing any more Fox shows for the foreseeable future," Trump tweeted at mid-day on Wednesday.
.
Fox News fired back a couple hours later, saying Trump had it all wrong, and that it was Fox who dumped Trump. A spokesman issued a statement, condeming Trump's attacks on Fox's journalists.
"At 11:45am today, we canceled Donald Trump’s scheduled appearance on The O’Reilly Factor on Thursday, which resulted in Mr. Trump’s subsequent tweet about his ‘boycott’ of FOX News," the statement reads. "The press predictably jumped to cover his tweet, creating yet another distraction from any real issues that Mr. Trump might be questioned about. When coverage doesn’t go his way, he engages in personal attacks on our anchors and hosts, which has grown stale and tiresome. He doesn’t seem to grasp that candidates telling journalists what to ask is not how the media works in this country.”
The Republican presidential candidate had devoted Monday and Tuesday nights this week to blasting the network's coverage of him on Twitter, tweeting and retweeting criticism.
"I am having a really hard time watching Fox News," he wrote Monday night.
Trump also called out Bill O'Reilly on Twitter this week for having "the same old Trump haters" as guests and "refusing to ... post the great polls that came out today including NBC."
O'Reilly fired back on Tuesday, telling NBC's Matt Lauer that Twitter is "like the worst thing you could give Donald Trump."
“He wants people to like him. When people criticize him, he takes it personally," the host of "The O'Reilly Factor" said. "So I just think this is just a extension of his reality show, ‘The Apprentice.’ This is just theater right now."
Trump has criticized Fox's coverage in the past, particularly in the case of Megyn Kelly, who asked him tough questions during the first GOP debate.
He and Fox News chief Roger Ailes have struck two truces in the last two months, the last one coming in late August after Trump unleashed a series of tweets blasting "The Kelly File" anchor.
“Roger Ailes is great. He’s a special guy and a good friend of mine. We just spoke two minutes ago," Trump told Laura Ingraham in an Aug. 25 interview. "I mean, Roger Ailes is a great guy and no, I have no problem,."
The first truce came days after the Aug. 6 debate at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, where Trump had a contentious back-and-forth with Kelly and said in a later interview that she had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever." (He later explained that he was referring to her nose.)
“Roger Ailes just called. He is a great guy & assures me that ‘Trump’ will be treated fairly on @FoxNews,” he wrote on Twitter at that time. “His word is always good!”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/donald-trump-fox-news-213971#ixzz3mbOPfdtC
-
Amazing how someone so successful can act like a butt-hurt sissy.
Trump is a conservative stalwart and the #1 choice of republicans.
Please honor the Reagan Rule - about not attacking other republicans.
-
Rubio rising? Marco gets 2016 boost from debates, Walker's exit
By Adam Shaw
Published September 24, 2015
FoxNews.com
Things may be looking up for Marco Rubio.
Though he's struggled to break through the crowded, and loud, 2016 field after announcing his intention to run in April, there has been fresh buzz about his campaign since what many analysts saw as a stand-out performance at the Sept. 16 debate at the Reagan Library.
A Fox News poll released late Wednesday showed Rubio and Carly Fiorina tied for third place on the GOP side, each with 9 percent, behind Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson.
A CNN/ORC poll released earlier this week showed the Florida senator surging into 4th place with 11 percent – up from a meager 3 percent at the beginning of September. And he seems to be benefiting the most from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to drop out of the race Monday. The Wall Street Journal reported that Rubio will inherit about two-thirds of Walker’s big-donor fundraising apparatus, citing a member of Walker’s national finance committee.
“His chances have grown, his chances are growing. He’s part of a small group of candidates who really do have a shot,” Ron Bonjean, an unaligned Republican strategist, told FoxNews.com. “It’s still a long way away but he’s playing his cards right for now."
A number of key staff, including Walker’s New Hampshire state co-chairman, already have joined Rubio's campaign.
He is also beginning to pose a challenge to former front-runner and ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in their home state. A new Florida Atlantic University poll puts Rubio in second place, behind Donald Trump but in front of Bush.
However, so far, Rubio’s team has been cautious in getting carried away by recent good news.
“While it's always nice to see people responding well to Marco, the truth is that polls at this stage of the race are not indicative of who will win,” Alex Conant, a spokesman for the Rubio campaign, told FoxNews.com, adding that there are still four months to go before the first primary contest.
This muted response is all part of the strategy, Bonjean says: “Rubio has engaged in a chipaway strategy where he’s not trying to be the front-runner with the spotlight shining on him, but over the course of each debate and over time he’s building his foundation of support.”
However, as Rubio’s support and infrastructure expands, it seems unlikely he will be able to stay out of the spotlight for long. On Monday night, Trump took a shot at Rubio over his initial support and role in crafting the 2013 immigration reform bill, as well as his voting record in the Senate.
Trump also took a swing at Rubio’s alleged absenteeism in the Senate during the Reagan Library debate. And he's still a target of Democrats.
On Monday, the DNC attempted to stir up a “Nazi” controversy, pointing out that Rubio was attending a fundraiser at the home of developer Harlan Crow, who owns a signed copy of Adolf Hitler’s autobiography Mein Kampf. However, several media organizations noted Crow has a wide range of historical memorabilia, including items that belonged to Abraham Lincoln. Republicans called the matter a "false controversy."
It wasn't the first time a critique of Rubio seemed to backfire. The New York Times was mocked in June for stories that reported on Rubio's finances and speeding tickets. In one front-page story, the paper reported about the Rubios’ “extravagant” purchases including an $80,000 speedboat, and leasing a $50,000 SUV. In one peculiar paragraph, the Times included the detail that a house Rubio bought in 2005 “includes an in-ground pool, a handsome brick driveway, meticulously manicured shrubs and oversize windows.”
The only recent public flub that seems to have stuck around was his decision to take an awkward sip of water during his response to the 2013 State of the Union address. But Rubio regularly pokes fun at himself over the incident.
Now, even some Democrats say Rubio could be a contender. “Presidential campaigns are -- yes they’re about messaging and policy -- but they’re also about symbolism, and what I think what Marco Rubio is doing is trying to present this positive image of an America that, in his belief we can all live in,” Basil Smikle Jr., executive director of the New York state Democratic Party told FoxNews.com LIVE.
“As long as he keeps presenting that image and that symbol of what America is and should be … then I think he has a winning message and narrative there,” Smikle said.
While cautious, the Rubio camp is showing quiet optimism about their chances.
“We have a strategy to be first in February, and we're on track to accomplishing that. Marco did very well in the first two debates, and it's a good thing for our campaign that we have 10 more debates,” Conant said.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/24/rubio-rising-marco-gets-2016-boost-from-debates-walker-exit/?intcmp=hpbt2
-
The war between Donald Trump and Fox News is back on
By Dylan Byers and Brian Stelter@CNNMoney
The war of words between Donald Trump and Fox News turned nasty Wednesday night.
On Megyn Kelly's Fox News talk show, conservative columnist Rich Lowry asserted that Carly Fiorina had castrated Trump during the CNN debate last week.
Lowry, a prominent Trump critic, referred to Trump's private parts and said Fiorina had the "precision of a surgeon."
Kelly, who looked shocked at the remark, said "what did you just say?"
Trump was apparently shocked too -- he lambasted Lowry via Twitter, calling him "incompetent" and adding, "He should not be allowed on TV and the FCC should fine him!"
The FCC -- Federal Communications Commission -- occasionally fines broadcast networks for indecency, but has no power to sanction cable channels like Fox News.
Lowry gleefully replied to Trump on Twitter: "Man, you can dish it out but you REALLY, REALLY can't take it."
Fox News had no immediate comment on the off-color moment.
For the time being, Trump and Fox are at loggerheads, and Wednesday's back-and-forth about Trump's anatomy isn't likely to change that.
The conflict began heating up again around noon on Wednesday, when Trump tweeted that he would be boycotting Fox because the network has treated him "very unfairly."
"I have therefore decided that I won't be doing any more Fox shows for the foreseeable future," he wrote.
But a Fox News spokesperson suggested Trump wasn't telling the full story. In a statement to CNN, Fox said "at 11:45 a.m. today, we canceled Donald Trump's scheduled appearance on 'The O'Reilly Factor' on Thursday, which resulted in Mr. Trump's subsequent tweet about his 'boycott' of Fox News."
Fox News declined to specify why it had canceled Trump's appearance. But the decision came after a series of tweets Trump posted on Monday and Tuesday criticizing Kelly's and Bill O'Reilly's shows, sometimes in highly personal ways.
"Enough's enough" is how one Fox source put it on Wednesday.
A second source argued that Trump was antagonizing Fox to create controversy and draw attention to himself at a time when other candidates are surging in the polls.
"When coverage doesn't go his way, he engages in personal attacks on our anchors and hosts, which has grown stale and tiresome," the Fox News spokesperson said. "He doesn't seem to grasp that candidates telling journalists what to ask is not how the media works in this country."
Fox also criticized the media for its initial portrayal of Trump's boycott announcement. "The press predictably jumped to cover his tweet, creating yet another distraction from any real issues that Mr. Trump might be questioned about," the spokesperson said.
Trump's office replied by saying "Mr. Trump stands by his statement made earlier today" and pointing out the high ratings Stephen Colbert's show received when Trump stopped by on Tuesday night.
What happened between Fox and Trump?
Trump previously threatened to boycott Fox News in the wake of the first Republican primary debate six weeks ago on the grounds that the network's moderators -- particularly Kelly -- had been unfair to him.
The two parties reached detente after Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes called Trump to assure him that he would be treated fairly.
But the truce was exceedingly fragile. Trump still complained from time to time about Fox's coverage.
After the second primary debate of the season, last week, Trump was booked to appear this Thursday night on "The O'Reilly Factor," the highest-rated show on cable news.
O'Reilly even promoted the upcoming Trump interview while appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which was taped Monday evening.
By Monday night, however, Trump was souring on O'Reilly's show. He fired off a series of angry tweets.
"I am having a really hard time watching Fox News," Trump tweeted. He complained that O'Reilly's show had been "very negative to me" because its guests were all "Trump haters."
He also resumed his critiques of Kelly, who has drawn Trump's fire ever since her grilling of the candidate during the first debate.
"She is the worst -- all anti-Trump!" Trump tweeted Monday night. "Terrible show."
He also singled out Lowry as "truly one of the dumbest of the talking heads."
On Tuesday night, Trump wrote, "Do you ever notice that lightweight Megyn Kelly constantly goes after me but when I hit back it is totally sexist. She is highly overrated!"
In a wink to his fans, some of whom wrongly thought Kelly's post-debate vacation was a suspension, he also wrote, "I think Megyn Kelly should take another eleven day 'unscheduled' vacation."
How long will the Trump blackout last?
For Fox News, the boycott -- whether instigated by Ailes or Trump -- means it will be cut off from the Trump ratings machine. By the same token, Trump will miss out on access to the millions of viewers who tune into Fox News every night for coverage of the 2016 race.
Trump, who gave a relatively subdued performance at the Sept. 16 GOP debate, is down 8 points in the latest CNN/ORC national poll. Meanwhile, rivals like Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson have been on the rise, and commanding more and more media attention.
But a post-debate poll by Fox, published on Wednesday night, showed Trump still leading the GOP pack with 26% support now, holding steady from the 25% support a Fox poll found for him in mid-August.
Carson is up to 18%, from 12% before, according to the Fox poll, and Fiorina is up to 9%, from 5% before.
http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/23/media/donald-trump-boycott-fox-news/index.html
-
Walker was polling at .5%
Not sure how much of that will help rubio. if anything, he grabs share from carson (insane and unsure again) and carly (who fox news is even calling a liar over that video claim).
Rubio can catch up if he takes their share. Trump is leading with evangelicals AND tea party voters. insane.
-
Rubio? HAHAHAHA, he's a schmuck.
Trump :
During a Thursday-morning CNN interview, Trump hit Rubio as a "kid" in a wide-ranging critique.
He first bashed Rubio's credibility as a foreign-policy wonk when asked to compare their knowledge about Syria.
"Marco Rubio sits behind a desk sometimes and he reads stuff," Trump said, according to CNN's transcript. "That's all he does. I create jobs all day long. I'll know more about all of this than all of them put together, and believe me, we'll have a winning strategy. If Marco Rubio is good, how come we're doing so badly?"
Trump went on to dismiss the 44-year-old senator's age.
"These guys don't know how to win," he said. "Marco Rubio, he's like a kid. He shouldn't even be running in this race, as far as I'm concerned. He's a kid."
Later in the interview, Trump again called Rubio a "kid" and criticized him for not deferring his candidacy to Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor.
"He's a kid. He has no right — I mean, frankly, he was very disloyal to Bush," Trump said. "Bush was his mentor. And everyone said he'd never run because Bush was his mentor. Well, the fact that Bush was his mentor didn't stop this young guy who is overly ambitious from wanting to run. Now Bush looks foolish and he looks like he's a very disloyal guy, frankly."
Earlier in the day, during a "Morning Joe" interview, Trump also mocked Rubio for perspiring during last week's presidential debate.
"I'm looking at guys like Marco Rubio, who has the worst voting record in the United States Senate. And [he's a] young guy — although he sweats more than any young person I've ever seen in my life," Trump said. "I've never seen a guy down water like he downs water. They bring it in in buckets for this guy."
-
Truth.
Rubio Hits 'Insecure' Trump: Speaks in '10-Second Sound Bites'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e09a1e93-e15f-40f2-be5b-892cb699d790&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Rubio Hits 'Insecure' Trump: Speaks in '10-Second Sound Bites' (Wire Services)
By Greg Richter
Thursday, 24 Sep 2015
GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump is "insecure," and that's why he lashes out at his opponents when things aren't going well for him, says one of his rivals, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
"He takes shots at everybody that gets anywhere close to him, in terms of a poll, or anytime he hits a rough spot, that's what he does," Rubio told Kentucky sports radio station WLAP on Thursday.
"He had a really bad debate performance last week, he's not well informed on the issues, he really never talks about issues and can't have more than a 10-second sound bite on any key issue," Rubio added. "So I think he's really been exposed a little bit over the last seven days and he's a very touchy and insecure guy and so that's how he reacts. And people can see through it."
Rubio's comments come after Trump went on the attack against Rubio Thursday morning on CNN's "New Day."
"Marco Rubio, he's like a kid. He shouldn't be running in this race as far as I'm concerned," Trump, 69, said of the 44-year-old Rubio.
Trump also slammed Rubio's background in the Senate, saying he doesn't create jobs like he does.
"Marco Rubio sits behind a desk; sometimes and he reads stuff, he's in committees so you know that's all he does," Trump said. "I create jobs all day long."
Trump's comments on Rubio come at the 20:15 mark.
Trump promised that although he has no political experience, once elected, "I'll know more about this than all of them put together. If Marco Rubio's good, how come we're doing so badly? He's a sitting U.S. senator so why doesn't he do something about it? I'm not in government, he is in government."
On MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday, Trump said Rubio tends to perspire, saying "He sweats more than any young person I've ever seen in my life. ... I've never seen a guy down water like he downs water. ... They bring it in buckets for this guy."
The latest polls show Rubio among candidates gaining on Trump. It probably didn't help when Rubio took aim at Trump on Tuesday.
"I think that the most important thing a president will ever do is provide for the national security of our country, and I think up to now, he hasn't really answered serious questions about national security," Rubio told Fox News Channel. "Until he does, there should be serious concerns, not just about him but about any candidate that's not able to speak in detail, with clarity and with seriousness, about the national security threats that we face."
Trump has been after Rubio in recent days, telling a campaign crowd in South Carolina on Wednesday that Rubio has "no money, zero. Now, I think that's OK ... I mean, he's got nothing."
Rubio is "overly ambitious, too young," Trump said. "And I have better hair than he does, right?"
Appearing Thursday on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," Rubio said the Republican Party needs to nominate "someone who has real thoughts," though he admitted front-runner Donald Trump has gotten more people to pay attention to the election process.
Host Bill O'Reilly asked Rubio his impression of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's speech when he quit the race and urged others who aren't faring well in the crowded field to quit, too. The party should rally to take out Trump, Walker said.
"Well, what I think is we need to have someone who is a serious person," Rubio said.
"Someone who is serious about the future of our country, someone who understands the challenges that we face. It's not about us individually. It's about the United States of America."
When O'Reilly asked if Trump is someone who doesn't have real thoughts, Rubio noted that when last week's debate turned to policy matters Trump went silent for several minutes.
That fact is self-evident to anyone who watched the debate, Rubio said.
"That's why he had a bad debate and acting the way he is and continuing to offend anyone who criticizes him," he added. "He is thin-skinned and sensitive to criticism. He can't have a conversation about policy because quite frankly he doesn't know anything about policy."
O'Reilly said he believes Trump has been good for the GOP in getting more people to watch the debates. Rubio wouldn't specifically credit Trump, but said he was happy more people are watching.
"Am I glad that people are tuning in and watching? Absolutely," Rubio said. "I think if you look at what we offer in the conservative movement it is superior as to what the other side has forced upon this country for the past several years."
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/marco-rubio-donald-trump-real-thoughts/2015/09/24/id/693202/#ixzz3mmaWQIIj
-
Good for you Fat Man.
Iowans who sought to draft Christie in 2011, back him again
Published September 29, 2015
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa – He's behind in the polls and has spent little time in Iowa of late, but Chris Christie is set to get a major bump in the leadoff caucus state with endorsements from nearly all of the local Republican heavyweights who tried to recruit him to run four years ago.
Six of the seven big-money donors and activists who flew to New Jersey to urge the Republican governor to run in the 2012 race plan to formally endorse Christie in Des Moines Tuesday. The news was first reported by The Des Moines Register.
"What we've looked at and come around to is similar thoughts as in 2011," said Bruce Rastetter, a major GOP donor who made his fortune in the pork and ethanol industries. "We need blunt, bold leadership. We need somebody that can actually govern."
Of the seven who hopped aboard the private plane to the East coast in 2011, two have long been vocal supporters and one has said he would not endorse because he works for an elected official. Getting the majority to publicly endorse Christie is a boon for his campaign. He has struggled to compete in a crowded field that includes attention-grabbing front-runner Donald Trump.
"Whatever he needs, we're going to be behind him," said real estate developer Gary Kirke, who said the group wanted to stick together.
His backers think his chances are improving after strong debate performances and with two governors — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry —now out of the race. Now Rastetter said he hopes the endorsements will send a message to Iowa Republicans, that they should "give him another look."
Christie held a town hall meeting with Rastetter Monday night, telling the crowd gathered in a cavernous barn that "you'll always know how hard I'm willing to fight for you." He declined to talk about the endorsements in advance of the Tuesday press conference.
The trip this week marks his ninth to the leadoff caucus state this year. Christie, who has focused more heavily on New Hampshire, has spent less time here than many other contenders, though he put in a marathon day at the Iowa State Fair in August and has a well-regarded team, with respected operatives Phil Valenziano and Jeffrey Boeyink.
Campaign aides said Christie will be ramping up his visits to the state in the fall. Mikel Derby, who works for the state's transportation department and who was part of the Christie recruitment effort in 2011, said there is still time for Christie to do well.
"History is littered with the Bachmanns and Walkers who are superstars real early. There's no purpose in peaking in August and September," said Derby, who has been with Christie all along.
Still, while these endorsements matter, most agree Christie will still have to invest more time in Iowa. Republican State Rep. Chip Baltimore, who has not endorsed a candidate, said there was no substitute for retail politicking.
"If he is not here, he will not do well," Baltimore said. "Gov. Christie, when he talks to people and meets people, is very persuasive. People walk away from that generally feeling positive toward him."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/29/iowans-who-sought-to-draft-christie-in-2011-back-him-again/
-
Jeb Bush Donors Are Not Panicking. Or Are They? Really, Who Can Tell?
Politico is pretty sure something is happening with Bush donors, so they'll just report both things.
Jason Linkins
'Eat The Press' Columnist, The Huffington Post
Posted: 09/29/2015
(http://img.huffingtonpost.com//asset/scalefit_630_noupscale/560ada031b00003000dfdd0c.jpeg)
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Pictured: the candidate who's got all his backers nervous, or possibly not.
Something is going on with Jeb Bush's campaign these days. Maybe something bad? But maybe something good -- the intel is fuzzy. Luckily, we have journalists to sort it all out. Journalists like Politico's Eli Stokols, who reported on Tuesday that the Bush campaign is working very hard these days to relieve the "angst" of its donors -- one of whom rates the level of "panic" at "six or seven" out of 10.
Or maybe the panic level is not that high? The reason I am wondering is because Politico's Ben White also reported Tuesday that "Bush donors" are "not panicked." As in, you know, zero on the scale of zero-to-10. The null set of panic.
I don't know. Maybe the person who should be panicking is Eli Stokols, now reporting live from beneath the bus his colleague threw him under? Let's get this sorted out.
According to Stokols' report, the Bush campaign has, in recent days, gone to great lengths to assure the candidate's notoriously fainthearted donors that despite all the talk about his faltering poll numbers, that "low energy" barb from Donald Trump that seems to be sticking, and the simultaneous elevation of his Florida rival Marco Rubio, the donors are still backing the right horse because of Bush's clear "lead in the political prediction markets." Only... well, there was a bit of hiccup. Per Stokols:
Just one problem: Beginning Sunday night, PredictIt, the biggest of the online sites and the one referenced last week by top Bush advisers and confidants, placed Marco Rubio ahead of Bush at the head of the GOP pack.
The sudden evaporation of yet another data point in his favor explains the tension in and around Bush's campaign this week on the eve of the third quarter FEC fundraising deadline.
That's basically been the consensus reporting from this weekend, after The Washington Post reported that Bush's "top donors" were "warning that the former Florida governor needs to demonstrate growth in the polls over the next month or face serious defections among supporters."
Compounding this problem is the perception that Scott Walker's exit from the race has primarily benefited Rubio. By the way, this is one of my favorite aspects of the primary process: the part where the staffers and donors who'd backed early-flameout candidates are then mysteriously reborn as vital assets to be ravenously coveted and courted by the candidates who remain.
Both the Rubio and Bush camps have tried to position themselves as the primary haven for Walker's exiles, and apparently there is no former Walker personage too obscure to qualify as a "get." Here, for example, is Des Moines Register reporter Jennifer Jacobs tweeting about the Bush camp's success in landing the support of one of Walker's Iowa interns! But the media narrative is in, and Rubio is the winner, according to Politico and The Wall Street Journal.
So it's not surprising when Stokols reports that "the perception that Rubio is a stronger communicator has taken hold and is affecting fundraising at the quarter's end, according to sources in both camps." To counter the tidal force of these perceptions, Stokols says that the Bush camp is reminding its flighty donors about a couple of its own not-insignificant advantages: the Bush team has a lot of money, and it has a lot of organization.
Rather than view White's clashing report as a refutation of Stokols' newsgathering skills, perhaps we should simply see it as evidence that at least a few lucky Bush donors, having downed this particular batch of Kool-Aid, felt totally comfortable circling back to Politico with assurances that everything is going to work out. As one of "several" who talked to White put it:
“43 is a surrogate, Laura Bush is a surrogate, Barbara Bush is a surrogate, Columba Bush is a surrogate, so are Jeb Jr. and George P, plus others, each of whom can swing well north of $50K an event. This is a structural advantage that far outweighs the negative of the Bush name, especially given the reality that the Rs may be running against Clinton Inc, the most formidable money machine in history.”
Ehhh, you know, leaving aside the sliding scale value of each of those surrogates, the whole idea that Bush is the one candidate capable of raising money in the general election (at an oh-so-quaint $50K a pop, at that!) is frustratingly naive. Maybe it's just much easier to quell the panic of the frustratingly naive donors? Regardless, it appears the message from Bush's team is going down well enough that at least one donor was happy to parrot it right back to White: "Bottom line, Jeb is the only grownup with money, a message and organization. Time is, as the Stones say, on his side."
And that's fair: A large campaign war chest and a zealously constructed campaign infrastructure are the sorts of things that will pay much greater dividends in January than they're paying at the moment. Of course, perhaps the real story here is that beneath its confident veneer is a Bush campaign that's every bit as concerned about its current lackluster state as its donors are. As Stokols notes, the Bush campaign will be confronting its near-term problems by putting $25 million worth of ads on the airwaves beginning next month.
So hey, don't worry, Bush donors, everything is gonna be fine, like, so fine, it's probably not even a thing, man.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeb-bush-donors-panic_56056f40e4b0dd8503074380
-
Yeah, christie, jeb, rubio... they're so awesome. beloved by the republican party.
-
Bush and Rubio race for Wall Street cash
The Florida rivals have dueling fundraisers in New York next month as they court elite GOP donors.
By BEN WHITE
09/29/15
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/2b539b8/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F1d%2Ffb%2Fb1e478114f72b4675154fa1b1270%2F150929-jeb-bush-ap-1160jpg.jpg)
AP Photo
NEW YORK — Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are headed for a smackdown on Wall Street.
The former Florida governor and current Florida senator have dueling fundraisers set for the week of Oct. 12 with top financial industry executives in New York as Bush looks to maintain his dominance in the industry despite low poll numbers and Rubio hopes to capitalize on recent momentum to make his case to the deep-pocketed Republican establishment.
The invite to Bush’s breakfast event on Oct. 16— one of several he will hold that day — features a daunting array of 68 top Wall Street names including Jets owner Woody Johnson, attorney Larry Bathgate, Barclays executive Patrick Durkin and Highbridge Capital’s Scott Kapnick.
The minimum donation to attend the event is $2,700. Those who commit to contribute and raise $27,000 get a photo opportunity with Bush in addition to the breakfast, which will take place at the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue. Bush supporters say the list reflects the former governor’s dominant position among the financial elite.
“This is the varsity squad,” one donor quipped. “I’m not sure Rubio’s would even qualify as the junior varsity.”
Rubio’s invite features 20 people,including younger and less well-known but rising figures such as Courtney Geduldig, a former Senate Banking staffer now at McGraw Hill Financial. The event, which requires a minimum $1,000 donation and $2,700 to serve as a “host,” will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Fifth Avenue offices of Phil Rosen, a co-chair of law firm Weil Gotshal’s real estate practice and a close associate of billionaire GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. The event invite also features Wayne Berman, a top D.C.-based executive at private equity firm Blackstone Group, who was an early Rubio backer. Jewish Insider first reported on the Rubio invite on Sunday.
But the battle for New York won’t wait until October.
Bush is also in New York this week,with meetings set for Thursday with potential financial industry leaders not currently aligned with any campaign. One meeting will take place Thursday morning in Woody Johnson’s office and is intended to bring on board top financiers not already aligned with Bush’s campaign.
This group includes Paul Singer of hedge fund Elliott Management, perhaps the most sought-after uncommitted Wall Street executive. Singer has been invited to the breakfast, but people familiar with the matter said the hedge fund manager had not committed to attending.
An Elliott Management official did not immediately return a call for comment.
Other invitees to the Bush event include prominent activist investor Dan Loeb of Third Point Partners and longtime GOP fundraiser Georgette Mosbacher, people familiar with the matter said. One source familiar with the matter said Loeb had already committed to backing Bush. A spokesperson for Loeb did not immediately return a call for comment.
Bush’s campaign on Tuesday also rolled out an endorsement from hedge fund manager Anthony Scaramucci of SkyBridge Capital, who previously backed the campaign of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
In an interview, Scaramucci, a regular presence on financial television shows and at his prominent SALT Conference in Las Vegas, cited his close ties to former President George W. Bush and others in the family’s orbit for his decision to back the former Florida governor.
“I have nothing against Marco Rubio. I just think Gov. Bush has the experience and a great record as an executive,” Scaramucci said. “It’s not Rubio’s time. This is like surfing and it’s Jeb’s wave to surf. It’s been a little shaky because of Donald Trump and the rest of the outsiders, but I do not believe the GOP is going to select a nominee for the most important political job in the world who doesn’t have political experience.”
A spokesman for Rubio did not immediately respond to email messages for comment. The Florida senator is enjoying increased popularity following two strong debate performances and is looking to turn that momentum into a stronger fundraising performance.
People close to Rubio say rolling out the Scaramucci endorsement is an indication that the Bush campaign is worried about Rubio’s momentum and appeal to wealthy, establishment donors who want to back a winner who is gaining ground in the polls. They also note that the Bush team is worried about other former Walker supporters and staffers moving to Rubio's campaign. A Bush spokesman declined to comment.
Both Bush and Rubio appeal to elite GOP donors who are terrified of Trump’s impact on the party, especially among women and Latino voters. The assumption that supporters of both candidates make is that Trump will eventually fade and the party will turn to the set of more traditional candidates to select a nominee, rather than move to retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson or former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, who currently lead both Bush and Rubio in most polls.
The Bush campaign has moved in recent days to calm donors dismayed at the former governor’s weak poll numbers. Top bundlers were recently called to Miami to make last-minute fundraising calls ahead of Wednesday’s end to the third-quarter filing period. Bush’s array of fundraising vehicles, including the Right to Rise super PAC, hauled in a record $103 million through the first six months of the year, blowing away all the other candidates in the field.
But donors do not expect anywhere close to those kind of numbers for the third quarter, as Bush is now more focused on smaller-dollar donations for his campaign, which are capped at $2,700 per donor. “No one is talking about ‘shock and awe’ for the third quarter,” one Bush bundler said.
Another Wall Street donor said that while none of Bush’s financial industry supporters are “jumping ship,” they are concerned about Rubio’s rise in the polls and Bush’s stagnation at around 7 percent. “It’s way too early to panic,but Rubio is a very, very legitimate candidate,” this donor said.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/jeb-bush-marco-rubio-wall-street-2016-214231#ixzz3nF9sYlyM
-
Ben Carson more popular than Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina: poll
(http://twt-thumbs.washtimes.com/media/image/2015/09/25/AP_712155546195_c0-200-4500-2822_s561x327.jpg?7162052ad282ec3ebc10dfbab41f630f2c37b4bd)
Republican presidential candidate, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson speaks during the Values Voter Summit, held by the Family Research Council Action, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in Washington. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is seen more favorably than GOP rivals Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina among both Republicans and among the general U.S. population, according to a survey released Wednesday that also suggests potential limits on Mr. Trump’s bases of support.
Mr. Carson had a 68 percent favorable rating among Republicans compared to a 14 percent unfavorable rating, the ABC News-Washington Post poll said. Mr. Trump, the billionaire businessman, had a 62 percent/34 percent split and Ms. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, had a 47 percent/27 percent split.
The three political outsiders who have never held elected office have been riding high in polling on the 2016 GOP presidential nominating contest, collectively accounting for about 50 percent or more of Republican support in recent surveys.
Overall, Mr. Carson had a positive 45 percent/27 percent favorable/unfavorable split, compared to a 35 percent/30 percent split for Ms. Fiorina and a negative 35 percent/60 percent split for Mr. Trump.
There was a sizable gender gap for Mr. Trump: 43 percent of men had a favorable view, compared to 54 percent who had an unfavorable view. Twenty-seven percent of women, meanwhile, said they have a favorable view of Mr. Trump, compared to 66 percent who said they have an unfavorable one.
“A growing gender gap, sharp racial polarization and a less-educated base of support all pose potential limits on Donald Trump’s popularity — challenges largely avoided by Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, the two lesser-known figures in the triumvirate of non-traditional GOP contenders,” said a memo accompanying the poll.
The 28-point gap overall (a net -11 rating from men compared to a -39 rating from women) is up from a 2-point difference in May. Mr. Trump’s favorability among Republican women, a 52 percent/42 percent split, has largely stayed the same since July while his support among men has improved from a 61 percent/35 percent split to a 71 percent/27 percent split.
Among all adults, Mr. Carson’s gender gap (+25 net favorability among men, +11 net favorability among women) was at 14 points and Ms. Fiorina’s (+10 among men, +2 among women) was at 8 points. Among Republicans, the gender gap was 34 points for Mr. Trump, compared to 7 points for Mr. Carson and 1 point for Ms. Fiorina.
As the memo indicated, Mr. Trump also had bigger gaps in favorability compared to Mr. Carson and Ms. Fiorina when looking at his support among college graduates versus non-college graduates and among whites versus non-whites. He had much better ratings among non-college graduates compared to college graduates, and better ratings among whites compared to non-whites.
Mr. Trump also had a net +14 rating (55 percent favorable/41 percent unfavorable) among conservatives, compared to +47 (64 percent favorable/17 percent unfavorable) for Mr. Carson and +23 (47 percent favorable/24 percent unfavorable) for Ms. Fiorina. Among moderates, the three candidates were at -44, +9, and even, respectively, and among liberals, they were at -58, -9, and -13.
“These results suggest that Carson’s a darling of conservatives, while both he and Fiorina do comparatively well among moderates – with no clear ideological home for Trump,” the memo said.
The poll of 1,000 adults was taken Sept. 23-27 and has a margin of error of 4 points.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/30/ben-carson-more-popular-donald-trump-carly-fiorina/
-
Ben Carson shatters records with $20M raised for campaign
By Associated Press
September 30, 2015
(https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/correction_gop_2016-carson.jpg?w=720&h=480&crop=1)
Photo: AP
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Political newcomer Ben Carson raised more than $20 million in the past three months to fuel his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign said Wednesday, a haul of campaign cash that shatters records and sets a new bar for his GOP rivals.
As other campaigns scrambled to bring in final donations before the end of the fundraising period at midnight, Carson’s senior team celebrated its massive haul at its suburban Washington campaign headquarters.
Two dozen staffers shared a red, white and blue chocolate cake topped with frosted numbers “$31,000,000” — the total amount the retired neurosurgeon’s campaign has raised since he launched his White House bid in May.
“You know, the pundits all said that we would never be able to mount a national campaign for financial reasons, but here we are approaching 600,000 donations,” Carson told The Associated Press while campaigning in New Hampshire. “The people have gotten involved, and that’s something I think they probably never anticipated.”
The day was a culmination of an extraordinary run for Carson, who tapped the wave of anti-establishment sentiment to raise $12 million in September alone, said campaign manager Barry Bennett.
Flush with cash, Bennett said the campaign initiated plans Wednesday to begin reserving television ad space across the South for primary contests scheduled for early March.
“I would guess that we’ve outraised the Republican National Committee and many of our opponents maybe combined,” Bennett said. “There are going to be many more cakes to come in the future.”
Carson’s fortunes surged even as he faced tough questions in recent weeks for saying he would not support a Muslim president. His position drew condemnation from Republicans and Democrats and he clarified that he wouldn’t support a radical Muslim who did not support the Constitution. His campaign raised roughly $700,000 in the 36 hours after he made the comment, Bennett said.
Overall, Carson raised at least $20.2 million for the quarter that ended Sept. 30, he added, noting that receipts were still trickling in.
That’s more money than what was raised by the GOP’s entire White House field combined over the same period four years ago. Mitt Romney, the establishment favorite in 2012, raised $14.2 million during that time, while the most popular outsider, former pizza chain CEO Herman Cain, brought in $2.8 million.
Bennett estimated the campaign had at least $12 million in the bank as of Wednesday. Overall, the campaign received more than 600,000 donations since launching in May from a total of 353,000 individual donors.
The Carson campaign declined to detail how much money it spent to raise that cash. Those details will be included in its financial report to federal regulators, which is due in two weeks.
But as of June, the Carson campaign was burning through donor money faster than almost anyone else’s in the race. He’d spent more than half of the $10.6 million he collected between the beginning of the year and June 30.
In the three-month period beginning April 1, Carson’s top five expenses all were fundraising-related — for direct mail, phone calls and online marketing, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.
In a comment aimed at the GOP establishment, Bennett said, “Sooner or later, they’ll have to realize there’s a new reality or they’ll pay the price,” and added, “The outsiders are not going away.”
http://nypost.com/2015/09/30/ben-carson-shatters-records-with-20m-raised-for-campaign/
-
The slide that so many pundits predicted is beginning.
Donald Trump Falls: Ben Carson Surges To Lead In Poll
BY JOHN MERLINE, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
10/02/2015
(http://www.investors.com/image/FP_151005_345.jpg.cms)
Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson share a moment after the GOP debate in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2015.
Donald Trump has boasted that he's "leading every poll and in most cases big." Not anymore. The latest IBD/TIPP Poll shows him in second place, seven points behind Ben Carson.
The nationwide survey found that 24% of Republicans back Carson, compared with 17% who say they support Trump.
Marco Rubio came in third with 11% and Carly Fiorina fourth at 9%. Jeb Bush, once considered a prohibitive favorite, ranked fifth with just 8% support, which was a point lower than those who say they are still undecided.
The IBD/TIPP Poll has a proven track record for accuracy, based on its performance in the past three presidential elections. In a comparison of the final results of various pollsters for the 2004 and 2008 elections, IBD/TIPP was the most accurate. And the New York Times concluded that IBD/TIPP was the most accurate among 23 polls over the three weeks leading up to the 2012 election.
The October poll, conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, included 377 registered voters who are Republican or registered independents who lean toward the Republican Party, with a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points.
Peak Trump?
Other polls show Trump's support slipping in recent weeks. The Real Clear Politics average of six national polls shows him falling from 30.5% in mid-September to 23.3% by the end of the month. That average does not include the IBD/TIPP findings.
"Things appear to be catching up with Trump on multiple fronts," said Raghavan Mayur, president of TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, which conducts IBD's monthly poll. "In addition to facing increasing attacks from other candidates, Trump's boycott of Fox News may have set him back," Mayur said, noting that the poll was being conducted during Trump's self-imposed hiatus.
When asked on CNBC about his slipping poll numbers, Trump said that "if I fell behind badly, I would certainly get out."
Carson's gain comes after his controversial remarks on "Meet the Press" that he couldn't support a Muslim for president.
Rubio's third-place standing shows he has gained considerable ground since the second GOP debate. But Fiorina, who was widely seen as having won that debate, has been unable to capitalize on it with Republicans.
Hillary Clinton Leads Dems
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is the top pick of 42% of 344 registered Democrats or those leaning Democratic. Vice President Joe Biden is second at 22%, even though he has yet to announce whether he plans to run.
Bernie Sanders is backed by 18% of Democrats. Sanders' strongest support is among those 18-24, of whom 48% back the self-identified socialist, while only 14% back Clinton.
Other October poll findings:
57% of those following the Hillary Clinton email scandal say she should drop out of the presidential race if the FBI determines that she sent or received classified emails on her private email server while secretary of state. Among Democrats, 75% say she should stay in.
53% of those following the refugee crisis oppose bringing 185,000 refugees fleeing the Middle East into the U.S., and 63% say Congress should first OK any plans to admit the refugees.
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-polls/100215-773897-donald-trump-trails-ben-carson-in-ibd-tipp-poll.htm#ixzz3niM64KiI
-
Koch Brothers, Other 2016 Mega Donors Warm to Carly Fiorina
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=3b130ea9-ef60-4f15-a490-14db439c5652&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Koch Brothers, Other 2016 Mega Donors Warm to Carly Fiorina
Sunday, 04 Oct 2015
Carly Fiorina has emerged as the Republican candidate of the moment in conservative fundraising circles, drawing the notice of the billionaire Koch brothers and other wealthy donors who could instantly remake her shoestring presidential campaign.
Fiorina's show-stealing performance in a Republican presidential debate last month, and her subsequent surge in the polls, has prompted industrialists Charles and David Koch to take a "serious look" at the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, according to three sources close to the brothers.
She has now moved to the short list of candidates the Kochs may support with their reported $1 billion war chest, the sources said. Florida Senator Marco Rubio is among those on the coveted list, the sources said.
A spokesman for the Kochs declined to comment
Other politically powerful mega donors are also lining up.
Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens hosted a packed luncheon at a posh Dallas venue for Fiorina in late September, while venture capitalist Tom Perkins is planning a fundraising gala in California in the next few months.
"My money is on her," said Perkins, who served on HP's board during Fiorina's tenure. "I think she could be president."
As the only woman on stage at the Sept. 16 debate, Fiorina emerged as the most effective candidate in taking on front-runner Donald Trump, chastening the celebrity real estate magnate for his controversial comments about her looks.
"The emails have not stopped" since then, said seasoned California political fundraising consultant Karolyn Dorsee, who is working on behalf of several Republican presidential candidates, including Rubio and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. "Everybody wants her, nationwide, in every single state."
Even before her rapid rise in the polls - she has vaulted to second place in the key early voting state of New Hampshire - Fiorina had already garnered about $2 million in support from the likes of reclusive hedge fund baron Robert Mercer and former Univision CEO Jerrold Perenchio.
"SHE'S PRETTY VIABLE"
Fiorina's campaign now appears far less of a long-shot than it did over the summer, when she was struggling with sparse crowds, scant name recognition and a coffer of just $5 million that put her at the bottom of the money race.
Her campaign thus far has been a bare-bones operation, relying on a young, relatively low-paid, skeletal staff as opposed to the sprawling operations built by more well-endowed candidates like Bush.
Support from the Kochs would change her operation overnight.
"We think she's pretty viable," said broadcasting billionaire Stanley Hubbard, a member of the Koch brothers' network of conservative advocacy groups who donates heavily to political candidates.
The Kochs have been keeping a close eye on Fiorina ever since she announced in May, the Koch sources said. They extended an invite to her to speak at their exclusive summit of rich donors at an oceanfront luxury resort in August along with Rubio, Bush, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
Fiorina, the lowest polling candidate at the gathering, impressed the big money attendees with her mastery of policy detail and heavyweight stage presence. "She's good in the room," said one participant at the event, who declined to be named.
The Fiorina campaign, and the independent fund-raising Super PAC supporting her, declined comment.
The Kochs, who own America's second-largest private company, have backed Fiorina in the past, notably when she ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer for her California Senate seat in 2010.
At the time, the Kochs had helped mount a campaign for Proposition 23, a ballot measure designed to suspend the state law banning higher carbon emissions that was ultimately defeated. Fiorina also supported the measure. A Koch Industries PAC helped sponsor a Washington fundraiser for Fiorina at the time and gave $10,000 to her campaign.
As Fiorina's money problems fade, some high dollar donors who have already contributed are now considering doubling down. Dallas philanthropist Elloine Clark has so far written one $100,000 check to the Super PAC supporting Fiorina. She says she may give more. "I think she's unflappable," said Clark. "And she doesn't react like an adolescent."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/koch-brothers-mega-donors/2015/10/04/id/694627/#ixzz3niMWewEM
-
:o
New Poll: Bush at Four Percent
Posted on October 2, 2015
by Keith Koffler
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush scored just 4 percent of the vote in the latest national GOP survey, a catastrophically low number that is sure to raise grave concern among the establishment donors who have invested millions in his success for the 2016 presidential race.
The poll, released Friday by the Pew Research Center, shows Bush slipping into sixth place behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is at 6 percent. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Bush’s archrival for establishment backing, has twice Jeb’s support, with 8 percent. Rubio is tied with Fiorina, whose tally suggests the steam may have run out of the boomlet that accompanied her strong performance in last month’s GOP debate.
(http://www.whitehousedossier.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Jeb.jpg)
Jeb
A GOP donor from the energy sector was less than charitable in his assessment of Bush’s campaign this week.
“No one wants another Bush,” said the donor, who asked to remain anonymous. “Hell, when will they get that through their heads?”
Despite numerous hopeful stories in the mean that Donald Trump’s mediocre debate showing had at last inaugurated his decline, the billionaire real estate developer remains well ahead of the field, logging a solid 25 percent, 9 points ahead of Ben Carson’s 16 percent.
Even though he has not yet unleashed his massive advertising war chest against his rivals, Bush — whose 4 percent ties him with “don’t know” — surely did not expect to be where he is at this point. He was long presumed to be the man to beat, but his inability to show much spark or forcefulness on the campaign trail has given Republicans pause.
Meanwhile, he has failed to address the average Republican’s concern about such matters as trade and immigration, leaving the field open for Trump to seize those issues and run away with the base.
Unlike a few other candidates, Bush has so far declined to release his fundraising totals for the third quarter of the year. If those come in lower than expected, the news could further diminish his standing and cause even more donors to consider sending their money to another establishment figure like Rubio.
In the poll, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — strong contenders in the “next to drop out” contest — each received 2 percent. Paul will reportedly reveal that he raised a meager $2.5 million, a tumultuous drop for the $7 million he raised in the second quarter.
A version of the piece first appeared on PoliZette.
http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2015/10/02/poll-bush-percent/
-
:o
New Poll: Bush at Four Percent
Posted on October 2, 2015
by Keith Koffler
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush scored just 4 percent of the vote in the latest national GOP survey, a catastrophically low number that is sure to raise grave concern among the establishment donors who have invested millions in his success for the 2016 presidential race.
The poll, released Friday by the Pew Research Center, shows Bush slipping into sixth place behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is at 6 percent. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Bush’s archrival for establishment backing, has twice Jeb’s support, with 8 percent. Rubio is tied with Fiorina, whose tally suggests the steam may have run out of the boomlet that accompanied her strong performance in last month’s GOP debate.
(http://www.whitehousedossier.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Jeb.jpg)
Jeb
A GOP donor from the energy sector was less than charitable in his assessment of Bush’s campaign this week.
“No one wants another Bush,” said the donor, who asked to remain anonymous. “Hell, when will they get that through their heads?”
Despite numerous hopeful stories in the mean that Donald Trump’s mediocre debate showing had at last inaugurated his decline, the billionaire real estate developer remains well ahead of the field, logging a solid 25 percent, 9 points ahead of Ben Carson’s 16 percent.
Even though he has not yet unleashed his massive advertising war chest against his rivals, Bush — whose 4 percent ties him with “don’t know” — surely did not expect to be where he is at this point. He was long presumed to be the man to beat, but his inability to show much spark or forcefulness on the campaign trail has given Republicans pause.
Meanwhile, he has failed to address the average Republican’s concern about such matters as trade and immigration, leaving the field open for Trump to seize those issues and run away with the base.
Unlike a few other candidates, Bush has so far declined to release his fundraising totals for the third quarter of the year. If those come in lower than expected, the news could further diminish his standing and cause even more donors to consider sending their money to another establishment figure like Rubio.
In the poll, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — strong contenders in the “next to drop out” contest — each received 2 percent. Paul will reportedly reveal that he raised a meager $2.5 million, a tumultuous drop for the $7 million he raised in the second quarter.
A version of the piece first appeared on PoliZette.
http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2015/10/02/poll-bush-percent/
I just can't see how he turns it around at this point.
The more interesting thing I am watching is just how long he stays in the race if he continues to pull in these types of numbers.
-
I just can't see how he turns it around at this point.
The more interesting thing I am watching is just how long he stays in the race if he continues to pull in these types of numbers.
If this were anyone else, I would agree. Given his name recognition and cash, however, I'm not so sure he's done.
But I sure hope he is.
-
Correct.
Ted Cruz says Donald Trump won't be the GOP nominee
By Theodore Schleifer, CNN
Fri October 9, 2015
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150821063310-ted-cruz-wife-new-exlarge-169.jpg)
In an interview with WABC Radio, Ted Cruz thinks his campaign will pick up most of Donald Trump's supporters
Cruz has been very careful in his remarks about Trump's campaign
Washington (CNN)Ted Cruz said Thursday that he did not think Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee, his harshest criticism yet of a candidate he has assiduously avoided even brushing with judgment.
Asked by WABC Radio's Rita Cosby whether he believed that "eventually, you could beat him, based on your principles," Cruz said he could.
"I think that's right. I think that, in time, I don't believe Donald is going to be the nominee and I think, in time, the lion's share of his supporters end up with us," Cruz said in an interview taped Thursday that will air in full on Sunday.
Cruz, a generally cautious candidate and public speaker, has made no bones about courting the supporters of Trump, who has won over many fans of the conservative right. He has repeatedly needled his opponents for hitting Trump -- wisdom he again shared in the interview Thursday -- but Cruz has treated Trump as a serious, viable candidate.
And he has long maintained that Trump's rise would benefit the Cruz campaign, saying that Trump has encouraged voters to use a certain set of criteria to evaluate candidates that is favorable to Cruz.
"And I think the reason is what I was just saying, that if you look to the records of all the Republican candidates, there's a big difference between my record and that of everyone else if you ask, who has stood up to Washington?" Cruz told Cosby. "I think his involvement has been tremendously helpful to my campaign, because it's framed the central question of this primary."
But the question has always been to what lengths Cruz would go to avoid angering Trump, who has elbowed his rivals who threw the first blow. Cruz, who has made a reputation in Washington for battling his own party, has been the sole Republican not to do that.
Yet there has always been signs that the relationship was more short-term alliance than a long-term political friendship.
Cruz invited Trump to appear at an unusual two-candidate rally against the Iran deal largely, Cruz said, because of Trump's ability to get the media to cover it. And a top Cruz adviser once suggested that supporters of Trump at a rally were there to be "part of a show."
Trump, for his part, has said he would be open to hitting the Texas freshman should he climb too closely to Trump in the polls.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/08/politics/ted-cruz-donald-trump-interview/index.html
-
most repubs on getbig are scared to criticize trump.
they lack the balls to admit - he's an immature, mean democrat running as a republican who hates brown people.
-
to getbiggers like HH6, Dos equis, tony...
I gotta say, you guys do have it tough in 2015/2016. I mean, in another year, any other year, Rubio would be the next JFK, young and vibrant. Rand would be a bright light. Jeb would be the romney party establishment candidate, and Christie would be the dark harse. Safe, standard, and you know things aren't going to change all that much when one of them wins, and you know they'll keep it close with Hilary, and possibly beat her.
All trolling aside, it has gotta drive many of you repubs crazy, to see TRUMP (rude former dam, bashing other repubs, refusing to detail his positions, CARSON (talking about popeyes chicken robberies, talking nazi stuff, talking nonsense every day) and FIORINO (outright lie about that video, thin resume at HP)
It's gotta be torture seeing these three idiots are the top 3, knowing without them in the race, Rubio is polling at 35% and hilary is scared of his fresh face, or Cruz is at a dignified 28%, just collecting money and endorsements. What a mess this 2016 is... we're almost to Holiday season, where candidates are lost in the flurry of shopping, etc. If one of the grownups in the race doesn't make a move soon, it may be trump/carson/fiorino getting just beaten down in the heat of a national election.
-
Marco Rubio's childhood in Las Vegas shaped as well as tempered his politics
(http://www.trbimg.com/img-561562f7/turbine/la-na-politics-marco-rubio-nevada-years-201510-002/750/750x422)
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) talks during an interview with CNBC correspondent John Harwood at the New York Stock Exchange in New York. (Mark Lennihan / AP)
Lisa Mascaro
He was known as Tony back then, a young boy so persuasive and self-assured that he helped persuade his family to ditch Catholicism for the Mormon Church, and he marched in a union picket line with his dad, a casino bartender, to demand better wages.
Marco Rubio's life might have turned out very differently had he stayed in this working-class neighborhood off the Las Vegas Strip, where service workers like his father and mother, a hotel maid, dreamed of a better life while providing the labor to power the gambling industry's economic engine.
But the Rubios returned to Miami after six short but formative years in Nevada. Rather than coming of age in the small “L” libertarianism of the West, where most Latinos skewed toward the Democratic Party, Tony began high school amid South Florida's conservative Cuban American exile community. And that's where Marco Rubio, early tea party favorite and Republican presidential hopeful, was forged.
All that Rubio left behind in Las Vegas points to a world view once considered, but ultimately rejected, a time he tried on new political and cultural ideas he later would shed.
His childhood enthusiasm for the powerful Las Vegas unions has been replaced by a pro-business economic sensibility. He abandoned the Mormon faith in favor of a mash-up of his wife's evangelical Christianity and his own Catholic roots. He has publicly criticized the gambling industry.
See the most-read stories this hour >>
As he drove his weathered Prius recently through the residential streets Rubio roamed as a kid, Mo Denis, Rubio's cousin and the former Democratic leader of the state Senate, reflected on how Rubio had changed and how his time in Nevada influenced the kind of politician he became.
“We've talked about it on occasion,” said Denis, who still lives in the Nevada neighborhood where Rubio arrived in 1979 as an 8-year-old and lived until he was 14. “His time here was part of who he is.”
Denis said Rubio's years in the diverse neighborhood of working-class white and Latino families exposed him to lifestyles and socioeconomic conditions he wouldn't have seen in the more insular and politically conservative Miami. That may have helped broaden and temper his views on some topics.
“I don't know that he's rejected it,” Denis said of Rubio's experience in Las Vegas. “He's incorporated it, added to it. … As a president, I think that would be helpful to him — that experience he had here — because he really does have that insight. Whether he chooses to [act on it], that's up to him.”
As Rubio's campaign builds momentum following a strong debate performance last month, the candidate returned to the Silver State on Thursday to highlight his time there and stump for votes. Supporters are positioning Rubio as a more compassionate, optimistic alternative to Donald Trump and others who have dominated the field.
On Saturday, Rubio tried to reconnect with Nevada's Latino voters at St. Christopher Catholic School in North Las Vegas, which he briefly attended as a child. (He begged his parents to enroll him in the Catholic school, but then quit after finding it too strict.)
Rubio likes to joke that he has more relatives in Vegas than in Miami, but he remains a relative unknown in the city.
“Most people still have no idea he spent time here as a kid,” said longtime Nevada political guru Jon Ralston. “Whether that creates any special nexus for him in Nevada remains to be seen.”
Some of his current positions risk alienating the same Nevada voters he'll need for the state's early Republican nominating caucus and, if he becomes the party's nominee, the general election.
His past criticism of gambling, in particular, appears out of step with conservative casino moguls, such as billionaire GOP donor Sheldon Adelson, and the army of unionized Strip workers who turn out working-class voters. Nearly 400,000 Las Vegas residents are employed by casinos and related tourism.
“I have a long history of opposing expansion of gambling,” Rubio said this year on the presidential campaign trail. He fought against the gambling industry's reach into Florida when he was the state's House speaker. As a U.S. senator, he told the Miami news media that casinos “bring their problems” and “are not the solution to everything.”
Such positions might come back to haunt Rubio as he tries to mobilize support in Nevada.
“It's no secret some of these candidates have taken a hard line on the industry,” said Geoffrey Freeman, chief executive of the American Gaming Assn. “It sure would take a lot of chutzpah to go to Nevada to raise money and not take a lot of time to learn about the industry — or even malign it.”
So far, however, Rubio's views do not appear to have damaged his relationship with the high-rolling executives who loom large in Republican politics. In recent months, nevertheless, he has fine-tuned his criticism of the industry.
Rubio continues to be a favorite of Adelson's. The billionaire is more interested in Rubio's positions on national security issues and support for Israel, according to those familiar with Adelson's thinking.
And Rubio is aligned with Adelson's campaign against efforts to legalize online gambling. The two are said to talk regularly as Adelson, who bankrolled Newt Gingrich's 2012 campaign, assesses the current field.
When Rubio first stepped off the plane in Las Vegas in 1979, his family was a minority among a growing Mexican American minority. Their branch of the family did not flee Fidel Castro's Cuban government; they came to the U.S. before Castro's revolution, for a better life. As Miami's crime rose and opportunity withered, they headed west.
The Rubios stayed with relatives before buying a modest two-bedroom cinder-block home in the College Park neighborhood, an older tract of houses with mid-century angles.
Rubio became interested in politics at an early age. He backed Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's 1980 campaign for president, but his Cuban grandfather instilled in him conservative values; during Ronald Reagan's presidency, young Rubio embraced the Republican Party.
Even so, he threw himself into the Culinary Union's landmark 1984 labor strike in Las Vegas. He made protest signs and joined the picket at Sam's Town, where his dad worked. The work stoppage, remembered as the longest in Las Vegas labor history, left both sides bruised.
Rubio's support for the strike was so strong he lashed out at his father — calling him a “scab” — when the man eventually crossed the picket line to go back to work, Rubio wrote in his autobiography, “American Son.”
As a senator, Rubio has come down squarely against organized labor. He voted against extending unemployment benefits as the economy showed signs of improving in 2014 and helped filibuster legislation aimed at preventing employment discrimination against gay workers.
Michelle Denis, another cousin, recalls Rubio as a boy who enjoyed acting together in skits and singing the Osmond Brothers' pop hit “Sweet and Innocent” at family parties. He was always the director in charge. She said it was hardly surprising that he changed after leaving Nevada.
“It's totally two different lives, here to Miami,” Denis said, now working as a caterer at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. “I do believe he believes in what he's saying. He has strong beliefs.”
His faith has shifted, as well. Rubio joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Las Vegas, where the church has a strong undercurrent, and tried to get his father to quit casino bartending as “sinful” because of LDS teachings against alcohol.
But after a few years, he drifted away “to be Catholic again,” he writes, and as an adult, also attends his wife's Christian church. His campaign is now courting the well-organized Mormon political community.
In his book, Rubio, now 44, called it a “charmed” childhood. He played quarterback on a Pop Warner football team for Caesar's Gladiators and swam in the family's above-ground backyard pool, which was a hand-me-down from relatives.
“Las Vegas is not often the first place that comes to mind for people looking to raise their children in a wholesome environment,” he wrote. “Yet in many respects, it would prove to be the family-friendly community my parents hoped it would be.”
At C.C. Ronnow Elementary School, Tony — the family still calls Rubio by his middle name — stood out as an energetic, if overly chatty youngster.
“He could certainly talk — he would talk so much he'd get in trouble,” said Bryan Thiriot, a childhood friend who now lives in Utah. Almost once a week, their fourth-grade teacher would punish the talkative Rubio by seating him beside her and requiring that he copy definitions from the dictionary. “That's why he has such a deep vocabulary,” Thiriot said.
In Sin City, it remains to be seen whether candidate Marco Rubio will be welcomed as a native son. Despite the election of Republican Brian Sandoval as Nevada's first Latino governor, the Latino electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic.
Back in the old neighborhood, Yesenia Castaneda, a mother of three, is the new owner of the former Rubio home, and she is exactly the kind of voter Rubio is hoping to sway. A Mexican immigrant, she's a stay-at-home mom and is open to the Republican Party.
But she said she isn't sure who will get her vote. She also likes Hillary Rodham Clinton.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-politics-marco-rubio-vegas-years-20151008-story.html
-
Zogby: Trump Will 'Fizzle Out Shortly'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=dde7dd6b-782a-4890-9582-9603360f27f1&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Zogby: Trump Will 'Fizzle Out Shortly' (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)
By Bill Hoffmann
Monday, 12 Oct 2015
Veteran pollster John Zogby is continuing to stick to his longstanding prediction that Republican front-runner Donald Trump's run for president will not last.
"I'm in a margin-of-error business, so plus or minus a couple of weeks … I do think he'll fizzle out, I really do," Zogby, senior analyst at Zogby Analytics, tells "Newsmax Prime" with J.D. Hayworth on Newsmax TV.
"He's starting to, he's peaked a little bit and I think his numbers are coming down … he'll fizzle out shortly."
Zogby said he is not surprised that Trump supporters say if the billionaire developer ends up dropping out, they'll embrace Dr. Ben Carson, the retired pediatric neurosurgeon who is in second place.
"This is the period of the outsider and [there are] two completely different personas here, but Ben Carson at least for now is providing an alternative persona and a lot of red meat for conservatives in the race," he said.
"At this point in time, it doesn't surprise me at all that the two are leading the pack and that Carson is still seen as viable."
Craig Shirley, president of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs, who also appeared on "Newsmax Prime," noted President Barack Obama's criticism of Trump on CBS News' "60 Minutes."
"Donald Trump represents probably right now the greatest indictment against President Obama's administration and his legacy right now. One thing we know about Donald Trump is that he makes great deals," Shirley said.
"Where on the other hand, Obama doesn't make great deals and that is a historical fact, from the stimulus to Obamacare to the deal with Iran. Everything that he's engaged in or brokered is seen as a bad deal.
"So in a way, there's an inverse proportion ratio between the demise of Barack Obama, the ending of his presidency, and the rise of Donald Trump. I suspect it will continue to grow."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/donald-trump-polling-republicans-john-zogby/2015/10/12/id/695874/#ixzz3oOxM4t7u
-
Zogby: Trump Will 'Fizzle Out Shortly'
Monday, 12 Oct 2015
Zogby said this exact shit one month ago:
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/john-zogby-ken-blackwell-campaign/2015/09/14/id/691529/
Sept 14, 2015.
And here's August 6th, when Zogby predicted Jeb Bush was about to overtake trump...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnzogby/2015/08/06/trump-gets-attention-but-bush-toughest-opponent-for-democrats-bliss-institutezogby-analytics-poll-2/
BUT BUT BUT wait - here's zogby i JULY saying Trump can never be president:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnzogby/2015/07/22/donald-trump-continues-to-outdo-himself-but-that-still-wont-get-him-the-white-house/
So really, at what point do we start saying Zogby is full of shit?
-
Sheldon Adelson warms to Marco Rubio
An endorsement could come as early as the end of this month, sources close to the casino magnate say.
By ALEX ISENSTADT
10/12/15
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/4a8a61a/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Fe1%2F1b%2F1c273cdf4fa398d57d0bf56c4684%2F151009-marco-rubio-ap-1160.jpg)
Sheldon Adelson, one of the Republican Party's most sought-after contributors, is leaning increasingly toward supporting Marco Rubio — and the Florida senator is racing to win the backing of other uncommitted megadonors who have the potential to direct tens of millions of dollars his way and alter the contours of the Republican primary fight.
Last week, during a campaign swing through Las Vegas, Rubio held a meeting in Adelson's offices at the Venetian Las Vegas, one of a number of five-star luxury casinos the billionaire mogul owns around the world. Adelson, seated at the head of his conference table, heaped praise on Rubio’s performance while he discussed the dynamics of the 2016 race. Those briefed on the meeting described it as short but said it had an air of importance, with the two joined by Rubio’s campaign manager, Terry Sullivan, and a pair of senior Adelson advisers, Rob Goldstein and Patrick Dumont.
Those close to Adelson — who spent more than $100 million on Republican candidates and causes during the 2012 campaign and has been aggressively courted by most would-be Republican nominees — stressed that the 82-year-old gambling magnate had made no final decision on whom he’d support but said that momentum had strongly shifted to the Florida senator. A formal endorsement, they said, could come as soon as the end of the month — and with it, the potential for a multimillion dollar contribution. With a net worth of $25.7 billion, according to Forbes, Adelson can afford to spend freely.
The news of Adelson's growing affinity for Rubio comes as the Florida senator has seen his poll numbers climb in recent weeks — support his campaign is hoping to translate into cash. “I think it’s obvious that Marco is gaining some strength,” said Anthony Gioia, a retired ambassador and top Rubio fundraiser. “The more people hear him, the more strength he seems to be getting.”
Rubio and Adelson have grown increasingly close, with the senator phoning the billionaire several times a month to provide in-depth updates on the state of his campaign. The two men also have detailed policy discussions, especially about international affairs and Israel — the latter a cause near and dear to the mogul. Adelson has long looked favorably on Rubio, a fellow son of immigrants. Two people familiar with his thinking said he has become increasingly confident in the senator’s political skills and believes he is the kind of fresh face the Republican Party needs in 2016. (An Adelson spokesman declined to comment.)
Adelson is just one of several GOP megadonors visited in recent days and weeks by Rubio, whose months-long courtship of deep-pocketed benefactors is taking on a new intensity.
Last week, Rubio also held a lengthy private meeting in New York City with Paul Singer, a hedge fund manager who is among the most prolific Republican donors in the country but who has yet to pick a favorite. During a gathering of Rubio donors in Las Vegas last week, attendees were abuzz about the possibility of bringing aboard Singer. (A Singer side said he “hasn’t made a decision on the presidential election yet.”)
Charles Schwab, a powerful investor who has also remained on the sidelines, has privately expressed interest in Rubio's candidacy. Those close to the senator say he’s been wooing the 78-year-old Schwab, whose net worth is an estimated $6.4 billion, for weeks. At the Las Vegas retreat, attendees circulated a list of top donor targets, with Schwab high up on the list. (Schwab's spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.)
In recent days, Rubio has also been courting the Ricketts family, which own the Chicago Cubs and gave more than $5 million to a super PAC supporting Scott Walker before the Wisconsin governor suspended his campaign.
A Rubio spokesman, Alex Conant, declined to comment on his talks with prospective donors.
But winning over such coveted backers would provide a major boost to Rubio's campaign — and deliver a blow to Jeb Bush, who has been counting on his considerable financial advantage to carry him in the primary contest. (At the close of the second fundraising quarter, Bush and the outside groups supporting his candidacy reported raising over $100 million, more than twice as much as Rubio.) It would also bolster the Florida senator after a lackluster third quarter in which his campaign raised just $6 million, though aides say he has a substantial amount of cash on hand.
For presidential contenders, Adelson and Singer are especially prized because they lay claim to broad networks of political donors who will follow their lead. Last week, Singer convened a group of powerful contributors in New York City for a two-day gathering to discuss the political landscape. Adelson, meanwhile, sits on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition and each spring hosts a gathering for the group at his posh Venetian hotel.
But both men have remained on the sidelines this year, awaiting greater clarity in a crowded and rambunctious primary, like many other top GOP donors. Rather than committing to Bush — long expected to be the Republican front-runner — they are taking stock of their power and keeping one another apprised of their considerations. Representatives for a number of wealthy Republican benefactors — including Adelson, Charles and David Koch, and the Ricketts family — recently gathered in New York City to discuss how the race is shaping up.
The Kochs are not expected to endorse a single candidate but rather to wait out the primary. Yet as Rubio supporters gathered in Las Vegas last week, many were surprised to see a top Koch official, Phillip Ellender, in attendance.
Mellencamp asked the McCain campaign to stop playing his songs “Our Country” and “Pink Houses,” among others, at their campaign rallies. "If you're such a true conservative, why are you playing songs that have a very populist pro-labor message written by a guy who would find no argument if you characterized him as left of center?” Mellencamp’s publicist said.
In an email, Ellender, who heads up the Kochs' government and public relations division, said his attendance at the event, and support for Rubio, is independent of “the company I am privileged to work for.”
Not all the powerful Republican donors Rubio is wooing, however, are sold on him.
Next week, he will meet with Doug Deason, the son of billionaire megadonor Darwin Deason. Three weeks ago, the younger Deason, who had supported Rick Perry before he dropped out last month, sat down with Rubio in Texas. While Rubio sipped a ginger ale, the donor brought up the senator’s recent statement in support of federal sugar subsidies — a position Deason said he disagreed with.
In an interview, Deason recalled getting an unsatisfactory answer from Rubio and said he hoped to get a better response the next time they met. In the meantime, he said, he is scheduling meetings with several other candidates, including Bush and Ben Carson.
“I like him a lot,” Deason said of Rubio. “But we’re on the fence currently.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/marco-rubio-sheldon-adelson-donors-2016-214680#ixzz3oT0nPmoG
-
Fiorina's Fundraising Quadruples During Summer
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c2edc5ea-61bf-49fd-b00c-8927b99e7671&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Fiorina's Fundraising Quadruples During Summer (Michael Holahan/The Aiken Standard via AP)
By Cathy Burke
Tuesday, 13 Oct 2015
Fueled by two strong debate performances, GOP presidential contender Carly Fiorina quadrupled her fundraising over the summer.
Figures released by her campaign boast:
The $6.8 million collected between July 1 and September 30 puts the former Hewlett Packard CEO in third place among rivals who've released their fundraising totals so far.
The campaign team of retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson says it raised a whopping $20 million, while the campaign of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz reports it raised $12.2 million in the same period, The Hill reports.
Fiorina ended September with $5.5 million in cash reserves, her spokeswoman's tweet notes.
In the quarter ending in September, Fiorina also out-raised Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio, who saw his fundraising drop over the summer, USA Today reports, collecting about $6 million during the July-to-September quarter, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who raised $2.5 million.
Several other candidates in the GOP race, including former Florida governor Jeb Bush, have not released their fundraising totals. Candidates have until Thursday to do so.
According to USA Today, Fiorina has spent roughly a third of the money she's' raised — a far slower rate of spending than other Republicans, including Rubio and Paul, who's gone through nearly $2 for every $1 he took in.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/carly-fiorina-fundraising-debates-president/2015/10/13/id/696062/#ixzz3oZekWhn4
-
An honest man in politics concerned about the appearance of impropriety. Very uncharacteristic of a politician.
Ben Carson Delays Campaign Two More Weeks For Book Tour
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=7a0b6f1d-8c5b-43e0-99eb-09a25ece9983&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Ben Carson Delays Campaign Two More Weeks For Book Tour (Wire Services)
By Todd Beamon
Wednesday, 14 Oct 2015
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is suspending his campaign for two more weeks to promote his new book, "A More Perfect Union," and attend several fund-raising events.
"It’s a question of co-mingling from the corporate standpoint to the Federal Election Commission standpoint, so it’s just better to avoid any bad appearance," Carson spokesman Doug Watts told ABC News on Wednesday.
The goal is to separate campaign events from the book tour. As such, the retired pediatric neurosurgeon will not appear at any "campaign events" for the next three weeks, Watts said.
"Our numbers went up in the Fox poll in the last seven days and our numbers went up in the CBS poll in the last four days," Watts told ABC. "They did the same thing in Virginia, and we are the only Republican beating Hillary Clinton in Virginia, so right now I don’t see any reason to be worried."
The candidate is participating in fund-raisers this week — and the book tour will take him to Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa next week.
Carson's next public campaign appearance will be on Oct. 28, the day of the next Republican debate. The event will be moderated by CNBC and held at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
His last appearance on the trail was on Oct. 2, ABC reports.
"He’s been on TV," Watts said. "I think, Wednesday through Friday, I got sick of looking at him on TV.
"So, it’s pretty hard to suggest that he’s not out and about," he added. "Whether you make a distinction of it as a campaign thing or not.
"Most people at home just see Ben Carson out there talking about something that is or isn't important to them."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/ben-carson-suspends-campaign-two/2015/10/14/id/696289/#ixzz3og1bymVa
-
he's suspending his campaign to settle down a week which was an avalanche of "i got robbed at popeyes" to "i'd stop a school shooting" to "muslims shuldn't be president" and other statements.
Maybe he's taking an etiquette class. What an ass. Complete disgust at the top 3 of the GOP race.
-
Money Men: Carson, Bush, Cruz lead latest round in GOP cash race
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
Published October 15, 2015
FoxNews.com
Ben Carson, Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz appear to be leading the money race in the Republican presidential primary, according to third-quarter numbers released by the campaigns ahead of Thursday's filing deadline.
Carson far out-raised his GOP rivals in the last quarter, bringing in more than $20 million, thanks to a surge of support in the polls and accompanying rush of small-dollar donations.
While the retired neurosurgeon's numbers previously had been reported, Bush only released his fundraising details Thursday afternoon. Though there was speculation as to whether the one-time front-runner would be able to sustain the fundraising pace as his poll numbers have slipped, the former Florida governor's campaign says he raised nearly $13.4 million in the latest period, outpacing his second-quarter haul.
Cruz, a Texas senator, followed with $12.2 million raised.
Billionaire Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, has not yet released his campaign finance numbers, but is not actively fundraising and is instead spending his own cash on the campaign trail.
The totals suggest Bush and Cruz, among others, have the financial backing to sustain an aggressive campaign, for now, even as Trump and Carson lead the polls. Bush reported having $10.3 million in the bank at the end of September, while Cruz reported $13.5 million on hand. While Florida Sen. Marco Rubio did not raise as much in the third quarter, he also reported a sizable, $11 million war chest.
But Carson's numbers are especially impressive in that he more than doubled the $8 million he made in the last quarter, raising $12 million in the month of September alone.
"He is converting the populist appeal of his message into support and campaign dollars, which will allow him to continue to wage a viable campaign -- but whether this allows him to broaden his base of support remains to be seen, especially given the competition he faces from other non-traditional and conservative candidates," said Tony Corrado, professor of government and a campaign finance observer at Colby College in Maine.
Carson had $11.5 million cash on hand in the third quarter, cementing his status as a top-tier GOP candidate, second only to Trump in recent surveys.
The Federal Election Commission filing deadline is Thursday, though many of the campaigns decided to report their contributions to the press beforehand. The third quarter covers the period of June 30 through Sept. 30.
Meanwhile, Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that he has spent "very little" on his campaign so far. "I've spent zero on advertising. Every [network] they have covered me a lot. It's almost like if I put ads on top of the program it would be too much, it would be too much Trump. I've spent the least money and have the best poll numbers."
The Democrats brought in a far greater take than the Republican candidates, in part because there are fewer of them vying for the party's donor base. According to front-runner Hillary Clinton's campaign, she raised $28 million during the third quarter and had $32 million on hand. Her main opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, raised $26 million and had $25 million in cash on hand.
Carson apparently is spending the money at a quick pace, as he tries to sustain his momentum. According to his campaign, he spent $14 million from July to September.
"We will be able to fully fund our most expansive get-out-the-vote program, and our most expansive advertising program and our most expansive social media program in Iowa through the caucuses," Doug Watts, his spokesman, told the Des Moines Register Thursday.
Other candidates are pulling in substantial figures as well.
Republican Carly Fiorina has benefited from a boost after solid performances in the first two primary debates. According to her campaign, she raised $6.8 million in the third quarter and had $5.8 million on hand, compared with the $1.7 million she took in during the second quarter from April to June. She joined the race officially in May.
Rubio, according to his campaign, raised $6 million in the third quarter -- compared with $8 million in the second quarter -- and has about $11 million on hand. Political observers say he is competing for the same establishment donors as Bush, but could benefit from a shot in the arm by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who recent reports indicate has been warming to the Florida senator. Adelson spent a total of $92 million on political candidates and causes in 2012.
The figures being reported by the campaigns this month pertain to campaign accounts, and not the super PACs backing them, which are pouring in millions more on top of what the campaigns are spending.
Analysts say the ability to raise money through a large donor base, particularly from small donors, signals the long-term health of a campaign over all -- perhaps with the exception of self-funder Trump.
In this arena, Carson appears to be ahead too, receiving more than 600,000 donations from more than 350,000 donors, his campaign reported to the press at the end of September. Meanwhile, Cruz's campaign said he had a total of 120,000 donors through the third quarter. Still, none of this compares to Sanders, who says he has had 1 million donors since the start of his campaign in late May. Clinton's people say 93 percent of her donations were $100 or less.
Other Republican candidates are pulling in less money.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich raised $4.4 million, spent $1.71, million and finished the quarter with $2.66 million on hand, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie raised $4 million in the last quarter, spent nearly $3 million, and has about $1.4 million on hand.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul raised $2.5 million, a decline from the $6.9 million raised in the second quarter, and had some $2 million in cash on hand.
The Paul campaign sent out a memo Thursday defending its status in the race, saying some "are pushing a false narrative that Senator Rand Paul (SRP) is on the ropes."
The campaign maintained that Paul "has the best organization in America."
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal reported raising $1.16 million in the third quarter. Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore reported raising $62,000. Other Republican candidates have not yet announced their fundraising totals.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/10/15/money-men-carson-bush-cruz-lead-latest-round-in-gop-cash-race/?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Carson closing in on Trump in Florida
By Gabby Morrongiello (@gabriellahope_)
10/19/15
Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican presidential field in Florida, but is losing his edge in the key battleground state.
The GOP front-runner is the first choice candidate for 21.7 percent of Republican voters in Florida, but only 6 percent of voters named him their second choice in a University of North Florida poll released Monday.
Meanwhile, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has jumped to 19.3 percent support, putting him well within the margin of error against Trump. A poll commissioned last month by One America News Network showed Carson trailing Trump in the Sunshine State by 12 percentage points.
In third and fourth place behind the two outsider candidates are Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (15 percent) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (9 percent), respectively. With 81 percent of Florida Republicans holding a positive view of Rubio, the state's junior senator earns the highest favorability rating of any GOP candidate in the UNF poll.
Bush has a net-positive favorability rating of 64.9–28.8 percent while voters are more divided when it comes to their feelings toward Trump, who is viewed favorably by 52.5 percent of Republican voters in the state and unfavorably by 39.9 percent. Respondents were not asked to give an opinion on Carson.
The survey of approximately 650 adults likely to vote in Florida's Republican primary was conducted Oct. 8-13. Results contain a margin of error of 3.87 percent.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2574417/?utm_content=buffer6738c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
-
Can Trump Be Stopped?
Pat Buchanan
Three months ago, this writer sent out a column entitled, "Could Trump Win?" meaning the Republican nomination.
Today even the Trump deniers concede the possibility.
And the emerging question has become: "Can Trump be stopped? And if so, where, and by whom?"
Consider the catbird seat in which The Donald sits.
An average of national polls puts him around 30 percent, trailed by Dr. Ben Carson with about 20 percent. No other GOP candidate gets double digits.
Trump is leading Carson in Iowa, running first in New Hampshire, crushing the field in Nevada and South Carolina. These are the first four contests. In Florida, Trump's support exceeds that of ex-Governor Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio combined.
If these polls don't turn around, big time, Trump is the nominee.
And with Thanksgiving a month off, then the Christmas season, New Year's, college football playoffs and NFL playoffs, the interest of the nation will drift away, again and again, from politics.
Voting begins Feb. 1 in Iowa. Super Bowl Sunday is Feb. 7. And the New Hampshire primary will likely be on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
We are only three months out, and Trump still holds the high cards.
After months of speeches and TV appearances, he is a far more disciplined campaigner and communicator. In a year when a huge slice of the nation is disgusted with political correctness, wants to dethrone the establishment, wipe the slate clean and begin anew with someone fresh, Trump is in the pole position.
His issues — secure the border, send illegal immigrants back, renegotiate rotten trade deals that shipped our jobs abroad — are more in tune with the national mood than pro-amnesty, Obamatrade or NAFTA.
Wall Street Journal conservatism is in a bear market.
Trump says he will talk to Vladimir Putin, enforce the nuclear deal with Iran, not tear it up on Inauguration Day, and keep U.S. troops out of Syria. And South Korea should pay more of the freight and provide more of the troops for its own defense.
A nationalist, and a reluctant interventionist, if U.S. interests are not imperiled, Trump offers a dramatic contrast to the neocons and Hillary Clinton, the probable Democratic nominee. She not only voted for the Iraq war Trump opposed, but she helped launch the Libyan war.
The lights are burning late tonight in the suites of the establishment tonight. For not since Sen. Barry Goldwater won the California primary in 1964 have their prospects appeared so grim.
Absent some killer gaffe or explosive revelation, he will have to be stopped in Iowa or New Hampshire. A rival will have to emerge by then, strong enough and resourced enough to beat him by March.
The first hurdle for the establishment in taking down Trump is Carson. In every national poll, he is second. He's sitting on the votes the establishment candidate will need to overtake Trump.
Iowa is the ideal terrain for a religious-social conservative to upset Trump, as Mike Huckabee showed in 2008 and Rick Santorum in 2012.
But Carson has preempted part of the Evangelical and social conservative vote. Moreover, Sen. Ted Cruz, an anti-establishment man, is working Iowa and has the forensic abilities to rally social conservatives.
Should Trump fall, and his estate go to probate, Cruz's claim would seem superior to that of any establishment favorite.
Indeed, for an establishment-backed candidate — a Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal — to win Iowa, he must break out of the single-digit pack soon, fend off Cruz, strip Carson of part of his following, then overtake Trump. A tall order.
Yet, the battle to consolidate establishment support has begun. And despite his name, family associations, size of his Super PAC, Jeb has lost ground to Marco Rubio. Look to Marco to emerge as the establishment's last best hope to take down Trump.
But if Trump wins in Iowa, he wins in New Hampshire.
The Iowa Caucuses then, the first contest, may well be decisive. If not stopped there, Trump may be unstoppable. Yet, as it is a caucus state where voters stick around for hours before voting, organization, intensity and endless labor can pay off big against a front-runner.
In Iowa, for example, Ronald Reagan was defeated by George H. W. Bush in 1980. Vice President Bush was defeated by Bob Dole and Pat Robertson in 1988. Reagan and Bush I needed and managed comeback victories in New Hampshire. One cannot lose Iowa and New Hampshire.
Thus, today's task for the Republican establishment.
Between now and March, they must settle on a candidate, hope his rivals get out of the race, defeat Trump in one of the first two contests, or effect his defeat by someone like Carson, then pray Trump will collapse like a house of cards.
The improbabilities of accomplishing this grow by the week, and will soon start looking, increasingly, like an impossibility — absent the kind of celestial intervention that marked the career of the late Calvin Coolidge.
http://www.creators.com/conservative/pat-buchanan.html
-
according to getbiggers, trump will withdraw from the race by August 2015.
-
If Trump hasn't folded yet he probably isn't going to. Just read the comments on any of his videos posted on YouTube or various other conservative websites. People are still extremely passionate about this guy and we are just a few short months away from Iowa.
I want to say Trump has the best mic skills since Reagan but truth be told Trump is probably even better than he was. Say what you will about his politics but the man is just magic in front of a crowd or handling the press.
-
If Trump hasn't folded yet he probably isn't going to. Just read the comments on any of his videos posted on YouTube or various other conservative websites. People are still extremely passionate about this guy and we are just a few short months away from Iowa.
I want to say Trump has the best mic skills since Reagan but truth be told Trump is probably even better than he was. Say what you will about his politics but the man is just magic in front of a crowd or handling the press.
correct - republicans either dont know or dont care about his liberal policies.
they're just in love with his star power and his blind "USA!" fervor. what's the quote about "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag"
Trump is going to give us a very liberal america.
-
If Trump hasn't folded yet he probably isn't going to. Just read the comments on any of his videos posted on YouTube or various other conservative websites. People are still extremely passionate about this guy and we are just a few short months away from Iowa.
I want to say Trump has the best mic skills since Reagan but truth be told Trump is probably even better than he was. Say what you will about his politics but the man is just magic in front of a crowd or handling the press.
I don't think it's legitimate. I really don't see him winning this thing. He's incredibly fragile (cannot take criticism, etc.). The moment his poll numbers take a dive and he loses a primary or two he's probably going to quit.
He may sound good at times, but when you actually look (or read) what he says, it's contradictory, empty, and/or offensive.
-
I think the most significant part of this is the number of voters who say the will not vote for Trump.
Quinnipiac: Carson Leads Trump for First Time in Iowa
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=2e31dce6-0cc5-4529-81da-b0fc16f7f9db&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Quinnipiac: Carson Leads Trump for First Time in Iowa
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Thursday, 22 Oct 2015
A new Quinnipiac poll released Thursday puts Ben Carson ahead of Donald Trump for the first time in Iowa, showing the retired neurosurgeon ahead by 28-20 percent among likely Iowa GOP Caucus participants.
The numbers are:
•Carson, 28 percent;
•Trump, 20 percent;
•Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, 13 percent;
•Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, 10 percent;
•Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, 6 percent;
•Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, 5 percent;
•Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 3 percent;
•Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 2 percent;
•Former Pennsylvania Gov. Rick Santorum, 1 percent;
•Former Virginia Sen. Jim Gilmore and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, below 1 percent.
Just last month, Carson was behind Trump by 27-21 percent in Quinnipiac's Iowa poll. Carson's numbers were up because of female voters, the poll showed, drawing 33 percent among women compared to 13 percent for Trump. Men were divided with 25 percent for Carson and 24 percent for Trump.
Trump, though, topped the poll's "no way" list, of voters who say they would not vote for him, while Carson got the lowest number of people who said they would not pick him:
•Trump: 30 percent;
•Bush, 21 percent;
•Christie, 14 percent;
•Graham, 15 percent;
•Pataki, Paul, and Santorum, 10 percent;
•Kasich and Huckabee, 9 percent;
•Fiorina and Gilmore, 8 percent;
•Cruz, 7 percent;
•Rubio, 5 percent;
•Carson, 4 percent.
Iowa voters also found Carson most trustworthy, by 89 percent, and 84 percent said he shares their values.
"It's Ben Carson's turn in the spotlight," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll.
"As they've been pondering for six months, many in the political world still are trying to understand Carson's appeal and how someone who seems to be operating outside the traditional news media/political environment is doing so well among the most conservative GOP voters," he continued. "Today's results show his appeal is especially strong among the state's sizeable white, evangelical Christian community, among whom Carson is receiving 36 percent, twice Trump's 17 percent," Brown added.
"Those who know Carson seem to like him. He has an almost unheard of 84 - 10 percent favorability rating among likely Republican Caucus-goers, compared to Trump's 53 - 43 percent rating."
On other issues:
•Trump tops Carson 41 - 12 percent on the economy;
•Trump over Carson 32 - 13 percent on taxes;
•Trump tops Carson 37 - 9 percent on illegal immigration;
•Rubio and Trump are close at 18 - 17 percent, respectively, on foreign policy, with Carson at 9 percent.
The poll was conducted from Oct. 14-20 of 574 Iowa Republican Caucus participants, and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/carson-leads-trump-iowa/2015/10/22/id/697476/#ixzz3pJzZl4lA
-
dos equis,
Carson may win iowa... usually it's a very religious person that takes iowa.
trump IS ready for some primary losses. he has assembled traditional teams and is going for 50 states. He's acknowledged he'll lose some states. Even if he loses Iowa, if he wins NH (where he has a monster lead), he can just let his $ take over and outspend everyone, everywhere else.
unless every repub pulls out and they all throw their support behind the inept Carson, trump can just pull a romney, outspend everyone and outlast them, another RINO gets the nomination and loses badly as the base doesn't bother voting for him.
familiar.
-
Bloomberg Poll: Bush Gets No NH Bounce After Ad Blitz
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=b98d9917-cd5d-43ff-99d7-f159bae39a6e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Bloomberg Poll: Bush Gets No NH Bounce After Ad Blitz
Wednesday, 21 Oct 2015
A month of extensive New Hampshire advertising on Jeb Bush's behalf has failed to boost his support and likely Republican primary voters there view him as inferior to frontrunner Donald Trump on most key attributes.
A new Bloomberg Politics/Saint Anselm New Hampshire Poll also shows Bush's favorability rating among the state's Republican primary voters has dropped to its lowest level—57 percent—since the survey was first taken almost a year ago.
In the horse race, the former Florida governor has seen his overall support drop to 10 percent, from 11 percent in May. That puts him in third place, behind Trump at 24 percent and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 17 percent, despite an advertising push by the pro-Bush Right to Rise super political action committee that has dominated the state's television screens for the past four weeks.
“With such a heavy spend, the Bush campaign was undoubtedly hoping for a bounce,” said Doug Usher of Washington-based Purple Strategies, which conducted the poll Oct. 15-18. “But their candidate is closer to Rubio, Fiorina and Kasich than to the top tier, and his favorables are moving in the wrong direction.”
There's virtually no good news in the poll for Bush, who early on in the race was thought to be a better fit among New Hampshire's more moderate voters than in more conservative- leaning, early states like Iowa and South Carolina. Besides a declining favorability rating, the poll shows his positions on immigration and national educational standards are troubling to roughly half of likely primary voters, he lags on questions of empathy and authenticity and he's the second-choice pick of just 6 percent.
Bush isn't alone among experienced politicians trying to gain traction in New Hampshire. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is backed by 8 percent, while former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Ohio Governor John Kasich are both at 7 percent. Kasich has also invested heavily in New Hampshire, making roughly a dozen trips to the state since declaring his candidacy in July. In the past month, the super-PAC backing him, New Day for America, has run 144 spots in the state's television markets, according to data compiled by Kantar Media's CMAG.
It's worth noting that the last two Republican nominees, Senator John McCain of Arizona and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, were also struggling to break through at this point in 2007 and 2011. “Bush still has time, but it’s running short,” Usher said.
The poll, which included 400 likely Republican primary voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, shows roughly two-thirds of the electorate could be persuaded to support someone other than their first choice. Trump's supporters are more locked in than his nearest competitor's, with 51 percent of the billionaire's backers saying their mind is made up, compared to 30 percent for Carson's.
Bush does better among non-conservatives, where he draws 16 percent support, compared to just 6 percent among conservatives. Trump does better with conservatives than non-conservatives, 29 percent compared to 18 percent. Carson draws roughly equal backing from both groups.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has heavily invested his campaign time in New Hampshire, is backed by 5 percent of likely primary voters in the poll. All of the other candidates were below 5 percent, with the state's first-in-the- nation primary less than four months away.
When first and second choices are combined, the two leaders in New Hampshire are nearly tied, at 33 percent for Trump and 32 percent for Carson. Rubio is third, at 19 percent, followed by Fiorina at 17 percent. At 16 percent, Bush trails those four.
The poll also tested existing and potential lines of attack against several of the top candidates, with mixed results.
Republican primary voters are nearly evenly divided on whether they're bothered by the notion that Trump "repeatedly insults other Republican candidates."
Strong majorities aren't concerned about some of Carson's recent controversial statements, including 68 percent who say they're not bothered by his declaration that being Muslim is disqualifying to become president. An even larger group, 78 percent, weren't troubled that he said Adolph Hitler's mass murder of Jews might not have been as successful if the people had been armed.
Bush's advocacy for a "path to legal residence for immigrants who are in this country illegally" makes 53 percent of those in the survey less supportive of him, while 49 percent say that about his backing of Common Core national education standards. Nearly three-quarters say they aren't bothered that he's the son and brother of two former presidents.
When told that Cruz has "repeatedly led the charge for government shutdowns for his own political advantage," 52 percent of Republican primary voters say they're less supportive of him, while 41 percent say it doesn't concern them.
After being told that Fiorina was "fired as CEO at Hewlett- Packard with a $21 million severance package after the company lost stock value," 59 percent said they aren't bothered, while 37 percent said it would make them less supportive of her.
Rubio's youthfulness isn't much of a concern, with 87 percent saying they're not bothered that the 44-year-old would be the third-youngest president if elected.
One ray of sunshine for Bush in the poll: 22 percent of New Hampshire Republican primary voters rate him as most ready to be president. That's the highest score for anyone other than Trump, who also recorded 22 percent, when responses were limited to Trump, Carson, Rubio, Fiorina, Bush, Christie, Cruz and Kasich. After Bush and Trump, the numbers fall off, with just 10 percent saying that for Carson and 8 percent for Rubio.
"He is intelligent and understands the issues and is less political than many of the other candidates," said Bush supporter Hamilton Stewart, 64, an engineering consultant from Hollis, New Hampshire.
Trump beats Bush, 31 percent to 13 percent, on a question about who in the field would be best able to handle Russian President Vladimir Putin. None of the other candidates in the smaller pool tested even make it into double-digits on that question.
On authenticity, Trump also scores the highest. The billionaire and real estate mogul is picked by 41 percent, followed by Carson at 18 percent. Republican primary voters are more evenly split between Trump and Carson on who "cares most about people like me," with 22 percent selecting Carson and 18 percent Trump.
“This country really needs a change in having somebody who is not in the political sphere,” said Francine Markham, 47, a property manager from New Ipswich, New Hampshire, leaning toward supporting Trump or Carson. “Some of these people are lifelong politicians, and one of the things I really like about [Trump] and Ben Carson is that they’re not in that game already. They really could bring a fresh outlook."
John Stafford, 59, a retired postal worker from Goffstown, New Hampshire, said he's leaning toward Carson because he likes his temperament. "He thinks about what he’s going to say before he says it, unlike other candidates," he said. "I think that he’s probably very qualified for the position as long as he has good support people."
Bush's 57 percent favorability rating among Republicans is below Carson at 74 percent, Rubio at 68 percent, Fiorina at 67 percent and Trump at 58 percent. Below Bush are Christie at 51 percent, Texas Senator Ted Cruz at 50 percent, Kasich at 48 percent, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee at 47 percent and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky at 44 percent. Even lower, in the high 20s and low 30s, are former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
When asked to pick the candidate that's the most conservative among Trump, Carson, Rubio, Fiorina, Bush, Christie, Cruz and Kasich, Cruz easily wins, with 26 percent of likely primary voters picking him.
In New Hampshire, ranking as the most conservative isn't as helpful as in Iowa, where the first-in-the-nation caucus participants lean more conservative. Among voters likely to vote in the Republican primary, 57 percent said they're conservative and 37 percent called themselves moderates. Only about a quarter of the likely New Hampshire electorate described themselves as "born again" or evangelical Christians.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/bush-poll-new-hampshire/2015/10/21/id/697260/#ixzz3pLtu77Dl
-
Bloomberg Poll: Bush Gets No NH Bounce After Ad Blitz
Trump matches their religious views. His 12 trillion debt budget fits their economic views.
Trump is the man that republicans want. They adore him and want to bask in his warmth.
-
Poll: Carson opens up 14-point lead over Trump in Iowa
By Jonathan Easley
October 26, 2015
Ben Carson has overtaken Donald Trump in Iowa, surging to a 14-point lead, according to a new poll.
A Monmouth University survey released on Monday found Carson taking 32 percent support in Iowa, followed by Trump at 18 percent.
That’s a 9-point gain for Carson from the same poll in late August, while Trump has fallen five points in that time.
The poll found Carson with the best favorability rating in the field, with an astounding 84 percent of Iowa Republicans having a positive view of him, compared to only 7 percent who view him negatively.
Trump’s favorability rating is at 53 percent positive and 38 percent negative. His favorability rating is essentially unchanged from late August, although the percentage of those who view him unfavorably has increased by 5 points in that time.
Trump has led in nearly every poll of Iowa since early August, but the Monmouth survey is the third recent poll to show Carson with a healthy lead over the field in the Hawkeye State.
A Des Moines Register-Bloomberg poll released last week showed Carson with a 9 point lead, and a Quinnipiac University survey found Carson ahead by 8.
Carson is ahead among all demographic groups in Iowa, according to Monmouth. He leads among Republicans who describe themselves as "somewhat" and "very conservative," as well as self-described moderates.
Carson also leads among evangelicals, non-evangelicals, men and women in the poll.
“Trump’s support has eroded in a number of key areas, with the beneficiary being another outside candidate,” said Monmouth pollster Patrick Murray. “One question is how secure Carson’s new found support really is.”
Only 19 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers said they have made up their minds on whom to support, giving hope to lower polling candidates.
Rounding out the field are Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), at 10 percent each, and Jeb Bush at 8 percent.
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina take 5 percent support in the poll. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is at 3 percent, while Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal and John Kasich each take 2 percent support.
Outsider candidates such as Trump and Carson, though, appear to have the advantage based on the deep anti-establishment sentiment among likely caucus-goers. Fifty-seven percent said the Republican Party has done a bad job representing their views.
“While the leader board positions have changed, the outsider candidates still dominate this race,” said Murray. “The GOP’s leadership may hope that an establishment figure will emerge, but that may not happen while their voters remain dissatisfied with the party as a whole.”
Bush, Kasich, Paul and Christie are the only candidates with negative favorability ratings in Iowa, according to the poll.
The Monmouth University survey of 400 likely Republican caucus-goers was conducted Oct. 22-25 and has a 4.9 percent margin of error.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/258081-poll-carson-opens-up-14-point-lead-over-trump-in-iowa
-
Poll: Carson opens up 14-point lead over Trump in Iowa
carson is embracing the fcking crazy in order to win Iowa.
-
Why Ben Carson Can Win
by Henry Olsen
October 24, 2015
I’ve written nary a word about Ben Carson. That changes today, because underneath the quiet, soft-spoken image is a man with a plan, and that plan is working.
Dr. Ben Carson is doing something no one has done in decades, combine a values-laden conservative message with a soft-spoken, humble persona. Others who have sought Reagan’s mantle have emulated elements of the Gipper’s approach, but none have spoken the language of freedom and the morality of the Bible with such eloquence and calm until now.
He talks about moral decline without the rancor or anger that typified other past favorites of the party’s religious conservative faction. He talks about the loss of American freedom without the sense of foreboding and doom that characterize all too many who seek to lead the Tea Party wing. He talks about fiscal restraint and tax cuts without seeming to care more about numbers than people as too many who have sought the favor of the party’s fiscal-soft libertarian faction. And he so far has projected the calm, deliberative nature that somewhat conservatives crave.
It should be no surprise, then, to learn that Carson runs well among all of these factions. All recent national polls with subgroup data show Carson runs better among conservatives than moderates, but only Public Policy Polling breaks down the GOP electorate into enough subgroups to let us see clearly what’s at work.
Carson’s appeal to the somewhat, establishment conservative is palpable. He received 19 percent of the very conservative vote and 22 percent among the somewhat conservatives. Contrast this with Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz and establishment favorite Jeb Bush. Cruz gets 15 percent of very conservatives but only 5 percent of somewhat conservatives. Bush on the other hand gets a measly 2 percent of very conservatives and only 9 percent among somewhat conservatives. Bush does well nationally only because he gets 21 percent of moderates, but since they comprise less than a third of the national party this is a recipe for Jeb’s defeat. The humble neurosurgeon gets two and a half times the support among the classic GOP median voters than does the Party’s $100 million man.
We can see this even more clearly by looking at the subgroup results stemming from a question uniquely asked by PPP. The firm asks GOP voters if they care more about nominating the most conservative person or about nominating the person with the best chance to win. Carson currently receives 18 percent among the those who want the most conservative person and 16 percent among those who care most about winning the general. Cruz gets 14 percent among those who want the most conservative, but a paltry 2 percent among those who most want to win (who, by the way, are a majority of the party). Bush’s figures are reversed: 5 percent among the backers of conservatism first, 13 percent among those who back winning first.
The Carson love fest is unlikely to continue simply because he is too strong not to attract negative assaults that seek to pull him down. When that happens, we will see how firm this support is. But for now, Carson is as close to unifying all wings of conservatism as anyone since George W. Bush in 2000.
http://www.nationalreview.com/2016-gops-four-faces/426028/why-ben-carson-can-win?JSAEVwYK3Vztse7m.01
-
Poll: Ben Carson knocks Donald Trump from top spot nationally
By Tom LoBianco, CNN
Tue October 27, 2015
Video Source: CNN
Washington (CNN)For the first time in months, a national poll shows Donald Trump is not leading the Republican 2016 primary race, and instead has Ben Carson in first place.
Carson won the support of 26% of Republican primary voters, compared to 22% who are backing Trump, according to CBS News/New York Times. Though within the poll's margin of error, it marks the first time since the billionaire businessman's dominant rise over the summer where he has been bumped from the top spot nationally.
The new numbers also represent a reversal from the last CBS/New York Times poll, taken more than a month ago, which saw Trump leading Carson 27%-23%.
The most recent CBS/New York Times poll surveyed 575 Republican primary voters and carries a 6-percentage-point margin of error.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/politics/ben-carson-donald-trump-cbs-poll/index.html
-
New polling strength makes Marco Rubio a top target at debate
Ledyard King, USATODAY
October 27, 2015
(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/dcc982e8ed28edbe24141c93759ed7448c9e2642/c=58-0-965-682&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/10/27/USATODAY/USATODAY/635815586236013751-rubio.JPG)
(Photo: AP Photo, Rick Bowmer)
WASHINGTON — Marco Rubio may find himself in an unusual position — a magnet for attack — when he takes the stage at Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate in Boulder, Colo.
When his poll numbers were lower, Rubio largely avoided taking fire from his rivals. But strong performances at two previous debates — and stumbles by former Florida governor Jeb Bush and other candidates — have made Rubio the top GOP establishment candidate. He's now in third place overall behind retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and businessman Donald Trump.
Recent national polls averaged by RealClearPolitics show Rubio with 9%, trailing Trump (26.8%) and Carson (22%) but ahead of Bush (7%) and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas (6.6%).
That makes the first-term senator from Florida an obvious target for other GOP candidates on Wednesday. Rubio should expect some bashing, for example, on his absenteeism rate in the Senate, where he's missed more votes this year than anyone else.
But a key supporter said he should continue to ignore the noise.
“He needs to stay on message and not get rattled," said Rep. Tom Rooney, Florida chairman of Rubio’s presidential campaign. " And I think that he’ll do fine.”
(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/4fbaf46edb4cef4c30b86e9007e28454db569cc3/c=183-0-1928-1312&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/2015/01/12/USATODAY/USATODAY/635566556598135758-rubioxIWQPx012.jpg)
Marco Rubio, then the Florida House speaker, addresses the Florida delegation at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott on Sept. 3, 2008. Andrew West, The News-Press
Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., said he’d be “stunned” if Bush doesn’t go after Rubio on missed votes and other issues.
The former governor has suggested that lawmakers who don’t show up for votes should have their pay docked. And Bush campaign advisers have described Rubio as the GOP version of President Obama for what they say is Rubio's thin record of legislative accomplishment.
“He’s got to respond (if attacked)," Madonna said. "Any charge not answered is a charge believed. But he (should) continue to take the higher road when he can and end up trying to stay in the top four or five for the long haul now. One goal: Hang in. Hang in. Hang in. Let the others fall out and try to end up with their reservoir of support.”
Bush campaign manager Danny Diaz tried to downplay any growing friction between his candidate and Rubio. He told Fox News on Tuesday that Bush will spend the debate touting his own record as governor, not attacking his rivals' records.
“We’re focusing on Jeb Bush. We’re going to talk about 1.3 million jobs created, eight balanced budgets, $19 billion in tax cuts,” Diaz said. “There’s clearly going to be exchanges between candidates (but) we’re going to use this opportunity in front of millions of Americans to talk about the candidate who’s going to be the next Republican nominee and president of the United States.”
Given the anti-Rubio rhetoric coming out of the Bush campaign lately, Rooney said he expects the former governor to take a few swipes at Rubio, his one-time protégé. But he's not sure why, given that Carson and Trump top the GOP field.
“It almost seems personal to me,” Rooney said of Bush. “Like, if I’m not going to win, you sure as hell aren’t going to win either. And if that’s the case, that’s really sad.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/10/27/new-polling-strength-makes-marco-rubio-top-target-debate/74696708/
-
October 28, 2015
Carson: 'Doctors actually do know something about economics'
By Jesse Byrnes
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/carsonben10282015getty.jpg?itok=JQP45OGg)
BOULDER, Colo. — Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Wednesday expressed confidence heading into the third GOP presidential debate.
The retired neurosurgeon told reporters in the debate's spin room at the University of Colorado Boulder that he is comfortable debating economics, which will be the primary focus of the CNBC event.
"Give the American people an opportunity to know more about me and find out that doctors actually do know something about economics," Carson said when asked what he would like to accomplish in the debate.
Carson has emerged as the main threat to Donald Trump in the GOP race, pulling ahead of him in Iowa and holding an edge in some national polling.
With his campaign surging, Carson is under pressure to prove his policy chops during Wednesday night’s contest.
"You guys may not think it's in my wheelhouse. I guess we'll see," Carson said of economic policy.
Carson will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump on the stage, with eight other candidates. Many are expecting Trump to go hard after Carson, the only candidate who has snapped his three-month winning streak in the polls.
"My strategy will be to be me. I don't get into the mud pit," Carson said.
"Nothing to be nervous about. Just because there are 600 cameras here? Why would you be nervous?" Carson said, adding later, "It's going to be hard to have more scrutiny than I've had the past several months."
Over the weekend, Trump questioned Carson's faith as a Seventh-day Adventist, something the soft-spoken doctor has so far brushed off.
"I never really asked for an apology from him," Carson said.
Asked how he would respond Trump's attacks, Carson said, "The same way I would respond to anybody's attack, and that's to say, maybe we would be wise to devote our time to to actually answering the questions about the issues and not attacking each other."
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/258417-carson-doctors-actually-do-know-something-about-economics
-
Carsons economic plan has some serious logic fails. And that's from the very conservative forbes. I bet a few opponents jump on that tonight.
-
Link to the 28 October debate:
-
Watched most of the third debate. Some observations:
- One of the worst hatchet jobs I have ever seen by moderators. The RNC should not allow those folks to host another debate.
- Overall, didn't see anyone hurt themselves, except for Jeb. He looked uncomfortable and had the biggest dud of the night when he attacked Rubio. Bad decision. If not for the money, I would say he is done.
- I liked Fat Man. Too bad he peaked so early. Like about three years too early.
- Cruz, Rubio, and Carson were all solid. The more I watch these debates and listen to these folks, the more I think Rubio might be the nominee.
- Loved the talk about a flat tax by Carson and Cruz. They are speaking my language.
- Trump was smart to tone it down. When he's not constantly being a jerk, his occasional barbs are actually funny, like when he hit back at Governor Kasich for being on the end due to his poll numbers. That actually made me laugh out loud.
- Trump is still long on vague promises and short on details, like how, specifically, he will make Mexico pay for a wall. That might be the most unrealistic promise of this cycle.
- Cruz, Rubio, and Christi each had the best lines of the night. Cruz when he blasted the moderators for the stupid questions they were asking, and Rubio when he talked about the MSM being the Super Pac. Christi when he scolded them for talking about fantasy football instead of the economy. Loved it.
- Rand Paul should quit. I was actually surprised when I saw him answer a question. Literally forgot he was on stage.
Will be interesting to see what happens in the polls.
-
The power of Ben Carson's humility
By Alex Castellanos
Thu October 29, 2015
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/151028212314-07-gopdebate-gallery-1028-exlarge-169.jpg)
Editor's Note: Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist, is the founder of Purple Strategies and NewRepublican.org. Follow him on Twitter @alexcast. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
(CNN)—"All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them." ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
The third GOP presidential debate was a unifying event for Republicans, thanks to the ineptitude of CNBC and its moderators. Only President Obama has done more to bring Republicans together. CNBC should be complimented that it will now be lumped with the mainstream media, considering its feeble ratings.
Dr. Ben Carson performed as he has before, when he has climbed surprisingly in post-debate polls. After this debate, we should expect nothing different.
In the debate's aftermath, the mystery of Ben Carson's ascendancy will continue to baffle both the Washington and news media establishments. Stunned by Carson's rise, our governing elite will keep scurrying about like alien scientists in a 50s sci-fi movie, unable to explain the phenomenon earthlings call "love," even with the power of their advanced microscopes.
They will tell us Carson did not meet the debate's standard. They will say he displayed a tenuous grasp of the issues and of a president's responsibilities.
They'll wonder if the simple people in flyover America are contented with the good doctor's niceness, in vivid contrast with the vicious politics of the moment. Or could his appeal be that he speaks softly, which makes him sound learned and serious?
Perhaps the simple people have found an oracle that satisfies them on an uncomplicated level, much like an inspirational poster that young girls have on their walls? "Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, remember how far you have come!" or another dumb pleasantry, says the poster for Carson for President they envision.
Branding experts will again be brought to the political morning shows to admit that, even as brilliant and all knowing as they are, they just don't get it. Carson is given no more respect than a throat lozenge that makes people feel better when the media knows we need serious medicine.
The little people don't seem to understand that the presidency requires vast skill managing large organizations and profound knowledge of political issues. Where would we be today if we had not been led by politicians with such skills?
The breathtaking presumption of superiority in this discussion is, in fact, the fuel for Carson's candidacy. How disconnected from the American people can our ruling elite possibly get?
Washington still doesn't understand his candidacy, but the secret to the Carson phenomenon shouldn't be news to anyone who has run political campaigns.
When I was younger, helping direct races for governor, senator and president, I often ran into the candidate who was willing to make the great sacrifice required to serve the common man, the unwashed American voter.
Sometimes, the candidate came from a privileged political family. Often, he was a CEO enamored with his own nonpareil gifts. These candidates usually sought the ultimate recognition of their superiority: They wanted to "give back" to the little people, their unfortunate lessers, who had proved incapable of accumulating similar fruits of success.
Regularly, the candidate who thought most of himself in public was the most insecure about his abilities in private. The monkey that roars the loudest, science tells us, is often the least capable.
Other times, the candidate who could not conceal his superiority was a young whiz convinced only he could invent the light bulb. Understandably, he could not deny the country his vast leadership skills and charisma.
Occasionally, the candidate was a good man who had simply been in office too long. I vividly remember the complaints of one congressman, weary of family time lost forever, fatiguing commutes and low pay. Tired of begging for money and votes, only to benefit ordinary lives, not his own, he moaned, "Don't these people know the sacrifices I've made for them?"
We see the same today in candidates who tell us campaigning for the presidency is a miserable experience, or they hate serving in the U.S. Senate.
Often, I found it was the candidates, not the voters, whom a simple story most helped. Many times I shared this parable with a candidate who had lost his way:
Long ago, a young Chinese prince wanted to be a great and powerful ruler for his people. So he sought out the wisest man in all of China and asked him, "Old man, how do I become the most powerful ruler in the world?"
The wise man answered, "Young prince, what is the most powerful body of water in the world?" The young prince replied, "It is the ocean!"
"Correct," said the wise man! "Young prince, what flows to the ocean?" The young prince replied, "The rivers flow to the ocean!" And the wise man said, "Correct! Young prince, why do the rivers flow to the ocean?"
The young prince paused to answer; "Because the ocean is lower than the rivers."
The wise man whispered, "Correct! Young prince, if you would be as powerful as the ocean and have the people flowing to you like the rivers, you must be lower than people you serve!"
Voters in both political parties today have been promised the moon, stars and the sun by the political leaders they have chosen, yet we find ourselves submerged in doubt and darkness. A stagnant economy. A world of threats, circling closer. Politicians who inflate themselves with promises that come to nothing and a self-indulgent elite that has us dancing perilously close to the edge.
Nothing grows for the average Joe except his fear that he is losing his country. The game, he's come to think, is rigged against him in a corrupt casino where only the privileged are allowed to win.
And on the bright screens of celebrity and success, they see the very same impotent politicians who promised to save them. They've become rock stars despite never having a hit.
In relief comes Dr. Ben Carson, whose life is a testament to humility and selfless service. He is the very opposite of the vainglorious politician whose re-election is his only accomplishment. Unlike a Donald Trump, his success comes from serving others, not from taking from them.
The greatest mass movements in history have been built, not on vaporous political promises, but on the twin pillars of humility and selfless service. Treat your neighbor as yourself. Do unto others what you would have them do unto you. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve."
Washington stands dumb in front of this power. It looks up, unrecognizing, at the man who stoops to help others and then stands taller because he serves.
A friend who knows more about religion than I do tells me "Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends," doesn't mean what I think it does. It doesn't mean we have to die to demonstrate our love for our neighbors. We "lay down our lives" in all we do, big and small, when we put someone else's needs ahead of our own.
"We lay down our lives," he told me, "through service. Then, we get much more than we give."
Service to others is Carson's strength. Humility alone is his power. He will remain a mystery to the self-serving Washington political machinery that will likely grind him down to meal and devour him as an unqualified pretender.
Until then, despite his debate performances, the people flow to him as the rivers, and he becomes as powerful as the ocean because he is lower than the people he serves.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/29/opinions/castellanos-ben-carson/
-
Online polls are not the most reliable, but I do agree that Cruz and Rubio had the best performances.
Opinion Savvy/Newsmax Poll: Rubio and Cruz Clear Debate Winners
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8bed0423-322b-4ec3-a650-5f7df86f9d5d&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Opinion Savvy/Newsmax Poll: Rubio and Cruz Clear Debate Winners (Getty Images)
By Bill Hoffmann
Friday, 30 Oct 2015
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was the winner of this week's Republican presidential debate, with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas a close second and billionaire businessman Donald Trump a distant third, an exclusive Opinion Savvy/Newsmax Poll released Friday reveals.
And the big loser was former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was deemed to have been the worst performer during the two-hour GOP slugfest on CNBC, the survey found.
The telephone poll of 979 likely 2016 Republican primary voters showed:
Marco Rubio - 28.1 percent
Ted Cruz - 27 percent
Donald Trump - 19.4 percent
Dr. Ben Carson - 9.4 percent
Chris Christie - 5.3 percent
Jeb Bush - 3.5 percent
Carly Fiorina - 3.1 percent
John Kasich - 2 percent
Sen. Rand Paul - .7 percent
Mike Huckabee - .3 percent
A small percentage of voters — 1.2 percent — said they were undecided following the two-hour debate.
Asked their opinion of who "lost, or performed the worst," Bush was the runaway choice with 52 percent, followed by Kasich with 12.2 percent — the only two contenders with double-digit negatives.
In third place for worst performance was:
Donald Trump - 9.8 percent
Rand Paul - 9.6 percent
Ben Carson - 3.9 percent
Carly Fiorina - 3.3 percent
Ted Cruz - 1.7 percent
Mike Huckabee and Christie tied with 1.4 percent each
Marco Rubio with 1.1 percent.
The poll asked voters who they would cast their ballots for if a primary or caucus vote was held now:
Trump - 23.9 percent
Carson - 20.2 percent
Cruz -19.5 percent
Rubio - 14.1 percent
Bush - 5.6 percent
Fiorina - 5 percent
Christie - 2.6 percent
Huckabee - 2 percent
Bobby Jindal - .9 percent
Rand Paul - .7 percent
George Pataki - .3 percent
Another 2.7 were undecided.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/newsmax-poll-marco-rubio-ted-cruz-debate/2015/10/30/id/699801/#ixzz3q4hRO8d6
-
trump polled pretty well too. 2 of the instant polls had him winning, announced that night. but they all sorta snubbed him.
-
Rubio's momentum picks up with increased donor support, endorsements
By Serafin Gómez
Published October 31, 2015
FoxNews.com
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/U.S./876/493/1031%20rubio%20iowa.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Oct. 30, 2015: Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks to voters at the Northwest Iowa Republican rally at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa (Reuters)
After a strong debate performance Wednesday that boosted his profile, invigorated his early state supporters, and marked him as a contender on the rise, the presidential campaign of Marco Rubio has capitalized on his growing momentum by fortifying its fundraising strength.
On Friday, billionaire and Republican donor Paul Singer, a fundraiser coveted by Rubio's rivals, endorsed the U.S. Senator from Florida.
"We're grateful to have his help," Rubio said to reporters while campaigning in Iowa Friday on Singer's endorsement.
"Marco Rubio can appeal to both the head and the heart. He can lead our nation by inspiring it", Singer, who met with Rubio last week, wrote in a letter to his donor network that was first reported by the New York Times.
The announcement by Singer, came on the same day that a major pro-Rubio super PAC, Conservative Solutions PAC, announced that they would be ramping up their efforts, including a new TV ad, to " bring Marco's optimistic conservative to as many voters as possible."
In a memo, obtained by Fox News, the powerful PAC with millions in reserves, informed their donors that they believed Rubio was one of four Republican candidates with a" reasonable chance" of becoming the party's nominee, and the only one who had the "best chance to win" among the GOP field in a general election.
Omitted from the four by Conservative Solutions PAC-- that along with Rubio, included Dr. Ben Carson, billionaire Donald Trump, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz – was former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Bush and Rubio, who still consider each other friends publicly, clashed during the CNBC debate in Boulder, Colorado.
Though Bush's fundraising operation has raised more than Rubio up until this point-- the pro-Bush super PAC alone has raised over $100 million-- both are vying for many of the same donors. Singer backing Rubio was a blow to Bush, however.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/10/31/rubio-momentum-picks-up-with-increased-donor-support-endorsements/?intcmp=trending
-
‘Pawn Stars’ host: Backing Rubio has hurt me
By Mark Hensch
October 30, 2015
"Pawn Stars" host Rick Harrison said Friday that he has alienated certain viewers by backing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for the presidency in 2016.
“When you endorse a Republican, everyone sort of frowns on you,” the reality television personality said, according to CNN.
“I don’t know why, but hey,” Harrison said. "I suddenly became famous, and I was the one willing to throw my career away to endorse a Republican.”
Harrison added that he as more privately backed Republicans in the past.
He argued Friday he could not stay silent about Rubio’s campaign because of the Florida lawmaker’s background and everyman appeal.
“I was deeply impressed,” Harrison said of his first meeting with Rubio in Las Vegas.
“It was the first time I sat down with a politician that long and it wasn’t, ‘the party, the party, the party,’ ” he said. "All he was talking about was people. Quite frankly, I’ve never had a politician talk like that."
Harrison then contrasted Rubio’s circumstances growing up with those of Donald Trump, the GOP’s presidential front-runner.
“His dad was a bartender at a bowling alley and his mom was a maid at a casino here in town,” he said of Rubio’s past.
“When someone mentions living paycheck to paycheck, he goes, ‘Yeah, I was raised that way,' ” Harrison said. “I think if you have a leader, you need someone who has experienced what people are experiencing.”
Harrison additionally criticized Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton for lacking any true foreign policy accomplishments.
“I can’t really think of anything she did,” he said of the former secretary of State.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/258655-pawn-stars-host-backing-rubio-has-hurt-me
-
Cruz's silent super PACs a growing worry for campaign
Four pro-Cruz super PACs are sitting on huge sums of money, but have run virtually no TV ads so far.
By SHANE GOLDMACHER 11/02/15
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/9be9ec8/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Fb2%2Fa2%2Fffb0648443ef9c07d0eb2e7fcba5%2F151030-ted-cruz-ap2-1160.jpg)
The Cruz super PACS are a decentralized alliance of four independent but interconnected operations. | AP Photo
The super PACs backing Cruz’s presidential run have yet to reserve any TV time in the early primary states – or anywhere else – despite a combined $38 million warchest that ranks second only to Jeb Bush’s $103 million operation.
The total absence of ads has created confusion and growing consternation inside the Cruz campaign, which cannot legally communicate with its allied super PACs and has had to watch as their rivals lock in tens of millions of dollars in ads before prices spike, as they typically do as elections near.
“I assume they’re waiting so their media buyers make the highest commission,” one Cruz adviser quipped.
While most 2016 candidates have one main super PAC backing them, the Cruz super PACS are a decentralized alliance of four independent but interconnected operations, each called some version of “Keep the Promise.” People familiar with the groups say they were designed that way to cater to the different big donors funding them.
Hedge fund manager Robert Mercer gave $11 million to one. Energy investor Toby Neugebauer gave $10 million to another. And the families of Dan and Farris Wilks, brothers who became billionaires in the Texas fracking boom, gave $15 million to a third.
Despite those huge sums virtually no Cruz TV ads have aired yet (a single ad ran during the Iowa-Iowa State football game in September) – and none are reserved yet. In contrast, outside groups backing Rubio and Bush are sitting on more than $50 million in reservations through the primaries, according to media trackers. Plus, millions in pro-Bush, pro-John Kasich, pro-Chris Christie and pro-Bobby Jindal ads have already aired.
Laura Barnett, spokeswoman for the Keep for Promise alliance, said booking TV time was “totally not even on my radar.”
“Based on the response from [the] debate, where Senator Cruz talked about what the moderators were asking and the questions they were posing to the candidates, we’ve seen a tremendous amount of earned media…” Barnett said. “We’re going to ride that wave as long as we can.”
Cruz is trying to establish himself as a top conservative contender for the nomination, but he will likely eventually need some cover on the airwaves from his super PACs.
Kellyanne Conway, who runs the Mercer-funded Keep the Promise I group, said some TV ads are in production and brushed aside talk of limited inventory or spiking prices. Her group, she noted, is already airing more targeted radio ads on conservative talk and Christian radio, as part of a $1 million buy through the end of the year. They are doing digital ads, as well.
“I can reserve money [for TV ads] when I hang up with you,” she said.
But the price difference for super PACs, especially those that wait, can be enormous. On KCCI in Des Moines, for instance, Rubio’s campaign has reserved a 30-second spot on the 10pm evening news the Friday before the Iowa caucuses for $750, Federal Communications Commission records show. Bush’s super PAC has reserved a 30-second ad on the same broadcast for $5,000 because there are no federal limits on what super PACs can be charged. And the super PAC ad rate is almost universally expected to rise.
“I don’t need to be defensive. I’m sitting on lots of money and I intend to spend every last dollar of it,” Conway added. She said the goal was to be more surgical, spending on digital, cable, direct mail, radio in addition to TV. She pointed to the Bush super PAC, which has spent more than $10 million already on ads, “Where has that gotten them?” she asked. “They did move, but they moved down.”
Conway’s group has been far more active than the other pro-Cruz groups. Keep the Promise II and III, which have $25 million between them, have so far reported spending less than $50,000 on independent expenditures to help Cruz. David Barton, an influential evangelical leader, is also involved in setting the strategy for the Cruz super PACs but was unavailable for interview.
An internal document from the Cruz super PACs suggests they did not originally intend to wait so long to go on air. A PowerPoint presentation appealing to donors, posted on the group’s website over the summer and since taken offline, said that Keep the Promise would roll “out a positive campaign in key primary states around the first debate.”
That never happened.
The same presentation warned that “television rates start to skyrocket in December making it impossible for candidates to define themselves and their views so therefore are defined by the Media.”
Cruz’s campaign has tried to send signals to the super PACs in the hopes that they would air ads to introduce Cruz to the electorate. Over the summer, the campaign posted on YouTube hours of unedited, glowing testimonials from Cruz’s family telling soft-focus stories about a senator known mostly for his stridency. It amounted to a public plea for the super PACs to use the footage. Yet no such ads have aired.
“If they don’t, we will,” another Cruz official said of using the footage in introductory ads. “We’re going to tell some of those stories, not just the footage that we put out but footage that we shot here recently. We’re going to tell that story.”
Conway said they had looked into using the video clips – “I love that footage,” she said – but ran into legal issues. In an era in which numerous campaigns are driving aggressively through loopholes in campaign-finance law, the lawyers at least Cruz’s super PAC tapped the brakes. Larry Levy, an attorney for Keep the Promise I, said he believed repackaging clips produced by the campaign would amount to a violation.
“Taking that material and turning it into pro-Cruz ads seemed to me, as my judgment as a lawyer, would be an improper use of campaign resources and any ad we made out of it would constitute an improper contribution to the Cruz campaign,” Levy said. “I admit I am a lawyer who does not recommend dancing over the line,” he added.
Cruz himself was hands-off about his outside support. “I can genuinely answer I have no idea what the super PAC is going to do or what their strategy is,” Cruz told POLITICO a week ago. “That is the nature of this idiotic system we have under federal law.”
As for his own campaign spending plans, Cruz likened it to the Mel Gibson movie scene “where the other army is advancing and they keep saying ‘Hold, hold, hold.’ We are saving our resources very deliberately to use where they have the maximum impact.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/ted-cruz-silent-super-pacs-2016-215422#ixzz3qM4eQz1N
-
Cruz moves into third in Iowa polls
By Jesse Byrnes
November 02, 2015
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/cruzted_012415getty_0.jpg?itok=O5LGAYE4)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has edged his way into third in the early voting state of Iowa, according to two new polls released Monday.
Ben Carson and Donald Trump continue to lead the crowded Republican field in the Hawkeye State, with 28 and 20 percent, respectively, in the KBUR/Monmouth poll.
Cruz snags 15 percent support in the poll, with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) following at 10 percent and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 9 percent.
A separate poll of Iowa released Monday by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling also found Cruz in third place behind Trump and Carson, with 14 percent support.
Cruz and Rubio have battled for third place in a series of polls in the state recently. Both received positive ratings after the GOP debate last week in Colorado aired by CNBC.
But Cruz had perhaps the most memorable moment of the debate when he attacked the CNBC moderators for trying to turn the contest into a "cage match."
The questions, he said, “illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media.”
Cruz was among several Republicans in Iowa over the weekend attending an annual pheasant-hunting fundraiser hosted by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). Rubio also held campaign events in the state over the weekend.
The latest poll finds Carly Fiorina at 4 percent in Iowa and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) each at 2 percent.
The survey of 874 likely Republican caucus-goers was conducted immediately after last week's debate Oct. 29-31 via landlines and cellphones with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/258867-cruz-moves-into-third-in-iowa-poll
-
Cruz or lose.
anyone supporting trump or carson is a lib in sheeps clothing. Carson registered to be a republican in Oct of last year.
-
Just remarkable what he has done in such a short period of time with no political experience and without the name recognition or money of someone like Trump.
NBC/WSJ Poll: Carson Surges Into Lead of National GOP Race
by Mark Murray
Nov 2 2015
Ben Carson has surged into the lead of the Republican presidential race, getting support from 29 percent of GOP primary voters, according to a brand-new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
That's the highest percentage any GOP candidate has obtained so far in the survey.
Carson's 29 percent is followed by Donald Trump at 23 percent, Marco Rubio at 11 percent, Ted Cruz at 10 percent and Jeb Bush at 8 percent. These findings are similar to a New York Times/CBS poll released last week, which also showed Carson in first place in the national GOP contest.
If past polling has been about Trump leading the GOP field, "then this survey is about Dr. Ben Carson, who is currently the man to beat for the Republicans," says Democratic pollster Fred Yang, whose firm Hart Research Associates conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff.
The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted Oct. 25-29, so before and after last week's third Republican presidential debate hosted by CNBC.
Earlier in October — before that debate — Trump was ahead the GOP at 25 percent (then the high-water mark for any Republican candidate in the poll), Carson was at 22 percent, Rubio at 13 percent, Cruz at 9 percent and Bush at 8 percent.
In addition to leading the GOP field, Carson also becomes the first GOP candidate in the NBC/WSJ poll to get majority support as either a first or second choice among GOP primary voters.
A combined 50 percent of Republican voters pick Carson as either their first or second choice in the GOP presidential race — followed by 35 percent for Trump, 24 percent for Rubio and 23 percent for Cruz.
Carson "has broad support, but we don't know yet the depth and commitment of that support," Yang says.
"It doesn't mean it is enduring," but it's still noteworthy that a majority of Republicans pick Carson as either their first or second choice, adds GOP pollster McInturff.
And while there's still plenty of time for an establishment GOP candidate to beat Carson or Trump, Democratic pollster Peter Hart wonders if the 2016 Republican race is shaping up to resemble 1964, when Barry Goldwater won the GOP nomination.
"What if the cake is baked?" Hart asks. "This is not a status-quo electorate."
This NBC/WSJ poll was conducted (by telephone and cell phone) Oct 25-29 of 400 GOP primary voters, and it has a margin of error of plus-minus 4.9 percentage points.
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/nbc-wsj-poll-carson-surges-lead-national-gop-race-n456006
-
Just remarkable what he has done in such a short period of time with no political experience and without the name recognition or money of someone like Trump.
He brags about attempting to murder people, and he claims the earth is only 6000 years old.
The dude is LITERALLY a wet dream for the angry religious right.
-
What a mess. Just a minute or two in an interview is all it would take to make Carson look like a disastrous liar, so he's getting a big pass.
All done in an attempt to get Hillary into the WH. So this is about as fortunate as it gets for Carson.
-
He brags about attempting to murder people, and he claims the earth is only 6000 years old.
The dude is LITERALLY a wet dream for the angry religious right.
::)
-
What a mess. Just a minute or two in an interview is all it would take to make Carson look like a disastrous liar, so he's getting a big pass.
All done in an attempt to get Hillary into the WH. So this is about as fortunate as it gets for Carson.
Aside from Trump who still a sideshow IMO, several of the candidates are doing pretty well, including Carson, Cruz, Rubio, and Christie.
-
Aside from Trump who still a sideshow IMO, several of the candidates are doing pretty well, including Carson, Cruz, Rubio, and Christie.
Go for Carson or Christie the other 2 doesnt bother showing up for work.
-
Go for Carson or Christie the other 2 doesnt bother showing up for work.
Well I guess you won't get to fake vote for them?
-
‘Pawn Stars’ host: Backing Rubio has hurt me
By Mark Hensch
October 30, 2015
"Pawn Stars" host Rick Harrison said Friday that he has alienated certain viewers by backing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for the presidency in 2016.
“When you endorse a Republican, everyone sort of frowns on you,” the reality television personality said, according to CNN.
“I don’t know why, but hey,” Harrison said. "I suddenly became famous, and I was the one willing to throw my career away to endorse a Republican.”
Harrison added that he as more privately backed Republicans in the past.
He argued Friday he could not stay silent about Rubio’s campaign because of the Florida lawmaker’s background and everyman appeal.
“I was deeply impressed,” Harrison said of his first meeting with Rubio in Las Vegas.
“It was the first time I sat down with a politician that long and it wasn’t, ‘the party, the party, the party,’ ” he said. "All he was talking about was people. Quite frankly, I’ve never had a politician talk like that."
Harrison then contrasted Rubio’s circumstances growing up with those of Donald Trump, the GOP’s presidential front-runner.
“His dad was a bartender at a bowling alley and his mom was a maid at a casino here in town,” he said of Rubio’s past.
“When someone mentions living paycheck to paycheck, he goes, ‘Yeah, I was raised that way,' ” Harrison said. “I think if you have a leader, you need someone who has experienced what people are experiencing.”
Harrison additionally criticized Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton for lacking any true foreign policy accomplishments.
“I can’t really think of anything she did,” he said of the former secretary of State.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/258655-pawn-stars-host-backing-rubio-has-hurt-me
He got exactly what he asked for. Serves him right. Pick one thing and do that, or don't bitch about it.
-
Aside from Trump who still a sideshow IMO, several of the candidates are doing pretty well, including Carson, Cruz, Rubio, and Christie.
But you've said, before, that you're sure his personality causes him to want the job.
How do you explain that he doesn't seem to be trying?
-
But you've said, before, that you're sure his personality causes him to want the job.
How do you explain that he doesn't seem to be trying?
I don't recall saying Trump's personality causes him to want the job. Not even sure what that means. I think it's his ego and desire to improve his brand. It's about money.
-
Aside from Trump who still a sideshow IMO, several of the candidates are doing pretty well, including Carson, Cruz, Rubio, and Christie.
carson is a sideshow too. Finally gets the #1 slot. Has been on book tour since Oct 2nd lol. hasn't done a campaign event since oct 2nd. Quietly started that break without mentioning it, now he's in florida selling books to elderly who sing him church songs and buy crates of it.
he doesn't want to battle hilary. He wants to get a FOX news show by summer.
-
I don't recall saying Trump's personality causes him to want the job. Not even sure what that means. I think it's his ego and desire to improve his brand. It's about money.
Would you say he wants to avoid having that accomplishment?
-
carson is a sideshow too. Finally gets the #1 slot. Has been on book tour since Oct 2nd lol. hasn't done a campaign event since oct 2nd. Quietly started that break without mentioning it, now he's in florida selling books to elderly who sing him church songs and buy crates of it.
he doesn't want to battle hilary. He wants to get a FOX news show by summer.
Wow. You mean he did exactly what he said he was going to do? How awful.
-
Would you say he wants to avoid having that accomplishment?
? You're asking me if Trump wants to avoid making money?
-
? You're asking me if Trump wants to avoid making money?
No. The accomplishment of being President.
-
You've said before he'd love to have it.
I'm just trying to figure what he's up to, is all.
-
You've said before he'd love to have it.
I'm just trying to figure what he's up to, is all.
No I didn't. I said the opposite. He doesn't want to actually have to put in the work required to be president. I've always maintained he will eventually quit.
-
No I didn't. I said the opposite. He doesn't want to actually have to put in the work required to be president. I've always maintained he will eventually quit.
Meaning that you've said he doesn't want it?
-
Meaning that you've said he doesn't want it?
I think it's a little more complex than that. I think he would love to be president, but would not want to actually put in the day-to-day work required to be president. Sort of like our current president.
-
I think it's a little more complex than that. I think he would love to be president, but would not want to actually put in the day-to-day work required to be president. Sort of like our current president.
The work required to become president, or to be president?
-
The work required to become president, or to be president?
Both. If you listen to his comments (or better yet read them), he talks a lot without actually saying anything. For example, I heard him say this morning that he will eliminate all of our trade deficits with several foreign countries. No specifics. He doesn't get into details. Too much work.
Same with actually being president, where you have to do things like attend your daily intelligence briefings, something President Obama fails to do on a regular basis. No way does Trump actually want to work the long hours required to be a good president.
-
Both. If you listen to his comments (or better yet read them), he talks a lot without actually saying anything. For example, I heard him say this morning that he will eliminate all of our trade deficits with several foreign countries. No specifics. He doesn't get into details. Too much work.
Same with actually being president, where you have to do things like attend your daily intelligence briefings, something President Obama fails to do on a regular basis. No way does Trump actually want to work the long hours required to be a good president.
But he could have other people do most of it for him, which I'm sure he's no stranger to doing.
Know something, though? Maybe he's afraid of failing. It could explain everything. If he simply doesn't take it, then it is other peoples' "fault" (others "failed" to put him in). If he does take it, though, then everything is on him at that point.
So maybe his ego is causing him to want to lose, rather than to win (the polar opposite of what we'd expect, so the reason for all the uncertainty).
-
But he could have other people do most of it for him, which I'm sure he's no stranger to doing.
Know something, though? Maybe he's afraid of failing. It could explain everything. If he simply doesn't take it, then it is other peoples' "fault" (others "failed" to put him in). If he does take it, though, then everything is on him at that point.
So maybe his ego is causing him to want to lose, rather than to win (the polar opposite of what we'd expect, so the reason for all the uncertainty).
Perhaps. We'll likely never know for sure. I still say he quits. As his poll numbers slide and he fails to win primaries, and voters rally behind the handful of candidates left after most of them drop out, he is gone.
-
Both. If you listen to his comments (or better yet read them), he talks a lot without actually saying anything. For example, I heard him say this morning that he will eliminate all of our trade deficits with several foreign countries. No specifics. He doesn't get into details. Too much work.
LOL - dude, this is EXACTLY what carson does too.
when told 'but conservative economists say your 10% title wouldn't work", he simply told chuck toad
yes, it will, we are working on that"
-
LOL - dude, this is EXACTLY what carson does too.
when told 'but conservative economists say your 10% title wouldn't work", he simply told chuck toad
yes, it will, we are working on that"
Do you ever tell the truth? During the debate he said it was 15 percent for individuals and higher for businesses.
-
Do you ever tell the truth? During the debate he said it was 15 percent for individuals and higher for businesses.
I'm glad he flipflopped once again.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/11/presidential-hopeful-ben-carson-bases-10-tax-plan-on-biblical-tithing
-
Do you ever tell the truth? During the debate he said it was 15 percent for individuals and higher for businesses.
More specifically, he said that he originally based on proposal on the Biblical tithing principles. Because our fiscal policy is so great that we should be looking to long-dead sheep-herders and fire-conjurers for ideas.
-
More specifically, he said that he originally based on proposal on the Biblical tithing principles. Because our fiscal policy is so great that we should be looking to long-dead sheep-herders and fire-conjurers for ideas.
he said 10% for a very long time.
he magically changed it to 15% once conservative economists started calling him on it.
Nothing like magically raising taxes 5% in a month. LOL he's a democrat!
-
More specifically, he said that he originally based on proposal on the Biblical tithing principles. Because our fiscal policy is so great that we should be looking to long-dead sheep-herders and fire-conjurers for ideas.
Works for me. Don't knock it till you try it. :)
-
Why voters like Ben Carson
By Chris Stirewalt
Published November 04, 2015
FoxNews.com
Why is Ben Carson the single most popular candidate running for president in either party?
As Carson moves into a tie with Donald Trump in the latest Quinnipiac University national Republican primary poll, the retired neurosurgeon is blowing the doors off every candidate – including Hillary Clinton – when it comes to the general electorate.
Carson runs better against Clinton than any GOP contender in hypothetical general election matchup, romping to a 10-point lead. Among the three other top-tier GOP candidates, Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz both defeated Clinton by 5 points and 3 points respectively while Trump trails Clinton by 3 points.
We’re still almost a year out from Election Day, so these matchups are meaningless as predictive properties. But they do reveal the depth of Clinton’s predicament and the remarkable height Carson is obtaining.
Among both general election voters and Republicans, Carson and Rubio are the best liked candidates, though Carly Fiorina also shows appeal in her party and with all voters. But consider this: Carson has a favorability score 34 points higher than Clinton’s.
Americans might vote for a candidate they do not like. Americans might even vote for a candidate they do not trust, but Democrats ought to be more than a little seasick at the thought that their presumptive nominee is 10 points underwater with the national electorate on favorability and 24 points (!) underwater on honesty.
But again, why is Carson the most popular candidate in the country?
To get your answer, consider the least liked candidate in either party: Jeb Bush.
Bush, who has a net favorability rating of negative 33 points, has made personal attacks a hallmark of late. He first attacked Trump, who is the ne plus ultra of character attackers. But Bush has most recently been attacking the character of his onetime protégé, Rubio.
Bush’s attacks on Trump have sometimes been issue-based, but with Rubio, Bush attacks his younger rival as unfit and unready for office, comparing him to President Obama.
That’s not Ronald Reagan hitting Gerald Ford on the Panama Canal or Mitt Romney clubbing Rick Perry over Social Security. This is personal, more in the vein of the hits Romney took from rivals Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum for Romney’s work at Bain Capital, attacks that teed up the ball for Obama in the general election.
Attacks cost favorability for both the attacked and the attacker. It’s like an intentional foul in a football game. It’s only worth the penalty of it keeps the other team from scoring and keeps you in the game.
Trump’s persistent personal attacks have been part of what has left him unable to expand his reach within his party. Bush’s attacks have proven even more costly. He fell 26 points on favorability with the general electorate since Quinnipiac’s September poll and 38 percent just among Republicans.
Team Bush is looking to reboot, but with Bush loyalists pushing hard on Rubio’s spotty personal financial past – one Bush loyalist emailed today calling for Rubio to release a decade of his credit scores – it seems clear that the personal attacks will persist.
Carson’s opponents have mostly avoided attacking him, except, of course, Trump, a move which has plainly backfired. Attacking Carson, a kindly, Christian man with an inspiring life story, is hard to do.
And Carson goes to great pains to avoid saying unkind things about his rivals. Like Cruz and Rubio, Carson looks for ways to praise rather than blame his fellow Republicans. And voters reward them.
The lesson: If you want to fight your intra-party foes, do it on substance not character.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/11/04/why-voters-like-ben-carson/?intcmp=hplnws
-
"The lesson: If you want to fight your intra-party foes, do it on substance not character."
LOL. Carson is about the most ANTI-SUBSTANCE candidate in the race.
The earth is only 6000 years old. Noahs ark > modern ships. Stabbing lies. Robbery lies. Lies about endorsements. Suspending campaign to sell books.
Christie's anti drug speech today was actually pretty decent. Rubio's plan for amnesy is substance, even if I disagree with it. Carson = substance? Delustional.
-
Rubio gets second Senate endorsement
By Jesse Byrnes
November 03, 2015
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/marcorubio_022715gn.jpg?itok=8ABurOZw)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is picking up his second endorsement for president from a fellow senator in as many days.
"I'm endorsing Marco Rubio for President," said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) in a statement on Tuesday.
"Marco represents the next generation of conservative leadership and is a leader who will inspire and unite our country."
Rubio's first Senate endorsement came from Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) on Monday, who cast him as someone "who is looking forward toward the future, not looking back at the past."
Both Daines and Gardner are freshmen senators, who took office this year.
The endorsement from Daines, which was first reported by The Huffington Post, and Gardner's advocacy come after Rubio's lauded performance in the third GOP debate last week.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/259007-rubios-picks-up-second-senator-endorsement
-
11 Reasons Marco Rubio Is Rising So Fast
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=39a629ac-05f4-48b6-98c8-cae17be5cb50&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: 11 Reasons Marco Rubio Is Rising So Fast Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, speaks at the Growth and Opportunity Party, at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, October 31, 2015. (Steve Pope/Getty Images)
By Nick Sanchez
Thursday, 05 Nov 2015
Marco Rubio, the 44-year-old U.S. senator from Florida, rose to third place in the Republican presidential primary race this week, making him the top-polling candidate with experience in an elected-office.
As Rubio seeks to overtake Ben Carson and Donald Trump — the so-called "outsider" candidates — Newsmax has gathered below 11 reasons why he has a good chance of doing so.
1. He KO'd Jeb Bush in the debate — Rubio has turned in solid performances at all three Republican primary debates, but his shining moment came during last week's debate in Colorado, when he deflected an attack from his one-time mentor, Jeb Bush, and hit back with a knockout punch. Bush went after Rubio's senatorial attendance record, telling him, "you should be showing up to work." In response, Rubio said, "You know how many votes John McCain missed when he was carrying out that furious comeback that you're now modeling [your campaign] after? . . . I don't remember you ever complaining about John McCain's vote record. The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you."
2. He fights back against the liberal mainstream media — During the Colorado debate, Rubio took a cue from fellow Sen. Ted Cruz in attacking the biased debate moderators rolled out by CNBC, as well as the rest of the liberal media. "I know the Democrats have the ultimate Super PAC. It's called the mainstream media," he said, winning loud applause.
3. He's a talker and a doer — "Jeb Bush explains his debate performances by saying he’s a doer, not a talker. But how is it possible that someone operating at the highest level of American politics could go into these debates without committing to memory four or five set pieces about the core ideas of his candidacy? They’re only 60-seconds long. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have done that. He hasn’t. He’s falling; they’re rising," said Daniel Henninger in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.
4. He's seen as a real threat by other candidates — After post-debate polling showed Rubio on the rise, his rivals turned their attention toward him, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him. "During a news conference Tuesday in Manhattan, Trump called Rubio 'overrated,' accused him of being 'a disaster with his credit cards' and attacked him as 'very weak' on immigration. At the same time, Bush . . . has disparagingly labeled Rubio as a 'GOP Obama,'" The Washington Post wrote on Monday. While attacks can hurt candidates, they can also give them free publicity. Moreover, if the attack is successfully parried — as was Bush's attack during the debate — it can backfire, and end up strengthening them.
5. He gets the pundits chattering — "Immigration hawks such as Laura Ingraham, Michelle Malkin, and Ann Coulter appear unlikely to ever give Rubio a second chance," The Hill wrote on Wednesday. "Others, such as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Glenn Beck, appear enthused by Rubio’s political skills and ready to reconsider him." With Rubio's name now in the top three spots, he has the opportunity to convince his skeptics that he's the man for the job. Once the pundits are reconsidering him, so will the primary voter base.
6. His endorsements are growing — "This week, Marco Rubio has shown signs of momentum, picking up endorsements from three fellow senators, including one today from Sen. James E. Risch of Idaho," FiveThirtyEight wrote Tuesday. "In contrast to Bush’s three endorsement points since Labor Day, Rubio has received 22 — by far the most of any Republican candidate over that span." The publication also shared a graph on Twitter to illustrate Rubio's upswing in endorsements.
7. Influential billionaire Paul Singer is on his side — According to The New York Times, "One of the wealthiest and most influential Republican donors in the country is throwing his support to Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a decision that could swing millions of dollars in contributions behind Mr. Rubio at a critical point in the Republican nominating battle . . . Singer, who gave more money to Republican candidates and causes last year than any donor in the country, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, is courted by Republicans both for the depth of his own pockets and for his wide network of other conservative givers."
8. He is young but experienced — Unlike much of the Republican field and all of the Democratic field — where the candidates are all over 65 — Rubio is seen by many as a fresh-faced candidate with the energy to lead the country for eight years. While he is young, he also has the experience, having served four terms in the Florida legislature, including as speaker of the House, majority leader, and majority whip.
9. He embodies the American dream — While candidates like Donald Trump and Jeb Bush were born to wealthy families, Marco Rubio was born in Miami to poor Cuban parents who had fled the deadly rise of Fidel Castro. Through hard work, Rubio has risen to the top of American politics at a relatively young age, and his story resonates with a great many voters.
10. He can win the Hispanic vote — As a Miami native who speaks fluent Spanish, Rubio stands a good chance of peeling away Hispanic voters that the Democrats have come to rely on in past elections.
11. He is a true conservative — Rubio earned a perfect "100" rating from the American Conservative Union, and has been called the "crown prince" of the Tea Party movement by publications like The Washington Post.
http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/marco-rubio-rising-fast-polls/2015/11/05/id/700719/#ixzz3qeDdPqZv
-
Rubio is a lazy bum.
Rubio, 99 votes missed;
Lindsey Graham, 79;
Ted Cruz, 70;
Rand Paul, 14;
Bernie Sanders, 10;
How can you support this?
-
I would swap Christi with Rand. Too bad Fat Man didn't poll high enough.
GOP candidate line-up announced for Fox Business Network/WSJ debate
Published November 06, 2015
FoxNews.com
Fox Business Network on Thursday announced the candidate line-up for the Nov. 10 Republican presidential debates.
The candidates qualifying for the prime-time, 9 p.m. ET debate are:
Billionaire businessman Donald Trump; retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; former HP CEO Carly Fiorina; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
The candidates qualifying for the earlier, 7 p.m. ET debate are:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
The criteria were different than for past debates. In a change, Christie and Huckabee did not qualify for the prime-time event, while former New York Gov. George Pataki and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham did not qualify for either; neither did ex-Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.
Christie brushed it off on Twitter, saying: "It doesn't matter the stage, give me a podium and I'll be there to talk about real issues."
To qualify for the prime-time debate, a candidate had to score 2.5 percent or higher in an average of the four most recent national polls. Candidates scoring under that had to receive at least 1 percent support in at least one of the four most recent national polls to qualify for the 7 p.m. debate.
The four polls used were conducted by: Fox News; Investor’s Business Daily/TIPP; Quinnipiac University; and The Wall Street Journal/NBC News.
The candidates head into the next debate at a time when Trump and Carson are battling for the lead in most polls.
While several recent state and national surveys have shown Carson climbing into the top spot, the latest Fox News poll released Wednesday showed Trump with the edge, 26-23 percent.
The next tier in that poll included just two candidates: Cruz and Rubio, with 11 percent each.
Bush, Huckabee, Kasich and Paul registered with 4 percent.
Pataki called debate organizers' reliance on national polls "a disservice to voters everywhere" and "a clear boost to the worship of celebrity over accomplishment and ideas."
"The voters — not networks driven by ratings or national polls that are statistically irrelevant — should decide our next president," he said after Fox Business Network announced the lineup.
The Fox Business Network debate, presented in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, will focus on jobs, taxes and the economy, as well as other issues. It will be held at the Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee, Wis.
FBN and Fox News Channel announced Thursday that cable and satellite providers have joined to make the debate available to all their subscribers.
DIRECTV, Suddenlink, Mediacom, Frontier, Wide Open West, and Cable One, and some National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) companies, plan to “unbundle” FBN so all subscribers can watch it during the debate. The debate can also be viewed at FoxBusiness.com and FoxNews.com.
The two debates start at 7 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET.
The race of late has been marked by sparring among Trump and several other candidates. Earlier this week, he challenged Carson over his readiness for office, saying “Ben can’t do the job.”
Overnight, Carson posted a lengthy defense on Facebook in response to those questioning his political inexperience.
"You are absolutely right -- I have no political experience," Carson wrote. "The current Members of Congress have a combined 8,700 years of political experience. Are we sure political experience is what we need."
He, instead, pointed to his lifetime of experience in medicine and other fields, and drew a sharp contrast between that and Trump’s business experience. In a rare jab at a primary rival, the retired pediatric neurosurgeon said he wouldn't trade his experience treating children for "Trump's money."
Trump and Rubio also have sparred in recent days, as Rubio has surged past former front-runner Bush in the polls. Trump has described Rubio’s handling of his personal finances and credit cards as a “disaster.”
Rubio, who faced ethics questions as Florida’s House speaker for using his state GOP charge card for personal reasons, has always maintained he repaid his personal expenses. Rubio answered Trump’s criticism by saying his rival “always gets weird when his poll numbers get a little down.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/11/06/gop-candidate-line-up-announced-for-fox-business-networkwsj-debate/?intcmp=hpbt2
-
I would swap Christi with Rand. Too bad Fat Man didn't poll high enough.
Christie has been the most Presidential of the bunch, for the past 2 weeks. Somber, serious, dignified and gravitas... probably too little, too late.
-
Christie has been the most Presidential of the bunch, for the past 2 weeks. Somber, serious, dignified and gravitas... probably too little, too late.
::)
-
Great commentary.
Sorry, Media, You Won’t Destroy Ben Carson
by DAVID FRENCH
November 6, 2015
Let’s begin with two propositions: There is a difference between an admirable man and a perfect man, and there is a difference between “vetting” and viciousness. The collective goal of the liberal media is now clear — to take one of America’s most admired and brilliant men and somehow transform him into a dishonest, stupid extremist. The vetting of Ben Carson has become vicious, and to what end? An admirable man has been exposed as imperfect.
The first round of attacks, focusing on Carson’s alleged extremism, failed utterly. Under fire — for claiming that it would be better if victims rushed mass shooters rather than hiding, for asserting that Hitler would have been less likely to accomplish his aims if the German people had been armed, and for comparing the debate over abortion to the debate over slavery — Carson refused to back down. A conservative public, wearily familiar with politicians kowtowing to media-generated outrage, took notice.
Rather than deal directly with Carson’s statements, the media twisted his words, scurrilously asserting that he was “blaming the victims” of school shootings and claiming that German Jews alone could have stopped the Holocaust (when he’d plainly referred to the “German people,” not just German Jews). As for the abortion–slavery comparison, even Vox noted that conservatives have been making that argument for decades. The comparison is controversial, certainly, but hardly “extreme.”
While the media no doubt still believe Carson to be extreme, they quickly learned that their attacks only increased his popularity with a PC-averse conservative public. In the midst of these fake “controversies,” he shot to the top of Republican polls, where he now (slightly) edges out Donald Trump in the RealClearPolitics average.
If he’s not extreme, is he stupid? Left-wing websites have great fun mocking Carson’s skepticism of the theory of evolution, his idle speculations regarding the purpose of the pyramids, and his thoughts on climate change and the debt limit. Yet this line of attack is fruitless. Carson may not be as fluent in public policy as the professional politicians who’ve been debating these issues for years, but his résumé is decisive evidence of his intelligence. Carson didn’t say that he applied, only that he’d been offered a ‘full scholarship.’ How can he ‘fabricate’ a claim he never made?
If he’s not extreme or stupid, is he dishonest? Is it possible that a man known for his rags-to-riches life story, his generosity, his humility, and his deep and lasting concern for the poor has a character problem? After all, in Carson’s famous autobiography, Gifted Hands, he said that he’d been offered a “full scholarship” to West Point. Politico says that Carson now admits that story was “fabricated.” Their proof? He never applied to West Point. But Carson didn’t say that he applied, only that he’d been offered a “full scholarship.” How can he “fabricate” a claim he never made?
Carson’s campaign manager says that Carson was introduced to “folks from West Point by his ROTC supervisors. . . . They told him they could help him get an appointment based on his grades and performance in ROTC.” What, exactly, is the story here? If it’s simply that he should have described military officials’ expressions of enthusiasm with more precision, then this is truly a tempest in a teapot.
His account, in fact, resonates with my own experience. Many years ago I was “offered” an ROTC scholarship before I even applied. After speaking with officers familiar with my academic record, they told me I would receive a full academic scholarship, and that the application was a mere formality. My teenage self certainly took their statements as an “offer,” and I wouldn’t have applied without their word. (I filled out the forms and was formally accepted, but declined in favor of a better scholarship elsewhere.)
At the same time, CNN’s effort to call into question Carson’s story about his childhood anger issues is both weak and malicious. The network interviewed ten people from his neighborhood about 50-year-old incidents that Carson claims they never witnessed, and now peddle a story raising doubts about claims in Carson’s biography. What? Is it now the case that CNN can interview ten people about decades-old life events that didn’t happen to them and now breathlessly proclaim a “scoop.”
Hovering over the feeding frenzy is the absurd media spectacle of mainstream reporters claiming they’re merely “doing their job” by diving into 50-year-old details of Ben Carson’s childhood. The same reporters who were not just incurious about the details of Barack Obama’s background in 2008 but actively hostile to those who asked reasonable questions about his relationship with admitted domestic terrorist Bill Ayers and his years of religious instruction from Jeremiah “God Damn America” Wright.
At the end of the day, what are we left with? An admirable though imperfect man who rose from abject poverty to the pinnacle of one of the most challenging professions in the nation — all while never forgetting his roots, maintaining grace and humility even as he earned riches and honors. In fact, his life story — and his character — would make him one of the most inspiring Americans ever to occupy the Oval Office. But he’s a direct threat not just to leftist narratives regarding race and class but also to the leftist stranglehold on the black vote. And for that reason alone he must be destroyed.
A “high-tech lynching” is again underway, but if recent history is any guide, the Left’s attempt to strike down Carson will only make him stronger. The media can launch its attacks, but it cannot change the fundamental facts: Ben Carson is a good and decent man, an American hero.
— David French is an attorney and a staff writer at National Review.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/426728/ben-carson-liberal-media-victim?rURzuzIX7ViiLD6t.01
-
Poll: Trump, Carson in virtual tie in South Carolina
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS
November 9, 2015
Donald Trump and Ben Carson are neck and neck in the key early voting state of South Carolina, according to a Monmouth University poll released Monday.
The poll found 28 percent of likely GOP primary voters said they would back Carson while 27 percent said they would support Trump in the primary scheduled in February.
Eleven percent of likely primary voters said they would support Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida, 9 percent would back Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas, and 7 percent would support former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
A recent CBS News Battleground Tracker poll found Trump led Carson in South Carolina 40 percent to 23 percent.
None of the other 10 candidates, however, scored higher than 2 percent in the Monmouth University poll.
Since Monmouth's last poll in South Carolina from August, Carson has nearly doubled his support while Trump's support has remained relatively stable. Rubio's support has increased by 5 percentage points and support for Cruz has gone up by 4 percentage points. Meanwhile, Bush's support has dropped by 2 percentage points.
Seventeen percent of likely primary voters said they are completed decided on which candidate to vote for while 39 percent said they have a strong preference but could consider others. Twenty percent said they're completely undecided.
In a hypothetical contest that excludes Trump, Carson, Cruz and Carly Fiorina, Rubio leads the GOP pack with 32 percent support.
The survey also found Carson has improved his support across the ideological spectrum since August. He also leads Trump 33 percent to 24 percent among evangelical Christians and leads the field among voters under the age of 50 38 percent to 24 percent compared to Trump.
More than three-quarters gave Carson a favorable rating and 12 percent viewed him unfavorably. Sixty-two percent gave Rubio a favorable rating and 18 percent said they viewed him unfavorably. Fifty-eight percent gave Trump a favorable rating and 29 percent said they viewed him unfavorably.
The survey polled 401 South Carolina voters likely to vote in the GOP primary from November 5 to November 8 with a 4.9 percentage point margin of error.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-trump-carson-in-virtual-tie-in-south-carolina/
-
Great commentary.
Sorry, Media, You Won’t Destroy Ben Carson
DE,
do you think carson is still the frontrunner by thanksgiving?
-
DE,
do you think carson is still the frontrunner by thanksgiving?
I have no idea. And I don't think there is a clear frontrunner anyway.
-
I have no idea. And I don't think there is a clear frontrunner anyway.
Oh, last week, many former clinton voting Republicans were doing a dance, saying Carson had finally toppled the trump empire.
They know carson is a liar - many won't even deny it - but they just want hilary to lose so badly, they'd probably write-in "Stalin" if it meant keeping her out of the white house.
-
Oh, last week, many former clinton voting Republicans were doing a dance, saying Carson had finally toppled the trump empire.
They know carson is a liar - many won't even deny it - but they just want hilary to lose so badly, they'd probably write-in "Stalin" if it meant keeping her out of the white house.
::)
(http://6dollarshirts.com/tt/det/06-03-2012_Screw_Ball_T_SHIRT_det.jpg)
-
attacking the messenger. kinda like carson. par for course.
-
McClatchy Poll: Carson Still Leads Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=ab67f9d5-8dad-4521-abea-3fd0169596e6&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: McClatchy Poll: Carson Still Leads Trump
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Tuesday, 10 Nov 2015
Ben Carson is leading Donald Trump by a narrow 24 to 23 percent lead, a new McClatchy/Marist poll shows, but for him, and Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, the best news may be that the more people hear about them, the more they like them.
The new poll numbers show:
Carson: 24 percent
Trump: 23 percent
Rubio: 12 percent
Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: 8 percent.
"It's huge," Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducts the survey, said about voters' early impressions. "This is an electorate unusually attentive that's watching these debates."
Carson's likeability ratings among people who have heard more about him have climbed to 67 percent. Other winners, according to that criteria, show:
67 percent for Carson
58 percent like Rubio,
51 percent like Cruz.
But growing familiarity isn't playing as well for others, with lower favorability ratings for:
Trump: 44 percent
Jeb Bush: 32 percent
Carly Fiorina: 46 percent
In fact, Bush tops the category of "the more I hear, the less I like," with 58 percent, followed by Trump at 49 percent, which drove their overall favorability ratings down.
Cruz is a favorite among very conservative voters, the poll shows, gaining a 64-22 percent rating from conservatives and 66-20 percent from tea party movement voters after they'd heard more about him.
Those constituents also like Carson, even though he is doing well among all Republicans as well.
Meanwhile, Republicans said Trump has the best chance of beating a Democrat next year, but more than a third said they do not want him to get the nomination, topping the list of candidates voters definitely do not want to see on the general election ballot:
Trump, 37 percent;
Bush, 32 percent;
Fiorina, 13 percent;
Rubio and Cruz, 6 percent;
Carson, 3 percent.
However, the report said that Trump's numbers in that category may have been increased by several groups that may turn out to vote in GOP primaries when they are held, including "soft" Republicans, moderates, and non-tea party supporters.
Bush's problems started during his debate showings, according to Miringoff, when "he came with the expectation he was the smart Bush [but] that’s not what he’s showing.”
Meanwhile, the poll found Carson to be the strongest general election candidate to defeat presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but still two percent more believed she'd win:
Clinton over Carson, 2 points;
Over Rubio by 5;
Over Bush by 8;
Over Cruz or Fiorina by 10;
Over Trump by 15.
The poll though, found voters think that Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders could lose to Carson by two percentage point but Sanders would defeat the others:
Rubio by 3;
Bush by 10;
Cruz or Trump by 12;
and Fiorina by 14.
Fiorina also fared poorly among female voters in a matchup to Clinton, the poll showed, losing women voters to her by 20 percentage points.
She'd also lose women to Rubio or Carson, by 12 points and Bush or Cruz, down by 15 points. Only Trump would lose to more women voters, at 26 percent, the poll shows.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/carson-trump-debate/2015/11/10/id/701438/#ixzz3r6pwuivw
-
Still too early to evaluate effect of Carson.
Give it another week or so
-
Link to the Fox Business News Debate:
This was a breath of fresh air after that CNBC debacle. The moderators did a good job of asking questions about issues. The candidates didn't act like little kids for the most part, due largely to Trump behaving himself. Overall, most of them did a decent job.
Some other observations:
- Rubio was the top performer again IMO. As I’ve said earlier, with each debate I think he is separating himself from the pack as the most likely nominee.
- Cruz is very solid. Probably the smartest man on the stage.
- Carson was very good. Did an outstanding giving the media smear campaign the tiny bit of attention it deserved.
- Trump must have taken Xanax or smoked a joint or something. He was incredibly mellow. And again he talked without really saying anything.
- Fiorina was good, although I think her 15 minutes are up.
- I think Bush and Rand should have been on the undercard. I did like Rand’s emphasis on controlling spending and he was right to press Rubio on how to pay for all spending, including military spending. Other than that, he should quit and stay in the Senate.
- Did not like Kaisich. He was a bit too aggressive and sounded too much like a big government socialist at times, particularly when talking about whether we should let big banks fail.
I think the field has effectively narrowed to: Rubio, Cruz, Carson, and Trump. I wouldn't write off Bush because of the money, or Fat Man just yet. And I do not believe Trump will win.
-
it was a good debate. Carson kept ending his answers with time on the clock. doing as little damage to himself as possible, preparing for the slide he'll see in the next 2 weeks.
-
Good report by Megyn Kelly. Don't know how to imbed the video, but she gives a fair report of a pretty malicious smear campaign.
'Got Him This Time! ... Or Did They?': A Closer Look at the Media Attacks on Carson
Nov 11, 2015
As seen on The Kelly File
Megyn Kelly took a closer look at the media's attacks on Dr. Ben Carson's life story in a "Kelly File" special.
Taking us back through Carson's rise from poverty in Detroit to a renowned neurosurgeon, Kelly highlighted CNN and Politico's attempts to call his biography into question.
CNN, reporting last week that they spoke to Carson's childhood friends, suggested that Carson was not truthful when he spoke of a violent past.
The nine friends from 50 years ago could not recall Carson as being violent.
In a "Kelly File" interview last week, Carson said he once tried to stab a family member, but in his memoir, "Gifted Hands," he changed the story, instead referring to the person as a friend.
In a 1997 newspaper clipping discovered this week, his mother Sonya was found to have corroborated her son's story.
On the heels of the CNN reports, Kelly said Politico then picked up on the "deep dive" into Carson's life story, reporting that he's been lying about once being offered a scholarship to attend West Point.
The media quickly picked up on the breaking news report Friday, declaring that Carson had made up the story.
Kelly pointed out that Politico got the headline wrong, claiming originally that Carson's campaign admitted the fabrication.
Carson has stood by his claims, saying he received a verbal offer to attend West Point, but he never accepted. He clarified that there was never an offer in writing, which he had not disclosed previously.
"Politico was then forced to change its reporting, but many in the media ignored the reversal," said Kelly.
At last night's GOP debate, Carson said he welcomes the vetting process as a presidential candidate, but has a problem with the media "lying" about him and reporting it as truth.
He declared that "people who know me know that I'm an honest person."
Watch the show open above, as Kelly goes through yet another report that Carson is disputing.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/11/11/megyn-kelly-takes-closer-look-media-attacks-ben-carson
-
Translation - "Carson got a lot of things wrong, but to look at them, the libs win, so let's just look past this..."
-
Great response.
Carson Responds to Trump's Insults: 'Pray for Him'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c3ddb24f-69d3-428c-894a-44c9b8a0d112&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Carson Responds to Trump's Insults: 'Pray for Him'
Friday, 13 Nov 2015
U.S. presidential candidate Ben Carson recommended praying for rival Donald Trump after the real-estate mogul and television personality, in a 95-minute rant in Iowa, likened him to a child molester, Carson's business manager said on Friday.
"When I spoke with Dr. Carson about this yesterday how we should respond, you know he was so sad about it. He said: "Pray for him." He feels sorry for him because he really likes Mr. Trump," Armstrong Williams, who often acts as Carson's surrogate in the media, told CNN.
"To see him just imploding before our very eyes - it's just sad to watch," Williams said.
Speaking in Iowa on Thursday evening, Trump, a leading contender for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election, cast doubt on Carson's oft-reported story of lunging at someone with a hunting knife as a child, an episode that Carson says led him to his Christian faith.
"Give me a break," Trump said in a speech where he also lashed out at other Republican candidates and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. "How stupid are the people of Iowa? How stupid are the people of the country to believe that crap?"
He said the incident showed Carson had a "pathological" temper.
"If you're pathological, there's no cure for that," Trump said. "If you're a child molester, there's no cure. They can't stop you."
Another Republican candidate, Carly Fiorina, sounded off on Facebook about Trump's comments early on Friday.
"Donald, sorry, I've got to interrupt again. You would know something about pathological," she wrote. "Anyone can turn a multi-million dollar inheritance into more money, but all the money in the world won't make you as smart as Ben Carson."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/carson-trump-insults-prayer/2015/11/13/id/701973/#ixzz3rOPvyrkh
-
Great response.
Carson Responds to Trump's Insults: 'Pray for Him'
Carson has no answer for the accusations. So he 1) peddles to the base with more religion and 2) attacks trump, the messenger.
Carson IS a pathological liar. The new things about putin/college and China/Syria are outright lies. Claiming secret buddies in the CIA told him about that - now THAT borders on something scarier in his personality.
-
Trump starting to pull away from Carson in the Reuters Poll 34% to 19%
-
Trump starting to pull away from Carson in the Reuters Poll 34% to 19%
Yep. As predicted, it takes 1.5 to 2 weeks for Carson to fall based upon his lies, bizarre statements, and overall craziness.
Some repub "experts" on getbig claimed victory because he didn't fall overnight. It doesn't work that way.
-
Romney? :o
Time for GOP panic? Establishment worried Carson or Trump might win
(https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2015/11/11/National-Politics/Images/2015-11-11T173942Z_01_BKS24_RTRIDSP_3_USA-ELECTION-TRUMP.jpg)
Trump captures the nation’s attention as he campaigns
The presidential candidate and billionaire businessman leads the field of candidates in the Republican race.
By Philip Rucker and Robert Costa
November 13, 2015
Less than three months before the kickoff Iowa caucuses, there is growing anxiety bordering on panic among Republican elites about the dominance and durability of Donald Trump and Ben Carson and widespread bewilderment over how to defeat them.
Party leaders and donors fear that nominating either man would have negative ramifications for the GOP ticket up and down the ballot, virtually ensuring a Hillary Rodham Clinton presidency and increasing the odds that the Senate falls into Democratic hands.
The party establishment is paralyzed. Big money is still on the sidelines. No consensus alternative to the outsiders has emerged from the pack of governors and senators running, and there is disagreement about how to prosecute the case against them. Recent focus groups of Trump supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire commissioned by rival campaigns revealed no silver bullet.
In normal times, the way forward would be obvious. The wannabes would launch concerted campaigns, including television attack ads, against the front-runners. But even if the other candidates had a sense of what might work this year, it is unclear whether it would ultimately accrue to their benefit. Trump’s counterpunches have been withering, while Carson’s appeal to the base is spiritual, not merely political. If someone was able to do significant damage to them, there’s no telling to whom their supporters would turn, if anyone.
"How stupid are the people of Iowa?" asked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump when speaking of rival Ben Carson's popularity in the GOP race. (AP)
“The rest of the field is still wishing upon a star that Trump and Carson are going to self-destruct,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, a former adviser to 2012 nominee Mitt Romney. But, he said, “they have to be made to self-destruct. . . . Nothing has happened at this point to dislodge Trump or Carson.”
Fehrnstrom pointed out that the fourth debate passed this week without any candidate landing a blow against Trump or Carson. “We’re about to step into the holiday time accelerator,” he said. “You have Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, then Iowa and a week later, New Hampshire, and it’s going to be over in the blink of an eye.”
According to other Republicans, some in the party establishment are so desperate to change the dynamic that they are talking anew about drafting Romney — despite his insistence that he will not run again. Friends have mapped out a strategy for a late entry to pick up delegates and vie for the nomination in a convention fight, according to the Republicans who were briefed on the talks, though Romney has shown no indication of reviving his interest.
For months, the GOP professional class assumed Trump and Carson would fizzle with time. Voters would get serious, the thinking went, after seeing the outsiders share a stage with more experienced politicians at the first debate. Or when summer turned to fall, kids went back to school and parents had time to assess the candidates. Or after the second, third or fourth debates, certainly.
None of that happened, of course, leaving establishment figures disoriented. Consider Thomas H. Kean Sr., a former New Jersey governor who for most of his 80 years has been a pillar of his party. His phone is ringing daily, bringing a stream of exasperation and confusion from fellow GOP power brokers.
“People usually start off in the same way: Pollyanna-ish,” Kean said. “They assure me that Trump and Carson will eventually fade. Then we’ll talk some more, and I give them a reality check. I’ll say, ‘The guy in the grocery store likes Trump. So does the guy who cuts my hair. They’re probably going to stick with him. Who knows if this ends?’ ”
Washington Post nonfiction book critic Carlos Lozada recently binge read eight of Donald Trump’s books and five of Ben Carson’s. So which Republican presidential candidate is the better author? (Tom LeGro/The Washington Post)
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, herself an outsider who rode the tea party wave into office five years ago, explained the phenomenon.
“You have a lot of people who were told that if we got a majority in the House and a majority in the Senate, then life was gonna be great,” she said in an interview Thursday. “What you’re seeing is that people are angry. Where’s the change? Why aren’t there bills on the president’s desk every day for him to veto? They’re saying, ‘Look, what you said would happen didn’t happen, so we’re going to go with anyone who hasn’t been elected.’ ”
Before Tuesday’s debate in Milwaukee, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker had a reception at the Pfister Hotel with party leaders, donors and operatives. There was little appetite for putting a political knife in the back of either Trump or Carson, according to one person there. Rather, attendees simply hoped both outsiders would go away.
There are similar concerns about Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who is gaining steam and is loathed by party elites, but they are more muted, at least for now.
Charlie Black, who has advised presidential campaigns since the 1970s, said he believes the 2016 contest “will eventually fall into the normal pattern of one outsider and one insider, and historically the insider always wins.”
Black said he was briefed on the findings of two recent private focus groups of Trump supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire that showed these voters knew little about his policy views beyond immigration. “Things like universal health care and other more liberal positions he’s taken in the past will all get out before people vote in New Hampshire,” he said. Black said the focus groups were commissioned by two rival campaigns, but he was not authorized to identify them.
One well-funded outside group, the Club for Growth, has aired ads attacking Trump in Iowa and more recently came out against Carson as well. “Donald Trump and Doctor Ben Carson are in over their heads,” said Club for Growth President David McIntosh, labeling both candidates as “pretenders.”
Still, the party establishment’s greatest weapon — big money — is partly on the shelf. Kenneth G. Langone, a founder of Home Depot and a billionaire supporter of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said he is troubled that many associates in the New York financial community have so far refused to invest in a campaign due to the race’s volatility.
“Some of them are in, but too many are still saying, ‘I’ll wait to see how this all breaks,’ ” Langone said. “People don’t want to write checks unless they think the candidate has a chance of winning.” He said that his job as a mega-donor “is to figure out how we get people on the edge of their chairs so they start to give money.”
Many of Romney’s 2012 National Finance Committee members have sat out the race so far, including Peter A. Wish, a Florida doctor whom several 2016 candidates have courted.
“I’m not a happy camper,” Wish said. “Hopefully, somebody will emerge who will be able to do the job,” but, he added, “I’m very worried that the Republican-base voter is more motivated by anger, distrust of D.C. and politicians and will throw away the opportunity to nominate a candidate with proven experience that can win.”
The apprehension among some party elites goes beyond electability, according to one Republican strategist who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly about the worries.
“We’re potentially careening down this road of nominating somebody who frankly isn’t fit to be president in terms of the basic ability and temperament to do the job,” this strategist said. “It’s not just that it could be somebody Hillary could destroy electorally, but what if Hillary hits a banana peel and this person becomes president?”
Angst about Trump intensified this week after he made two comments that could prove damaging in a general election. First, he explained his opposition to raising the minimum wage by saying “wages are too high.” Second, he said he would create a federal “deportation force” to remove the more than 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.
“To have a leading candidate propose a new federal police force that is going to flush out illegal immigrants across the nation? That’s very disturbing and concerning to me about where that leads Republicans,” said Dick Wadhams, a former GOP chairman in Colorado, a swing state where Republicans are trying to pick up a Senate seat next year.
Said Austin Barbour, a veteran operative and fundraiser now advising former Florida governor Jeb Bush: “If we don’t have the right [nominee], we could lose the Senate, and we could face losses in the House. Those are very, very real concerns. If we’re not careful and we nominate Trump, we’re looking at a race like Barry Goldwater in 1964 or George McGovern in 1972, getting beat up across the board because of our nominee.”
George Voinovich, a retired career politician who rose from county auditor to mayor of Cleveland to governor of Ohio to U.S. senator, said this cycle has been vexing.
“This business has turned into show business,” said Voinovich, who is backing Ohio Gov. John Kasich. “We can’t afford to have somebody sitting in the White House who doesn’t have governing experience and the gravitas to move this country ahead.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/time-for-gop-panic-establishment-worried-carson-and-trump-might-win/2015/11/12/38ea88a6-895b-11e5-be8b-1ae2e4f50f76_story.html
-
Cruz is the only one I see right now that can possibly overtake Trump. It's mid November for Chrissakes and Trump still has not imploded as expected.
Immigration is one of the most, if not THE most important issue concerning the base.
It is also Rubio's Achilles heel and Trump DESTROYS Marco on that when you look at the poll numbers.
-
Cruz is the only one I see right now that can possibly overtake Trump. It's mid November for Chrissakes and Trump still has not imploded as expected.
Immigration is one of the most, if not THE most important issue concerning the base.
It is also Rubio's Achilles heel and Trump DESTROYS Marco on that when you look at the poll numbers.
Carson has already overtaken him in most polls, but I don't think Carson will be the nominee. Definitely don't think Trump will win.
I like Cruz a lot, but if you look at the total package in terms of the general election, I give the edge to Rubio.
-
Carson has already overtaken him in most polls, but I don't think Carson will be the nominee. Definitely don't think Trump will win.
I like Cruz a lot, but if you look at the total package in terms of the general election, I give the edge to Rubio.
It has to be cruz, with a small edge for rubio for appearance (even tho he stepped in shit on amnesty and hasn't achieved much in congres. Cruz did get a shutdown).
Carson and trump - they're just a 'mic in their face away' from saying something that will cost them election. Yesterday, trump is re-enacting stabbings while Carson is telling us that secret CIA friends told him about putin in college and china in syria. These two are flippant, immature, and have zero sense of situational awareness. You want to be president? You don't do undignified shit like that!
Cruz and rubio are smart - being professional, dignified, and just letting these 2 idiots carry on in the media. the problem is the 55% of the republican base that are just plain freaking morons too - they have trump and carson in 1st and 2nd place... they WANT an immature sideshow, because they're immature and low IQ/education.
-
Carson has already overtaken him in most polls, but I don't think Carson will be the nominee. Definitely don't think Trump will win.
I like Cruz a lot, but if you look at the total package in terms of the general election, I give the edge to Rubio.
The writing is all over the wall. I find myself shaking my head that he is really doing this well so deep into the game but he is.
I think his hardline anti-ISIS rhetoric will also help him in view of the recent Paris attack. And on the flip side I believe it also hurts Rubio with his perceived weak immigration stance.
42 Percent: Trump surges among likely Republican primary voters: Reuters/Ipsos poll
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After a week in which he hosted Saturday Night Live and stood center-stage at a Republican debate, Donald Trump is surging among Republicans likely to cast votes in the party’s presidential primary.
According to the five-day rolling Reuters/Ipsos presidential poll, Trump has leapt some 17 percentage points among likely Republican voters since Nov. 6, when he was essentially tied with Ben Carson at about 25 percent. Trump now captures 42 percent of those voters while Carson has fallen off slightly.
Among all Republicans - not simply likely primary voters -Trump holds a substantial edge over Carson, at 34 percent to about 20 percent, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Trump’s appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live earned the program its highest ratings in two years, with 9.3 million viewers tuning in. Then, on Tuesday, 13.5 million viewers watched the debate from Milwaukee broadcast on the Fox Business Network.
It remains to be seen, however, whether Trump’s surge will hold in the wake of his comments at an Iowa rally Thursday night in which he tore into Carson, telling the crowd that Carson has a "pathological" temper.
"If you’re pathological, there’s no cure for that,” Trump said. "If you’re a child molester, there’s no cure for that.”
Trump then posted a video critical of Carson on his Instagram account Friday.
The Republican establishment has long expected the outspoken billionaire to fade, and he has yet to give it the satisfaction. Trump has consistently held more than 25 percent of the support among all Republicans in the Reuters/Ipsos rolling poll for more than two months.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll is also bad news for Marco Rubio, who is widely considered to be emerging as the establishment-backed alternative to Trump. Despite receiving rave notices for his past two debate performance, Rubio’s support has remained flat, with about 10 percent of likely Republican primary voters preferring him.
Those primary voters remain very down on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Just four percent say they would support Bush in the latest poll.
The results of the five-day rolling Reuters/Ipsos poll was based on a sample of 534 Republicans with a credibility interval of 5 percent. The pool of likely Republican primary voters was based on sample of 257 voters with a credibility interval of 7 percent.
-
they're immature and low IQ/education.
Don't be so hard on yourself.
-
Don't be so hard on yourself.
Why would you swing down? Why spend a decade debating someone with a 90 IQ?
you're sounding more like an average troll each day. Ten years ago, you had valid points. I think we have a little Ben Carson-ism going on. The Palin thing. Have you added any new meds which took away a little of that mental horsepower?
-
Why would you swing down? Why spend a decade debating someone with a 90 IQ?
you're sounding more like an average troll each day. Ten years ago, you had valid points. I think we have a little Ben Carson-ism going on. The Palin thing. Have you added any new meds which took away a little of that mental horsepower?
Perfect example of why you do not have a 137 IQ. I do not debate you. I mock you. Anyone with a 137 IQ would know that.
-
The writing is all over the wall. I find myself shaking my head that he is really doing this well so deep into the game but he is.
I think his hardline anti-ISIS rhetoric will also help him in view of the recent Paris attack. And on the flip side I believe it also hurts Rubio with his perceived weak immigration stance.
I cannot believe he has lasted this long, but I am not a believer in his candidacy. I want to see what happens in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
-
Big Ben: Carson takes lead from Trump, tops with Hispanics, white evangelicals
By Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard)
11/17/15
(http://cdn.washingtonexaminer.biz/cache/730x420-3c4a80f1916016dcf59ca0a74cc98837.jpg)
Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson speaks at a news conference, Monday, Nov. 16, 2015, in Henderson, Nev. Carson called for Congress to cut off funding for resettlement of Syrian immigrants in the U.S. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has vaulted into the lead in the GOP primary race, backed by Hispanics and white evangelical voters according to a huge new poll of 2,700 people.
The new American Values Survey finds Carson on top of the race with 27 percent followed by Donald Trump at 20 percent, and Sen. Ted Cruz at 10 percent. The poll revealed a one-month reversal between Carson and Trump.
The survey, released at the Brookings Institution Tuesday morning, also showed Carson leading among Hispanics and white evangelical Christians.
With Hispanics, Carson he has a 32 percent favorability rating. Only 18 percent of Hispanics have an unfavorable view of the retired surgeon.
Jeb Bush is second with a 28 percent favorable rating, but a large 45 percent have an unfavorable view of the former Florida governor. With Trump, 80 percent of Hispanics have an unfavorable view.
Among white evangelicals, a group sought by several candidates including Sen. Ted Cruz and former Sen. Rick Santorum, Carson also leads, and overwhelmingly. Some 55 percent have a favorable view of Carson. Next is Bush at 41 percent favorable, and Trump with a 39 percent favorable rating.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/no.-1-carson-tops-among-republicans-hispanics-white-evangelicals/article/2576528#.VktYyDcw6Ex.facebook
-
DE,
do you think carson is still the frontrunner by thanksgiving?
(http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/better-call-saul-second-season.gif)
-
Donald Trump pimp slaps another heckler
-
Secretive GOP Group Targets Trump for Destruction
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=03311f88-3e4e-42e0-8e97-27216c7e9e89&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Secretive GOP Group Targets Trump for Destruction
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Saturday, 21 Nov 2015
Top Republican establishment forces are joining up to eliminate Donald Trump from the presidential race through a "guerrilla campaign," backed by secret donors, The Wall Street Journal reports Saturday.
In a page-one story, the paper reported that anti-Trump efforts are being spearheaded by a one-time Republican National Party online communications director who worked briefly for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's failed bid for the GOP nomination.
The group, called Trump Card LLC , is headed by former RNC employee Liz Mair. A detailed memo of their plans, obtained by The Wall Street Journal, says without efforts from GOP establishment, "Trump is exceedingly unlikely to implode or be forced out of the race."
Further, Mair asserts in the memo, "the stark reality is that unless something dramatic and unconventional is done, Trump will be the Republican nominee and Hillary Clinton will become president.”
Trump Card’s plan is to expose Trump’s policy positions as not being conservative. In the past, Trump has advocated higher taxes, supported affirmative action, called for a government-run, single-payer healthcare system used by Canada and Britain, and backed the Supreme Court’s Lowe decision that gives government the right to easily seize private property for private businesses.
Trump Card is not alone in efforts to target the billionaire front-runner.
One super PAC for Ohio Gov. John Kasich has begun with a series of anti-Trump advertising, while ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush attacked Trump on Friday and a Club for Growth-related super PAC plans to resume attack ads in Iowa against the New York billionaire. The Club’s ad campaign in Iowa has been cited for Trump’s sagging numbers in that state, which show rival Ben Carson leading the field there.
And noted Republican strategist Rick Wilson, currently working for a Rubio super PAC, has offered to prepare attack ads hitting Trump on his record.
Until now, campaigns have shied away from attacking Trump directly, but as the year comes to an end and the primary elections near, Trump remains at the top of most national GOP polls.
But Mair said her group's efforts have been going on for several weeks, and the structure of her organization will allow donors to remain anonymous.
Special: Barbara Walters Refuses to Return to the View, Due to This Secret
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said on Friday that Mair worked for Walker, so "who can blame her" for her new push.
And Saturday morning, Trump himself called out Mair on Twitter:
A woman who got fired after two days of working with Scott Walker - a wacko - now trying to raise funds to fight me.
5:23 AM - 21 Nov 2015
993 993 Retweets 2,418 2,418 likes
Mair was forced to resign in March from Walker's campaign after she made a series of comments on Twitter that bashed the state of Iowa and its role in the presidential nomination process.
Trump Card, as a limited liability company, does not have to disclose donors to the Federal Election Commission, and Mair claims donors backing Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Kasich, and Bush are interested in backing her initiative, but worry that making donations public will hurt their candidates' campaigns.
Rick Wilson told The Wall Street Journal that he believes there will be many people donating to an anti-Trump effort, as they are taking the threat that Trump "will destroy the Republican Party and lose the general election to Hillary Clinton seriously."
On Thursday, New Day for America, the super PAC that backs Kasich, started a series of ads that mention the Nov. 13 terrorism attacks, and say that "on-the-job training" for the White House does not work. Trump threatened to sue the organization.
And on Friday, Bush told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that Trump's talk about closing mosques and registering refugees is "just wrong" and shows weakness, not strength.
Mair's efforts could include ads set to intentionally tweak Trump, including comparing him to his foe, Rosie O'Donnell, said the memo, or ads that show his support of socialized medicine or eminent domain and use a Trump impersonator to show him insulting people.
The goal is to keep Trump supporters from voting, the memo said, not to convert them into backing other candidates. Trump Card hopes to gather a quarter-million dollars from donors throughout several other candidates' camps for their push.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/secret-gop-group-dump/2015/11/21/id/703109/#ixzz3sMlcFnKq
-
Secretive GOP Group Targets Trump for Destruction
maybe because trump is terrible for the republican party.
he's everything NOT tea party. say goodbye to the SCOTUS.
-
Quinnipiac Poll: Cruz, Trump in Virtual Tie In Iowa
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=f8452fb2-284a-45aa-a9f6-e8a669560a60&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Quinnipiac Poll: Cruz, Trump in Virtual Tie In Iowa
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Tuesday, 24 Nov 2015
Ted Cruz on Wednesday edged into a virtual tie with GOP front-runner Donald Trump in a new Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday for the state of Iowa, with Trump retaining a narrow lead of 25 percent of the vote, followed by Cruz with 23 percent, doubling his support from four weeks ago.
By the numbers:
Trump, 25 percent;
Cruz, 23 percent;
Dr. Ben Carson, 18 percent;
Sen. Marco Rubio, 13 percent;
Sen. Rand Paul, 5 percent;
Former Gov. Jeb Bush, 4 percent;
Carly Fiorina, 3 percent;
Gov. Chris Christie, 2 percent;
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, 2 percent;
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, 2 percent;
Gov. John Kasich, 1 percent;
Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Former Gov. George Pataki, zero.
In an Oct. 22 Quinnipiac Poll, Carson had 28 percent, Trump had 20 percent, Rubio was at 13 percent, and Cruz nabbed 10 percent. Bush's numbers remained virtually the same, as he had 5 percent in the October poll.
The Quinnipiac Poll was conducted between Nov. 16-22 of 600 likely Iowa Republican Caucus participants, and carried a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. In addition, 58 percent of the voters said they might still change their minds.
"Last month, we said it was Dr. Ben Carson's turn in the spotlight. Today, the spotlight turns to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. The Iowa Republican Caucus has become a two-tiered contest: Businessman Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson lead on the outsider track, and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio lead among party insiders," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
Brown, though, pointed out that winning in Iowa is no guarantee of winning the primary election, as Huckabee won the GOP caucus in 2008 and Santorum in 2012, but "both were quickly gone from those nomination fights as the primary calendar moved to larger states."
Cruz' Iowa numbers are in line with other polls released in recent days, including a new CBS News Poll that showed he'd replaced Carson in second place, with the retired neurosurgeon slipping into third place.
Meanwhile, Carson received the top favorability rating, at 79-15 percent, followed by 73-15 percent for Cruz, 70-18 percent for Rubio, and 59-34 percent for Trump.
Bush's numbers, though, continued to prove disappointing. He had a negative 39-53 percent ranking, and 26 percent of the Caucus-goers said they "would definitely not support him," with another 23 percent saying they would not support Trump.
Meanwhile, just five percent said they would not support Cruz, who got the best numbers in that category:
Trump, 23 percent;
Cruz, 5 percent;
Carson, 9 percent;
Rubio, 7 percent;
Paul, 12 percent;
Bush, 26 percent;
Fiorina, 10 percent;
Christie, 14 percent;
Huckabee, 10 percent;
Santorum, 9 percent;
Gov. John Kasich, 19 percent;
Gilmore, 11 percent;
Graham, 15 percent;
Pataki, 14 percent
The voters said the economy and jobs are the most important issues determining who will get their vote, 24 percent of the voters said, followed by 15 percent on terrorism and foreign policy, 11 percent on the federal deficit, and 10 percent for immigration.
On the economy, 49 percent of the voters said Trump is best, followed by 11 percent for Cruz. Carson, Rubio, and Fiorina were picked by six percent each.
Trump was also deemed tops for handling terrorism by 30 percent of the voters, followed by 20 percent for Cruz, 10 percent for Rubio and 7 percent for Bush. Carson, Paul, and Christie followed at five percent each.
Cruz, though, was deemed best on foreign policy by 24 percent, followed by 18 percent for Trump, 15 percent for Rubio, and 8 percent for Bush. Carson and Paul each had six percent.
The caucus-goers also overwhelmingly opposed allowing Syrian refugees to come to the United States, by 81-15 percent, and 82 percent said they do they not want them in Iowa.
However, they overwhelmingly supported, by 73-22 percent, sending U.S. ground troops to Iraq and Syria to fight ISIS, and 88 percent said they're either very worried or somewhat worried about the possibility of a terrorist attack in the United States that is similar to the one in Paris on Nov. 13.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Ted-Cruz-Donald-Trump-Iowa-Tie/2015/11/24/id/703356/#ixzz3sQPnWVJV
-
Gallup: Rubio, Cruz Battle Carson for Best-Liked GOP Candidate
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=0c26ed15-dbba-4197-91c6-98899fc7952f&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Gallup: Rubio, Cruz Battle Carson for Best-Liked GOP Candidate (Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke
Tuesday, 24 Nov 2015
Ben Carson's lock on the most-popular GOP presidential candidate is getting a serious challenge from Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz – with the Florida senator in a virtual tie with Carson for best-liked, Gallup poll analysts say.
Polling firm analyst Andrew Dugan and Gallup's editor-in-chief, Frank Newport, write Tuesday Rubio's and Texas lawmaker Cruz's "net favorable rating" – the difference between the share of Republicans who say they have a favorable opinion and those who've got an unfavorable view – is now 48 and 45 respectively.
The retired pediatric neurosurgeon's net favorable rating is 49 for the latest two-week rolling average as measured by Gallup's Daily tracking – a significant drop from the 61 he registered in early November, the analysts note.
"Rubio, now statistically tied with Carson for the title of best-liked GOP candidate, was judged by many in the press and political class to have registered an especially strong debate performance in the Oct. 28 contest," the writers argue.
"Cruz is also now experiencing a jolt of warm impressions from the Republican faithful after months during which he appeared to gain little traction in terms of improving his image."
The pair write Cruz may have turned the tide in the third GOP debate, when he blasted the CNBC panel moderators – and then lashed into the media at large.
Latest News Update
"This, no doubt, resonated with the Republican faithful; Gallup has repeatedly found that Republicans are very unlikely to say they have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in the mass media," the analysts write. "Cruz now has the highest net favorable score since Gallup began tracking in mid-July."
For Carson, however, the downward slide comes in the wake of challenges to his image over his personal biography, the writers note.
According to the pollsters, the favorability tracking also shows:
A "major jump" in the net favorable rating for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who stands at 12 in the latest two-week average – up 14 points.
Carly Fiorina, at 26, has seen her net favorable rating increase by 7 points.
Donald Trump, at 20, has a net favorable rating increase of 3 points.
Jeb Bush is "relatively stable" at 16, with no net favorability rating increase.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich's net favorable rating is at 6, a 3 point rise.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Best-liked-GOP-Candidate-Ben-Carson/2015/11/24/id/703385/#ixzz3sWioaZyE Now!
-
Political Prediction Market: Rubio continues to lead, but Cruz rises
By Eli Watkins, CNN
Wed November 25, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
Washington (CNN) As the Iowa caucuses approach, Ted Cruz is receiving renewed attention and has seen his odds of capturing the GOP's presidential nomination increase in recent weeks on CNN's Political Prediction market.
Cruz's odds stand at 19%, just one point shy of Donald Trump, who stands at 20%.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio continues to lead the GOP pack on Pivit with almost 50%.
CNN's Political Prediction Market is not a poll asking who a likely voter supports. It is a live, online prediction game administered by a company called Pivit. It considers polls and other factors, including input from online players about who they think will actually win.
Cruz leads the nomination market in one vital contest: Iowa.
Cruz bests all of his competition there, with a 37% chance of capturing the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Carson have fallen to 5 and 2% chances of winning the nomination in the market, respectively.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll shows Trump leading in Iowa, with Cruz overtaking Ben Carson for second place.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/25/politics/ted-cruz-odds-pivit-iowa/index.html
-
trump's national lead may be unbeatable soon. TRIPLING everyone else nationally.
everyone expects a strong religious candidate to win iowa.
-
trump's national lead may be unbeatable soon. TRIPLING everyone else nationally.
everyone expects a strong religious candidate to win iowa.
If the guy quit acting like a jackass he would be unbeatable.
Making fun of a reporters heart condition?
Personally I am on the fence because it was a New York Times reporter and therefore likely a complete dickhead who deserves to be mocked but still...
-
It's 2015. 40% of repubs don't care about the insults that'd disqualify someone from student union president.
The other 60% is divided. If the repubs would just unite behind a Rubio or cruz, they could beat trump.
-
Republican Trump drops 12 percentage points in poll: Reuters/Ipsos
WASHINGTON | BY ALANA WISE
Politics | Fri Nov 27, 2015
(http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20151127&t=2&i=1098165761&w=644&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXMPEBAQ13A)
U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump's support among Republicans has dropped 12 points in less than a week, marking the real estate mogul's biggest decline since he vaulted to the top of the field in July, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Trump was the favorite of 31 percent of Republicans in a rolling poll in the five days ended on Nov. 27. That was down from a peak of 43 percent registered on Nov. 22.
The dip follows criticism of Trump for comments he made in the aftermath of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more.
Following the attacks, Trump told an NBC News reporter that he would support requiring all Muslims within the United States to be registered to a special database, which his critics have likened to the mandatory registration of Jews in Nazi Germany.
Trump has also been criticized for flailing his arms and distorting his speech as he mocked a New York Times reporter, Serge Kovaleski, who is disabled.
Trump mocked the reporter as he defended his unsubstantiated assertion that during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, he watched on television as "thousands and thousands" of people in New Jersey cheered while the World Trade Center fell.
Still, Trump is not the only front-runner to slide in the latest survey.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has seen his poll numbers drift downward and now trails Trump by more than half, with just 15 percent of Republicans polled saying they would vote for him in the same Nov. 27 poll. As recently as late October, Carson trailed Trump by only six points.
Following Carson, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Texas Senator Ted Cruz are tied for third place, with more than 8 percent each.
Following Rubio and Cruz was former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, with 7 percent.
The five-day rolling average sample size ranged from 464 to 347 respondents between Nov. 22 and Nov. 27, with a credibility interval of 5.2 to 6.1 percentage points.
For more on the 2016 U.S. presidential race and to learn about the undecided voters who determine elections, visit the Reuters website. (here)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/27/us-election-trump-idUSKBN0TG2AN20151127#4q76sQ48gu5HYeRC.99
-
Republican Trump drops 12 percentage points in poll: Reuters/Ipsos
Enough republicans think his making fun of the handicapped is funny. Trump will keep on plowing through.
Props to dos equis for being honest about the classless mess that is Trump. Most repubs are just climbing on the bandwagon like they did with palin. She could barely finish a run-on sentence, and people wanted to give her the nuclear football.
-
Enough republicans think his making fun of the handicapped is funny. Trump will keep on plowing through.
Props to dos equis for being honest about the classless mess that is Trump. Most repubs are just climbing on the bandwagon like they did with palin. She could barely finish a run-on sentence, and people wanted to give her the nuclear football.
Yeah me and Bum has had our differences, but he has been consistent on this. Props.
-
Yeah me and Bum has had our differences, but he has been consistent on this. Props.
tonymctones has also been critical of trump.
HH6 has, but I'm a little worried he isn't as vocal on it.
The typical "i love everything GOP" nut huggers have been all over Trump. "I like some of his ideas" makes it okay to mock veterans. Note: they didn't serve. "I like some of his ideas" makes it okay to shit on women. Note: their history with women speaks for itself. "I like some of his ideas" makes it okay to shit on handicapped people because, well, they're just ignorant.
I see it in real life, and on getbig too. Typical and predictable.
-
Top Fundraiser Quits Carson's Campaign
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=996118f3-c64a-48a2-a406-c6db1e9dfa5e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Top Fundraiser Quits Carson's Campaign (Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke | Thursday, 03 Dec 2015
Ben Carson says he's not concerned about the loss of his campaign's co-chairman – one his top fundraisers — who reportedly is frustrated about the direction of the campaign.
"People come and go, particularly when they feel that things aren't being run the way they want them to be run," Carson said in response to a report in The Wall Street Journal of Bill Millis' departure as co-chair, The Hill reports.
"You'd have to talk to him to find out what exactly he wants to happen."
Millis claims to have raised more than $400,000 for the campaign but will no longer raise money or sit on the campaign board. He tells the Journal, however, he sill supports the retired pediatric neurosurgeon.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/ben-carson-fundraiser-quits-campaign/2015/12/03/id/704426/#ixzz3tIrjX3IN
-
Carson can't tell the difference between Hummus and Hamas.
No, seriously.
LOL @ all the repubs who camped out on his nut sack for so long. Oh, the libs kept saying he was a stoned dumbass, but it was just so hard to believe a person could be smart in the operating room but a delusional zealot everywhere else.
-
Pollster Zogby: Cruz Control of New Iowa Poll Doesn't Surprise Me
By Bill Hoffmann
Monday, 07 Dec 2015
The meteoric rise of Sen. Ted Cruz to front-runner among voters in the upcoming Iowa presidential caucuses shouldn't be a surprise to anybody, veteran pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax TV.
"[It's] totally predictable. He's got a focused message, he appears very strong," Zogby, CEO of Zogby Analytics, said Monday on "Newsmax Prime" with J.D. Hayworth.
"He appeals to both the tea party and the Christian conservatives."
In a new poll released by Monmouth University, Cruz, a Texas Republican, sailed past Donald Trump and Ben Carson in Iowa to become the front-runner in the intensifying race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Monmouth said Carson had the steepest decline of any candidate, plummeting 19 points from a poll two months ago that had him as the front-runner in the Hawkeye State which will hold its GOP caucuses in February.
Zogby told Hayworth that Cruz is the beneficiary of the former top candidates starting to lose steam.
"As we figured from the beginning, once Trump begins to fade and Carson begins to fade, those votes are going to go to Ted Cruz and it looks like they are right now," Zogby said.
But Cruz isn't a shoo-in by any stretch of the imagination, according to the pollster.
"He's got to worry about not peaking too soon," Zogby said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/john-zogby-ted-cruz-polling-iowa/2015/12/07/id/704889/#ixzz3trgpfVbN
-
Gallup: Trump Least-Liked Candidate
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=0dacdd88-4cc5-4899-8d1b-b7f40421d2ef&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Gallup: Trump Least-Liked Candidate (Getty Images)
By Loren Gutentag
Thursday, 10 Dec 2015
Although Donald Trump may be a well-known GOP presidential candidate, a new Gallup poll released Thursday shows that the real estate mogul is not well-liked.
According to the poll, 91 percent of U.S. adults were familiar with Trump, but 59 percent had an unfavorable view of him — the most negative of any candidate in either party.
Thirty-two percent said they had a favorable view of him, giving him a net-negative favorability of -27 points.
Trump's latest favorability rating is 13 points lower than Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with whom 78 percent of respondents were familiar.
On the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton led all candidates with 94 percent of U.S. adults who said they were familiar with her. However, her net favorability rating was -4 points with 45 percent having a favorable view and 49 percent having an unfavorable view.
In terms of recognition, the top four candidates are also the bottom four candidates in terms of negative favorability ratings:
Hillary Clinton, -4 points;
Donald Trump, -27 points;
Jeb Bush, -14 points;
Chris Christie -5 points;
However, in terms of overall recognition, Gallup shows that former neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson has seen the largest gains in public familiarity. Over the last five months, Carson has seen a 30-point increase in favorability from 30 percent to 66 percent.
According to the poll, Carson and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also had the largest net positive favorability ratings:
Ben Carson, +6 points, 30 percent unfavorable to 36 percent;
Sen. Marco Rubio, +5 points, 28 percent to 33 percent.
Gallup gathered the results as part of its rolling U.S. daily survey taken from Nov. 23-Dec. 7, polling a random sample of 6,603 adults via landlines and cellphones, with individual respondent pools ranging between 1,800 and 1,950 adults.
The margin of error for samples in which respondents rated each candidate is plus or minus 2 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Gallup-Trump-Least-Liked-Candidate/2015/12/10/id/705282/#ixzz3tywQZD1M
-
Gallup: Trump Least-Liked Candidate
Doesn't matter to the Trump-ets. They hate foreigners and they hate politically correct. Nothing else matters.
-
Carson: Brokered convention would 'destroy' GOP
By Bradford Richardson
December 11, 2015
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/carson_ben_2.jpg?itok=WdY1S8aW)
Ben Carson is threatening to leave the GOP following a report that senior Republican officials met to discuss the party’s strategy in the event of a brokered convention.
“If the leaders of the Republican Party want to destroy the party, they should continue to hold meetings like the one described in the Washington Post this morning,” Carson said in a statement released by his campaign.
“If this was the beginning of a plan to subvert the will of the voters and replace it with the will of the political elite, I assure you Donald Trump will not be the only one leaving the party,” he continued.
Five unnamed sources told the Post that Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) attended a dinner on Monday with around 20 senior party officials to discuss the party’s convention strategy.
The sources said several longtime party members argued the establishment must lay the groundwork for a floor fight in the event that Donald Trump sweeps through the primaries.
But Priebus and McConnell reportedly remained silent throughout the deliberations, taking care not to signal support for an anti-Trump effort.
Carson said if the report is true, Republican voters are being “betrayed” by their party.
“I pray that the report in the Post this morning was incorrect,” he said in the statement. “If it is correct, every voter who is standing for change must know they are being betrayed. I won’t stand for it.”
“If the powerful try to manipulate it, the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next summer may be the last convention,” he continued. “I am prepared to lose fair and square, as I am sure is Donald. But I will not sit by and watch a theft.”
Chief GOP strategist Sean Spicer said he is "confident" that Carson will not leave the party.
"I feel very confident he will stay in the party, as will Donald Trump, as will everyone else," he said Friday on CNN. "We will have a great nominating process. Everybody will stay in, we will select the best nominee for this party, and we will take back the White House."
"It'll all work out, I promise," he added.
Trump has said he is preparing a strategy in the event of a brokered convention.
He has also resurfaced hints of a third-party run.
Spicer said Trump was not a significant topic of conversation at the dinner.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/262916-carson-brokered-convention-would-destroy-gop
-
He should have quit weeks ago.
Rand Paul Likely to Miss Cut for Dec. 15 Primetime Republican Debate
Dec 10, 2015
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul will almost certainly fail to qualify for the primetime stage at next Tuesday's fifth Republican primary debate, according to an analysis of poll data conducted by Bloomberg. Paul has been included in all four of the main presidential debates to this point in the campaign.
To qualify for the CNN-sponsored primetime debate, candidates must average at least 3.5 percent support nationally or 4 percent in either Iowa or New Hampshire, based on major polls conducted between Oct. 29 and Dec. 13.
(http://assets.bwbx.io/images/ibVLG4Pqz0Qk/v2/-1x-1.png)
Paul falls short on all three thresholds, but comes closest in Iowa, where he currently averages 3.5 percent support. If only one additional poll is released in each category by Sunday, Paul would need a relatively ambitious 6 percent in Iowa, 8 percent in New Hampshire or 10.5 percent nationally to qualify.
Carly Fiorina has also come close to being left out of the main debate, but clears CNN’s entry criteria thanks to her 4.6 percent showing in New Hampshire. Assuming one more eligible Granite State poll by the Sunday deadline, Fiorina would need to fall below 1 percent to lose her spot onstage.
Given candidates' current positions and the likely pace of new polls, the only other contender expected to cross the primetime-undercard boundary is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who, despite weaker national numbers than Paul, has fought his way back into the main event with a strong 6.8 percent average in recent New Hampshire polls.
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/trackers/2015-12-10/rand-paul-likely-to-miss-cut-for-dec-15-primetime-republican-debate
-
Carson: Brokered convention would 'destroy' GOP
By Bradford Richardson
December 11, 2015
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/carson_ben_2.jpg?itok=WdY1S8aW)
Ben Carson is threatening to leave the GOP following a report that senior Republican officials met to discuss the party’s strategy in the event of a brokered convention.
“If the leaders of the Republican Party want to destroy the party, they should continue to hold meetings like the one described in the Washington Post this morning,” Carson said in a statement released by his campaign.
“If this was the beginning of a plan to subvert the will of the voters and replace it with the will of the political elite, I assure you Donald Trump will not be the only one leaving the party,” he continued.
Five unnamed sources told the Post that Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) attended a dinner on Monday with around 20 senior party officials to discuss the party’s convention strategy.
The sources said several longtime party members argued the establishment must lay the groundwork for a floor fight in the event that Donald Trump sweeps through the primaries.
But Priebus and McConnell reportedly remained silent throughout the deliberations, taking care not to signal support for an anti-Trump effort.
Carson said if the report is true, Republican voters are being “betrayed” by their party.
“I pray that the report in the Post this morning was incorrect,” he said in the statement. “If it is correct, every voter who is standing for change must know they are being betrayed. I won’t stand for it.”
“If the powerful try to manipulate it, the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next summer may be the last convention,” he continued. “I am prepared to lose fair and square, as I am sure is Donald. But I will not sit by and watch a theft.”
Chief GOP strategist Sean Spicer said he is "confident" that Carson will not leave the party.
"I feel very confident he will stay in the party, as will Donald Trump, as will everyone else," he said Friday on CNN. "We will have a great nominating process. Everybody will stay in, we will select the best nominee for this party, and we will take back the White House."
"It'll all work out, I promise," he added.
LOL
Trump has said he is preparing a strategy in the event of a brokered convention.
He has also resurfaced hints of a third-party run.
Spicer said Trump was not a significant topic of conversation at the dinner.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/262916-carson-brokered-convention-would-destroy-gop
-
Ben Carson is threatening to leave the GOP following a report that senior Republican officials met to discuss the party’s strategy in the event of a brokered convention.
Repubs know Carson is a lying fraud, stupid in many areas, and zonked out on meds all day long.
Nobody needs to railroad him at the convention because he'll end up with 7% of the total votes.
-
Bloomberg Poll: Cruz Takes Big Lead Over Trump In Iowa
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=2c8d7167-790a-484a-941c-819802ef730c&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Bloomberg Poll: Cruz Takes Big Lead Over Trump In Iowa
Saturday, 12 Dec 2015
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has surged ahead to become the latest front-runner in the campaign for the Iowa caucuses, dislodging Ben Carson and opening an impressive lead over a stalled Donald Trump, a Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows.
The firebrand junior senator from Texas is backed by 31 percent of those likely to attend the Republican caucuses that start the presidential nomination season on Feb. 1. Trump is a distant second at 21 percent, up slightly from 19 percent in October, but below his peak of 23 percent in August.
Cruz's 21-percentage-point jump since October is the largest surge between Iowa Polls recorded in at least the last five presidential caucus campaigns
When first and second choices are combined, he has the support of 51 percent of likely caucus-goers. The senator’s great leap forward comes largely at the expense of Carson, as Iowa’s evangelicals appear to have picked the candidate they want to get behind. The retired neurosurgeon, now barely in third-place, is supported by 13 percent, down from the first-place showing he posted in October, when he was at 28 percent.
For Iowa’s conservative voters, “the coalescing has begun,” said J. Ann Selzer, founder of Selzer & Co., the West Des Moines-based firm that conducted the poll.
The same can’t be said for the voters who describe themselves as part of the Republican establishment, which the poll recorded as 29 percent of the likely electorate. For now, Trump has 23 percent from those who consider themselves Republican establishment voters, followed by Cruz at 22 percent. Senator Marco Rubio and his one time mentor, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, are both at 12 percent.
There's no good news in the poll for Bush, who despite his political pedigree as the son and brother of past presidents and a massive campaign war chest, has moved up only slightly since October, to 6 percent from 5 percent, and is in fifth place. The super political action committee supporting Bush has been by far the largest political ad buyer in Iowa, Kantar/CMAG data shows.
Bush's negatives are the highest of any candidate in the field and at an all-time high in the state, with 54 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers viewing him unfavorably. That's up from 43 percent in October. He also recorded his highest level of likely caucus-goers who say they could never support him, 41 percent. "Based on this data, it's hard to keep Bush in the picture," Selzer said.
Cruz’s new front-runner status in Iowa has been accompanied by a jump in his favorability rating, now an all-time high of 73 percent, the highest in the Republican field. That could come as a surprise to members of Washington's establishment, who have shown disdain for him and complained that his three years there have been marked by showmanship, inflexibility and a lack of collegiality. In his campaign autobiography, A Time for Truth, Cruz's opening anecdote recounts him becoming the target of "red-faced name calling" by his Republican Senate colleagues when he wouldn’t go along with a party vote on extending the debt limit.
Cruz dominates yet another gauge the poll takes of candidates' strength, the "Selzer Score," which uses multiple measures to try to assess potential upside in a crowded field. The index looks at first and second choices, as well as whether respondents could ever -- or would never -- support candidates not in their first two choices. (The first choices are given double weight, while “ever support” is given a half weighting.) Using that system, Cruz scores an unprecedented 97.5. He's followed by Trump at 72.5, Carson at 67.5 and Rubio at 62.
The Texan’s rise suggests that Rubio's recent attacks on Cruz for alleged weakness on national security have failed so far to do damage, at least in Iowa. Rubio, the subject of criticism by some Iowa Republians for not spending more time in the state, is treading water: The junior senator from Florida is in fourth place with the support of 10 percent of voters, up just one point from October.
The poll also sets up an intriguing dilemma for Trump, including in the Republican debate Tuesday: The billionaire has sometimes mocked challengers on the basis of their personalities, but doing so against Cruz could prove risky, given the high senator's high favorable rating in Iowa. This weekend, Trump started to attack Cruz for his opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard that supports the corn-based ethanol industry in Iowa.
In a week when he received the endorsement of one of Iowa's most visible evangelical leaders, the poll shows Cruz with support from 45 percent of those who mainly define themselves as evangelical conservatives, more than double what Carson gets. Half of likely Republican caucus-goers in the poll described themselves as "born again" or evangelical Christian, up from 42 percent in the October poll, possibly signaling greater participation from this group.
"He's very conservative and I agree with most of his views on the financial situation of our country and abortion and gay marriage," said Sarah Chappell, 34, a stay-at-home mother from Des Moines who is leaning toward caucusing for Cruz. "He wants to let us make choices, instead of the government being all powerful and making choices for us."
Cruz is also winning nearly half -- 46 percent -- of those who identify as very conservative, as well as 39 percent of those who consider themselves aligned with the Tea Party movement.
A victory in the Iowa caucuses would give Cruz some early- state momentum that could help carry him well beyond the second voting state of New Hampshire, where he isn't nearly as strong.
Unlike some recent Iowa Republican caucus winners, who have foundered because they didn’t have the campaign cash to capitalize on their strong showing in the state where the first ballots are cast, Cruz has plenty of money: His campaign committee had collected $26 million as of Sept. 30 and a family of super-political action committees backing him reported receipts of more than $37 million as of June 30.
With just seven weeks until the caucuses, a third of those likely to participate on the Republican side say their mind is made up. Trump and Cruz supporters are more certain, at 45 percent and 43 percent, respectively.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky are tied for sixth place, with each getting 3 percent. All other candidates recorded 2 percent or less. Paul's score in the Iowa Poll could be enough to knock him from the main debate stage Tuesday in Las Vegas.
In keeping with Iowa tradition, the poll suggests there will be lots of late deciders, so Cruz can't coast. Almost a third say they're likely to still be deciding the week leading up to the caucuses, while 30 percent say they expect to have their minds made up at least a week ahead of time. Just 3 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers say they've signed a pledge card for a particular candidate, while 1 percent admit to signing one for more than one candidate.
Among the top four candidates in the poll, Cruz scores the highest on half of the 14 candidate attributes tested, with Trump winning the other half. Cruz is strongest on items related to presidential leadership, while Trump is strongest on questions related to getting specific things done, such as managing the economy, solving illegal immigration and reducing the deficit.
The billionaire real estate mogul also beats Cruz, 30 percent to 26 percent, on the question of who has the best chance to beat Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the general election.
Underscoring the anti-establishment mood, just 19 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers say they'd prefer a governor to win the nomination. Senators are picked by 30 percent, while a "government outsider who has handled complex issues and managed teams" is the preference of 39 percent.
A minority of 40 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers support making abortion illegal, including in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Among supporters of Cruz—who supports a no-exceptions abortion ban—that number is 58 percent, compared to 30 percent among Trump's backers.
More than two-thirds of likely Republican caucus-goers want to stop all U.S. resettlement of Syrian war refugees, 61 percent support sending at least 20,000 troops to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and 54 percent support deporting the estimated 11 million undocumented residents in the U.S.
On fiscal issues, almost three-quarters of Republican caucus-goers support a tax reform plan that cuts taxes on all Americans, including the very wealthiest. Sixty one percent want to abolish the Internal Revenue Service. Roughly the same proportion want to repeal the financial reform laws enacted after the banking crisis in 2008, and say they think climate change is a hoax.
The Iowa Poll, taken Dec. 7-10, included 400 likely Republican caucus participants. On the full sample, it has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, although higher for subgroups.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/cruz-soars-iowa-poll/2015/12/12/id/705548/#ixzz3uJgayutj
-
Carson Collapses as Evangelicals Flee to Cruz
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=4a579a69-041d-4fa0-8bb2-ad13286a545a&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Carson Collapses as Evangelicals Flee to Cruz
By Newsmax Staff | Sunday, 13 Dec 2015
Ben Carson, who led in some national polls and was handily beating Donald Trump in Iowa, has seen his near front-runner status collapse to third-tier, according to recent polls.
Political commentators have explained the retired neurosurgeon's sudden decline by pointing to Carson's stumble over foreign policy questions, an area gaining significant attention with voters in the wake of the the recent ISIS attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
At the same time Sen. Ted Cruz appears to be coalescing support from evangelicals, a bedrock voting group for GOP voters.
Carson had been leading the group, but a wave of negative stories in Christian media has undermined his candidacy.
Carson has declined to apologize for using fetal tissue taken from aborted fetuses during medical research he conducted in the 1990s.
Christian activists have also been angry that Carson was an advocate of gay rights initiatives when he served as a director on major corporate boards, including Kellogg and Costco.
A new national NBC/Wall Street Journal poll out this weekend showed Trump still leading the race with 27 percent, with Cruz second at 22 percent.
Carson came in a distant fourth with 11 percent, behind rising Marco Rubio with 15 percent.
Two polls in the key battleground state of Iowa show Carson’s greatest erosion.
A Fox News poll shows Carson in fourth place with just 10 percent, and Cruz leading Trump 28 percent to 26 percent.
Also, the Bloomberg/Des Moines Register poll released this weekend has Carson in third place with 13 percent, trailing well behind Cruz’s 31 percent.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/carson-poll-collapes-trump/2015/12/13/id/705624/#ixzz3uJj2kv8O
-
Carson Collapses as Evangelicals Flee to Cruz
I predicted his massive collapse very loudly. He was lying and ignorant.
-
This is different.
Political Prediction Market: Rubio, Cruz, Trump in dead heat
By Deena Zaru, CNN
Mon December 14, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
Washington (CNN) As Ted Cruz surges in Iowa and Donald Trump maintains a lead nationally, they are both rising in CNN's Political Prediction Market, an online game that factors polls and other user data to predict outcomes for the 2016 election.
While Marco Rubio continues to lead the GOP pack, with a 33% chance that he'll win the nomination in the Prediction Market, Cruz is now a close second at 30% and Trump is third at 27%.
CNN's Political Prediction Market, administered by a company called Pivit, is a game that factors polls and other elements and invites users to predict where the election will go. The markets change as the public weighs in on the increasing or decreasing chance that a candidate or party wins or loses an election. It should not be confused as a survey from real voters.
In less than a week, Rubio has taken a seven-point dip, as Cruz rises from 26% to 30%.
Meanwhile, Trump, whose odds of winning the Republican nomination quickly plummeted from 33% to 22% a day after he called "for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," back up to 27%.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is in a distant fourth place at 4%, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 3%.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/14/politics/pivit-marco-rubio-donald-trump-ted-cruz/index.html
-
Link to debate No. 5.
-
Marco Rubio Is Pushed to Pick a Must-Win Early Primary State
By JEREMY W. PETERSDEC. 17, 2015
(http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/12/17/us/18RUBIOweb/18RUBIOweb-master675.jpg)
Senator Marco Rubio in Las Vegas on Monday. Questions arose about where Mr. Rubio can get a victory that will provide his campaign with the early bounce it needs to prove he is able to win the Republican presidential nomination. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — A nagging problem hovers over Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as he crisscrosses the country seeking support in the states with the first four nominating contests: With a month and a half until the voting begins, he still has not committed himself fully to trying to win any of them.
That hedged, wait-and-see approach served Mr. Rubio well as he floated to the top tier of national polls, won the backing of influential Republican financiers and began drawing hundreds to his rallies. His aides, flouting age-old political wisdom, started suggesting that he might not even need to win Iowa or New Hampshire — that a second- or third-place finish could be enough.
But as the primary fight becomes fiercer, and Mr. Rubio’s closest competitors start zeroing in on a single, must-win contest — like Iowa for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and New Hampshire for Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey — Mr. Rubio’s all-things-to-all-people strategy is stretching his campaign thin, posing challenges in focusing his message and raising doubts among his supporters about his seriousness.
Some Rubio backers in the first four states to vote — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada — are voicing concern about whether Mr. Rubio is leaving voters there with the impression that he does not need them to win. And some of Mr. Rubio’s own aides are now arguing privately that they should do more to push back against the belief that he is running an indifferent campaign before it becomes too widespread.
“The campaign efforts for Marco Rubio in Iowa can very easily be perceived as wanting to place in the top three in the caucus and not necessarily to win,” said Kenney Linhart, a pastor in Des Moines who is supporting the Rubio campaign. Regardless of how serious Mr. Rubio is about trying to win the state, Mr. Linhart added, the belief that he is not is harmful: “Perception is as powerful as intent or will.”
Most recent polls put Mr. Rubio in third place in Iowa, behind Donald J. Trump and Mr. Cruz. Though he is not in the lead in any of the states that vote first, he generally finds himself in the top three or four.
Indeed, Mr. Rubio’s light footprint in Iowa has been the talk of the state’s political community for months. He was unable to hire a local operative to run his campaign there, and instead brought in an Arkansas-based Republican strategist, Clint Reed, in September to oversee his Iowa campaign. And Mr. Rubio is relying on 31-year-old Eric Teetsel, who lives in Kansas, to handle outreach to social conservatives and evangelicals — rankling some Iowans used to a more neighborly outreach.
Inexperience and inattention to detail on the ground can have a tangible cost. Melody Slater is a former Lee County chairwoman for the now-defunct presidential campaign of Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Shortly after Mr. Walker dropped out, Mr. Rubio’s campaign announced that Ms. Slater was one of several of Mr. Walker’s backers who had signed on with them.
But now she says she is having second thoughts. “I had three campaigns call me that day — Huckabee, Cruz and Rubio,” Ms. Slater said in an interview, explaining that she agreed to endorse Mr. Rubio only at his campaign’s request. She said she still liked Mr. Rubio and may indeed caucus for him.
But she cautioned that she was also drawn to Mr. Cruz’s Christian values.
“You’ve got to be careful about what you say, don’t you?” Ms. Slater mused.
From the Rubio campaign’s perspective, not putting a marker down yet in any state means not having to set expectations that might not be met. His advisers do not want to face the possibility of fading in a state they said they could win. And they have told supporters and donors that Jeb Bush’s surprisingly lackluster campaign left them with more time to make their move.
“We’re doing things differently,” said Bobby Kauffman, a Republican state senator in Iowa who is helping the Rubio campaign. “People don’t like things being done differently.”
In the meantime, advisers are relying on a robust digital outreach program in the early-voting states and using local and national television to increase Mr. Rubio’s visibility. When he campaigns, he tends to eschew small towns and venues for larger population centers and media markets.
“Exposure is Marco’s friend,” said his pollster, Whit Ayers. “And exposure is the enemy of a whole lot of the rest of these candidates.”
Campaign advisers readily dismiss as superficial the older quantifiable signs of seriousness about Iowa’s tradition-bound caucuses, like lining up endorsements in all 99 counties or dotting the state with campaign offices. They refused even to divulge the number of staff members on the campaign’s payroll in Iowa, dismissing such details as the preoccupation of obsessives in the news media and on rival campaigns.
Yet, if Mr. Rubio’s campaign styles itself as more attuned to a modern media age when more voters can be reached through Facebook and Fox News, there are plenty of people who prefer being wooed as if it were still a landline and postage-stamp era.
Mr. Rubio is not likely to decide where to make his move until sometime next month. His schedule this week — both in his public rallies and private meetings — shows what a broad appeal he is trying to make: After sitting down with the billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson in Las Vegas before Tuesday night’s debate, Mr. Rubio set off for Iowa where he continued his efforts to woo evangelical Christian voters. He will visit New Hampshire next and then South Carolina.
Every Republican nominee in modern times has won either Iowa or New Hampshire at a minimum. But until now, at least, Mr. Rubio’s strategy has pointed toward a test of whether a candidate who finishes no better than second in either could still manage to stay alive.
It is a risky gambit: Opponents are already attacking Mr. Rubio in New Hampshire for taking a lackadaisical approach there. And The New Hampshire Union Leader, an influential newspaper in the state, which has endorsed Mr. Christie, accused Mr. Rubio of “just going through the motions” in his visits to the state.
Presidential campaigns struggle every cycle with the question of how many resources to commit to states they stand little chance of winning, and the consequences are not always straightforward. In 2008, Senator John McCain of Arizona spent relatively little time campaigning in Iowa, and watched his poll numbers plummet, but then came back to win in New Hampshire and capture the Republican nomination. In 2012, Mitt Romney’s campaign agonized over whether to compete in Iowa, only to decide right before Thanksgiving in 2011 — a little more than a month before the caucuses — that he would.
“Spreading your forces out over a wide front would make me very nervous,” said Stuart Stevens, Mr. Romney’s chief strategist in 2012. “Every day in a campaign is ‘Sophie’s Choice,’” he added. “And that’s the hardest thing. You’ve got to decide where you’re going to live and where you’re going to die.”
The question of where Mr. Rubio can get a victory that will provide his campaign with the early bounce it needs to prove he is able to win the nomination is coming up more and more as he travels the country. When he ventured an answer recently in West Des Moines, he did not display much interest in entertaining what he clearly considered an abstract question at this point.
“I’m not a psychic,” he said, adding that he was confident in his strategy. “We want to do well. We want to do very well. And hopefully that means winning.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/us/politics/marco-rubio-wavers-on-how-hard-to-compete-in-early-primaries.html
-
Graham drops out of 2016 presidential race
Published December 21, 2015
FoxNews.com
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Monday ended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, exiting the race after using his campaign to draw attention to national security issues.
He made the announcement in a video posted on his campaign website.
“Today I’m suspending my campaign for president,” he said.
The three-term senator has struggled to gain traction in the race, and has been relegated during recent debates to the evening program with lower-polling candidates -- and even failed to qualify for one of them.
But he has stood out during those debates with his passionate appeals to confront Islamic terrorism.
In his video message, Graham stressed that “the centerpiece of my campaign has been securing our nation” and maintained he has brought needed attention to that issue.
“I got into this race to put forward a plan to win a war we cannot afford to lose and to turn back the tide of isolationism that was rising in our party. I believe we have made enormous progress in this effort,” Graham said.
Graham said that when he entered the race, no other candidates would join him in calling for more U.S. troops to confront the Islamic State.
“Today most of my fellow candidates have come to recognize this is what’s needed to secure our homeland,” he said.
He also sent an email to supporters announcing his decision.
Fellow candidates praised Graham as he bowed out, with Jeb Bush tweeting:
Jeb Bush ✔@JebBush
Nobody is more clear-eyed about ISIS than my friend @GrahamBlog. As he leaves the race I hope our party & country listen to his counsel
4:49 AM - 21 Dec 2015
Only a handful of candidates have exited the crowded Republican race since the start of the campaign. With his decision, Graham joins former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/12/21/graham-drops-out-2016-presidential-race.html?intcmp=hpbt2
-
Fox News Keeps Megyn Kelly on Team for its Next GOP Debate
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=efd98b61-f8b2-4ed4-b12c-6c82fb2f9a8f&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Fox News Keeps Megyn Kelly on Team for its Next GOP Debate The moderators of the Fox News August 6, 2015 debate Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier. (Chip Somevilla/Getty Images)
By Greg Richter
Monday, 21 Dec 2015
.
Fox News Channel will host its second GOP presidential debate on Jan. 28 — just three days before the Iowa caucuses — the network announced Monday.
The moderators will be the same as in the first debate: Fox News anchors Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly.
Front-runner Donald Trump took exception to the moderators' questions last time, most notably Kelly, who asked him about his treatment of women on Twitter. That sparked a war with Fox after Trump said Kelly had blood coming "out of her whatever."
Trump said he meant her ears or nose, though critics said it sounded like he was talking about hormones.
Trump has had a love/hate relationship with Fox ever since, though he has not appeared on "The Kelly File" since.
The debate will air at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News Channel, Fox News Radio, Fox News Mobile and FoxNews.com, according to the network. It will take place at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.
Fox Business Network will host its second GOP debate on January 14 in South Carolina.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/fox-debate-host-wallace/2015/12/21/id/706740/#ixzz3v5frB8nw
-
Quinnipiac National Poll: Cruz Surges to Virtual Tie With Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=deba9ede-10ec-478f-a595-5109a53bfabb&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Quinnipiac National Poll: Cruz Surges to Virtual Tie With Trump
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Tuesday, 22 Dec 2015
With just six weeks left until the Iowa Caucuses open in February, Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz remain in a virtual tie for the GOP nomination, but Trump trails both Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders when it comes to general election matchups, according a new Quinnipiac University Poll.
Among Republican or Republican-leaning voters:
•Trump: 28 percent;
•Cruz, 24 percent;
•Sen. Marco Rubio, 12 percent;
•Ben Carson, 10 percent;
•Gov. Chris Christie, 6 percent;
•Jeb Bush, 4 percent;
•Sen. Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, 2 percent each;
•Gov. John Kasich, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee 1 percent each.
The latest poll shows a five-point drop for Rubio since Quinnipiac's November poll. Carson is six points down from November. However, Christie's numbers are up, and the the remainder are at about the same levels.
Of all the candidates, Carson has been falling the furthest. In October, Carson was leading the Quinnipiac survey at 28 percent, followed by Trump at 20 percent, Rubio at 13 percent, and Cruz nabbed 10 percent. Bush's numbers have remained virtually the same, as he had 5 percent in the October poll.
Trump's four-point lead over Cruz in the current poll falls within the margin of error of 4.4 percentage points among Republicans and 2.9 percentage points overall. However, 58 percent of the voters who named a candidate said they may change their mind, the poll showed.
A combination of the nation's polls, though, shows Trump with a commanding lead of 34 percent to Rubio's 18 percent, according to Real Clear Politics.
In the new Quinnipiac poll, Clinton maintained her commanding lead over Sanders, by 61-30 percent, and Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley netted 2 percent. Six percent were undecided and 41 percent said they may change their minds.
Further, the top Republican candidates all fall behind Clinton and Sanders in potential general election matchups:
•Voters back Clinton over Trump 47 – 40 percent;
•Clinton over Rubio, 44-43 percent;
•Clinton tied with Cruz, 44-44 percent.
•Sanders over Trump, 51-38 percent;
•Rubio over Sanders, 45-42 percent;
•Cruz over Sanders, 44-43 percent.
Voters also said, by 59-32 percent, including 86-10 percent among Democrats, that Clinton would defeat the eventual Republican nominee next November. Overall, voters said by 53-41 percent that Trump does not have a good chance of winning in November, but Republicans, by 70-24 percent said he has a good chance of winning.
The poll was conducted from Dec. 16-20 of 1,140 registered voters nationwide and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
It included 508 Republicans, with a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points, and 462 Democrats, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.
Cruz is showing strong support among different voting groups over Trump:
•Tea Party: Cruz, 38-27;
•White, Evangelical Christians, 33-22 percent;
•Very conservative supporters: 33-22 percent;
Trump was over Cruz among men, by 30 percent to 29 percent, and among people with a college degree, by 24-21 percent.
Also, 40 percent of the Republican voters who watched the Dec. 15 debate said they believed Cruz won the contest, compared to 20 percent for Trump.
With Republicans, 28 percent said they definitely would not support Trump, and 24 percent said they would not back Bush.
In addition, 23 percent would be proud to have Trump as the president of the United States, with half saying they'd be embarrassed, and 33 percent said they'd be proud of Clinton and 35 percent embarrassed.
In other matchups:
•Voters back Clinton over Trump 47 – 40 percent;
•Clinton over Rubio, 44-43 percent;
•Clinton tied with Cruz, 44-44 percent.
•Sanders over Trump, 51-38 percent;
•Rubio over Sanders, 45-42 percent;
•Cruz over Sanders, 44-43 percent.
In favorability ratings:
•Clinton, 43-51 percent;
•Sanders, 40 – 31 percent;
•Rubio, 37 – 28 percent;
•Cruz, 35 – 33 percent.
Meanwhile, Clinton and Trump remain close on several key qualities, except for experience. Voters said, by 63-35 percent, that Clinton has the right kind of experience to be president, while, by 67-29 percent, they said Trump does not have the experience needed.
In other numbers:
•59 – 35 percent said that Clinton is not honest and trustworthy;
•58 – 40 percent that she has strong leadership qualities;
•50 – 46 percent that she does not care about their needs and problems;
•55 – 42 percent that she does not share their values.
With Trump; voters say:
•58 – 36 percent that he is not honest and trustworthy;
•58 – 39 percent that he has strong leadership qualities;
•57 – 38 percent that he does not care about their needs and problems;
•61 – 34 percent that he does not share their values.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Quinnipiac-Trump-Cruz-Clinton/2015/12/22/id/706750/#ixzz3v5hUTfE3
-
About time. Good decision.
Next GOP debate stage could shrink to six candidates
By Ben Kamisar
December 22, 2015
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/fbndebate.jpg?itok=WtoWdaXi)
As few as six candidates could make the next GOP presidential debate stage in January, as Fox Business Network's new criteria could drastically shrink the field less than a month before the Iowa caucuses.
Fox Business Network announced three separate avenues to make the main stage, but those pathways are more restricted than in previous debates. Participants in the main stage debate on Jan. 14 must hit the top six in an average of five recent national polls, or top five in an average of recent polls from Iowa or New Hampshire.
The rest will qualify for another undercard debate, provided that they earn at least 1 percent in one of the qualifying polls.
Last month's CNN debate also relied on early state polling, but set a 4 percent threshold instead. Nine candidates made the network's main event.
Fox Business Network, as in the past, hasn't announced which polls it would use. But using current RealClearPolitics averages, Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Ben Carson, former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.), and Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.) currently sit in the national top six.
Those six candidates also make up the top five in Iowa in New Hampshire, in a different order. So depending on which polls would qualify, no other candidates would make the main stage as of now.
That would relegate Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), Carly FIorina, and Gov. John Kasich (Ohio) to the undercard debate weeks before the first votes of 2016 are cast. Candidates may get one more shot on Jan. 28, when Fox News hosts a debate just days before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucus.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/264072-next-gop-debate-stage-could-shrink-to-six-candidates
-
the undercard debates are better anyway... some good answers and solutions.
the main card debates are mostly "Candidate A, this is what Candidate B said about you..."
nobody talks policy.
-
Great commentary by George Will. Trump will probably be talking stink about Will's mother after this.
Trump Jeopardizes Future of GOP
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=95dd047d-6d28-45e6-a898-add2dcb18c67&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Trump Jeopardizes Future of GOP (AP)
By George Will
Thursday, 24 Dec 2015
If you look beyond Donald Trump's comprehensive unpleasantness — is there a disagreeable human trait he does not have? — you might see this: He is a fundamentally sad figure. His compulsive boasting is evidence of insecurity.
His unassuageable neediness suggests an aching hunger for others' approval to ratify his self-admiration. His incessant announcements of his self-esteem indicate that he is not self-persuaded. Now, panting with a puppy's insatiable eagerness to be petted, Trump has reveled in the approval of Vladimir Putin, murderer and war criminal.
Putin slyly stirred America's politics by saying Trump is "very talented," adding that he welcomed Trump's promise of "closer, deeper relations," whatever that might mean, with Russia. Trump announced himself flattered to be "so nicely complimented" by a "highly respected" man: "When people call you brilliant, it's always good."
When MSNBC's Joe Scarborough said Putin "kills journalists and political opponents and invades countries," Trump replied that "at least he's a leader." Besides, Trump breezily asserted, "I think our country does plenty of killing also." Two days later, Trump, who rarely feigns judiciousness, said: "It has not been proven that he's killed reporters."
Well. Perhaps the 56 journalists murdered were coincidental victims of amazingly random violence that the former KGB operative's police state is powerless to stop. It has, however, been "proven," perhaps even to Trump's exacting standards, that Putin has dismembered Ukraine. (Counts one and two at the 1946 Nuremberg trials concerned conspiracy to wage, and waging, aggressive war.)
Until now, Trump's ever-more-exotic effusions have had an almost numbing effect. Almost. But by his embrace of Putin, and by postulating a slanderous moral equivalence — Putin kills journalists, the United States kills terrorists, what's the big deal, or the difference? — Trump has forced conservatives to recognize their immediate priority.
Certainly conservatives consider it crucial to deny the Democratic Party a third consecutive term controlling the executive branch. Extending from eight to 12 years its use of unbridled executive power would further emancipate the administrative state from control by either a withering legislative branch or a supine judiciary. But first things first. Conservatives' highest priority now must be to prevent Trump from winning the Republican nomination in this the GOP's third epochal intra-party struggle in 104 years.
In 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt campaigned for the Republican nomination on an explicitly progressive platform. Having failed to win the nomination, he ran a third-party campaign against the Republican nominee, President William Howard Taft, and the Democratic nominee, New Jersey's Gov. Woodrow Wilson, who that November would become the first person elected president who was deeply critical of the American founding.
TR shared Wilson's impatience with the separation of powers, which both men considered an 18th-century relic incompatible with a properly energetic executive. Espousing unconstrained majoritarianism, TR favored a passive judiciary deferential to elected legislatures and executives; he also endorsed the powers of popular majorities to overturn judicial decisions and recall all public officials.
Taft finished third, carrying only Utah and Vermont. But because Taft hewed to conservatism, and was supported by some other leading Republicans (e.g., Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge, one of TR's closest friends, and Elihu Root, TR's secretary of war and then secretary of state), the Republican Party survived as a counterbalance to a progressive Democratic Party.
In 1964, Barry Goldwater mounted a successful conservative insurgency against a Republican establishment that was content to blur and dilute the Republican distinctiveness that had been preserved 52 years earlier. Goldwater defeated New York's Gov. Nelson Rockefeller for the nomination, just as Taft had defeated TR, a former New York governor.
Like Taft, Goldwater was trounced (he carried six states). But the Republican Party won five of the next seven presidential elections. In two of them, Ronald Reagan secured the party's continuity as the custodian of conservatism.
In 2016, a Trump nomination would not just mean another Democratic presidency. It would mean the loss of what Taft and then Goldwater made possible — a conservative party as a constant presence in American politics.
It is possible Trump will not win any primary, and that by the middle of March our long national embarrassment will be over. But this avatar of unfettered government and executive authoritarianism has mesmerized a large portion of Republicans for six months. The larger portion should understand this:
One hundred and four years of history is in the balance. If Trump is the Republican nominee in 2016, there might not be a conservative party in 2020 either.
http://www.newsmax.com/GeorgeWill/trump-putin-goldwater/2015/12/24/id/707007/#ixzz3vIKf7QSp
-
Trey Gowdy Endorses Marco Rubio As ‘Rock Solid Conservative’
by CHARLIE SPIERING
26 Dec 2015
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/09/Rubio-640x480.jpg)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)79% has earned the support of conservative favorite Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)86%
(R-S.C.), who will join the freshman Senator for a three-day trip to Iowa to rally support for his campaign.
“Marco is a rock solid conservative and a strong leader we can trust,” Gowdy said in a statement proved to reporters. “I look forward to campaigning in Iowa with him, and introducing my good friend to voters across the state.”
Gowdy is a celebrity among many conservatives, thanks to his tough prosecutorial grilling of members of the administration officials during congressional hearings and because he has chaired the Benghazi investigative committee that centers on Hillary Clinton.
Gowdy will join Rubio for seven events in Iowa. He will likely officially announce his support at a campaign rally at the Pzazz! Convention and Event Center in Burlington, Iowa on Monday.
Gowdy’s announcement comes just as many grassroots conservative activists in the state have begun to coalesce around Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)97%
’s campaign. A CBS/YouGov poll of the state earlier this month showed Cruz earning 40 percent, followed by Donald Trump at 31 percent. Rubio fell to third place with 12 percent of the vote.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/26/trey-gowdy-endorses-marco-rubio-rock-solid-conservative/
-
Pataki definitely out.
-
Pataki Makes It Official: Leaving Presidential Race
By Greg Richter
Tuesday, 29 Dec 2015
Former New York Gov. George Pataki dropped out of the GOP race for president on Tuesday night, making his official announcement on local TV stations in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Word had already leaked out, with Boston Globe reporter James Pindell tweeting a "scoop" earlier in the day that Pataki was calling New Hampshire supporters to tell them he was dropping out.
Later, Pataki himself tweeted that a "special message" would be airing on NBC affiliates in the three states during Tuesday's episode of "Chicago Med."
In a two-minute message, the former governor invoked front-runner Donald Trump's signature phrase, saying, "If we're truly going to make America great again we need to elect a president who will do three things: confront and defeat radical Islam, shrink the size and power of Washington and unite us again in our belief in this great country."
Pataki has been a sharp critic of Trump, but his campaign never caught fire. He is in last place in the current Real Clear Politics
CNN reports he used the equal time rule to make the announcement on NBC after Trump hosted "Saturday Night Live" last fall.
"I'm confident we can elect the right person," Pataki said in the ad, "someone who will bring us together and who understands that politicians, including the president, must be the people's servant, and not their master.
Pataki's former rivals were mostly gracious, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz offering a tribute on Facebook.
"I’m grateful for Governor George Pataki’s many years of dedication to our nation and to the state of New York — particularly while serving as Governor on September 11th," Cruz wrote. "He brought experience and knowledge to the race for the Republican nomination, and as a result, helped prepare our eventual nominee to win in November and take back the White House."
Trump, however, hit Pataki over his near-zero showing in the polls as he announced Pataki's exit at a Council Bluffs, Iowa campaign rally.
"Somebody else dropped out, but there's not much to split up because he was at zero," Trump said, noting that usually when a candidate drops out he tries to figure out where his supporters will move to. "When they drop out at zero you just go on."
Ohio Gov. John Kasich also thanked Pataki for his service.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/george-pataki-dropping-out-gop/2015/12/29/id/707500/#ixzz3vpUWsLkz
-
Marco Rubio Is No Moderate
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c6821b9a-c912-4ea5-b126-e105e491400b&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Marco Rubio Is No Moderate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (AP)
By Deroy Murdock
Wednesday, 30 Dec 2015
Some on the right lately have denounced Sen. Marco Rubio, R – Fla., as the Republican establishment’s plan B, now that Jeb Bush has fizzled.
One Miami-based conservative activist dismisses Rubio as “white Republican Obama.”
How absurd. Rubio is not Bob Dole with palm trees. And if Rubio is a “moderate,” as Sen. Ted Cruz, R – Texas, claims, then John McCain is Ho Chi Minh.
How soon we forget: Marco Rubio was a 2010 tea party pinup. He was endorsed by the devoutly anti-establishment Club for Growth.
Rather than grow a RINO horn, Rubio reliably votes right.
The American Conservative Union gave Rubio a 96 rating (out of 100) for 2014 and 98 across his Senate career. Heritage Action handed Rubio a 94 last year and 91 lifetime. The equivalent Club for Growth numbers are 92 and 93.
These sparkling right-wing credentials notwithstanding, Rubio works and plays well enough with others to enact conservative legislation — sometimes with Democratic support.
Rubio and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D–N.H., co-sponsored the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act. This brand-new law limits the Iranian-backed terrorist group’s access to global financial markets and punishes banks that serve this band of anti-American, anti-Israeli killers. Hezbollah itself denounced Rubio’s law as “a new crime by American institutions against our people and nation.”
Rubio torpedoed Obama’s planned bailout of his health-insurance cronies who lose money due to Obamacare. So far, Rubio has saved taxpayers some $2.5 billion and prevented insurers from socializing their Obamacare losses. Mega-insurers UnitedHealthCare and Cigna have fallen out of love with Obamacare and may flee Obama’s exchanges in 2017. Rubio’s low-key amendment to the 2014 omnibus spending bill looks like the thumbtack that slowly will give Obamacare a flat tire.
Cruz “forced a shutdown over it,” the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin recalled. “Every GOP presidential candidate vows to repeal it. But only [Rubio] can claim to have done something tangible to hobble, maybe permanently, Obamacare.”
In light of the Department of Veteran Affairs’ appalling and deadly neglect of America’s vets, Rubio sponsored legislation to make it easier for the VA secretary to fire incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats whose sloth actually has killed sick veterans as they awaited medical care.
Before Rubio’s measure was signed into law, he had to overcome Senator Bernie Sanders’s objections. The Vermont socialist tried in vain to sink Rubio’s proposal and, thus, protect the job security of VA workers.
Rubio and Democrats Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Bill Nelson of Florida were original sponsors of a December 2014 law that condemns and tightens sanctions on Venezuela’s Castroite tyranny.
Ted Cruz is also a tea party/Club for Growth–approved hero with sky-high conservative scores. Alas, Cruz’s go-it-alone style has limited his effectiveness as a lawmaker who can pass legislation.
Cruz’s Senate website cites just one piece of legislation that he has guided into law: a 2014 statute bars entry visas to U.N. ambassadors who have committed espionage or terrorism against America or threaten U.S. national security.
Also telling: Among those who work closely with both of these men, three Republican senators have endorsed Rubio — Montana’s Steve Daines, Colorado’s Cory Gardner, and Idaho’s James Risch.
In contrast, none of Cruz’s Senate colleagues recommends him for president. Rubio has raised suspicions for initially co-sponsoring comprehensive immigration reform, nicknamed “amnesty.”
However, Rubio abandoned the bill once it metastasized into a 1,198-page monstrosity. “We must begin by acknowledging that, considering our recent experience with massive pieces of legislation, achieving comprehensive reform of anything in a single bill is simply not realistic,” Rubio wrote in his book American Dreams.
Instead, Rubio now calls for a “sequential and piecemeal” approach “with a series of bills that build upon one another until ultimately we have put in place the kind of immigration system our nation needs.”
The affable Marco Rubio votes with conservatives more than 90 percent of the time and even gets Democrats to back his right-wing reforms.
What a moderate
http://www.newsmax.com/Murdock/Moderate-Obamacare-Taxpayers-VA/2015/12/30/id/707553/#ixzz3vq7NETCo
-
What do you think of Rubio's voting record Dos E?
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/marco_rubio/412491
-
Rubio is pretty liberal, no doubt about it.
but so many vote on looks and image, not actual voting records or even policy positions.
Look at trump - more liberal than ANYONE in the repub race... and he's killing them all in the polls. the base doesn't care about issues, they care about personality.
-
What do you think of Rubio's voting record Dos E?
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/marco_rubio/412491
I think it's about as relevant as his "luxury" speedboat and his traffic tickets.
-
I think it's about as relevant as his "luxury" speedboat and his traffic tickets.
LOL @ you seriously not believing a candidate's voting record matters.
Says it all, doesn't it?
-
LOL @ you seriously not believing a candidate's voting record matters.
Says it all, doesn't it?
Ah shaddap. Nobody cares what you think.
-
Ah shaddap. Nobody cares what you think.
you're not acting like a moderator here.
(https://authorycorrea.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/dave_shaking_head_no.gif)
-
I think it's about as relevant as his "luxury" speedboat and his traffic tickets.
So you dont think the next president should be someone who can actually manage to get to work in the morning?
Half of succes is being there.
Come on.
-
you're not acting like a moderator here.
(https://authorycorrea.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/dave_shaking_head_no.gif)
::) You are the biggest crybaby on this board.
-
So you dont think the next president should be someone who can actually manage to get to work in the morning?
Half of succes is being there.
Come on.
I think this is purely an attempt to try and smear him to damage his presidential candidacy. I've seen this done locally. It's never really a legitimate issue, although it did partly result in a local candidate losing when his opponent tallied missed votes, took them out of context, and made it look pretty bad. It shows how desperate people can be to attack a candidate when they have difficulty addressing the candidate's substantive issues/positions.
-
I've been in different parts of the country over the past couple months and have seen numerous Bush campaign ads everywhere. He is spending a ton of money. Interested to see how this translates when the voting starts.
Bush campaign shifts resources to early states in strategy shake-up
The redeployment of staff and retooling of TV advertising marks the campaign's third major overhaul.
By ALEX ISENSTADT
12/30/15
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/1893612/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F86%2F19%2Ff44517b74f908749f1e2f92640b3%2F151230-jeb-bush-florida-gty-1160.jpg)
Jeb Bush holds a meet and greet at Chico's Restaurant in Hialeah, Fla., on Dec. 28.
The redeployment of staff and retooling of TV advertising marks the campaign's third major overhaul. | Getty
Jeb Bush's campaign, searching for momentum in a race that hasn’t gone its way, is deploying nearly all of its staff in its Miami headquarters to early states and shifting millions of dollars in TV ad reservations.
On a Wednesday afternoon staff-wide conference call, top campaign officials, including campaign manager Danny Diaz, informed employees that the deployment would be staggered throughout the month of January. The campaign is expected to dispatch between 50 and 60 staffers in Miami and elsewhere, with 20 going to New Hampshire and 10 or more going to Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada.
One participant on the call quoted Diaz as saying that “damn near everybody” would be departing Miami for early primary states. Diaz, too, would be getting deployed, he told the staff.
The campaign also said it was making major adjustments in its TV spending, canceling $3 million in reservations and directing it to field efforts and voter contact. It will scrap over $1 million of TV spending in Iowa, a state that he’s been trailing in, and around $2 million in South Carolina.
“We’re making a strategic resource reallocation,” said Tim Miller, a Bush spokesman.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Bush, along with Diaz and top campaign fundraiser Heather Larrison, held a conference call with top donors and bundlers to explain the staff redeployment and to provide a general update on the campaign.
Bush fielded several questions and gave an upbeat assessment of the campaign's fundraising performance in the fourth quarter of 2015, which will end on Thursday —though he did not provide an exact figure of how much he had raised.
Political observers will be looking closely at Bush's cash on hand when the campaign files its required reports toward the end of January.
The strategic shakeup comes as Bush is mounting a major push in New Hampshire, which his advisers consider a must-win state. The former Florida governor, once the frontrunner of the unwieldy GOP field, is making a last-ditch effort to right a campaign that has faltered despite a hefty cash pile and an establishment pedigree.
Wednesday’s announcement marked the Bush campaign’s third major overhaul. In June, the organization surprised the political world when it said that Diaz, a hard-charging veteran operative, would serve as its manager instead of David Kochel, an Iowa-based strategist who had long been seen as the likely occupant of the post. Then, in October, beset by lagging poll numbers and mediocre fundraising, the campaign announced that it was slashing staff salaries and firing a number of consultants.
The latest decisions reflect a calculation on Bush’s part that, in a presidential campaign defined by loud voices and wall-to-wall media coverage, TV commercials are having less of an effect than they traditionally do. While Bush has benefited from more TV spending than any other candidate, his poll numbers nationally and in early primary states have disappointed.
Advisers said that money would be redirected to a variety of activities in key primary states. Much of it will go towards increasing its staff presence in Iowa, where the campaign currently counts 11 paid staffers, in New Hampshire, where it has 20, South Carolina, where it has seven, and Nevada, where it has nine.
Aside from increasing its spending on field efforts, the campaign said it would boost its spending on radio advertising in New Hampshire and South Carolina — including on conservative talk shows.
For its TV presence, the campaign will find itself increasingly reliant on Right to Rise, the super PAC that has been airing tens of millions of dollars in advertisements on Bush’s behalf. The group, which operates independently of the campaign, has reserved advertising time in all four early states.
A Right to Rise spokesman, Paul Lindsay, said Wednesday afternoon that the super PAC would be “evaluating progress on the ground and augmenting our TV buys in early states where we see a need.”
The Bush campaign is also seeking out volunteers — including alumni of the George W. Bush administration. On Tuesday, Brian McCormack, a former staffer in the George W. Bush White House who now works at the Washington, DC-based Edison Electric Institute, sent out an email to Bush administration alum asking them to help out Jeb Bush’s early state efforts.
“The political season is about to shift into high gear which means it’s time to make your plans to visit Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and/or Nevada!” McCormack wrote. “What could be a better resolution for 2016 than working to put a Republican in the White House?”
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/bush-campaign-deploying-nearly-all-miami-staff-to-early-states-217235#ixzz3vvCb2Mt7
-
I think this is purely an attempt to try and smear him to damage his presidential candidacy. I've seen this done locally. It's never really a legitimate issue, although it did partly result in a local candidate losing when his opponent tallied missed votes, took them out of context, and made it look pretty bad. It shows how desperate people can be to attack a candidate when they have difficulty addressing the candidate's substantive issues/positions.
Of course it is.
But that doesnt make it false.
Rubio's voting record is terrible.
-
Of course it is.
But that doesnt make it false.
Rubio's voting record is terrible.
Really? How many votes did he make, how many did he miss, what is the significance of the missed votes, and how do those missed votes compare to his peers?
-
Ah shaddap. Nobody cares what you think.
Beach,
Which Rubio do you perfer?
"I am strongly against amnesty." - Rubio 2010 (running for Senate)
or this one?
"I am for amnesty" - Rubio 2015
-
Beach,
Which Rubio do you perfer?
"I am strongly against amnesty." - Rubio 2010 (running for Senate)
or this one?
"I am for amnesty" - Rubio 2015
I like the anti-amnesty Rubio. :)
-
I like the anti-amnesty Rubio. :)
I prefer neither as the man is a liar and a fraud who cant even show up to work most of the time, plus he called for a regime change in Libya that destabilized that area and helped strengthen ISIS.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/03/31/6382558-rubio-urges-regime-change-in-libya
-
I prefer neither as the man is a liar and a fraud who cant even show up to work most of the time, plus he called for a regime change in Libya that destabilized that area and helped strengthen ISIS.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/03/31/6382558-rubio-urges-regime-change-in-libya
Actually he showed up for work the overwhelming majority of the time. His missed 13.3 percent of roll call votes, so he made 86.7 percent. Also, missing roll call votes doesn't necessarily mean a legislator isn't working.
They are all supporting some form of amnesty.
-
Actually he showed up for work the overwhelming majority of the time. His missed 13.3 percent of roll call votes, so he made 86.7 percent. Also, missing roll call votes doesn't necessarily mean a legislator isn't working.
"Since the beginning of the year, Marco Rubio has cast votes about two-thirds of the time he could have -- the worst attendance of any senator seeking a presidential nomination."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/30/marco-rubio-is-right-that-others-have-missed-more-votes-but-theyve-also-come-under-fire/
They are all supporting some form of amnesty.
Ted Cruz has never supported Amnesty and fought hard to defeat the gang of 8 amnesty Bill that Rubio and Schumer were trying to ram through.
"Cruz was the only one among the GOP presidential field who never plainly supported something like a path to citizenship or another form of legal status. In September 2015, PolitiFact rated Mostly True Cruz’s claim that he alone among 10 candidates -- including Rubio -- never backed "amnesty" for immigrants."
http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/dec/16/marco-rubio/marco-rubio-says-ted-cruz-supports-legalizing-peop/
-
"Since the beginning of the year, Marco Rubio has cast votes about two-thirds of the time he could have -- the worst attendance of any senator seeking a presidential nomination."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/30/marco-rubio-is-right-that-others-have-missed-more-votes-but-theyve-also-come-under-fire/
Ted Cruz has never supported Amnesty and fought hard to defeat the gang of 8 amnesty Bill that Rubio and Schumer were trying to ram through.
"Cruz was the only one among the GOP presidential field who never plainly supported something like a path to citizenship or another form of legal status. In September 2015, PolitiFact rated Mostly True Cruz’s claim that he alone among 10 candidates -- including Rubio -- never backed "amnesty" for immigrants."
http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/dec/16/marco-rubio/marco-rubio-says-ted-cruz-supports-legalizing-peop/
Yes, he missed 13 percent of roll call votes.
Cruz has made statements in the past supporting amnesty. None of the candidates have clean hands on this issue.
This is the first time I've ever seen Cruz ruffled. Didn't look so good here.
Fox News anchor confronts Cruz with 2013 remarks on immigration reform
By Elliot Smilowitz
December 16, 2015
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday squared off with Fox News anchor Bret Baier over comments Cruz made in 2013 as the Senate considered an immigration reform bill.
Baier began the interview by repeating what Cruz said on the subject during Tuesday’s GOP presidential debate: “I’ve never supported legalization, I do not intend to support it.”
The anchor then played a speech Cruz made in 2013 promoting his amendment to an immigration reform measure in which he called on “people of good faith on both sides of the aisle” to pass a bill “that allows those that are here illegally to come in out of the shadows.”
Asked to respond to the clip, Cruz said his amendment would “remove citizenship.”
“The fact that I introduced an amendment to remove part of the Gang of Eight bill doesn’t mean I support the rest of the Gang of Eight bill,” he added.
But Baier replied with a series of statements Cruz made in 2013 that indicated he wanted the rest of the bill to pass. He quoted the Texas Republican calling the legislation “the compromise that can pass” and saying “if my amendment were adopted, this bill would pass.”
Cruz stammered in his response, saying that “of course I wanted my amendment to pass. ... It doesn’t mean I supported other aspects of the bill.”
In an attempt to prove his amendment wasn’t a tacit endorsement of the rest of the bill, Cruz cited the fact that Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) voted with him.
“The problem, though, is that at the time you were telling people ... this was not a poison pill,” Baier said in response. “You said you wanted it to pass at the time. Looking back at what you said then, and what you said now, which one should people believe?”
Cruz told Baier his amendment “illustrated hypocrisy of the Democrats” and “succeeded in defeating” the bill, as the interview wrapped up.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/263544-fox-news-anchor-confronts-cruz-with-2013-remarks-on-immigration
-
Yes, he missed 13 percent of roll call votes.
Cruz has made statements in the past supporting amnesty. None of the candidates have clean hands on this issue.
Wrong again, and I am really disappointed in you Beach for falling for this farce that Cruz is in someway for amnesty in any form, as the truth is what Cruz did was put forth a Poison Pill (BTW if you say it is a poison pill no one takes it) by putting in amendments to the gang of 8 bill that made it so no illegal could ever become a citizen, as Rubio and other Rino's were trying to say the Bill was not about amnesty but about security, when in fact it was just the opposite, and Rubio is now trying to deflect by trying to say well since Cruz did not put forth amendments for the removal of the legalization part he must then be for it, which is a lie and the pro-establishment folks at Fox news are pushing this farce, and you for one have fallen for it.
Video:
-
Wrong again, and I am really disappointed in you Beach for falling for this farce that Cruz is in someway for amnesty in any form, as the truth is what Cruz did was put forth a Poison Pill (BTW if you say it is a poison pill no one takes it) by putting in amendments to the gang of 8 bill that made it so no illegal could ever become a citizen, as Rubio and other Rino's were trying to say the Bill was not about amnesty but about security, when in fact it was just the opposite, and Rubio is now trying to deflect by trying to say well since Cruz did not put forth amendments for the removal of the legalization part he must then be for it, which is a lie and the pro-establishment folks at Fox news are pushing this farce, and you for one have fallen for it.
Video:
I like Cruz, but he is trying to spin his comments. Here is what he said:
The anchor then played a speech Cruz made in 2013 promoting his amendment to an immigration reform measure in which he called on “people of good faith on both sides of the aisle” to pass a bill “that allows those that are here illegally to come in out of the shadows.”
That is specifically talking about giving some kind of legal status to illegal aliens. If you watch the clip, he was disheveled when trying to answer the questions on this issue. That's the only time I've ever seen him ruffled.
-
I like Cruz, but he is trying to spin his comments. Here is what he said:
The anchor then played a speech Cruz made in 2013 promoting his amendment to an immigration reform measure in which he called on “people of good faith on both sides of the aisle” to pass a bill “that allows those that are here illegally to come in out of the shadows.”
That is specifically talking about giving some kind of legal status to illegal aliens. If you watch the clip, he was disheveled when trying to answer the questions on this issue. That's the only time I've ever seen him ruffled.
The truth is all Cruz was doing with the above statement was promoting his poison pill as a way to prove that the gang of 8 was nothing more than granting amnesty to illegals (as he knew the gang of 8 would not vote for his amendment)
Cruz was calling their bluff, and if you dont see that then you are beyond help and deserve another liar Rino.
also Cruz was not "disheveled" but in utter disbeilef in
Once again listen to Jeff Session's own words on the matter:
-
The truth is all Cruz was doing with the above statement was promoting his poison pill as a way to prove that the gang of 8 was nothing more than granting amnesty to illegals (as he knew the gang of 8 would not vote for his amendment)
Cruz was calling their bluff, and if you dont see that then you are beyond help and deserve another liar Rino.
Once again listen to Jeff Session's own words on the matter:
I listened the clip. Sessions doesn't say it was a poison pill. I recall Cruz saying it wasn't a poison pill.
What do you think Cruz meant when he said it 2013 when talking about the bill that his amendment would "allow those who are here illegally to come out of the shadows"?
-
I listened the clip. Sessions doesn't say it was a poison pill. I recall Cruz saying it wasn't a poison pill.
What do you think Cruz meant when he said it 2013 when talking about the bill that his amendment would "allow those who are here illegally to come out of the shadows"?
Cruz couldn't call it a poison pill at that time as that would have defeated the purpose of it, and nobody would have taken it.
Listen to what Sessions describes, that is exactly a poison pill, Sessions describes it as such with out having to call it that
BTW I feel like I am arguing with 240... (twilight zone)
-
Cruz couldn't call it a poison pill as that would have defeated the purpose of it, and nobody would have taken it.
Listen to what Sessions describes, that is exactly a poison pill, Sessions describes it as such with out having to call it that.
BTW I feel like I am arguing with 240... (twilight zone)
What do you think Cruz meant when he said in 2013 when talking about the bill that his amendment would "allow those who are here illegally to come out of the shadows"?
-
What do you think Cruz meant when he said in 2013 when talking about the bill that his amendment would "allow those who are here illegally to come out of the shadows"?
it was only to promote his poison pill and nothing more, as rubio was out there saying it was not about amnesty, so Cruz said well OK then let remove the amnesty part from your Bill knowing they would say 'no" as he knew that the only one and true purpose of the gang of 8 Bill was amnesty the (right to vote)... in essence a a way of calling their bluff Beachbum, a way of showing that Rubio and others were telling lies, and that it was only about Amnesty.
Ted Cruz said Friday that he proposed five amendments that would bar citizenship and other benefits for illegal immigrants as a "poison pill" to kill rival Marco Rubio's "Gang of Eight" legislation in 2013.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ted-cruz-poison-bill-amendments-killed/2015/12/18/id/706450/
-
it was only to promote his poison pill and nothing more. as he knew that the only one and true purpose of the gang of 8 Bill was amnesty the (right to vote)... in essence a a way of calling their bluff Beachbum, a way of showing that Rubio and other were telling lies, and that it was only about Amnesty.
Ted Cruz said Friday that he proposed five amendments that would bar citizenship and other benefits for illegal immigrants as a "poison pill" to kill rival Marco Rubio's "Gang of Eight" legislation in 2013.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ted-cruz-poison-bill-amendments-killed/2015/12/18/id/706450/
So you think Cruz promoted amnesty, but was being dishonest about it for political purposes?
-
So you think Cruz promoted amnesty, but was being dishonest about it for political purposes?
are your serious?
Now I know your account was hijacked.
-
are your serious?
You didn't directly answer the question about what his statement means: "allow those who are here illegally to come out of the shadows."
I'm assuming you agree that statement clearly talks about amnesty. You said the preceding statement "was only to promote his poison pill and nothing more." In other words, aren't you acknowledging that he made a false statement supporting amnesty to try and kill the bill?
-
You didn't directly answer the question about what his statement means: "allow those who are here illegally to come out of the shadows."
Rubio and the other gang of 8 were out there saying the Bill's main purpose was about security and about making illegal immigrants into legal immigrants, and not truly for the purpose of granting amnesty and all Cruz did was show them to be full of shit by putting forth an amendment (poison pill) to remove the amnesty part of the gang of 8 Bill knowing they would not be for it, in essence calling their bluff, saying "well if its only about getting them to come out of the shadows then lets remove the citizenship part of your bill so they can still become legal but never have a right to vote", knowing they (rinos and libs) would vote it down and in the end could show that the Bill was only about the end result of granting amnesty (citizenship to illegals) and nothing more and all Cruz did was put forth an amendment as a way of defeating the entire gang of 8 bill, and as Sessions said everyone knows that, including Rubio, and also including Fox news.
-
Interesting posts, DE and James.
-
But the idea is that Cruz knew or thought or hoped that it wouldn't pass, but that it would succeed in exposing hypocrisy?
-
Interesting posts, DE and James.
Thanks, BeachBum (DE) and I agree 99% of the time but this falls into the 1% where we don't, as I believe Jeff Sessions and Ted Cruz but Beachbum chooses not to, even though Jeff Sessions is known as being honest and as anti-amnesty as they come, and he backs up Cruz's side of the details and not Rubio.
But the idea is that Cruz knew or thought or hoped that it wouldn't pass, but that it would succeed in exposing hypocrisy?
Yes, and cause the entire Gang of 8 Bill to be defeated. Rubio and the other gang of 8 were out there saying the Bill's main purpose was about security and about making illegal immigrants into legal immigrants, and not truly for the purpose of granting amnesty and all Cruz did was show them to be full of shit by putting forth an amendment (poison pill) to remove the amnesty part of the gang of 8 Bill knowing they would not be for it, in essence calling their bluff, saying "well if its only about getting them to come out of the shadows then lets remove the citizenship part of your bill so they can still become legal but never have a right to vote", knowing they (rinos and libs) would vote it down and in the end could show that the Bill was only about the end result of granting amnesty (citizenship to illegals) and nothing more and all Cruz did was put forth an amendment as a way of defeating the entire gang of 8 bill, and as Sessions said everyone knows that, including Rubio, and also including Fox news.
"My amendment was a one-page amendment that said anyone here illegally is permanently ineligible for citizenship," the first-term Texas senator told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News. "It was calling their bluff because what it did was revealed hypocrisy."
"Five amendments that were all designed to defeat this — and we succeeded," Cruz responded. "What's happening now is that the Washington establishment is in a panic."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ted-cruz-poison-bill-amendments-killed/2015/12/18/id/706450/
Listen to Senator Jeff Session's own words:
-
When Cruz put forth the idea that we increase skilled visas by 500% and that we double the number of permits for other types of work (ON TOP of that), he did so with the confidence it wouldn't pass? Meaning that had the amendment been accepted, he would have rejected the final product anyway, while confident that a sufficient number of others would do the same?
-
Thanks, BeachBum (DE) and I agree 99% of the time but this falls into the 1% where we don't, as I believe Jeff Sessions and Ted Cruz but Beachbum chooses not to, even though Jeff Sessions is known as being honest and as anti-amnesty as they come, and he backs up Cruz's side of the details and not Rubio.
Hey it's all good. I don't think Cruz is pro amnesty. I just take his words at face value. Whether he was genuine or saying something he didn't believe for the greater good, he still made the comments about illegals being given some kind of legal status.
But at the end of the day, I care more about whether he or anyone else is on the right side of the issue.
-
I just take his words at face value.
Well then take his own words here at face value:
"My amendment was a one-page amendment that said anyone here illegally is permanently ineligible for citizenship," the first-term Texas senator told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News. "It was calling their bluff because what it did was revealed hypocrisy."
"Five amendments that were all designed to defeat this — and we succeeded," Cruz responded. "What's happening now is that the Washington establishment is in a panic."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ted-cruz-poison-bill-amendments-killed/2015/12/18/id/706450/
Hey it's all good. I don't think Cruz is pro amnesty. I just take his words at face value. Whether he was genuine or saying something he didn't believe for the greater good, he still made the comments about illegals being given some kind of legal status.
But at the end of the day, I care more about whether he or anyone else is on the right side of the issue.
His prior comments was made in him calling their bluff, and nothing more, and I really cant understand why you wont see that or accept that. What he did with those Amendments (and his speech supporting them) was to push a false narrative to show the "hypocrisy" and to defeat the entire Gang of 8 Bill, but he has to be careful in explaining this as it could end up making him look bad as so many folks right now that vote on the republican side are sick of Politicians and all that that includes (why Trump is so high in the Polls) so he has to walk a narrow line in describing what he did to defeat the gang of 8 bill, and i can assure you that Greta and Brett Braer know that, but they dont like the guy and it is what it is, Cruz did not go to Washington to get in line and do as he is told by Mitch McConnell and the Establishment, he did not go to make friends and go against what he promised to do if elected, the person that did that is Rubio, it is Rubio who ran saying he would fight Amnesty if elected as Senator and then just a year later after being elected gave an big F U to his voters and teamed up with Chuck Shumer to try and ram Amnesty through, and as for Greta, her and many others at Fox news are Pro Establishment folks and want someone like Jeb or Rubio in office, and cant stand Cruz. They have Megan Kelly, Carl Rove, Brit Hume, Dana Perino, and Krauthammer on everyday bashing Cruz and Trump with most times having no one on there to take Cruz or Trumps side, so much for fair and balanced.
-
Well then take his own words here at face value:
"My amendment was a one-page amendment that said anyone here illegally is permanently ineligible for citizenship," the first-term Texas senator told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News. "It was calling their bluff because what it did was revealed hypocrisy."
"Five amendments that were all designed to defeat this — and we succeeded," Cruz responded. "What's happening now is that the Washington establishment is in a panic."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ted-cruz-poison-bill-amendments-killed/2015/12/18/id/706450/
His prior comments was made in him calling their bluff, and nothing more, and I really cant understand why you wont see that or accept that. What he did with those Amendments (and his speech supporting them) was to push a false narrative to show the "hypocrisy" and to defeat the entire Gang of 8 Bill, but he has to be careful in explaining this as it could end up making him look bad as so many folks right now that vote on the republican side are sick of Politicians and all that that includes (why Trump is so high in the Polls) so he has to walk a narrow line in describing what he did to defeat the gang of 8 bill, and i can assure you that Greta and Brett Braer know that, but they dont like the guy and it is what it is, Cruz did not go to Washington to get in line and do as he is told by Mitch McConnell and the Establishment, he did not go to make friends and go against what he promised to do if elected, the person that did that is Rubio, it is Rubio who ran saying he would fight Amnesty if elected as Senator and then just a year later after being elected gave an big F U to his voters and teamed up with Chuck Shumer to try and ram Amnesty through, and as for Greta, her and many others at Fox news are Pro Establishment folks and want someone like Jeb or Rubio in office, and cant stand Cruz. They have Megan Kelly, Carl Rove, Brit Hume, Dana Perino, and Krauthammer on everyday bashing Cruz and Trump with most times having no one on there to take Cruz or Trumps side, so much for fair and balanced.
You should put his prior comments in bold and red too.
I disagree about Megyn Kelly, Britt Hume, and Krauthammer bashing Cruz every day. I watch them quite a bit and I don't see that. They do bash Trump, but not Cruz.
-
Three top aides resign from Carson campaign
By Morning Express with Robin Meade staff
Fri January 1, 2016
A big shakeup in Ben Carson’s campaign: three of his top staffers have resigned.
Carson's campaign manager, deputy manager and communications director stepped down yesterday amid reports of in-fighting.
CNN Politics: Bob Dees is now the campaign chairman
Two of them released a statement saying they respect Carson, and enjoyed helping him become a top candidate.
Carson said the changes were needed to jumpstart his campaign.
Right now, he is far behind both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in the polls.
http://www.hlntv.com/shows/morning-express-robin-meade/articles/2016/01/01/ben-carson-s-campaign-manager-quits
-
I disagree about Megyn Kelly, Britt Hume, and Krauthammer bashing Cruz every day. I watch them quite a bit and I don't see that. They do bash Trump, but not Cruz.
Just a few:
The audio from Mark Levin is short but very to the point, as he hammers Brit Hume for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
Video: (Below too)
http://therightscoop.com/mark-levin-hammers-brit-hume-and-charles-krauthammer/
Fox News RINO Britt Hume's Constant Cruz Bashing
http://www.scout.com/college/west-virginia/forums/2545-politics-religion/14393735-fox-news-rino-britt-hume-s-constant-cruz-bashing/ms/178641238?s=159
Brit Hume attacks Ted Cruz at the end of the debate
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-attacks-ted-cruz-at-the-end-of-the-debate/
Then yesterday on Fox, The Five in the afternoon dumped all over Ted Cruz
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/03/24/as_predicted_conservatives_attack_cruz
Fox News begins bashing Ted Cruz to protect Jeb
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/03/23/fox-news-begins-bashing-ted-cruz-to-protect-jeb-with-greg-gutfeld/
Fox ‘News’ Host Megyn Kelly Basically Calls Ted Cruz An Idiot
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/01/fox-news-host-megyn-kelly-basically-calls-ted-cruz-an-idiot-video/
Baier Blames Ted Cruz
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/10/fox-host-bret-baier-blames-ted-cruz-for-mccarthy-dropping-from-race-for-house-speaker-video/
Brit Hume: Ted Cruz is a hypocrite.
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-ted-cruz-is-a-hypocrite-for-criticizing-mitch-mcconnell/
Charles Krauthammer: Refers to Ted Cruz as a hypocrite
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/27/charles-krauthammer-ted-cruz-guilty-of-committing-act-of-rather-amazing-hypocrisy/
WOW! Greg Gutfeld Rips Ted Cruz After Presidential Announcement: It’s Always Been About Him (Video)
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/03/wow-greg-gutfeld-rips-ted-cruz-after-presidential-announcement-its-always-been-about-him-video/
Rush Limbaugh Defends Ted Cruz From Fox News'
http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/12/17/rush-limbaugh-defends-ted-cruz-from-fox-news-cr/207587
I’ve Lost a Little Respect for Fox News’ Brit Hume After This Attack on Ted Cruz
http://rightwingnews.com/election-2016/ive-lost-a-little-respect-for-fox-news-brit-hume-after-this-attack-on-ted-cruz/
Fox News Pundits Bash Ted Cruz!
http://eaglerising.com/12790/fox-news-pundits-bashes-ted-cruz/
Some people noticed something curious about Fox News' treatment of Ted Cruz;
http://twitchy.com/2015/08/11/some-people-noticed-something-curious-about-fox-news-treatment-of-ted-cruz-do-you-agree/
Hammers, Fox News's Roger Ailes HATES Ted Cruz
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=871670632869598&id=206783309358337
GOP, Fox, Dems All Trying to Destroy Cruz’s Credibility
http://www.independentsentinel.com/gop-fox-dems-all-trying-to-destroy-cruzs-credibility/
Megyn Kelly nasty interviSeems Donald Trump isn’t the only conservative that Megyn Kelly hates. She has had multiple interviews with Ted Cruz on ‘The Kelly File.’ Most of them snarky, obnoxious and downright disrespectful. Here are a few samples:Calls Ted Cruz the most hated man in Americaews with Ted Cruz VIDEO
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/08/08/megyn-kelly-nasty-interviews-with-ted-cruz-video/
Mark Levin hammers Brit Hume of FOX News for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
"I dont know of anybody who has more obsessive hate for Ted Cruz than Brit Hume at FOX. Its Incredible!" - Mark Levin
-
James delivers a lot of great examples of FOX attacking Cruz.
Dos Equis misses a lot of stories on getbig (even those he comments on) and needs to be continually reminded of the simple things. So I suspect he did watch FOX all this time, but didn't remember the cruz attacks that the rest of us recall easily.
everyone has gifts. Some of us remember minute details from FOX newscasts from 18 months ago. Dos Equis' gift involves the ability to moderate in a fair and balanced manner.
-
ya just know there's a thread from 2007/2008 called "obama missed a TON of votes to campaign", along with 333386/waterbottlecrusher and others shitting on obama for missing fewer votes than Rubio did this time ;)
-
James delivers a lot of great examples of FOX attacking Cruz.
Dos Equis misses a lot of stories on getbig (even those he comments on) and needs to be continually reminded of the simple things. So I suspect he did watch FOX all this time, but didn't remember the cruz attacks that the rest of us recall easily.
everyone has gifts. Some of us remember minute details from FOX newscasts from 18 months ago. Dos Equis' gift involves the ability to moderate in a fair and balanced manner.
I find it a little odd that anyone who watches Fox News on a regular basis would not notice how often they talk negatively of Ted Cruz, especially from Brit Hume who smears Cruz every chance he gets, so much so that even Mark Levin (who likes Brit Hume) had to finally call out Brit Hume for doing so. Even Rush Limbaugh made comments about it happening as well.
-
I find it a little odd that anyone who watches Fox News on a regular basis would not notice how often they talk negatively of Ted Cruz, especially from Brit Hume who smears Cruz every chance he gets, so much so that even Mark Levin (who likes Brit Hume) had to finally call out Brit Hume for doing so. Even Rush Limbaugh made comments about it happening as well.
They trash ted cruz on a regular basis. Completely opposite of the way they defend the others 24/7. They explained away so many of Carsons "mis-statements"... anchors trying to defend a dude just saying dumb things.
I get it... Cruz scares big spending pork repubs that are okay with debt, as long as it's the rich getting the $ and not the poor/minorities. And their followers on getbig too. Dos Equis has gone silent since you pointed out so many clear examples of FOX trashing Cruz on a regular basis.
-
Rush Limbaugh defends Ted Cruz from Fox News attacks:
-
Here is a 2nd video from Mark Levin going after Charles Krauthammer and the "Five" Fox News Host Eric Boling for trashing Ted Cruz:
-
More:
Fox News Head "Roger Ailes" Compares Ted Cruz to One of America’s Worst Presidents:
he Hollywood Reporter talked to Roger Ailes for its May issue, and the Fox News president discussed many topics, including Hillary Clinton, the liberal mango, Jon Stewart, and enjoying his public persona. When asked whether he thinks Ted Cruz could win the Republican presidential nomination next year, he said, "Listen, we elected Warren G. Harding," insulting the Texas senator's chances and voters in one spare sentence. Harding is regularly rated as one of the worst — or at least one of the most forgettable — presidents in American history. The 74-year-old Ailes also noted that he had no interest in running for office after his time at Fox is done. "Every night is a fundraiser. It's sort of empty."
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/ 2015/04/roger-ailes-compares-cruz-to-warren-g-harding.html
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/introspective-roger-ailes-fox-news-789877
-
Just a few:
The audio from Mark Levin is short but very to the point, as he hammers Brit Hume for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
Video: (Below too)
http://therightscoop.com/mark-levin-hammers-brit-hume-and-charles-krauthammer/
Fox News RINO Britt Hume's Constant Cruz Bashing
http://www.scout.com/college/west-virginia/forums/2545-politics-religion/14393735-fox-news-rino-britt-hume-s-constant-cruz-bashing/ms/178641238?s=159
Brit Hume attacks Ted Cruz at the end of the debate
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-attacks-ted-cruz-at-the-end-of-the-debate/
Then yesterday on Fox, The Five in the afternoon dumped all over Ted Cruz
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/03/24/as_predicted_conservatives_attack_cruz
Fox News begins bashing Ted Cruz to protect Jeb
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/03/23/fox-news-begins-bashing-ted-cruz-to-protect-jeb-with-greg-gutfeld/
Fox ‘News’ Host Megyn Kelly Basically Calls Ted Cruz An Idiot
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/01/fox-news-host-megyn-kelly-basically-calls-ted-cruz-an-idiot-video/
Baier Blames Ted Cruz
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/10/fox-host-bret-baier-blames-ted-cruz-for-mccarthy-dropping-from-race-for-house-speaker-video/
Brit Hume: Ted Cruz is a hypocrite.
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-ted-cruz-is-a-hypocrite-for-criticizing-mitch-mcconnell/
Charles Krauthammer: Refers to Ted Cruz as a hypocrite
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/27/charles-krauthammer-ted-cruz-guilty-of-committing-act-of-rather-amazing-hypocrisy/
WOW! Greg Gutfeld Rips Ted Cruz After Presidential Announcement: It’s Always Been About Him (Video)
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/03/wow-greg-gutfeld-rips-ted-cruz-after-presidential-announcement-its-always-been-about-him-video/
Rush Limbaugh Defends Ted Cruz From Fox News'
http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/12/17/rush-limbaugh-defends-ted-cruz-from-fox-news-cr/207587
I’ve Lost a Little Respect for Fox News’ Brit Hume After This Attack on Ted Cruz
http://rightwingnews.com/election-2016/ive-lost-a-little-respect-for-fox-news-brit-hume-after-this-attack-on-ted-cruz/
Fox News Pundits Bash Ted Cruz!
http://eaglerising.com/12790/fox-news-pundits-bashes-ted-cruz/
Some people noticed something curious about Fox News' treatment of Ted Cruz;
http://twitchy.com/2015/08/11/some-people-noticed-something-curious-about-fox-news-treatment-of-ted-cruz-do-you-agree/
Hammers, Fox News's Roger Ailes HATES Ted Cruz
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=871670632869598&id=206783309358337
GOP, Fox, Dems All Trying to Destroy Cruz’s Credibility
http://www.independentsentinel.com/gop-fox-dems-all-trying-to-destroy-cruzs-credibility/
Megyn Kelly nasty interviSeems Donald Trump isn’t the only conservative that Megyn Kelly hates. She has had multiple interviews with Ted Cruz on ‘The Kelly File.’ Most of them snarky, obnoxious and downright disrespectful. Here are a few samples:Calls Ted Cruz the most hated man in Americaews with Ted Cruz VIDEO
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/08/08/megyn-kelly-nasty-interviews-with-ted-cruz-video/
Mark Levin hammers Brit Hume of FOX News for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
"I dont know of anybody who has more obsessive hate for Ted Cruz than Brit Hume at FOX. Its Incredible!" - Mark Levin
I listened to the Levin and Limbaugh clips and looked at a few of the other links. This is awfully weak. He was asked a few tough questions by Megyn Kelly. Someone questioned his success in the Senate. His experience in the Senate was questioned. Those are all valid inquiries. I don't consider any of that hating on the man every day. That doesn't happen.
I don't watch FOX every day, but I have watched enough to know they are not bashing Cruz every day. This is some incredibly thin-skinned stuff.
-
Brit Hume attacks Ted Cruz at the end of the debate
Read more: http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-attacks-ted-cruz-at-the-end-of-the-debate/#ixzz3wIehkXHb
-
Trump launches 1st TV ad, as 2016 candidates barnstorm Iowa, NH
Published January 04, 2016
FoxNews.com
The Republican presidential candidates kicked off the 2016 election year on Monday with a burst of new attacks and advertising – including Donald Trump’s first TV ad of the season – as they entered the final sprint to Iowa and New Hampshire.
As Trump rolled out his TV spot in both early-voting states, Ben Carson released a new tax plan, just days after shaking up his struggling campaign. Ted Cruz was launching an aggressive 36-county tour across Iowa, while Marco Rubio used a security speech Monday in New Hampshire to slam those who voted to rein in America’s intelligence efforts.
The speeches, the ads, the bus tours and the proposals all reflect an effort by the campaigns in the still-crowded field to effectively re-launch, with less than a month to go until the lead-off Iowa caucuses, and after that the New Hampshire primary.
Carson, who has endured a precipitous drop in the polls and switched up his top campaign staff last week, unveiled a plan Monday to scrap the tax code and replace it with a 14.9 percent flat tax.
“No deductions, no loopholes -- it applies to everybody across the board,” the retired neurosurgeon told Fox News.
Once the darling of Iowa conservatives, Carson has seen his numbers plummet there as Cruz, the Texas senator, has shot to the front of the field – nudging past Trump.
Though Trump still holds the lead in most New Hampshire polls, the billionaire businessman is seeking to energize his bid by putting money behind his first TV ad of the race. His campaign announced it would be spending at least $2 million a week on the ad, split between Iowa and New Hampshire.
The ad reprises Trump’s call to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and to take the Islamic State’s oil, but begins by defending the controversial proposal he made after the San Bernardino terror attack to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.
The narrator in the ad says: “The politicians can pretend it’s something else but Donald Trump calls its radical Islamic terrorism. That’s why he’s calling for a temporary shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until we can figure out what’s going on.”
Trump isn’t the only one talking tough in the final stretch.
Florida Sen. Rubio, at an American Legion post in New Hampshire, took an implicit shot at candidates like Cruz in blasting lawmakers who voted to rein in the NSA – while vowing to “restore” such intelligence programs.
“If ISIS had lobbyists in Washington, they would have spent millions to support the anti-intelligence law that was just passed with the help of some Republicans now running for president,” Rubio charged.
He also blasted Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton as “incompetent,” and said, “She has lied” – referring to her public explanations regarding the Benghazi terror attack.
Keep the Promise, a super PAC supporting Cruz, launched its own ad in Iowa that mocked Rubio over a video clip he put out in October joking about “fantasy football” – the pro-Cruz ad juxtaposes that against images of ISIS fighters and the refugee crisis to question his seriousness.
Cruz, meanwhile, is keeping a packed schedule as he launches a six-day, 36-county bus tour in the Hawkeye State – and tries to maintain his lead there.
Even the lower-polling candidates are taking another crack at breaking through. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who won the Iowa contest in 2012, launched his first TV ad in the state on Monday – also going after Cruz.
The ad starts with a clip of the Texas senator reading a Dr. Seuss classic, "Green Eggs And Ham," on the Senate floor, which he did during a filibuster-like speech opposing ObamaCare in 2013.
"You want someone to read one helluva bedtime story, Ted Cruz is your guy," a narrator says. "If you want to protect America, and defeat ISIS, Rick Santorum’s your president. Because serious times need serious people."
Santorum, though, is polling at under 1 percent in the state as Cruz and Trump maintain an unrivaled lead.
New Hampshire, by contrast, is a much tighter contest. No fewer than five candidates are jockeying closely for the position behind Trump in the polls right now: Rubio, Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/04/trump-launches-1st-tv-ad-as-2016-candidates-barnstorm-iowa-nh.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
More Ted Cruz Bashing from Brit Hume:
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/04/08/brit-hume-on-2016-presidential-race-is-the-country-ready-to-elect-another-rookie-politician/
-
I listened to the Levin and Limbaugh clips and looked at a few of the other links. This is awfully weak. He was asked a few tough questions by Megyn Kelly. Someone questioned his success in the Senate. His experience in the Senate was questioned. Those are all valid inquiries. I don't consider any of that hating on the man every day. That doesn't happen.
I don't watch FOX every day, but I have watched enough to know they are not bashing Cruz every day. This is some incredibly thin-skinned stuff.
youre sticking to a weak narrative due to ego and embarrassment. James showed it over and over and over.
we all get proven wrong from time to time on getbig. just own it like a man. learn from it.
-
youre sticking to a weak narrative due to ego and embarrassment. James showed it over and over and over.
we all get proven wrong from time to time on getbig. just own it like a man. learn from it.
I'm confident you didn't read a single link he posted. You are an uninformed, dishonest troll. Nobody cares what you think.
-
Beach, So you honestly think Mark Levin is gonna call out Brit Hume for something "awfully weak"?
How about this: out of all the debates so far on both sides, the only twitter comment Brit Hume made during a debate was a negative one, and guess who it was about? if you guessed Hillary you guessed wrong, and if you guessed Trump you are wrong again, the truth is it was a negative comment about Cruz:
"Ted Cruz going on about all the fights he has led in Washington. Never mentions the number of fights he won. The answer is none."
https://twitter.com/brithume/status/659554001718009856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
-
Beach, So you honestly think Mark Levin is gonna call out Brit Hume for something "awfully weak"?
How about this: out of all the debates so far on both sides, the only twitter comment Brit Hume made during a debate was a negative one, and guess who it was about? if you guessed Hillary you guessed wrong, and if you guessed Trump you are wrong again, the truth is it was a negative comment about Cruz:
"Ted Cruz going on about all the fights he has led in Washington. Never mentions the number of fights he won. The answer is none."
https://twitter.com/brithume/status/659554001718009856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
No. I'm saying relying on these clips and stories to say there is some kind of daily assault on Ted Cruz is very weak. A handful of commentators have made critical comments. They make critical comments about Rubio, Bush, Carson, etc. This is mountain out of molehill stuff.
-
No. I'm saying relying on these clips and stories to say there is some kind of daily assault on Ted Cruz is very weak. A handful of commentators have made critical comments. They make critical comments about Rubio, Bush, Carson, etc. This is mountain out of molehill stuff.
Look Beach, I like you, we are on the same side, but you need to open your eyes, Mark Levin is not gonna call out Brit Hume for making a "few critical comments" towards Cruz and neither is Rush as thy both like and respect Brit Hume and others on Fox News, but both have done so, as even they have seen it happen over and over, and way to often to be considered "mountain out of molehill stuff"
Read this:
Personally, I am not trying to promote any candidate. I will vote for anyone I believe will reverse this anti-American government set up by Barack Obama. However, the truth must be told. I like Marco Rubio but in this situation he is using a deceptive tactic to kill off his opponent Ted Cruz.
The left-wing and the Establishment GOP have tried to convince the American people that the Rubio-Senate immigration bill was not amnesty. I read the bill twice and it was definitely amnesty. In the bill, the border wasn’t secured for years and not until after the fact; 40% who come here illegally jump visas and that was not dealt with in the bill; and the short timeline until they could vote would have been completely evaporated once passed. For the Democrats, this was about getting the illegal immigrants to the polls.
We are probably talking about 20 million or more people who would be voting for Democrats. The Senate bill – the Gang of Eight bill – would have done for the country what Reagan’s amnesty and Bush’s did for California.
Unless people want a one-party socialist government, this should concern everyone.
There is a brutal attack going on from these same people against Ted Cruz. They are probably doing it for Marco Rubio. The Establishment would much prefer him to Cruz. He’s pliable and of much the same mind.
Fox News has been vicious in their attack.
In 2013, Cruz, in desperation, put in amendments to modify the Senate bill which looked like it was going to pass. The amendment, which the Establishment is using as proof that Cruz lied, didn’t stop legalization but it clearly forbad these immigrants who were granted amnesty from voting for 25 years.
If you remember at the time, anyone who opposed the bill was a racist, nativist and xenophobe. It was near-impossible to attack it. That was the climate at the time.
The amendment was meant to be a poison pill for the bill. It was also a compromise. It didn’t work but Cruz was doing whatever he could to stop or modify this monstrosity of a bill.
There is no doubt that Cruz has been 100% opposed to amnesty.
Now the Establishment and the Democrats want you to believe the Senate bill wasn’t amnesty. I recommend you read over the thousands of pages and I guarantee when you are done, you will agree with me that it was amnesty.
The GOP wants people to believe Rubio was just young and taken in by the elders in the Gang of Eight but Rubio was not that young and he was the face of the bill. He starred in the ads and what he said about the bill was not what was in the bill.
On the night of the debate, Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume were well-prepared to deal with the back-and-forth between Rubio and Cruz on the issue. Rubio is trying to say that Cruz supported legalization and, by inference, the same amnesty that he put forth in his bill.
The Fox team attacked Cruz and called him a liar and they were vicious. They presented a one-sided argument to protect and promote Rubio.
“He has attempted to muddy the waters,” Cruz said on the stage. “Where there was a battle over amnesty and some chose, like Sen. Rubio to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and support a massive amnesty plan. Others chose to stand with Jeff Sessions and Steve King and the American people and secure the border,” Cruz said during the debate.
CNN was fairer to Cruz than Fox. Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume targeted Ted Cruz’s credibility.
After the debate and at the beginning of the after-debate analysis, Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume seemed well-prepared to attack the Rubio-Cruz exchanges, especially the one in which Cruz said their views on immigration were far apart.
Megyn had the clip of Cruz talking about the amendment all ready and waiting. Brit said Cruz was not telling the truth and Megyn claimed that the way he handles Rubio is to bring up the Gang of Eight bill. She meant that as an insult.
They didn’t allow for any nuances. They did not discuss the fact that Rubio always says his immigration plan is the same as Cruz’s when it is not. Rubio escapes scrutiny on that issue and he’s clearly lying.
They tore into Cruz over his position on the NSA. Brit went back to calling him a liar over legalization. They also repeated the over-stated remark that the NSA can’t get five years of records but failed to mention that they can get two years of records, among other pluses they didn’t have before.
Brit ended with yet another jab at Cruz, “he’s an enormously impressive candidate in many ways, but…he can’t shake hands with the truth.” That’s a really awful left-handed compliment.
They were much too eager to destroy Cruz’ credibility. Brit called him a liar four times and Megyn grinned broadly – objective interviewer.
A little later, they played up the exchange between Trump and Cruz in which Cruz said all the people on the stage would make a better candidate than Hillary rather than attack Trump. The so-called analysts tried to make Cruz look weak by not attacking Trump but it actually was a deliberate tactic, not weakness on Cruz’s part.
They obviously wanted Cruz and Trump to kill each other.
The next day, last evening, on Special Report, Bret Baier grilled Cruz. Ignoring what Cruz was saying, he later suggested to the panel that Cruz was lying and Charles Krauthammer was quick to agree. You have to understand that while these are generally good men, they are Establishment. They do not bring up any negatives or lies by Marco Rubio. He’s the new golden boy if Jeb fails.
I happened to turn on Rush today, something I rarely do, but it must have been meant to be, because he clearly explained what was going on. I have included the audio here for you. He explains it much better than I do.
What is very interesting, Dana Bash of CNN said the exact same thing Rush says in these audios. The lie isn’t Cruz’s, it’s Rubio’s.
http://www.independentsentinel.com/gop-fox-dems-all-trying-to-destroy-cruzs-credibility/
-
Look Beach, I like you, we are on the same side, but you need to open your eyes, Mark Levin is not gonna call out Brit Hume for making a "few critical comments" towards Cruz and neither is Rush, as thy both like and admire Brit Hume and other on Fox News, but both have done so, as even they have seen it happen over and over, and way to often to be considered "mountain out of molehill stuff"
Read this:
Personally, I am not trying to promote any candidate. I will vote for anyone I believe will reverse this anti-American government set up by Barack Obama. However, the truth must be told. I like Marco Rubio but in this situation he is using a deceptive tactic to kill off his opponent Ted Cruz.
The left-wing and the Establishment GOP have tried to convince the American people that the Rubio-Senate immigration bill was not amnesty. I read the bill twice and it was definitely amnesty. In the bill, the border wasn’t secured for years and not until after the fact; 40% who come here illegally jump visas and that was not dealt with in the bill; and the short timeline until they could vote would have been completely evaporated once passed. For the Democrats, this was about getting the illegal immigrants to the polls.
We are probably talking about 20 million or more people who would be voting for Democrats. The Senate bill – the Gang of Eight bill – would have done for the country what Reagan’s amnesty and Bush’s did for California.
Unless people want a one-party socialist government, this should concern everyone.
There is a brutal attack going on from these same people against Ted Cruz. They are probably doing it for Marco Rubio. The Establishment would much prefer him to Cruz. He’s pliable and of much the same mind.
Fox News has been vicious in their attack.
In 2013, Cruz, in desperation, put in amendments to modify the Senate bill which looked like it was going to pass. The amendment, which the Establishment is using as proof that Cruz lied, didn’t stop legalization but it clearly forbad these immigrants who were granted amnesty from voting for 25 years.
If you remember at the time, anyone who opposed the bill was a racist, nativist and xenophobe. It was near-impossible to attack it. That was the climate at the time.
The amendment was meant to be a poison pill for the bill. It was also a compromise. It didn’t work but Cruz was doing whatever he could to stop or modify this monstrosity of a bill.
There is no doubt that Cruz has been 100% opposed to amnesty.
Now the Establishment and the Democrats want you to believe the Senate bill wasn’t amnesty. I recommend you read over the thousands of pages and I guarantee when you are done, you will agree with me that it was amnesty.
The GOP wants people to believe Rubio was just young and taken in by the elders in the Gang of Eight but Rubio was not that young and he was the face of the bill. He starred in the ads and what he said about the bill was not what was in the bill.
On the night of the debate, Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume were well-prepared to deal with the back-and-forth between Rubio and Cruz on the issue. Rubio is trying to say that Cruz supported legalization and, by inference, the same amnesty that he put forth in his bill.
The Fox team attacked Cruz and called him a liar and they were vicious. They presented a one-sided argument to protect and promote Rubio.
“He has attempted to muddy the waters,” Cruz said on the stage. “Where there was a battle over amnesty and some chose, like Sen. Rubio to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and support a massive amnesty plan. Others chose to stand with Jeff Sessions and Steve King and the American people and secure the border,” Cruz said during the debate.
CNN was fairer to Cruz than Fox. Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume targeted Ted Cruz’s credibility.
After the debate and at the beginning of the after-debate analysis, Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume seemed well-prepared to attack the Rubio-Cruz exchanges, especially the one in which Cruz said their views on immigration were far apart.
Megyn had the clip of Cruz talking about the amendment all ready and waiting. Brit said Cruz was not telling the truth and Megyn claimed that the way he handles Rubio is to bring up the Gang of Eight bill. She meant that as an insult.
They didn’t allow for any nuances. They did not discuss the fact that Rubio always says his immigration plan is the same as Cruz’s when it is not. Rubio escapes scrutiny on that issue and he’s clearly lying.
They tore into Cruz over his position on the NSA. Brit went back to calling him a liar over legalization. They also repeated the over-stated remark that the NSA can’t get five years of records but failed to mention that they can get two years of records, among other pluses they didn’t have before.
Brit ended with yet another jab at Cruz, “he’s an enormously impressive candidate in many ways, but…he can’t shake hands with the truth.” That’s a really awful left-handed compliment.
They were much too eager to destroy Cruz’ credibility. Brit called him a liar four times and Megyn grinned broadly – objective interviewer.
A little later, they played up the exchange between Trump and Cruz in which Cruz said all the people on the stage would make a better candidate than Hillary rather than attack Trump. The so-called analysts tried to make Cruz look weak by not attacking Trump but it actually was a deliberate tactic, not weakness on Cruz’s part.
They obviously wanted Cruz and Trump to kill each other.
The next day, last evening, on Special Report, Bret Baier grilled Cruz. Ignoring what Cruz was saying, he later suggested to the panel that Cruz was lying and Charles Krauthammer was quick to agree. You have to understand that while these are generally good men, they are Establishment. They do not bring up any negatives or lies by Marco Rubio. He’s the new golden boy if Jeb fails.
I happened to turn on Rush today, something I rarely do, but it must have been meant to be, because he clearly explained what was going on. I have included the audio here for you. He explains it much better than I do.
What is very interesting, Dana Bash of CNN said the exact same thing Rush says in these audios. The lie isn’t Cruz’s, it’s Rubio’s.
http://www.independentsentinel.com/gop-fox-dems-all-trying-to-destroy-cruzs-credibility/
What I'm saying is the examples they give are weak. I watch Outnumbered, Megyn Kelly, and sometimes Greta. They are not bashing Cruz every day. I have seen opinion show hosts and guest commentators make critical comments about essentially all of the candidates. So yes, I stand by my comments that Levin is being thin-skinned about this.
I read the commentary. This is where the author lost credibility: "Fox News has been vicious in their attack." Vicious? Seriously? They asked Cruz tough questions about his amnesty comments. Those were legitimate questions.
Unless all this daily bashing and "vicious" attacks happen when I'm not watching, I think it's really overstated.
-
What I'm saying is the examples they give are weak. I watch Outnumbered, Megyn Kelly, and sometimes Greta. They are not bashing Cruz every day. I have seen opinion show hosts and guest commentators make critical comments about essentially all of the candidates. So yes, I stand by my comments that Levin is being thin-skinned about this.
I read the commentary. This is where the author lost credibility: "Fox News has been vicious in their attack." Vicious? Seriously? They asked Cruz tough questions about his amnesty comments. Those were legitimate questions.
Unless all this daily bashing and "vicious" attacks happen when I'm not watching, I think it's really overstated.
Agree to disagree then as I have watched Fox since it started in the 90's and I have voted in every Presidential Election since I turned 18 (over 30 years ago) and all for Republicans, and I honestly find it hard to believe that anyone who watches Fox News does not see their bias towards Ted Cruz.
Fair and Balanced Reporting of the Debates from Brit Hume: ::)
"Ted Cruz going on about all the fights he has led in Washington. Never mentions the number of fights he won. The answer is none." - Brit Hume 7:15 PM - 28 Oct 2015
https://twitter.com/brithume/status/659554001718009856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
-
Agree to disagree then as I have watched Fox since it started in the 90's and I have voted in every Presidential Election since I turned 18 (over 30 years ago) and all for Republicans, and I honestly find it hard to believe that anyone who watches Fox News does not see their bias towards Ted Cruz.
Fair and Balanced from Brit Hume on Twittter: ::)
"Ted Cruz going on about all the fights he has led in Washington. Never mentions the number of fights he won. The answer is none." - Brit Hume 7:15 PM - 28 Oct 2015
https://twitter.com/brithume/status/659554001718009856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Yeah we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm not a Republican and I'm pretty sure I have split my ticket in every election. I'll vote for (or against) the person I think is best qualified, regardless of party.
Brit is pretty much right: Cruz won very few battles in the Senate. He was right about Obamacare, but in terms what he actually won? Not a whole lot. That's not bashing Cruz. It's just the truth. You can say the same about Rubio: hasn't accomplished much in the Senate. And I like Cruz and Rubio a lot.
-
Yeah we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm not a Republican and I'm pretty sure I have split my ticket in every election. I'll vote for (or against) the person I think is best qualified, regardless of party.
Brit is pretty much right: Cruz won very few battles in the Senate. He was right about Obamacare, but in terms what he actually won? Not a whole lot. That's not bashing Cruz. It's just the truth. You can say the same about Rubio: hasn't accomplished much in the Senate. And I like Cruz and Rubio a lot.
Brit Hume loves Rubio and loves Jeb and hates Ted Cruz as do many others at Fox News do and he for one should not be making Political Comments on a News Channel that describes itself as Fair and Balanced.
Here he is defending Rubio:
-
Brit Hume loves Rubio and loves Jeb and hates Ted Cruz as do many others at Fox News and he for one should not be making Political Comments on a News Channel that describes itself as Fair and Balanced.
Here he is defending Rubio:
I listened to the clip. That is from Laura Ingraham's radio show. Brit Hume said Rubio was right, which is Brit's opinion. Brit is an opinion commentator. That's what opinion commentators do. There is absolutely nothing unfair or biased about a network (if this were actually a discussion on Fox) having a commentator give opinions about any candidate.
Where the network would be unfair and unbalanced is if they didn't have opposing viewpoints on the network. But if you watch Fox as you say, then you know the opinion shows always have opposing viewpoints on their shows.
-
I listened to the clip. That is from Laura Ingraham's radio show. Brit Hume said Rubio was right, which is Brit's opinion. Brit is an opinion commentator. That's what opinion commentators do. There is absolutely nothing unfair or biased about a network (if this were actually a discussion on Fox) having a commentator give opinions about any candidate.
Where the network would be unfair and unbalanced is if they didn't have opposing viewpoints on the network. But if you watch Fox as you say, then you know the opinion shows always have opposing viewpoints on their shows.
I have seen Brit Hume on FOX News many times attacking and smearing Cruz with no "opposing viewpoints".
He was on Bret one night and then Megan Kelly the very next night basically saying the same talking points smearing Cruz saying something to the effect that now Cruz is in first place in Iowa many people will now get to see why he is so hated by many and will the voters still feel they same way about him once they do find out.
Found it:
also listen to this:
-
I have seen Brit Hume on FOX News many times attacking and smearing Cruz with no "opposing viewpoints".
He was on Bret one night and then Megan Kelly the very next night basically saying the same talking points smearing Cruz saying something to the effect that now Cruz is in first place in Iowa many people will now get to see why he is so hated by many and will the voters still feel they same way about him ones they find out.
Found it:
also listen to this:
Meh. Brit Hume is usually on Megan Kelly's show by himself. She also has liberal commentators who appear by themselves. That's not evidence of being unfair or unbalanced. He appears on the Fox News Sunday as part of a panel that always includes someone left of center.
-
Dos Equis also comments on MSNBC all the time, despite not watching it. Doesn't surprise me a bit that he is claiming to be knowledgeable on FOX news practices but has missed all of these examples.
FOX has their protected favorites, and Cruz sure ain't one of them. Dos Equis, here's a Q... do you believe FOX hass treated all of the republican candidates equal in terms of criticism?
-
Meh. Brit Hume is usually on Megan Kelly's show by himself. She also has liberal commentators who appear by themselves. That's not evidence of being unfair or unbalanced. He appears on the Fox News Sunday as part of a panel that always includes someone left of center.
Are you now not only arguing that Cruz is not being treated unfairly by many on fox, but also that FOX is truly Fair and Balanced? come on Beach, even you posted earlier that they bash Trump, Megan Kelly will have on 2 guest at the same time and they both are bashing Trump while at the same time she is sitting there agreeing and adding her hits as well, with no one there to talk for trump, and Bret Bair is even worse having 3 on his panel and all will be bashing Trump with no one on there to take trumps side. IS that your definition of "Fair and Balanced? So If You want to debate about FOX's treatment of Cruz then OK we can have that debate, but if you truly want to say that FOX is Fair and Balanced, then you are beyond reasoning.
He appears on the Fox News Sunday as part of a panel that always includes someone left of center.
Is that person who is "left of center" that you speak of on Fox News Sunday there defending Trump and Cruz from Brit Hume (and others) bashing them? the answer is no, so what does that have to do with this argument? and that in no way shows them as Fair and Balanced, as Fair and Balanced is letting both sides have an equal say (which they do not when it comes to Trump and Cruz) and this argument is about Brit along with others at Fox being for the Washington Establishment candidates and unfairly bashing Cruz, its not about democrat vs republican.
Rubio ran for Senator as being 100% against Amnesty and he called out his opponents for not being against Amnesty, yet once elected he did a 100% flip and teamed up with many democrats and republican establishments to ram amnesty through, yet Fox never shows that in any negative way, they do not point this out, not like they point out Cruz's previous words, why is that? If you are going to do it to Cruz then shouldn't you do it to Rubio too and have him explain his sudden flip? (I mean that is a complete flip from one of the main people pushing Amnesty) is that not the "Fair and Balanced" way? but if they did do it, and did it as often as they have done it to Cruz then by all means show me, as the only thing I can recall is Brit Hume defending Rubio when it comes to this subject.
In fact for someone who is so fast to put down my proof and evidence (videos and links ) that supports my point, you sure dont put up any to justify your side of the argument. where is your proof?
All you do is downplay my links and videos, basically saying myself, Levin, and Rush have made something out of nothing. yet where is your proof?
Please show proof where Brit Hume writes negatively of Rubio during the Debates on twitter like he did of Cruz?
Please post where Brit discusses how when Rubio ran for Senator he was strongly against Amnesty (and shows a video to support that) and then once elected he did an exact and sudden flip and is now for Amnesty so strongly that he even teams up with democrats, showing the contradiction of words like Brit has done non stop to Cruz.
Please post video links to all the many times that after the debate where Rubio admitted he is for Amnesty where then anyone on FOX News played that video of Rubio saying he is strongly against Amnesty while running for Senator showing the contradictions in his words and beliefs like they have done to Cruz non stop by playing the video of Cruz.
Post a link to where Roger Ailes (who runs FOX) speaks negatively of Rubio, as he did of Cruz.
Post a link to where Greg Gutfield refers to Rubio as "only being for himself" or "only about him" as he did referring to Cruz when Cruz gave a speech announcing that he was running for President.
Post a link to where Charles Krauthammer refers to Rubio as being a hypocrite like he did Cruz ?
Post a link to where Brit Hume refers to Rubio as being a hypocrite like he did Cruz ?
-
Are you now not only arguing that Cruz is not being treated unfairly by many on fox, but also that FOX is truly Fair and Balanced? come on Beach, even you posted earlier that they bash Trump, Megan Kelly will have on 2 guest at the same time and they both are bashing Trump while at the same time she is sitting there agreeing and adding her hits as well, with no one there to talk for trump, and Bret Bair is even worse having 3 on his panel and all will be bashing Trump with no one on there to take trumps side. IS that your definition of "Fair and Balanced? So If You want to debate about FOX's treatment of Cruz then OK we can have that debate, but if you truly want to say that FOX is Fair and Balanced, then you are beyond reasoning.
Is that person who is "left of center" that you speak of on Fox News Sunday there defending Trump and Cruz from Brit Hume (and others) bashing them? the answer is no, so what does that have to do with this argument? and that in no way shows them as Fair and Balanced, as Fair and Balanced is letting both sides have an equal say (which they do not when it comes to Trump and Cruz) and this argument is about Brit along with others at Fox being for the Washington Establishment candidates and unfairly bashing Cruz, its not about democrat vs republican.
Rubio ran for Senator as being 100% against Amnesty and he called out his opponents for not being against Amnesty, yet once elected he did a 100% flip and teamed up with many democrats and republican establishments to ram amnesty through, yet Fox never shows that in any negative way, they do not point this out, not like they point out Cruz's previous words, why is that? If you are going to do it to Cruz then shouldn't you do it to Rubio too and have him explain his sudden flip? (I mean that is a complete flip from one of the main people pushing Amnesty) is that not the "Fair and Balanced" way? but if they did do it, and did it as often as they have done it to Cruz then by all means show me, as the only thing I can recall is Brit Hume defending Rubio when it comes to this subject.
In fact for someone who is so fast to put down my proof and evidence (videos and links ) that supports my point, you sure dont put up any to justify your side of the argument. where is your proof?
All you do is downplay my links and videos, basically saying myself, Levin, and Rush have made something out of nothing. yet where is your proof?
Please show proof where Brit Hume writes negatively of Rubio during the Debates on twitter like he did of Cruz?
Please post where Brit discusses how when Rubio ran for Senator he was strongly against Amnesty (and shows a video to support that) and then once elected he did an exact and sudden flip and is now for Amnesty so strongly that he even teams up with democrats, showing the contradiction of words like Brit has done non stop to Cruz.
Please post video links to all the many times that after the debate where Rubio admitted he is for Amnesty where then anyone on FOX News played that video of Rubio saying he is strongly against Amnesty while running for Senator showing the contradictions in his words and beliefs like they have done to Cruz non stop by playing the video of Cruz.
Post a link to where Roger Ailes (who runs FOX) speaks negatively of Rubio, as he did of Cruz.
Post a link to where Greg Gutfield refers to Rubio as "only being for himself" or "only about him" as he did referring to Cruz when Cruz gave a speech announcing that he was running for President.
Post a link to where Charles Krauthammer refers to Rubio as being a hypocrite like he did Cruz ?
Post a link to where Brit Hume refers to Rubio as being a hypocrite like he did Cruz ?
Dude you are protesting too much. I'm not about to go do research. It's not that important. I know what see when I watch Fox. If you have a different take that's fine.
Yes I am saying their network is fair and balanced. The hard news reports the news. The majority of opinion show hosts are conservative, but they always have opposing viewpoints on their shows.
Regarding your links, there isn't a whole lot there. They are primarily complaining about Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments. As I indicated, those were legitimate questions.
-
Dude you are protesting too much. I'm not about to go do research. It's not that important. I know what see when I watch Fox. If you have a different take that's fine.
Yes I am saying their network is fair and balanced. The hard news reports the news. The majority of opinion show hosts are conservative, but they always have opposing viewpoints on their shows.
And I am saying its not fair and balanced when it comes to Trump and Cruz and the negative comments thrown at them by Fox News Employees and Guest as they rarely (and definitely not equal) have someone on there giving the "opposing viewpoint" defending Cruz and Trump.
I guess you would say Bill Maher is fair and balanced too, as he always has 3 or 4 guest on at a time that agree with him and only one with an opposing view, which to be honest is many times 1 more Guest than Fox will have giving an opposing view to their bashing of Cruz and Trump.
Regarding your links, there isn't a whole lot there. They are primarily complaining about Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments. As I indicated, those were legitimate questions.
Wrong again Beach:
Just a few:
The audio from Mark Levin is short but very to the point, as he hammers Brit Hume for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
Video: (Below too)
http://therightscoop.com/mark-levin-hammers-brit-hume-and-charles-krauthammer/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox News RINO Britt Hume's Constant Cruz Bashing
http://www.scout.com/college/west-virginia/forums/2545-politics-religion/14393735-fox-news-rino-britt-hume-s-constant-cruz-bashing/ms/178641238?s=159
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Brit Hume attacks Ted Cruz at the end of the debate
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-attacks-ted-cruz-at-the-end-of-the-debate/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Then yesterday on Fox, The Five in the afternoon dumped all over Ted Cruz
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/03/24/as_predicted_conservatives_attack_cruz
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox News begins bashing Ted Cruz to protect Jeb
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/03/23/fox-news-begins-bashing-ted-cruz-to-protect-jeb-with-greg-gutfeld/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox ‘News’ Host Megyn Kelly Basically Calls Ted Cruz An Idiot
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/01/fox-news-host-megyn-kelly-basically-calls-ted-cruz-an-idiot-video/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Baier Blames Ted Cruz
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/10/fox-host-bret-baier-blames-ted-cruz-for-mccarthy-dropping-from-race-for-house-speaker-video/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Brit Hume: Ted Cruz is a hypocrite.
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-ted-cruz-is-a-hypocrite-for-criticizing-mitch-mcconnell/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Charles Krauthammer: Refers to Ted Cruz as a hypocrite
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/27/charles-krauthammer-ted-cruz-guilty-of-committing-act-of-rather-amazing-hypocrisy/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
WOW! Greg Gutfeld Rips Ted Cruz After Presidential Announcement: It’s Always Been About Him (Video)
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/03/wow-greg-gutfeld-rips-ted-cruz-after-presidential-announcement-its-always-been-about-him-video/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Rush Limbaugh Defends Ted Cruz From Fox News'
http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/12/17/rush-limbaugh-defends-ted-cruz-from-fox-news-cr/207587
correct
I’ve Lost a Little Respect for Fox News’ Brit Hume After This Attack on Ted Cruz
http://rightwingnews.com/election-2016/ive-lost-a-little-respect-for-fox-news-brit-hume-after-this-attack-on-ted-cruz/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox News Pundits Bash Ted Cruz!
http://eaglerising.com/12790/fox-news-pundits-bashes-ted-cruz/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Some people noticed something curious about Fox News' treatment of Ted Cruz;
http://twitchy.com/2015/08/11/some-people-noticed-something-curious-about-fox-news-treatment-of-ted-cruz-do-you-agree/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Hammers, Fox News's Roger Ailes HATES Ted Cruz
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=871670632869598&id=206783309358337
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
GOP, Fox, Dems All Trying to Destroy Cruz’s Credibility
http://www.independentsentinel.com/gop-fox-dems-all-trying-to-destroy-cruzs-credibility/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Megyn Kelly nasty interviSeems Donald Trump isn’t the only conservative that Megyn Kelly hates. She has had multiple interviews with Ted Cruz on ‘The Kelly File.’ Most of them snarky, obnoxious and downright disrespectful. Here are a few samples:Calls Ted Cruz the most hated man in Americaews with Ted Cruz VIDEO
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/08/08/megyn-kelly-nasty-interviews-with-ted-cruz-video/
correct
Mark Levin hammers Brit Hume of FOX News for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
"I dont know of anybody who has more obsessive hate for Ted Cruz than Brit Hume at FOX. Its Incredible!" - Mark Levin
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
-
Thats a long list nice work James.
They did the same thing with Ron Paul.
They dont like libertarians to much freedom.
-
They did the same thing with Ron Paul.
very true whork.
-
And I am saying its not fair and balanced when it comes to Trump and Cruz and the negative comments thrown at them by Fox News Employees and Guest as they rarely (and definitely not equal) have someone on there giving the "opposing viewpoint" defending Cruz and Trump.
I guess you would say Bill Maher is fair and balanced too, as he always has 3 or 4 guest on at a time that agree with him and only one with an opposing view, which to be honest is many times 1 more Guest than Fox will have giving an opposing view to their bashing of Cruz and Trump.
Wrong again Beach:
Just a few:
The audio from Mark Levin is short but very to the point, as he hammers Brit Hume for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
Video: (Below too)
http://therightscoop.com/mark-levin-hammers-brit-hume-and-charles-krauthammer/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox News RINO Britt Hume's Constant Cruz Bashing
http://www.scout.com/college/west-virginia/forums/2545-politics-religion/14393735-fox-news-rino-britt-hume-s-constant-cruz-bashing/ms/178641238?s=159
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Brit Hume attacks Ted Cruz at the end of the debate
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-attacks-ted-cruz-at-the-end-of-the-debate/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Then yesterday on Fox, The Five in the afternoon dumped all over Ted Cruz
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/03/24/as_predicted_conservatives_attack_cruz
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox News begins bashing Ted Cruz to protect Jeb
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/03/23/fox-news-begins-bashing-ted-cruz-to-protect-jeb-with-greg-gutfeld/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox ‘News’ Host Megyn Kelly Basically Calls Ted Cruz An Idiot
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/01/fox-news-host-megyn-kelly-basically-calls-ted-cruz-an-idiot-video/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Baier Blames Ted Cruz
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/10/fox-host-bret-baier-blames-ted-cruz-for-mccarthy-dropping-from-race-for-house-speaker-video/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Brit Hume: Ted Cruz is a hypocrite.
http://therightscoop.com/brit-hume-ted-cruz-is-a-hypocrite-for-criticizing-mitch-mcconnell/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Charles Krauthammer: Refers to Ted Cruz as a hypocrite
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/27/charles-krauthammer-ted-cruz-guilty-of-committing-act-of-rather-amazing-hypocrisy/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
WOW! Greg Gutfeld Rips Ted Cruz After Presidential Announcement: It’s Always Been About Him (Video)
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/03/wow-greg-gutfeld-rips-ted-cruz-after-presidential-announcement-its-always-been-about-him-video/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Rush Limbaugh Defends Ted Cruz From Fox News'
http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/12/17/rush-limbaugh-defends-ted-cruz-from-fox-news-cr/207587
correct
I’ve Lost a Little Respect for Fox News’ Brit Hume After This Attack on Ted Cruz
http://rightwingnews.com/election-2016/ive-lost-a-little-respect-for-fox-news-brit-hume-after-this-attack-on-ted-cruz/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Fox News Pundits Bash Ted Cruz!
http://eaglerising.com/12790/fox-news-pundits-bashes-ted-cruz/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Some people noticed something curious about Fox News' treatment of Ted Cruz;
http://twitchy.com/2015/08/11/some-people-noticed-something-curious-about-fox-news-treatment-of-ted-cruz-do-you-agree/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Hammers, Fox News's Roger Ailes HATES Ted Cruz
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=871670632869598&id=206783309358337
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
GOP, Fox, Dems All Trying to Destroy Cruz’s Credibility
http://www.independentsentinel.com/gop-fox-dems-all-trying-to-destroy-cruzs-credibility/
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
Megyn Kelly nasty interviSeems Donald Trump isn’t the only conservative that Megyn Kelly hates. She has had multiple interviews with Ted Cruz on ‘The Kelly File.’ Most of them snarky, obnoxious and downright disrespectful. Here are a few samples:Calls Ted Cruz the most hated man in Americaews with Ted Cruz VIDEO
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/08/08/megyn-kelly-nasty-interviews-with-ted-cruz-video/
correct
Mark Levin hammers Brit Hume of FOX News for his obsessive hatred of Ted Cruz:
"I dont know of anybody who has more obsessive hate for Ted Cruz than Brit Hume at FOX. Its Incredible!" - Mark Levin
not about "Cruz taking heat for his pro amnesty comments"
I agree they don't like Trump, and for good reason. He is horrible. He will destroy the GOP if he is the nominee. We can agree to disagree about Cruz.
I don't watch Bill Maher. He's an idiot. But if he has guests with opposing viewpoints, then yes that's fair and balanced too.
I'm not watching or listening to all of those links, but the several that I did review don't really say anything. The first is just Levin saying Brit Hume has obsessive hatred for Ted Cruz. The only thing he cites specifically in support of this obsessive hatred is a tweet by Hume about Cruz's lack of accomplishments in the Senate.
The second is a link to another message board.
The third link cites the tweet mentioned in the first link. And so on. As I said, pretty weak stuff.
-
I agree they don't like Trump, and for good reason. He is horrible. He will destroy the GOP if he is the nominee.
Props for your honesty on trump from minute #1.
lots of bandwagon republicans who called him a joke early on, and have fallen in love with him since he's on top of the polls. They have no values, they're just partisan cheerleaders.
Trump does suck. He will wreck the GOP... mainly because the party is truly torn. There's a huge ignorant slice of the base that just loves negative nationalism. I mean, Trump is leading EVANGELICALS? How is that humanly possible? He's a lifetime dem that supported abortion, bribed clintons, married repeatedly, and said he's not all that religious in the past. How in the WORLD is he leading religious conservatives over Cruz, who is the TEXTBOOK definition of a consistent religious candidate?
The base is ignorant, hateful, starstruck and/or just too lazy to care about his policies or history. Screw them - the death of the GOP is on THEIR hands if trump wins nomination (and it's very likely now)
-
I agree they don't like Trump, and for good reason. He is horrible. He will destroy the GOP if he is the nominee. We can agree to disagree about Cruz.
I don't watch Bill Maher. He's an idiot. But if he has guests with opposing viewpoints, then yes that's fair and balanced too.
The third link cites the tweet mentioned in the first link. And so on. As I said, pretty weak stuff.
Once again you dont get it..
I have not watched Bill Maher since his show was on ABC back in the year 2000, but back then every time I put it on he had 4 Guest on at once, 3 would always be liberals like himself and only 1 republican/conservative (opposing view), and by the end of the show the republican/conservative only ended up with a few minutes of airtime of an hour in length show as the other 3 all agreed with Bill Maher and took up most of the airtime and also talked over and attacked the republican/conservative every time he/she tried to get in a word in support of the opposing view, meaning it was the furthest thing from being balanced, and when it comes to the subject of Trump and or Cruz on the FOX News Channel this is often how they are done as its all the Guest (or Host) on a a particular show that are all talking negatively of Trump or Cruz with many times no one there to speak positive of either, but as unbalanced as Bill Maher's show was when I watched it (which was very unbalanced) at least the opposing view point got about 2 minutes of time of the hour long show, which is often 2 minutes more than someone who is pro-Trump and Pro-Cruz get to rebuttal the smear from Hume, Krauthammer, Rove and others, but you just dont see it as you agree with them.. which makes you just like the liberals who watch Bill Maher and think that his show is fair and balanced.
You probably have "Jeb!" bumper stickers on your car and surfboard, or you did but now you covered them with your "Rubio!" stickers once Jeb dropped to single digits in the polls.
-
You probably have "Jeb!" bumper stickers on your car and surfboard, or you did but now you covered them with your "Rubio!" stickers once Jeb dropped to single digits in the polls.
The Christie sticker was there first.
-
Beach Bum's Car:
(http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFiiMWxXIAA9mu7.png)
-
Beach Bum and Brit Hume would both orgasm if this happened:
(http://rlv.zcache.com/jeb_bush_marco_rubio_2016_oval_sticker-rcf291b11974642a189f06ecc12935e4d_v9wz7_8byvr_512.jpg)
-
Beach Bum probably also stands on his toes to appear taller in photos.
-
Once again you dont get it..
I have not watched Bill Maher since his show was on ABC back in the year 2000, but back then every time I put it on he had 4 Guest on at once, 3 would always be liberals like himself and only 1 republican/conservative (opposing view), and by the end of the show the republican/conservative only ended up with a few minutes of airtime of an hour in length show as the other 3 all agreed with Bill Maher and took up most of the airtime and also talked over and attacked the republican/conservative every time he/she tried to get in a word in support of the opposing view, meaning it was the furthest thing from being balanced, and when it comes to the subject of Trump and or Cruz on the FOX News Channel this is often how they are done as its all the Guest (or Host) on a a particular show that are all talking negatively of Trump or Cruz with many times no one there to speak positive of either, but as unbalanced as Bill Maher's show was when I watched it (which was very unbalanced) at least the opposing view point got about 2 minutes of time of the hour long show, which is often 2 minutes more than someone who is pro-Trump and Pro-Cruz get to rebuttal the smear from Hume, Krauthammer, Rove and others, but you just dont see it as you agree with them.. which makes you just like the liberals who watch Bill Maher and think that his show is fair and balanced.
You probably have "Jeb!" bumper stickers on your car and surfboard, or you did but now you covered them with your "Rubio!" stickers once Jeb dropped to single digits in the polls.
You haven't watched Bill Maher in 16 years? Not a very informed opinion.
What you don't get is we simply have a difference of opinion.
-
You haven't watched Bill Maher in 16 years? Not a very informed opinion.
I doubt his show has changed at all, as I read he donated a million dollars to a Obama super Pac, so if his show has changed feel free to show and I will take a look, but unlike you I am open to being shown I am wrong and will admit so when that happens.
What you don't get is we simply have a difference of opinion.
I do get it and that is you agree with Hume and others unfair smearing so you dont see a problem with what they are doing, and dont see it as being unbalanced and unfair, you even earlier admitted that they hate on Trump but since you dont care for him its no problem for you, and your admittance of their hate for Trump shows that you know they are not always "Fair and Balanced".
-
I doubt his show has changed at all, as I read he donated a million dollars to a Obama super Pac, so if his show has changed feel free to show and I will take a look, but unlike you I am open to being shown I am wrong and will admit so when that happens.
I do get it and that is you agree with Hume and others unfair smearing so you dont see a problem with what they are doing, and dont see it as being unbalanced and unfair, you even earlier admitted that they hate on Trump but since you dont care for him its no problem for you.
I make mistakes all the time and I always admit when I'm wrong.
I don't view what Hume and others do as unfair to Cruz. We have a different take on that.
Yes I acknowledge they don't like Trump. I don't care about that because Trump is a tool and they happen to be right about Trump being a tool. Even with that, Greta and Sean Hannity give Trump an enormous amount of air time, complete with softball questions, so even the bashing of Trump by some is balanced by at least two opinion show hosts.
-
I make mistakes all the time and I always admit when I'm wrong.
I don't view what Hume and others do as unfair to Cruz. We have a different take on that.
Yes I acknowledge they don't like Trump. I don't care about that because Trump is a tool and they happen to be right about Trump being a tool. Even with that, Greta and Sean Hannity give Trump an enormous amount of air time, complete with softball questions, so even the bashing of Trump by some is balanced by at least two opinion show hosts.
Trump gets bashed every day on Fox News, and all day long, and you think him being on Hannity once a month makes it "fair and balanced"? Sure thing Beach Bum ::)
-
Trump gets bashed every day on Fox News, and all day long, and you think him being on Hannity once a month makes it "fair and balanced"? Sure thing Beach Bum ::)
I don't watch Fox News all day long, but I doubt Trump is getting bashed all day. In fact, I know he isn't because I just watched an extended interview he had with Sean Hannity last night, which was at about 15 minutes before I turned the channel. It was like a Trump campaign ad.
-
Another smear from Brit Hume on Ted Cruz:
"Fair and Balanced" according to Beach Bum ::)
-
Fearing Trump and Cruz, Republicans look to Rubio
By Ben Kamisar
01/07/16
The GOP establishment is beginning to coalesce around Marco Rubio’s presidential bid amid fears that a victory by Donald Trump or Ted Cruz would sink the party in November.
Weeks before the first round of primary voting, the Florida senator’s campaign has rolled out a series of high-profile congressional endorsements, including from House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on Wednesday.
Rubio is now just a handful of congressional endorsements behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the onetime GOP front-runner and establishment pick.
The 44-year-old Cuban-American senator has long been seen by Republicans as the party’s best hope against Hillary Clinton. Many political observers believe Rubio, who has more than held his own on the debate stage, would be a solid contrast to Clinton, the top pick to win the Democratic nomination.
Polls bear that out. The RealClearPolitics average in head-to-head surveys shows Rubio with a 1.3 percent lead over Clinton, while she is tied with Texas Sen. Cruz and holds a 4.8-point lead on business mogul Trump.
Yet Rubio’s candidacy hasn’t caught fire.
He’s well behind both Trump and Cruz in national polls, and just ahead of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, whose candidacy is flailing.
Worse, Rubio doesn’t appear to be a favorite in a single early-voting state.
He trails Cruz and Trump badly in Iowa and is well behind Trump in New Hampshire. He’s also struggling against Trump and Cruz in South Carolina.
Rubio also hasn’t had a campaign-defining moment yet that has significantly elevated his standing.
And on Wednesday, Chaffetz’s endorsement of the senator was overshadowed by a social media furor over his footwear: stylish black boots with a high heel.
Several of Rubio’s rivals mocked the boots, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) appearing in Whoopi Goldberg’s dressing room ahead of an appearance on “The View.”
“We’ve seen Rubio has those cute new boots, and I don’t want to be outdone,” Paul said in a video posted to Twitter.
Team Rubio is expressing confidence about his standing in the race.
“According to every metric we care about on the ground in the early states, we are definitely making progress towards doing very well in February,” spokesman Alex Conant said in an interview.
He called crowd sizes at events over the past week the “biggest of the entire campaign.”
“When Marco entered this race in April, the establishment was telling him to wait his turn and to run for reelection,” Conant said. “Other candidates continue to raise more money than us, but I don’t think there’s any question that Marco has gained significant momentum over the past few weeks.”
A new survey released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling did find Rubio in second place in New Hampshire and 4 points ahead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has been gaining ground in the state.
Still, with 15 percent support, Rubio was well behind Trump’s 29 percent.
Rubio’s congressional endorsements are not likely to be game-changers, but they do suggest growing support for the Floridian to be his party’s standard-bearer.
Chaffetz, House Benghazi Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), former Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) are acting as surrogates, often appearing on cable television to speak on his behalf.
Conant noted Gowdy and Love aren’t seen by conservatives as establishment politicians either, which he said underscores Rubio’s broad coalition of support.
He added that the campaign will announce more congressional endorsements in the “coming weeks.”
One House Republican who spoke to The Hill on background said he’s been encouraged by his colleagues’ support of Rubio.
“I recognize the fact that if Rubio is our nominee, we’ve got a chance to really grow our vote share of Republicans,” said a GOP lawmaker who will not make a formal endorsement in the primary. “If Trump is our nominee, it will shrink the number. So I think it’s good for our party if Rubio is the nominee.
“When you have conservatives like Chaffetz and Gowdy get on board with Rubio, it tells me this internal thought process we’re having ... we’re coming to the right conclusion that we need the most conservative, electable candidate.”
The endorsements could also help Rubio with the GOP’s donor class, says Republican strategist and former senior congressional aide Ron Bonjean.
“If elected officials and members of Congress are starting to flood towards Rubio, that’s a sign for donors of where they might want to put their dollars,” he said. “Having these members out there is a signal to other [members] that this is where the trend is heading.”
Gowdy has already hit the trail to buttress concerns from the base over Rubio’s backing of a 2013 Senate bill reforming the nation’s immigration laws. The legislation remains a problem for Rubio because it’s made some conservatives view him with suspicion — something that has been fanned by Cruz.
“If I were not convinced that Marco Rubio was the person to ensure border security, interior security and employment security, I wouldn’t be wasting your time,” Gowdy said last week.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/265023-fearing-trump-and-cruz-gop-looks-to-rubio
-
Rubio ended up being just a little too much of a lightweight this time... Didnt embrace the spotlight at debates. Average at best.
he's the frontrunner for 2020 hilary challenger, i'm sure of that.
-
Jeb Bush Soars to Second in New Hampshire Poll
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=3f3f8e51-b2e3-4673-a0fa-1ba4a9e2f297&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Jeb Bush Soars to Second in New Hampshire Poll (Wire Services Photo)
By Cathy Burke
Friday, 08 Jan 2016
Jeb Bush has vaulted into second place in a New Hampshire poll released Friday.
The NH1 News survey also shows Donald Trump retaining a commanding lead in the Republican presidential primary contest in the Granite State.
Here's the breakdown:
Trump: 31.7 percent
Bush: 11.9 percent
Ohio Gov. John Kasich: 11.8 percent
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie: 11 percent
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz: 9.7 percent
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio: 8.9 percent
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina: 4.6 percent
Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson: 3.8 percent
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul: 3 percent
Former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum: 2.6 percent
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: 1 percent
The telephone poll has a margin of error of 3 percent.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/jeb-bush-second-place-new-hampshire/2016/01/08/id/708795/#ixzz3wxVkS1Ml
-
Billionaire Adelson Leans to Rubio, Wife Likes Cruz
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=6c34ab8b-0ea0-41c8-ba51-a356f14fb1d1&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Billionaire Adelson Leans to Rubio, Wife Likes Cruz
By Greg Richter | Sunday, 10 Jan 2016
GOP megadonor and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has yet to commit to a Republican candidate, though he says he is leaning toward Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and his wife likes Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
But, The Hill reports, Adelson appears to be holding out in part to see who has the best chance to beat front-runner Donald Trump.
"The guy is cagey," one conservative leader who recently talked to Adelson told The Hill. "He said, 'I like Rubio,' he did not say, 'I support him'… But he also said that his spouse feels more strongly about Cruz."
Adelson four years ago backed his longtime friend Newt Gingrich, whose attack ads against eventual nominee Mitt Romney are blamed by some for Romney's loss to Barack Obama.
While Adelson may not want to see a repeat of that experience, he also lacks such close relationships with anyone in the current field, The Hill Notes.
Further, his giving is usually tied to the fortunes of his casinos, and his properties in Macau have been hit with an investigation by the Chinese government of big money gamblers while The Sands in Las Vegas has seen its share prices drop.
Adelson is still talking with Rubio and Cruz, as well as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and all three are said to be holding out hope for Adelson's support.
"I suspect what he's doing now is sitting back and watching," Gingrich told The Hill. "Think about it as an investor. You've got 4-5 centrist conservatives sitting out there. You don't have any idea which one could emerge."
Sig Rogich, finance chair of Bush’s campaign in Nevada, said Adelson likely is waiting to see how the primaries play out as he has done in past elections, with the exception of Gingrich in 2012.
But one source told The Hill all of the speculation is nonsense.
"People who profess to be inside Sheldon's head or know what he's doing I would say are 99 percent full of s*** or trying to promote their own self importance," the source said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/adelson-support-gop-candidate/2016/01/10/id/708926/#ixzz3wxWJlfbD
-
Fuck that pig. Let him buy an island.
-
Good decision, although they should have dropped Kasich too.
GOP candidate lineup announced for Fox Business Network debate
Published January 11, 2016
FoxNews.com
Fox Business Network on Monday announced the candidate lineup for the Jan. 14 Republican presidential debates – and already one candidate has said he will not participate after not qualifying for the prime-time event.
The participants qualifying for the prime-time, 9 p.m. ET debate are:
Billionaire businessman Donald Trump; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The participants qualifying for the earlier, 6 p.m. ET debate are:
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; former HP CEO Carly Fiorina; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
However, the Paul campaign said Monday night it does not plan to participate.
This is the first time Paul has not qualified for a prime-time debate and his campaign, within minutes of the announcement, issued a statement complaining about the criteria.
“By any reasonable criteria Senator Paul has a top tier campaign,” his campaign said. “He will not let the media decide the tiers of this race and will instead take his message directly to the voters of New Hampshire and Iowa.”
The FBN debate lineup was decided based on the results of national, New Hampshire and Iowa polling. To qualify for the prime-time debate, a candidate had to place in the top six in an average of recent national polls, or in the top five in an average of recent Iowa or New Hampshire polls.
The debate comes as front-runner Trump faces a rising challenge from Cruz, particularly in the caucus state of Iowa where the two are effectively tied for the lead.
The changing dynamic has fueled new tensions in the race, with Trump now openly questioning whether Cruz’ Canadian birth complicates his eligibility to run.
Trump’s comments have opened the door to other candidates and lawmakers exploring the issue – though Trump insists he’s only bringing it up because he’s concerned Democrats could use the issue against his GOP rival.
“I really don't know,” Trump told “Fox News Sunday.” “Does natural born mean born to the land? In that case he's not. But nobody knows what it means. … I speak well of Ted. I'm only saying that Ted has to get this problem solved because if he's running against a Democrat, and they bring a lawsuit, he's got a hell of a thing over his head.”
Cruz has brushed off calls to seek a court judgment on the issue.
“The son of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural-born citizen,” Cruz said in a CNN “State of the Union” interview aired Sunday. “The internet has all sorts of fevered swamp theories.”
Legal scholars have backed Cruz in saying he would qualify as a natural-born citizen, and therefore be eligible to run, because his mother is an American citizen.
Nationally, Trump enjoys a more comfortable lead, but an interesting and fluid race is developing in early-voting New Hampshire where several candidates are in a tight battle for the No. 2 slot behind Trump – and many voters remain undecided.
The latest Fox News poll showed Trump leads with 33 percent among New Hampshire Republican primary voters – behind him are Rubio at 15 percent, Cruz at 12 percent, Bush at 9 percent and Kasich at 7 percent.
The Thursday debates will be held at the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center in North Charleston, S.C.
Anchor/Managing Editor of Business News Neil Cavuto and Anchor/Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo will moderate the prime-time debate; anchors Trish Regan and Sandra Smith will moderate the first debate.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/11/gop-candidate-line-up-announced-for-fox-business-network-debate.html?intcmp=hpbt3
-
Trump And Cruz Have Trouble In The Middle
by David Brady
via Wall Street Journal
Sunday, January 10, 2016
A terrible way to forecast the 2016 contest is to gauge whose supporters are the loudest. Presidential elections are not decided by partisans or ideologues.
The arithmetic is pretty simple: 41% of voters in the 2012 presidential election described themselves as moderates, and 29% as independents. Almost all Republicans (93%) and self-described conservatives (82%) voted for Mitt Romney, but that wasn’t enough. Even if Mr. Romney had won every Republican or conservative voter, it still wouldn’t have been enough.
Because there are roughly 5% more Democrats than Republicans, the GOP needs a solid majority of independents to win a national election. In 2012 Mitt Romney outpolled Barack Obama among independents, 50% to 45%. But that didn’t take him across the electoral college finish line.
It is safe to predict that the proportions that held in 2012 will be about the same this year. About two-thirds of the voters will not be Republicans. Thus it is vital to pay early attention to how each of the candidates is doing among independents. A long, drawn-out primary that forces candidates to make strong appeals to the party’s ideological base can hurt the eventual nominee in November.
There are two ways that we can measure how independents see the Republican contenders. On the positive side, we can ask whether voters hold favorable views about a candidate. Or, on the negative side, we can ask whether they would rule out voting for a candidate. Those White House hopefuls with high favorability ratings among swing voters have good prospects for winning a general election. Those whom independents and moderates say they would not even consider supporting start with a deep, probably insurmountable, deficit.
The Internet polling organization YouGov has been tracking, since May 2015, a sample of 5,000 Americans, who have been asked roughly every six weeks about the presidential race. Although Donald Trump is leading in GOP primary polls, his ratings among independents are the worst of any candidate in the field.
In YouGov’s three most recent surveys, Mr. Trump was viewed “very unfavorably” by an average of 43% of independents. How does he fare among moderate voters? In August, only 17% of moderates had a “very favorable” opinion of him; 47% had a “very unfavorable” opinion. Those figures have hardly budged since.
Ted Cruz doesn’t do much better. Only 13% to 16% of independents had a very favorable view of him in YouGov’s three most recent surveys; 28% to 32% viewed him very unfavorably. Among moderates, almost no one (6% to 7%) feels “very favorable” about Mr. Cruz; many (28% to 35%) feel “very unfavorable.”
The problem for Messrs. Trump and Cruz is not that voters don’t know who they are. Mr. Trump started out with nearly everyone being able to rate him; only about 5% said they didn’t know or didn’t have an opinion. As for Mr. Cruz, in June about a quarter of independents did not know enough about him. But over the past six months that figure has dropped to 4%—and most of those voters moved into the “unfavorable” camp. Not a good sign.
Already, large proportions of independents and moderates say that they have made up their minds about the two Republican front-runners. A full 58% of moderates and 51% of independents told YouGov in December that they “would never vote for” Mr. Trump. The figures are a little better for Mr. Cruz, but still about half of moderates (47%) and almost as many independents (41%) say they would never pull the lever for him.
How can anyone, under the circumstances, expect either of these two to win a general election? For the GOP to regain the White House, it will have to do much better, particularly given Hillary Clinton’s better ratings. In December, 48% of moderates said they would consider voting for Mrs. Clinton—a full 16 percentage points better than Mr. Trump and 22 points better than Mr. Cruz.
Many of the other Republicans running for the 2016 nomination beat Mrs. Clinton’s numbers, and unlike Mr. Trump, none starts with more than half of swing voters unwilling to consider him. Marco Rubio is the most competitive among independents: 37% said in December that they would consider voting for him; only 32% ruled him out. All the other GOP candidates are under water. Forty-seven percent of independents said they would never vote for Jeb Bush, and 43% said the same about Chris Christie.
Moderates are a little harder on the GOP contenders. Mr. Rubio again comes in first: 35% would consider voting for him, and 36% wouldn’t. Thirty-five percent of moderates would also consider voting for Mr. Bush and Mr. Christie, but their negatives are much higher: 48% have ruled out Mr. Bush, and 44% Mr. Christie.
The candidate with the lowest negatives among swing voters is John Kasich: Only 30% of moderates and independents say they would never vote for him. The problem for Mr. Kasich is that about a fifth of these voters say they have never heard of him.
With a large field, the percentage of people who say they intend to vote for a candidate is less relevant than the percentage who say they will not vote for him. By this measure, the current GOP front-runners are doing very badly. As the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary approach, Republicans may want to consider this if they are serious about one of their own becoming president.
http://www.hoover.org/research/trump-and-cruz-have-trouble-middle
-
[ Invalid YouTube link ]
-
Rubio is terrible. The least trustworthy of them all, which takes some real effort.
-
Rubio is terrible. The least trustworthy of them all, which takes some real effort.
rubio is a NOW guy, not a long term guy.
dudes like cruz, they play the LONG conservative game. Dudes like Rubio just adopt whatever position is hot, wahtever relationship moves them up, in hopes they're taking the oath of office before it all catches them.
if cruz loses in 2016, it's cool - he's the obvious conservative choice for 2020.
is rubio loses in 2016... WTF does he stand for in 2020?
Rand made a similar mistake, abandoning the tea party too soon and becoming a centrist. Ran would be cruz right now -way better name and face - but he shit all over the tea party who brung him.
-
One of those vicious attacks on Ted Cruz. :)
'State of Denial': Ted Cruz Bashes Obama's State of the Union Address
Jan 12, 2016 // 11:40pm
As seen on The Kelly File
President Obama's final State of the Union address was more like "a state of denial," Ted Cruz said on "The Kelly File" tonight.
The Republican presidential contender told Megyn Kelly that he's not surprised that the president didn't mention the ten U.S. sailors held by Iran during his speech.
He said the fact that Iran felt comfortable seizing U.S. sailors and ships goes to show the "incredible weakness" of Obama's foreign policy.
“Bullies and tyrants across the world are not afraid of this president, don’t respect this president," Cruz said. "And it’s made the world much, much more dangerous.”
The Texas senator added that as out of touch as Obama has been on the economy and jobs, he's been even worse on national security.
Cruz called it "stunning" that the address had zero mentions of the terror attacks in Paris or San Bernardino.
"We need a commander-in-chief who will speak the name of our enemy - neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton is willing to do so - and who will do what it takes to defeat ... radical Islamic terrorism."
Watch more above.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/01/12/ted-cruz-bashes-obamas-state-union-address-kelly-file
-
One of those vicious attacks on Ted Cruz. :)
'State of Denial': Ted Cruz Bashes Obama's State of the Union Address
Jan 12, 2016 // 11:40pm
As seen on The Kelly File
President Obama's final State of the Union address was more like "a state of denial," Ted Cruz said on "The Kelly File" tonight.
The Republican presidential contender told Megyn Kelly that he's not surprised that the president didn't mention the ten U.S. sailors held by Iran during his speech.
He said the fact that Iran felt comfortable seizing U.S. sailors and ships goes to show the "incredible weakness" of Obama's foreign policy.
“Bullies and tyrants across the world are not afraid of this president, don’t respect this president," Cruz said. "And it’s made the world much, much more dangerous.”
The Texas senator added that as out of touch as Obama has been on the economy and jobs, he's been even worse on national security.
Cruz called it "stunning" that the address had zero mentions of the terror attacks in Paris or San Bernardino.
"We need a commander-in-chief who will speak the name of our enemy - neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton is willing to do so - and who will do what it takes to defeat ... radical Islamic terrorism."
Watch more above.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/01/12/ted-cruz-bashes-obamas-state-union-address-kelly-file
"State of Denial" haha I like that ;D
-
"State of Denial" haha I like that ;D
Yep. Check out the interview. He did good.
-
Cannot write him off yet, unfortunately.
Jeb Bush Jumps in Reuters Poll, Marco Rubio Drops
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/11/ap_jeb-bush_ap-photo7-wi-640x413.jpg)
Jeb BushThe Associated Press
by NEIL MUNRO
12 Jan 2016
A new Reuters poll shows Gov. Jeb Bush climbing out of a deep hole — and he’s doing so by standing on the back of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)79%.
The Jan. 12 result in Reuter’s rolling, five-day poll shows Bush at 10.6 percent, up 3 points from the cellar-floor level of 7.6 percent on Jan. 11. In turn, Rubio dropped from 7.4 percent on Jan. 11, to 6.7 percent, says the poll.
That shift is much-needed good news for Bush, who has been facing donor pressure to drop out of the race so that establishment supporters can consolidate their votes behind Rubio.
But it is also conditional good news for Trump, because Bush’s rise is likely to keep the GOP’s establishment candidates fighting each other as the Iowa and New Hampshire votes get closer.
Brain surgeon Ben Carson dropped from 13.5 percent on Jan. 10, down to 9.6 percent on Jan. 12, says Reuters. Donald Trump is still cruising high at 39 percent, but down 2.4 point from Jan. 11. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)97%
was flat, at 14.5 percent on Jan. 12.
The Bush spike of three points is small in numerical terms — but it is the most notable shift in an otherwise stable polling data.
But Bush still has to make up ground in Iowa, where he’s down at 4.6 percent, and in New Hampshire, where he’s at 8.7 percent, according to polls compiled by Real Clear Politics.
One possible cause for Bush’s national gain may be the barrage of anti-Rubio TV-ads being dropped by a Bush-backing Super-PAC, Right To Rise. Those ads have been funded by Bush’s huge take from big-business donors, and have slammed Rubio for missing votes and intelligence briefings, and also for flip-flopping on his 2010 election-trail promise to oppose any amnesty for migrants.
That last amnesty charge is ironic, because Bush favors an amnesty and his economic plan calls for a large inflow of white-collar foreign workers, whose arrival would likely cut wages for the white-collar, college-grad Americans who are a huge part of the GOP’s base.
“I view fixing a broken [immigration] system as a huge opportunity to get to that four percent [national economic] growth,” Bush told roughly 600 Detroit-region business leaders in February 2015. “We can grow by 4 percent through all sorts of policies, but immigration has to be a part of it,” he insisted.
http://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2016/01/12/2764104/
-
Cannot write him off yet, unfortunately.
if the GOP nomination goes down to the convention, I still think jeb wins it.
he's like his dad... not all that popular, not all that in touch, not great with the masses, not a great speaker... BUT when he sits down at a table, he gets what he wants.
-
MARCO RUBIO: I 'Absolutely' Support Tuition Breaks For Illegal Aliens
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is doubling down on his support for in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
On ABC, George Stephanopoulos asked Rubio about his work in the Florida statehouse in which he "co-sponsored legislation to provide in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants." Stephanopolous asked Rubio directly: "Do you stand behind that position now?"
Rubio said that he "absolutely" stands behind that legislation:
RUBIO: It was a very narrowly drafted bill. You had to have a certain GPA, you had to live in the U.S. a long time, you had to graduate from a Florida high school. It was very narrowly tailored to high-performing students who found themselves in a situation where they were brought here by their parents when they were 5, didn't even speak another language except English and therefore couldn't attend college because they were being charged like they were from out of state. They still had to pay for college but they paid for what people paid when they lived in Florida. They had to be high school graduates of Florida.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you stand behind that?
RUBIO: Yes, of a narrowly tailored bill like that, absolutely....
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2016/01/marco-rubio-i-absolutely-support.html#more
-
MARCO RUBIO: I 'Absolutely' Support Tuition Breaks For Illegal Aliens
rubio is a douche.
-
Somebody's feelings are hurt.
Rand gives media the bird
By Jesse Byrnes
January 14, 2016
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/paulfinger_011416twitter.jpg?itok=9WplLtSM)
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) isn't going quietly after being dropped from the prime-time stage at the Republicans' next presidential debate, literally flipping off the media during an interview.
Paul reiterated during a radio interview on Thursday that he thinks "it's a mistake for the Republican Party to want to limit the debate and make it smaller."
"I think you have to make a strategic decision about what's good for your campaign," he said during the interview with ABC News Radio's Aaron Katersky broadcast on Periscope.
Paul argued that his boycott of the undercard debate is largely backed by his supporters.
"Ninety-nine percent of our supporters are calling in and saying —," raising his middle finger, "for the media, that's where you can go."
Fox Business has said that the Kentucky senator, who has appeared in the prime-time event at the previous five GOP debates, didn't meet the criteria for Thursday's main debate, based on his polling figures.
Paul said he will boycott the undercard debate, held for low-polling candidates, urging supporters on social media to "turn off" their TV and instead follow an online "national town hall" featuring him.
He has also gone on a media blitz leading up to the debate this week, arguing he presents a unique voice in debates and accusing the media of trying to decide the election for voters.
“I don’t think anybody in the media should decide or have an artificial designation on who can and who cannot win, and that’s what it does,” Paul said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/265880-rand-gives-media-the-bird
-
Rand's been a loose cannon. Remember him meeting with Dan Blizerian?
-
Rand WTF are you doing??
Geez, talk about a hot head.
-
He tries to act tough, but he's an immature, hypersensitive sissy when it comes to people criticizing him.
Trump on Cruz: 'I Don't Know That He's a Nice Guy'
(MSNBC/"Morning Joe")
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Friday, 15 Jan 2016
Donald Trump has been saying for months that he thinks Ted Cruz is a "nice guy," but after Thursday night's debate, he's not so sure about that anymore.
"He came at me inappropriately," the GOP presidential front-runner told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program Friday morning during a live interview from "Java Joe's" in Des Moines, Iowa, after protesters briefly interrupted his appearance.
"He's got a problem and he's got to straighten out the problem."
Trump continued that the Texas senator had "a couple of suits filed against him running, which is exactly what I've been saying."
The two candidates Thursday night clashed on both the issue of Cruz' Canadian birthplace and on statements Cruz had made against Trump's "New York values," and on Friday, Trump acknowledged that Cruz is a "good debater, but very strident."
While Trump said he'd be concerned about Cruz facing legal challenges over his birthplace, Cruz responded that under some circumstances, Trump could face questions, as his own mother had come to the United States from Scotland.
"I don't know that he's a nice guy," said Trump, but he pointed out that he "checked the online polls and they have 200,000 or 300,00 people calling in and "I won every one of them. I'm happy about that."
Further, Trump said, "I thought Ted did not have a good night last night, and I thought his hit on New York was disgraceful . . . a lot of people are hitting him for what he said about New York. I thought it was terrible. You know you have offended about 20 million people and that's a lot of people."
Trump continued that Americans have embraced New York after the 9/11 attacks, and defended his hometown city.
"When you think about it, think about the firemen who run up the stairs and come in from Queens. And the tunnel, going 100 miles an hour and going up to save people," said Trump.
While they knew "the building has a big chance of coming down and the policemen and all these guys are going up and all the medical care running up the building. Those people say they're not coming down. This was an amazing thing."
Trump at one time had said he'd consider Cruz as as a running mate, but that appears to be over as well.
"He's not doing that well in South Carolina or nationally. What bothered me was when he lied. He said 'I've done well in the polls' and he hasn't," said Trump. "In fact, the poll that just came out he saw was NBC Wall Street Journal and the headline was Trump goes way up and Cruz goes way down."
But at this time, Trump said he doesn't want to think about a vice-president, but to "win first and then we can think about that." Further, he said he does not believe there will a brokered convention that would fight back against his nomination.
Trump also spoke on numerous issues in the live morning interview, including Tuesday's capture of 10 sailors by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
"The only reason they're home is because we owed them $150 billion due in three days. Nobody ever mentions this," he said. "What about the other four prisoners they have there? We have forgotten about them. The minister, the reporter from The Washington Post. What about the four people there right now?"
Trump said if it were him, he would not be paying Iran the money promised in the deal, and would have said it was broken with "the way they treated our young sailors . . . they're sitting on their knees in a begging position with hands up and guns at the back of their head and we're suppose to say they treated us nicely."
On other topics:
Winning states: "I'm going to win states they've never thought of winning. I have a chance of winning New York state. We're going to win West Virginia big and win Virginia and win places . . . nobody else is going to win. We're going to win New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio. We're going to win places that a lot of people aren't going to win. We're going to have the largest turnout in the history of the country. Most of those people have never voted before because they're tired of being run and lead by stupid people."
Crowd sizes: "Something has hit the heart. It's like a love fest. Pensacola sent away 7,000 people."
Jobs: "People look for a job and give up and now they're considered employed. It's a phony number, a number meant for politicians to make them look good. When you say 5.2 percent in this country, there's no way. If it was that number, I wouldn't have 35,000 people coming to rallies. Believe me. They would not be coming."
Mexico: "The leaders of Mexico are cunning. They're more cunning than our leaders and taking advantage. Companies are moving. Nabisco just left moving their big plant to Mexico. Everybody's going to Mexico. We're losing so much."
National spirit: "We need spirit . . . people love this country, but they don't have a cheerleader. I thought [Barack Obama] would be a great cheerleader. I never thought he was going to be a good president. I thought he would be a good cheerleader. He's a divider. He's not a cheerleader, he's a divider."
Bill Clinton's history: "I hate to do it. She made one statement about me and I hate to bring that up. I can't believe he's having a great time on the trail. You look at their life and all of the problems together with Whitewater and one problem after another . . . I'm saying he's got difficulties and problems and if they want to play the dirty card — and I don't think they will — but if they want to, they've got a lot of problems. There are those who said she's an enabler. I don't want to get into it too much . . . I want to put people back to work and bring spirit back to the country."
Background checks and gun control: "You can't touch the Second Amendment. We have so many checks and balances. You take a look at Paris and California recently with the 14 people killed. If there were guns in that room, you wouldn't had 130 people killed in Paris. You wouldn't have had 14 people killed in Los Angeles . . . you have a lot of background checks now. The government doesn't use them."
Infrastructure: We're spending trillions of dollars in the Middle East, the whole thing is just like a total disaster . . . infrastructure is important, transportation, all that — schools, bridges, tunnels, roads. You look at these roads and highways with the horrible railings. You know the stuff that warps. Somebody is the greatest salesman in the country. This guy, I want to find out who he is. He has to be so wealthy. It's such garbage."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Trump-Cruz-GOP-Debate/2016/01/15/id/709599/#ixzz3xKavT900
-
Death sentence for his campaign if and when they jump ship.
Bush donors await green light to jump ship
‘I need you to throw away money on Jeb — out of loyalty,’ a fundraiser told donors.
By ANNA PALMER and BEN WHITE
01/15/16
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/fb58fe3/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F81%2F6d%2F1e9c7b934320a88869fd2afb21a9%2F151230-jeb-bush-ap-1160.jpg)
Jeb Bush's money spigot is shutting off as the donor class believes it is just a matter of time before the candidate they threw so much money behind drops out of the race. | AP Photo
When Jeb Bush announced a record fundraising haul in July, the Florida Republican rewarded major donors with a two-day celebratory retreat at the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. They also delivered a message: $114 million was just the beginning of how much cash they would need to win.
Now, seven months later and just 17 days before the first ballots are cast, Bush’s donors are no longer high-fiving or strategizing how to keep funds flowing. Instead, the money spigot is shutting off as the donor class believes it is just a matter of time before the candidate they threw so much money behind drops out of the race.
POLITICO talked to nearly two dozen major donors, and most say they are waiting for what one veteran Republican and former Bush 43 administration appointee described as the "family hall pass" to jump to another campaign after the New Hampshire primary.
“I’m resigned to it being over, frankly. It’s really disappointing,” said one top Bush Wall Street donor. “I’d urge him to get out after New Hampshire if he doesn’t do well, but he probably won’t."
The deterioration of the Bush campaign has been a humbling experience for his fundraisers. A year ago, even before he was a candidate, Bush's team was locking down donors across the country and getting commitments for six- and seven-figure checks with little trouble. Donors were pitted against each other to see who could raise more and be in the good graces of the man who, at the time, was described by many in Bush World as the inevitable nominee.
Now the fundraising pitch is decidedly different.
"Hey, I need you to throw away money on Jeb — out of loyalty," a Bush fundraiser has told donors recently.
Rival campaigns are watching Bush's finance operation closely and have been working behind the scenes to lay the groundwork to poach his donor network. So far, a top Florida Republican fundraiser, Brian Ballard, has been one of the only notable defections to Sen. Marco Rubio's camp after Bush's campaign attacked Rubio.
"Donors I've talked to are desperate not to abandon Jeb because of their long bonds and loyalty with the family, but they are also recognizing there is no ROI [return on investment] on this campaign," said Rick Wilson, a veteran Florida political operative who is backing Rubio. "The sense of these folks is it is so sad. They whisper to each other, 'When will Jeb go?'"
Contingency planning among the donor set is in full force. Much of Bush’s Wall Street support network will shift to Rubio. Even those who still see an outside shot for the former Florida governor expect Rubio to emerge as the establishment alternative to Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I think Jeb has the best qualities to be the president, he’s just not doing the world’s best job of getting there,” said a top Wall Street executive who has donated and raised money for Bush. “My attitude is still wait and see what happens. I can’t believe Donald Trump is going to get the nomination. As long as there is still all this insanity there is hope for Jeb.”
But once Bush is out, this donor said he was ready to move on to Rubio. “If Jeb were to get out for any reason, most of his support would go to Marco.”
But many of Bush’s donors, especially those in finance and on Wall Street, say 2016 simply might be a bad year for a traditional, establishment contender. Rubio and their next preferred player, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, likely don’t have great shots at the nomination either, one donor suggested.
“Expectations are not super high [for Bush]. But people are giving him room to try and break out in New Hampshire,” that donor said. “But if it doesn’t happen, pretty much everyone is thinking about the three-way alternative: Trump, Cruz or, gulp, [Hillary] Clinton. There isn't a sense though that Rubio or Christie have got a much better path than Jeb because they are establishment too.”
The Bush campaign continues to make the case in conference calls to supporters that the one-time front-runner still has a pathway to the nomination. And several donors praised Bush’s finance operation as one of the best they've ever seen.
"We are grateful for the support we have and are confident in our plan to win," said Bush spokeswoman Allie Bradenburger in an email. "Jeb will continue to campaign hard in states across the nation as our momentum for his message and record of experience continues to grow."
Dave Beightol, a Washington-area Bush supporter, said that he was encouraged by reports from bundlers who had been door-knocking in early primary states.
"Surging may be too strong of a word, but he is moving up quite dramatically," Beightol said. "This town is full of regurgitators. You have to go beyond the regurgitators ... Actually, a number of bundler types went door-to-door to get a feel for this and reported on it today. They were very excited about [what they saw] in the field."
Still, the pace of Bush fundraisers has also slowed significantly as the candidate has turned his attention to early primary states. On Sunday, Bush was spotted at brunch at the Biltmore in Miami before hitting the golf course at the Coral Gables Country Club. By contrast, Rubio held court in front of roughly 300 supporters at a Palm Beach fundraiser at the home of Bridget and Bill Koch.
Bush's operation still continues to do fundraisers. Dan Runde, a member of Bush's national fundraising committee, laid out his pitch in an email invitation for a Wednesday event in Virginia with Columba Bush.
"We want to win the general election. We think we need to broaden our Republican base in order to win as we have not broken 50 percent in the last two elections," Runde wrote, noting that he isn't concerned about national polls and that the Republican nominating process will go until May.
Bush also has a fundraiser in Palm Beach Jan. 25 at the home of Kara and Steve Ross.
In part, Republican operatives said Bush has been the victim of too high expectations.
"All of the major donors to Jeb and initial donors to Jeb who thought he was going to leap to a lead and never lose it are disappointed," said Fred Malek, finance co-chair of John McCain's 2008 presidential bid and an appointee in President George H.W. Bush's administration.
And while struggling campaigns often devolve into a blame game of consultants, donors and campaign staff, so far Bush's operation has run fairly seamlessly.
"The remarkable thing about Team Jeb is how well they are sticking together through the bad times," said Ron Kaufman, a top strategist to Mitt Romney during his 2012 presidential bid. "And there is an honest to God, real Bush network that is somewhat latent in places across the country that with a modicum of good news I think will become energized."
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/jeb-bush-donors-loyalty-217802#ixzz3xKbhp3g6
-
Link to the 14 January debate:
Good performances across the board. I thought Cruz, Rubio, and Christie were the best.
-
He tries to act tough, but he's an immature, hypersensitive sissy when it comes to people criticizing him.
Wait until he's issuing sanctions or moving troops based upon mean statements by #3 or #4 guys in other countries posturing for their base. Wait until countries stop letting us use airspace or start dropping the dollar because he insulted their leaders for meaningless reasons.
President Trump is going to be a train wreck. And while the mature, sophisticated Republicans know it... I think the duller republicans (who are starting to see the massive Trump/MSNBC connection) may be waking up to it. By the time they accept it, Trump will have enough primary wins to get the nomination.
-
Good response by Dr. Carson when talking about Bill Clinton's history with women. http://www.ijreview.com/2016/01/515453-ben-carson-responds-gop-debate-charleston/?author=jp&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=owned&utm_campaign=elections&utm_term=ijamerica&utm_content=elections
-
Dr Carson sounded stoned last night.
He hears a question, then ignores it and goes into a little story of his which always references the bible and usually ends with a quasi-witty statement designed to get zealots to clap.
He's about to drop below 10% nationally. He's done, as I predicted. He is just running for book sales, as I also predicted. Took the lead then stopped campaigning almost completely from Oct 2nd on.
-
Well that effort deteriorated pretty rapidly.
RNC Disinvites National Review From Debate
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=3576fa3c-34d5-4cc5-84c1-4093a719ef91&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: RNC Disinvites National Review From Debate
By Newsmax Wires |
Friday, 22 Jan 2016
The Republican National Committee has dumped National Review from the Feb. 25 GOP debate after the magazine published a scathing editorial against Donald Trump.
RNC Spokesman Sean Spicer told Buzzfeed News that the magazine was dumped as a sponsor of the debate in Houston, saying "a debate moderator can't have a predisposition."
Jack Fowler, publisher of National Review, wrote a short blog item late Thursday:
"Tonight, a top official with the RNC called me to say that National Review was being disinvited. The reason: Our 'Against Trump' editorial and symposium. We expected this was coming. Small price to pay for speaking the truth about The Donald."
The Houston debate was already the subject of controversy earlier this week when the RNC dumped NBC as broadcaster in the wake of the much-criticized Oct. 28 debate aired by NBC's CNBC cable network.
The RNC replaced NBC with CNN as the broadcaster and changed the date from Feb. 26 to Feb. 25.
With National Review dropped from the debate, CNN's remaining partners are Salem Radio and Telemundo.
The magazine Thursday night posted online its editorial outlining why Donald Trump is "a menace to conservatism," along with essays from 22 conservative leaders arguing that Trump is not fit to lead the nation. It also will be in the conservative journal's Feb. 15 print edition, which goes to press Wednesday.
The GOP front-runner wasted no time in firing back late Thursday against the mag.
Trump called it a "failing" publication — the same criticism he leveled at the New Hampshire Union Leader when it attacked him last month in a front-page editorial — and said the magazine's late founder "would be ashamed."
Despite recent attacks from conservatives against Trump, there doesn't seem to be any impact on the mogul's campaign or popularity. Polls show him either in a dead heat with Ted Cruz in Iowa, or, as CNN's latest showed, some 11 points ahead.
Trump is leading in New Hampshire, too, with a comfortable lead over nearest rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich. A new Zogby poll puts Trump 32 points ahead of Cruz nationally.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/rnc-disinvites-nationa-review/2016/01/22/id/710396/#ixzz3y05pUbeP
-
Fucking "Telemundo" is a "partner" in the debate production.
::) ::) ::)
-
10 Reasons National Review Wants Conservatives to Dump Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=f3f78ff9-e2aa-4b59-be73-0f7d8ce819f4&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: 10 Reasons National Review Wants Conservatives to Dump Trump Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a news conference before speaking during the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel's 16th annual Outdoor Sportsman Awards at The Venetian Las Vegas during the 2016 National Shooting Sports Foundation's Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show on January 21, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
By Mike Garcia | Friday, 22 Jan 2016
National Review, the magazine founded by William F. Buckley, Jr., came out guns-blazing on Thursday with a special issue in which more than 20 big-name conservatives make the case for dumping Donald Trump.
Trump responded with a series of negative tweets, and the Republican National Committee reacted by disinviting National Review from co-hosting a primary debate scheduled for Feb. 25 in Texas.
Jack Fowler, publisher of National Review, responded in kind: "We expected this was coming. Small price to pay for speaking the truth about The Donald."
Gathered below are 10 reasons conservative leaders say the New York billionaire doesn't deserve the party's nomination.
1. NR Editors: Trump replaces conservative ideals with "free-floating populism" — In a scathing editorial, the magazine editors acknowledged that Trump "has shown impressive gut-level skill as a campaigner." They warn, however, that "Trump is a philosophically unmoored political opportunist who would trash the broad conservative ideological consensus." They note that Trump has in the past expressed support for "abortion, gun control, single-payer healthcare ŕ la Canada, and punitive taxes on the wealthy."
2. Glenn Beck: Trump supported Obama's stimulus and bailouts — "Over the years, there have been endless fractures in the façade of individual freedom, but three policies provided the fuel that lit the tea-party fire: the stimulus, the auto bailouts, and the bank bailouts. Barack Obama supported all three. So did Donald Trump," wrote the founder of The Blaze and former Fox News host.
3. Michael Medved: Trump will be an easy takedown for the Dems — "According to conventional caricature, conservatives are selfish, greedy, materialistic, bullying, misogynistic, angry, and intolerant," wrote the prominent radio host. "The Left tried to smear Ronald Reagan in such terms but failed miserably because he displayed none of the stereotypical traits. In contrast, Trump is the living, breathing, bellowing personification of all the nasty characteristics Democrats routinely ascribe to Republicans."
4. Erick Erickson: Trump was a liberal until very recently — The radio personality and former editor of RedState cited scripture in his article against Trump: "If anyone aspires to the office of overseer . . . he must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:1,6). Erickson pointed out that Trump told Sean Hannity in 2011 that "I was [Obama’s] biggest cheerleader," and that he has supported liberal policies like universal government healthcare.
5. Katie Pavlich: Trump's a big-government crony — "Trump has made a living out of preying on and bullying society’s most vulnerable, with the help of government. He isn’t an outsider, but rather an unelected politician of the worst kind. He admits that he’s bought off elected officials in order get his way and to openly abuse the system," wrote the Townhall editor and best-selling author.
6. John Podhoretz: Trump coarsens American culture — "Donald Trump is the apotheosis of a tendency that began to manifest itself in American culture in the 1980s, most notably in the persons of the comic Andrew Dice Clay and the shock jock Howard Stern: the American id," wrote the editor of Commentary magazine. "In any integrated personality, the id is supposed to be balanced by an ego and a superego . . . Trump is an unbalanced force. He is the politicized American id. Should his election results match his polls, he would be, unquestionably, the worst thing to happen to the American common culture in my lifetime."
7. Thomas Sowell: Trump's egomania mirrors Obama's — The best-selling author and Hoover Institution fellow argued that it is "remarkable" that "after seven years of repeated disasters, both domestically and internationally, under a glib egomaniac in the White House, so many potential voters are turning to another glib egomaniac to be his successor. No doubt much of the stampede of Republican voters toward Mr. Trump is based on their disgust with the Republican establishment. It is easy to understand why there would be pent-up resentments among Republican voters. But are elections held for the purpose of venting emotions?"
8. William Kristol: Trump prioritizes wealth over freedom — "Hasn’t Donald Trump been a votary merely of wealth rather than of freedom? Hasn’t he been animated by the art of the deal rather than by the art of self-government?" asked the Weekly Standard editor. Kristol pointed to Buckley's famous statement that conservatism "stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so." "Isn’t the task of conservatives today to stand athwart Trumpism, yelling Stop?" he asked.
9. Yuval Levin: America needs more than a manager — The founding editor of National Affairs argued that "American conservatism is an inherently skeptical political outlook. It assumes that no one can be fully trusted with public power and that self-government in a free society demands that we reject the siren song of politics-as-management." He concludes that "a shortage of such skepticism is how we ended up with the problems Trump so bluntly laments."
10. Dana Loesch: Trump supported government seizure of private property — "As recently as a couple of years ago, Trump favored the liberal use of eminent-domain laws. He said that the ability of the government to wrest private property from citizens served 'the greater good.' Is that suddenly a conservative principle?" asked the nationally syndicated radio host. "I know Donald Trump . . . I genuinely like him. But not as my presidential pick," she added.
http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/national-review-conservatives-dump-donald-trump/2016/01/22/id/710436/#ixzz3y210bvI7
-
Incredible how thin-skinned this dude can be.
Donald Trump Says Megyn Kelly Should Skip Debate; Fox Says She’ll Be There
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2016/01/24/us/politics/24firstdraft-trump-4/24firstdraft-trump-4-tmagArticle.jpg)
Donald J. Trump spoke at a campaign event in Pella, Iowa, on Saturday.Credit Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
Since Megyn Kelly’s pointed question to Donald J. Trump about his treatment of women in the first Republican debate, he has been attacking her regularly, through Tweets and on the campaign trail.
His most recent attack: Ms. Kelly shouldn’t be allowed to moderate the next debate, to be held on Thursday, because of “conflict of interest and bias.”
Since August, the bad blood has been decidedly one-sided, as Mr. Trump has repeatedly called Ms. Kelly a liar and overrated, and retweeted supporters calling her a bimbo. Most memorably, he seemed to suggest she was menstruating during the debate when he said in an interview, “you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
Ms. Kelly had asked Mr. Trump during the debate about his history of disparaging women he did not like by calling them “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.” After he criticized her, she stood her ground, saying in August that she planned to “continue doing my job without fear or favor.” She has never engaged with the candidate on any of his attacks, and has had his supporters on her show, and showed video of his most recent famous endorser: Sarah Palin.
Fox News showed no signs of giving in to Mr. Trump’s displeasure with the questioning, stating just a week following the first debate that all three moderators would again host the debate in January.
On Saturday, it reiterated that stance, saying in a statement: “Megyn Kelly has no conflict of interest. Donald Trump is just trying to build up the audience for Thursday’s debate, for which we thank him.”
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/23/donald-trump-says-megyn-kelly-should-skip-debate-fox-says-shell-be-there/?_r=0
-
Incredible how thin-skinned this dude can be.
So many of supporters think this is some sort of positive trait. "He doesn't take crap from anybody".
If a media talking head can get under his skin this easily, imagine when global superpowers do it. "i'm tougher than you" doesn't work when they're lending us $.
-
Fox News announces GOP debate candidate lineup
Published January 26, 2016
FoxNews.com
Eight Republican candidates have qualified for the prime-time Fox News/Google debate on Thursday – and once again, Donald Trump has snagged the center-stage slot.
This time, though, Rand Paul also qualified for the main event, after missing the cut in the last debate.
Fox News announced the candidate lineup Tuesday evening.
The participants qualifying for the prime-time, 9 p.m. ET debate are:
Billionaire businessman Trump; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Ohio Gov. John Kasich; and Kentucky Sen. Paul.
The participants qualifying for the earlier, 7 p.m. ET debate are:
Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.
The lineup reflects a polling boost for Paul, who did not qualify for the most recent Fox Business Network prime-time debate earlier this month, and declined to participate in the evening event.
The Fox News/Google debate in Des Moines this Thursday will be the candidates’ last before next week’s Iowa caucuses – which kicks off the Republican presidential nominating process.
In the run-up, the candidates are significantly ramping up their ad spending and shoe-leather campaigning, while going after each other in the process.
After clashing at the most recent GOP debate, Iowa front-runners Trump and Cruz have only turned up their attacks in recent days – particularly as Trump regains his Iowa lead over Cruz in most polls. The race, though, remains close. The latest Quinnipiac University poll showed Trump leading Cruz just 31-29 percent in Iowa.
Cruz said Tuesday that “no state is a must-win for us.” But the reality is his campaign is fighting hard for an Iowa victory, as Trump maintains a huge polling lead in the next contest: the New Hampshire primary.
One new ad from a Cruz-supporting super PAC is accusing Trump of being aligned with Democrats on “government-run health care.” Another from the Cruz campaign returns to the well of criticizing Trump’s “New York values,” while playing a clip of him saying, “How stupid are the people of Iowa?”
Trump, meanwhile, called Cruz a “liar” in an MSNBC interview Tuesday.
“Nobody likes him,” Trump said, attempting to draw a contrast with his own business experience by saying Cruz can’t make a deal with anybody.
The debate on Thursday will be moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace.
The candidate lineup was decided based on the results of national, New Hampshire and Iowa polling – released before 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
To qualify for the prime-time debate, a candidate had to place in the top six in an average of recent national polls, or in the top five in an average of recent Iowa or New Hampshire polls. The evening debate features other candidates who received a minimum 1 percent in at least one recent national poll.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/26/fox-news-announces-gop-debate-candidate-lineup.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Good. He is incredibly weak-minded.
Trump will ‘definitely not’ participate in Fox debate, campaign says
By Ed O'Keefe and Philip Rucker
January 26, 2016
Trump: 'Most likely, I won't be doing the debate'
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says he will not attend a debate scheduled for Thursday night in Des Moines, an unexpected twist just days before voters here launch the election process.
"I probably won't be doing the debate. I'm going to have something else in Iowa," he said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
After the press conference, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski confirmed to The Washington Post that Trump would "definitely not" participate in Thursday's Fox News debate.
“He’s definitely not participating in the Fox News debate," Lewandowski said. "His word is his bond."
He said Trump would remain in Iowa as planned and would instead host an event in the state to raise money for wounded warriors and other veterans groups.
Trump has made such threats before, but he said that the Fox News Channel, which is hosting the debate Thursday night, had gone too far by issuing press statements on Tuesday that he said mocked his concern about Megyn Kelly, one of the debate co-moderators.
"They're dealing with someone who's a little bit different. They can't toy with me like they toy with everybody else," he added.
When Trump saw the press release from Fox, "I said, 'Bye bye,'" he said.
Trump said his event on Thursday will benefit military veterans and service members wounded in war.
Although Trump said there had been too many Republican debates, Lewandowki said the decision applied only to the Fox News debate and that he would be open to participating in future debates.
Earlier Tuesday, Fox News Channel President Roger Ailes told The Post that "Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist, and the entire network stands behind her. She will absolutely be on the debate stage on Thursday night."
Later, the network poked fun at Trump in a satirical statement: "We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president. A nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings."
Trump's feud with Kelly began during the first debate in August, when she questioned him about disparaging remarks he has made about women with her opening question.
Trump made his surprise announcement during a press conference in a high school workout gym, within steps of about a dozen stationary bikes. The combative exchange with reporters delayed the start of his event by nearly an hour.
In the gymnasium packed with thousands, Trump sat on a stage for a rare Q&A session with a local radio host who asked mostly friendly questions about his economic and tax policy. The candidate never told the crowd what he had told reporters and only hinted at his decision at the end of the 45-minute event.
“Fox News is fine, I have no objection to Fox News, but they have to treat people fairly and they can’t take advantage of people,” he said. "I made a little announcement before, not a big deal, but it’s sort of an interesting period of time.”
People leaving the event said that they didn’t know what Trump was referring to when he mentioned Fox. When told of his decision, opinion split sharply between disbelief, disagreement and total support.
Marcia Ziel, a retiree from Marshalltown, Iowa, disagreed with Trump’s assertion that Fox has been unfair to him.
“I’ve watched the debates and I’m sorry, but Fox has done a terrific job with the debates. I’m surprised,” she said.
His decision is likely to disappoint many Iowans, she added, but “I don’t think it’ll change their vote, but it would be very disappointing.”
Matt Tyda, of Marshalltown, said Trump’s decision “means nothing to me. The media, you can’t believe anything, especially anything Fox News says, wants or does.” He cited recent reporting by the network that appeared to mock Republican Sen. Rand Paul as an example of the network’s poor coverage.
“Fox News is a joke,” he added.
Karen Farmer, a retiree from Cedar Rapids, said she’d traveled to the event to hear what Trump had to say about Social Security. Told about his decision, she shook her head in disbelief.
“I would think that he would show up in the debate and I think he will,” she said. “He’ll be there.”
Trump is scheduled to appear later Tuesday in Iowa City. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to travel to Lexington, S.C., for a rally before returning to Iowa, presumably for his veterans-themed event.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/26/trump-will-definitely-not-participate-in-fox-debate-campaign-says/?tid=sm_fb
-
Good. He is incredibly weak-minded.
Trump has had a plan for every step of the way in this nomination process. I think this is no different. Trying to preserve a lead? Trying to be a rebel? Trying to win moderates by dissing FOX news?
I think he knows exactly what he's doing, and it's part of his plan, and something he didn't decide today.
-
FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Skipped Last Debate Before IA Caucus – Went on to Win in Landslide
Trump isn't the first top-tier presidential candidate to skip a debate. Ronald Reagan did not attend a Republican debate ahead of the 1980 Iowa caucuses, which he lost to George H.W. Bush. Reagan went on to the win the nomination and the presidency.
(http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/wp-content/uploads/reagan-1980.jpg)
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/flashback-ronald-reagan-skipped-last-debate-before-ia-caucus-went-on-to-win-in-landslide/
-
This reflects worse on Fox than it does Trump, imo.
They were trolling him beforehand.
They are giving the mic to some nutcase who compared him to Hitler. Very unprofessional btw.
It's okay, let the other candidates suck up to her in front of the whole Republican base. Let's see how well that goes over. And then they are going to have to answer questions about Trump all night and kiss Fox's ass while looking like chumps in the process.
You also had Megyn Kelly yukking it up with Michael Moore during her show last night.
If anything this is going to hurt Fox news credibility more than it is going to hurt Trump.
I think we are seeing a real shift in the power these big news organizations. They don't have near the sway they once had with the new type of internet media coming in.
People are jumping on Trump because they obviously hate him and can't see past that but Fox is going to take a hit in this, no question about it.
Trump is going to war with the media and he's winning. Which is also a great position to be in because people hate the media.
-
Fox news credibility
LOL!
-
This reflects worse on Fox than it does Trump, imo.
They were trolling him beforehand.
They are giving the mic to some nutcase who compared him to Hitler. Very unprofessional btw.
It's okay, let the other candidates suck up to her in front of the whole Republican base. Let's see how well that goes over. And then they are going to have to answer questions about Trump all night and kiss Fox's ass while looking like chumps in the process.
You also had Megyn Kelly yukking it up with Michael Moore during her show last night.
If anything this is going to hurt Fox news credibility more than it is going to hurt Trump.
I think we are seeing a real shift in the power these big news organizations. They don't have near the sway they once had with the new type of internet media coming in.
People are jumping on Trump because they obviously hate him and can't see past that but Fox is going to take a hit in this, no question about it.
Trump is going to war with the media and he's winning. Which is also a great position to be in because people hate the media.
Well he did force the media to talk about him, but I think this will hurt him. This is nothing like the CNBC debacle, where the moderators were unquestionably biased. This arises out of one question by Megyn Kelly that she asked months ago. It really shows what a poor leader Trump would be.
-
Well he did force the media to talk about him, but I think this will hurt him. This is nothing like the CNBC debacle, where the moderators were unquestionably biased. This arises out of one question by Megyn Kelly that she asked months ago. It really shows what a poor leader Trump would be.
What Fox did is worse.
You are supposed to fairly "moderate" a debate and you are sending out an official press release mocking one of the candidates the day before the debate? That's insane and a total abuse of power.
It's incredible the pass people are giving Fox News over this because of their hatred towards Trump.
How can we take this company serious when they are behaving in this way?
I get it...Trump says crazy things all the time. He's a candidate. You are supposed to be a news organization. You are held to a higher standard.
Long term this is really going to be a black eye for Fox.
Is this going to be the norm from the media now? Mocking the candidates leading up to the debate?
If the man doesn't want to do the debate then report it and put together a group of commentators to discuss it.
But the need to send out a press release from a Fox spokesperson bashing the guy?? Completely unprofessional.
-
What Fox did is worse.
You are supposed to fairly "moderate" a debate and you are sending out an official press release mocking one of the candidates the day before the debate? That's insane and a total abuse of power.
It's incredible the pass people are giving Fox News over this because of their hatred towards Trump.
How can we take this company serious when they are behaving in this way?
I get it...Trump says crazy things all the time. He's a candidate. You are supposed to be a news organization. You are held to a higher standard.
Long term this is really going to be a black eye for Fox.
Is this going to be the norm from the media now? Mocking the candidates leading up to the debate?
If the man doesn't want to do the debate then report it and put together a group of commentators to discuss it.
But the need to send out a press release from a Fox spokesperson bashing the guy?? Completely unprofessional.
I agree they shouldn't have sent the satire tweet, although Trump had it coming. He has been trashing various members of the network for months. He then acts butt hurt when they respond. How weak is that?
Just look at what he does when someone decides to endorse another candidate:
Donald Trump attacks evangelical leader in Iowa who endorsed Ted Cruz
By Jenna Johnson January 26, 2016
As an influential evangelical Iowan, Bob Vander Plaats experienced what it was like to be friends with Donald Trump. The New York billionaire invited Vander Plaats and his family to visit New York several times, refusing to allow them to pay to stay at one of his hotels and lavishing kindness.
Then Vander Plaats — president of the Family Leader, which is opposed to abortion and gay marriage — decided to endorse Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) for president instead of Trump. On Tuesday, Trump skewered Vander Plaats on Twitter, calling him "phony" and "a bad guy." The attacks came as Trump announced that Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. had endorsed him.
"It's Donald Trump exposed: He wants to be your friend when he thinks he can get something in return for that friendship," Vander Plaats said Tuesday in an interview. "In Iowa, we look at friendship as what we can do for our friends, not what our friends can do for us."
Vander Plaats said he has seen others receive the same sort of 180-degree treatment from Trump. Trump once praised Fox News's Megyn Kelly but is now trying to have her removed as a moderator for the upcoming GOP debate because he believes she asks unfair questions. The entire Republican establishment was once slammed by Trump but now appears to be in his good graces.
"It just shows a guy that gets tossed about to and fro too easily," Vander Plaats said. "I think that kind of pride and arrogance leads to unstable temperament and judgment."
Vander Plaats said he endorsed Cruz over Trump because the billionaire businessman's record on abortion and gay marriage is "a mixed bag." He said that he was concerned when Trump said at a forum with evangelicals in Iowa last summer that he does not seek forgiveness from God. Vander Plaats was also put off by Trump's attacks on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a decorated Vietnam War veteran. The final straw: when Trump appeared to mock the physical disability of a New York Times reporter. Vander Plaats said he was also dismayed to hear Trump joke that he could shoot someone and still not lose support.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/26/donald-trump-attacks-evangelical-leader-in-iowa-who-endorsed-ted-cruz/
-
Just look at what he does when someone decides to endorse another candidate:
things are EASY for trump right now. He's the frontrunner, with billions to spend he hasn't touched, and he's likely to cakewalk to the nomination.
And he's STILL acting this immature, reactionary, and petty. IMAGINE what happens when he's the leader of the free world... and things don't go his way. making these big scenes, storming out of G8 summits, etc?
Trump is a drama queen. I cannot believe nobody else is saying it. He always has to be in the middle of some dispute, some feud. And for a man who says we need to get tough, we need to stop being politically correct - he sure does turn into a wimp the second anyone says anything HE disagrees with. I guess that act only works one way.
-
I agree they shouldn't have sent the satire tweet, although Trump had it coming. He has been trashing various members of the network for months. He then acts butt hurt when they respond. How weak is that?
Just look at what he does when someone decides to endorse another candidate:
Donald Trump attacks evangelical leader in Iowa who endorsed Ted Cruz
By Jenna Johnson January 26, 2016
As an influential evangelical Iowan, Bob Vander Plaats experienced what it was like to be friends with Donald Trump. The New York billionaire invited Vander Plaats and his family to visit New York several times, refusing to allow them to pay to stay at one of his hotels and lavishing kindness.
Then Vander Plaats — president of the Family Leader, which is opposed to abortion and gay marriage — decided to endorse Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) for president instead of Trump. On Tuesday, Trump skewered Vander Plaats on Twitter, calling him "phony" and "a bad guy." The attacks came as Trump announced that Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. had endorsed him.
"It's Donald Trump exposed: He wants to be your friend when he thinks he can get something in return for that friendship," Vander Plaats said Tuesday in an interview. "In Iowa, we look at friendship as what we can do for our friends, not what our friends can do for us."
Vander Plaats said he has seen others receive the same sort of 180-degree treatment from Trump. Trump once praised Fox News's Megyn Kelly but is now trying to have her removed as a moderator for the upcoming GOP debate because he believes she asks unfair questions. The entire Republican establishment was once slammed by Trump but now appears to be in his good graces.
"It just shows a guy that gets tossed about to and fro too easily," Vander Plaats said. "I think that kind of pride and arrogance leads to unstable temperament and judgment."
Vander Plaats said he endorsed Cruz over Trump because the billionaire businessman's record on abortion and gay marriage is "a mixed bag." He said that he was concerned when Trump said at a forum with evangelicals in Iowa last summer that he does not seek forgiveness from God. Vander Plaats was also put off by Trump's attacks on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a decorated Vietnam War veteran. The final straw: when Trump appeared to mock the physical disability of a New York Times reporter. Vander Plaats said he was also dismayed to hear Trump joke that he could shoot someone and still not lose support.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/26/donald-trump-attacks-evangelical-leader-in-iowa-who-endorsed-ted-cruz/
I don't care if it's the most radical, controversial candidate ever, as a news organization you don't do that to a candidate the day before a debate.
Absolutely disgusting what Fox did and it's a significant shot against their integrity.
-
I don't care if it's the most radical, controversial candidate ever, as a news organization you don't do that to a candidate the day before a debate.
Absolutely disgusting what Fox did and it's a significant shot against their integrity.
Inappropriate, yes. Disgusting? Meh. I don't really care. I'd actually call the plethora of comments Trump has made disgusting.
-
What Fox did is worse.
You are supposed to fairly "moderate" a debate and you are sending out an official press release mocking one of the candidates the day before the debate? That's insane and a total abuse of power.
It's incredible the pass people are giving Fox News over this because of their hatred towards Trump.
How can we take this company serious when they are behaving in this way?
I get it...Trump says crazy things all the time. He's a candidate. You are supposed to be a news organization. You are held to a higher standard.
Long term this is really going to be a black eye for Fox.
Is this going to be the norm from the media now? Mocking the candidates leading up to the debate?
If the man doesn't want to do the debate then report it and put together a group of commentators to discuss it.
But the need to send out a press release from a Fox spokesperson bashing the guy?? Completely unprofessional.
Good points.
-
Vander Plaats said he has seen others receive the same sort of 180-degree treatment from Trump.
He should have seen it coming, then. What's his point?
-
And Vander Plaats should stop trying to pretend to be some kind of a saint. Because you know he isn't.
-
Fox News Statement Taunting Trump Was ‘100 Percent’ Roger Ailes
As the war between Fox News and Donald Trump ratchets up, Roger Ailes is fighting off criticism from his senior executives over his handling of the crisis. According to one highly placed source, last night, Ailes sent out the now-famous statement mocking Trump as being scared to meet with the "Ayatollah" and "Putin" if he became president. "That was Roger 100 percent," the source explained. "A lot of people on the second floor" -- where top Fox executives work -- "didn't think it was a good idea."
Fox executives are also troubled that Ailes's principal adviser right now is his longtime personal lawyer and Fox & Friends contributor Peter Johnson Jr. "He wrote the statement with Peter," the source explained. "Peter is running the war room," another Ailes friend told me. Fox executives are worried that Ailes is relying on an attorney with scant communications experience as the network is reeling from the biggest PR crisis in recent memory. Historically, during a crisis like this Ailes would have huddled with his veteran communications guru Brian Lewis. But Ailes fired Lewis in 2013 over his concerns that Lewis had been a source for my 2014 Ailes biography. Since Lewis's ouster, Johnson has taken on the role of media counselor.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/01/ fox-statement-taunting-trump-was-all-roger-ailes.html
-
The Fox News/Google debate without Trump was a breath of fresh air. Props to Megyn Kelly for staying and asking tough questions. She is terrific.
They all did a decent job. The only real problems I saw were Cruz and Rubio really looking bad when answering's Kelly's amnesty questions. Not their finest hour.
Christie always does a good job. It's too bad he peaked so early.
Both Cruz and Rubio are excellent debaters and would kick Hillary's butt IMO.
-
Link to the seventh debate.
-
The Fox News/Google debate without Trump was a breath of fresh air. Props to Megyn Kelly for staying and asking tough questions. She is terrific.
They all did a decent job. The only real problems I saw were Cruz and Rubio really looking bad when answering's Kelly's amnesty questions. Not their finest hour.
Christie always does a good job. It's too bad he peaked so early.
Both Cruz and Rubio are excellent debaters and would kick Hillary's butt IMO.
That's because they're pretending to stand for one thing while doing the opposite. So when someone questions them about it, they realize the lie is slipping away and they're bound to look uncomfortable.
They're two-faced liars, in other words.
-
Loved this from Cruz at the start of the debate when asked about Trump's absence:
"Now, secondly, let me say I'm a maniac and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat, and ugly. And Ben, you're a terrible surgeon.
(LAUGHTER) Now that we've gotten the Donald Trump portion out of the way..."
-
Loved this from Cruz at the start of the debate when asked about Trump's absence:
"Now, secondly, let me say I'm a maniac and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat, and ugly. And Ben, you're a terrible surgeon.
(LAUGHTER) Now that we've gotten the Donald Trump portion out of the way..."
I wonder who wrote that for him.
::)
-
I think it was a mistake for Trump to have done that. This isn't a game.
He's got a problem with Megyn Kelley so he cuts off communication with the people? That's how it reads.
-
I wonder who wrote that for him.
::)
What difference does it make? They all have speech writers.
That said, Cruz has repeatedly shown he can think on his feet. He's one of the smartest guys in the race.
-
What difference does it make? They all have speech writers.
That said, Cruz has repeatedly shown he can think on his feet. He's one of the smartest guys in the race.
He should have said 'positions' instead of 'portion', to really stick it in.
He's quite a sneaky twit when it comes to immigration issues, too, I noticed.
-
Glenn Beck: Marco Rubio Is ‘Turning His Record Upside Down and Inside Out’
-
To be fair...
if all of these candidates were at a table, with a major world crisis... I actually think Rubio would be the one to say "hey guys, I think I have the solution here..." He's very bright. He's got that half-step quicker than the rest of them.
-
This is the guy both Democrats and Republicans are most afraid of.
Republicans Take Aim at Marco Rubio With Negative Ads
Senator Marco Rubio, who is placing only as high as third in most state and national polls, has been the target of more attack ads than any other candidate — more than $20 million worth since the first week in December, a huge sum that may help explain why the Florida senator is struggling to gain ground on his rivals for the Republican nomination.
In all, groups supporting other candidates have spent $22 million on advertising against Mr. Rubio, according to figures provided by his campaign. Of that, $20 million has come from the “super PAC” backing former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, Right to Rise. The rest is from allies of Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
That would account for about a third of the Right to Rise advertising budget so far.
Broken down by state, $8.5 million has been spent attacking him in Iowa, $7.5 million in New Hampshire and $2.7 million in South Carolina. The remainder has been spent on national cable television — mainly Fox News.
The content and theme of the attacks are varied. First, Mr. Bush’s allies painted Mr. Rubio, a first-term senator, as an overeager opportunist seeking a promotion while he was shirking his responsibilities in the Senate. They have started portraying him more recently as a flip-flopper, most harshly in an ad that shows a cartoon of Mr. Rubio superimposed over a weather vane. The spot accuses him of switching his position on immigration legislation for political purposes.
There are some signs the attacks are starting to stick. In New Hampshire, where Right to Rise has put $2 million behind the weather-vane ad alone, Mr. Rubio has dropped 4 percentage points since December, according to the latest CNN/WMUR poll. (That is within the poll’s five-point margin of error.)
But Mr. Rubio is still seen unfavorably by a relatively small slice of Republican voters in New Hampshire — 32 percent — the poll found. By contrast, 51 percent said they had an unfavorable view of Mr. Bush.
Right to Rise said it plans to keep up the attacks on Mr. Rubio. “Our only regret is that there’s only 31 days in January,” said a spokesman for the group, Paul Lindsay. “There’s simply too much information that we think is important to share with voters.”
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/21/republicans-take-aim-at-marco-rubio-with-negative-ads/?_r=0
-
Fox News Admits That Republicans Sent Them Opposition Research To Use Against Ted Cruz (a reminder)
It is getting ugly in Republican Land. Today, Fox News disclosed that top Republican officials sent them opposition research to be used against Ted Cruz during his Fox News Sunday interview.
It should be noted that Wallace did exactly what the Republican establishment wanted during his interview with Cruz...
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/09/22/fox-news-admits-republicans-opposition-research-ted-cruz.html
-
After Iowa, keep your eye on Marco Rubio, not Trump or Cruz
By Douglas E. Schoen
Published February 01, 2016
FoxNews.com
The 2016 primary season began Monday night in Iowa
And the results were not what was expected. At least on the Republican side.
In the final Des Moines Register poll, released over the weekend, Trump was up five points over Ted Cruz 28-23. And in the Real Clear Politics average, he also held a five-point lead.
But the outcome Monday night didn’t look anything like what was predicted.
The race was called for Cruz with 28 percent of the vote to 24 percent for Trump and 23 percent for Rubio.
Cruz’s ground game is due most of the credit. For months, Cruz has had the most elaborate organization in the state where he spent majority of his time campaigning specifically with the Evangelical community. The son of a pastor, Cruz always connected well with this all important group in Iowa and wound up with 62 percent support. And though Jerry Falwell, Jr. endorsed Donald Trump, the final days of the campaign showed quite clearly that Cruz was hugely popular with this community.
Indeed, the Cruz camp over-performed the polls, turned out people in the suburbs and used big data to their advantage by targeting those who would be open to Cruz even if he wasn’t their first choice. And it paid off.
Donald Trump officials are already saying that he never expected to win Iowa. We all know that it didn’t sound like that since he took the lead there and it especially didn’t sound like that when he declined to attend the Fox News debate last week. It’s doubtful that he would have sat out the debate if he had thought a first place finish was in jeopardy, but we’ll never really know what was going on in Trump’s head.
It doesn’t matter much now.
It’s actually more important to take note of how well Marco Rubio did on Monday evening.
He came into the Iowa caucus with 16 percent of the vote and he managed to pull in a remarkable 23 percent -- just one point shy of Trump. He did this while being the subject of relentless attack ads by Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz supported Super PACs, the most scarring – or meant to be the most scarring – of which painted him as the Republican Barack Obama.
Nevertheless, Rubio obviously won voters over with his argument that he’s electable. This is something I’ve been arguing for years.
Rubio has a compelling vision for the future of this nation. He is strong on national security and the most adept speaker.
He’s a fierce debater and has been the most pointed in his criticisms of Hillary Clinton.
It obviously paid off.
As Rubio said Monday night in his speech after the results came in, people told him he had to wait his turn, but his turn is now. And with movement in New Hampshire in his favor, we could very well be starting to see the ascension of the GOP nominee.
That isn’t to say that this is decided. Trump will not go away and Cruz will gain steam after his big win tonight. But the demographics in New Hampshire are very different and Cruz certainly doesn’t have the same kind of chance as he did in Iowa to pull off an upset.
But watch Marco Rubio. You’ll be glad you did.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/02/01/after-iowa-keep-your-eye-on-marco-rubio-not-trump-or-cruz.html?intcmp=hpbt2
-
After Iowa, keep your eye on Marco Rubio, not Trump or Cruz
By Douglas E. Schoen
Published February 01, 2016
FoxNews.com
The 2016 primary season began Monday night in Iowa
And the results were not what was expected. At least on the Republican side.
In the final Des Moines Register poll, released over the weekend, Trump was up five points over Ted Cruz 28-23. And in the Real Clear Politics average, he also held a five-point lead.
But the outcome Monday night didn’t look anything like what was predicted.
The race was called for Cruz with 28 percent of the vote to 24 percent for Trump and 23 percent for Rubio.
Cruz’s ground game is due most of the credit. For months, Cruz has had the most elaborate organization in the state where he spent majority of his time campaigning specifically with the Evangelical community. The son of a pastor, Cruz always connected well with this all important group in Iowa and wound up with 62 percent support. And though Jerry Falwell, Jr. endorsed Donald Trump, the final days of the campaign showed quite clearly that Cruz was hugely popular with this community.
Indeed, the Cruz camp over-performed the polls, turned out people in the suburbs and used big data to their advantage by targeting those who would be open to Cruz even if he wasn’t their first choice. And it paid off.
Donald Trump officials are already saying that he never expected to win Iowa. We all know that it didn’t sound like that since he took the lead there and it especially didn’t sound like that when he declined to attend the Fox News debate last week. It’s doubtful that he would have sat out the debate if he had thought a first place finish was in jeopardy, but we’ll never really know what was going on in Trump’s head.
It doesn’t matter much now.
It’s actually more important to take note of how well Marco Rubio did on Monday evening.
He came into the Iowa caucus with 16 percent of the vote and he managed to pull in a remarkable 23 percent -- just one point shy of Trump. He did this while being the subject of relentless attack ads by Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz supported Super PACs, the most scarring – or meant to be the most scarring – of which painted him as the Republican Barack Obama.
Nevertheless, Rubio obviously won voters over with his argument that he’s electable. This is something I’ve been arguing for years.
Rubio has a compelling vision for the future of this nation. He is strong on national security and the most adept speaker.
He’s a fierce debater and has been the most pointed in his criticisms of Hillary Clinton.
It obviously paid off.
As Rubio said Monday night in his speech after the results came in, people told him he had to wait his turn, but his turn is now. And with movement in New Hampshire in his favor, we could very well be starting to see the ascension of the GOP nominee.
That isn’t to say that this is decided. Trump will not go away and Cruz will gain steam after his big win tonight. But the demographics in New Hampshire are very different and Cruz certainly doesn’t have the same kind of chance as he did in Iowa to pull off an upset.
But watch Marco Rubio. You’ll be glad you did.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/02/01/after-iowa-keep-your-eye-on-marco-rubio-not-trump-or-cruz.html?intcmp=hpbt2
An article written by a Democrat and nothing more.
-
An article written by a Democrat and noting more.
'dos equis' has always been very supportive of Rubio. Likely because illegals don't affect him personally.
-
Iowa results: http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/states/ia/
1. Cruz
2. Trump
3. Rubio
4. Carson
5. Paul
6. Bush
7. Fiorina
8. Kasich
9. Huckabee
10. Christie
11. Santorum
Interesting to see how Huck and Santorum fell out of favor with Iowa voters.
Impressive showing by the outsiders (Trump and Carson), finishing ahead of establishment candidates and prior Iowa winners.
I think the person coming out of this with the momentum is Rubio.
In spite of his impressive showing, the biggest loser was Trump, who didn't win. His own tweet regarding second place:
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
“No one remembers who came in second.” - Walter Hagen
10:55 AM - 30 Dec 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/267841-trump-mocked-for-tweet-on-second-place
-
An article written by a Democrat and nothing more.
Just an opinion piece.
-
'dos equis' has always been very supportive of Rubio. Likely because illegals don't affect him personally.
"240" has always had an uncomfortable relationship with the truth. Likely because he is a compulsive liar.
-
Just an opinion piece.
Yes an opinion piece written by a democrat (Douglas E. Schoen)
-
Marco Rubio Snags South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's Endorsement After Iowa Caucus
by ALEXANDRA JAFFE
Sen. Marco Rubio scored a key endorsement on Tuesday as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott gave the Republican presidential hopeful his backing.
In a video posted to Rubio's Youtube page, Scott said the Republican party has "one shot" to beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 and "that shot is Marco Rubio."
"I'm putting my confidence and trust in Marco Rubio because I believe he takes us to that better future," Scott said. "Marco Rubio understands that, here in America, it's not about where you start, but where you're going.
The endorsement — long expected — came after Rubio had a surprisingly strong showing in Monday's Iowa caucus, coming in a close third place with 23 percent behind Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.
Rumors that Scott would back Rubio have swirled for some time, with the senator having appeared on the campaign trail with Rubio several times. Rep. Trey Gowdy — another South Carolinian who himself endorsed Rubio — last week said Scott would campaign for Rubio in the state, further hinting at an impending announcement.
Now that it's official, the endorsement is expected to give Rubio a boost in the crucial state of South Carolina — where the candidate may be looking to bag his first primary win.
Scott is one of South Carolina's most popular politicians — enjoying support from conservatives and moderates alike — and his endorsement coupled with Gowdy's gives Rubio the backing of two of the most well-respected lawmakers in the state.
Many of Rubio's top strategists — including his campaign manager and top super PAC adviser — also have deep roots in South Carolina, potentially giving Rubio an added advantage in the primary.
But first, Rubio has to make it through New Hampshire — though his chances in that state's primary also look favorable on the heels of Monday's stronger-than-expected showing in Iowa.
Rubio finished third, but performed far better than most polls have shown, coming in just one point behind Donald Trump and just five points behind winner Ted Cruz in the final tally.
The finish has handed Rubio a burst of momentum heading into the weeklong-sprint toward the New Hampshire nomination.
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/marco-rubio-snags-south-carolina-sen-tim-scott-s-endorsement-n509541
-
Yes an opinion piece written by a democrat (Douglas E. Schoen)
Yes you said that. What difference does that make?
-
Big Endorsements Coming Rubio's Way Soon
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=51dd32d2-1346-46e8-b1db-565175149d27&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Big Endorsements Coming Rubio's Way Soon (Getty Images)
By John Gizzi
Tuesday, 02 Feb 2016
Following Marco Rubio's unexpectedly strong showing in the Iowa caucuses and his endorsement Monday night from conservative Sen. Tim Scott (R.-S.C), the Florida senator will soon get a string of major endorsements from well-known GOP office-holders.
"They'll be moving his way in the next few days," former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R.-Ark.), who had been in Iowa campaigning for Rubio, told Newsmax Tuesday morning.
Hutchinson noted that in his home state, Rubio would soon be endorsed by Rep. Rick Crawford (R.-Ark.). The three term lawmaker has a strong following in rural Arkansas.
With favorite son and former Gov. Mike Huckabee exiting the race, Arkansas "is now definitely in play for Marco," said Hutchinson, brother of the Razorback state's Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
The former senator added that more endorsements from office-holders in other southeastern states would follow.
Even before Rubio's Iowa performance, the nation's youngest big city mayor revealed on Newsmax TV last month she was switching her support from Jeb Bush to Rubio.
"Jeb's a fine man, but Marco truly connects with my generation and our hopes," said 28-year-old Mayor Erin Stewart of New Britain, Conn., the sixth-largest city in the Nutmeg State.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Marco-Rubio-Big-Endorsements-Coming-Soon/2016/02/02/id/712356/#ixzz3z1lGkrBS
-
Mike Huckabee Quits GOP Campaign
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=94d688d8-063b-443e-be9e-5bc5655afad6&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Mike Huckabee Quits GOP Campaign (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
By Todd Beamon
Monday, 01 Feb 2016
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that he was quitting the race for the Republican presidential nomination after a dismal showing in the Iowa caucuses.
Here's what Huckabee said on Twitter:
Gov. Mike Huckabee ✔@GovMikeHuckabee
I am officially suspending my campaign. Thank you for all your loyal support. #ImWithHucK
5:26 PM - 1 Feb 2016
Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses and seven other states in 2008.
On Tuesday, he finished with 2 percent of the caucus vote.
He has consistently polled in the single digits in polls since announcing his campaign last May.
In Saturday's Iowa Poll, Huckabee finished at 2 percent.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/mike-huckabee-campaign-ends-iowa/2016/02/01/id/712277/#ixzz3z1lZxYJg
-
Yes you said that. What difference does that make?
Its an article written by a Democrat and published by Fox News, the very same Fox News that hates Cruz and hates Trump but loves Rubio, and in my opinion nothing more than a hit piece downplaying Cruz and Trump while cheer-leading Rubio, but considering you love Rubio and you think Fox news truly is fair and balanced when it comes to the all the candidates its no wonder you thought is was worth posting the article written by a Democrat that downplays Cruz and Trump.
-
Its an article written by a Democrat and published by Fox News, the very same Fox News that hates Cruz and hates Trump and but loves Rubio, and in my opinion nothing more than a hit piece on Cruz and Trump, but considering you love Rubio and you think Fox news truly is fair and balanced when it comes to the all the candidates its no wonder you thought is was worth posting the article written by a Democrat that downplays Cruz and Trump.
Fox News does not hate Cruz. Fox News has given Trump an enormous amount of air time, which really amounted to numerous campaign speeches. Fox News does not love Rubio. I have not seen the network endorse any candidate.
I don't "love" Rubio. I like him a lot, along with Cruz, Christie, Carson, and Webb (too bad he dropped out).
I do believe Fox News is fair and balanced, based on what I see when I watch the network.
Did you even read the article?
-
Fox News does not hate Cruz. Fox News has given Trump an enormous amount of air time, which really amounted to numerous campaign speeches. Fox News does not love Rubio. I have not seen the network endorse any candidate.
I don't "love" Rubio. I like him a lot, along with Cruz, Christie, Carson, and Webb (too bad he dropped out).
I do believe Fox News is fair and balanced, based on what I see when I watch the network.
Did you even read the article?
I dont trust Rubio and find him to be nothing more than a Republican Establishment version of Bill Clinton, someone who is not to be trusted and someone who should ever be elected to anything ever again, And I dont think that Fox News has been fair to all the candidates and have posted evidence to support this in this thread.
And speaking of Bill Clinton... I think you loved him as well and voted for him too!
-
I dont trust Rubio and find him to be nothing more than a Republican Establishment version of Bill Clinton, someone who is not to be trusted and someone who should ever be elected to anything ever again, And I dont think Fox News has been fair to all the candidates and have posted evidence to support this in this thread.
I don't trust any politician.
We don't agree about Fox News and your evidence, but that horse is dead already.
So you didn't read the article? Kinda hard to completely dismiss it if you haven't read it. It's not like Schoen is Dick Morris (a discredited toe sucker).
-
I don't trust any politician.
We don't agree about Fox News and your evidence, but that horse is dead already.
So you didn't read the article? Kinda hard to completely dismiss it if you haven't read it. It's not like Schoen is Dick Morris (a discredited toe sucker).
Whats next ? maybe you're gonna post an article from Rachel Maddow on what she thinks of the Republican Candidates ?
And you bringing up Dick Morris, kind of odd considering you both helped elect Bill Clinton, Morris by advising him and you by voting for him.
-
Whats next ? maybe you're gonna post an article from Rachel Maddow on what she thinks of the Republican Candidates ?
And speaking of Dick Morris, kind of odd considering you both helped elect Bill Clinton, Morris by advising him and you by voting for him.
If Rachel Maddow posts commentary that I find interesting, or that I think others might find interesting, I'll absolutely post it. I've posted numerous opinion (and other) pieces from all kinds of sources. I'm on huffingtonpost and newsmax (among other sources) pretty much every day. Gives me a good perspective of what is being pushed by liberals and conservatives.
Nothing odd at all about me calling Dick Morris what he is. Him being a discredited toe sucker has zero to do with me voting for Clinton twice. He didn't influence my votes one bit.
You should give up the ad hominem schtick. It does not suit you. :)
-
. Gives me a good perspective of what is being pushed by liberals and conservatives.
That is why I was pointing out earlier, that the article you posted is written by a Democrat, someone who will be voting for Hillary or Bernie and that his opinion of the Republican Candidates should be taken in with knowing who he is and his bias.
If Rachel Maddow posts commentary that I find interesting, or that I think others might find interesting, I'll absolutely post it. I've posted numerous opinion (and other) pieces from all kinds of sources. I'm on huffingtonpost and newsmax (among other sources) pretty much every day. Gives me a good perspective of what is being pushed by liberals and conservatives.
Nothing odd at all about me calling Dick Morris what he is. Him being a discredited toe sucker has zero to do with me voting for Clinton twice. He didn't influence my votes one bit.
You should give up the ad hominem schtick. It does not suit you. :)
Not attacking you, just stating the facts...
-
That is what I was pointing out earlier, that the article you posted is written by a Democrat, someone who will be voting for Hillary or Bernie and that his opinion of the Republican Candidates should be taken in with knowing who he is and his bias.
Not attacking you, just stating the facts...
I read the opinion piece. He makes good points. Doesn't matter to me if he's voting for a Democrat. Liberals aren't immune from making good points.
Yes, questioning my disdain for the toe sucker because I voted for Clinton is talking about me, rather than the issues.
-
I read the opinion piece. He makes good points. Doesn't matter to me if he's voting for a Democrat. Liberals aren't immune from making good points.
You pointed it out as you agree with him, as you "like Rubio a lot" and I pointed out he is a democrat, something you did not .
Yes, questioning my disdain for the toe sucker because I voted for Clinton is talking about me, rather than the issues.
The fact is you both helped put Bill Clinton in the White House.
-
The fact is you both helped put Bill Clinton in the White House :)
Yes, me and more than 90 million other Americans. What does that have to do with Dick Morris being a discredited toe sucker?
-
What does that have to do with Dick Morris being a discredited toe sucker?
Ask yourself as you injected him into this discussion, not me.
-
Ask yourself as you injected him into this discussion not me.
Ask myself what you mean by your comments comparing my votes for Clinton 20 and 24 years ago and with Dick Morris? Nah.
-
Ask myself what you mean by your comments comparing my votes for Clinton 20 and 24 years ago and with Dick Morris? Nah.
You brought up Morris in reference to me saying Rubio will say anything to get elected, just like Bill Clinton, and the fact is that you were fooled by Bill as well, so no wonder you "like Rubio a lot" and agree with what Doug Schoen writes.
-
You bought up Morris in reference to me saying Rubio will say anything to get elected, just like Bill Clinton, and the fact is that you were fooled by Bill as well.
I brought up Morris in relation to you refusing to even read an opinion piece by Doug Schoen, and I compared Schoen with Morris. You then made it about me and Morris. Classic ad hominem.
-
Donald Trump Comes Out Of Iowa Looking Like Pat Buchanan
By NATE SILVER
Feb 2, 2016
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/ap_874510961790-e1454412133221.jpg?w=1150)
Donald Trump after speaking at a caucus site Monday in Iowa.
JAE C. HONG / AP
On Monday, Iowa voters did something that Republican “party elites” had failed to do for more than seven months: They rejected Donald Trump.
Trump received 24 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses, placing him closer to the third-place candidate, Marco Rubio (23 percent), than to the winner, Ted Cruz (28 percent). Trump underperformed his polls, which had him winning Iowa with 29 percent of the vote, while Cruz and Rubio outperformed theirs.
It’s not uncommon for the polls to be off in Iowa and other early-voting states, but the manner in which Trump underachieved is revealing. It turns out that few late-deciding voters went for him. According to entrance polls in Iowa, Trump won 39 percent of the vote among Iowans who decided on their candidate more than a month ago. But he took just 13 percent of voters who had decided in the last few days, with Rubio instead winning the plurality of those voters.
WHEN DECISION TO SUPPORT WAS MADE TRUMP CRUZ RUBIO
Just today 15% 22% 28%
In the last few days 13 27 31
Sometime last week 13 36 27
In the last month 23 32 27
Before that 39 26 13
SOURCE: IOWA REPUBLICAN ENTRANCE POLL
Could this have been a reaction to Trump’s failure to show up for last week’s GOP debate? It’s plausible. Trump, who seemed uncharacteristically chastened in his brief concession speech on Monday, might think twice before skipping a debate again. But there was no decline in his polls in New Hampshire or nationally after the missed debate, which suggests that something else might have been at work in Iowa.
Could it have been his lack of a ground game in Iowa? That’s possible, too. If so, it has interesting implications for the rest of Trump’s campaign. On the one hand, it’s hard to build a field operation on short notice, so if Trump had a poor one in Iowa he may face similar challenges in the remaining 49 states. On the other hand, a field operation potentially matters less in primary states than in caucus states like Iowa.
But there’s good reason to think that the ground game wasn’t the only reason for Trump’s defeat. Republican turnout in Iowa was extremely high by historical standards and beat most projections. Furthermore, Trump won the plurality of first-time caucus-goers.
There may have been a more basic reason for Trump’s loss: The dude just ain’t all that popular. Even among Republicans.
The final Des Moines Register poll before Monday’s vote showed Trump with a favorability rating of only 50 percent favorable against an unfavorable rating of 47 percent among Republican voters. (By contrast, Cruz had a favorable rating of 65 percent, and Rubio was at 70 percent.) It’s almost unprecedented for a candidate to win a caucus or a primary when he has break-even favorables within his own party.
Still, Trump had seemed poised to do it, in part because of the intensity of his support. He’s highly differentiated from the rest of the field — a strategic advantage in such a crowded race — and the voters who like Trump like him an awful lot. The disproportionate media coverage of Trump played a large role too, though. Most Republican voters like several candidates. How does a Republican voter who likes (for example) Trump, Cruz and Chris Christie choose among them? The answer seems to have a lot to do with which candidate is getting the most news coverage.
In Iowa, however, the media environment wasn’t as lopsided in Trump’s favor. Voters were blanketed with ads from all the candidates. And they sought out information on their own before settling on their vote. There was a late spike in Google searches for Cruz and Rubio in the state Monday, bringing them almost even with Trump, even as Trump continued to dominate in search traffic nationally.
What about those national polls showing Trump with support in the mid- to high 30s? They might also be a mirage, reflecting a combination of the Trump base (24 percent is nothing to sneeze at, but also well short of a winning coalition), plus a few other bandwagon-jumpers who come along for the ride but who may peel off as they research the candidates more deeply.
I wrote in August about “Donald Trump’s Six Stages Of Doom” and noted that this might be a problem for Trump. Several past factional candidates, including Pat Buchanan, Pat Robertson and Ron Paul,1 received somewhere around 25 percent of the vote in Iowa. Under some circumstances, 25 percent can be good enough to win an early state. But it leaves you well short of the majority you need to win a nomination.
What might Pat Buchanan plus obsessive, round-the-clock media coverage look like? Well, possibly a lot like Donald Trump. Iowa voters made Trump appear to be much more of a factional candidate along the lines of Buchanan, who received 23 percent of Iowa’s vote in 1996, than the juggernaut he’s been billed as. We’ll know a lot more after New Hampshire weighs in next week.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/donald-trump-comes-out-of-iowa-looking-like-pat-buchanan/
-
I brought up Morris in relation to you refusing to even read an opinion piece by Doug Schoen, and I compared Schoen with Morris. You then made it about me and Morris. Classic ad hominem.
Your defense of posting Doug Schoen's article is that he is not Dick Morris, and then you write negatively of him, but then you also basically argue its not who or what a person is, but their opinion that you value, so basically you are arguing the exact different side of the your own argument.
And your bringing up of Dick Morris's past one could take it you that you consider Dick Morris's character is worse than Bill Clinton ::)... Someone that you "liked a lot" too.
-
Your defense of posting Doug Schoen's article is that he is not Dick Morris, and then you write negatively of him, but then you also basically argue its not who or what a person is, but their opinion that you value, so basically you are arguing the exact different side of the your own argument.
And you bringing up Dick Morris past one could take it you that you consider Dick Morris's character is worse than Bill Clinton ::)... Someone that you "liked a lot" too.
I was not (and am not) defending anything. I don't have to defend posting an opinion piece (or anything else).
You are missing the point. There are some people who have demonstrated they are either dishonest or completely unreliable, so nothing they say can be taken at face value. That's not using ad hominem. That is completely refusing to even consider what they say, because they cannot be trusted.
That's the context in which I brought up Dick Morris.
-
Its an article written by a Democrat and published by Fox News, the very same Fox News that hates Cruz and hates Trump but loves Rubio, and in my opinion nothing more than a hit piece downplaying Cruz and Trump while cheer-leading Rubio, but considering you love Rubio and you think Fox news truly is fair and balanced when it comes to the all the candidates its no wonder you thought is was worth posting the article written by a Democrat that downplays Cruz and Trump.
Michael Savage did a really good piece on this. FOX ownership loves the benefits of illegal labor. Trump and Cruz are both all about shutting the border. Rubio likes an open border. So, FOX is doing everything they can to get Rubio elected and bring down Cruz and Trump.
-
There are some people who have demonstrated they are either dishonest or completely unreliable, so nothing they say can be taken at face value.
You just perfectly described Marco Rubio.
" I am strongly against Citizenship for illegals." (running for Senate)
[ Invalid YouTube link ]
" I am for Citizenship for illegals " (after becoming Senator)
-
Your defense of posting Doug Schoen's article is that he is not Dick Morris, and then you write negatively of him, but then you also basically argue its not who or what a person is, but their opinion that you value, so basically you are arguing the exact different side of the your own argument.
And you bringing up Dick Morris past one could take it you that you consider Dick Morris's character is worse than Bill Clinton ::)... Someone that you "liked a lot" too.
Dos Equis hoped this would evolve into a discussion on the toe-sucker, and divert the thread away from your very legitimate point. He's done this for years when he realizes he is really wrong about a subject and cannot defend his position. "Here's why I'm right, but it doesn't matter because <insert liberal diss or personal insult>"
-
Dos Equis hoped this would evolve into a discussion on the toe-sucker, and divert the thread away from your very legitimate point. He's done this for years when he realizes he is really wrong about a subject and cannot defend his position. "Here's why I'm right, but it doesn't matter because <insert liberal diss or personal insult>"
Thank you for dumbing down the thread. I always feel slightly more dumb after reading anything you post, which is why I don't read most of what you post.
-
Michael Savage did a really good piece on this. FOX ownership loves the benefits of illegal labor. Trump and Cruz are both all about shutting the border. Rubio likes an open border. So, FOX is doing everything they can to get Rubio elected and bring down Cruz and Trump.
(http://i.imgur.com/45WW0wy.gif)
Rubio is nothing more than a liar who will say or do anything to get elected, then once elected he will abandon his Voters in favor of what the Big Donors and Establishment want.
-
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul suspends presidential campaign
Published February 03, 2016
FoxNews.com
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul suspended his Republican presidential campaign on Wednesday, after finishing fifth in the leadoff Iowa caucuses.
Though Paul actually exceeded expectations in the Iowa contest, Fox News is told he did not believe his campaign had the momentum to build upon going into the New Hampshire primary next week. The libertarian-leaning senator made the decision official in a brief statement.
“Across the country thousands upon thousands of young people flocked to our message of limited government, privacy, criminal justice reform and a reasonable foreign policy. Brushfires of Liberty were ignited, and those will carry on, as will I,” he said.
“Although, today I will suspend my campaign for President, the fight is far from over. I will continue to carry the torch for Liberty in the United States Senate and I look forward to earning the privilege to represent the people of Kentucky for another term."
Paul, who was often at odds with other Republican candidates on issues like national security and surveillance, struggled to attract the loyal and enthusiastic following that buoyed his father Ron Paul’s past presidential bids.
He was seen as having a strong debate performance in Des Moines last week, perhaps contributing to his respectable finish on Monday -- but was looking at dim chances next week in New Hampshire, where several other candidates are polling stronger.
Paul, in opting not to continue his presidential bid, can now concentrate on his Senate re-election campaign.
Paul follows former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in dropping out of the Republican primary battle after Iowa’s caucuses.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/03/kentucky-sen-paul-suspends-presidential-campaign.html?intcmp=hpbt2
-
13 Reasons Marco Rubio Could Win the White House
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=d3536054-da7c-4d1b-8107-54bbb923a8d7&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: 13 Reasons Marco Rubio Could Win the White House Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) holds a campaign rally in the Exeter Town Hall February 2, 2016 in Exeter, New Hampshire. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
By Nick Sanchez | Wednesday, 03 Feb 2016
Marco Rubio picked up a close third place in the Iowa caucus on Monday, outperforming all expectations and picking up the same number of delegates as second-place finisher Donald Trump.
"This is the moment they said would never happen. For months they told us we had no chance," Rubio said in a speech after the results were tallied. "But tonight here in Iowa, the people of this great state sent a very clear message."
Gathered below are 13 reasons the senator from Florida could win The White House come November.
1. He can unite the party — With Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump both claiming "outsider" status in the election, Rubio has emerged as a top-tier candidate who promises to unite conservatives, libertarians, defense hawks, as well as a wide variety of ages and races under the banner of the Republican Party. "I'm not running to beat up on other Republicans. Ultimately, I'm running to unify this party," Rubio told CNN on Tuesday. "I give us the best chance . . . to nominate a real conservative who can unite the party, grow the party . . . and ultimately defeat Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders."
2. He represents hope, not anger — "For months they told us because we offered too much optimism in a time of anger, we had no chance," Rubio said in his post-caucus speech in Iowa. Rubio has consistently showed hope instead of fear, with his campaign promising "A New American Century." Trump, meanwhile, has tapped into the anger and frustration voters have with what they see as a broken Washington. Ultimately, it is a message of hope that usually wins The White House.
3. He has Rush Limbaugh's support — "Marco Rubio I really like," the radio powerhouse said on Tuesday after the Iowa caucus, Breitbart reported. "He was the first to get out there. He hustled to get out there. As such, it made him look like the winner," he continued. "He had energy. I thought it was a great speech that Rubio gave last night. It was energetic."
4. He can win Florida, a crucial swing state — Marco Rubio is a native of Florida, and stands a great chance of sweeping the state in the primary, wining all of the delegates, which are assigned on a winner-take-all basis. After that, he's likely to steal all 29 of its Electoral College votes in the general election, winning the nation's largest swing state for the Republicans.
5. He is the most likely candidate to beat Hillary Clinton — According to a Real Clear Politics polling aggregate, Rubio and Cruz are the most likely to beat Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head matchup, statistically speaking. Rubio edges her out by a healthy 2.5 points. Cruz, on the other hand, beats her by only 1.3 points, while Trump loses to Clinton in a head-to-head matchup by 2.7 points, according to the polls.
6. His foreign policy knowledge is unrivaled — National security in the face of a growing ISIS threat has become a top issue in the presidential race after deadly terrorist attacks rocked Paris and San Bernardino last year. This shift in focus helps the Rubio campaign because he has foreign policy experience as a U.S. senator. In one Republican debate, Trump failed to demonstrate he understood what the nuclear triad even was, much less what he would do with it. Rubio, on the other hand, explained exactly what it was to the audience watching at home, and gave a very clear vision for how he would use it to protect and defend America.
7. He'll pick up votes from dropout candidates — Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina have all benefited during the race from having never held elected office, saying that it will take a political outsider like them to clean up Washington. Among GOP voters who value prior political experience, however, Rubio gets high marks. As the field of candidates thins over the coming months, expect to see Rubio pick up the supporters of candidates who are bound to drop out of the race: Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, John Kasich, and perhaps even Fiorina and Carson.
8. He has a record of conservative victories — Fox News reported that Rubio continues to earn praise for a provision he put in last year's spending bill that prohibits billion-dollar bailouts for private insurers under the Affordable Care Act. "He saved us money on Obamacare where others have simply wanted to repeal it. He has already saved $2.5 billion by eliminating an unreasonable backstop by the taxpayers for a failed program," said Rep. Darrell Issa, former chairman of the House oversight committee, who has endorsed Rubio.
9. He is young but experienced — Unlike Trump, 69, Clinton, 68, and Bernie Sanders, 74, the 44-year-old Rubio is seen by many as a fresh-faced candidate with the energy to lead the country for eight years. Though he is young, he also has the experience, having served four terms in the Florida legislature, including as speaker of the House, majority leader, and majority whip.
10. He embodies the American dream — While candidates like Trump and Bush were born into wealthy families, Rubio was born in Miami to poor Cuban parents who had fled the deadly rise of Fidel Castro. Through hard work, Rubio has risen to the top of American politics at a relatively young age, and his story resonates with a great many voters.
11. He can win the Hispanic vote — As a Miami native who speaks fluent Spanish, Rubio stands a good chance of peeling away Hispanic voters that the Democrats have come to rely on in past elections.
12. He has Tea Party cred — Rubio earned a perfect "100" rating from the American Conservative Union, and has been called the "crown prince" of the Tea Party movement by publications like The Washington Post.
13. He passes the "I'd have a beer with that guy" test — As the son of an immigrant bartender, a former college football player, and husband of a one-time NFL cheerleader, many see Rubio as the most down-to-earth candidate in the entire race.
http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/marco-rubio-win-white-house/2016/02/03/id/712503/#ixzz3z7ZomuZk
-
Sources: Santorum to suspend 2016 presidential campaign
Published February 03, 2016
FoxNews.com
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum plans to announce he is suspending his 2016 presidential campaign Wednesday night, sources tell Fox News.
The decision comes after a poor showing in Monday's Iowa caucuses.
Santorum came in 11th place and picked up just 1 percent of the Iowa vote, despite winning the caucuses when he ran for the Republican nomination four years ago.
Santorum would be the fourth White House hopeful to drop out of the race this week.
Earlier Wednesday, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul announced he would suspend his bid, following former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in leaving the race. On the Democratic side, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who placed a distant third in caucuses, also announced Monday he would drop out.
Santorum is scheduled to be a guest on Fox News' "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" at 7 p.m. ET.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/03/sources-santorum-to-suspend-2016-presidential-campaign.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Rubio Is the Republican John Edwards
Anti-amnesty blogger Mickey Kaus highlighted Sen. Marco Rubio’s penchant for dodging questions by retreating to his memorized stump speech and labeled the donor-class candidate the Republican John Edwards.
“Rubio’s the GOP John Edwards,” Kaus tweeted. “Both Rubio and Edwards have the gift of gab, which only takes you so far.”
In an email to Breitbart News, Kaus elaborated on the comparison: “I remember seeing John Edwards talk in New Hampshire in ’04. Great stump speech, but even with questions he didn’t add much more. Left you feeling hungry. I didn’t admit it to myself at the time but it was a signal Edwards was a lightweight (even without the later scandal). I get the same impression watching Rubio, even when I can distance myself from his amnesty betrayal.”
Kaus’ suggestion that Rubio’s success hinges upon his reliance on carefully-crafted talking points seems reinforced by the observation of a local New Hampshire reporter, who likened Rubio to a “computer algorithm designed to cover talking points… It was like someone wound him up, pointed him toward the doors and pushed ‘play,'” the New Hampshire reporter noted.
Kaus’ observation that Rubio is able to retreat to his stump speech seems enabled by the media’s reluctance to ask Rubio challenging questions about his longstanding support of open borders trade and immigration policies.
For instance, on Tuesday night, Fox News’s Megyn Kelly gushed and oozed over Rubio in an almost uncomfortable way. She began her interview with Rubio by playing a clip of Rush Limbaugh praising Rubio as a conservative, in spite of Rubio’s push for open borders. Kelly did not ask Rubio a single question about his longstanding support for open-borders trade and immigration policies. Instead, she asked Rubio if he agreed with the praise he received from Rush Limbaugh.
“Let’s start with Rush Limbaugh’s comment, do you agree that you are no moderate centrist?” Kelly asked.
Throughout the interview, Kelly was effusive in her praise of Rubio’s ability to recite a memorized speech without a teleprompter: “You are very smooth. Your acceptance — well, not acceptance [speech] — but your remarks last night were amazing. You were so articulate. There was no teleprompter.”
During the interview, after Kelly failed to ask Rubio a single question about his desire to expand immigration levels or his support for Obama’s trade agenda, Kelly said: “I will vouch for you — that you have come on the Kelly File regularly, and you always sit for the tough questions. And I’ll note for the record, you never complain, never once — even if we ask really tough questions, which I appreciate.”
Fox News’ founder, Rupert Murdoch, is a co-chair of what is arguably one of the biggest immigration lobbying firms in the country, The Partnership for a New American Economy. Through his lobbying firm, Murdoch has endorsed Rubio’s 2013 amnesty bill as well as his 2015 immigration expansion bill. Murdoch has also endorsed President Obama’s immigration agenda, which Rubio has said would be the “second pillar” of a President Rubio’s three-pillar foreign policy strategy.
Interestingly, while Murdoch’s immigration lobbying firm is called the Partnership for a New American Economy, an entire portion of Rubio’s website is devoted to building what he calls, “The New American Economy.”
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/03/mickey-kaus-rubio-republican-john-edwards/
-
Uh, "The New American Economy"?
-
You guys who love FOX and like to pretend it's "different" need to have a very close look at Rupert Murdoch.
-
New Hampshire Poll: Rubio Climbs to Second Place
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=cc6c8b1d-b45a-4c21-a273-05596ac26812&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: New Hampshire Poll: Rubio Climbs to Second Place (Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Thursday, 04 Feb 2016
Marco Rubio is climbing in a New Hampshire daily poll, but his second place finish still trails behind Donald Trump's by 11 points as the state's primary election approaches.
According to the WHDH/UMass Lowell poll, the numbers are:
Trump, 36 percent;
Rubio, 15 percent;
Ted Cruz, 14 percent;
Jeb Bush, 8 percent;
John Kasich, 7 percent;
Chris Christie, 5 percent;
Ben Carson, 4 percent;
Carly Fiorina, 3 percent.
The poll, though, showed Rubio climbing steadily, marking 3 points overnight and seven points since Monday, when he finished third in Iowa. Trump's numbers though, have dropped down two points for the first time he lost support in the daily poll.
The poll questioned 487 likely Republican voters and carried a margin of error of 4.9 percent.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Poll-Marco-Rubio-Climbing-Second/2016/02/04/id/712719/#ixzz3zDibZEiT
-
-
Jeb Bush’s Big Donor May Drop Him for Rubio
by DR. SUSAN BERRY
3 Feb 201631
Former AIG chief Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, 90, may end his support for Jeb Bush and back Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)79%
instead.
Bloomberg reports the insurance industry titan who grew AIG into the world’s largest insurer is reconsidering his continued support for Bush after the candidate finished sixth in the Iowa caucuses. If he abandons Bush, he will likely switch to Rubio, he says.
As Breitbart News reported, Greenberg’s company, CV Starr, gave Bush’s super PAC Right to Rise USA $10 million, its largest donation within the last six months. Greenburg has been one of the biggest donors in the entire 2016 presidential race.
In an interview with Betty Liu Wednesday, Greenberg said he will decide after votes take place in another “one or two states” which candidate he will be backing.
Right to Rise – which has spent more on the 2016 race than any other independent entity – has shelled out some $65 million on television spots, digital ads, and mailers to promote Bush.
Bush’s Super PAC has drawn criticism for spending much of its money on attacking Rubio rather than GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. Some of Bush’s donors are complaining he is “burning money” with lavish spending on high priced hotels and private planes while his poll numbers have plummeted.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/03/jeb-bush-former-aig-titan-may-drop-bush-for-rubio/
-
Jeb Bush’s Big Donor May Drop Him for Rubio
by DR. SUSAN BERRY
3 Feb 201631
Former AIG chief Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, 90, may end his support for Jeb Bush and back Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)79%
instead.
Bloomberg reports the insurance industry titan who grew AIG into the world’s largest insurer is reconsidering his continued support for Bush after the candidate finished sixth in the Iowa caucuses. If he abandons Bush, he will likely switch to Rubio, he says.
As Breitbart News reported, Greenberg’s company, CV Starr, gave Bush’s super PAC Right to Rise USA $10 million, its largest donation within the last six months. Greenburg has been one of the biggest donors in the entire 2016 presidential race.
In an interview with Betty Liu Wednesday, Greenberg said he will decide after votes take place in another “one or two states” which candidate he will be backing.
Right to Rise – which has spent more on the 2016 race than any other independent entity – has shelled out some $65 million on television spots, digital ads, and mailers to promote Bush.
Bush’s Super PAC has drawn criticism for spending much of its money on attacking Rubio rather than GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. Some of Bush’s donors are complaining he is “burning money” with lavish spending on high priced hotels and private planes while his poll numbers have plummeted.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/03/jeb-bush-former-aig-titan-may-drop-bush-for-rubio/
Uh oh. Did they BAIL on him?
-
Uh oh. Did they BAIL on him?
All of the big money is going to bail on him if he doesn't have a strong showing in NH.
-
Uh oh. Did they BAIL on him?
yep, just like Fox News bailed and switched to pushing Rubio now.
-
Yes, the AIG money is bailing on Bush. I love it.
-
-
Nice little debate so far.
-
Started out weird with Carson acting very strangely. Then Christie really called it on Rubio. That has been the best highlight.
It has calmed down again, but this is one of the better ones I've seen. Recommended.
-
Next one on Saturday 13th February, GOP.
-
Link to the New Hampshire debate:
-
Quinnipiac: Rubio Strongest GOP Candidate, Would Defeat Hillary
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c4b6963d-234c-49bb-b2dc-51e5272a7f4c&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Quinnipiac: Rubio Strongest GOP Candidate, Would Defeat Hillary
Friday, 05 Feb 2016
Donald Trump remains the front-runner among the GOP presidential pack nationwide, but Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have risen to take second and third place, respectively, a new Quinnipiac Poll shows.
But the poll offers are unique look at how much people like these candidates and would be willing to vote for them in hypothetical general election matchups.
Among Republicans, Marco Rubio is the strongest, most-liked candidate just days after he took third place in the Iowa Caucuses and days ahead of the New Hampshire primary. For Democrats, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is the most liked in head-to-head matchups in a general election against Republicans.
"While Trump, Clinton and Cruz wallow in a negative favorability swamp, by comparison, Rubio and Sanders are rock stars," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
The GOP rankings:
Trump, 31 percent,
Sen. Ted Cruz, 22 percent;
Sen. Marco Rubio, 19 percent;
Ben Carson, 6 percent;
Jeb Bush, 3 percent;
Chris Christie, 3 percent;
John Kasich, 3 percent
Carly Fiorina, 2 percent
About 9 percent of likely GOP voters are undecided.
The results mirror those of other polls taken over the past few days. Nationwide, Trump's lead is shrinking. A PPP poll showed Rubio and Cruz tied for second place against Trump, who leads nationally. Rubio also rises to second place in some recent New Hamsphire polls.
In the Democratic race nationwide, Clinton has 44 percent, with Sanders at 42 percent, and 11 percent undecided.
According to the survey's pollsters, on the Republican side, Rubio is the strongest candidate to go up against Hillary Clinton, defeating her 48 to 41 percent.
In other general election matchups:
Clinton tops Trump 46 – 41 percent;
Clinton ties Cruz 45 – 45 percent
Republican voters don't like Trump, and do like Rubio by a wider margin. Some 30 percent say they "would definitely not support" Trump, while 15 percent say they would not support Cruz and 7 percent say no to Rubio.
Sanders has the highest favorability rating among top candidates, while Trump has the lowest.
"Democrats nationwide are 'Feeling the Bern' as Sen. Bernie Sanders closes a 31-point gap to tie Secretary Hillary Clinton," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "And despite the Iowa setback, Donald Trump is way ahead of his GOP opponents. But that's not the whole story nine months before Election Day. In mano a mano, or mano a womano, face-offs with all contenders, Sanders and Rubio would be the candidates left standing,"
Among Democrats, Sanders has a greater likeability than Hillary Clinton. In the general election:
Sanders defeats Trump 49 – 39 percent;
Sanders edges Cruz 46 – 42 percent;
Sanders and Rubio are tied 43 – 43 percent.
The survey was conducted Feb. 2-4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/rubio-strongest-candidate-quinnipiac/2016/02/05/id/712857/#ixzz3zd09Fb5n
-
EDITORIAL: RJ editorial board endorses Marco Rubio for Nevada Republican caucus
Posted February 5, 2016
(http://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/media/1004815917_0207_nv_lvrj_rub_0.jpg?itok=KY4qbzds)
With Iowa's caucuses in the rearview mirror and New Hampshire's primaries just ahead, we are reminded that the 2016 presidential race — the real race — finally is underway. After many months of considering candidates' positions, backgrounds and performances in nationally televised debates, voters are making their preferences official. The party nomination process has begun, and some campaigns that survived Iowa won't make it to March.
Over the past few months, the Review-Journal editorial board has met with several candidates from the sizable Republican field, allowing them to distinguish their campaigns, and allowing us to try to help Nevadans determine who is best qualified to advance to the general election. All of the candidates we met — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Dr. Ben Carson, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and businesswoman Carly Fiorina — presented outstanding ideas that speak to the issues and challenges most important to Nevadans.
When we began this process, we made it clear to candidates that they had to meet with us to gain consideration for our endorsement. We made many attempts to meet with businessman and Republican front-runner Donald Trump, but he could not work an interview into his schedule.
After much consideration, the Review-Journal is endorsing Sen. Marco Rubio for Nevada's first-in-the-West Republican caucus on Feb. 23. The RJ met with Sen. Rubio on Oct. 9, two months before the announcement of the newspaper's sale to the family of Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. The Adelsons have detached themselves from our endorsement process, and our endorsement of Sen. Rubio does not represent the support of the family.
Our reasons for endorsing Sen. Rubio are many. Notably, the Florida senator has deep personal connections to the state. He lived in the Las Vegas Valley from age 8 to age 14, the son of immigrants employed by the hotel industry. The driving force behind the 44-year-old's compelling story is his family's pursuit of better opportunities and a better life. The policies he champions in his campaign are intended to provide all Americans as much.
Those policies include issues of key concern for Nevadans. For example, Sen. Rubio agrees that the federal government owns too much land within Nevada's borders — more than 80 percent — and doesn't actively and appropriately manage that land. He believes the lack of privately owned land in Nevada and across the West greatly limits economic opportunity, and he supports transferring some federal land to private ownership. "There's no need for Washington to hold that much land," he told us.
On immigration, Sen. Rubio backs a reasonable approach to fix a broken system, while noting that legal immigration deserves just as much attention as illegal immigration. Among other reforms, he wants a merit-based system of legal immigration to replace today's family-based system.
Sen. Rubio also recognizes that entitlement reform is a must if Medicare and Social Security are to avoid insolvency. "If we deal with them now, we don't have to change them for current beneficiaries," he said. And on economic policy, Sen. Rubio understands that everything a presidential administration does influences the economy. Tax reform and simplification (for both corporations and individuals) are just one part of his pro-growth agenda, which includes dialing back burdensome federal regulations, an energy policy that allows America to lead the world in oil and gas production, and a health care policy to replace Obamacare and give Americans the ability to tailor health insurance plans to their needs.
Electability is also in Sen. Rubio's favor. Mr. Trump and Sen. Cruz, the leading GOP candidates at this point, have liabilities in November, when everyone has the chance to vote. Sen. Rubio has the ideas and the charisma to bring independents and moderates under the GOP tent.
However, that ability should not be confused with the rush to label Sen. Rubio as an establishment candidate, as many have done in recent weeks. In an insurgency campaign featuring true outsider Mr. Trump and Sen. Cruz, an avowed enemy of the establishment, it's not a surprising political tactic. But the idea that Sen. Rubio is an "establishment candidate" simply isn't true.
Recall the 2010 election, when he was voted into the Senate. The Republican establishment put all its weight behind Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, with the upstart Mr. Rubio considered a long shot at best, trailing by nearly 30 points early on. When Mr. Rubio — the former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives — surged in the polls, Gov. Crist dropped out of the Republican primary to run as an independent and assure himself a spot in the general election. It hardly mattered, as Mr. Rubio whipped Gov. Crist by nearly 20 points in a three-person race.
Sen. Rubio is a limited-government conservative, as proved by his 94 percent conservative rating from Heritage Action — bested by only five Republicans in the entire Congress. He is not a go-along-to-get-along RINO (Republican in Name Only), as many have declared. If you want your next president to be an outsider, Sen. Rubio is part of the discussion.
The other Republican candidates we interviewed brought bold ideas to the table. Sen. Cruz is excellent on tax reform and border control. Gov. Bush's ideas for civil service reform and a balanced budget stand out. Dr. Carson has worthy stances on a training wage to address this country's youth unemployment crisis and, of course, on health care reform. And Mrs. Fiorina is an absolute firebrand on transparency in government and the need to fix just about everything in Washington.
But at this moment, Sen. Rubio is best-positioned to advance from the primary season and allow the GOP to win the White House on Nov. 8. Nevada Republicans should plan to caucus Feb. 23 and pledge their support to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-rj-editorial-board-endorses-marco-rubio-nevada-republican-caucus
-
Image: Quinnipiac: Rubio Strongest GOP Candidate, Would Defeat Hillary
Friday, 05 Feb 2016
The survey was conducted Feb. 2-4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/rubio-strongest-candidate-quinnipiac/2016/02/05/id/712857/#ixzz3zd09Fb5n
it'll be another week before Robot Rubio's poll numbers are affected in a 'real' poll. These snapchat insta-polls we see aren't accurate, and this one was done BEFORE he stepped in shit for any real effect.
-
Bobby Jindal Endorses Marco Rubio For President
by Michael Scherer
TIME
FEBRUARY 5, 2016
(https://fortunedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/jindall1280x720.jpg?quality=80&w=840&h=485&crop=1)
The former Louisiana governor is the latest key Republican to back the surging Florida senator
Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal became the latest Republican leader to endorse the presidential campaign of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, following Rubio’s better than expected finish in Iowa.
“Marco can unify our party,” Jindal said on Fox News Friday. “I think he’s a principled conservative. I think he’s the right guy.”
Jindal, who left office in January, was one of the most conservative governors in the country and rising star of the GOP in his own right, before a disastrous response to President Barack Obama’s first address to Congress in 2009 sent him reeling. A former Rhodes Scholar, his presidential effort — which ended in November — was notable for its flailing between news stories of the day, rather than any sustained message.
The former Louisiana chief executive has had a testy relationshipwith the other governors in the race, Chris Christie and John Kasich, who have argued that senators have subpar experience to serve as president. His endorsement provides Rubio a badly-needed credibility boost as his candidacy comes under fire from the three governors in the race.
The New Jersey governor has shifted the focus of his campaign to argue Rubio is underqualified for the job, while Jeb Bush and his super PAC Right to Rise have both released television ads using the inability of another former presidential hopeful, Rick Santorum, to name any Rubio accomplishment.
Just moments before Jindal made his announcement, Rubio took the stage in Derry, N.H., following an introduction by a trio of Congressional Republican leaders, South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
Gowdy warmed up the crowd by saying that Rubio offered a “hopeful, aspirational” message that would be effective in dislodging Democrats from the White House. Scott said he had met with each of the Republican candidates in Iowa, before deciding on Rubio.
“It’s pretty clear that Marco is the candidate with the right message and the momentum right now, and that’s why the entire focus of all these other campaigns these days is to try to tear us down,” said Todd Harris, Rubio’s campaign strategist.
http://fortune.com/2016/02/05/bobby-jindal-endorses-marco-rubio-for-president/
-
After Iowa, keep your eye on Marco Rubio, not Trump or Cruz
By Douglas E. Schoen
Published February 01, 2016
FoxNews.com
But watch Marco Rubio. You’ll be glad you did.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/02/01/after-iowa-keep-your-eye-on-marco-rubio-not-trump-or-cruz.html?intcmp=hpbt2
::)
-
Robio used dimples and memorized speeches to win over the part-time "repubs" who dont care about a flood of illegals.
once he was given ample time to speak at the debates, we all quickly realized he is incapable of sharing critical thinking. It's all lower-level thinking (knowledge and comprehension). He isn't strong enough *yet* for analysis, application, synthesis and evaluation. When he spoke 8 minutes a night, we didn't see it. When he's speaking 20 minutes a night, we see it.
-
::)
He got drubbed, because he finished much lower than expectations (as opposed to outperforming expectations in Iowa), but I give him props for manning up and taking responsibility.
-
you give him props for taking responsibility.
but you have no criticism of him, for being a wind-up repeating toy for, say, his entire career? You've defending his joke for years now.
-
Final New Hampshire results. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/primary-caucus/new-hampshire?intcmp=hpbt1
Definitely an impressive showing by Trump and Sanders. Not sure it really means much over the long haul, especially for Sanders. He is likely going to get crushed going forward.
I also don't think Kaisich will do anything after NH. He was a one trick pony.
Regarding Trump, he got 99,268 votes, but 176,020 votes went to other candidates. If he picks up those votes as candidates drop out, then of course he will steamroll his way to the nomination. But I seriously doubt any of those who drop out will endorse him.
This is still a wide open race, with Jeb still in it because of his cash and the fact Dubya will probably start campaigning for him. If Republicans were smart they would get behind Cruz or Rubio.
-
you give him props for taking responsibility.
but you have no criticism of him, for being a wind-up repeating toy for, say, his entire career? You've defending his joke for years now.
Shut up you lying troll.
-
You gave it a good run Fat Man. Sorry to see you go.
Reports: Christie Likely to Suspend Campaign
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=15019634-e450-4262-9491-2621fc8b099d&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Reports: Christie Likely to Suspend Campaign (Getty Images)
Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will likely suspend his bid for the GOP presidential nomination today, CNN and Fox Business Channel are reporting.
Christie on Tuesday said he’s returning home to reevaluate his Republican presidential campaign after a sixth-place finish in New Hampshire’s first-in- the-nation primary left his standing in doubt headed into the next round of contests.
CNN is reporting he will meet with campaign staff to evaluate his prospects moving forward. Fox Business broke its news on Twitter.
Christie is credited for bring down rival Marco Rubio in Saturday's debate. But after his poor showing in New Hampshire, he is not expected to meet CBS' criteria for making the main debate stage later this week.
Christie, 53, who staked his fortunes on the Granite State, told supporters gathered in a Nashua ballroom Tuesday night that he planned to watch the results from New Jersey and would determine the best path forward. As recently as Monday, he’d said the plan was to charge forward to the next primary Feb. 20 in South Carolina.
“We’ve decided that we’re going to go home to New Jersey tomorrow and we’re going to take a deep breath and see what the final results are tonight because that matters,” Christie said. “By tomorrow morning and tomorrow afternoon we should know.”
In a year when voters in New Hampshire chose outsiders like real-estate mogul Donald Trumpas their Republican standard- bearer and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side, Christie’s pitch as a proven governor and federal prosecutor didn’t catch on. From the start of the campaign, Christie wasn’t able to reignite the level of passion that led business and political leaders to try and convince him to run against President Barack Obama four years ago.
Trump carried the New Hampshire primary with Ohio Governor John Kasich finishing second. Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race.
Christie’s advisers Michael DuHaime and Bill Palatucci didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment.
Christie’s blistering attacks on Florida Senator Rubio in the party’s final debate before the Tuesday primary earned him some last-minute plaudits, but he was unable to translate that into votes. In recent stops at bowling alleys and pizza parlors, Christie attempted to tone down expectations and said he’d already booked travel to South Carolina.
Christian Trinidade, a 48-year-old sales engineer from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, was among those in the sparsely attended Nashua ballroom Tuesday watching the results on a large white screen. He had spent the day manning a phone bank for Christie’s campaign. He said while making calls, he heard from many Trump supporters.
“There was no huge lead when I was making phone calls” among the candidates who aren’t Trump, he said. “A solid amount of people were with Trump, but everybody else was pretty fractured.”
Following a town hall meeting Sunday in Exeter, new Hampshire, Christie told reporters he had no plans to drop out of the nomination fight even if he lost.
“It depends on how you define losing and I haven’t defined it yet,” he said. “I don’t think anybody’s ready to settle yet.”
Crowded Field
Christie’s departure would make him the latest in the list of hopefuls to exit the crowded field. Following disappointing showings in Iowa, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum left the field. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former New York Governor George Pataki bowed out before voting even began when their candidacies failed to gain traction.
Patrick Murray, director of a Monmouth University polling institute, said Christie will face an even tougher contest in states such as South Carolina that aren’t as friendly to a Republican perceived as coming from the moderate wing of the party.
“He doesn’t have the money or ability to carry on,” Murray said in an interview. “There’s not a constituency for him in the future states like there was in New Hampshire. He needs to avoid an embarrassment.”
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Chris-Christie-suspend-campaign-GOP/2016/02/10/id/713646/#ixzz3zn0Etkw2
-
:o :-\
Jeb Spent $1,200 Per Vote in New Hampshire
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c6c4fe4a-8c9d-4704-988a-cb9e17123dad&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Jeb Spent $1,200 Per Vote in New Hampshire
By Cathy Burke | Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016
Jeb Bush and his super PAC Right to Rise reportedly spent $36 million — or about $1,200 a vote — to land the former Florida governor in fourth place in New Hampshire and "reset the race" for his presidential bid.
"This campaign is not dead," Bush declared to 400 supporters at Manchester Community College on Tuesday night, Politico reports.
"The pundits had it all figured out. They declared that this was a three man race between a reality TV star and two freshman senators," he added referring to primary winner Donald Trump and rivals Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida.
"And, yeah, the reality TV star is still doing pretty well. But you all have reset the race . . . We're going on to South Carolina."
The Bush campaign and Right to Rise spent a total of $36.1 million in the Granite State, or about $1,200 per vote, The Huffington Post reports, citing data provided by Morning Consult.
The next-highest spenders were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who spent $852 per vote and came in sixth place, and Rubio, who spent $508 per vote, who finished behind Bush.
Trump spent $40 per vote and Cruz, who placed third, underspent everyone with just $18 per vote.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Jeb-Bush-Spent-New-Hampshire-Primary/2016/02/10/id/713595/#ixzz3zn0hW1mD
-
Current delegate count:
Trump: 17
Cruz: 10
Rubio: 7
Kasich: 4
Bush: 3
Carson: 3
Fiorina: 1
-
He had numerous Establishment Rhinos coming out to endorse him last week, plus Fox News shilling for him non stop last week. The Establishment and Fox News finally thought they had their guy... but was all for nothing. :)
He is nothing but a memorized speech giver.
He repeated himself again just 2 day's ago:
Meh. They all repeat themselves.
-
He got drubbed, because he finished much lower than expectations (as opposed to outperforming expectations in Iowa), but I give him props for manning up and taking responsibility.
He had numerous Establishment Rhinos coming out to endorse him last week, plus Fox News shilling for him non stop last week. The Establishment and Fox News finally thought they had their guy... but was all for nothing. :)
He is nothing but a memorized speech giver.
He repeated himself again just 2 day's ago:
he says the same thing just 20 seconds apart
(watch when he catches himself doing it)
-
He had numerous Establishment Rhinos coming out to endorse him last week, plus Fox News shilling for him non stop last week. The Establishment and Fox News finally thought they had their guy... but was all for nothing. :)
He is nothing but a memorized speech giver.
He repeated himself again just 2 day's ago:
he says the same thing just 20 seconds apart
(watch when he catches himself doing it)
Meh. They all repeat themselves.
-
Meh. They all repeat themselves.
But not 20 seconds apart.
Just 2 day's ago: he say's the same exact sentence just 20 seconds apart.
-
This is still a wide open race
LOL!
The day trump declared, I posted on getbig that due to the anger, insecurity, lack of standards, and overall stupidity of the bottom 1/3 of the republican party, Trump would definitely steamroll his way to the nomination.
Even as you, and morning joe, and fox pundits, and everyone else, told us Trump would never make a mark in the polls. I said there'd be such cawk-lust for his celebrity that he'd cakewalk. And he has, and he continues to.
The nomination is his, if he really wants it. I still anticipate some odd plan we can't think of, still in the works, but hey, that's down the road. Either way, he's making it easy for jailbird Hilary by wrecking every viable republican in the race.
-
But not 20 seconds apart.
Just 2 day's ago: he say's the same exact sentence just 20 seconds apart.
This would concern me if he wasn't smart, was consistently performing poorly in debates, wasn't able to think on his feet, etc. I've watched him enough to conclude this really isn't a big deal. This is nothing like Rick Perry. It definitely hurt him in NH, but it's much ado about nothing IMO. I can see jumping on him about amnesty, but this is small ball.
-
This would concern me if he wasn't smart, was consistently performing poorly in debates, wasn't able to think on his feet, etc. I've watched him enough to conclude this really isn't a big deal. This is nothing like Rick Perry. It definitely hurt him in NH, but it's much ado about nothing IMO. I can see jumping on him about amnesty, but this is small ball.
Marco Roboto is nothing but a rino memorized speech giver. The same speech over and over, even 20 seconds apart now...
-
Marco Roboto is nothing but a rino memorized speech giver. The same speech over and over, even 20 seconds apart now...
He doesn't do anything differently than every other candidate. They all repeat the same lines. And so what you found a clip of him repeating the same line 20 seconds apart. Big deal. The fact you have quoted it like five times today doesn't make it a bigger deal. :)
-
He doesn't do anything differently than every other candidate.
show me where another candidate repeats the same exact memorized statement, word for word, back to back. (20 seconds apart) by mistake.
He doesn't do anything differently than every other candidate. They all repeat the same lines. And so what you found a clip of him repeating the same line 20 seconds apart. Big deal. The fact you have quoted it like five times today doesn't make it a bigger deal. :)
The fact is you want him to win, and are too much into him to see the truth of what he is.
-
The fact is you want him to win, and are too much into him to see the truth of what he is.
Nah. I don't have a dog in this race yet. What I can say definitively is I don't want Trump or Jeb to win.
-
Nah. I don't have a dog in this race yet. What I can say definitively is I don't want Trump or Jeb to win.
I will take your word on it, but your actions on here sure look like rubio is your main guy.
-
I will take your word on it, but your actions on here sure look like rubio is your main guy.
What actions?
-
Fiorina calls it quits, suspends campaign for president
Published February 10, 2016
FoxNews.com
Former HP executive Carly Fiorina ended her bid Wednesday for the Republican nomination for president.
Fiorina, who was the only female GOP candidate in the 2016 running, called it quits after failing to crack the top five in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night.
“While I suspend my candidacy today, I will continue to travel this country and fight for those Americans who refuse to settle for the way things are and a status quo that no longer works for them,” Fiorina said in a written statement.
She added, “I will continue to serve in order to restore citizen government to this great nation so that together we may fulfill our potential.”
Fiorina, 61, entered the tumultuous Republican primary in April. She promoted herself as an outsider with business experience and argued that as the lone woman in the GOP field she was best positioned to oppose likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. After a standout performance in the first undercard debate, Fiorina rose to the mainstage and soared in the polls in the fall. But her momentum quickly stalled and by the end of the year she had dropped back down.
Fiorina won applause from women on both sides of the aisle in the second Republican debate in September when she was asked to respond to Donald Trump's comments criticizing her face.
"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," Fiorina said calmly. Trump sought to smooth things over, saying "I think she's got a beautiful face and I think she's a beautiful woman."
Fiorina's first major foray in to politics was in 2010, when she ran for Senate in California and lost to incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer by 10 points.
Throughout her presidential bid, Fiorina emphasized her meteoric rise in the business world. A Stanford University graduate, she started her career as a secretary, earned an MBA and worked her way up at AT&T to become a senior executive at the telecom giant.
But she was also dogged by questions about her record at Hewlett-Packard, where she was hired as CEO in 1999. She was fired six years later, after leading a major merger with Compaq and laying off 30,000 workers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/10/fiorina-calls-it-quits-suspends-her-campaign-for-president.html?intcmp=hpbt3
-
He doesn't do anything differently than every other candidate. They all repeat the same lines.
Then show me where another candidate repeats the same exact memorized statement, word for word, back to back. (20 seconds apart) by mistake.
-
He doesn't do anything differently than every other candidate. They all repeat the same lines. And so what you found a clip of him repeating the same line 20 seconds apart. Big deal. The fact you have quoted it like five times today doesn't make it a bigger deal. :)
this is a pathetic defense. "they all do it". no, not like Rubio.
at this point, you are appearing to be an obviously all over Rubio's sack. It's not even something you can deny, bro. You're defending a major flaw and your defense is just plain wrong.
-
Then show me where another candidate repeats the same exact memorized statement, word for word, back to back. (20 seconds apart) by mistake.
I don't know if I've seen a candidate repeat the same exact canned speech line 20 seconds apart. If Rubio has repeatedly done that, you'd have a point. If he debate performance were littered with him simply repeating himself, you'd have a point. That's not the case.
What I see from all candidates is the same lines, over and over again. Nothing to see here.
-
I don't know if I've seen a candidate repeat the same exact canned speech line 20 seconds apart.
Here is a candidate that did:
If he debate performance were littered with him simply repeating himself, you'd have a point. That's not the case.
That is exactly what he did in the last debate :
-
Here is a candidate that did:
That is exactly what he did in the last debate :
Meh. Who cares?
-
::)
Have you watched the debates? I have.
-
If Rubio has repeatedly done that, you'd have a point.
So you go from saying I would have a point...
Who cares?
To now acting like nobody cares... ::)
and if nobody cares, then why are you on here defending him?
-
So you go from saying I would have a point...
To now acting like nobody cares... ::)
and if nobody cares, then why are you on here defending him?
Have you watched the debates?
-
Rubio vs Rubio - Marco Debates Himself
[ Invalid YouTube link ]
-
Debate on
-
It's such a pleasure to have a true outsider like Trump, working against these fucking clowns.
-
Turn this one on. It's starting really well.
-
if you don't see it now, you'd better not miss the highlights later. some incredible exchanges
-
Link to the South Carolina debate:
-
Watched much of the South Carolina debate. Some observations:
Trump was horrible. All he did was speak loudly, wag his finger, repeat the same lines, and fail to give specifics. Again. I am so disgusted. This is one of the cruelest jokes in American politics that I can ever remember.
Cruz took Trump apart on being a liberal. He also took a punch in the mouth from Rubio. The you don't speak Spanish line was pretty funny.
Jeb did a great job responding to Trump and actually sounding presidential for a change. I don't know why he is the main one with the courage to take on Trump. Outside of Cruz, everyone else seems to be afraid of Trump.
Rubio was good as usual. Good answers on national security issues, which is his strong point. Still looks like the most viable general election candidate.
Carson was good, but didn’t get much air time.
Kasich was good too. I like the fact he and Carson stayed above the fray.
-
Trump warns RNC isn't honoring 'pledge,' threatens to sue Cruz
Published February 15, 2016
FoxNews.com
Despite taking the pledge five months ago that he’d stick with the Republicans regardless of the nominee, Donald Trump nevertheless fired a warning shot Monday at the Republican National Committee – with the threat yet again of an independent run for the White House.
The Republican presidential front-runner also threatened to sue rival candidate Ted Cruz regarding his Canadian birth if the Texas senator does not retract alleged “lies” about Trump’s policy positions. Further, Trump called on the RNC to intervene in that fight, and said they’d be violating the “pledge” if they don’t.
“The RNC better get its act together,” Trump said at an earlier campaign stop in South Carolina. “I signed a pledge. But the pledge isn’t being honored by them.”
Last September, after much intra-party drama, Trump signed a “loyalty pledge” saying he would support the eventual GOP nominee – though the document was not binding, it was an effort to soothe concerns he might strike out and run as an independent.
Trump is now invoking that pledge on two fronts.
Trump said earlier Monday that the RNC isn’t holding up its end of the bargain, suggesting the committee was hurting his campaign by giving out too many GOP debate tickets to donors. This was a reference to incidents at the last two debates, where Trump repeatedly was booed by the audience – and Trump, in turn, openly accused them of being rival candidate Jeb Bush’s donors and supporters.
Trump warned Monday that the pledge he signed to support the GOP nominee was "a double-edged pledge."
He then went on to say the RNC would be “in default of their pledge” if they don’t intervene in his dispute with Cruz.
Cruz – on the campaign trail, on the debate stage and in a new campaign ad – has questioned Trump’s positions on abortion, gun rights and more.
In one new ad, the campaign warns conservatives are "just one Supreme Court justice away" from losing on issues that are important to them. Those issues, the ad says, include "life, marriage, religious liberty, the Second Amendment." It suggests Trump would nominate more liberal justices.
Trump said at a press conference Monday afternoon that Cruz is spreading “lies” and he’ll bring a suit challenging the Canada-born lawmaker’s eligibility to run if he doesn’t apologize.
“We will bring a lawsuit if he doesn’t straighten his act out. He’s a lying guy,” Trump said.
"I think he's an unstable person," Trump also said earlier, declaring: "He's nuts."
The criticism comes after Saturday’s bare-knuckle debate where Cruz openly questioned Trump’s pro-life credentials.
“You are the single biggest liar. You’re probably worse than Jeb Bush,” Trump said.
Cruz stood his ground, charging that Trump would “appoint liberals” to the Supreme Court if elected.
Speaking at his own rally in Aiken, S.C., on Monday, Cruz also went after Trump for criticizing George W. Bush’s leadership during and after 9/11, at Saturday’s debate.
Cruz said Trump has sided with MoveOn.org, filmmaker Michael Moore and the “fever swamp left wing.” He called Trump’s slam on Bush – who is hitting the campaign trail Monday for his brother Jeb -- “one of the strangest moments” of the debate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/15/trump-warns-rnc-isnt-honoring-pledge-again-floats-independent-bid.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Trump was horrible. All he did was speak loudly, wag his finger, repeat the same lines, and fail to give specifics. Again. I am so disgusted. This is one of the cruelest jokes in American politics that I can ever remember.
True.
WHy do you suppose so many republicans are too stupid and classless to realize it?
-
Gov. Sam Brownback endorses Marco Rubio for GOP presidential nomination
Kansas governor likes Rubio's chances against Clinton or Sanders
Posted: February 15, 2016
Gov. Sam Brownback expressed a preference among an array of Republican presidential aspirants Monday by endorsing the candidacy of Marco Rubio, justifying the choice based on the U.S. senator’s record on health care and abortion.
Brownback, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination in 2007, said Rubio offered the best chance of defeating the Democratic nominee, whether that party selected former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“Marco Rubio is a true conservative who can unite the party and defeat Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders in the fall,” the Kansas governor said. “In the past, conservatives have been forced to make a choice between their heads and their hearts. This year, we are fortunate to not have to make that choice.”
Jeremy Adler, a spokesman for the Rubio campaign, said the U.S. senator from Florida welcomed the support of Brownback, who was characterized by the campaign as “one of the most conservative governors in the country.”
“Just like Governor Brownback, Marco has consistently defended life, small government and free enterprise throughout his career in public service,” Adler said. “We are honored to have earned the governor’s endorsement and are glad he is a part of our growing team of conservatives to ensure that Marco defeats the Democrats this November.”
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, said the governor’s political focus ought to be better directed closer to home.
“How does Sam Brownback, who has an 18 percent approval rating, think that his endorsement of Marco Rubio even matters to the people of Kansas?” Hensley said. “What matters to the people of Kansas is for the governor to admit that he is leading our state in the wrong direction.”
Brownback said the decision to back Rubio was based on the candidate’s proven track record in opposition to abortion and the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and in favor of the legal defense of religious liberty.
“He will be a wonderful president,” Brownback said, “and I am proud to offer him my full support.”
In July 2015, Brownback had welcomed billionaire Donald Trump to the Republican field but indicated there was little chance the businessman from New York City could win the Kansas governor’s endorsement. Asked about the possibility, Brownback said: “That would be difficult.”
Brownback’s son-in-law, Eric Teetsel, was a member of Rubio’s national campaign staff. Teetsel was assigned as Rubio’s faith outreach director.
In September 2011, Brownback endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He had praised Perry as the “right leader for this moment in history,” because the nation required a president who “knows how to create jobs and stop Washington’s runaway spending.”
The Rubio campaign in November secured endorsements of Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce, R-Hutchinson, and Rep. Erin Davis, R-Olathe.
In a statement by Bruce, he said Rubio “embodies the American dream and represents the future of the conservative movement.”
http://cjonline.com/news/2016-02-15/gov-sam-brownback-endorses-marco-rubio-gop-presidential-nomination
-
(http://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/mt/2016/02/RTX273HI/lead_960.jpg?1455590786)
Can George W. Bush Save Jeb?
(The Atlantic) NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.—Time and again this election, Jeb Bush has been outshone by more charismatic candidates. On Monday, there was a slight variation on the story. Once again, Jeb was outdone by a much more talented politician, but this time, it was a backer and not a rival: Jeb’s big brother George W. Bush.
It was the former president’s first appearance on the campaign trail this cycle, and it came just a few days before the South Carolina Republican primary, which is shaping up to be a make-or-break moment for Jeb. President Bush, along with his wife Laura and Senator Lindsey Graham, helped pack 3,000 people in for a rally in North Charleston. It’s proof that his popularity endures in South Carolina, but it’s too early to tell whether that popularity will prove transferrable.
Speaking for 20 minutes, George W. showed why—despite being “misunderestimated,” a malapropism he repeated for comic effect in North Charleston—he was such a successful politician. Bush is a natural, the kind of guy who can successfully kick off his stump speech with a lengthy anecdote about pig manure, and he seemed delighted to be back on the stump. Every other line seemed to elicit either laughs or applause. Mentioning his writing projects, he said, “They didn’t use to think I could read, much less write!” He quipped that the signature on his paintings was worth far more than the art.
That made him a particularly tough act for Jeb to follow. While the younger Bush—going without glasses—was reasonably energetic, his wonky technocrat act simply doesn’t provide the populist spark that his brother effortlessly delivers. Jeb offered a South Carolina-pitched variation on his stump speech, including plenty on national defense, strengthening the military, and overhauling the VA. It ended with the story of Denisha Merriweather, a familiar Jeb anecdote: inspirational, in its way, but complex and long, with none of the pith of George W.
Too many words have been spilled on the Freudian theater of the Bush family, and especially the tension between George, the son who was never supposed to be president, and Jeb, the son who was, but seeing them on-stage back to back provides clear enough evidence why George served two terms and Jeb is struggling to hang on in the Republican primary. George W., though, was doing his best for his little brother. The former president has been described as “bewildered” by the course of the primary so far, which has elevated Ted Cruz, a former aide whom Bush dislikes, and Donald Trump, the loudmouth businessman who represents practically Bush’s polar opposite (no compassion, fierce opposition to foreign intervention, antipathy to immigrants, a very different accent, and a successful business career). Bush tried to make his brother seem a compelling alternative.
“Being president requires sound judgment and good ideas. There’s no doubt in my mind that Jeb Bush has the experience and the judgment to be president,” George W. said, rejecting criticism of insiders. “If serving as president makes me a part of the so-called establishment, I proudly carry that label,” he said.
There wasn’t a mention of Barack Obama or of Hillary Clinton or of Bernie Sanders, but there were plenty of lines that seemed aimed directly at both Cruz and Trump.
“Jeb is man of deep and humble faith that reveals itself through good works, not loud words,” the former president said. “I understand that Americans are angry and frustrated. But we do not need someone in the Oval Office who mirrors and inflames our frustration.”
The great virtue of nominating Jeb, George W. said, was that he could actually triumph in a general election: “We need to elect somebody who can win in November. All the talk doesn’t matter if we can’t win. We need somebody who can take a positive message across the country.”
But that overlooks the huge stone in Jeb Bush’s passway: the primary electorate. Bush is stuck in a doom loop. Almost every voter with whom I spoke seemed to really like Jeb, and to think that he’d be a good president. But they valued electability, and they doubted Jeb could win the primary election. As long as they doubt, they’re unwilling to commit to him, which just makes it harder for him to win the primary. Bush will only bounce back if he can break the loop.
It was a very Bushy crowd: Lots of veterans; lots of men in double-breasted blazers; some veterans in double-breasted blazers; plenty of Vera Bradley bags; young boys in monogrammed sport coats with bright-colored pants. Volunteers were generally easy to pick out: They were the clean-cut young men in khakis and either boat shoes or duck boots. Perhaps needless to say, it was overwhelmingly white. Yet while George W. Bush was a strong enough draw to get people to the rally, he wasn’t enough to persuade all of them to back his brother.
“He’s such a boss. He’s just so relatable,” Taylor Mason marveled about George W. as he left the rally. Mason is shopping for a candidate: Having been Carly Fiorina’s state director until she left the race last week, he’s suddenly uncommitted. “Jeb’s a really, really smart guy,” Mason said. “I don’t think his delivery is the best, but that’s not what really matters.” But he was going to withhold judgment until he’d had a chance to see John Kasich and Marco Rubio.
Some attendees came mostly to see the former president. Ron Rash sported a black “W” ball cap, but he wasn’t quite so enthused about the younger Bush.
“I’m a big W fan, supporting Rubio,” Rash told me. “Jeb would be fine, if he could get some energy.” Rash worried that the candidate just didn’t get what was going on in the country. “I just think Jeb is not listening to the anger,” Rash said, but he dismissed Trump on the basis that anger alone isn’t a policy. “I want us to be one nation under God, not one nation under Trump. He’s not a conservative.”
Stephen Townsend was feeling similarly. Was he committed to Jeb? “I’m committed to the Republican Party,” he said. One of the things he likes about Jeb, he said, is the network that he’d bring to the Oval Office with him, something he thought had undermined Barack Obama. “The current president, he was a junior senator,” he said. “He lacked the experience, the foreign policy, the connections. Jeb can lean on his father and brother for experience.”
The question of how George W. Bush’s experience resonates with the electorate is a complicated one. In South Carolina, the former president is a popular figure, and his reputation has rebounded somewhat nationwide. But there’s a reason he hasn’t been on the trail yet, which is that the campaign is wary of his influence. Jeb Bush has fought a tortured battle with his brother’s legacy, at times insisting he’s his own man and at others praising his brother. He has waffled on how to deal with the toxic legacy of the Iraq war. It’s only now, with the race on the line and few other tricks working, that Jeb Bush has brought the former president along.
The Iraq war was a major point of contention in Saturday’s debate, as Donald Trump took the gamble of turning it into a bludgeon against Jeb. “Obviously the war in Iraq was a big fat mistake, alright?” he said “They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction—there were none. And they knew there were none.” (George W. let Jeb respond to that Monday. “I thought it was a little strange that a frontrunning candidate would attack the president who kept us safe while he was building a reality-TV show,” Jeb said, sounding genuinely incredulous.)
Even if they’re not personally bothered by the war or by complaints about a Bush family dynasty, and even if they adore the former president, the people who came to see him Monday aren’t politically naďve. George W. Bush remains highly unpopular with Democrats and independents, and many Tea Party Republicans dismiss him as a free-spending big-government disaster.
“My concern with Jeb: Can he win? It’s the dynasty issue,” said Mary Prentice, who’d driven from Lynchburg, Virginia, to attend. “If his last name wasn’t Bush—I like the Bush family. I’m just not sure the mainstream public is ready.”
It was a familiar refrain: Sure, I admire the Bush family, but I don’t think other people do. What was remarkable was how many people, even at a Jeb Bush rally, felt drawn to Trump, who has become Bush’s arch nemesis on debate stages and on the stump. A poll released Monday illustrated their divergent fates, placing Trump’s support at 35 percent in South Carolina, with Jeb tied for last with just 7 percent support. Where Bush inspired lukewarm fondness, Trump inspired more passion—often a guilty love.
Helen Mahoney brought her teenage daughter to see Bush, and she was thinking about voting for him. But she was thinking about the frontrunner, too. “Trump has brought up everything we feel. I really think he cares about America,” she said. “I don’t like the way he says it.”
Franny Russell told me she’s pretty much always decided on a candidate by this stage in a primary year, but she was still wavering. The fact that Lindsey Graham and David Wilkins, the popular former speaker of the state house and ambassador to Canada, had endorsed Jeb was a powerful sign, but she couldn’t commit, not yet. “Trump is saying all the right things, but I don’t see myself voting for him,” she said. “It’s almost taboo to think of voting for him.”
In other words, Mahoney and Russell agreed with George W. Bush’s critique of Trump as a loose cannon with too dour an outlook, but there’s a difference between making an effective case against Trump and making an affirmative case for Bush.
-
Jeb takes off his glasses in SC so he looks more like his brother. 2nd day in a row.
Jeb wears his glasses elsewhere so he doesn't remind people of Dubya visually.
IF Jeb finishes 5th in SC as he's polling now, his campaign is over. It'll have to be a brokered convention if he ever wants the nomination.
-
Jeb takes off his glasses in SC so he looks more like his brother. 2nd day in a row.
Jeb wears his glasses elsewhere so he doesn't remind people of Dubya visually.
IF Jeb finishes 5th in SC as he's polling now, his campaign is over. It'll have to be a brokered convention if he ever wants the nomination.
If any deals are to be made, he knows he has a powerful hand. If he were to drop everything and bail at any time before his chances become 0%, it will be due to some mental breakdown on his part (which I can't see happening). They've got enough money for him to at least keep his name in the race until all chance is gone.
-
oh i dont see Jeb bailing. I think he'll place 5th in every state with 2% and stay in it - only because he wants to be relevant at a convention.
however, Trump is leading by 18 points right now in SC. He's steamrolling cruz and rubio with CONSERVATIVES. If Cruz can't win over conservatives in the south against a NY liberal dem lifer d-bag like Trump, he has zero chance.
I've been the biggest trump critic on getbig, by far. I've said he'll easily win the nomination too. And I am saying it now - he's gonna tie down enough delegates quickly. RNC can try all the tricks they have, but he will have the voters.
-
oh i dont see Jeb bailing. I think he'll place 5th in every state with 2% and stay in it - only because he wants to be relevant at a convention.
however, Trump is leading by 18 points right now in SC. He's steamrolling cruz and rubio with CONSERVATIVES. If Cruz can't win over conservatives in the south against a NY liberal dem lifer d-bag like Trump, he has zero chance.
I've been the biggest trump critic on getbig, by far. I've said he'll easily win the nomination too. And I am saying it now - he's gonna tie down enough delegates quickly. RNC can try all the tricks they have, but he will have the voters.
Yes, ppl need to understand why, when they see carly and santorum and graham and all the rest dropping out as a result of no interest = no donations, jeb is the one guy who can operate outside of that. but, otherwise, his poll numbers are/were just as pathetic as theirs.
Serves him right!
-
Mark Levin: Trump Like 'Code Pink, Radical Kook'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=3428e3a2-9b47-458d-8514-2057a77fa290&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Mark Levin: Trump Like 'Code Pink, Radical Kook' (Getty Images)
By Loren Gutentag |
Tuesday, 16 Feb 2016
Conservative talk radio host Mark Levin said presidential front-runner Donald Trump sounded like a "radical kook" at Saturday's GOP debate on CBS after he made comments blaming former president George W. Bush for 9/11 and saying he intentionally lied about weapons of mass destruction, The Right Scoop reports.
"If George Bush went to war in Iraq and was lying about weapons of mass destruction there could not be a worse thing a president of the United States could do, or human being for that matter," Levin said on his radio show Monday.
"There were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. And he was not responsible for 9/11," Levin continued defending the former president's time as commander-in-chief. Adding that Ronald Reagan would have never said the things Trump said at Saturday night's debate.
"To have the leading Republican nominee for president of the United States to make these statements … To have him praised for what he said? Terrible. Absolutely terrible. You and I've lived through this. You and I have lived through this. This isn't distant history."
Levin added that after Saturday's debate, Trump scored an endorsement by Code Pink, a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives.
"He's been praised by Code Pink — He should be praised by Code Pink and every kook organization out there and every left-wing kook organization that hates America."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Mark-Levin-Trump-Code-Pink-Radical-Kook/2016/02/16/id/714510/#ixzz40MfTZ8kG
-
Mark Levin: Trump Like 'Code Pink, Radical Kook'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=3428e3a2-9b47-458d-8514-2057a77fa290&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Mark Levin: Trump Like 'Code Pink, Radical Kook' (Getty Images)
By Loren Gutentag |
Tuesday, 16 Feb 2016
Conservative talk radio host Mark Levin said presidential front-runner Donald Trump sounded like a "radical kook" at Saturday's GOP debate on CBS after he made comments blaming former president George W. Bush for 9/11 and saying he intentionally lied about weapons of mass destruction, The Right Scoop reports.
"If George Bush went to war in Iraq and was lying about weapons of mass destruction there could not be a worse thing a president of the United States could do, or human being for that matter," Levin said on his radio show Monday.
"There were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. And he was not responsible for 9/11," Levin continued defending the former president's time as commander-in-chief. Adding that Ronald Reagan would have never said the things Trump said at Saturday night's debate.
"To have the leading Republican nominee for president of the United States to make these statements … To have him praised for what he said? Terrible. Absolutely terrible. You and I've lived through this. You and I have lived through this. This isn't distant history."
Levin added that after Saturday's debate, Trump scored an endorsement by Code Pink, a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives.
"He's been praised by Code Pink — He should be praised by Code Pink and every kook organization out there and every left-wing kook organization that hates America."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Mark-Levin-Trump-Code-Pink-Radical-Kook/2016/02/16/id/714510/#ixzz40MfTZ8kG
Last thing anyone in the mainstream is going to do is to acknowledge that serious fault exists outside of Al Qaeda or whatever we were calling it back then. They won't take even a tiny step in that direction, because they know where it will lead.
And decisions like that, at least in the beginning, couldn't have been made anywhere but behind a closed door. That's what's up with that.
-
Nikki Haley to endorse Marco Rubio
By Dana Bash, Jamie Gangel and Eric Bradner, CNN
Updated 2:57 PM ET, Wed February 17, 2016 | Video Source: CNN
Washington (CNN)South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing Marco Rubio, giving the Florida senator a huge boost just days before the state's crucial Saturday primary.
Haley's endorsement is expected to come at a 6 p.m. Wednesday event in Chapin. She'll then be on the campaign trail with Rubio through Saturday's primary.
The popular second-term governor's endorsement could help Rubio, who is facing attacks from both Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ahead of Saturday's vote.
An adviser to Haley and a source close to Rubio's campaign confirmed her endorsement to CNN.
It was first reported by state's biggest papers, The State in Columbia and The Charleston Post and Courier.
The current leader in South Carolina, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday, is Donald Trump, with 38% support. He's trailed by Cruz with 22%, Rubio with 14%, Bush with 10%, Ben Carson at 6% and Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 4%.
Haley is just the latest South Carolina Republican whose support Rubio has picked up. He is also backed by Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy, two high-profile members of the state's congressional delegation.
Rubio sees Haley's endorsement as providing "a lift to come in second" in the Palmetto State's primary, a source close to the campaign told CNN.
It's also a sign, the source said, that "the disaster at the debate in New Hampshire is over" and Rubio now has firm standing over Bush.
Bush himself had told NBC News on Tuesday that Haley's endorsement would be critical.
"She is the probably the most meaningful endorsement," Bush said, adding that her support would be "powerful" and if he didn't get it, "it sends a signal that I got to work harder."
Following the news of the endorsement, Bush's camp said Haley is "a great governor and a talent," but added, "Jeb is the only candidate in this race with the proven record and results to defeat Hillary Clinton and he looks forward to having Nikki Haley on his team in the general election."
Haley has long made her distaste for Trump clear, including a shot at the Republican front-runner in the State of the Union response she delivered for the GOP this year.
"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices," Haley said during that speech from the governor's residence in Columbia. "We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country."
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/17/politics/nikki-haley-endorses-marco-rubio/
-
Nikki Haley to endorse Marco Rubio
she's a tea partier than ended up being a freakin RINO, soft on immigration.
SHe's actually the female Rubio.
-
Nikki Haley to endorse Marco Rubio
One con-artist and fraud endorses another. Big surprise.
-
One con-artist and fraud endorses another. Big surprise.
This
-
One con-artist and fraud endorses another. Big surprise.
What con and fraud are you talking about regarding Haley?
-
Nothing worse than a Globalist trying to masquerade himself/herself as an American Conservative.
-
Talk about an inability to recognize your own weaknesses. And some people want to put this dude in charge of the military and nuclear weapons??
Trump Questioned on His Civility: Attacks Rivals
By Greg Richter
Wednesday, 17 Feb 2016
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was questioned by an independent South Carolina voter about his civility during an MSNBC town hall on Wednesday. He answered by slamming his rivals.
"I think you've been really successful in tapping into the kind of voter who wants a politician to tell it like it is, wants politicians to be honest," the woman told Trump. "And so I think you've done a successful job of tapping into that passion. My question is, where do you think the line is between boldness and honesty and disrespect and rudeness and does that line change from candidate Trump and President Trump?"
Trump replied that he isn't as uncivil as some think, saying networks bleeped him recently when he didn't even say a vulgar word, though he admitted he did repeat a word from an audience member in another instance.
Co-host Joe Scarborough challenged Trump on his civility towards other people, because, he said, "you like hammering other people." Scarborough said during his time as a member of Congress he had a rule of only being at war with one person at a time.
"Your rule seems to be you have to be at war with at least a dozen people at a time," Scarborough told Trump. "What happens if you're president of the United States.... Are you going to have friends on the Hill?"
Trump responded that he has successfully knocked out most of the original 16 other Republicans in the field.
"I was very strong and very bold and I hit a lot of people," Trump said. "I knocked out (South Carolina Sen.) Lindsey Graham, I knocked out (former Texas Gov. Rick) Perry, a lot of people, (Wisconsin Gov. Scott) Walker."
"But if you knock everybody else out and you're president of the United States, then you have to deal with 535 people that are going to be hammering you every day," Scarborough said.
"I have a great temperament. I think [it's] my biggest strength," Trump said.
"Jeb Bush would disagree. Lindsey Graham would disagree," Scarborough said.
"Jeb is a sad case, OK. It's sad," Trump responded.
"See, there you go again," Scarborough said.
"In a year from now people will respect what I did," Trump said. "I had Lindsey Graham, he was at 7 percent. After I hit him he was at nothing and he left the race. Now he's an angry person. I see him on television and he's like an insane person."
"Again," Scarborough jumped in, "you're proving my point."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/donald-trump-can-he-be-civil-attacks/2016/02/17/id/714873/#ixzz40UN6fuLm
-
Trump owns these assholes, but good.
-
One con-artist and fraud endorses another. Big surprise.
this x 2
-
What con and fraud are you talking about regarding Haley?
is this a joke?
she ran as tea party, and has been the opposite of that while in power.
http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/06/sc-conservative-groups-feel-betrayed-by-haley/
Read that article. Then pretend you still don't know why people are calling her a disingenuous sellout to the conservatives.
-
-
She's a rino and she just endorsed the only exceptable repub to the DC folks. I'm not saying I'd not vote for Rubio. Its not like the Dems can attack him for his immigration stance like Cruz is. The picture needs to get much more clear and we need 1-2 guys...not named Trump
-
She's a rino and she just endorsed the only exceptable repub to the DC folks. I'm not saying I'd not vote for Rubio. Its not like the Dems can attack him for his immigration stance like Cruz is. The picture needs to get much more clear and we need 1-2 guys...not named Trump
Once the field narrows, Trump will get crushed IMO. But as Krauthammer said, if the field does not narrow, Trump can win this.
Good discussion here:
-
The Party Is Deciding On Rubio
By HARRY ENTEN
FEB 18, 2016
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/ap_104031076854.jpg?w=1150)
Marco Rubio, on Tuesday in Summerville, South Carolina.
MATT ROURKE / AP
One of the more interesting debates so far this election cycle has been over whether the party decides. Do party elites — politicians, activists, media, etc. — have enough power to influence the nominating contest? Can they pick a winner? Can they stop someone from winning? If so, then Donald Trump, who doesn’t have a single endorsement from a sitting governor or member of Congress, should have little shot at the Republican nomination.
For much of this campaign, however, Republican Party elites weren’t deciding. Most Republican governors and members of Congress haven’t endorsed anyone, and the pace of endorsements has been slower than in past campaigns. But that’s starting to change: More GOP elites are taking the plunge.
In fact, by a hair — and for the moment — Marco Rubio has overtaken the pace set by at least one past Republican nominee, Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Rubio has picked up the endorsements of Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina this week. Indeed, Rubio has greatly increased his endorsement pace since the Iowa caucuses, picking up 42 weighted endorsement points1 in the past two-and-a-half weeks, according to the FiveThirtyEight endorsement tracker. That’s nearly half of the 85 points he has overall. All the other candidates who remain in the race have received only 4 endorsement points combined since the Iowa caucuses. The second-place candidate, Jeb Bush, has 51 points, but most of those came early in the campaign, when Bush looked far more formidable; he’s earned just 17 points since September.
That’s not to say the party has settled on Rubio. Of the available GOP endorsement points, Rubio has only a little over 10 percent. Hillary Clinton, by contrast, has nearly 80 percent of the Democratic points available. But Rubio is starting to do better than some previous endorsement leaders at this point in the campaign.
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/enten-delegates-chart-1a.png?w=1150&h=537)
Rubio has more endorsement points than Democrat Dick Gephardt did at a comparable point in the 1988 campaign; he led the field with 57 endorsement points. Rubio is also outpacing Ronald Reagan’s 1980 mark:2
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/enten-delegates-chart-21.png?w=1150&h=538)
And Rubio’s post-Iowa uptick is extra good news for him: History has shown that newer endorsements are more predictive of success than stale ones. Gephardt, for example, hadn’t picked up a single endorsement point post-Iowa at this point in the campaign — and he didn’t win the nomination.
The question, of course, is whether any of this matters. In this seemingly “anti-establishment” year, it’s tempting to say that it doesn’t. I’d argue, though, that if Rubio can keep up his pace, it could make a difference.
The biggest problem for the anti-Trump crowd is that its support has been divided; Rubio, Bush and John Kasich are splitting the anti-Trump vote (it’s harder to say how Ted Cruz fits in here). Trump’s support has been fairly stable in national polls, at about 35 percent, over the past month, and it’s starting to look like he has a core group of supporters who will stick with him come hell or high water. On the other hand, 35 percent is not all that close to 50 percent. If Rubio can coalesce the anti-Trump vote and get to a one-on-one with Trump, Rubio may be able to come out on top. These endorsements could be a signal to anti-Trump voters to rally around Rubio. They may also be a signal to Bush and Kasich to clear the way, that Rubio is Republican elites’ best chance to stop Trump. Of course, in a campaign as wacky as 2016 has been, it may not work.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-party-is-deciding-on-rubio/
-
She's a rino and she just endorsed the only exceptable repub to the DC folks. I'm not saying I'd not vote for Rubio. Its not like the Dems can attack him for his immigration stance like Cruz is. The picture needs to get much more clear and we need 1-2 guys...not named Trump
Or as Rubio can do to Cruz, etc etc etc?
I understand you want a candidate to believe in, and that you've chosen Cruz to be the one, but no sense fooling yourself. Please don't lie to yourself.
-
Rubio Supports Job-Killing Cap and Trade
-
NBC Poll: Cruz Pulls Within 5 Points of Trump in SC
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=b88d2139-aa6d-4bb1-b4a7-bceffd5a33f0&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: NBC Poll: Cruz Pulls Within 5 Points of Trump in SC (Getty Images)
Friday, 19 Feb 2016
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has lost his double digit lead over second-place challenger Ted Cruz in South Carolina, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released Friday, the day before the state's GOP primary.
Cruz has pulled within 5 points of Trump, who held a 16-point lead in the same poll a month ago.
Here's how he poll, conducted Feb. 15-17, breaks down:
Donald Trump, 28 percent
Ted Cruz, 23 percent
Marco Rubio, 15 percent
Jeb Bush, 13 percent
John Kasich, 9 percent
Ben Carson, 9 percent
In the race for the Democratic Party nod in the state's Feb. 27 primary,
shows Hillary Clinton retaining a double digit lead over Bernie Sanders:
Hillary Clinton, 60 percent
Bernie Sanders, 32 percent
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/cruz-trump-south-carolina-poll/2016/02/19/id/715102/#ixzz40dAuwsnk
-
Projected South Carolina finish:
Projected results
TRUMP 30.6%
RUBIO 19.6%
CRUZ 19.3%
BUSH 11.7%
KASICH 9.4%
CARSON 7.6%
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/election-2016/primary-forecast/south-carolina-republican/
-
LOL @ republican voters. 1/3 of them love Trump.
-
Jeb is out. Does this mean there's good reason to believe that a deal wasn't to be made?
-
Projected South Carolina finish:
Projected results
TRUMP 30.6%
RUBIO 19.6%
CRUZ 19.3%
BUSH 11.7%
KASICH 9.4%
CARSON 7.6%
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/election-2016/primary-forecast/south-carolina-republican/
Silver's group is pretty spot on again. Actual results:
trump 239,851 32.5%
rubio 165,881 22.5%
cruz 164,790 22.3%
bush 57,863 7.8%
kasich 56,206 7.6%
carson 53,326 7.2%
http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/states/sc/Rep
-
Tim Pawlenty endorses Marco Rubio
By David Wright, CNN
February 22, 2016
(CNN)Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota and a former GOP presidential candidate, announced Monday he is endorsing Marco Rubio's presidential campaign.
"I think it comes down to this -- he's strong, he's also informed, he's conservative, and he's electable, and he can unite the party, and you can't ask for much more than that," Pawlenty told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on "New Day."
"I think he's got the total package, and I think he's going to bring forward the strongest voice, the strongest image, and really the most thoughtful and informed strong view about how to move this country forward from a conservative perspective."
The endorsement comes days after Rubio galvanized supporters by placing second behind Donald Trump in the South Carolina primary, and after rival Jeb Bush dropped out of the race.
But Pawlenty dismissed the suggestion that Rubio represented the preferred candidate of the establishment, saying, "I think that's a misreading, because Marco Rubio came of age in the tea party. He's a bona fide movement conservative. And to say that he's 'establishment' or somehow not conservative, I just don't think is accurate. He's bold, he's next generation, and he's reform-minded, change-oriented."
Pawlenty also argued that Rubio is a better candidate than front-runner Trump, explaining, "I think what people want in Donald Trump is strength, and in Marco Rubio you get that same strength, but it's an informed strength. And I think that's really important, particularly when you get to issues like national security and defense issues and foreign affairs."
Pawlenty dropped out of the race in August 2011 and eventually endorsed Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential bid.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/politics/tim-pawlenty-endorses-marco-rubio/index.html
-
Current delegate count:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbvHZovW8AAdy8t.jpg)
-
Pretty clear after South Carolina that despite Trump's win, the overwhelming majority of GOP voters do not want Trump:
South Carolina
239,851 = Votes for Trump
498,066 = Votes for other candidates (a difference of 258,215)
Total (Iowa, NH, SC)
285,684 = Votes for Trump
818,251 = Votes for other candidates (a difference of 532,567)
That said, I agree with Krauthammer that candidates better get behind one candidate (Cruz or Rubio) or Trump may get the magic number of delegates (despite the majority of voters choosing someone other than Trump). Crazy election season.
Also, it's pretty cool that the top three in GOP include two Hispanics (or if you’re Ozmo, three white dudes).
During Rubio's SC speech, there was an Indian female, black dude, and Hispanic dude on the stage, all high level political leaders. Great progress.
-
During Rubio's SC speech, there was an Indian female, black dude, and Hispanic dude on the stage, all high level political leaders. Great progress.
Why does race matter to you?
Isn't it about being the most qualified?
The only "progress" i want to see is the best possible candidates. You, getting all caught up in "well, it's all about pigmentation".
Just enjoy the great quality the GOP has to offer, and the inspiring frontrunner Trump, with his lifetime of conservative service.
-
LOL
-
He needs to get control of his staff.
Cruz official apologizes over Rubio video alleging Bible diss
Published February 22, 2016
FoxNews.com
A top campaign official for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz apologized Sunday after linking to a video that wrongly depicted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as trash-talking the Bible.
Campaign spokesman Rick Tyler also told Fox News on Monday that the post was a "mistake."
Tyler originally had linked to a story showing a video of Rubio walking by a Cruz staffer and Cruz’s father Rafael, who were reading the Bible in a hotel lobby. The original subtitles on the video showed Rubio saying to the staffer, “Got a good book there, not many answers in it.”
But after Tyler linked to the story, Rubio communications director Alex Conant tweeted out the same video with what he says are the correct subtitles -- and they tell a very different story.
In them, Rubio actually says of the Bible, “All the answers are in there.”
Conant called the move “another dirty trick” by the Cruz campaign.
Tyler told Fox News on Monday that the campaign made a mistake.
"I posted in haste, I should not have done it," Tyler told Fox News' Martha MacCallum. "It was a mistake and I would not knowingly post something I knew to be false."
Tyler also apologized Sunday on Facebook, noting the Cruz staffer in the video said Rubio made a “friendly and appropriate remark.” (The source of the original report, The Daily Pennsylvanian, has nevertheless stuck by its original transcript of Rubio's remarks.)
Rick Tyler
13 hours ago
.
I want to apologize to Senator Marco Rubio for posting an inaccurate story about him here earlier today. The story showed a video of the Senator walking past a Ted Cruz staffer seated in the lobby of a hotel reading his Bible. The story misquoted a remark the Senator made to the staffer. I assumed wrongly that the story was correct. According to the Cruz staffer, the Senator made a friendly and appropriate remark. Since the audio was unclear, I should not have assumed the story was correct. I've deleted the post because I would not knowingly post a false story. But the fact remains that I did post it when I should have checked its accuracy first. I regret the mistake.
It is the latest “dirty tricks” accusation to hit the Cruz campaign.
Rubio also criticized the Cruz campaign last week for using a doctored image of Rubio supposedly shaking hands with President Obama. This, after the Cruz campaign also faced accusations of spreading false rumors on Iowa caucus night that Ben Carson was dropping out -- when in fact Carson had only announced he was going to Florida to pick up some fresh clothes.
Cruz held a secret meeting Thursday with Carson in a storage closet to try to clear the air over the Cruz campaign’s tactics. Cruz has described the Iowa caucus incident as a simple mistake, blaming it on a media report regarding Carson's travel plans.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/22/cruz-official-apologizes-over-rubio-video-alleging-bible-diss.html?intcmp=hpbt3
-
I'm trying to understand the attraction to Cruz, but it's been very difficult to do.
-
I'm trying to understand the attraction to Cruz, but it's been very difficult to do.
His intelligence, willingness to take on the system, accomplishments, and commitment to the Constitution.
-
His intelligence, willingness to take on the system, accomplishments, and commitment to the Constitution.
How is he doing that, though?
-
How is he doing that, though?
Go back and look at how he handled Obamacare. Why do you think so many of his fellow senators don't like him?
-
Go back and look at how he handled Obamacare. Why do you think so many of his fellow senators don't like him?
OK, I will. Anything else?
-
He needs to get control of his staff.
Cruz official apologizes over Rubio video alleging Bible diss
Published February 22, 2016
FoxNews.com
A top campaign official for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz apologized Sunday after linking to a video that wrongly depicted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as trash-talking the Bible.
Campaign spokesman Rick Tyler also told Fox News on Monday that the post was a "mistake."
Tyler originally had linked to a story showing a video of Rubio walking by a Cruz staffer and Cruz’s father Rafael, who were reading the Bible in a hotel lobby. The original subtitles on the video showed Rubio saying to the staffer, “Got a good book there, not many answers in it.”
But after Tyler linked to the story, Rubio communications director Alex Conant tweeted out the same video with what he says are the correct subtitles -- and they tell a very different story.
In them, Rubio actually says of the Bible, “All the answers are in there.”
Conant called the move “another dirty trick” by the Cruz campaign.
Tyler told Fox News on Monday that the campaign made a mistake.
"I posted in haste, I should not have done it," Tyler told Fox News' Martha MacCallum. "It was a mistake and I would not knowingly post something I knew to be false."
Tyler also apologized Sunday on Facebook, noting the Cruz staffer in the video said Rubio made a “friendly and appropriate remark.” (The source of the original report, The Daily Pennsylvanian, has nevertheless stuck by its original transcript of Rubio's remarks.)
Rick Tyler
13 hours ago
.
I want to apologize to Senator Marco Rubio for posting an inaccurate story about him here earlier today. The story showed a video of the Senator walking past a Ted Cruz staffer seated in the lobby of a hotel reading his Bible. The story misquoted a remark the Senator made to the staffer. I assumed wrongly that the story was correct. According to the Cruz staffer, the Senator made a friendly and appropriate remark. Since the audio was unclear, I should not have assumed the story was correct. I've deleted the post because I would not knowingly post a false story. But the fact remains that I did post it when I should have checked its accuracy first. I regret the mistake.
It is the latest “dirty tricks” accusation to hit the Cruz campaign.
Rubio also criticized the Cruz campaign last week for using a doctored image of Rubio supposedly shaking hands with President Obama. This, after the Cruz campaign also faced accusations of spreading false rumors on Iowa caucus night that Ben Carson was dropping out -- when in fact Carson had only announced he was going to Florida to pick up some fresh clothes.
Cruz held a secret meeting Thursday with Carson in a storage closet to try to clear the air over the Cruz campaign’s tactics. Cruz has described the Iowa caucus incident as a simple mistake, blaming it on a media report regarding Carson's travel plans.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/22/cruz-official-apologizes-over-rubio-video-alleging-bible-diss.html?intcmp=hpbt3
Good job. Exactly what he should have done.
Cruz fires top campaign spokesman over Rubio Bible video
Published February 22, 2016
FoxNews.com
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said Monday he’s fired campaign communications director Rick Tyler, after his top spokesman promoted a video that wrongly depicted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as trash-talking the Bible.
The Texas senator announced that he's asked for the resignation at a press conference Monday afternoon.
“We are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate. Even if it was true, our campaign should not have sent it. That’s why I’ve asked for Rick Tyler’s resignation,” Cruz said. “The standards of conduct in this campaign have been made absolutely clear.”
Tyler originally had linked to a story showing a video of Rubio walking by a Cruz staffer and Cruz’s father Rafael, who were reading the Bible in a hotel lobby. The original subtitles on the video showed Rubio saying to the staffer, “Got a good book there, not many answers in it.”
But after Tyler linked to the story, Rubio communications director Alex Conant tweeted out the same video with what he says are the correct subtitles -- and they tell a very different story.
In them, Rubio actually says of the Bible, “All the answers are in there.”
Conant called the move “another dirty trick” by the Cruz campaign.
Tyler told Fox News on Monday that he made a mistake.
"I posted in haste, I should not have done it," Tyler told Fox News' Martha MacCallum. "It was a mistake and I would not knowingly post something I knew to be false."
Tyler also apologized Sunday on Facebook, noting the Cruz staffer in the video said Rubio made a “friendly and appropriate remark.” (The source of the original report, The Daily Pennsylvanian, has nevertheless stuck by its original transcript of Rubio's remarks.)
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/22/cruz-fires-top-campaign-spokesman-over-rubio-bible-video.html
-
"It was a mistake and I would not knowingly post something I knew to be false."
Which is why researching becomes out of the question.
-
They better be worried. Time to start taking this clown seriously. We had a similar situation in 1994, when Ben Cayetano was elected governor with only 36 percent of the vote because of the number of candidates on the ballot.
Trump will be an unmitigated disaster for the GOP.
Republican Governors Worried About a Trump Nomination
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=10b998f4-7f5d-46cb-a980-27f5f95dba9e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Republican Governors Worried About a Trump Nomination Donald Trump (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke | Monday, 22 Feb 2016
Some Republican governors are reportedly worried about the down-ballot repercussions of a possible Donald Trump presidential candidacy.
According to the Boston Globe, the governors fear Trump's testy campaign will push voters in 2016 races for governors, state legislators or Congress to support Democrats instead – or not vote all.
During a closed-door meeting Saturday at the National Governors Conference meeting, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says Republican governors discussed the potential for party wide damage – and the need to be "supporting civility" for the rest of the campaign, the Globe reports.
"This divisiveness needs to stop," he said. "And I hope at some point this party and governors around the nation will intervene and let our [candidates] know: This is certainly a contest between them, but it's not a blood sport and it's not something that should hurt the party."
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker also acknowledged "a lot of nervousness," the Globe reports. "I would describe the governors on both sides as having a certain fascination with what's going on," he sai
According to the Globe, Karl Rove, formerly the chief political adviser to President George W. Bush and a frequent Trump critic, spoke to the governors at a private meeting last Friday.
And he was glum about Republican electoral prospects if the real estate billionaire is at the top of the ticket in November given his low polling among women and minority voters, the Globe reports.
"The concern for the party is, we want to make sure we get a candidate that can win, so when we hear about there's a cap on Trump's or anyone else's approval, we have the right to be thinking about the general election," Gov. Matt Mead of Wyoming tells the Globe.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam tells the Globe the governors had held "a lot of conversations about impact" and the importance of the party finding a presidential nominee who can win in November.
"I think this will be a telling week," Haslam said Sunday, the Globe reports. "Obviously, the field narrowed some, and I wouldn't be surprised to see several governors come out this week" to endorse someone from the field of Trump rivals.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/gop-governors-worry-trump/2016/02/22/id/715542/#ixzz40vyh3nC6
-
Who knows what this greaseball campaign has gotten away with. Sorry, but this reflects right on Cruz. He's no problem burning people and cheating his way down the line.
-
Trump will be an unmitigated disaster for the GOP.
You don't know that.
-
You don't know that.
I don't know if the sun will rise tomorrow either.
-
I don't know if the sun will rise tomorrow either.
No absolutes when it comes to any of these candidates. If you don't like Trump, then you've only got guys like Cruz and Rubio to blame.
-
No absolutes when it comes to any of these candidates. If you don't like Trump, then you've only got guys like Cruz and Rubio to blame.
It's pretty safe to assume Trump will continue to be exactly what he has shown since he began his campaign. And his negative numbers are among the highest ever for a presidential candidate. Disaster.
-
It's pretty safe to assume Trump will continue to be exactly what he has shown since he began his campaign. And his negative numbers are among the highest ever for a presidential candidate. Disaster.
I just don't know. Part of me thinks he's scared of failing (at the job itself), so he'll go through periods that make it look like he wants to screw it up.
But if he's really what he has appeared to be all these years, then of course he would like to grab the most prestigous title in the world. If he gets that, I cannot believe he wouldn't do his absolute best job and give his very best effort, to work against the fear that he'll fail.
-
I just don't know. Part of me thinks he's scared of failing (at the job itself), so he'll go through periods that make it look like he wants to screw it up.
But if he's really what he has appeared to be all these years, then of course he would like to grab the most prestigous title in the world. If he gets that, I cannot believe he wouldn't do his absolute best job and give his very best effort, to work against the fear that he'll fail.
What you do know is how he has conducted himself during this campaign.
You also know he has failed to explain how he is going to "make America great again," aside from broad, unrealistic generalities.
I have zero confidence that this is anything other than a game for him. I don't think he really wants to put in the work required to be a good president. I suspect he would be just as lazy as our current president.
-
What you do know is how he has conducted himself during this campaign.
Yes, that's why I believe that a fear of failure is in play. Nothing else could give 100% explanation but that IMO.
You also know he has failed to explain how he is going to "make America great again," aside from broad, unrealistic generalities.
Can you see how it has appeared to benefit him, though, to keep such a basic message? Would you agree that up to this moment, for sure, it appears to have worked for him to do that?
I have zero confidence that this is anything other than a game for him. I don't think he really wants to put in the work required to be a good president. I suspect he would be just as lazy as our current president.
I disagree with this one. Everything IMO says he will be very eager and anxious to show success in terms we can understand (not bullshit Obama type "success" in other words), and he will enjoy bragging about it on TV. And he'll have earned it.
Remember, too, he is largely responsible for funding his own campaign. No denying the fact that he is putting himself into it.
-
Yes, that's why I believe that a fear of failure is in play. Nothing else could give 100% explanation but that IMO.
Can you see how it has appeared to benefit him, though, to keep such a basic message? Would you agree that up to this moment, for sure, it appears to have worked for him to do that?
I disagree with this one. Everything IMO says he will be very eager and anxious to show success in terms we can understand (not bullshit Obama type "success" in other words), and he will enjoy bragging about it on TV. And he'll have earned it.
Remember, too, he is largely responsible for funding his own campaign. No denying the fact that he is putting himself into it.
What do you mean by "fear of failure"?
Yes I agree his simple message has worked, but everything Trump has done has benefitted him. Doesn't matter what he says. It is eerily similar to Obama, who can say whatever the heck he wants and his disciples are still following him. They are both all hat and no cattle when it comes to substantive policy.
I could be wrong, but he will have to make a believer out of me when it comes to his work ethic.
One of the few things I like about his is the fact he isn't being bought.
-
What do you mean by "fear of failure"?
Meaning that as much as he'd like to have the job and do well at it, his greatest fear is being a failed president and it causes him to do and say things which by all conventional wisdom should end his run. Making a differentiation between running for the job and being at the point of no return with the job, post-election.
I believe that's what we're witnessing take place.
Yes I agree his simple message has worked, but everything Trump has done has benefitted him. Doesn't matter what he says. It is eerily similar to Obama, who can say whatever the heck he wants and his disciples are still following him. They are both all hat and no cattle when it comes to substantive policy.
Being an effective president would benefit him. So why don't you have faith that he'd do his very best to succeed at that?
I could be wrong, but he will have to make a believer out of me when it comes to his work ethic.
One of the few things I like about his is the fact he isn't being bought.
But doesn't this say so very much? Doesn't it say it all, when it comes down to it?
-
He needs to get control of his staff.
Cruz has perfectly good control over his staff. He sees it becoming a 2 man race between establishment-amnesty Ribio, and the evangelicals that have chosen trump as the "other" option.
Cruz is running out of oxygen in this race - he NEEDED to win in SC... that was his Super Bowl. He's fighting for veep at this point. So throwing carson and rubio under the bus is standard for a falling 2nd/now 3rd place guy who should be leading.
This isn't "out of control", this is a dude falling on the grenade to give the campaign life support it desperately needs.
-
Could be a setup to undermine Trump.
Hot Mic Leads to Accusations of "Favoritism" (CNN)
A newly released audio recording of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski's off-air conversations with Donald Trump has reignited concerns that the MSNBC co-hosts are too cozy with the Republican frontrunner.
The conversations, which took place during the commercial breaks at last week's MSNBC "Trump Town Hall" event, feature the three talking jovially about the success of Trump's campaign, his likelihood of winning South Carolina and Nevada, and the ineffectiveness of his opponents' attack ads.
At one point, Brzezinski tells Trump that she had "a wow moment" when he brought two men up on stage after they had removed a protester from a rally. Trump responds: "I saw it, I watched your show this morning. You had me almost as a legendary figure."
The audio, which was obtained by comedian and radio show host Harry Shearer, offered the latest evidence that the "Morning Joe" co-hosts are too friendly toward Trump, which has become a source of discomfort at NBC. Network insiders have chafed at what they described as Scarborough's "over the top" and "unseemly" admiration for the real estate magnate who is leading the GOP field.
MSNBC declined to comment on the tape.
Shearer played the recording on his show to let listeners decide whether or not Scarborough and Brzezinski were "in the tank" for Trump. His own take, upon the conclusion of the recording: "You can cut the adversarial tension there with a knife," he quipped. "A butter knife, but still."
Throughout the tape, Trump asks Scarborough and Brzezinski to weigh in on his campaign tactics, his poll numbers and the effectiveness of his opponents.
"They're spending $75 million on negative ads against me over the last two weeks. Are they catching on at all?" Trump asks at one point.
"No, doesn't look that way," Scarborough says.
"What do you think?" Trump asks Brzezinski.
"No," Brzezinski says.
Scarborough and Brzezinski immediately drew criticism from other journalists and media figures on Twitter after the tape was published online. Steve Deace, the conservative radio host, called it "clear coordination/coaching between a national show and a campaign."
One portion of the tape that received criticism on Twitter was misleading. It features Brzezinski saying, "You don't want me to do the [questions] on deportation?" to which Trump replies: "That's right. Nothing too hard, Mika."
However, sources at MSNBC said that Brzezinski was speaking to her producer Alex Korson and that Trump was voicing his approval of the decision from the sidelines.
-
Meaning that as much as he'd like to have the job and do well at it, his greatest fear is being a failed president and it causes him to do and say things which by all conventional wisdom should end his run. Making a differentiation between running for the job and being at the point of no return with the job, post-election.
I believe that's what we're witnessing take place.
Being an effective president would benefit him. So why don't you have faith that he'd do his very best to succeed at that?
But doesn't this say so very much? Doesn't it say it all, when it comes down to it?
I don't think Trump cares about being a successful president. He cares about increasing his brand and making money, which he is very good at.
-
Long read, but good points about Trump, pro and con.
The South Carolina primary results don't mean Trump will be the nominee
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/02/20-donald-trump-south-carolina-overestimation-hudak
-
Core Republicans throw support to Rubio as best bet to derail Trump
Published February 23, 2016
FoxNews.com
Marco Rubio picked up a flurry of endorsements Monday from key Republicans in his bid for the GOP presidential nomination, as the GOP establishment appeared to coalesce behind the Florida senator as its best hope to head off Donald Trump.
The endorsements, including support from former Senate Majority Leader and one-time presidential candidate Bob Dole, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, came after Jeb Bush exited the race and on the heels of a series of blunders by the campaign of Rubio rival Ted Cruz.
"I just feel that Rubio is the more serious candidate."
- Bob Dole
“What’s happened here is that a lot of mainstream Republicans realize if they want to stop Trump, their best bet is Marco Rubio, even over Ted Cruz,” GOP strategist Ford O’Connell told The Washington Times.
While it is not clear that the support of old guard Republicans will be enough to stop Trump in an election campaign dominated by insurgent candidates, party members expressed doubt that anger at Washington will be enough to defeat presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.
"I just feel that Rubio is the more serious candidate," Dole told Reuters. "And I feel he has the background to be able to really help turn this mess around.”
Rubio barely edged out Cruz in the most recent primary, in South Carolina, but finished well behind Trump, who establishment Republicans are wary of.
Cruz, meanwhile, fired spokesman Rick Tyler on Monday over a video that falsely showed Rubio dismissing the Bible. Tyler had apologized a day earlier for retweeting a link to the "inaccurate story" involving a video purporting to show Rubio referring to the Bible and saying, "Not many answers in it."
The firing of Tyler followed other accusations of dirty tricks by the Cruz campaign, dating back to his victory in the Iowa caucuses.
Marco Rubio ✔@marcorubio
Yet another strong conservative leader is joining our campaign! Welcome to the team, Gov. @AsaHutchinson!
4:44 PM - 22 Feb 2016
Dole told ABC News his endorsement of Rubio was a direct result of Bush dropping out.
"Now that my good friend Jeb Bush is no longer running, I'm supporting Rubio," Dole told ABC's "Political Powerhouse" podcast.
Hutchinson, a respected former Congressman, likened Rubio to Ronald Reagan in a glowing statement of support.
"The more I've watched this election unfold, the more I've come to see that Marco Rubio is the only candidate who can unite our nation the way Ronald Reagan once did," Hutchinson said.
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said in a statement Monday that Rubio's message, generally less strident than the rhetoric of his rivals, is most likely to win the White House in November.
"I’m supporting Marco Rubio for president because he has the ideas, the principles, and the toughness necessary to bring reform to Washington," Flake said. "In an election where serious solutions are seriously lacking, Marco Rubio has proven that he can inspire more than just anger in Americans who are looking for an alternative to the status quo."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/23/core-republicans-throw-support-to-rubio-as-best-bet-to-derail-trump.html?intcmp=hpbt3
-
Predicted Nevada results:
Trump 37.1%
Rubio 27.2%
Cruz 20.9%
Kasich 7.6%
Carson 6.0%
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/election-2016/primary-forecast/nevada-republican/
-
RUBIOBOT malfunctions AGAIN!
-
Does it seem as though Rubio is unable to function under pressure? Wouldn't that be a fair observation to make about him?
-
Does it seem as though Rubio is unable to function under pressure? Wouldn't that be a fair observation to make about him?
Christie was right, he keeps repeating the pre-programmed phrases over and over.
This boy is not a leader. He's an amateur salesman hyped by the establishment and donor class. He has no accomplishments or skills other than repeating memorized lines.
-
Long read, but good points about Trump, pro and con.
The South Carolina primary results don't mean Trump will be the nominee
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/02/20-donald-trump-south-carolina-overestimation-hudak
It might have given a word or two about the worthlessness of his competition, and how the usual politics have worn so thin that even the most delusional among us have ceased to be fooled this time around. That's the real story.
But it provides a good reality check for the people who are convinced Trump will win.
As for the "party leaders" disliking him: that's good. Great. They've needed their asses kicked for quite some time, and maybe Trump will be the person to do it. The "party leaders" can be blamed for our troubles, so maybe shutting the fuck up and getting out of our way now is a good idea for them.
-
Christie was right, he keeps repeating the pre-programmed phrases over and over.
This boy is not a leader. He's an amateur salesman hyped by the establishment and donor class. He has no accomplishments or skills other than repeating memorized lines.
I hope it is the last time we hear from this lightweight and chump. But I'd bet it won't be.
-
I don't think his campaign is over, although he is in trouble. The Nate Silver polls don't show him leading in any state except Texas up through Super Tuesday, so he doesn't have a pathway to win outright. He also has little chance of winning at a brokered convention. He has a lot of work to do.
Joe Scarborough: 'Ted Cruz's Campaign Is Over'
(MSNBC/"Morning Joe")
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Tuesday, 23 Feb 2016
"Ted Cruz's campaign is over," and it ended after Donald Trump beat him among evangelicals in South Carolina on Saturday, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough declared Tuesday morning.
"It ended in South Carolina when Donald Trump beat Ted Cruz among evangelicals after coming out in support of Planned Parenthood," the former lawmaker said on his "Morning Joe" talk show.
"Ted Cruz's campaign is over. Mark it down. He is not going to win the nomination. He may win Texas. It's over."
It wasn't just the South Carolina race that ended the Texas senator's campaign for the GOP presidential nomination, said Scarborough, but other incidents as well, including his decision on Monday to fire national spokesman Rick Tyler, who made a social media post of a video claiming that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio suggested to a Cruz staffer who was reading the Bible there "aren't many answers in it."
"What happened yesterday was an ugly, terrible exclamation point to the end of Ted Cruz's campaign," said Scarborough. "I'm not being hateful any more than I was sucking up to Donald Trump when I said before anybody else that the guy was going to be a player here."
Further, said Scarborough, he does not believe Florida Sen. Marco Rubio can stop Trump, either.
"They're not going to stop Trump for a simple reason, one of the reasons why most of the media has missed this thing for the past six or seven months, part of his appeal is people think he's fearless and he has two people now left to combat him, Cruz and Rubio, who are both filled with fear," he said.
If Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich can be encouraged to leave the race so that Rubio could face Trump one-on-one, there could be a chance of bringing down the New York real estate mogul, he continued, "but unless you do and it's Marco Rubio versus Donald Trump, it's game over by super Tuesday."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Joe-Scarborough-Cruz-Campaign-Over/2016/02/23/id/715651/#ixzz411P05WoL
-
Former Bush donors rally around Rubio, in bid to take on Trump
By Adam Shaw
Published February 23, 2016
FoxNews.com
Parts of Jeb Bush's formidable donor network already are gravitating to Marco Rubio within days of his exit from the race, sensing a quickly narrowing window to disrupt Donald Trump's march to the nomination.
While the more than $150 million of campaign and super PAC cash pumped into Bush's bid did little for the former Florida governor, his money men and women hope they can put their cash to more effective use this time.
“This has been a relatively seamless transition for me, and I believe for so many others,” Bush donor and former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman told FoxNews.com, citing Rubio's electability and vision among the reasons for backing him.
“The folks I was working with on the Bush campaign, my sense is almost unanimity in them moving over to Team Rubio,” Coleman said.
Though some saw Rubio's challenge against Bush as a betrayal of his former mentor, the bad blood may not be enough to prevent Bush donors from leaping to Rubio anyway.
And Trump is a factor.
With Bush out, and frontrunner Trump racking up delegates through primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Bush's donors told FoxNews.com they are moving fast in order to rally around the candidate they believe can beat the billionaire businessman.
Bobbie Kilberg, a Republican fundraiser who supported Chris Christie and then Bush, says she made the decision as early as Sunday morning to move her support to Rubio.
“It’s become exceptionally clear that it is time for mainstream Republicans to coalesce around one mainstream candidate they can support and who can win elections,” Kilberg said. “There’s a sense of urgency here that the window will close shortly.”
Bush made headlines in 2015 for accruing an enormous war chest and rolodex of donors, in a fundraising blitz that became known as “shock and awe." Yet it wasn’t to be for Bush, who won less than 8 percent in South Carolina’s primary Saturday and swiftly dropped out of the race for the White House.
Kilberg can’t say exactly how many other Bush donors will move to Rubio, but says she has seen a lot of interest from fellow donors.
“On Sunday morning, before noon I had nine phone calls from people saying ‘If you’re going to Rubio, we’re going with you’ and that’s a lot of calls and emails to get before Sunday lunchtime,” she said.
“My prediction is you’re going to see a very strong movement of people from supporting Bush and Christie going to Rubio. He’s the clear alternative and it’s time we all did this.”
Top GOP donor and Bush backer Dirk Van Dongen also told FoxNews.com in an email late Monday that he was moving his support to Rubio.
There are some signs that Ohio Gov. John Kasich may also be a minor beneficiary of Bush’s exit. Billionaire Stephen Druckenmiller told The New York Times Monday that he was backing Kasich, a big win for the struggling candidate.
Although Rubio has scooped up most of the political endorsements since Saturday's primary, Kasich has also picked up a few endorsements, including former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld and Nevada Speaker of the Assembly John Hambrick, both former Bush backers.
Coleman, who was also a Bush surrogate and even worked the "spin room" for him at the most recent South Carolina debate, said while many donors respect the Ohio governor, his perceived steep path to victory is dissuading many potential backers from putting their money behind him.
“I have respect for the governor, but there’s no path there. He’s got strength in a couple of states and that’s it,” Coleman said.
“Kasich has a long way up the road to where he can be competitive and viable,” agreed veteran GOP strategist Rick Wilson, who is backing Rubio. “Kasich is the one pro-ObamaCare candidate and he’s about to run into a buzzsaw of southern states that hate ObamaCare with a passion.”
Wilson also dismissed Ted Cruz -- though he, unlike Rubio, has actually won an early-state contest -- as a possible option for donors looking to deny Trump.
“There is a lot of questioning of Cruz’s political judgment in the donor community. He spent months with his lips attached to Donald Trump’s backside,” Wilson told FoxNews.com. “He was so eager to await the collapse of Trump and eat up his voters, he’s now put himself in a very tough position attacking Trump.”
Polls still show Rubio has a significant uphill climb to beat Trump. Ahead of Tuesday’s caucuses in Nevada, polls show Trump ahead by over 20 points, and Rubio has yet to win a primary or a caucus.
The RealClearPolitics average of recent national polls shows Trump leading the pack with 34 percent, followed by Cruz with 20 percent and Rubio with 16.
Rubio backers are gambling that as other candidates drop out and voters and donors unite around Rubio, the gap will narrow.
“None of this is going to be easy for anyone, and it’s going to get loud,” Wilson said. “But folks are rallying to Marco … because he’s the one guy who can beat Trump and who will be the most effective against Hillary Clinton in the fall."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/02/23/former-bush-donors-rally-around-rubio-in-bid-to-take-on-trump.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Rep. Peter King Endorses Marco Rubio
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=b41c0236-a2e1-4401-9c8d-e3495ef0364f&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Rep. Peter King Endorses Marco Rubio (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By Greg Richter | Tuesday, 23 Feb 2016
New York Rep. Peter King endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for president on Tuesday, citing his knowledge of foreign policy and recognizing the threat of terrorism.
"Republicans can't afford to forfeit this race to Hillary Clinton by nominating the wrong candidate," King said in a press release from the Rubio campaign. "I'm endorsing Marco Rubio because he has all the ingredients for a winning campaign: inspiration, judgment and vision."
King, former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Rubio "can be trusted to deliver real results once he is in office. Most important of all for me, Marco has a thorough knowledge of foreign policy and fully understands the true nature of the terrorist threat."
The press statement said King was joining "a wave of conservative leaders that understand that Marco is the right candidate to be commander-in-chief."
Rubio is still looking for a first-place finish after coming in third in Iowa and South Carolina, but has been gathering endorsements from elected GOP officials. More are likely to rally to him after the departure from the race of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Saturday.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/marco-rubio-gop-republican-candidate/2016/02/23/id/715750/#ixzz411yLuY9k
-
All the pukes lining up for Rubio. Writing's on the Wall.
-
GOP megadonor commits to Rubio
By Alex Isenstadt
02/23/16
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/23dd2be/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Fa3%2Fc4%2F0cafe4f24807bca21ab77275baa2%2F160223-marco-rubio-ap2-1160.jpg)
Marco Rubio has won the backing of Kentucky billionaire Joe Craft, one of the nation’s most prolific Republican donors.
Craft and his fiancee, Kelly Knight, are adding their names to the growing list of prominent donors who are giving their support to Rubio. Knight confirmed the decision in a text message to POLITICO on Tuesday afternoon.
Craft, who made his fortune in the coal business, was one of the biggest Republican donors during the 2012 campaign. He gave more than $3 million to American Crossroads, a Karl Rove-founded group, and $1 million to Restore Our Future, a pro-Mitt Romney super PAC.
Over the years, Craft and Knight have given millions to Republican congressional candidates. The two are close to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who following Rand Paul’s exit is neutral in the GOP primary. The two were major financial boosters of McConnell’s 2014 reelection bid.
Craft and Knight are two are two of the most courted donors in Kentucky politics, and both have relationships with Paul Singer, the New York City hedge fund billionaire who is a major player in GOP politics. Paul, among other 2016 candidates, aggressively sought the couple's backing but was turned down.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/02/marco-rubio-joe-craft-republican-donor-219684#ixzz4122pVN5l
-
Predicted Nevada results:
Trump 37.1%
Rubio 27.2%
Cruz 20.9%
Kasich 7.6%
Carson 6.0%
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/election-2016/primary-forecast/nevada-republican/
Nevada results:
trump 34,531 45.9% 14
rubio 17,940 23.9% 7
cruz 16,079 21.4% 6
carson 3,619 4.8% 1
kasich 2,709 3.6% 1
http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/states/nv/Rep
-
Pretty clear after South Carolina that despite Trump's win, the overwhelming majority of GOP voters do not want Trump:
South Carolina
239,851 = Votes for Trump
498,066 = Votes for other candidates (a difference of 258,215)
Total (Iowa, NH, SC)
285,684 = Votes for Trump
818,251 = Votes for other candidates (a difference of 532,567)
That said, I agree with Krauthammer that candidates better get behind one candidate (Cruz or Rubio) or Trump may get the magic number of delegates (despite the majority of voters choosing someone other than Trump). Crazy election season.
Also, it's pretty cool that the top three in GOP include two Hispanics (or if you’re Ozmo, three white dudes).
During Rubio's SC speech, there was an Indian female, black dude, and Hispanic dude on the stage, all high level political leaders. Great progress.
Nevada
34,531 = Votes for Trump
40,347 = Votes for other candidates
Total (Iowa, NH, SC, NV)
320,215 = Votes for Trump
858,598 = Votes for other candidates
-
Lou Cannon: Trump Is Not Inevitable
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=deb756a7-dc04-4ae1-bc7e-50113a42c3c2&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Lou Cannon: Trump Is Not Inevitable (Getty Images)
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2016
There's no question Donald Trump is on a big roll — but it's premature to say he's a shoo-in for the Republican presidential nomination, veteran journalist Lou Cannon writes in column for RealClearPolitics.com.
"It's really silly to anoint Trump, who has yet to be tested in a big-state primary against a smaller field, as the Republican nominee on the basis of a loss in Iowa and victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina," says Cannon, who worked for The Washington Post for 25 years.
Cannon points out that:
With Tuesday night's win in the Nevada caucuses, Trump has only 79 of the 1,237 delegates needed.
Trump had the lowest percentage of any South Carolina primary winner in the last 10 contests.
It's hard to see Jeb Bush supporters jump on the Trump bandwagon, even though the billionaire developer says they will.
Some 28 percent of Republicans vow never vote for him; and Gallup polls reveal he has the most unfavorable ratings of presidential candidate in modern history.
Cannon, who covered Ronald Reagan's challenge of President Gerald Ford in 1976, recalls how Reagan lost the first six primaries.
"The situation was so bleak in the Reagan camp that some aides were privately exploring jobs in Ford's fall campaign. But Reagan did not quit on Reagan," he said.
"There's no Reagan in this campaign, although [Ohio Gov. John] Kasich is similarly level-headed, but there's no presidential incumbent either."
Cannon is the author of "President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime," published by PublicAffairs.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Lou-Cannon-Trump-Not-Inevitable/2016/02/24/id/715871/#ixzz416RdlD6W
-
Nevada Was Great For Donald Trump, Bad For Ted Cruz
By NATE SILVER and HARRY ENTEN
FEB 24, 2016
Let’s get right to the point: Donald Trump had a great night, easily winning the Nevada GOP caucuses on Tuesday. The 46 percent of the vote he received is by far the highest share won by Trump, or any other Republican, in any state so far. Marco Rubio placed a distant second, with 24 percent of the vote, and Ted Cruz finished in third with 21 percent.
If South Carolina, which Trump won Saturday, provided some bits of good news for Trump skeptics — Trump faded over the course of the week and finished with less of the vote than he had in New Hampshire — his victory in Nevada was much more emphatic. Trump proved he could win in a relatively low-turnout environment,1 suggesting that his lack of a traditional “ground game” may not be that harmful to him.
The result underscores that preventing Trump from winning the nomination is likely to require both that anti-Trump Republicans coalesce around an alternative and that they adopt a much more aggressive strategy in probing Trump for signs of weakness. On the first point, anti-Trump Republicans have made some progress: Rubio, who narrowly finished second in both South Carolina and Nevada, has received a cavalcade of endorsements in recent days as Republican “party elites” have increasingly rallied around him as the top alternative to Trump.
But there are not yet many signs of a concerted effort to attack Trump. Instead, reports from Politico and other news organizations suggest that potential conservative donors are largely sitting on the sidelines. Remarkably little advertising money has been spent against Trump so far, especially given his position in the race. Rubio has also conspicuously avoided attacking Trump.
Here are a few other stray thoughts about the Nevada result — written early in the morning from New York and not, unfortunately, the New York-New York Hotel and Casino:
There were a lot of reports about voting irregularities. Although it’s hard to say exactly how widespread these issues were, they are nevertheless another reason to prefer primaries to caucuses — and they may put Nevada’s status as a “first four” state in jeopardy in 2020 and beyond. They don’t, however, invalidate Trump’s win. One of the functions of polling is to provide a check against profound voting irregularities, and the results in Nevada were reasonably in line with both pre-election polls and the entrance poll in the state.
Tuesday night’s results were very bad news for Cruz. It’s not just that it was his third third-place finish in a row. It’s also how Cruz lost. He carried only 27 percent of the white born-again and evangelical Christian vote, behind Trump’s 41 percent. Cruz also lost this group in New Hampshire and South Carolina. But, unlike in South Carolina, Cruz also trailed among “very conservative” voters in Nevada, 34 percent to Trump’s 38 percent. Finally, Cruz continues to struggle among “somewhat conservative” and moderate voters. He earned just 16 percent and 7 percent among those groups, respectively, according to the entrance poll.
How about Rubio? Well, he just got blown out by Trump in a state that was once thought to be the most favorable for him of the first four contests. He’ll also have to suffer through a few news cycles of mockery over his second-place “victories.” The good news for Rubio: He beat Cruz for the second state in a row. No, second place is not winning, but Rubio would have better chances against Trump in a smaller field, and the fastest way to shrink the field is to beat Cruz. Rubio did beat his polling average for the third time in four states, although there were no Nevada polls conducted after South Carolina.
Did Trump win Hispanics in Nevada? You can be sure that Trump will tell us he did! There was a lot of nerd-fighting over who won the Hispanic vote in the Democratic caucuses in Nevada, and we suspect there will be some over the Republican caucuses as well. Indeed, the entrance poll had Trump beating Rubio 45 percent to 28 percent among Hispanics. But keep in mind that the sample size on that result is somewhere between 100 and 200 people. That means the margin of sampling error for the Hispanic subgroup is near +/- 10 percentage points (or even higher). Perhaps more importantly, just 8 percent of Republican voters were Hispanic (or 1 percent of the Nevadan Hispanic population), and they are not politically representative of the larger Hispanic community.
One not-so-great sign for Trump: As was also the case in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, he didn’t perform as well with late-deciding voters. Instead, Rubio easily won the plurality among people who decided whom to vote for in the past few days, according to the entrance poll. But in Nevada, the share of late-deciders was considerably lower than in the first three states, and Trump dominated among voters who decided early.
Lastly, we should keep in mind that this was just one state. Trump won 46 percent of the vote, blasting through his 33 percent (or thereabouts) ceiling, right? Not totally. It’s been clear for a while that Nevada Republicans loved Trump. As far back as October, polls have had Trump beating his national averages in Nevada. Meanwhile, Morning Consult polls, which have had Trump averaging 36 percent nationally over the course of the Republican primary, had Trump at 48 percent in Nevada. Believe it or not, states are not all the same! Recent polls have shown Trump getting anywhere from 50 percent of the Republican vote in Massachusetts to 18 percent in Utah. It’s certainly possible that Trump uses his momentum from Nevada to propel himself to even greater heights. But sometimes what’s billed as “momentum” is really just demographic and cultural variance among different states.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nevada-caucus-results-donald-trump-2016-republican-primary/
-
Lou Cannon: Trump Is Not Inevitable
LOL! These articles are funny. I said the opposite back in summer 2015 when Trump announced. The base of the party is angry, ignorant, and politically uninformed. Trump is their guy.
I have an in-law that I dislike greatly. Hates other races, collects DUIs, smokes pot, cheats on his woman... total scumbag... and he likes Trump because "it's time we change things". This inept, leech on society has no clue about politics, he just wants to be part of something.
I dislike the trump fanboys. I mock those who deny their voting power.
-
Current delegate count (1237 needed to win):
Trump 82
Cruz 17
Rubio 16
Kasich 6
Carson 4
Bush 4
http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/parties/republican
-
Here's How to Defeat Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=387b9455-6893-4577-b03f-0c9ece2908d4&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Here's How to Defeat Trump
By Jonah Goldberg | Wednesday, 24 Feb 2016
As things stand, Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee. That's awful news, and depressing to contemplate. But terrible possibilities don't become less terrible if we refuse to contemplate them. Rather, they become more likely.
The GOP's collective desire to look away has been a problem for months. Nearly everyone, including yours truly, believed that Trump's candidacy would exhaust itself on its own terms. There are many reasons why that hasn't happened. Chief among them: Too many people thought it was someone else's job to bell the Trumpian cat. No better evidence for this can be found than the fact that of the $215 million spent by super PACs so far this cycle, only 4 percent was spent attacking Trump, according to the Washington Post.
While a queue for allotments of blame would be longer than a Great Depression breadline, the person at the head of it is Ted Cruz. For months, Cruz embraced Trump as a comrade-in-arms. This helped send the signal to talk radio hosts and various conservative activists that Trump was as a healthy addition to the political conversation.
Even though the two men are wildly divergent ideologically, they both found shelter under the "anti-establishment" umbrella.
Cruz finally broke the clinch in Iowa and demonstrated that negative attacks on Trump work.
But then, disastrously, Cruz stopped attacking. He wrongly reasoned that he had no chance in New Hampshire and had little to gain, so why bother fighting Trump there?
For the entire crucial week leading up to the New Hampshire primary, the GOP field went back into a cannibalistic frenzy to win the non-Trump mantle. This allowed Trump to run up a huge victory in the Granite State, and that momentum let him gobble up Cruz's evangelical base in South Carolina (where 73 percent of voters describe themselves as evangelical or born-again), resulting in a strategically devastating third-place finish that shattered Cruz's claim to be the standard-bearer of true conservatism.
The morals of this story so far should be familiar. First, you can't count on politicians to look beyond their immediate tactical self-interest. Second, rumors of the so-called establishment's power, or even existence, are greatly exaggerated. Waiting for "the establishment" to save the party from Trump's hostile takeover is like waiting for Godot to bring the beer to the party.
Marco Rubio is now the only plausible alternative to Trump. But it's unclear whether he's taken either of these lessons to heart.
According to his campaign's post-South Carolina strategy memo, he thinks he can wait until after Super Tuesday to post a win in any state. Rubio assumes first-place finishes will ultimately come his way because the field will be clear. Will it?
Jeb Bush is finally out, but Ben Carson seems to be running one of the most ingeniously disguised book tours in modern memory. John Kasich is hunting windmills in Ohio and Michigan, in the apparent hope that he can parlay such victories into being Trump's running mate. And Cruz is unlikely to stop running for president because that's all he knows how to do.
Rubio's strategy isn't crazy, just implausible. If he's hoping the "establishment" can rescue him, or that attacking everyone but Trump is the route to victory, he should take a moment to review how the primaries became such a raging garbage fire in the first place.
Is there another way? One possibility would be for Rubio and Cruz to cut a deal. Republican disarray is largely attributable to the fact that no so-called "establishment candidate" secured much support from the conservative grass roots, and no grass-roots candidate secured much support from the establishment.
If the two factions, which make up the overwhelming majority of Republican voters, could be unified, it might be enough to stop Trump.
What would the deal look like? A Rubio-Cruz ticket. Cruz won't work at the top of the ticket for the simple reason that too many GOP quislings fear Cruz more than Trump. But a unity ticket, a la Reagan-Bush in 1980, in the form of Los Hermanos Cubanos might just do the trick. There are real costs to such a deal (not least the fact that there are better general-election running mates for Rubio).
Maybe there's another way, but I haven't heard it. And in a race where Trump has changed everything with his boldness, it's long past time for his opponents to provide some of their own.
http://www.newsmax.com/JonahGoldberg/trump-cruz-rubio/2016/02/24/id/715840/#ixzz41CbNBgcb
-
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam endorses Marco Rubio
Joey Garrison and Dave Boucher
February 25, 2016
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has endorsed Marco Rubio in the Republican presidential primary, signaling the mounting GOP establishment support for the U.S. senator from Florida amid the rise of frontrunner Donald Trump.
Haslam and the Rubio campaign announced the endorsement Thursday morning, capping what had been days of speculation on whether the two-term governor would endorse Rubio.
It is unclear whether Tennessee U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker — both political allies of the governor — will join Haslam and endorse ahead of next week’s Super Tuesday primary in Tennessee. Corker told Roll Call this week he didn't plan to make any endorsements. Alexander has said the same thing, although a spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Early voting Tennessee ended two days ago ahead of election day on Tuesday.
“To win in November, conservatives need a candidate who inspires Americans from all backgrounds,” Haslam said in a statement. “With Marco standing next to Hillary Clinton on a debate stage, the choice between the future and the past will be clear to every American.
“Marco has the innovative policy agenda to reclaim the American Dream for all our people, and his conservative ideas will bring the Republican Party — and America — into the future.”
The Associated Press first reported Haslam’s endorsement, which is the subject of a new Rubio campaign television advertisement that features Haslam speaking.
Many with close Haslam ties — including current Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd and former ECD Commissioner Bill Hagerty — had been members of the Tennessee leadership team for presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
When Bush dropped out of the race after his loss in Saturday’s South Carolina primary, pressure started to build for Haslam — as well as Alexander and Corker — to get behind Rubio, who has quickly garnered backing from mainstream Republicans nationally.
Other recent Rubio endorsements include 1996 GOP presidential candidate and former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Tennessee has 58 delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday, the third most of any of the 12 states that hold Republican primaries.
Rubio has lagged far behind Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in Tennessee polls on the Republican primary, but more than 3,500 people came to Franklin on Sunday to hear him speak, making it the largest crowd for a rally for Rubio up to that point.
A record number of people voted early during this year’s presidential primary in Tennessee, with two-thirds of the 385,653 Tennessee voters casting ballots in the Republican primary.
Earlier this week, Haslam hinted that an endorsement from him was coming, though he stopped short of naming a candidate. He was coy, saying he’s “having conversations with those running for office as well as other people around the country.”
Tennessee’s last two Republican primary winners were former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008 and U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in 2012. Both benefited from strong support from evangelical Christians and weren’t the top picks of establishment Republicans.
Four years ago, Haslam endorsed Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who finished second in the Tennessee primary.
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/25/tennessee-gov-bill-haslam-endorses-marco-rubio/80922428/
-
FYI: Debate on later (1730 Pacific Time, 2030 Eastern Time) CNN
-
Good debate. Worth watching, IMO.
-
240: Do you still think Trump will pick Rubio to run w him?
-
this audience is packed with rubio cheerleaders.
-
I am so sick of these stacked audiences. It is just so wrong.
Rubio's hit on Trump was a good one, regarding the Polish workers. Nevermind that Rubio is just that bad and worse, though.
-
Caught most of the Republican debate. Turned into a playground fight, thanks to Trump. He is an absolute joke. When pressed about how he would make Mexico pay for the wall, his sole substantive response was: "I will." That's it.
And he acted butt-hurt when talking about the former Mexico president using an expletive when talking about the wall. Also said the wall "just got ten feet higher." So as president, when he gets offended, he will change his policy decisions as part of his little tantrum. I seriously cannot believe this is happening. This ranks up there with the Democrats legitimizing Al Sharpton.
Rubio did a great job. Smacked Trump in the mouth, repeatedly. I typically do not like personal attacks during debates, but Trump is a bully and that is precisely what he needs. When Trump attacked Rubio, he responded by saying if Donald Trump had not inherited $200 million he’d be selling watches in Manhattan. One of the best laugh out loud moments of the campaign season for me. :)
Trump looked and sounded horrible. Could not really address his healthcare plan, his foreign policy, hiring of illegals for his own company, refusal to release tax returns, and his Trump University.
Cruz did a great job taking on Trump. He would beat the crap out of Trump or Hillary in a one-on-one debate.
Kasich was good, but he is going nowhere.
Felt sorry for Dr. Carson. Completely ignored by CNN. Very disrespectful to him IMO.
CNN completely lost control of the debate. I almost felt sorry for them.
-
How Marco Rubio Could Lose Every State on Super Tuesday and Still Win
Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn
FEB. 26, 2016
Marco Rubio has not won a state, a fact that worries allies and pleases skeptics who mock his chances to win the Republican presidential nomination.
It doesn’t even sound as if the Rubio team knows when it will win one.
Can this strategy really work? Could he really lose every state on Super Tuesday and still stand a chance of becoming the nominee?
The delegate math says yes. No, it wouldn’t be optimal for Mr. Rubio to lose all 12 contests on March 1, Super Tuesday. His chances of amassing an outright majority of delegates, and becoming the presumptive nominee before the convention, would be quite low. But he would still have a real chance to take a clear delegate lead over Donald Trump, and win the nomination.
That window closes March 15. On that day a slew of big winner-take-all states will vote. If Mr. Rubio can’t hold his own in those states — Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Missouri and North Carolina — it will become extremely difficult for him to finish the primary season with a lead in pledged delegates. His more realistic strategy then would be to deny Mr. Trump a majority and hope to win at a contested convention.
So, yes, the delegate math works. The problem for Mr. Rubio isn’t the math; it’s winning even the small number of states needed to pull it off.
The Rules Buy Time for Rubio
The Republican delegate rules, relative to those for the Democrats, are biased toward candidates who win. That makes it very easy to imagine how Mr. Trump could sweep to the nomination over a divided field.
But that’s not so true before March 15, when party rules prevent states from apportioning their delegates on a winner-take-all basis. Most states wound up splitting their delegates, awarding a pool of at-large delegates proportionally by the percentage of the vote and awarding other delegates to the candidates who lead in each congressional district.
As a result, it will be difficult on Super Tuesday for Mr. Trump to amass a significant majority of delegates if the other two major candidates — Mr. Rubio and Ted Cruz — clear the thresholds (at highest 20 percent) for earning proportional delegates. It seemed quite possible a few weeks ago that Mr. Trump could build a big lead on Super Tuesday, but Jeb Bush’s exit from the race and the big bump in Mr. Rubio’s poll numbers make it far less likely that Mr. Trump can pull that off.
Imagine, for a moment, that the candidates fare about as well on Super Tuesday as they have through the first four contests. Given the types of states in play on Super Tuesday, perhaps that yields something like a 34-25-25 percent split between Mr. Trump, Mr. Rubio and Mr. Cruz.
In this scenario, Mr. Trump claims a clear edge in delegate accumulation but not a majority. He gets 279 delegates, or just 44 percent of the delegates at stake, while Mr. Rubio receives 164 delegates.
It’s a respectable tally for Mr. Rubio, even though he loses every state. That’s because he clears 20 percent in every state. That scenario includes Texas, where the most delegates are at stake on Super Tuesday and where Mr. Rubio is in the most danger of missing the delegate threshold because of Mr. Cruz’s home-state popularity. For anyone counting delegates, whether Mr. Rubio reaches 20 percent in Texas is a lot more important than anything else.
Supposing that Mr. Rubio clears all of these thresholds, he has two big objectives: beating Mr. Cruz in the South, in hopes of driving him from the race, and winning a state or two. His schedule reflects this strategy. He’s visiting a host of Southern states where Mr. Cruz is hoping to do well, and where delegate thresholds still pose some risk to his ability to deny Mr. Trump a majority of delegates. He’s spending all of Sunday in Virginia, which should be one of his best states because of its mix of religious and well-educated voters. Virginia is a clear momentum play (the lift that could come from finally winning); the state uses a purely proportional delegate system, so there are fewer delegates to be gained there than by winning just about anywhere else. Minnesota would seem to be another good option for Mr. Rubio.
The deficit for Mr. Rubio after Super Tuesday in this scenario — 181 over all and 115 from Super Tuesday — would not be especially big. If Mr. Rubio won Florida — a winner-take-all state worth 99 delegates — it could balance out nearly all losses from Super Tuesday.
Then All Eyes Are on March 15
But for the same reason Mr. Rubio can erase so much damage by winning in Florida on March 15, he can’t afford to lose on March 15 either.
Ohio and Florida will award their delegates on a winner-take-all basis. Missouri will award its delegates on a winner-take-all basis by congressional district, and Illinois isn’t much different. North Carolina, on the other hand, awards its delegates proportionally. It figures less prominently in the delegate math and as a result the candidates are unlikely to spend money there on television advertisements or campaign stops.
If Mr. Trump swept the day in the same way he is expected to sweep Super Tuesday, he would net nearly three times as many delegates as he would on Super Tuesday, defeating Mr. Rubio, 282 delegates to 40. For Mr. Rubio, winning Florida would make Mr. Trump’s advantage a more manageable 183 to 139, but his hole would start looking pretty deep.
With that sort of a deficit, Mr. Rubio’s chances of winning a majority of delegates would all but evaporate.
Even if Mr. Rubio swept on March 15 and started doing as well as Mitt Romney did at that stage in 2012, he would barely edge ahead of Mr. Trump in the pledged delegate count. And of course, there would be plenty of reason to question whether Mr. Rubio could really do so well after losing so many states to that point.
Delegate Math Isn’t The Problem
Winning by March 15 is what matters for Mr. Rubio, not the math.
It’s not going to be easy. The Republican establishment is flocking to him, but the escalating pace of the primary season makes it harder for him to take advantage of growing support from the party. There’s not much time for him to raise money, and whatever he does raise will be spread fairly thin.
The party isn’t fully unified either, with Mr. Cruz and particularly John Kasich remaining in the race. Mr. Trump holds between 30 and 40 percent of the vote, most national surveys say, so it is very difficult for Mr. Rubio to overtake him when votes are siphoned off by another candidate. If Mr. Kasich remains in the race, his home state of Ohio will be very difficult for Mr. Rubio to win.
There’s a final issue: Some big winner-take-all and winner-take-most states aren’t necessarily favorable ground for him.
The Winner-Take-All States Seem Promising for Trump
If the rest of the country votes the way the first four states did, Donald Trump will have an edge in the big winner-take-all contests.
New Jersey
Delaware
Florida
Ohio
United States
Arizona
Montana
South Dakota
Nebraska
43.6
40.2
39.4
37.0
35.3
33.9
31.5
30.5
27.8
Source: Upshot analysis of election results in South Carolina, Nevada, Iowa and New Hampshire.
Mr. Trump has tended to fare best with less educated and less religious voters. There’s also evidence he does better in places with a larger nonwhite population. Florida and Ohio fit the bill. And separately New Jersey also shapes up well for him later in the calendar. They’re all projected to be above-average states for Mr. Trump based on the results so far (though obviously this can change, and it doesn’t account for a potential home-state edge for Mr. Rubio in Florida and Mr. Kasich in Ohio).
New Quinnipiac surveys show Mr. Trump ahead in Ohio and Florida.
Rubio Needs Others To Quit
But there is one important bit of good news for Mr. Rubio: the struggles of Ted Cruz. He has finished third in two consecutive contests where he had hoped to perform well. He is in danger of being shut out on Super Tuesday; he could even lose his home state, Texas. Polls show him falling behind Mr. Rubio in other Southern states like Georgia and Oklahoma.
The Cruz campaign has always been clear that it is counting on a strong showing on Super Tuesday, and Mr. Cruz’s path to the nomination would look exceptionally bleak if he fared as poorly on March 1 as he did in South Carolina and Nevada. It could be enough to force him from the race. Mr. Kasich’s play is less clear, but he could quit if he finishes poorly in Michigan on March 8.
If Mr. Cruz or Mr. Kasich exited, it would give Mr. Rubio the chance to build a coalition of ideologically consistent conservative voters and more mainstream, well-educated conservatives. The onset of a real one-on-one race would pose a real challenge to Mr. Trump, who would finally be forced to build a majority coalition.
So far, more G.O.P. voters tell pollsters they would definitely oppose Mr. Trump than currently support him, which at least raises the possibility that Mr. Rubio could prevail in a one-on-one fight. Polls pitting the two against each other have shown a tight race or even a lead for Mr. Rubio.
Mr. Trump would also have to overcome a barrage of negative television advertisements — something he hasn’t had to face very much of so far.
Whether Mr. Rubio could in fact consolidate the preponderance of Mr. Kasich or Mr. Cruz’s supporters is hard to say.
But whether it happens before March 15 could easily decide the outcome of the Republican race.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/upshot/how-marco-rubio-could-lose-every-state-on-super-tuesday-and-still-win.html?_r=1
-
Matt Walsh: Finally, Cruz and Rubio surrounded and decimated Trump
Quick analysis of the debate.
One word: Finally.
Cruz and Rubio surrounded Trump and absolutely decimated him. They attacked his record, his integrity, his character. They interrupted him and talked over him. Rubio in particular was vicious. At a few points he laughed in Trump's face. He made Trump look ridiculous and treated him like a clown.
And that's exactly what they both needed to do, and it's exactly what Trump deserves. The great mystery is why they waited 7 months to do it.
Think about it: There have been approximately 87 debates, and all of the candidates have been on TV approximately 18 million times, double that for Trump, yet this is the FIRST TIME anyone has brought up the fact that Trump is CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED FOR MASSIVE FINANCIAL FRAUD. Rubio hit Trump on this point repeatedly, thank God, but it's the first time any of the candidates breathed a word of it. Rubio also feasted on Trump for hiring illegal immigrants (yes, Trump is the "nationalist" candidate who hires foreign illegals to build his skyscrapers) and being fined a million dollars for it, and again, this has not come up on the campaign trail before.
I'm ecstatic that they both have apparently learned their lesson, I'm flabbergasted that it took this long, and I hope they keep it up. Trump is a fool, a coward, a liar, and a hypocrite, and that's how you must treat him. Make him look like a little boy. Make him look like a buffoon. Refuse to take him seriously. You beat Trump by dragging his skeletons out of the closet, by exposing his secrets, by mocking him ruthlessly. That's how you defeat the King Clown, and it's what I've been saying for months. And it's what Rubio and Cruz did tonight, finally, praise God.
Watching Trump be harassed and flummoxed all night was a great moment for America. It was such a patriotic moment that a bald eagle flew into my living room and wept tears of joy. I'm not kidding. That actually happened.
I don't know if this will matter. Trump's fans are infatuated with him and have sacrificed their reason on the altar of celebrity worship. But if there's any chance of stopping him, this is how it's done. You eat him alive, figuratively speaking, until only bones remain. That's the only way to do it. I've been trying to tell you guys this from the beginning. Rubio and Cruz seemed to have caught on tonight. Let's hope it matters in the end, although I'm afraid it might be too late.
-
Matt Walsh: Finally, Cruz and Rubio surrounded and decimated Trump
Quick analysis of the debate.
One word: Finally.
Cruz and Rubio surrounded Trump and absolutely decimated him. They attacked his record, his integrity, his character. They interrupted him and talked over him. Rubio in particular was vicious. At a few points he laughed in Trump's face. He made Trump look ridiculous and treated him like a clown.
And that's exactly what they both needed to do, and it's exactly what Trump deserves. The great mystery is why they waited 7 months to do it.
Think about it: There have been approximately 87 debates, and all of the candidates have been on TV approximately 18 million times, double that for Trump, yet this is the FIRST TIME anyone has brought up the fact that Trump is CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED FOR MASSIVE FINANCIAL FRAUD. Rubio hit Trump on this point repeatedly, thank God, but it's the first time any of the candidates breathed a word of it. Rubio also feasted on Trump for hiring illegal immigrants (yes, Trump is the "nationalist" candidate who hires foreign illegals to build his skyscrapers) and being fined a million dollars for it, and again, this has not come up on the campaign trail before.
I'm ecstatic that they both have apparently learned their lesson, I'm flabbergasted that it took this long, and I hope they keep it up. Trump is a fool, a coward, a liar, and a hypocrite, and that's how you must treat him. Make him look like a little boy. Make him look like a buffoon. Refuse to take him seriously. You beat Trump by dragging his skeletons out of the closet, by exposing his secrets, by mocking him ruthlessly. That's how you defeat the King Clown, and it's what I've been saying for months. And it's what Rubio and Cruz did tonight, finally, praise God.
Watching Trump be harassed and flummoxed all night was a great moment for America. It was such a patriotic moment that a bald eagle flew into my living room and wept tears of joy. I'm not kidding. That actually happened.
I don't know if this will matter. Trump's fans are infatuated with him and have sacrificed their reason on the altar of celebrity worship. But if there's any chance of stopping him, this is how it's done. You eat him alive, figuratively speaking, until only bones remain. That's the only way to do it. I've been trying to tell you guys this from the beginning. Rubio and Cruz seemed to have caught on tonight. Let's hope it matters in the end, although I'm afraid it might be too late.
About time.
-
About time.
Its probably too late to help.
They both sat back and never attacked Trump as they thought he would implode on his own and they wanted not to offend his supporters as to pick many of them up afterwards, but the self implosion never happened.
-
Its probably too late to help.
They both sat back and never attacked Trump as they thought he would implode on his own and they wanted not to offend his supporters as to pick many of them up afterwards, but the self implosion never happened.
I agree they waited too long. They need to tell the truth about him and continue to punch him in the face. The media will continue to pump him up and his true believers don't care, but they can educate some of the voters at least.
I really cannot believe what I'm seeing. He is the biggest fraud I've seen since . . . . President Obama. :-\
-
Finally. Thank you.
Rubio to Supporters: Trump Is 'Con Artist' – 'Kicked and Screamed'
(ABC/"Good Morning America")
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Friday, 26 Feb 2016
Marco Rubio wasted little time in continuing his attack on Donald Trump.
On Friday morning, Rubio sent a signed email to supporters declaring "Donald Trump is a con-artist trying to hijack the conservative movement and the Republican Party."
Rubio hit Trump for his debate performance, noting that Trump "kicked and screamed, tried to bully his opponents," but failed to offer any real plan for fixing the nation’s problems.
The Florida Senator said Trump had used "one-liners" and "smoke-screens," but had little to show in his own record.
"I'm the only candidate who actually stopped the ObamaCare insurer bailout and has passed tough new sanctions on America's enemies," Rubio wrote.
Rubio, coming off a strong presidential debate performance Thursday night, also said on several network news programs Friday morning that Trump is damaging the Republican Party and he plans on stopping the real-estate mogul and reality television star.
"No way, the party of Ronald Reagan and the conservative movement, I'll allow it to be taken over by a con artist," the Florida Senator told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America."
"He calls me a choker. He's a con artist. He spent 40 years sticking it to the people he claims to be fighting for."
Rubio, who has until now not made many attacks on Trump, told George Stephanopoulos he doesn't think his debate attacks on Trump are coming too late to make a difference in the race.
"I think it's important for people to understand they have a choice to make," Rubio said. "If this pattern continues, the conservative movement in the Republican Party will be taken over by a con artist portraying himself as the fighter of the ordinary person fighting for the working man, but he spent years sticking it to the working people."
He told Stephanopoulos that he didn't make the case against Trump earlier because he didn't want to get into an attack situation, "but the coverage he's getting from the media these days is extraordinary."
"They're like, 'What is Trump going to do to Marco Rubio? Like he's some sort of invincible force and there are people now in the media, I'm not saying you, but others rooting for him to win because they love, first of all, what it means for their ratings in a general election," the Florida senator continued.
The senator repeated his "con artist" argument on NBC's "Today" show, and CBS' "This Morning" programs, indicating to both that he'll continue that attack.
"Again, this guy is a con artist," Rubio told the "Today" show. "He's always making things up and no one holds him accountable for it. You have a guy who is being sued right now for fraud for Trump University."
Rubio complained that stories have been written about his driving record for receiving "red light camera tickets," and about when he was 18, he got cited for drinking beer in a park.
"He's being sued for fraud, for defrauding people," Rubio told NBC. "He had to pay a judgment for hiring Polish workers illegally to build Trump Towers. He's being treated with kid gloves by many in the media, in the hopes he's the nominee.
"They'd love to see a liberal like Donald Trump take over the Republican Party. Others know he's easy to beat once he gets there. Hillary Clinton would take him apart."
But for "those biased," electing Trump would mean "you will have a Republican nominee who basically agrees with Hillary Clinton on Planned Parenthood and being neutral on Israel, even on issues regarding the economy like the takeover of our healthcare system by the government," he told Stephanopoulos.
This means, said Rubio, that the media is holding back on Trump "and as soon as he's the nominee they'll open up the floodgates and hit him with a bunch of stories. It's important for Republicans and conservatives to be aware of what is happening."
Rubio also acknowledged he's an underdog in the race and that he's been one his entire life, telling Stephanopoulos that unlike Trump, "I didn't inherit hundreds of millions. My dad was a bartender. My mother did the job as a maid that Trump hires foreigners to do and my whole life I've had to fight and will fight now."
Rubio further predicted that he'll win his home state's race despite polls showing Trump is leading by double digit results.
"That's one poll," said Rubio. "We've seen multiple polls that show a very different race. I know Florida well. I've won there. I'm from there. We are going to win Florida. Florida is not going to vote for a con artist and it's not going to vote for someone who in Palm Beach right now is not hiring willing Americans that are willing to work.
"Instead, he's importing a workforce from abroad and is out there as some immigration crusader. It's a fraud and we'll expose it."
Rubio told NBC that he plans to release his income taxes soon, and noted that rival candidate Ted Cruz had a good point in the debate:
"We need to see the returns to see if the difference between the audited version and what he filed are evidence of wrongdoing. I think the reason why Donald won't release his taxes is he hasn't made nearly as much money as he claims he does."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Rubio-Trump-GOP-Con-Artist/2016/02/26/id/716225/#ixzz41JXfsg00
-
almost nobody watching that debate got their mind changed at this point.
we all enjoy the drama, but only a friggin' fool is saying "oh, rubio had some good one-liners, so I'll completely abandon my ingrained beliefs about immigration and change from Cruz to Rubio..."
-
Nothing changed.
Rubio stills sucks on immigration and right or wrong, Cruz has taken a big hit because of his perceived shady campaign technique issues.
-
Nothing changed.
Rubio stills sucks on immigration and right or wrong, Cruz has taken a big hit because of his perceived shady campaign technique issues.
and Trump is still an empty suit, unable to identify his domestic or foreign policy plans . . . .
Or as Rubio has been saying today, he's a con artist.
-
I've lost faith in the system with its phony audiences, and I've lost hope in finding a good candidate who stands any chance at all.
This country is in trouble and there's no denying it.
>:(
-
It's the people's fault. We used to reject candidates who acted without dignity. Now we give them front runner status.
These are voters who like 15 girls pics every time they sit down to crap. They blog about their.breakfasts. They check in at Walmart lol.
Generation shit. Of course they prefer trump.
-
It's the people's fault. We used to reject candidates who acted without dignity. Now we give them front runner status.
These are voters who like 15 girls pics every time they sit down to crap. They blog about their.breakfasts. They check in at Walmart lol.
Generation shit. Of course they prefer trump.
But then we have the rigged audiences and dirty tricks, and everyone tries to out-con one another. Small wonder the candidates suck.
Yeah, it was kinda dumb for me to try to defend Trump. But I'm done with the entire mess and only hope things will be better next time (lol...right).
-
Sen. Alexander endorses Rubio: 'The stakes are high'
By Kyle Balluck
February 28, 2016
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/article_images/alexanderlamar_101213getty.jpg?itok=0GrtwQ3V)
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) is endorsing Marco Rubio’s White House bid, the Florida senator's campaign announced early Sunday.
"Marco Rubio is the conservative candidate who can inspire us, win the election, and lead our country," Alexander said in a statement. "The stakes are high. If our nominee does not win, Hillary Clinton’s justices will control the Supreme Court for 30 years and we’ll be stuck with Obamacare forever.
"I have watched Marco up close. I have seen him take the lead in passing new laws to impose tough new sanctions on Hezbollah terrorists, and to get rid of incompetent managers who weren’t doing their jobs to help veterans. He has proposed good new ideas for giving students more options for college. I am convinced he would be a strong and effective president of the United States," he added.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271079-alexander-endorses-rubio-the-stakes-are-high
-
"Yes, Trump University Was a Massive Scam"
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/432010/trump-university-scam
-
The albatross of a Trump endorsement
During appearances on network television Feb. 28, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump repeatedly declined to refuse the endorsement of David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. While Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz both took aim at Trump. (TWP)
By George F. Will Opinion writer
February 28, 2016
Donald Trump’s distinctive rhetorical style — think of a drunk with a bullhorn reading aloud James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake” under water — poses an almost insuperable challenge to people whose painful duty is to try to extract clarity from his effusions. For example, on Friday, during a long stream of semi-consciousness in Fort Worth, this man who as president would nominate members of the federal judiciary vowed to “open up” libel laws to make it easier to sue — to intimidate and punish — people who write “negative” things. Well.
Trump, the thin-skinned tough guy, resembles a campus crybaby who has wandered out of his “safe space.” It is not news that he has neither respect for nor knowledge of the Constitution, and he probably is unaware that he would have to “open up” many Supreme Court First Amendment rulings in order to achieve his aim. His obvious aim is to chill free speech, for the comfort of the political class, of which he is now a gaudy ornament.
But at least Trump has, at last, found one thing to admire from the era of America’s Founding. Unfortunately, but predictably, it is one of the worst things done then — the Sedition Act of 1798. The act made it a crime to “write, print, utter or publish, or cause it to be done, or assist in it, any false, scandalous, and malicious writing against the government of the United States, or either House of Congress, or the President, with intent to defame, or bring either into contempt or disrepute, or to excite against either the hatred of the people.” Now, 215 years after the Sedition Act expired in 1801, Trump vows to use litigiousness to improve the accuracy and decorousness of public discourse.
The night before his promise to make America great again through censorship, Trump, during the Republican presidential candidates’ debate in Houston , said that his sister, a federal judge, “[signed] a certain bill” and that Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. also “signed that bill.” So, the leading Republican candidate, the breadth of whose ignorance is the eighth wonder of the world, actually thinks that judges “sign” bills. Trump is a presidential aspirant who would flunk an eighth-grade civics exam.
More than anything Marco Rubio said about Trump in Houston, it was Rubio’s laughter at Trump that galled the perhaps-bogus billionaire. Like all bullies, Trump is a coward, and like all those who feel the need to boast about being strong and tough, he is neither.
Unfortunately, Rubio recognized reality and found his voice 254 days after Trump’s scabrous announcement of his candidacy to rescue the United States from Mexican rapists. And 222 days after Trump disparaged John McCain’s war service (“I like people that weren’t captured”). And 95 days after Trump said that maybe a protester at his rally “should have been roughed up.” And 95 days after Trump retweeted that 81 percent of white murder victims are killed by blacks. (Eighty-two percent are killed by whites.) And 94 days after Trump said he supports torture even “if it doesn’t work.” And 79 days after Trump said he might have approved the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. And 72 days after Trump proved that he does not know the nuclear triad from the “Nutcracker” ballet. And 70 days after Trump, having been praised by Vladimir Putin, reciprocated by praising the Russian murderer and dictator. And so on.
Rubio’s epiphany — announcing the obvious with a sense of triumphant discovery — about Trump being a “con man” and a “clown act” is better eight months late than never. If, however, it is too late to rescue Rubio from a Trump nomination, this will be condign punishment for him and the rest of the Republican Party’s coalition of the timid.
“Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,/In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side.” So begins James Russell Lowell’s 1845 poem protesting America’s war with Mexico. The Republicans’ moment is here.
We are about to learn much about Republican officeholders who are now deciding whether to come to terms with Trump, and with the shattering of their party as a vessel of conservatism. Trump’s collaborators, like the remarkably plastic Chris Christie (“I don’t think [Trump’s] temperament is suited for [the presidency]”), will find that nothing will redeem the reputations they will ruin by placing their opportunism in the service of his demagogic cynicism and anticonstitutional authoritarianism.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-albatross-of-a-trump-endorsement/2016/02/28/0521c478-de54-11e5-846c-10191d1fc4ec_story.html?postshare=5561456758051129&tid=ss_fb-bottom
-
Nominating Trump is all but handing the election to Hillary.
Don’t Assume Conservatives Will Rally Behind Trump
By Nate Silver
Feb 29, 2016
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/ap_682823938699.jpg?w=575)
Donald Trump, at a rally at Millington Regional Airport in Millington, Tennessee, on Saturday.
Andrew Harnik / AP
If Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential nomination, he’ll have undermined a lot of assumptions we once held about the GOP. He’ll have become the nominee despite neither being reliably conservative nor being very electable, supposedly the two things Republicans care most about. He’ll have done it with very little support from “party elites” (although with some recent exceptions like Chris Christie). He’ll have attacked the Republican Party’s three previous candidates — Mitt Romney, John McCain and George W. Bush — without many consequences. If a Trump nomination happens, it will imply that the Republican Party has been weakened and is perhaps even on the brink of failure, unable to coordinate on a plan to stop Trump despite the existential threat he poses to it.
Major partisan realignments do happen in America — on average about once every 40 years. The last one, which involved the unwinding of the New Deal coalition between Northern and Southern Democrats, is variously dated as having occurred in 1968, 1972 and 1980. There are also a lot of false alarms, elections described as realignments that turn out not to be. This time, we really might be in the midst of one. It’s almost impossible to reconcile this year’s Republican nomination contest with anyone’s notion of “politics as usual.”
If a realignment is underway, then it poses a big empirical challenge. Presidential elections already suffer from the problem of small sample sizes — one reason a lot of people, certainly including us, shouldn’t have been so dismissive of Trump’s chances early on. Elections held in the midst of political realignments are even rarer, however. The rules of the old regime — the American political party system circa 1980 through 2012 — might not apply in the new one. And yet, it’s those elections that inform both the conventional wisdom and statistical models of American political behavior.
This doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be completely in the dark. For one thing, the polls — although there’s reason to be concerned about their condition in the long-term — have been reasonably accurate so far in the primaries. And some of the old rules will still apply. It’s probably fair to guess that Pennsylvania and Ohio will vote similarly, for example.
Still, one should be careful about one’s assumptions. For instance, the assumption that the parties will rally behind their respective nominees may or may not be reliable. True, recent elections have had very little voting across party lines: 93 percent of Republicans who voted in 2012 supported Romney, for example, despite complaints from the base that he was insufficiently conservative. And in November 2008, some 89 percent of Democrats who voted supported Barack Obama after his long battle with Hillary Clinton.
But we may be entering a new era, and through the broader sweep of American history, there’s sometimes been quite a bit of voting across party lines. The table below reflects, in each election since 1952, what share of a party’s voters voted against their party’s presidential candidate (e.g., a Democrat voting Republican or for a third-party ticket). There’s a lot of fascinating political history embedded in the table, but one theme is that divisive nominations have consequences.
In 1972, for instance, about a third of Democrats voted for Richard Nixon rather than George McGovern, who won the Democratic nomination despite getting only about a quarter of the popular vote during the primaries. The Democrats’ tumultuous nomination process in 1968 was nearly as bad, with many defections to both Nixon and George Wallace. The 1964 Republican nomination of Barry Goldwater produced quite a few defections. Primary challenges to Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George H.W. Bush in 1992 presaged high levels of inter-party voting in November.
There are also some exceptions; Republicans remained relatively united behind Gerald Ford in 1976 despite a primary challenge from Ronald Reagan. And there were high levels of Democratic unity behind Obama in 2008, although one can argue that a party having two good choices is a much lesser problem than it having none it can agree upon.
Overall, however, the degree of party unity during the primaries is one of the better historical predictors of the November outcome. That could be a problem for Republicans whether they nominate Trump or turn around and nominate Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz or John Kasich; significant numbers of GOP voters are likely to be angry either way.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that Republicans are bound to lose; I’d agree with David Plouffe’s assessment that a general election with Trump on the ballot is hard to predict and that Trump “could lose in a landslide or win narrowly.” But if I wouldn’t bet on an anti-Trump landslide, I’m also not sure I’d bet against one. The presumption that presidential elections are bound to be close is itself based on an uncomfortably small sample size: While three of the four elections since 2000 have been fairly close, most of them between 1952 and 1996 were not. Furthermore, the closeness of recent elections is partly a consequence of intense partisanship, which Trump’s nomination suggests may be fraying. The last partisan realignment, between about 1968 and 1980, produced both some highly competitive elections (1968, 1976) and some blowouts (1972, 1980).
Although what voters do will ultimately be more important, it will also be worth watching how Republican Party elites behave and how much they unite behind Trump. On Twitter this weekend, there was a lot of activity behind the hashtag #NeverTrump, with various conservative intellectuals and operatives pledging that they’d refuse to support Trump in November. Rubio’s Twitter account employed the hashtag also, although Rubio himself has been ambiguous about whether he’d back Trump.
It’s reasonably safe to say that some of the people in the #NeverTrump movement will, in fact, wind up supporting Trump. Clinton, very likely the Democratic nominee, is a divisive figure, and some anti-Trump conservatives will conclude that Trump is the lesser of two evils. Others will get caught up in the esprit de corps of the election. Some of them might be reassured by how Trump conducts himself during the general election campaign or whom he picks as his running mate.
But I’d be equally surprised if there were total capitulation to Trump. Instead, I’d expect quite a bit of resistance from Republican elites. One thing this election has probably taught us is that there are fewer movement conservatives than those within the conservative movement might want to admit. Rank-and-file Republican voters aren’t necessarily all that ideological, and they might buy into some of the Republican platform while rejecting other parts of it. They might care more about Trump’s personality than his policy views.
But there are certainly some movement conservatives, and they have outsized influence on social media, talk radio, television and in other arenas of political discourse. And if you are a movement conservative, Trump is arguably a pretty terrible choice, taking your conservative party and remaking it in his unpredictable medley of nationalism, populism and big-government Trumpism.
If you’re one of these ideological conservatives, it may even be in your best interest for Trump to lose in November. If Trump loses, especially by a wide margin, his brand of politics will probably be discredited, or his nomination might look like a strange, one-off “black swan” that you’ll be better equipped to prevent the next time around. You’ll have an opportunity to get your party back in 2020, and your nominee might stand a pretty decent chance against Clinton, who could be elected despite being quite unpopular because Trump is even less popular and who would be aiming for the Democratic Party’s fourth straight term in office.
But if Trump wins in November, you might as well relocate the Republican National Committee’s headquarters to Trump Tower. The realignment of the Republican Party will be underway, and you’ll have been left out of it.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/dont-assume-conservatives-will-rally-behind-trump/
-
Nominating Trump is all but handing the election to Hillary.
Don’t Assume Conservatives Will Rally Behind Trump
By Nate Silver
Feb 29, 2016
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/ap_682823938699.jpg?w=575)
Donald Trump, at a rally at Millington Regional Airport in Millington, Tennessee, on Saturday.
Andrew Harnik / AP
If Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential nomination, he’ll have undermined a lot of assumptions we once held about the GOP. He’ll have become the nominee despite neither being reliably conservative nor being very electable, supposedly the two things Republicans care most about. He’ll have done it with very little support from “party elites” (although with some recent exceptions like Chris Christie). He’ll have attacked the Republican Party’s three previous candidates — Mitt Romney, John McCain and George W. Bush — without many consequences. If a Trump nomination happens, it will imply that the Republican Party has been weakened and is perhaps even on the brink of failure, unable to coordinate on a plan to stop Trump despite the existential threat he poses to it.
Major partisan realignments do happen in America — on average about once every 40 years. The last one, which involved the unwinding of the New Deal coalition between Northern and Southern Democrats, is variously dated as having occurred in 1968, 1972 and 1980. There are also a lot of false alarms, elections described as realignments that turn out not to be. This time, we really might be in the midst of one. It’s almost impossible to reconcile this year’s Republican nomination contest with anyone’s notion of “politics as usual.”
If a realignment is underway, then it poses a big empirical challenge. Presidential elections already suffer from the problem of small sample sizes — one reason a lot of people, certainly including us, shouldn’t have been so dismissive of Trump’s chances early on. Elections held in the midst of political realignments are even rarer, however. The rules of the old regime — the American political party system circa 1980 through 2012 — might not apply in the new one. And yet, it’s those elections that inform both the conventional wisdom and statistical models of American political behavior.
This doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be completely in the dark. For one thing, the polls — although there’s reason to be concerned about their condition in the long-term — have been reasonably accurate so far in the primaries. And some of the old rules will still apply. It’s probably fair to guess that Pennsylvania and Ohio will vote similarly, for example.
Still, one should be careful about one’s assumptions. For instance, the assumption that the parties will rally behind their respective nominees may or may not be reliable. True, recent elections have had very little voting across party lines: 93 percent of Republicans who voted in 2012 supported Romney, for example, despite complaints from the base that he was insufficiently conservative. And in November 2008, some 89 percent of Democrats who voted supported Barack Obama after his long battle with Hillary Clinton.
But we may be entering a new era, and through the broader sweep of American history, there’s sometimes been quite a bit of voting across party lines. The table below reflects, in each election since 1952, what share of a party’s voters voted against their party’s presidential candidate (e.g., a Democrat voting Republican or for a third-party ticket). There’s a lot of fascinating political history embedded in the table, but one theme is that divisive nominations have consequences.
In 1972, for instance, about a third of Democrats voted for Richard Nixon rather than George McGovern, who won the Democratic nomination despite getting only about a quarter of the popular vote during the primaries. The Democrats’ tumultuous nomination process in 1968 was nearly as bad, with many defections to both Nixon and George Wallace. The 1964 Republican nomination of Barry Goldwater produced quite a few defections. Primary challenges to Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George H.W. Bush in 1992 presaged high levels of inter-party voting in November.
There are also some exceptions; Republicans remained relatively united behind Gerald Ford in 1976 despite a primary challenge from Ronald Reagan. And there were high levels of Democratic unity behind Obama in 2008, although one can argue that a party having two good choices is a much lesser problem than it having none it can agree upon.
Overall, however, the degree of party unity during the primaries is one of the better historical predictors of the November outcome. That could be a problem for Republicans whether they nominate Trump or turn around and nominate Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz or John Kasich; significant numbers of GOP voters are likely to be angry either way.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that Republicans are bound to lose; I’d agree with David Plouffe’s assessment that a general election with Trump on the ballot is hard to predict and that Trump “could lose in a landslide or win narrowly.” But if I wouldn’t bet on an anti-Trump landslide, I’m also not sure I’d bet against one. The presumption that presidential elections are bound to be close is itself based on an uncomfortably small sample size: While three of the four elections since 2000 have been fairly close, most of them between 1952 and 1996 were not. Furthermore, the closeness of recent elections is partly a consequence of intense partisanship, which Trump’s nomination suggests may be fraying. The last partisan realignment, between about 1968 and 1980, produced both some highly competitive elections (1968, 1976) and some blowouts (1972, 1980).
Although what voters do will ultimately be more important, it will also be worth watching how Republican Party elites behave and how much they unite behind Trump. On Twitter this weekend, there was a lot of activity behind the hashtag #NeverTrump, with various conservative intellectuals and operatives pledging that they’d refuse to support Trump in November. Rubio’s Twitter account employed the hashtag also, although Rubio himself has been ambiguous about whether he’d back Trump.
It’s reasonably safe to say that some of the people in the #NeverTrump movement will, in fact, wind up supporting Trump. Clinton, very likely the Democratic nominee, is a divisive figure, and some anti-Trump conservatives will conclude that Trump is the lesser of two evils. Others will get caught up in the esprit de corps of the election. Some of them might be reassured by how Trump conducts himself during the general election campaign or whom he picks as his running mate.
But I’d be equally surprised if there were total capitulation to Trump. Instead, I’d expect quite a bit of resistance from Republican elites. One thing this election has probably taught us is that there are fewer movement conservatives than those within the conservative movement might want to admit. Rank-and-file Republican voters aren’t necessarily all that ideological, and they might buy into some of the Republican platform while rejecting other parts of it. They might care more about Trump’s personality than his policy views.
But there are certainly some movement conservatives, and they have outsized influence on social media, talk radio, television and in other arenas of political discourse. And if you are a movement conservative, Trump is arguably a pretty terrible choice, taking your conservative party and remaking it in his unpredictable medley of nationalism, populism and big-government Trumpism.
If you’re one of these ideological conservatives, it may even be in your best interest for Trump to lose in November. If Trump loses, especially by a wide margin, his brand of politics will probably be discredited, or his nomination might look like a strange, one-off “black swan” that you’ll be better equipped to prevent the next time around. You’ll have an opportunity to get your party back in 2020, and your nominee might stand a pretty decent chance against Clinton, who could be elected despite being quite unpopular because Trump is even less popular and who would be aiming for the Democratic Party’s fourth straight term in office.
But if Trump wins in November, you might as well relocate the Republican National Committee’s headquarters to Trump Tower. The realignment of the Republican Party will be underway, and you’ll have been left out of it.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/dont-assume-conservatives-will-rally-behind-trump/
Maybe that's for the best.
These assholes are talking about not supporting the Republican candidate and giving Hillary a chance to replace up to 3 Supreme Court Justices.
Anybody that knows what is at stake with the Supreme Court and still sits at home because their little feelings got hurt do not give a shit about this country.
-
The Republicans have become terrible. They've brought this on themselves.
-
Maybe that's for the best.
These assholes are talking about not supporting the Republican candidate and giving Hillary a chance to replace up to 3 Supreme Court Justices.
Anybody that knows what is at stake with the Supreme Court and still sits at home because their little feelings got hurt do not give a shit about this country.
You could say the same thing about people supporting Trump. He is just as unprincipled and dishonest as Hillary. He changed many of his substantive policy positions within the last year. He claimed his sister (a liberal judge) would make a great Supreme Court justice.
Nominating this man would be political suicide.
-
You could say the same thing about people supporting Trump. He is just as unprincipled and dishonest as Hillary. He changed many of his substantive policy positions within the last year. He claimed his sister (a liberal judge) would make a great Supreme Court justice.
Nominating this man would be political suicide.
Doesn't matter. At the end of the day we have a country to save here.
His sister would make a great Supreme Court Justice? Thats fine. I'll take that one quote and measure it along with the numerous times he has shown his admiration for Justice Thomas and Justice Alito and Justice Scalia.
I'll weigh all those examples and still take my chances over any activist liberal judge(or 2, or 3) that Hillary would surely nominate.
-
Doesn't matter. At the end of the day we have a country to save here.
His sister would make a great Supreme Court Justice? Thats fine. I'll take that one quote and measure it along with the numerous times he has shown his admiration for Justice Thomas and Justice Alito and Justice Scalia.
I'll weigh all those examples and still take my chances over any activist liberal judge(or 2, or 3) that Hillary would surely nominate.
That's pretty much the attitude you need to have to support Trump. This is beyond holding your nose to vote for a particular candidate. It's turning a blind eye to essentially everything that makes the political version of Trump. You have to ignore his flipping on so many issues. You have to ignore his dishonesty during the campaign. You have to ignore his incredibly offensive, undisciplined, and immature attitude. You have to ignore the fact he has failed to provide details on how he plans to "make America great again."
Most importantly, you have to ignore his negative poll numbers, which are among the highest ever recorded, which will lead to almost certain defeat in November. A vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary IMO. In fact, if you put a gun to my head I'd probably vote for her over Trump. But as I've said before, if those are my choices in November, I'm likely voting for Gary Johnson.
-
That's pretty much the attitude you need to have to support Trump. This is beyond holding your nose to vote for a particular candidate. It's turning a blind eye to essentially everything that makes the political version of Trump. You have to ignore his flipping on so many issues. You have to ignore his dishonesty during the campaign. You have to ignore his incredibly offensive, undisciplined, and immature attitude. You have to ignore the fact he has failed to provide details on how he plans to "make America great again."
Most importantly, you have to ignore his negative poll numbers, which are among the highest ever recorded, which will lead to almost certain defeat in November. A vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary IMO. In fact, if you put a gun to my head I'd probably vote for her over Trump. But as I've said before, if those are my choices in November, I'm likely voting for Gary Johnson.
It became a Supreme Court election on February 13th with the passing of the Honorable Justice Antonin Scalia. No getting around that.
I have the utmost respect for Gary Johnson and the steadfast, disciplined libertarian principles he holds. That being said, a vote for Gary Johnson is essentially a vote for Hillary by proxy and basically a vote for a liberal activist supreme court which will rule over us for decades.
If you can sleep at night knowing you helped that come to fruition by voting for a man who has 0 chance then you need to also accept the consequences of those next 3 or 4 decades with Supreme Court ruling after ruling that rips the guts out of this once great country.
-
It became a Supreme Court election on February 13th with the passing of the Honorable Justice Antonin Scalia. No getting around that.
I have the utmost respect for Gary Johnson and the steadfast, disciplined libertarian principles he holds. That being said, a vote for Gary Johnson is essentially a vote for Hillary by proxy and basically a vote for a liberal activist supreme court which will rule over us for decades.
If you can sleep at night knowing you helped that come to fruition by voting for a man who has 0 chance then you need to also accept the consequences of those next 3 or 4 decades with Supreme Court ruling after ruling that rips the guts out of this once great country.
So I can vote for a man who has zero chance and is at least a good politician, or vote for a man who has about a 1 percent chance who I don't trust and who I think would be a lousy president?
-
So I can vote for a man who has zero chance and is at least a good politician, or vote for a man who has about a 1 percent chance who I don't trust and who I think would be a lousy president?
1 percent chance?
The polls and betting lines don't reflect that at all.
Everything I see has Hillary as the favorite but Trump comes in right around 2 to 1 odds.
We can't have a serious discussion if wildly false stats like that are being thrown around.
-
That's pretty much the attitude you need to have to support Trump. This is beyond holding your nose to vote for a particular candidate. It's turning a blind eye to essentially everything that makes the political version of Trump. You have to ignore his flipping on so many issues. You have to ignore his dishonesty during the campaign. You have to ignore his incredibly offensive, undisciplined, and immature attitude. You have to ignore the fact he has failed to provide details on how he plans to "make America great again."
Most importantly, you have to ignore his negative poll numbers, which are among the highest ever recorded, which will lead to almost certain defeat in November. A vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary IMO. In fact, if you put a gun to my head I'd probably vote for her over Trump. But as I've said before, if those are my choices in November, I'm likely voting for Gary Johnson.
What's this about? Not doubting it, but it seems to have slipped my mind ATM.
-
1 percent chance?
The polls and betting lines don't reflect that at all.
Everything I see has Hillary as the favorite but Trump comes in right around 2 to 1 odds.
We can't have a serious discussion if wildly false stats like that are being thrown around.
So you mention a serious discussion after referencing betting lines?
Yes there is a bit of hyperbole in my statement. I know he has a better than 1 percent chance. I also know that no general election candidate has ever been elected with negative poll numbers as high as his. I also know Hillary isn't going to wait until the eleventh hour like Cruz and Rubio did to start punching Trump in the mouth.
The deck is already stacked against any GOP candidate given how the media is in the Democrats' back pocket. You combine that with all of the crap in Trump's background, his inability to articulate his plans for the country, and his existing negative numbers and you have a candidate who is going to lose in November.
The GOP is not going to support him. He's going to fracture the party, which will make it hard for him to get out the vote.
Then there is Trump's inability to draw crossover Democrat voters. I also question his appeal to independents. I can tell you this independent will not be voting for him if he is the nominee.
And if we look at what has actually happened at the polls, the overwhelming majority of Republican voters have rejected Trump:
Total (Iowa, NH, SC, NV)
320,215 = Votes for Trump
858,598 = Votes for other candidates
So, when I say he is going to lose in November, I've actually thought about it a little bit.
-
Good summary. GOP in panic mode.
Inside the Republican Party’s Desperate Mission to Stop Donald Trump
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/us/politics/donald-trump-republican-party.html?action=click&contentCollection=Politics&module=RelatedCoverage®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article
-
Networks Devote Over 62 Percent of Super Tuesday Eve Coverage to Trump Totaling Over 15 Minutes
By Curtis Houck | February 29, 2016
On the eve of Super Tuesday, the network evening newscasts went all out with 24 minutes and 31 seconds of 2016 coverage and while both parties were covered, the networks made it loud and clear that Donald Trump was far and away the most important story to them with over 62 percent of that time spent salivating on how “there’s not much” Trump opponents “can do to stop him from getting the nomination.”
Despite the race being far from over, Trump fetched an astonishing 15 minutes and 19 seconds while his opponents received minuscule amounts with only 51 seconds for Senator Ted Cruz (Tex.) and two minutes and 15 seconds for Senator Marco Rubio (Fl.).
Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were unable to even come within half of Trump’s absurd total as the pair combined for only six minutes and four seconds on ABC’s World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, and NBC Nightly News.
NBC Nightly News offered the starkest contrast between the candidates as Trump was awarded five minutes and 46 seconds across three segments harping on his refusal to condemn the Ku Klux Klan and former leader David Duke, the growing uneasiness with a Trump nomination, and the scuffle at a rally in Virginia.
Anchor Lester Holt displayed the media’s plan of being able to have their cake and eat it too by denouncing Trump but also hanging on his every word: “Outside of Texas, Donald Trump seems poised to score some very big wins in tomorrow's primary contests despite some conflicting and curious answers to a question that's left him exposed over very sensitive racial ground.”
Amidst all the Trump coverage, a scant seven seconds was devoted to a single Cruz soundbite railing against the frontrunner for “represent[ing] everything you're mad about Washington, the deal-making that doesn't stand with the working men and women.”
The media’s hypocritical chiding of Rubio for hitting back at Trump and his insults saw the light of day on NBC as well with Trump correspondent Katy Tur lamenting during Rubio’s half-minute of mentions that “Rubio got into the mud” over the weekend as there’s “time is running out for Trump's competitors to make their case.”
Tell the Truth 2016
On CBS, anchor Scott Pelley lectured the entire Republican Party for putting on a campaign that he dubbed “petty, profane and unprecedented” but also gushed that Tuesday’s results “may generate irreversible momentum for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.”
While on the subject of CBS, it’s important to note the CBS Chairman and Democratic Les Mooves told the Hollywood Reporter on Monday that while Trump’s candidacy “may not be good for America,” it’s been very beneficial for his network’s news business.
Lest we forget World News Tonight, the ABC newscast gave nearly the entire opening report from Republican correspondent Tom Llamas to the violence at that Trump rally and his KKK comments before anchor David Muir read a news brief on Melania Trump’s CNN interview with Anderson Cooper.
Over half the Democratic coverage came from ABC as Democratic campaign correspondent Cecilia Vega’s piece took up three minutes and 12 seconds plus 29 seconds of a third block of chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl briefly breaking down the scenarios on Super Tuesday for both parties.
On the Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Univision, the skewed coverage toward Trump was less drastic than their English counterparts, but was nonethless in favor of the billionaire. Overall, the pair combined for three minutes and eight seconds on Trump versus one minute and 51 seconds for Rubio. While ABC, CBS, and NBC mustered only 51 seconds for Cruz, Noticiero Telemundo and Noticiero Univision carved out two minute and 49 seconds for the conservative Senator from Texas.
While the liberal media claim to spend endless amounts of time bemoaning Trump’s positions and airing their grievances, the complaints appear to have been far outweighed by their interest in fetching ratings and pushing Trump as the only choice for conservatives and Republicans.
By essentially deleting his opponents from their airwaves, the networks (and cable outlets) have been employing a visible strategy to force the billionaire on GOP primary voters and through to the general election against Clinton or Sanders.
My colleague Rich Noyes brilliantly highlighted this very problem as it was evident for months with the month of January seeing Trump be bequeathed 60 percent of the total GOP race airtime on the network evening newscasts (with Cruz well behind at 30 percent and Rubio at four percent).
The Media Research Center’s Bias the Minute writer Mike Ciandella outlined the same pattern on CNN in an even shorter window as between August 24, 2015 and September 4, 2015, Trump was the topic of discussion in over 77 percent of their primetime election segments. For reference, Jeb Bush came in second for this study but only attracted roughly 12 percent.
http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/curtis-houck/2016/02/29/networks-devote-over-62-percent-super-tuesday-eve-coverage-trump
-
Nominating Trump is all but handing the election to Hillary.
According to conservative columnist George Will, this was the plan all along.
Does anyone here believe (remembering Bill Clinton called Trump to encourage him to get involved) that there was some level of planning going on here?
By 10 pm tonight, we'll all known the news. Trump wins a lot of states, and so does Hilary. There will be a 95% chance that it's Trump vs Hilary in the general, in about 8 hours. I've said it all year dude, it's planned and it's inevitable because the repub base wouldn't ball up and call trump out for the immature shit lib that he is.
-
This is exactly what will happen in November if this con artist is the nominee. Any new voters Trump brings to the polls will be offset by the folks who stay home or vote for other candidates.
Nebraska GOP senator won't vote for Trump in general election
By Tom LoBianco, CNN
Mon February 29, 2016 | Video Source: CNN
Washington (CNN)—Republican Sen. Ben Sasse said Sunday he won't vote for Donald Trump if the billionaire and GOP presidential front-runner becomes his party's nominee.
"If Trump becomes the Republican nominee my expectation is that I'll look for some 3rd candidate -- a conservative option, a Constitutionalist," Sasse, a first-term senator from Nebraska, tweeted Sunday night.
Ben Sasse
✔ @BenSasse
If Trump becomes the Republican nominee my expectation is that I'll look for some 3rd candidate – a conservative option, a Constitutionalist
5:22 PM - 28 Feb 2016
Sasse railed against Trump on social media, writing in one tweet that "The Presidency is not our national embodiment of Nietzschean Will."
He collected many of his concerns in a Facebook post.
"I'm as frustrated and saddened as you are about what's happening to our country. But I cannot support Donald Trump," Sasse wrote. "Please understand: I'm not an establishment Republican, and I will never support Hillary Clinton. I'm a movement conservative who was elected over the objections of the GOP establishment. My current answer for who I would support in a hypothetical matchup between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton is: Neither of them."
Sasse, who has not made a formal endorsement for a 2016 candidate this cycle, has campaigned against Trump in the past, and appeared with Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio on the trail.
The Nebraska freshman reiterated his position an interview Monday with CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead."
"If the nation that put a man on the moon can't do any better than nominating two fundamentally dishonest New York liberals, I think the American people deserve better choice than that and I think they'll get a better choice," Sasse said of Trump and Clinton.
"I'm not going to vote for Hillary Clinton, and given what we know about Donald Trump, I can't vote for that guy either ... If we got to a place where those are the two major party nominees, and I certainly hope that they're not, I'd have to look for a third-party option," he told Tapper.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/29/politics/ben-sasse-donald-trump-endorsement/index.html
-
True he's a liberal con artist.
But.
"I like some of his ideas". We keep hearing that.
Ya know, hitler was a vegetarian. But you would never say "I like some of his ideas" because the whole nazi thing is much bigger and worse. Trump is like that. You like the wall idea, but you should be more disgusted with the way he craps on the constitution and funds liberals and really acts the fool.
-
Texas called for Cruz.
-
Oklahoma goes to Cruz.
-
Cruz is having a solid night compared to the rest of his peers. The sad reality for him is that he is still getting lambasted by Trump.
-
Cruz is having a solid night compared to the rest of his peers. The sad reality for him is that he is still getting lambasted by Trump.
Can't help but notice that a certain portly gentleman with a similar personality to him, seems to be standing behind Trump quite frequently today.
-
cruz has won 3 states, Trump has won 11?
Trump as a billion to spend and is only trending upwards.
It's all over.
-
Can't help but notice that a certain portly gentleman with a similar personality to him, seems to be standing behind Trump quite frequently today.
Veep in training
-
Veep in training
christie wants it so bad. Trump treats him like a lapdog. "Go get on the plane, go home..." totally punking him. Christie playing the lapdog role just as he did with obama during hurricane sandy.
Republicans have to feel like they already lost the election, looking at tonight's results.
-
He must have been asked to be there by Trump. What's the purpose of him standing in that spot, if he isn't going to be the VP pick?
Both these guys have a "bully" attitude, though, which might play right into the hands of Hillary.
-
He must have been asked to be there by Trump. What's the purpose of him standing in that spot, if he isn't going to be the VP pick?
Both these guys have a "bully" attitude, though, which might play right into the hands of Hillary.
christie sucking up, hoping trump pays his debts and picks him to be attorney general or veep.
He's pretty popular in the party, so it makes it look like the party is coming together behind trump, so it's good for trump too.
-
Delegate count after Super Tuesday:
Trump 319
Cruz 226
Rubio 110
Kasich 25
Carson 8
Bush 4
Fiorina 1
Huckabee 1
Paul 1
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/primaries
-
Yep.
Tom DeLay: 'Trump Will Destroy Republican Party'
By Todd Beamon
Tuesday, 01 Mar 2016
Donald Trump will 'destroy the Republican Party' if he becomes president of the United States, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay told Newsmax TV on Tuesday.
"If Trump becomes our nominee and ultimately becomes president, he could actually destroy the Republican Party," the five-term Texan, who served as majority leader from 2003 to 2005, told "The Steve Malzberg Show" in an interview. "I truly believe that.
"He's no conservative," DeLay added. "He wants to be king — and when he says, 'Make America Great Again,' it sounds a lot like 'Hope and Change' to me."
He was referring to the campaign theme of President Barack Obama.
DeLay told Malzberg that Trump's waffling on David Duke's endorsement "just sounds like it's just a mess.
"I just can't believe that he welcomes David Duke's endorsement. "When you're exhausted, you make stupid mistakes — and it sounds like a stupid mistake.
"Now having said that, I am definitely no Trump supporter," DeLay said.
Regarding Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, he told Malzberg that the FBI will recommend indictment for the former secretary of state in the email scandal.
"I doubt that the Obama administration will indict her," DeLay said, "but if they don't indict her, we will try her in the public sphere."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/tom-delay-cruz-win-texas/2016/03/01/id/716930/#ixzz41mLuUAA9
-
Republicans Harden Resolve Against Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c97adc20-7f0d-4108-b742-30366a6bb23d&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Republicans Harden Resolve Against Trump
Wednesday, 02 Mar 2016
Donald Trump's Republican presidential campaign has now collected victories in the vast majority of the first 15 states of the nomination contest. He's on pace to win more votes than any other GOP primary candidate before him, and his candidacy is helping fuel record turnout across the country.
And yet on Tuesday, as Trump continued to gather sweeping victories from New England to the Deep South, the urgent calls from establishment Republicans to stop him only grew louder and more apocalyptic.
“If we nominated Donald Trump,” Senator Marco Rubio, a presidential candidate from Florida, said Tuesday on CNN, “it will be the end of the modern Republican Party.”
In any other year, a candidate who amassed as many victories as Trump would be busy accepting stacks of endorsements and consolidating support of the party's power brokers. But Trump continues to be spurned not only as an outsider seeking political office for the first time but as a candidate who is stacking up wins without voting blocs crucial to winning the White House.
Four years after the party identified loosening immigration laws as a way to broaden its appeal and break its consecutive defeats in the presidential race, GOP leaders remain confounded by Trump. While his anti-immigration message is inspiring record numbers of white, conservative voters to the polls, it's also alienating Hispanics who could deliver either party the presidency.
“If this was Rick Perry or Scott Walker or Bobby Jindal or any other governor, the race would be over,” said Katon Dawson, a former South Carolina Republican Party chairman. “But people understand that we can't win a presidential race with just white people.”
Nearly three of every four Republican voters who didn't back Trump on Tuesday said they wouldn't be satisfied if he became the nominee, exit polls showed.
As voting was under way in 11 states on Tuesday, one of the most aggressive anti-Trump efforts from the party establishment—a group known as Our Principles PAC—received a boost from billionaires Todd Ricketts and Paul Singer and from Meg Whitman, the current chairwoman of Hewlett Packard.
They urged Republican donors to pump cash into a fresh effort to stop Trump, the New York Times reported. Hours later, Our Principles PAC released a new attack ad calling Trump a racist and announced it hired Tim Miller, who was most recently communications director for former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, whose pro-immigration campaign burned out after spending more than $130 million in the primary.
“The fight to stop Donald Trump from getting the nomination is intensifying regardless of tonight's outcome,” Miller said. “I'm pleased to be a part of it.”
It's an open question what success a continued assault from the Republican establishment would have on Trump. In recent days, the New York businessman easily fended off a frantic, last-minute push from party stalwarts like 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney to thwart his success.
“It looks like he'll have more than enough delegates to stop any kind of challenge at the convention if these trends continue,” said Ron Kaufman, a Republican national commiteeman from Massachusetts. “This certainly isn't over yet, but you have to give the devil his due. It's a pretty impressive start.”
For his part, Trump—who has compared undocumented immigrants to rapists, called for a temporary halt on Muslim immigration, and has mocked a disabled reporter—portrayed himself as a uniting figure on Tuesday. At his beachfront resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump held a news conference with many presidential touches in the background, including several American flags and a sitting U.S. governor flanking him.
Trump pointed to victories in some of the most populated states to hold primary contests so far, and the record turnout that has come in many of them, as evidence that he is “expanding the party” enough to easily beat Hillary Clinton.
“Our party is expanding and all you have to do is take a look at the primary states where I’ve won,” Trump said. “We’ve gone from one number to a much larger number. That hasn’t happened to the Republican Party in many, many decades. So I think we’re going to be more inclusive, more unified and a much bigger party and I think we’re going to win in November.”
Trump described himself as a unifying candidate.
“I know people are going to find that a little bit hard to believe, but believe me, I am a unifier,” Trump said. “Once we get all of this finished. I am going to go after one person, that’s Hillary Clinton.”
Trump claimed responsibility for record turnout in the first four primary contests last month, and another explosion of Republican voting on Tuesday. There were reports of long lines outside polling places in Alaska, Republicans crammed into entranceways of Minnesota caucus locations, and record turnout in Massachusetts, the state where Romney served as a popular governor for four years.
Turnout in the Texas primary was expected to be record breaking with 2.5 million voters, a feat where turnout in a state Republican primary has never been above 1.5 million, according to Derek Ryan, founder of Ryan Data & Research, an Austin-based political consulting firm that specializes in voter data.
In Georgia, early voting broke the record by the time it ended Friday. A total of 417,491 ballots were cast early, either by mail or in person, breaking the 2008 record of 271,418 early votes.
“There's an underground thing going on with Trump,” said Lauren “Bubba” McDonald, a state utility worker in Georgia who arrived at the polling place in a 45-foot RV covered in Trump signs. “More people are supporting him than say so.”
Still, the favored candidate of the Republican establishment, Rubio, took the stage back home in Miami on Tuesday delivering what, had the results not been known, would have sounded like a victory speech. Rubio did collect a win in Minnesota, his only victory in the first 15 nominating contests.
“We are so excited about what lies ahead for our campaign,” Rubio said. “You see, just five days ago, we began to unmask the true nature of the front-runner so far in this race. Five days ago, we began to explain to the American people that Donald Trump is a con artist.”
Buoyed by establishment donors that have no other real choice left in the race (Ohio Governor John Kasich has yet to win a state, and hasn't bothered to compete in most), Rubio suggested that he wouldn't drop out any time soon. In his speech, he pointed to his home state's contest on March 15, when 99 delegates are up for grabs.
“Two weeks from tonight right here in Florida we are going to send a message loud and clear,” Rubio said. “We are going to send the message that the party of Lincoln and Reagan and the presidency of the United States will never be held by a con artist.”
Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, said Wednesday on MSNBC that the Trump threat could necessitate a gentleman's agreement between Rubio and Kasich to defer to one another in the upcoming winner-take-all elections in their home states. “The candidates have to do a better job,” Kristol said.
But it's Texas Senator Ted Cruz, so far, who can make the easier argument as the anti-Trump candidate.
The Texas senator has four victories to Rubio's one, but he's the only candidate in either party who has shown overwhelming success in raising money in all three available methods: small online donations of $25 or $50 from activists, the maximum $2,700 donations bundled by veteran fundraisers, and the six-figure checks that fuel his multiple super-PACs.
“We are the only campaign that has beaten Donald Trump once, twice, three times,” Cruz said at a rally outside Houston.
Cruz called himself a “lifelong conservative” while painting Trump as “profane and vulgar” with a “lifelong pattern of using government power for personal gain.”
“Donald Trump has been part of the Washington corruption for 40 years,” Cruz said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/gop-against-trump/2016/03/02/id/717023/#ixzz41mNRtC00
-
Trump builds delegate lead – but it's no lock
Published March 02, 2016
FoxNews.com
Donald Trump’s seven Super Tuesday wins helped pad his substantial delegate lead – but not enough to dispirit his top rivals, who still see a path to toppling the Republican front-runner and taking the fight to the convention if necessary.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, at the very least, seem determined to compete for every vote through the March 15 contests, which could make for the most consequential night of the GOP campaign.
That’s when the home states of Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich vote. And both states award every delegate on the table to the winner.
“If I win Florida, what does that math look like?” Rubio told Fox News on Wednesday, brushing aside pressure to drop out.
Here’s where the delegate math stands now:
It takes 1,237 delegates to clinch the nomination. Trump has 319; Cruz has 226; and Rubio has 110.
According to Associated Press estimates, Trump needs to lock down 52 percent of the remaining delegates to clinch the party nod.
March 15 may provide the best clue as to whether that’s likely.
On one hand, if Rubio were to win Florida and Kasich were to win Ohio, they would continue to hold down Trump’s numbers even if he wins elsewhere.
On the other, a Trump victory in those states and beyond would truly give him an aura of inevitability – not to mention put immense pressure on Rubio and Kasich to drop out.
Rubio already is facing that pressure from Trump and Cruz, who wants non-Trump voters to unite behind his campaign, which he claims is the only one that can confront and defeat the billionaire businessman.
“So long as the field remains divided, Donald Trump's path to the nomination remains more likely and that would be a disaster for Republicans, for conservatives, and for the nation," he said Tuesday night. "And, after tonight, we have seen that our campaign is the only campaign that has beaten, that can beat, and that will beat Donald Trump."
Cruz and the rest of the candidates will have their next chance to make their case to the American public on Thursday, when they face off for a Fox News debate in Detroit, their first post-Super Tuesday showdown.
One candidate has already bowed out of the event, Ben Carson -- who, after a disappointing Super Tuesday, announced he sees no "political path forward," while stopping just short of suspending his campaign. The debate Thursday could see Rubio and Cruz ratchet up their fight for the not-Trump mantle, with Rubio clearly lagging right now in the race for second.
Cruz won in his delegate-rich home state of Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska on Tuesday. Together with his leadoff win in the Iowa caucuses, Cruz has claimed wins in four states.
Rubio, who has seen GOP establishment figures line up behind his campaign especially since Jeb Bush dropped out, has struggled to account for his performance to date.
The senator did claim his first win Tuesday night in Minnesota. And – while touting the fact he’s picked up delegates even in states he didn’t win – he implicitly questioned Cruz’s ability to win in some of the upcoming contests, claiming several states coming up “look more like Virginia” where Rubio beat Cruz in the race for second Tuesday.
He’s referring to states like Illinois and even Michigan, with a more moderate primary electorate.
But Deep South states like Mississippi and Louisiana also are fast-approaching on the calendar.
“There are some states that are going to be favorable to [Cruz],” Cruz supporter and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Fox News. While a voting bloc thought to be Cruz’s strong suit – evangelicals – are still breaking for Trump in some Southern states, Abbott suggested those voters will start shifting soon to Cruz.
One scenario is for Rubio and Cruz to stay in the race if only to prevent Trump from achieving the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
Asked about that possibility, Rubio told Fox News “we’re going to do whatever it takes” to prevent the nomination from falling into Trump’s hands – but said the plan is to clinch the nomination, not simply prevent Trump from doing so.
Rubio is putting it all on the line in Florida, meanwhile, vowing Wednesday that he’ll win.
Trump is threatening to crush those hopes, and cites polls that show him well ahead of Rubio.
“We're going to go to Florida. We're going to spend so much time in Florida. We've got about a 20-point lead,” Trump said Tuesday night, at a post-primary press conference in the Sunshine State.
Trump already is positioning himself as a general election candidate, increasingly taking swings at Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, who also had a good night on Tuesday with seven wins to Bernie Sanders’ four.
But he allowed, with the GOP race still open, that another candidate might also be able to take her on – taking another swipe at Rubio in the process.
“I don't think Marco is going to be able to beat her. … I think Ted's going to have a very hard time. But Ted at least has a shot because at least he's won a little bit,” Trump said.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/02/trump-builds-delegate-lead-but-its-no-lock.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Delegate count after Super Tuesday:
Trump 319
Cruz 226
Rubio 110
Do you still think Trump has no chance at the nomination?
Or, more likely, are you finally accepting 240 was right all along about Trump?
-
Uh oh. He should be saying this about Trump.
Report: Fox News 'finished with Rubio'
By Harper Neidig
March 02, 2016
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/rubiomarco_022816gn.jpg?itok=tOy812rK)
Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio’s rough week got worse on Wednesday with a New York Magazine report that the head of Fox News has decided to stop giving the Florida senator prominent, favorable coverage.
"We're finished with Rubio," Roger Ailes told one of the network’s hosts recently, according to three unnamed sources. "We can't do the Rubio thing anymore."
The report says Ailes was angry about a New York Times article reporting on a dinner he and the Florida senator had in 2013. Rubio was asking the Fox chief for his support of the Gang of Eight immigration bill.
On top of that, Rubio’s poor performance on Super Tuesday convinced Ailes that he is losing traction in the race. The Florida senator won a single state Tuesday, Minnesota, the first and only primary he has secured.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/271569-report-fox-news-finished-with-rubio
-
Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio’s rough week got worse on Wednesday with a New York Magazine report that the head of Fox News has decided to stop giving the Florida senator prominent, favorable coverage.
"We're finished with Rubio," Roger Ailes told one of the network’s hosts recently, according to three unnamed sources. "We can't do the Rubio thing anymore."
Kinda weird that a 'fair and balanced' network would have to pull the plug on their support for ANY of the candidates... wouldn't supporting any candidate over another instantly prove they are NOT fair and balanced?
-
Another smear from Brit Hume on Ted Cruz:
"Fair and Balanced" according to Beach Bum ::)
James, it looks like you were proven to be correct.
FOX now ADMITS they were supporting Rubio, because they're saying they plan to stop doing it now.
Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio’s rough week got worse on Wednesday with a New York Magazine report that the head of Fox News has decided to stop giving the Florida senator prominent, favorable coverage.
"We're finished with Rubio," Roger Ailes told one of the network’s hosts recently, according to three unnamed sources. "We can't do the Rubio thing anymore."
"People" that still say FOX is fair & balanced deserve to be bukkake'd.
-
Nevada
34,531 = Votes for Trump
40,347 = Votes for other candidates
Total (Iowa, NH, SC, NV)
320,215 = Votes for Trump
858,598 = Votes for other candidates
Super Tuesday totals:
2,945,652 = Votes for Trump
5,409,738 = Votes for other candidates
Total:
3,265,867 = Votes for Trump
6,268,336 = Votes for other candidates
-
Republican Foreign Policy Veterans to Rebuke Trump World View
Wednesday, 02 Mar 2016
More than 50 Republican foreign policy veterans have signed a letter pledging to oppose Donald Trump and rejecting his proposals, according to one of the coordinators of the effort, in the latest sign of fissures between the Republican presidential front-runner and the party establishment.
The letter will be posted early Thursday morning on the "War on the Rocks" foreign policy blog, according to one of the organizers, Bryan McGrath, a retired U.S. Navy officer who also advised Mitt Romney's unsuccessful 2012 presidential campaign.
"We've got the right set of people," said McGrath, founding managing director of The FerryBridge Group LLC consultancy. "It's Republican foreign policy, defense, international types who, in signing the letter, are pledging not to support Donald Trump."
McGrath, who said 55 people had signed the letter so far, did not identify the signatories and declined to release the contents of the letter. Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The War on the Rocks blog calls itself a platform for former diplomats, intelligence officers and scholars to comment on global affairs "through a realist lens". It was not clear who hosts or funds it.
Two people with knowledge of the letter said it pledged signatories to do all they could to prevent a Trump presidency, citing several of his proposals, including building a wall along the Mexican border, threatening to impose tariffs on China and supporting waterboarding, a harsh interrogation technique that critics say amounts to torture.
Dov Zakheim, who served as undersecretary of defense under President George W. Bush, and Peter Feaver, who worked on Bush's National Security Council staff, confirmed by email that they signed the letter.
The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Robert Zoellick, the deputy secretary of state under Bush and former president of the World Bank, had signed. Zoellick could not immediately be reached for comment.
Trump has alarmed mainstream Republican foreign policy thinkers with comments denigrating Muslims and Mexican immigrants, and vowing to tear up international trade deals. Many of them fear a Trump presidency would severely strain ties with allies, and are concerned about his stated willingness to work more closely with authoritarian Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump also has criticized the Republican party for its backing of Bush's 2003 Iraq invasion.
"I would sooner work for (North Korean dictator) Kim Jong Un than for Donald Trump. I think Donald Trump is objectively more dangerous than Kim Jong Un and not as stable," said Max Boot, who was a foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign and supported the 2003 invasion. He said he had signed the letter.
AMMUNITION FOR TRUMP?
Boot and two other people said the anti-Trump effort was also being organized by Eliot Cohen, a Johns Hopkins University professor who served as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's counselor in the George W. Bush administration.
Cohen declined immediate comment.
McGrath said two people, who he didn't identify, declined to sign the letter because of their "fear that Donald Trump would use this as some sort of ammunition."
Kurt Volker, who was a permanent representative to NATO under the administration of George W. Bush, said he declined to sign the letter on concerns it could end up backfiring. It was not clear if he was one of the two experts mentioned by McGrath.
"My concern is that it's not smart for the intelligentsia - the national security intelligentsia - to come out and bash Trump, the candidate, partly, he would use that as a tool, saying: 'Here's the establishment. More of the same. They're afraid of me. I can do better.' He would actually use it as a bragging right."
Volker said he had no intention of working for Trump. But he also cautioned he wanted to be free to offer his advice to any future president, and that such a letter could prompt Trump to hold a grudge against signatories.
Several others who declined to sign, and asked not to be identified, said they did so because they feared such an effort could help Democrat Hillary Clinton win the presidency.
Trump's campaign has yet to release a full list of his foreign policy and national security advisers.
Those Trump has spoken with on foreign policy include a retired U.S. general and intelligence official, Michael Flynn, who favors closer ties with Russia. Flynn has declined to comment on whether he is advising Trump.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who won popularity for his handling of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, has said he has been having regular talks with Trump, but not in a formal role.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/republican-foreign-policy-trump/2016/03/02/id/717163/#ixzz41oBUw8mk
-
Why Veterans Must Oppose Trump
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/432162/veterans-donald-trump-oppose-constitution-military
-
Boot and two other people said the anti-Trump effort was also being organized by Eliot Cohen, a Johns Hopkins University professor who served as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's counselor in the George W. Bush administration.
You don't say.
::)
-
FOX going bananas with broadcasting a Mitt Romney hit-speech against Trump. They want to put it out there, everywhere and in its entirety, as though we wouldn't have known Romney doesn't like Trump.
How it is you clowns love FOX, I can't imagine. Pure trash just like the rest. Quit tampering with our politics!!
-
Romney speech. Bravo! Link to follow. :)
-
Miami Herald endorses Marco Rubio
By HANNA TRUDO
03/02/16
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/26f4d6b/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F6b%2Fea%2F74f1734e4afdaddce64fc94cc1e4%2Fmarco-rubio-ap.jpg)
The Miami Herald has endorsed Marco Rubio for president, giving the Florida senator a modest boost in his home state after 24 hours of tough headlines.
“As the pivotal Florida primary on March 15 draws near, Floridians should not be stampeded into thinking that it’s all over,” the newspaper’s editorial board wrote in an editorial on Wednesday night.
Story Continued Below
“In the Republican race, in particular, they have an opportunity to change the course of a deeply discouraging — even embarrassing — campaign narrative by boosting the chances of native son Marco Rubio, the best remaining candidate with a mostly positive message and a practical chance to win the nomination.”
The endorsement follows Rubio’s poor performance on Super Tuesday, where he won only the Minnesota caucuses and failed to make the 20 percent threshold for winning delegates in several other states.
“We disagree with the Cuban-American senator on many issues — abortion, gun control, Obamacare, climate change, diplomacy with Cuba, and have frowned upon his frequent absences in the Senate," the board writes. "Still, he does not occupy the same extremist terrain proudly claimed by Sen. Ted Cruz.”
The Herald also sees Rubio as "the best choice to unite a fractured GOP."
"His Senate colleagues, especially Republicans, respect him — not so with Mr. Cruz," the editorial continues. "Among Republican voters who have made up their minds at the last minute, Sen. Rubio is by far the favorite, suggesting that he is the candidate of choice for the most thoughtful.”
The board agrees with the conventional wisdom that Florida is do-or-die for Rubio, but argues that winning the state could turn his fortunes around.
“Without a victory, he’s out,” the endorsement reads. “His sole triumph in the Minnesota caucuses is a thin reed upon which to hang the rest of the campaign, but a first-place finish in Florida could put the wind to his back.”
Donald Trump leads Rubio by nearly 20 percentage points in the latest RealClearPolitics average of state polls.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/marco-rubio-miami-herald-endorsement-220164#ixzz41rNDcyR2
-
22 Republicans Declare Their Non-Support for Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=d4c51966-683a-4ff2-adf0-4b3f35259c79&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: 22 Republicans Declare Their Non-Support for Trump (Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke | Thursday, 03 Mar 2016
The tally has reportedly grown to 22 Republicans who are declaring their non-support of front-running presidential candidate Donald Trump if he wins the nomination.
Freshman Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska became the highest-profile elected lawmaker to give a thumbs-down to supporting Trump, saying he prefers a third-party candidate. He was closely followed by GOP Reps. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Carlos Curbelo of Florida and Scott Rigell of Virginia, The Hill reports.
Outside the Beltway, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, conservative commentators Erick Erickson, Glenn Beck and radio host Steve Deace, and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol also won't back Trump, The Hill reports.
The others who make up the roster of 22 non-backers, The Hill reports, are: Jay Caruso of the conservative website RedState; Eliot Cohen, a former George W. Bush official; Doug Heye, a former RNC communications director; Kevin Madden, a former Mitt Romney aide; former RNC chairman Mel Martínez; GOP strategist Liz Mair; former New York Gov. George Pataki; former Texas Rep. Ron Paul; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge; former Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts; conservative New York Times contributor Peter Wehner; and former Gov. Christine Todd.
But other Republicans worry a Trump-vote boycott could backfire.
"My impression is the voters are voting with their own minds and they're not looking for direction or guidance from me or anybody else," Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn tells The Hill.
Despite the high-profile efforts by the Club for Growth and other deep-pocketed conservative groups to stop the Trump momentum with ad campaigns in battleground states like Florida and Ohio, the no-Trump vote crusade has had little impact so far, The Hill reports.
And the two most powerful Republicans in Washington — House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – remain pledged to back the party's nominee.
Still, according to The Hill, McConnell is advising colleagues also on the ticket this fall to be ready to "run against the nominee."
"He said, 'Be prepared to run against the nominee,'" one unnamed Republican senator tells The Hill, adding McConnell assured colleagues the party would direct the bulk of its resources to saving the Senate if it became clear Trump or any other nominee had no chance of winning.
"He said in 1996 it was clear that [Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole] was going to lose, and the party put resources into Senate and House races instead."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Republicans-Non-Support-Trump/2016/03/03/id/717219/#ixzz41rNXyc9o
-
Gov. Susana Martinez to endorse Marco Rubio
By Dan Boyd / Capitol Bureau Chief
Published: Thursday, March 3rd, 2016
Gov. Susana Martinez has taken sides in this year’s rough-and-rumble GOP presidential nomination battle — and Marco Rubio is her pick.
Martinez, the chairwoman of the Republican Governors Association, announced this morning she will endorse Rubio, opting to side with the Florida senator over Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
She also plans to hit the campaign trail with Rubio in the coming days — in Kansas tomorrow and in Florida on Saturday.
“Marco Rubio is a compelling leader who can unite the country around conservative principles that will improve the lives of all Americans,” Martinez said in a statement obtained by the Journal.
“The stakes for our great country are too high — and the differences between the candidates too great — for me to remain neutral in this race,” Martinez added. “I wholeheartedly trust Marco to keep us safe and ensure a better tomorrow, and I look forward to campaigning with him later this week.”
Martinez, who is also the nation’s first elected Hispanic female governor, had sidestepped questions in recent days about whether she would vote for Trump, but she has criticized some of his immigration-related comments in the past.
It’s unclear how big of a boost Rubio might get from the governor’s endorsement, as Rubio is third among GOP presidential in delegates won so far– behind Trump and Ted Cruz– and has won just one of the 15 states that have caucuses or primaries to date.
But the endorsement from Martinez could bolster Rubio’s viability. While New Mexico’s primary election does not take place until June 7, contests are on tap this month in Kansas, Florida, Arizona and Utah, among others.
Both Martinez and Rubio have Hispanic roots; Martinez grew up in El Paso and is the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, while Rubio is a Cuban American from Miami.
Meanwhile, Martinez’s decision to endorse Rubio is also likely to ignite questions about the RGA’s relationship with Trump, should the New York billionaire businessman win the party’s nomination.
Martinez’s endorsement decision was first reported by Politico.
http://www.abqjournal.com/734004/politics/gov-susana-martinez-to-endorse-marco-rubio.html
-
Romney speech. Bravo! Link to follow. :)
It's up if you want to post it.
Here's where Trump's response will be posted:
-
Sickening, disgraceful behavior by the media.
-
the media LOVES a feud. They LOVE Trump vs. Romney. That's the headline on fox AND menbc right now.
Trump is the king of doing these big public battles. Whoopie, Rosie, whoever.
Christie 1pm news conference, what's that all about?
-
Well done Mitt. :)
-
Mitt would race us right to the bottom. Straight to Hell.
-
romney jockeying for a spot in the convention line. he wants to be appointed the nominee ;)
-
romney jockeying for a spot in the convention line. he wants to be appointed the nominee ;)
That would be an outrage, beyond belief.
Have been reading on the Christie thing. Will post up if anything interesting.
-
That would be an outrage, beyond belief.
someone like Dos Equis would probably stand and applaud Romney being "appointed" the nominee over people that you know, actually received votes ;)
I am disgusted by trump, but I'm more disgusted by the elites of the party casually overriding the will of their voters. Terribly dangerous precedent to kick out a person running who has massive crossover appeal and who is creating record turnout. It's awesome to watch.
-
Just another pathetic power grab by the rich elite because they know Trump probably won't even pick up the phone when they call and he damn sure won't be their little puppet like a Rubio or Jeb.
-
Mar 03 2016
STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON STATE OF THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY CAMPAIGN
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on the state of the Republican presidential primary campaign:
“I share the concerns about Donald Trump that my friend and former Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, described in his speech today. I would also echo the many concerns about Mr. Trump’s uninformed and indeed dangerous statements on national security issues that have been raised by 65 Republican defense and foreign policy leaders.
“At a time when our world has never been more complex or more in danger, as we watch the threatening actions of a neo-imperial Russia, an assertive China, an expansionist Iran, an insane North Korean ruler, and terrorist movements that are metastasizing across the Middle East and Africa, I want Republican voters to pay close attention to what our party's most respected and knowledgeable leaders and national security experts are saying about Mr. Trump, and to think long and hard about who they want to be our next Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world.”
http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=EC8D48D2-156B-4098-9199-EA8CDAAC1239
-
If Romney feels this way: why did he ask for Trump's endorsement?
???
-
Rove: Trump Is Flawed, But Appears to Be Likely Nominee
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=50e70755-afe6-4602-a276-2dfc8f8ced69&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Rove: Trump Is Flawed, But Appears to Be Likely Nominee (Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke | Thursday, 03 Mar 2016
The current presidential front-runners, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, despite being "deeply flawed" and facing challenges, are now the likely nominees who'll face off in November, political strategist Karl Rove says.
In a commentary for The Wall Street Journal, Rove, the former advisor and deputy chief of staff during the George W. Bush administration, writes Super Tuesday proved "a huge day" for both.
"Both candidates are deeply flawed — but also front-runners," Rove writes. "Unless something dramatic and unexpected happens, they also appear likely to be their respective parties' nominees."
Rove argues both candidates, in their victory statements on Super Tuesday, "seem aware of their challenges."
"Trump wisely eschewed his normal election night rants and offered (for him) a relatively high-toned, shrewd presentation, saying the idea of a conservative third party would only help Mrs. Clinton," Rove writes.
"And he claimed, 'I'm a unifier.'"
But Rove says "right now that's a wish, not reality."
"Mr. Trump's campaign has left the GOP riven and embittered," he writes. "Even on Tuesday, in his heal-the-breach approach, he mocked one challenger ('little Marco Rubio') and brushed off pro-lifers critical of his support for Planned Parenthood by calling them 'so-called conservatives.'
"In Trump World this may qualify as unifying, but not anywhere else."
As for Clinton, he writes, the delegates are piling up for her and she'll "be the nominee unless she or someone close to her is indicted over her private email server."
Still, he argues, rival Sen. Bernie Sanders' fundraising "shows the Democratic Party's left-wing grass roots are unlikely to roll over anytime soon for the former secretary of state."
"He appears to be a true believer who wants to kill the superdelegate process and demand explicitly democratic-socialist platform planks on income inequality and government regulation," Rove writes.
"These could be troublesome for Team Clinton."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Karl-Rove-Trump-Flawed-Likely/2016/03/03/id/717228/#ixzz41sKNuKl2
-
Didn't Rove claim to believe Romney was going to win last time?
-
It's up if you want to post it.
Here's where Trump's response will be posted:
Trump's response:
-
Couple of interesting paragraphs from an article in Computer World:
Trump's immigration policy paper is far from dry reading. He calls Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), "Mark Zuckerberg's personal senator," because of Rubio's support of the I-Squared bill.
The I-Squared bill would raise the base H-1B visa cap from its current 65,000 to 195,000, a move the IEEE-USA has said will help destroy the U.S. tech workforce. Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder, is a principal behind FWD.us, a lobbying group seeking expansion of the H-1B program.
Add Zuckerberg to the list of Rubio's masters. Big surprise.
-
Link to Debate: http://www.foxnews.com/live-coverage/fox-news-gop-debate
-
Link to Debate: http://www.foxnews.com/live-coverage/fox-news-gop-debate
All of them, including Donald are pathetic.
Nothing about the American People or anything.
-
All of them, including Donald are pathetic.
Nothing about the American People or anything.
I agree. They're all trying to do the same thing to America, and they're all lying about it.
You know things are really off, badly, when their criticisms for one another are EXACTLY the things they are doing themselves. That's pretty bad. But that's all they have, and the moderator runs cover for them.
Not a good situation, at all.
-
Link to the 25 Feb CNN debate:
Link to the 3 March Fox News debate:
-
He is right.
Marco Rubio Calls Out the Liberal Media for Hanging on Trump’s Every Word and Insult
By Curtis Houck
March 3, 2016
In some of his first comments during Thursday’s Republican Presidential Primary Debate on the Fox News Channel (FNC), Senator Marco Rubio (Fl.) called out the liberal media for obsessively covering Donald Trump’s every move and insult instead of reporting on the issues.
“The media has given personal attacks Donald Trump has made incredible amount of coverage. Let's start talking about the issues that matter to this country,” Rubio urged.
When confronted by co-moderator Bret Baier about his recent attempts to fire back at Trump’s daily insults, Rubio first noted that “for the last year, Donald Trump has basically mocked everybody with personal attacks” including “people sitting on the stage today.”
The Florida Senator argued that “if there has been any candidate deserved to be attacked that way, it's been Donald Trump for the way he has treated people in the last campaign” and so despite that, he emphasized his desire “to have a policy debate. I hope that's what we will have here tonight” instead of a food fight.
Tell the Truth 2016
Rubio then concluded:
[B ]ut let's be honest about all this too. The media has given personal attacks Donald Trump has made incredible amount of coverage. Let's start talking about the issues that matter to this country. I'm willing to do this right here right here tonight.
As my NewsBusters colleague Rich Noyes outlined in a new study published on Wednesday, the network evening newscasts awarded Trump three times more airtime than both Cruz or Rubio and just over 50 percent of all coverage concerning the GOP campaign.
The relevant portion of the transcript from FNC’s Republican Presidential Primary Debate on March 3 can be found below.
FNC’s Republican Presidential Primary Debate
March 3, 2016
9:05 p.m. Eastern
REPUBLICAN SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (Fl.): You know, Bret, let me say something this campaign for the last year, Donald Trump has basically mocked everybody with personal attacks. He has done so to people sitting on the stage today. He has done so with people disabled. He has done it with every other candidate in this race, so if there has been any candidate deserved to be attacked that way, it's been Donald Trump for the way he has treated people in the last campaign. Now, with that said, I would much prefer to have a policy debate. I hope that's what we will have here tonight. Let's have a policy debate.
BRET BAIER: And we will.
RUBIO: Let's talk about Donald Trump's strategy and my strategy and John Kasich's strategy when it comes to ISIS and on healthcare and the important issues facing this country, but let's be honest about all this too. The media has given personal attacks Donald Trump has made incredible amount of coverage. Let's start talking about the issues that matter to this country. I'm willing to do this right here right here tonight.
http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/curtis-houck/2016/03/03/marco-rubio-calls-out-liberal-media-hanging-trumps-every-word-and
-
Krauthammer Reacts to GOP Debate: 'It Was a Complete Assault on Trump'
Mar 04, 2016
As seen on The Kelly File
Charles Krauthammer reacted to the Fox News GOP debate on "The Kelly File" tonight.
"It was a complete assault on Trump - from left and right, from Cruz and Rubio - that scored, I thought, a lot of points," Krauthammer said.
He added, however, that similar attacks in the past have not affected Trump or his support.
Krauthammer explained that those inclined to support Trump won't think any less of him after the debate, while those who are less inclined to support Trump may think twice about jumping on the bandwagon.
As for the night's big winner, Krauthammer said that John Kasich came off very well simply by not getting involved in the mudslinging.
"To play the grown up and to play the unifier, he might have had the biggest advantage out of tonight."
Watch more above.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/03/04/krauthammer-reacts-gop-debate-kelly-file-it-was-complete-assault-trump
-
Pretty funny. I feel his pain. :)
The One Thing I Didn’t Get Wrong About Donald Trump
Shining like a beacon in a sea of wrongness.
posted on Mar. 4, 2016
About half an hour into Thursday night’s presidential debate, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump took a moment to call me out for the worst prediction of my career.
It happened when a moderator asked him to respond to a recent BuzzFeed News report that he had secretly hedged on his hardline immigration proposals during an off-the-record interview with liberal New York Times editors.
Trump responded, characteristically, with a small declaration of victory.
“First of all, BuzzFeed, they were the ones that said under no circumstances will I run for president, and were they wrong,” Trump said.
He was referring to a 2014 profile I wrote, titled, “36 Hours On The Fake Campaign Trail With Donald Trump.” In the story, I chronicle two accidental days spent inside the billionaire’s bubble, and I make the case that his 25-year history of flirting with — and then abandoning — various presidential bids constitutes a “long con” designed to generate publicity.
“If history is any judge,” I wrote at the time, “Trump is about as likely to run for president in his lifetime as he is to accept follicular defeat.”
Two years later, Trump is on the verge of winning the Republican presidential nomination.
Of course, as Trump himself acknowledged on the debate stage, I was not the only political journalist to get this particular prediction wrong. But I was wrong earlier, and at greater length. Not only did I write a 6,000-word profile utterly dismissing his claims that he was serious this time; I spent the next year making the same argument on TV every time “Trump 2016” speculation meandered into the news cycle. I have a vague recollection of offering, at one point, to bet my entire annual salary that Trump wouldn’t appear on a ballot in Iowa. Thankfully, no one at the MSNBC roundtable that day took me up on it.
When Trump declared his candidacy last year, I called him the “bearded lady” of the campaign season, and for several days I publicly questioned whether he would actually file paperwork to make his campaign official. (He did.)
I continued my streak of wrongness through much of last summer, routinely tweeting that Trump’s flameout was inevitable. When he attacked John McCain’s war record, I mused that military families might angrily turn against him. (Wrong.) When he went to war with Fox News, I suggested conservatives would side with their favorite network over Trump. (Nope.)
Eventually I gave up altogether on predicting Trump’s 2016 trajectory. But by then, I had already racked up enough faulty forecasts to fill years’ worth of the “what I got wrong” columns.
Yet for all my predictive misfires over the past two years, Trump’s debate-stage dig Thursday night suggests there’s at least one thing I didn’t get wrong about him. From my 2014 profile:
…among the chorus of “Yes, Mr. Trump”s and “You were great, Mr. Trump”s that tumble out of his yes-men at even the faintest prompt, the Donald can still hear the din of guffaws coming from a political class that long ago stopped taking him seriously. And it’s driving him crazy.
Trump’s obsession with gaining the attention and respect of political-media elites was the thing that most struck me during my time with him. For Trump, it wasn’t enough to have Celebrity Apprentice viewers gawking at his reality TV antics each Sunday. He wanted serious people to take him seriously — and in the wake of his 2012 “birther” crusade, he was generally regarded by the political class as a buffoon. The billionaire’s presidential candidacy seems motivated, in part, by a fierce desire to prove those haters wrong.
As Maggie Haberman reported in the New York Times, a key moment that spurred Trump’s eventual candidacy took place at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, where he was made to sit at a table in the middle of a packed ballroom while President Obama mercilessly skewered him, and all of official Washington laughed. “Five years later,” Haberman wrote, “he seems determined not to be humiliated again, and to stop those who laughed at him.”
In another story, Haberman reported that Trump “still recalls, often and with a bit of an edge, how many people predicted that he would never formally get into the race, or would prematurely get out.”
Over the past nine months, friends and media types on Twitter have made a running gag out of blaming me for Trump’s candidacy — and I’ve often played along. But lately, the meme appears to have spread beyond colleagues in the political press, and the tweets that now daily populate my @ mentions seem to be taking on an increasingly accusatory tone. If Trump did, in fact, launch his presidential bid to prove the “haters” wrong, it’s fair to assume that category is considerably bigger than a single profile-writer. But just in case it will help, allow me go on the record now:
Mr. Trump, I underestimated you. You can leave the campaign trail and return to Trump Tower secure in the knowledge that you’ve put me fully in my place. Consider this hater duly scorned.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/the-one-thing-i-didnt-get-wrong-about-donald-trump#.hiWLB0gYq
-
What do think of Jim Webb's comments, DE? He's saying that Hillary is a for-sure disaster, even compared to Trump. So it's kind of a rock and hard place situation, with Trump having just a slight edge.
-
What do think of Jim Webb's comments, DE? He's saying that Hillary is a for-sure disaster, even compared to Trump. So it's kind of a rock and hard place situation, with Trump having just a slight edge.
If trump wins and goes up against Hillary he is going to bring over a lot of Democrats.
I see comments all over the place saying people will vote for Trump if Bernie loses because people despise Hillary that much and Trump actually is more of a centrist or even to the left of her on certain policies.
-
What do think of Jim Webb's comments, DE? He's saying that Hillary is a for-sure disaster, even compared to Trump. So it's kind of a rock and hard place situation, with Trump having just a slight edge.
I understand where he is coming from. That matchup would actually be worse than Obama v. McCain. :-\
-
If trump wins and goes up against Hillary he is going to bring over a lot of Democrats.
I see comments all over the place saying people will vote for Trump if Bernie loses because people despise Hillary that much and Trump actually is more of a centrist or even to the left of her on certain policies.
Whatever new voters Trump brings to the polls will be overwhelmed by the people who both vote against him and stay home. The percentage of Republican primary voters who say they will not vote for Trump if he is the nominee is something like 40 percent (according to what I heard; have not verified). His negative numbers are through the roof.
There is no better indication of how poorly he will do in the general than the primary/caucus numbers to date: 3.2 million votes for Trump and 6.2 million votes for other GOP candidates.
-
This is really a frightful time IMO.
-
For all the crap Trump takes, and can't say I disagree, Hillary is at least as dangerous. Probably even more dangerous.
And as loopy as Trump is, I think it's other people wanting to get at him and stop him, which presents the worst danger in that regard.
-
Whatever new voters Trump brings to the polls will be overwhelmed by the people who both vote against him and stay home. The percentage of Republican primary voters who say they will not vote for Trump if he is the nominee is something like 40 percent (according to what I heard; have not verified). His negative numbers are through the roof.
There is no better indication of how poorly he will do in the general than the primary/caucus numbers to date: 3.2 million votes for Trump and 6.2 million votes for other GOP candidates.
How many votes for Cruz versus the others?
Or Rubio versus the others?
If they want to sit at home and cry like babies then that is a boost for Hillary and they are responsible for it. And they can make excuses until they are blue in the face but there is no getting around that fact.
-
How many votes for Cruz versus the others?
Or Rubio versus the others?
If they want to sit at home and cry like babies then that is a boost for Hillary and they are responsible for it. And they can make excuses until they are blue in the face but there is no getting around that fact.
Rubio and Cruz are not nearly as polarizing as Trump.
You can stick your head in the sand, call people names, etc., but no denying the facts. There is an enormous anti-Trump vote in the GOP.
-
Thing with Trump, is he could have taken it all. He could have situated himself to be the unquestionable favorite among ALL voters. So why couldn't/can't he see that? Doesn't he have anyone around him to give an objective analysis?
Constantly challenging people to drop their support (let's face it, that's what he is doing) doesn't make sense, and it certainly doesn't lend itself to feelings of confidence for those who would try to back him.
-
Rubio and Cruz are not nearly as polarizing as Trump.
You can stick your head in the sand, call people names, etc., but no denying the facts. There is an enormous anti-Trump vote in the GOP.
I don't particularly care for Trump's "wheels off" immature moments either but there comes a time when you have to grow up and realize the consequences of what Hillary being elected brings.
Especially what 2 and possibly 3 Supreme Court justices being replaced with liberals will mean to our rights over the next 20 to 30 years. Particularly the Second Amendment.
I realize it's the heat of the primary battle now but I hope people really come to their senses about what the consequences of that will be.
-
Thing with Trump, is he could have taken it all. He could have situated himself to be the unquestionable favorite among ALL voters. So why couldn't/can't he see that? Doesn't he have anyone around him to give an objective analysis?
Constantly challenging people to drop their support (let's face it, that's what he is doing) doesn't make sense, and it certainly doesn't lend itself to feelings of confidence for those who would try to back him.
Because he cannot change who he is.
-
And btw, I have to give credit to Cruz, Rubio and Kasich for saying they would support Trump if he becomes the nominee.
At least they understand the consequences unlike all these keyboard badasses who are willing to help flush The Constitution down the toilet by supporting Hillary this November.
-
Because he cannot change who he is.
As simple an answer as it is, you're probably right. But it causes me to believe more than ever that it's based in fear.
-
I don't particularly care for Trump's "wheels off" immature moments either but there comes a time when you have to grow up and realize the consequences of what Hillary being elected brings.
Especially what 2 and possibly 3 Supreme Court justices being replaced with liberals will mean to our rights over the next 20 to 30 years. Particularly the Second Amendment.
I realize it's the heat of the primary battle now but I hope people really come to their senses about what the consequences of that will be.
You are assuming Trump will appoint better justices than Hillary. I don't make that assumption at all. He has flipped on so many issues in the past year, and lies about his positions so much, how can you possibly trust him?
Trump is dangerous. He is just as untrustworthy as Hillary.
-
And btw, I have to give credit to Cruz, Rubio and Kasich for saying they would support Trump if he becomes the nominee.
At least they understand the consequences unlike all these keyboard badasses who are willing to help flush The Constitution down the toilet by supporting Hillary this November.
I was just talking to someone and expressed how disappointing it was that they said they would support him. But I guess they had no choice. Plus as Rubio (and you) said, Hillary is worse. I don't agree.
-
And btw, I have to give credit to Cruz, Rubio and Kasich for saying they would support Trump if he becomes the nominee.
At least they understand the consequences unlike all these keyboard badasses who are willing to help flush The Constitution down the toilet by supporting Hillary this November.
Wow, I hadn't heard. That's huge.
Even Rubio, though, after saying Trump's a con-man?
-
Wow, I hadn't heard. That's huge.
Even Rubio, though, after saying Trump's a con-man?
Exactly what I said, but his response was that Hillary is worse.
-
You are assuming Trump will appoint better justices than Hillary. I don't make that assumption at all. He has flipped on so many issues in the past year, and lies about his positions so much, how can you possibly trust him?
Trump is dangerous. He is just as untrustworthy as Hillary.
I'll take my chances with the guy who is praising Justice Thomas, Alito and Scalia constantly.
I KNOW what Hillary will do.
-
No question Hillary is dangerous. No question she will continue to shit on America just as Obama has. She seems to be quite deranged, as well, and we can't forget about the damage her husband will be busy with, whatever that may be. I shudder to think of the no-good things he'll be up to.
-
I'll take my chances with the guy who is praising Justice Thomas, Alito and Scalia constantly.
I KNOW what Hillary will do.
He also praised his sister. He says whatever he thinks he needs to say to appeal to his audience. Like telling the Iowa and South Carolina voters how deeply religious he is. He is a manipulator.
You also know what Trump will do: lose his cool, insult our allies who disagree with him, threaten, change his positions depending on which way the wind is blowing, embarrass the heck out of us, etc.
-
He also praised his sister. He says whatever he thinks he needs to say to appeal to his audience. Like telling the Iowa and South Carolina voters how deeply religious he is. He is a manipulator.
You also know what Trump will do: lose his cool, insult our allies who disagree with him, threaten, change his positions depending on which way the wind is blowing, embarrass the heck out of us, etc.
I'm not disagreeing with ANY of what you wrote.
And I'll STILL take my chances with Trump over her when it comes to The Supreme Court and The Second Amendment.
-
Those power-hungry weasels are looking for the vp slot. How else can it be explained? Or maybe they don't want to insult the voter, which is what brokering would be: a punch in the nose to the voter.
-
I'm not disagreeing with ANY of what you wrote.
And I'll STILL take my chances with Trump over her when it comes to The Supreme Court and The Second Amendment.
There is a sizeable number of voters who agree with you. :-\
-
He also praised his sister. He says whatever he thinks he needs to say to appeal to his audience. Like telling the Iowa and South Carolina voters how deeply religious he is. He is a manipulator.
You also know what Trump will do: lose his cool, insult our allies who disagree with him, threaten, change his positions depending on which way the wind is blowing, embarrass the heck out of us, etc.
I think we're way past the point where we should worry about being "embarrased", though. I think we crossed that line a long time ago.
-
I think we're way past the point where we should worry about being "embarrased", though. I think we crossed that line a long time ago.
I don't think we should get to the point where we don't care about what kind of representative our president will be. He or she needs to be someone who represents American values and be a role model. Those things matter.
-
I don't think we should get to the point where we don't care about what kind of representative our president will be. He or she needs to be someone who represents American values and be a role model. Those things matter.
What if the person isn't actually bothering to represent us in the first place, as will be true for Hillary?
-
There is a sizeable number of voters who agree with you. :-\
Unfortunately we just don't have the luxury to sit this one out in protest.
Justice Scalia is dead and Justice Ginsburg looks more and more like a decrepit mummy by the day.
If The Supreme Court was filled with a bunch of spring chickens we wouldn't have to make this difficult decision.
-
What if the person isn't actually bothering to represent us in the first place, as will be true for Hillary?
She isn't worthy either.
-
Unfortunately we just don't have the luxury to sit this one out in protest.
Justice Scalia is dead and Justice Ginsburg looks more and more like a decrepit mummy by the day.
If The Supreme Court was filled with a bunch of spring chickens we wouldn't have to make this difficult decision.
That's exactly what is going to happen if Trump is the nominee.
-
She isn't worthy either.
Do you think it's possible that, in pursuit of his 'brand', Trump would attempt to represent our interests?
Might he be driven to be a good leader for us, unlike what we know to expect from Hillary?
-
Do you think it's possible that, in pursuit of his 'brand', Trump would attempt to represent our interests?
Might he be driven to be a good leader for us, unlike what we know to expect from Hillary?
I think Trump cares primarily about himself, making money, and improving his brand so he can make more money.
-
I think Trump cares primarily about himself, making money, and improving his brand so he can make more money.
But if he's driven by that, and I agree that he is, then it means he will strive to be a successful leader.
How does that logic fail, IYO?
-
That's exactly what is going to happen if Trump is the nominee.
You say that now but you are a reasonable guy plus I understand emotions are high in this dog fight we are all seeing.
Come October I can almost guarantee you will be singing another tune and resigned to the fact of holding your nose and pulling the lever for a man you despise.
-
Something we're not taking into account, is the fact that the GE is going to be a whole new level. One of them could be holding information that will knock the other out.
-
Something we're not taking into account, is the fact that the GE is going to be a whole new level. One of them could be holding information that will knock the other out.
Could turn out to be the craziest election of our lifetime.
Something we talk about 30 years from now...."that election of 2016"
-
Could turn out to be the craziest election of our lifetime.
Something we talk about 30 years from now...."that election of 2016"
This one will change it all, I bet. Let's hope for the better, but come on.
If Trump is for real and not up to something sneaky, then I'd imagine it'll be the last time we see a truly independent person muscle his way into the spotlight like this.
-
But if he's driven by that, and I agree that he is, then it means he will strive to be a successful leader.
How does that logic fail, IYO?
Because it's not in his DNA. He lacks the traits necessary to be a good leader, including integrity, work ethic, good judgment, self-control, selflessness, humility, etc. On the last point (humility), I don't see him listening to his advisors.
Just look at some of the things he has said, like (as Romney pointed out) letting ISIS take control of Syria. That is some spooky stuff.
-
Because it's not in his DNA. He lacks the traits necessary to be a good leader, including integrity, work ethic, good judgment, self-control, selflessness, humility, etc. On the last point (humility), I don't see him listening to his advisors.
Just look at some of the things he has said, like (as Romney pointed out) letting ISIS take control of Syria. That is some spooky stuff.
It could be that he simply hasn't listened to anyone else for so long, that he's forgotten how to do that.
-
You say that now but you are a reasonable guy plus I understand emotions are high in this dog fight we are all seeing.
Come October I can almost guarantee you will be singing another tune and resigned to the fact of holding your nose and pulling the lever for a man you despise.
This isn't an emotional decision for me. That's not how I make substantive decisions.
I'm also looking at the numbers. Trump has a sizeable number of Obamabot-like true believers, but an even greater number who don't like him. He is being propped up by the MSM (Fox News included), but will be taking all sorts of body blows from the MSM if he is the nominee. It's a total setup. And remember what happened in 2012? Romney lost primarily because Republican voters stayed home. That will happen to Trump.
What's crazy is Hillary is wounded, might get indicted, is now incredibly vulnerable, and Republicans might nominate the one guy who will have almost a guaranteed loss in November.
I try not to say never, but absent some kind of brain injury, I cannot imagine a scenario where I vote for Trump.
-
It could be that he simply hasn't listened to anyone else for so long, that he's forgotten how to do that.
I'd go a step further and say he never learned how to do it. People like him who are born into his kind of wealth can be like young professional athletes and entertainers who suddenly come into money and are surrounded by people who never say "no." He has had people kissing his rear for his whole life.
-
It's official. Good run.
Ben Carson Ends Presidential Campaign
Published March 4, 2016
Republican Ben Carson confirmed during his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that he is ending his bid for the White House.
The famed neurosurgeon had implied he was dropping out on Wednesday after a disappointing Super Tuesday finish, and he skipped Thursday night's debate in his hometown of Detroit.
But it took him more than 10 minutes into his meandering speech to a packed CPAC crowd to actually say the words — sort of.
"Even though I might be leaving the campaign trail, you know, there's a lot of people who love me, they just won't vote for me, but it's OK!" Carson said as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. "But I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation."
He confirmed reports that he will be joining My Faith Votes, an effort to get more evangelical voters to the polls this fall.
Carson, the only African-American candidate in the GOP field, had risen to fame after a viral 2013 speech at the National Prayer Breakfast that criticized Obama, who was just feet away from him.
He surged last fall after getting in the race and even led polls in Iowa at one point. But after terrorist attacks turned many voters' focus back to foreign policy, his stumbles and inexperience on the issue were magnified. Carson began to tumble and never recovered.
On Friday, he acknowledged as he did in a statement earlier this week that there simply was not a path forward for him.
"I did the math; I looked at the delegate count, looked at the states, and looked at the requirements. I realized it simply wasn't going to happen and if that's the case, I didn't want to interfere with the process," Carson said.
While he didn't throw his support behind any of the remaining candidates in the race, he did outline the type of candidate he was looking for — someone with a record of accomplishment, who treats his family well and has the right ethics and policies.
"What we must do as conservatives is we couple conservative with compassion," Carson said. "We the people have to be the ones who really push these things."
http://www.npr.org/2016/03/04/469250764/ben-carson-ends-presidential-campaign?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160304
-
It's official. Good run.
what was good about it? What did he achieve?
His ideas were odd and vague. His behavior and statements were bizarre at times.
I could argue Carson only DAMAGED and political potential he had by running. He'd be AWESOME for a veep pick by any candidate running. BUT the statements about stabbing, robbery, assaults, pyramid/grain... the man ended up looking a lot less brilliant than we believed a year ago.
I guess it was a 'good run' if he just wanted to sell books, I will give you that. But long term political viability, Carson damaged himself beyond repair.
-
what was good about it? What did he achieve?
His ideas were odd and vague. His behavior and statements were bizarre at times.
I could argue Carson only DAMAGED and political potential he had by running. He'd be AWESOME for a veep pick by any candidate running. BUT the statements about stabbing, robbery, assaults, pyramid/grain... the man ended up looking a lot less brilliant than we believed a year ago.
I guess it was a 'good run' if he just wanted to sell books, I will give you that. But long term political viability, Carson damaged himself beyond repair.
240, do you NOW believe that Carson is a religious lunatic. Did you see what he plans to do now that he out of the running. :D
-
240, do you NOW believe that Carson is a religious lunatic. Did you see what he plans to do now that he out of the running. :D
I believed that before he even announced he was running in the first place.
-
I believed that before he even announced he was running in the first place.
I knew that to be the case as well. He has ALWAYS been a religious lunatic. Not average crazy, but full force crazy. I was shocked when people did not know this or that they made excuses for him. Guy is a grade A nutjob, liar, moron.
-
i've always considered carson to be a highly medicated businessman.
He used religion more as a recruitment tool. An ACTUAL religious person wouldn't have just MADE UP all those little lies like he did, since that would be a sin. Carson just made up stories on the fly, these little parables to show he related to things. Restaurant robberies at gunpoint that magically were never reported, for example.
I think, like Obama, Carson isn't really all that religious - he just exploits the highly religious because they need more role models to support in a field full of snakey Trumps and Rubios.
-
This isn't an emotional decision for me. That's not how I make substantive decisions.
I'm also looking at the numbers. Trump has a sizeable number of Obamabot-like true believers, but an even greater number who don't like him. He is being propped up by the MSM (Fox News included), but will be taking all sorts of body blows from the MSM if he is the nominee. It's a total setup. And remember what happened in 2012? Romney lost primarily because Republican voters stayed home. That will happen to Trump.
What's crazy is Hillary is wounded, might get indicted, is now incredibly vulnerable, and Republicans might nominate the one guy who will have almost a guaranteed loss in November.
I try not to say never, but absent some kind of brain injury, I cannot imagine a scenario where I vote for Trump.
Foxnews hates Trump. They've been trying to tank him constantly for months. There's tons of antiTrump articles every day in the MSM. Rubio or any establishment replican of the Caddyshack Judge Smails variety is their choice.
Ted Cruz did eat a booger like Spaulding at the last debate though.
-
i've always considered carson to be a highly medicated businessman.
He used religion more as a recruitment tool. An ACTUAL religious person wouldn't have just MADE UP all those little lies like he did, since that would be a sin. Carson just made up stories on the fly, these little parables to show he related to things. Restaurant robberies at gunpoint that magically were never reported, for example.
I think, like Obama, Carson isn't really all that religious - he just exploits the highly religious because they need more role models to support in a field full of snakey Trumps and Rubios.
He believes the lies he makes up to some degree. He has been doing this his entire life. Its not a new behavior at all.
Carson IS EXTREMELY religious. Did you not see pictures of the inside of his house? He has ALWAYS been highly religious. Why make excuses for him?
-
He believes the lies he makes up to some degree. He has been doing this his entire life. Its not a new behavior at all.
Carson IS EXTREMELY religious. Did you not see pictures of the inside of his house? He has ALWAYS been highly religious. Why make excuses for him?
I'm not making excuses - I think most super religious people DO NOT have a portrait of them with Jesus in bath robes, or whatever he had there.
I think he had that made so he could really PROVE to people hoe religious he was.
He made up a LOT of little lies along the way. His life was just packed with these little parables, these little events that didn't really happen and taught a lesson and showed he learned wisdom. Unless, of course, he felt it was cool to just make shit up because it taught a lesson, who knows. He lied nonstop tho.
-
Trump won Louisiana by only 3 points. Hey, a victory is still a victory, right? Not in these primaries. It's all about momentum and racking up big margins. And Trump was winning in early voting 55 to 22... and lost the same-day vote! He escaped with (so far) a single delegate more than Cruz.
Meanwhile, in Kansas, Trump was supposed to win Kansas. After his crappy debate performance, he raced to Kansas to seal the deal, canceling a CPAC conference to rally Kansas voters. He failed miserably. Despite leading by 6 to 12 points in the polls, he lost by 25.
Maine was supposed to be such a walk in the park for Trump that no-one even bothered polling. Trump had won New Hampshire by 23 and Massachusetts by 31. Unlike those states, he didn't get clobbered by tens of millions of dollars of ads, and had the endorsement of the governor. He ended up losing by 14.
Trump is polling disastrously poorly in the general election, losing badly to Clinton in the same polls that show Rubio and Trump winning... and that was before he denounced by Romney, defeated by Cruz in elections, and humiliated at the debates. Even if he ends up winning the most delegates, it's getting hard to see how he wins a majority. The likely outcome ... even if he stanches the bleeding ... is a brokered convention, which he will certainly lose.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3405696/posts
-
No matter what, the GOP nominee arrives bloodied and probably low on $.
Just. As. Clintons. Planned. It. ;)
-
Trump won Louisiana by only 3 points. Hey, a victory is still a victory, right? Not in these primaries. It's all about momentum and racking up big margins. And Trump was winning in early voting 55 to 22... and lost the same-day vote! He escaped with (so far) a single delegate more than Cruz.
Meanwhile, in Kansas, Trump was supposed to win Kansas. After his crappy debate performance, he raced to Kansas to seal the deal, canceling a CPAC conference to rally Kansas voters. He failed miserably. Despite leading by 6 to 12 points in the polls, he lost by 25.
Maine was supposed to be such a walk in the park for Trump that no-one even bothered polling. Trump had won New Hampshire by 23 and Massachusetts by 31. Unlike those states, he didn't get clobbered by tens of millions of dollars of ads, and had the endorsement of the governor. He ended up losing by 14.
Trump is polling disastrously poorly in the general election, losing badly to Clinton in the same polls that show Rubio and Trump winning... and that was before he denounced by Romney, defeated by Cruz in elections, and humiliated at the debates. Even if he ends up winning the most delegates, it's getting hard to see how he wins a majority. The likely outcome ... even if he stanches the bleeding ... is a brokered convention, which he will certainly lose.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3405696/posts
Trump probably peaked 2 weeks ago. But I think we'd all be shocked if he loses FL or OH.
LOL if he gets juuuuust enough delegates to win it. He gets 51%, the party hates him, the repubs lose a shitload of congressional seats with the anti-Trump sentiment... and clinton wins easily.
-
Delegate count after "Super Saturday" (and Sunday):
Donald Trump 384
Ted Cruz 300
Marco Rubio 151
John Kasich 37
Ben Carson 8
Jeb Bush 4
Carly Fiorina 1
Mike Huckabee 1
Rand Paul 1
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/presidential-primary-caucus-results
-
Ben Stein: Trump is 'dangerously misinformed'
By Ashley Young, CNN
March 2, 2016 | Video Source: CNN
(CNN)Conservative commentator Ben Stein on Wednesday said that he would not vote for GOP front-runner Donald Trump and even highlighted Democratic candidates that he liked.
"I went to law school with Mrs. (Hillary) Clinton, so I've always had a kind of fondness for her," said Stein, a former speechwriter for Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, told CNN's Carol Costello.
Stein, whose career also includes stints as an attorney, actor and game show host, said Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' proposed universal health care proposal was well-intentioned. Stein recalled writing a memo in the Nixon administration advocating similar goals.
On the 2016 White House race Stein said he "would like to see it to be a Republican. I've never voted for a Democrat, but Mr. Trump I think is dangerously misinformed. I like him, but he's dangerously misinformed," Stein said.
Stein did defend Trump over the recent firestorm that ensued after not initially disavowing the Ku Klux Klan's support. Trump's response to the incident is being mischaracterized by GOP presidential rival Marco Rubio.
"I love Marco Rubio, but I think he's really hanging an albatross around Mr. Trump's neck that doesn't deserve to be there. Mr. Trump definitely did disavow the Ku Klux Klan and to say otherwise is simply not true."
Still, Stein seemed to leaning toward backing the Florida senator.
"If I could just snap my fingers and have anyone, it would be Marco Rubio," Stein said. "But I think he's been a little bit disingenuous lately."
Stein also said that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's endorsement of Trump -- the highest GOP establishment figure to do so -- would lead the Republican party down the wrong path. The results could rival GOP nominee Barry Goldwater's epic defeat in 1964 at the hands of President Lyndon Johnson.
"I think he made a mistake getting on the Trump bandwagon," he said. "And I just hope that bandwagon does not drag the whole party out to sea and sink us like the Goldwater bandwagon did when I was a young man. I don't want to see that happen again to the Republican Party, but I'm afraid that's what's coming down the road."
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/02/politics/ben-stein-donald-trump-misinformed/?iid=ob_article_footer_expansion&iref=obinsite
-
Orlando Sentinel Endorsement: Rubio 'Could Be Last Chance' to Stop Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c242504c-82a6-4fea-9c74-c9495deac9f1&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Orlando Sentinel Endorsement: Rubio 'Could Be Last Chance' to Stop Trump (Wire Services Photo)
By Cathy Burke | Friday, 04 Mar 2016
Sen. Marco Rubio "could be the last chance" for Florida voters to throw up a roadblock" to GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's trek to the nomination, the Orlando Sentinel says in an endorsement of the Florida lawmaker.
"We recommend Florida Republicans cast their ballots for another Sunshine State leader," the editorial board writes."Unlike Trump, Rubio has the knowledge and judgment to be president."
The newspaper's nod was the second in Florida in as many days. On Thursday, the Miami Herald endorsed Rubio, calling him a "consistent favorite among traditional conservative organizations."
In the Sentinel endorsement – which was at least as much an anti-Trump attack – the paper argues the brash billionaire's popularity is based on his status as an "outsider," but that his judgment can't be trusted.
"Trump also has trouble with the truth," the editorial board writes. "Politifact analyzed 77 statements from him in 2015 and rated three-quarters as mostly false, false or pants-on-fire lies."
The newspaper added its disapproval of Trump's remarks against Mexican immigrants, Muslims, "people with disabilities and prisoners of war" and women.
And the paper said lack of details for Trump's policy plans contrasts with Rubio's focus on budget deficits free trade that "generates thousands of jobs and billions of economic activity in the Sunshine State."
The paper also took a swipe at contender Sen. Ted Cruz, calling him an "ideologue known for leading the 2013 government shutdown. He's so toxic that not even one of his Senate colleagues has stepped forward to endorse him. Nor would we."
Florida's primary is March 15.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/orlando-sentinel-endorses-marco-rubio-stop/2016/03/04/id/717566/#ixzz42F5Cnu8F
-
Ben Shapiro Explains Why He’ll ‘Never’ Vote for Trump
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2016/02/Trump-Wins-Nevada-JOHN-GURZINSKI-Getty-640x480.jpg)
JOHN GURZINSKI/GettyJOHN GURZINSKI/Getty
by BREITBART NEWS
5 Mar 2016
On Friday, Breitbart News editor-at-large and DailyWire.com editor-in-chief announced that he would never vote for Donald Trump.
While co-hosting his KRLA 870 AM and KTIE 590 AM radio shows in Southern California, Shapiro said:
As you know, I’ve been agonizing on air over whether I would ever vote for Donald Trump. And I’m starting to come down firmly in the #NeverTrump camp. I will never vote for this man. I will not pull the lever for this man. I will not pull the lever for him in a general election or in a primary. It’s not going to happen. And the reason is that if conservatives never say “no” at some point, then they’re never going to have the opportunity to say “yes.” Because the logic of the Republican Party is, “the conservatives are going to be forced to vote for whomever we choose, that whomever we put out there, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)36%
or Mitt Romney or Donald Trump, we’re going to put that person out there and we’re just going to make you vote for that person because they’re better than Hillary Clinton, or better than Barack Obama.” If you don’t say no at some point, gang, you’re never going to get a nominee to whom you can actually proudly stand up and say yes. You’re always going to be the sucker, because they can just take your vote for granted.
Asked later in the show about the possibility of Hillary being elected if conservatives failed to show up for Trump, Shapiro stated:
Am I willing to risk a Hillary presidency not to vote for Trump? The answer is yes. The reason the answer is yes is because I am not going to watch the only party that has a possibility of reflecting conservatism descend into this. I’m just not going to do it. I’m not going to be complicit in the death of the conservative movement at the hands of Donald Trump. If we’re going to have an opposition, let it be the opposition, let us not be our own opposition. I thought this whole battle was about taking the party back from the establishment. And so the idea is that we’re now going to hand it over to the one person who is going to destroy – he’s not going to destroy the establishment – but destroy the possibility of conservatism? In 1964, Republicans lost badly to Lyndon Baines Johnson. Without that happening, there is no Ronald Reagan. In 1976, they rebelled against Gerald Ford. Without that happening, there is no Ronald Reagan. So, if we actually want to have a conservative leader at any point in the future, not just an Arnold Schwarzenegger Republican, at some point we’re going to have to stand up on our hind legs and say no. And it seems to me starting with the guy who’s happy to appeal to a bunch of people who like the KKK, that starting with the guy who’s happy to talk about the size of his genitalia on national television and endorse Planned Parenthood, that starting with the guy who has undermined every conservative principle at some point during this race, that might be a good place to start. Because otherwise, your vote as a conservative doesn’t matter. Listen, if all you do is every four years, you just pull the lever for the guy who’s the least of two available options, the least bad of two available options, if that’s all you do, you’re never going to get somebody you actually like. All you’re going to have is the best of two bad options, and then the country just slides toward the cliff at 30 mph as opposed to 60.
Later in the day, at Daily Wire, Shapiro posted an essay on his decision to support the #NeverTrump movement:
I will never vote for Donald Trump because I stand with certain principles. I stand with small government and free markets and religious freedom and personal responsibility. Donald Trump stands against all of these things. He stands for Planned Parenthood and trade restrictions and targeting of political enemies and an anti-morality foreign policy and government domination of religion and nastiness toward women and tacit appeals to racism and unbounded personal power. I stand with the Constitution of the United States, and its embedded protection of my God-given rights through governmental checks and balances. Donald Trump does not. I stand with conservatism. Donald Trump stands against it…. Why in the world would conservatives live with President Hillary Clinton on their consciences?
Because first, it’s not on our consciences. It’s on the consciences of the people who went along with this nomination. We did not select Trump. We will not vote for him.
And if we are going to save the country, it will not rest on one or two justices on the Supreme Court. It will rest on the will of the people to resist tyranny. That will start at the state and local level. It will start with the people.
It will start with conservatives willing to say “no.”….
In every election cycle, the establishment insists that we unify behind a candidate who does not reflect conservatism because elections are always a choice between the two worst options. They blackmail conservatives into supporting candidates who undermine the message and morality of our mission. Now Trump does the same. The establishment created the Donald Trump phenomenon with their “best of two bad options” logic, and now Trump is using that logic to destroy conservatism openly. The establishment doesn’t object to Trumpism. They only object to Trump. Strip the drunken boor antics from Trump, and you’ve got John McCain who will lie transparently to pander to the populist wing….
Now is the time to say no.
“No” is a useful tool. If conservatives don’t say “no” to Nelson Rockefeller in 1964, there is no Ronald Reagan. If conservatives don’t say “no” to Gerald Ford in 1976 and George H.W. Bush in 1980, there is no Ronald Reagan. And if we don’t say “no” to Donald Trump now, we will continue drifting ever further left, diluting conservatism into the vacillating, demagogic absurdity of Trumpism. Conservatism will become the crypto-racist, pseudo-strong, quasi-tyrannical, toxic brew leftists have always accused it of being.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/05/ben-shapiro-explains-why-hell-never-vote-for-trump/
-
Wash Post: Rubio Campaign in 'Meltdown'
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c20204b0-761c-4ab2-97d0-fa65ad1dc046&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Wash Post: Rubio Campaign in 'Meltdown' (Getty Images)
By Loren Gutentag | Monday, 07 Mar 2016
Despite picking up a series of high-profile endorsements in Kansas on Friday, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio finished a disappointing third in the state's caucus on Saturday, and according to The Washington Post, Rubio backers bemoaned the results, as well as the campaign that produced them.
"I felt I had a dog in the fight, and it hurt me personally when I thought we were going to win," said Republican Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, another state where Rubio came in behind candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.
"The thing is, when Rubio was there, the enthusiasm was so great, better than the others. He had a great reception. If everything had been equal in terms of appearances and organization, he would have won Oklahoma."
Although Rubio backers stand firmly on their belief that Trump would be a political disaster if he won the nomination, many do not believe the Florida senator or his campaign is doing enough to win against the real estate mogul.
While Rubio has lost 18 out of 20 nominating contests so far, he is banking on his ability to win his home state's 99 delegates.
However, according the Post, "even if he prevails in Florida's winner-take-all contest, it will be difficult for him to secure enough delegates before the party convention in July, meaning he would have to try to win the nomination in an unpredictable floor fight."
"They have no infrastructure," said Scott Reed, the chief political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"His campaign hasn't been able to keep up with his candidacy . . . They don't have the operation in the states to help him get over the top. He should be a finalist going all the way to California, and he's not."
According to recent polls, Rubio still trails Trump in Florida, however, with just $5.1 million in his campaign account at the beginning of February, "Rubio is relying on super PACs to air millions of dollars in attack ads against the front-runner," reports the Post.
In terms of the money spent for TV ads on Super Saturday, CNN reports that Rubio has spent nearly twice as much in TV advertising per vote as all other candidates combined.
While Rubio spent $1.46 per vote, it seems reasonable until compared with other candidates — Republican and Democratic — with the second highest amount spent 48 cents per vote in Sen. Bernie Sander's campaign.
Among Rubio backers, there is disagreement regarding his decision to aggressively attack Trump.
While some believe the attacks are damaging Rubio's image, Rubio's senior adviser told the Post that "we would be more than happy to check the insults at the door and focus on policy and focus on each candidate's vision for the future of the country, but if the price we have to pay to get the media to cover the substance of our campaign is to mix it up a little bit, then we're not opposed to doing that."
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., added, "I think it's important to stay on topic and stay on the policy contrasts and differences . . . I just don't think the substantive criticisms of Trump have really come out as much as they should," Scott continued.
"I understand the role the president plays in the world. You can't be a showman."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Washington-Post-Rubio-Campaign-Meltdown/2016/03/07/id/717823/#ixzz42F6e651v
-
Wash Post: Rubio Campaign in 'Meltdown'
I think it boiled down to his lack of conservative values.
-
Somewhat consistent with Silver's current projection which has Trump up by 3.6 percent.
Monmouth Poll: Trump Leads Rubio in Florida
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=b8953afe-6a0d-4668-8a49-ffbbee88150f&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Monmouth Poll: Trump Leads Rubio in Florida Donald Trump (Photo by RHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images)
By Cathy Burke | Monday, 07 Mar 2016
Sen. Marco Rubio is closing the gap with GOP presidential primary front-runner Donald Trump in a likely make-or-break primary contest for the Florida lawmaker in his home state, a new poll shows.
In the Monmouth University survey released Monday, Trump is leading Rubio by 8 points.
Here's the breakdown: •Trump: 38 percent
•Rubio: 30 percent
•Texas Sen. Ted Cruz: 17 percent
•Ohio Gov. John Kasich: 10 percent
A Public Policy Polling survey last month gave the real estate billionaire a 20 point margin over Rubio, as did One America News Network and Gravis Marketing poll.
Florida's contest March 15 is a winner-take-all race for 99 delegates — and one that could re-ignite or stifle Rubio's primary run.
According to the new poll, Rubio leads the front-runner among the approximate 1 in 5 voters who have already cast their ballots, 48 percent to 23 percent.
"Rarely will you hear a poll called 'good news' for a candidate when it has him down 8 points in his home state, but this really is the most encouraging news Rubio's had in ages," the website HotAir.com writes in a commentary.
"And the best news anti-Trumpers have had since, well, Saturday afternoon."
The commentary points out Rubio's impressive lead in the early voting is "way, way off from what most people expect."
"It's Trump who's supposed to be cleaning up in the early vote, not Rubio," HotAir.com writes. "Trump's the one who's been leading in the polls there for months and Trump's the one with the most enthusiastic voters. If anyone's banking votes early, you'd expect it to be him."
Trump leads among those who haven't voted yet, 42 percent to 26 percent.
In a hypothetical head-to-head vote between Trump and Rubio in Florida, Trump edges out Rubio 47 percent to 45 percent, according to the poll.
"Rubio is within shooting distance in his home state with a week to go in this volatile nomination contest," Patrick Murray, director of the university's Polling Institute says in a statement. "It is telling, though, that Rubio is not even the clear victor in a direct face off with Trump…"
The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/trump-leads-rubio-florida/2016/03/07/id/717909/#ixzz42GB9hXVT
-
Definitely on the ropes. Interesting to note the ad blitz by Romney in 2012 and whether Rubio can duplicate that effort.
Donors Having Second Thoughts as Marco Rubio Approaches Florida Primary
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2016/03/GettyImages-513897612-640x480.jpg)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
by Breitbart News
7 Mar 2016
TAMPA, Florida (AP) — Just when Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) needs them the most, big-dollar contributors from the party’s wealthy main stream are having second thoughts about his future in the 2016 race.
Fresh misgivings about Rubio’s path forward are the latest – and potentially the most debilitating – in a series of obstacles that threatens the Florida senator’s future in this rollercoaster Republican campaign.
“Super Tuesday came and Rubio didn’t do as well as some of us hoped. So people are saying, ‘Let’s see how this thing shakes out,'” said Craig Duchossois, who contributed $500,000 last year to a group that backed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
“I’m holding back,” the Chicago-based investor said of his own plans.
Despite flashes of potential in recent weeks, Rubio has struggled to reconnect with the tea party voters who made him a favorite during their national breakthrough six years ago, instead watching them flock to presidential rivals Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Rubio campaign officials concede that Rubio likely cannot remain in the race without winning in Florida, where public polls show him second to Trump. Rubio’s team says the campaign’s polling shows the race tightening, with Trump leading by single digits, slightly less than recent public polling.
Rubio, elected to the Senate in 2010, also has not fully harnessed the financial muscle of the GOP old-guard eager to derail Trump, despite the shift in focus by many to Rubio after Bush quit the race last month.
The result is a Catch-22 for Rubio, who needs the money to win the March 15 primary in his home state of Florida, while donors wait out those results for signs of his long-term viability.
“We’ll see what happens on next Tuesday in Florida,” said Ron Gidwitz, another Chicago GOP donor who turned from Bush to Rubio. “We’ll see how real he is at that point.”
Rubio had about $5 million in available cash at the beginning of last month, less than half of what Cruz had on hand. Trump has said he can afford to finance his own campaign, though he has received contributions.
Duchossois and Gidwitz were among a wave of main stream GOP donors who moved quickly to Rubio when Bush quit the race on Feb. 20 after failing to meet expectations in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Rubio, on the other hand, finished in strong third in Iowa, rebounded from a disappointing fifth-place showing in New Hampshire to grab second place in South Carolina, feeding the GOP establishment’s hopes.
And yet Rubio’s momentum stalled again in the days leading up to March, when 11 states held Republican nominating contests. Afterward, Rubio turned from only indirectly critiquing Trump for months to an all-out assault on the businessman’s character and ethics, as well as his appearance and manliness.
Duchossois and others who pinned their hopes to him said they were turned off by Rubio’s taunts, including calling Trump’s “the worst spray tan in America” and equating Trump’s disproportionately small hands with his manhood.
“You just don’t do that,” said Bill Kunkler, another Chicago Republican who backed Bush but stopped short of the pivot to Rubio. “In Rubio, I don’t see the presidential gravitas.”
Some potential Rubio donors are also concerned that Rubio can’t generate sufficient momentum for Florida based on his victories so far: Minnesota’s lightly attended March 1 caucuses and the Puerto Rico primary on Sunday.
Rubio ceremonially relaunched his two-week campaign in Florida on March 1, and vowed he would never yield to pressure to step aside for Trump, especially in Florida where he was speaker of the state House before seeking the 2010 Senate seat.
Rubio insists he feels “real good about the map as we move forward,” telling the Associated Press Sunday he believes voters across the GOP spectrum want “an optimistic message of conservatism,” not just the “anger and frustration” Trump has tapped.
Rubio campaign officials also have said Florida races can swing quickly, especially when backed by a sustained advertising blitz. They point to the 2012 GOP primary when eventual nominee Mitt Romney surged past Newt Gingrich in part on the strength of $8.8 million in anti-Gingrich ads by a pro-Romney group.
Heading into the week, the top Republican advertiser in Florida was Conservative Solutions PAC, a group promoting Rubio, which this month planned to spend more than $4 million attacking Trump. Three other anti-Trump groups plan to spend a combined $4 million attacking the billionaire front runner before the March 15 primary.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/07/campaign-donors-having-second-thoughts-as-marco-rubio-approaches-florida-primary/
-
Foxnews hates Trump. They've been trying to tank him constantly for months. There's tons of antiTrump articles every day in the MSM. Rubio or any establishment replican of the Caddyshack Judge Smails variety is their choice.
Ted Cruz did eat a booger like Spaulding at the last debate though.
That's not what I've seen. They have given him a platform for months. His appearances on Greta's and Hannity's shows are like infomercials. Other programs let him call in all the time. They actually helped legitimize him.
-
He's right.
Cruz: Media is sitting on bombshells about Donald Trump
By Rebecca Savransky
March 06, 2016
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/cruzted_trumpdonald_021816gn.jpg?itok=O5BDa5G5)
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) said on Sunday that the media is sitting on explosive negative information about front-runner Donald Trump with plans to run it later in the year to tear the candidate apart.
"I think an awful lot of reporters — I can't tell you how many media outlets I hear, you know, have this great exposé on Donald, on different aspects of his business dealings or his past, but they said, 'You know what? We're going to hold it to June or July,'" Cruz said on CBS's "Face The Nation" Sunday.
"We're not going to run it now."
Cruz said the media has given the front-runner "hundreds of millions of dollars of free advertising." Every press conference Trump has is shown on every television station, he said, noting the media helped create this "phenomenon."
"And all of the attacks on Donald that the media is not talking about now, you'd better believe come September, October, November — if he were the nominee — every day on the nightly news would be taking Donald apart," he said.
Cruz called out the media, saying one of the reasons they want Trump to be the eventual nominee is because they know he can't beat Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.
"Hillary would wallop him," Cruz said.
"Donald may be the only person on the face of the planet that Hillary Clinton can beat."
Cruz addressed the fact that people haven't brought up the issue of Trump's tax returns recently, questioning why it wasn't mentioned during the recent Republican debate.
"As Mitt Romney rightly observed, the fact that Donald won't hand over his tax returns suggests there's a bombshell in there," Cruz said.
He also called out journalists for not talking more about what Trump may have told The New York Times editorial board in an off-the-record portion of an interview. The Times recently refused to release an audio recording from an off-the-record meeting with Trump in which some speculated the front-runner talked about immigration.
Research and data will make 2016 a year that changes political marketing for generations to come. Read More
When the general election comes, Cruz said Trump will be the "singular focus of the media."
"And I think Republicans, we've been burned by that before," Cruz said.
"We're not interested in losing again, particularly when the stakes, I think, are catastrophic."
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271975-cruz-media-is-sitting-on-bombshells-about-donald-trump
-
Wow. Rubio Leads Trump BIG In Early Florida Voting
By: Jay Caruso | March 7th, 2016
(http://www.redstate.com/uploads/2016/03/Rubio-CPAC-620x342.jpg)
Polls are narrowing in Florida. While Joe Scarborough likes to tout PPP’s poll showing Donald Trump with a yuge 20 point lead over Rubio, recent polls show Rubio anywhere from 5-8 points behind with a week to go of campaigning.
Early voting is going to play a big part in this years decision and if Monmouth Polling is right. Rubio has a great head start in the early voting:
Marco Rubio has only claimed two victories so far, making the Sunshine State his make-or-break moment. The Monmouth University Poll finds the home state U.S. Senator currently trails Donald Trump by 8 points in Florida’s Republican primary.
Trump has support from 38% of likely primary voters compared to 30% who back Marco Rubio. Ted Cruz earns 17% support and John Kasich has 10%. Rubio actually leads Trump by 48% to 23% among the nearly 1-in-5 voters who have already cast their ballots in this “early vote” state. Trump has a 42% to 26% lead among those who have yet to vote.
One of things we have seen during this primary season is Donald Trump’s amazingly over inflated support in closed primaries. Louisiana was a perfect example of that. Prior to actual voting, Trump’s RCP average lead was nearly 16 points. He had a 3.5 point margin of victory.
People might be thinking, “Well so what, Caruso? A win is a win.” That’s true. Especially in Florida where the winner gets all 99 delegates.
That said, Rubio has a week to convince enough voters to get out there and support him. He’s going to have to do this amidst a Super PAC ad blitz from……Ted Cruz. Cruz doesn’t have a chance to win Florida. These ads are all about sinking Rubio against Trump at which point, Rubio would be forced to drop out. That remains to be seen. It’s impossible to predict almost anything this primary season.
Still, this early voting news is good for Rubio.
http://www.redstate.com/jaycaruso/2016/03/07/rubio-leads-trump-big-in-early-florida-voting/
-
The pledge was a pretty creepy tactic by Trump.
Trump: Hitler Salute Claim 'Ridiculous'
(http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/__NEW/2016-03-08T12-45-56-133Z--1280x720.nbcnews-video-reststate-640.jpg)
(MSNBC/"Morning Joe")
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Tuesday, 08 Mar 2016
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump Tuesday dismissed complaints that he made followers at a recent rally raise their hands in a resemblance of a Nazi salute as "ridiculous," saying that he'd just asked for a show of hands to see who would be voting for him.
"Boy, is that a stretch," Trump told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "That's amazing that that would even be brought up. Of course not. That's ridiculous. This is the first I've heard of it this morning. I was on the "Today" show and they mentioned it and I said, 'What is going on here?' I think it's ridiculous."
He explained that at his "massive" rallies, which attract 25,000 people or more, "we're having actually a great time considering the subject matter is not so good, meaning the country is not doing well."
And as part of that, Trump said he says, "jokingly, raise your hand if you want to, if you swear to endorse me and swear to go vote for me. And the entire place practically laughing and having a good time raises their hands. They're raising their hand in the form of a vote, not in the form of a salute. That is crazy. I can't believe that's even being posed."
Show host Joe Scarborough agreed on the program that the topic is "ridiculous," and called it an "overreach" to think that the show of hands was a salute, as the video of the event shows what had happened better than still photos have been released.
Trump also told "Today" that his supporters call on him to make a gesture as if he's being sworn in for the presidency.
The complaints about the photo come after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday compared Trump's language to that of dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, and said his campaign has hurt relations between the United States and Mexico.
Trump's "strident expressions that seek to propose very simple solutions," Nieto told the Excelsior newspaper in Mexico, and language such as Trump uses led to "very fateful scenes in the history of humanity.
Former Anti-Defamation League director Abe Foxman also said this week that he found the hand-raising disturbing, and that he thinks Trump is fully aware of the gesture's implications.
"It is a fascist gesture," Foxman told The Times of Israel. "He is smart enough — he always tells us how smart he is — to know the images that this evokes. Instead of asking his audience to pledge allegiance to the United States of America, which in itself would be a little bizarre, he's asking them to swear allegiance to him."
Further, Foxman said the gesture reminded him of salutes from Nazi rallies from the 1930s and 40s.
"As a Jew who survived the Holocaust, to see an audience of thousands of people raising their hands in what looks like the 'Heil Hitler' salute is about as offensive, obnoxious and disgusting as anything I thought I would ever witness in the United States of America," he told The Times.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Trump-Hitler-Salute-Claim-Ridiculous/2016/03/08/id/718020/#ixzz42KYPje2X
-
Definitely a concern. He is going to drive away more voters than he brings.
Fox News’ Bret Baier: Some Republicans Could Back Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump
MEDIA | By Brian Flood on March 7, 2016
“Listen, there are Republicans in Washington who are privately saying that already,” the host tells The Wrap
Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier said it’s possible that some Republicans will vote for Hillary Clinton just to stop Donald Trump from taking over the party.
“Listen, there are Republicans in Washington who are privately saying that already,” Baier told TheWrap on Monday. “Maybe some don’t publicly say it, but I think there are some who are that adamant about it who would.”
Baier will moderate Monday’s Democratic Town Hall, which is Clinton’s first appearance on the network in two years and Bernie Sanders’ first interview with Baier.
“Obviously, the never-Trump movement is trying to stop that from happening and trying to prevent him from getting to 1,237, the number of delegates needed,” Baier said. “But short of that and some kind of hail Mary at the Cleveland convention, there are definitely Republicans who are looking at that. … I think that, in the Republican party, it is a unifying force, if it is Hillary Clinton as the nominee, to find the Republican who can win and, so far, the Trump nomination seems to be steaming along.”
. . .
http://www.thewrap.com/fox-news-bret-baier-some-republicans-could-back-hillary-clinton-over-donald-trump/#sthash.1hLiOTe5.dpuf
-
He's right.
Cruz: Media is sitting on bombshells about Donald Trump
Remember when Ann Coulter went on MSNBC and announced John Edwards affair/love child? They shushed her. FOX wouldn't let her touch it. Everyone kept it quiet, so they could unleash it on Edwards right before the election, if he was the nominee. (I came on getbig and posted the story and everyone laughed because "if it was true, why isn't fox covering it?")
She tried so hard to get the media to touch the story - nobody would. Not just the "left" - FOX was waiting for it because the ratings bonanza of it happening as an October Surprise to the candidate (and not the veep potential a year earlier) was just too juicy.
I'm sure they're sitting on bombshell stories about trump - the dude bragged about sleeping with married women. Goodness knows how many women are out there ready to unleash on him with their versions of things.
-
Definitely a concern. He is going to drive away more voters than he brings.
Fox News’ Bret Baier: Some Republicans Could Back Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump
MEDIA | By Brian Flood on March 7, 2016
“Listen, there are Republicans in Washington who are privately saying that already,” the host tells The Wrap
Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier said it’s possible that some Republicans will vote for Hillary Clinton just to stop Donald Trump from taking over the party.
“Listen, there are Republicans in Washington who are privately saying that already,” Baier told TheWrap on Monday. “Maybe some don’t publicly say it, but I think there are some who are that adamant about it who would.”
Baier will moderate Monday’s Democratic Town Hall, which is Clinton’s first appearance on the network in two years and Bernie Sanders’ first interview with Baier.
“Obviously, the never-Trump movement is trying to stop that from happening and trying to prevent him from getting to 1,237, the number of delegates needed,” Baier said. “But short of that and some kind of hail Mary at the Cleveland convention, there are definitely Republicans who are looking at that. … I think that, in the Republican party, it is a unifying force, if it is Hillary Clinton as the nominee, to find the Republican who can win and, so far, the Trump nomination seems to be steaming along.”
. . .
http://www.thewrap.com/fox-news-bret-baier-some-republicans-could-back-hillary-clinton-over-donald-trump/#sthash.1hLiOTe5.dpuf
Donald Trump is more liberal than Hillary.
-
Definitely a concern. He is going to drive away more voters than he brings.
Fox News’ Bret Baier: Some Republicans Could Back Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump
MEDIA | By Brian Flood on March 7, 2016
“Listen, there are Republicans in Washington who are privately saying that already,” the host tells The Wrap
Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier said it’s possible that some Republicans will vote for Hillary Clinton just to stop Donald Trump from taking over the party.
“Listen, there are Republicans in Washington who are privately saying that already,” Baier told TheWrap on Monday. “Maybe some don’t publicly say it, but I think there are some who are that adamant about it who would.”
Baier will moderate Monday’s Democratic Town Hall, which is Clinton’s first appearance on the network in two years and Bernie Sanders’ first interview with Baier.
“Obviously, the never-Trump movement is trying to stop that from happening and trying to prevent him from getting to 1,237, the number of delegates needed,” Baier said. “But short of that and some kind of hail Mary at the Cleveland convention, there are definitely Republicans who are looking at that. … I think that, in the Republican party, it is a unifying force, if it is Hillary Clinton as the nominee, to find the Republican who can win and, so far, the Trump nomination seems to be steaming along.”
. . .
http://www.thewrap.com/fox-news-bret-baier-some-republicans-could-back-hillary-clinton-over-donald-trump/#sthash.1hLiOTe5.dpuf
That would be incredibly stupid. Hillary is the worst candidate possible.
-
Donald Trump is more liberal than Hillary.
Correct. He's keeping many positions 'secret' until he wins. I can't believe some repubs are dumb enough to fall for it.
-
What Went Down In The March 8 Presidential Primaries
2016 ELECTION UPDATED 12:58 AM MAR 8, 2016
NATE SILVER
Good Nights For Trump And Cruz
We’re calling it a night. (Well, sort of: Harry will have more about Bernie Sanders’s shocking win in Michigan in a separate article later on.) In the meantime, here are my initial thoughts on why the polls in Michigan, which had Clinton ahead by 21 percentage points, got things so wrong.
I’ll also be posting some extended thoughts about Marco Rubio, who obviously had a terrible evening. In fact, Rubio may not net any delegates from any of Michigan, Mississippi and Idaho, having failed to hit delegate thresholds in all three states. It appears that some of this reflects tactical voting — there were a lot of late-deciders for Kasich — rather than a total collapse of Rubio’s image. So perhaps, just perhaps, he can hold out hope of that tactical voting working in his favor in his home state, Florida. But it’s an awfully long parlay — he’ll have to overcome very skeptical media coverage this week, then somehow win Florida despite already having been behind in polls, and then overcome a huge delegate deficit (or win at a contested convention) even if he wins his home state. Anyway, more on what’s going wrong for Rubio later.
For the other three Republicans, things were reasonably in line with expectations (or at least, FiveThirtyEight’s expectations). But note that things being in line with expectations is basically good news for Trump since he’s currently leading the nomination race.
Trump wound up with 37 percent of the vote in Michigan, a good sign with three big Midwestern states, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, set to vote March 15. He ran especially strongly in southeastern Michigan, including in Macomb County, which was one famous for its “Reagan Democrats,” as well as in rural northern Michigan. There were still a few trouble signs — the exit poll showed Trump tying Cruz among women and losing to him in a hypothetical one-on-one matchup and (once again) faring mediocrely among late-deciders. But the results tonight take the notion that Trump was in some sort of free-fall largely off the table. He’s not invincible, but he won’t be easy to beat.
Trump also won Mississippi, getting 47 percent of the vote to 36 percent for Cruz. What’s the difference between Mississippi and Louisiana, which was closer? The difference may be that Mississippi was an open primary while Louisiana was a closed one, a factor to keep in mind going forward.
Cruz’s evening was reasonably good also, however, with two second-place finishes (very narrowly in Michigan ahead of Kasich) along with what looks like a fairly emphatic win in Idaho. He won’t lose many delegates to Trump — he’s down about 10 as I write this, with a chance to gain some back in Hawaii early this morning. Cruz had a reputation for being a regional candidate, but he now has won states in all four regions of the country: the Northeast (Maine), the Midwest (Iowa and Kansas), the South (Texas and Oklahoma) and the West (Idaho and Alaska). His chances look pretty good of emerging as the main challenger to Trump, much to the GOP establishment’s chagrin.
Kasich’s performance, on the surface, was somewhere between a par and a bogey. His final results in Michigan were in line with polling averages, although expectations were probably inflated in light of one poll that, in contradiction to the polling average, had Kasich winning Michigan. However, Kasich won’t pick up any delegates in Mississippi or Idaho. More to the point, he doesn’t really seem to have a plan to win the nomination without a contested convention and has admitted as much. Still, Kasich could possibly benefit from the fact that Rubio had an even worse night, especially given that Kasich seems more likely to win Ohio than Rubio is to win Florida.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/michigan-mississippi-idaho-hawaii-primaries-presidential-election-2016/#livepress-update-20072287
-
Good summary of why Rubio is getting his butt kicked.
Marco Rubio Never Had A Base
By NATE SILVER
MAR 9, 2016
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/ap_980387957527.jpg?w=1150)
Marco Rubio speaks at a campaign rally in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on Tuesday.
GARY MCCULLOUGH / AP
Except in the improbable event that he comes back to win the Republican nomination, Marco Rubio is likely to become a political idiom. As Mike Huckabee is synonymous with a candidate who wins Iowa on the basis of evangelical support but can’t expand beyond that, or Fred Thompson is a stand-in for a candidate who launches his campaign too late, a “Rubioesque” candidate will be one who is everyone’s second choice.
For a long time, polls have shown Rubio as perhaps the most broadly acceptable candidate within the Republican field, with high favorability ratings1 and competitive performances in hypothetical one-on-one matchups against Donald Trump. But Rubio has just about 20 percent of the Republican vote so far and has won only Minnesota and Puerto Rico. Hawaii results are still pending as I write this, but he did terribly everywhere else on Tuesday and will probably fail to receive any delegates from Michigan, Mississippi or Idaho.
Data like this can produce cognitive dissonance. At times during the campaign, Rubio perpetually seemed to be either overrated or underrated, depending on who was doing the rating. But there’s nothing inherently contradictory about it. If Trump is the candidate with a high floor of support but perhaps a relatively low ceiling, Rubio is the opposite, with a lot of potential supporters but a low floor — he doesn’t have much of a base.
Increasingly, that potential looks as though it will go unrealized. But I want to back up and consider why Rubio is in this predicament. I won’t focus on recent strategic decisions made by his campaign, such as his potty humor directed at Trump, insofar as these decisions are more the effect of his problems (when you’re losing, it’s rational to employ high-risk strategies) than the cause of them. Instead, I see three main issues for Rubio that have dated back to the start of his campaign:
Problem No. 1: Rubio hasn’t built up a lot of voter loyalty.
It’s not my job to judge the candidates’ credentials, but I sympathize with Republicans who think Rubio’s are a little light. As a first-term senator at a time of political gridlock, he hasn’t gotten much legislation passed: According to the Thomas database, the only bill to have become law of which Rubio was the main sponsor is the Girls Count Act of 2015. His most high-profile legislative effort, on immigration reform, ended in failure. Rubio did have some accomplishments as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, although he hasn’t talked about them much on the campaign trail. Perhaps that’s because Rubio is wary of drawing comparisons to Barack Obama, who, likewise, was a first-term U.S. senator and a former state legislator when he sought the presidency.
But Rubio didn’t replicate Obama’s success in one important way. Whereas Obama built a gigantic ground operation from the earliest stages of his campaign, Rubio failed to develop much of one. That contributes toward a low floor. If you’re not contacting voters personally, they aren’t all that invested in you, and although they may come your way from time to time, they also may abandon you at the first sign of trouble.
Also unlike Obama, Rubio didn’t receive all that much media exposure. Instead, like every other Republican candidate, he was overshadowed by Trump, who got nine times as much coverage on network news as Rubio did in 2015. Without that vetting having taken place earlier in the campaign, Republicans are learning a lot about Rubio as they’re already in the midst of voting, contributing to the volatility in his political standing.
Problem No. 2: Trying to be everything to everyone isn’t easy.
You may remember our old friend the Republican “five-ring circus” diagram, which depicts the overlapping constituencies that the Republican candidates seek to win votes from. From the start, we’ve put Rubio in the “establishment” circle, thinking he’s too far removed from his days as a tea-party-backed candidate to still qualify as one.
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/silver-gop-five-ring-circus-liveblog-03031.png?w=1150&h=578)
The establishment circle is a special place, however. It’s not that there are literally all that many establishment voters (except, maybe, in the northern Virginia suburbs, where Rubio performed well). Instead, the more successful establishment candidates seek to be consensus candidates, keeping the peace with some or all party factions. Consider Mitt Romney, who was elected governor in Massachusetts as a pragmatic moderate, then ran as a movement conservative in the Republican race of 2008 and then was somewhere in between those things when he was nominated in 2012. Or Obama, who in 2008 ran as a “post-partisan” candidate to some Democratic voters and as a progressive hero to others.
Such candidates can be accused of shape-shifting or flip-flopping, but they often capture their party’s nomination. Such a strategy requires a lot of political dexterity, however. Not only do you have to stay “on message,” you have to sustain multiple messages to multiple audiences. (Trump, although hardly a consensus candidate, has some of this ability.) It helps to have surrogates vouching for you to different constituencies, something Rubio didn’t have a lot of until recently. And it helps to have enough media exposure to avoid being typecast in one role, something Rubio hasn’t had all that much of in Trump’s shadow.
Problem No. 3: Rubio’s cosmopolitan image is an odd match for his conservative politics.
The Republican race is tricky to map demographically, especially in comparison to the Democratic one. Trump’s best congressional districts so far, according to data that my colleague Aaron Bycoffe and I have collected, include such diverse places as NV-1 (Las Vegas), AL-4 (rural northwest Alabama) and MA-9 (far eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod).
Rubio’s best districts have a bit more in common. Here are the five congressional districts where he received the largest share of the vote through Super Tuesday:
TX-33: A highly Democratic district covering parts of Dallas and its suburbs.
MN-5: A highly Democratic district covering parts of Minneapolis and its suburbs.
GA-5: An extremely Democratic district covering parts of Atlanta and its suburbs.
MN-4: A highly Democratic district covering parts of St. Paul, Minnesota, and its suburbs.
VA-8: A highly Democratic district in northern Virginia, covering the Washington suburbs.
Now, if Rubio were a moderate or liberal Republican (or a conservative running in moderate garb, like John Kasich), this is pretty much what you’d expect to see. But he isn’t: Rubio’s voting record and issue positions are quite conservative, and he’s run as a conservative. Furthermore, although this has varied some from state to state, exit polls haven’t shown Rubio doing especially well with moderate voters; in South Carolina, for example, he won 23 percent of the vote from moderate Republicans, about the same as his share of the vote overall. It may be that Rubio’s most reliable voters are conservatives who live among liberals, a difficult group to build a base from.
The other thing we can tell about Rubio’s supporters is that they have high socioeconomic status, especially as measured by education. So do Kasich’s — whereas by contrast, Ted Cruz’s and especially Trump’s have lower incomes and education levels. Roughly speaking, you can plot the Republican candidates on a two-by-two grid that looks like this:
(https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/silver-republicanchoice-1.png?w=1150&h=527)
That chart is a simplification, of course, most notably because it implies that the four quadrants are equally sized when they probably aren’t. Trump, in particular, is proving that there’s a fairly large market for populism among Republicans and independents who vote in Republican primaries, especially those with lower socioeconomic status. Trump’s voters average out to being fairly moderate, although they aren’t conventionally so: From what we can tell, for instance, his voters don’t care very much about abortion or gay marriage, although they do care about immigration.
Rubio, by contrast, may be proving that there’s not all that large a market for what you might call an upscale or cosmopolitan conservative. Many voters in the near-in suburbs, Rubio’s best areas geographically, long ago left the Republican Party. Rubio might have the image to win them back — young, Hispanic, optimistic — but he doesn’t have the policies, being staunchly conservative on issues such as abortion and gay marriage. Likewise, while Rubio appears to do well among nonwhite Republicans, there are very few of them voting in the primaries, and Rubio has turned away from the moderate immigration positions that once might have won him more Latino support.
Rubio is also somewhat boxed in by Cruz and, to a perhaps underappreciated extent, Kasich. If Cruz weren’t in the race, there would be a scramble between Rubio and Trump for voters in the bottom-right corner of the chart, who have lower socioeconomic status but are highly conservative (and often very religious). Rubio might win it: He could position himself as the only true conservative in the race, and polls suggest that more Cruz supporters have Rubio as their second choice than Trump. If Kasich were out of the race, meanwhile, Rubio could pivot more toward the center — at an opportune time, given that the calendar is turning to blue and purple states. But with Cruz and Kasich still running — and in fact, seeming to gain ground in recent days — Rubio is back to where he started, as a lot of voters’ second choice.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/marco-rubio-never-had-a-base/
-
Current delegate count:
Trump - 461
Cruz - 360
Rubio - 154
Kasich - 54
Carson - 8
Bush - 4
Fiorina - 1
Huckabee - 1
Paul - 1
http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/parties/republican
-
Super Tuesday totals:
2,945,652 = Votes for Trump
5,409,738 = Votes for other candidates
Total:
3,265,867 = Votes for Trump
6,268,336 = Votes for other candidates
Results since Super Tuesday:
983,622 = Votes for Trump
1,541,001 = Votes for other candidates
Total:
4,249,489 = Votes for Trump
7,809,337 = Votes for other candidates
-
Link to the Florida debate:
Props to all four for being civil. Was sort of a breath of fresh air. But also more of the same in many respects, including:
- Cruz being solid.
- Rubio having another great performance.
- Kasich being minimized.
- Trump being an empty suit when it comes to policy.
-
You (and Fat Man) disappoint me Dr. Carson.
Trump rivals make last-ditch push to thwart front-runner
Published March 11, 2016
FoxNews.com
Donald Trump’s rivals tried to make the most of their final debate with the Republican presidential front-runner before next week's Super Tuesday II slate of primaries — with do-or-die contests for Marco Rubio and John Kasich in Florida and Ohio, respectively — but whether it changed minds or won over enough undecideds to influence the outcome remains to be seen.
First out of the gate Friday was Trump, who got the endorsement of former rival Dr. Ben Carson, who said he forgave Trump -- "the Christian thing to do" -- for any campaign attacks and praised him as a man whose public image belies his true character, describing him as a far more “cerebral” candidate than he’s given credit for. His endorsement appears to serve as a counterweight to Carly Fiorina coming out for Ted Cruz earlier this week.
At the Miami debate Thursday night, Trump summed up the reality, though, that Florida Sen. Rubio and Ohio Gov. Kasich face.
He said only “two of us” can get the delegates to win – meaning Trump and Cruz — and “two of us” cannot, referring to Rubio and Kasich.
“That is not meant to be a criticism … that’s just a mathematical fact,” Trump said, urging the party to “be smart and unify.”
Rubio and Kasich are vowing to win their home states, which dish out all their delegates to the primary night winner.
Donald Trump Endorsements | InsideGov
But even if they win, their paths to the nomination remain unclear – and their best angle may still be to try and deny Trump the delegates needed to clinch the nomination going into the convention in July.
But Trump strongly suggested that as early as next week, the GOP contest could winnow down to a two-man race.
The states holding primaries Tuesday are Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina.
The CNN-hosted debate Thursday saw Rubio change up his campaign approach once again – dialing back the personal attacks on Trump, which didn’t do much for his numbers in the most recent round of contests.
Instead, Rubio hit Trump on more substantive issues.
One of the most pointed debate clashes came over the diplomatic thaw with Cuba — a huge issue in Florida, host of the CNN debate and next week’s critical primary. Trump tangled with his rivals as he claimed he’s “in the middle” on the issue.
Trump said “something” should take place after a decades-long freeze, but, “I want to get a much better deal.”
“Here’s a good deal,” Rubio snapped back. “Cuba has free elections. Cuba stops putting people in jail.”
He – along with his rivals – did their best Thursday to draw distinctions between them and Trump.
Oftentimes, Trump seemed to lean on his “art of the deal” to explain his approach to global challenges. But it earned him criticism from the others on stage.
Cruz hammered Trump for suggesting he’d be able to re-negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran.
“I will rip to shreds this catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal,” Cruz countered.
Trump also took heat from Rubio and others as he defended his claim that “Islam hates us.”
The Republican front-runner said there’s “tremendous hatred” in the Muslim world and called for new laws to confront the threat.
“We better expand our laws or we’re being a bunch of suckers, and they are laughing at us,” Trump said.
But Rubio and Cruz both said “of course” they would not want to allow the targeting of family members of terror targets, as Trump has called for. And they chided him for his remarks.
“The answer is not scream all Muslims bad,” Cruz said.
“The problem is presidents can’t just say whatever they want,” Rubio said. “I’m not interested in being politically correct. … I’m interested in being correct.”
Trump’s rivals noted America must work with other Muslim nations to confront the ISIS threat.
For the most part, Trump and his three Republican presidential rivals held their personal fire Thursday night during their last debate before next Tuesday's primary in Florida – which votes alongside four other states.
Trump even remarked on the subdued tone: “So far I cannot believe how civil it’s been up here.”
"I think it was good that we had a substantive debate," Cruz told Fox News' Megyn Kelly. "The last two debates were pretty ridiculous [and] I was glad to see that nonsense ending."
Ohio Gov. Kasich also stressed at the debate that he’s run an “unwavering positive campaign” all along.
But on the domestic front, they did battle on the best way to save Social Security -- with Trump breaking from his competition by saying he'd leave it alone despite warnings it would start running out of money in two decades.
“I will do everything in my power not to touch Social Security,” Trump said. He said he’d instead get rid of waste, fraud and abuse — including by ensuring the government bids out contracts.
Rubio, though, said, “You’re still going to have hundreds of billions of dollars of deficit that you’re going to have to make up.” He called for gradually raising the retirement age to 70.
Cruz echoed that call, saying the program is “careening toward insolvency.”
“We need to see political courage to take this on and save and strengthen Social Security,” he said.
Kasich also called for changes, though not necessarily to the retirement age.
As Trump consolidates support and builds his delegate lead, though, he kicked off the debate with a pointed message to the so-called “Republican establishment,” effectively telling them to get on board with his campaign.
He started his opening statement by claiming his campaign is bringing in Democrats, independents and others in huge numbers to the polls.
“The Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what’s happening,” he said, addressing tension between his campaign and senior GOP leaders. “We are going to beat the Democrats.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/11/trump-rivals-make-last-ditch-push-to-thwart-front-runner.html?intcmp=hpbt2
-
You (and Fat Man) disappoint me Dr. Carson.
Trump rivals make last-ditch push to thwart front-runner
Published March 11, 2016
FoxNews.com
Donald Trump’s rivals tried to make the most of their final debate with the Republican presidential front-runner before next week's Super Tuesday II slate of primaries — with do-or-die contests for Marco Rubio and John Kasich in Florida and Ohio, respectively — but whether it changed minds or won over enough undecideds to influence the outcome remains to be seen.
First out of the gate Friday was Trump, who got the endorsement of former rival Dr. Ben Carson, who said he forgave Trump -- "the Christian thing to do" -- for any campaign attacks and praised him as a man whose public image belies his true character, describing him as a far more “cerebral” candidate than he’s given credit for. His endorsement appears to serve as a counterweight to Carly Fiorina coming out for Ted Cruz earlier this week.
At the Miami debate Thursday night, Trump summed up the reality, though, that Florida Sen. Rubio and Ohio Gov. Kasich face.
He said only “two of us” can get the delegates to win – meaning Trump and Cruz — and “two of us” cannot, referring to Rubio and Kasich.
“That is not meant to be a criticism … that’s just a mathematical fact,” Trump said, urging the party to “be smart and unify.”
Rubio and Kasich are vowing to win their home states, which dish out all their delegates to the primary night winner.
Donald Trump Endorsements | InsideGov
But even if they win, their paths to the nomination remain unclear – and their best angle may still be to try and deny Trump the delegates needed to clinch the nomination going into the convention in July.
But Trump strongly suggested that as early as next week, the GOP contest could winnow down to a two-man race.
The states holding primaries Tuesday are Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina.
The CNN-hosted debate Thursday saw Rubio change up his campaign approach once again – dialing back the personal attacks on Trump, which didn’t do much for his numbers in the most recent round of contests.
Instead, Rubio hit Trump on more substantive issues.
One of the most pointed debate clashes came over the diplomatic thaw with Cuba — a huge issue in Florida, host of the CNN debate and next week’s critical primary. Trump tangled with his rivals as he claimed he’s “in the middle” on the issue.
Trump said “something” should take place after a decades-long freeze, but, “I want to get a much better deal.”
“Here’s a good deal,” Rubio snapped back. “Cuba has free elections. Cuba stops putting people in jail.”
He – along with his rivals – did their best Thursday to draw distinctions between them and Trump.
Oftentimes, Trump seemed to lean on his “art of the deal” to explain his approach to global challenges. But it earned him criticism from the others on stage.
Cruz hammered Trump for suggesting he’d be able to re-negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran.
“I will rip to shreds this catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal,” Cruz countered.
Trump also took heat from Rubio and others as he defended his claim that “Islam hates us.”
The Republican front-runner said there’s “tremendous hatred” in the Muslim world and called for new laws to confront the threat.
“We better expand our laws or we’re being a bunch of suckers, and they are laughing at us,” Trump said.
But Rubio and Cruz both said “of course” they would not want to allow the targeting of family members of terror targets, as Trump has called for. And they chided him for his remarks.
“The answer is not scream all Muslims bad,” Cruz said.
“The problem is presidents can’t just say whatever they want,” Rubio said. “I’m not interested in being politically correct. … I’m interested in being correct.”
Trump’s rivals noted America must work with other Muslim nations to confront the ISIS threat.
For the most part, Trump and his three Republican presidential rivals held their personal fire Thursday night during their last debate before next Tuesday's primary in Florida – which votes alongside four other states.
Trump even remarked on the subdued tone: “So far I cannot believe how civil it’s been up here.”
"I think it was good that we had a substantive debate," Cruz told Fox News' Megyn Kelly. "The last two debates were pretty ridiculous [and] I was glad to see that nonsense ending."
Ohio Gov. Kasich also stressed at the debate that he’s run an “unwavering positive campaign” all along.
But on the domestic front, they did battle on the best way to save Social Security -- with Trump breaking from his competition by saying he'd leave it alone despite warnings it would start running out of money in two decades.
“I will do everything in my power not to touch Social Security,” Trump said. He said he’d instead get rid of waste, fraud and abuse — including by ensuring the government bids out contracts.
Rubio, though, said, “You’re still going to have hundreds of billions of dollars of deficit that you’re going to have to make up.” He called for gradually raising the retirement age to 70.
Cruz echoed that call, saying the program is “careening toward insolvency.”
“We need to see political courage to take this on and save and strengthen Social Security,” he said.
Kasich also called for changes, though not necessarily to the retirement age.
As Trump consolidates support and builds his delegate lead, though, he kicked off the debate with a pointed message to the so-called “Republican establishment,” effectively telling them to get on board with his campaign.
He started his opening statement by claiming his campaign is bringing in Democrats, independents and others in huge numbers to the polls.
“The Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what’s happening,” he said, addressing tension between his campaign and senior GOP leaders. “We are going to beat the Democrats.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/11/trump-rivals-make-last-ditch-push-to-thwart-front-runner.html?intcmp=hpbt2
Theyre jumping on the boat and riding the wave....
Upside-Trump Admin Cabinet Position
Downside- GOP Pariahs never to be taken seriously again..
-
I say at this point Rubio would be Trump's top pick for VP followed by Brother Carson then John Kasich.
-
Theyre jumping on the boat and riding the wave....
Upside-Trump Admin Cabinet Position
Downside- GOP Pariahs never to be taken seriously again..
I agree for the most part. Definitely trying to back a "winner."
-
They are, and it's still disgusting what they are willing to latch on to.
This really is hurting the Republican party more than they understand or see.
-
I say at this point Rubio would be Trump's top pick for VP followed by Brother Carson then John Kasich.
What a shitty lot to pick a VP from.
-
Theyre jumping on the boat and riding the wave....
Upside-Trump Admin Cabinet Position
Downside- GOP Pariahs never to be taken seriously again..
Were people like Carson and Palin ever taken seriously to start with?
-
Were people like Carson and Palin ever taken seriously to start with?
Carson... shit no
Palin... yes... before she started to talk and removed all doubt
-
Carson... shit no
Palin... yes... before she started to talk and removed all doubt
Carson was drafted to run and was actually the frontrunner for little while and polling very high when wasn't the frontrunner until after Iowa. The media hit job and Trump's dog whistles helped take him down.
-
Carson was drafted to run and was actually the frontrunner for little while and polling very high when wasn't the frontrunner until after Iowa. The media hit job and Trump's dog whistles helped take him down.
You sure it had nothing to do with his blatant lying and dumbassery? ???
-
You sure it had nothing to do with his blatant lying and dumbassery? ???
Of course not.
-
You sure it had nothing to do with his blatant lying and dumbassery? ???
the fake popeye robbery lol - - - -- what a liar Carson turned out to be.
crazy stupid lies, too. Just making up parables to explain his feelings on issues, all day long.
definitely had a disconnect from reality. And all the meds didn't help. You could tell he UP'd the antidepressant dose when he got in the national spotlight. He was stoned all the time.
I pity the zealot loyalists that left brains at home and supported Carson.
-
HAHAHAHA the fact that Carson turned out to be a compulsive liar didn't affect the way voters viewed him? HAHAHAHAHAHA
Yeah. Right. Anyone dumb enough to defend Carson is probably dumb enough to believe that too.
-
HAHAHAHA the fact that Carson turned out to be a compulsive liar didn't affect the way voters viewed him? HAHAHAHAHAHA
Yeah. Right. Anyone dumb enough to defend Carson is probably dumb enough to believe that too.
they excuse the lies because he's religious. "he must have his reasons".
-
they excuse the lies because he's religious. "he must have his reasons".
It's God's Will that he doesn't tell the truth.
-
The only thing that bugs me about Carson is that it "appears" that his endorsement was bought and paid for.
http://www.mediaite.com/election-2016/ben-carson-wishes-hed-endorsed-someone-else-says-trump-offered-him-admin-post/
-
The only thing that bugs me about Carson is that it "appears" that his endorsement was bought and paid for.
http://www.mediaite.com/election-2016/ben-carson-wishes-hed-endorsed-someone-else-says-trump-offered-him-admin-post/
but he said at least if trump wins, it'll only be 4 years of damage.
carson, palin... really a big mess surrounding trump here.
-
Rubio suspends campaign:
Great speech.
That said, this is a pretty spectacular failure. So much promise. A slew of endorsements. A ton of talent. Golden opportunity. The best person to face Hillary in November. Wasted it. He can now write a book on how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
-
So now Trump is encouraging anarchy. Dangerous times people.
Trump Warns 'You'd Have Riots' If He Loses Nomination With Delegate Lead
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=7468e5c3-304f-4607-bdfc-070507c83f43&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Trump Warns 'You'd Have Riots' If He Loses Nomination With Delegate Lead
Wednesday, 16 Mar 2016
Donald Trump predicted “riots” if Republican power-brokers deny him the presidential nomination in Cleveland even if he's leading in the delegate count.
The billionaire New York developer, who prevailed in three states that voted Tuesday, held a narrow lead in Missouri and lost Ohio, is faced with the prospect of a floor fight at the Republican convention if he's leading in delegates but falls short of a majority, 1,237.
“I think we’ll win before getting to the convention, but I can tell you, if we didn’t and if we’re 20 votes short or if we’re 100 short and we’re at 1,100 and somebody else is at 500 or 400 cause we’re way ahead of everybody, I don’t think you can say that we don’t get it automatically,” Trump said on CNN on Wednesday. “I think you’d have riots.”
“I wouldn’t lead it, but I think bad things would happen,” Trump said, adding the outcome would “disenfranchise” his supporters.
Ohio Governor John Kasich deprived Trump of a sweep on Tuesday by winning the Buckeye State. Senator Marco Rubio was beaten badly by Trump in Florida and suspended his campaign.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Trump-riots-GOP-convention/2016/03/16/id/719327/#ixzz43607qgDY
-
Rubio suspends campaign:
Great speech.
That said, this is a pretty spectacular failure. So much promise. A slew of endorsements. A ton of talent. Golden opportunity. The best person to face Hillary in November. Wasted it. He can now write a book on how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
What are you talking about? He's always been a whiney speaker. Never taken seriously. He only has a job in Florida because of he's Cuban and got Latin vote there. People fail to realize that Latino is not Latino. Mexicans don't care about Cubans and thinking just because he speaks their language that they would vote is a big mistake.
-
His base is eating this up.
They love this guy.
I hope now that Rubio is out that Kasich or Cruz also bow out and let someone else have those delegates.
Side note. Saw one of Trump's constituents on CNN talk about how Cruz wasn't a natural born citizen.
Sheesh.
So now Trump is encouraging anarchy. Dangerous times people.
Trump Warns 'You'd Have Riots' If He Loses Nomination With Delegate Lead
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=7468e5c3-304f-4607-bdfc-070507c83f43&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Trump Warns 'You'd Have Riots' If He Loses Nomination With Delegate Lead
Wednesday, 16 Mar 2016
Donald Trump predicted “riots” if Republican power-brokers deny him the presidential nomination in Cleveland even if he's leading in the delegate count.
The billionaire New York developer, who prevailed in three states that voted Tuesday, held a narrow lead in Missouri and lost Ohio, is faced with the prospect of a floor fight at the Republican convention if he's leading in delegates but falls short of a majority, 1,237.
“I think we’ll win before getting to the convention, but I can tell you, if we didn’t and if we’re 20 votes short or if we’re 100 short and we’re at 1,100 and somebody else is at 500 or 400 cause we’re way ahead of everybody, I don’t think you can say that we don’t get it automatically,” Trump said on CNN on Wednesday. “I think you’d have riots.”
“I wouldn’t lead it, but I think bad things would happen,” Trump said, adding the outcome would “disenfranchise” his supporters.
Ohio Governor John Kasich deprived Trump of a sweep on Tuesday by winning the Buckeye State. Senator Marco Rubio was beaten badly by Trump in Florida and suspended his campaign.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Trump-riots-GOP-convention/2016/03/16/id/719327/#ixzz43607qgDY
-
Current delegate count:
Trump - 662
Cruz - 408
Rubio - 171
Kasich - 143
Carson - 8
Bush - 4
Fiorina - 1
Huckabee - 1
Paul - 1
http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/parties/republican
-
What are you talking about? He's always been a whiney speaker. Never taken seriously. He only has a job in Florida because of he's Cuban and got Latin vote there. People fail to realize that Latino is not Latino. Mexicans don't care about Cubans and thinking just because he speaks their language that they would vote is a big mistake.
He is an excellent debater and gives very good speeches. He was definitely taken seriously because he got a slew of endorsements and a ton of money. Wasted it.
-
His base is eating this up.
They love this guy.
I hope now that Rubio is out that Kasich or Cruz also bow out and let someone else have those delegates.
Side note. Saw one of Trump's constituents on CNN talk about how Cruz wasn't a natural born citizen.
Sheesh.
I doubt Kasich quits. He should, but it's a hard sell after yesterday.
-
I doubt Kasich quits. He should, but it's a hard sell after yesterday.
The GOP powers don't want Cruz or Kasich out. They need people to take delegates away from trump to ensure he doesn't get past 1200
-
The GOP powers don't want Cruz or Kasich out. They need people to take delegates away from trump to ensure he doesn't get past 1200
If the GOP really wanted to, they could just stop Trump at any time and revoke his party membership. Its happened before. If they read their rule book, (I suspect they probably haven't), they could easily do away with him from their party if they wanted and don't have to play any games.
http://bristowbeat.com/news/local-republicans-revoke-scott-jacobs-membership-party/
Local Republicans Revoke Scott Jacobs’ Membership in their Party
-
Current delegate count:
Trump - 662
Cruz - 408
Rubio - 171
Kasich - 143
Carson - 8
Bush - 4
Fiorina - 1
Huckabee - 1
Paul - 1
http://www.cnn.com/election/primaries/parties/republican
Rubio has the option of giving his delegates to someone else correct?
-
The GOP powers don't want Cruz or Kasich out. They need people to take delegates away from trump to ensure he doesn't get past 1200
Definitely plausible.
-
Rubio has the option of giving his delegates to someone else correct?
Here is a good summary:
Who Gets Marco Rubio’s Delegates?
March 15, 2016
By Anthony Bennett
With Florida called within minutes for Donald Trump, Florida native and Senator Marco Rubio has suspended his campaign. Without a true mathematical path to the nomination, his only hope was to deny Trump a delegate majority and come away the leader at the convention, a very doubtful proposition after failing to carry his home state. With Rubio’s dropping out, though, what would happen to the 163 delegates Rubio picked up through small-state wins and strong early showings?
Delegates from a dropped-out candidate become free to elect the candidate of their choice at the convention. However, there’s a significant difference between “suspending” and formally ending a campaign in a contested convention, in that the candidate can re-enter the race and reclaim his delegates. If Trump fails to secure the nomination on the primary trail, Rubio could re-activate his campaign and reclaim his delegates.
Here’s what you need to know:
Dropped Delegates Become Free Agents
When a candidate drops out of the race, any delegates he picked up along the race become “unbound,” and are essentially free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention. This means that, should Trump fail to seize a majority of delegates, the 163 “free agents” would wield significant power at the convention, as they represent more than 13% of the 1,237 needed for a majority.
Should Rubio drop out, though, this is cold comfort for establishment Republicans. As hard as they’ve worked to stop Trump, they don’t have much more regard for runner-up Ted Cruz. Ohio governor John Kasich may be an appealing alternative, but with only a possible win in his home state, he’s unlikely to seize momentum, and has his own problem of staying in the race. Rubio’s campaign advisor Avik Roy, for his part, has thrown his support behind Cruz:
Suspension vs. Dropping Out: a Critical Distinction
Most candidates suspend a campaign rather than dropping out completely, two terms which are synonymous in common use but differ substantially by the law. This is typically a financial distinction, as suspending a campaign allows a candidate to continue to raise money, a very important capability in that losing candidates almost always end up in debt.
Should the race go to the convention, however, an even more important distinction comes into play. Suspended candidates retain their delegates, meaning that Rubio could re-enter the race with at least 10% through the first three ballots. Even if he doesn’t decide to chase the nomination after previously bowing out, Rubio’s influence on his delegates could make him broker of an enormously influential deal.
http://heavy.com/news/2016/03/marco-rubio-who-gets-delegates-drop-out-polls/
-
Ah... I get it.
Makes sense... Operation keep them from Trump is in full effect.
-
Rubio suspends campaign:
Great speech.
That said, this is a pretty spectacular failure. So much promise. A slew of endorsements. A ton of talent. Golden opportunity. The best person to face Hillary in November. Wasted it. He can now write a book on how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
He was terrible, nothing but an Adderall taking, memorized speech giving liar. Lost his home state by almost 20 percent. If people would not have wasted a vote on him (like you did) Ted Cruz would be in the lead right now.
http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2016/03/15/i-think-i-know-whats-up-with-marco-rubio/
-
Results since Super Tuesday:
983,622 = Votes for Trump
1,541,001 = Votes for other candidates
Total:
4,249,489 = Votes for Trump
7,809,337 = Votes for other candidates
Popular vote results for Florida, Ill, Ohio, NC, Mo, and DC and the totals to date:
Tuesday's results:
3,196,905 = Votes for Trump
4,499,938 = Votes for other candidates
Total:
7,446,394 = Votes for Trump
12,309,275 = Votes for other candidates
-
Republicans stain themselves by sticking with Trump
By Michael Gerson
Opinion writer
March 16, 2016
Whatever you think of Donald Trump, his political achievement is enormous, and he deserves the credit.
With no background in elected office, Trump has led the Republican presidential field for eight months. His strong plurality has proved to be demographically and geographically diverse. He has soundly beaten a series of talented, well-funded opponents. He has effectively tapped into deep-seated anger and resentment, promising the recovery of a nation that his followers regard as weak, lost and unrecognizable.
And Trump is not just winning; he is also redefining how politics is done. Out: policy speeches, white papers, paid media, the ground game. In: monologues, social media, free media, advance work on big rallies. Few politicians in history — Franklin D. Roosevelt’s mastery of radio and Ronald Reagan’s use of television come to mind — have more instinctually and effectively adapted to new communication methods.
Many Republicans now look at these undeniable successes and ask: “How far should we go for unity’s sake?” Some are beginning to make their inner peace with Trump. He will, after all, eventually need experts to advise and guide him. His Supreme Court picks are bound to be better than Hillary Clinton’s. Maybe we just need to respect the democratic will.
These justifications are not insane, but they are ultimately not persuasive. Trump has little history of changing or refining his views through study and policy advice. Many of his goals, while too foolish to implement, are too vivid to revise. Try to imagine President Trump backing down on building the great wall or halting Muslim migration.
On the Supreme Court, even well-intentioned Republican presidents have made choices that haven’t worked out quite as planned. How would Trump, lacking a serious judicial philosophy, and perhaps facing a Democratic Senate, make his decision? Consult his radically pro-choice sister, an appeals court judge? Let his prospects battle it out on a season of “Survivor”? On these matters, Trump is entirely unmoored and unpredictable. It is hard to justify a presidency, which would be dangerous and destabilizing in other ways, on odds this long.
What the argument for accommodation is missing is the core reality about Trump. His answer to nearly every problem is himself — his negotiating skill, his strength of purpose, his unique grasp of the national will. But this is more “will to power” than separation of powers; more Nietzsche than Madison. Trump is not proposing a policy debate that can be adjudicated in the normal processes of our government. He is offering himself as master of every situation. We are supposed to turn in desperation to the talent and will of one man, who happens to be bristling with prejudice and blazing with ignorance. We are seeing the offer of personal rule by someone with no discernible public or personal virtues.
Americans are discontented with the governing class, with good reason in many cases. But Trump would be the oddest answer in our history to a leadership void. He has offered disaffected people an invitation to political violence. “Knock the crap out of them, would you?” he said at one rally. “Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell — I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. I promise.”
And this permission for violence is paired with an embrace of ethnic and religious bigotry, casting blame and suspicion on Muslims and undocumented immigrants. It would be difficult — or should be difficult — for any Republican to endorse a presidential candidate whose election would cause many of our neighbors to fear for their safety. Or to embrace a candidate who promised to purposely target children in the conduct of the war on terrorism. Or a candidate who has praised the “passion” and patriotism of followers and has predicted riots if he doesn’t get his way at the GOP convention.
For Republicans, accommodation with Trump is not just a choice; it is a verdict. None will come away unstained. For evangelical Christians, it is the stain of hypocrisy — making their movement synonymous with exclusion and gullibility. For GOP job seekers, it is the stain of opportunism. (Consider the sad decline into sycophancy of Chris Christie.) For conservatives, it is the stain of betrayal — the equivalent of supporting George Wallace in 1968 as an authentic populist voice.
All this leaves completely horrible options: sitting the election out, supporting a third-party candidate, contemplating a difficult vote for Clinton. But these are the only honorable options. As one Republican friend wrote me of Trump: “He would destroy everything Hillary Clinton would destroy, plus one more thing: the Republican Party.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/republicans-stain-themselves-and-their-party-by-sticking-with-trump/2016/03/16/ac7b4d2c-ebae-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html
-
Delegate count after Trump takes Arizona and Cruz takes Utah:
1,237 needed
Donald Trump - 739
Ted Cruz - 465
John Kasich - 143
Marco Rubio - 166
Ben Carson - 8
Jeb Bush - 4
Carly Fiorina - 1
Mike Huckabee - 1
Rand Paul - 1
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/presidential-primary-caucus-results
-
Trump's popularity nosedives in critical stretch
As he inches toward the GOP nomination, Donald Trump is becoming more and more disliked among American voters.
By Steven Shepard
03/29/16
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/dcad840/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F16%2F6b%2Fc41bae2f45f7a81e271665e95c47%2F160328-donald-trump-2-gty-1160.jpg)
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, February 19, 2016. | Getty
Donald Trump wasn't wildly popular to begin with. And now he's becoming even more disliked among American voters, creating a significant threat to his chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination.
Trump is, by far, the GOP delegate leader — and the only candidate with a realistic shot at winning a majority of delegates before the July convention. But at the same time, nearly two-thirds of Americans view Trump unfavorably — and his image rating has declined since Republican voting began in February.
.
The danger for Trump is two-fold: His declining popularity is taking a toll on his standing in the 17 states that will hold primaries between now and the end of the process in early June. Losing some of these states — or even winning fewer delegates in proportional states — makes it more difficult for Trump to secure a pre-convention majority of 1,237 delegates.
That’s where Trump’s horrific poll numbers could haunt him again: If Trump misses the threshold to win the nomination outright in bound delegates, it will be more difficult to persuade unbound delegates to put him over the top if they see him as a general election disaster-in-the-making due to his high unfavorability ratings among all voters.
How bad are Trump’s image ratings? The HuffPost Pollster average of recent national polls puts Trump’s favorability at only 31 percent, while 63 percent view him unfavorably.
That’s a notable decline from late January, on the eve of the first votes in the GOP nominating process, when Trump’s average favorability rating was 37 percent, with 57 percent viewing him unfavorably.
Trump is hardly alone: Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz are also viewed unfavorably by majorities of Americans, according to polling averages. Only John Kasich and Bernie Sanders — neither of whom has faced many negative attacks from either party — have positive image ratings.
Among Republicans, Trump’s numbers aren’t stellar, but they have been durable — even as the other GOP candidates have trained their fire on him. Polls earlier this month from CNN/ORC and Quinnipiac University show Trump’s overall favorability rating tanking, but the figures are virtually unchanged among Republicans: A little more than 60 percent view him favorably, and about a third have an unfavorable opinion of him.
But the remainder of Republican primaries — which resume next week in Wisconsin — will be held at the state level. And in a three-way race with Cruz and Kasich, the forces aiming to halt Trump’s march to the nomination will continue to chip away further at Trump’s image.
Some of the anti-Trump groups have chosen to target female Republicans, betting that Trump’s past — and some current — statements about women would alienate those voters. Data from the states that have already voted bear that out: Trump has run, on average, 7 points better among male voters than among female voters in the 17 states in which there have been entrance or exit polls.
One of the leading anti-Trump groups, Our Principles PAC, credits some of its attacks on Trump — including an ad featuring women reading some of Trump’s past quotes on women — with bringing those statements to the fore. And the group cited paid media and ground efforts to oppose Trump with hurting him in some of the states he’s lost, like Iowa.
Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said that even if those attacks don’t crush Trump in the primary, it could be difficult for him to hold female Republicans in a general election. “For women, Trump is like your worst date ever,” Lake said.
Club for Growth Action, another independent-expenditure group that has opposed Trump, has taken a more general approach, focusing mostly on Trump’s conservative apostasies on economic issues, though the group has also targeted Trump’s business record.
The Club ascribed Trump’s losses in states like Iowa and Oklahoma to its paid media efforts. (The group’s latest ad, in Wisconsin, specifically encourages anti-Trump voters there to get behind Cruz, whom the Club has endorsed, instead of Kasich.)
But attacking Trump doesn’t ensure defeat: Both the Club and Our Principles PAC spent heavily to attack Trump in states he went on to win, like Florida and Illinois.
Just as trying to sink Trump’s favorability doesn’t guarantee he’ll lose, nor do high favorable ratings equal votes: Some of the best-liked candidates this election cycle have faltered when voters have picked the people they want to represent their party in November.
“Oftentimes the candidate with the highest favorability doesn’t get the highest percentage of votes,” said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. “Ben Carson had the highest favorability. They liked him — they just wouldn’t vote for him.”
Still, Trump’s poor image ratings make him the worst of the three Republicans in a general election, polls show. And some Republican pollsters say that creates the prospect of a bitter campaign, at least when targeted to different demographic groups. For example, Clinton could use negative advertising against Trump geared toward women. Trump could try to motivate Republicans and independents by reinforcing their lack of trust in Clinton. Clinton could strike back by painting Trump as an enemy of Latinos, who are growing as a share of the electorate, in Spanish-language advertising.
“Hispanic media would be the most rippingly negative campaign you’d ever see,” predicted Whit Ayers, who polled for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s now-suspended campaign. “It would basically be a campaign against Darth Vader in Hispanic media — with good reason.”
But there’s also evidence that Trump’s favorability rating could rebound if he wins the nomination and Republicans rally around their standard-bearer. According to Gallup, Mitt Romney’s image ratings skyrocketed among his base after the national convention.
“Should Trump be the nominee, a lot of Republicans who have a hard time believing they would actually vote for him — once he begins to take on Hillary the same way he’s taken on Marco [Rubio], or Ted Cruz, or Kasich or Jeb Bush — they may turn,” said Newhouse, Romney’s pollster in 2012. “The great unifier among Republicans is being against Hillary Clinton — and against Barack Obama. That may help remedy some of our problems.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/trumps-popularity-nosedives-in-critical-stretch-221320#ixzz44KZVn99x
-
I absolutely believe this.
Ex-Super PAC Official Claims Trump Didn't Want to Be President
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Tuesday, 29 Mar 2016
Donald Trump didn't want to be president, the former communications director of a now-closed super PAC writes in an open letter to his supporters, but "his pride is too out of control to stop him now."
"You can give Trump the biggest gift possible if you are a Trump supporter: stop supporting him," writes Stephanie Cegielski in the letter, posted through the website xoJane.
"He doesn't want the White House. He just wants to be able to say that he could have run the White House. He's achieved that already and then some . . . The hard truth is: Trump only cares about Trump."
Cegielski writes that she was called to Trump Tower last year to add her public experience to help the polling numbers for Trump's candidacy, which had been initially staged as a "protest" to reach double digits, and ended up working for the Make America Great Again super PAC.
"The Trump camp would have been satisfied to see him pulling at 12 percent and taking second place to a candidate who might hold 50 percent," she said. "His candidacy was a protest candidacy."
And, she said that she doesn't dismiss any of Trump's supporters, but she believes it's important to let them know that he "does not know policy, nor does he have the humility to admit what he does not know — the most frightening position of all."
Cegielski also ridiculed claims Trump made following the Brussels attacks, when he tweeted that he "alone" could solve the problems of Islamic terrorism.
"Does Trump think that he is making a cameo on Wrestlemania (yes, one of his actual credits)?" she wrote. "This is not how foreign policy works. For anyone. Ever. Superhero powers where 'I alone can solve' problems are not real. They do not exist for Batman, for Superman, for Wrestlemania and definitely not for Donald Trump."
Trump's campaign has issued a statement that Cegielski had worked for the pro-Trump super-PAC, not the campaign, and that she "knows nothing" about Trump, reports The Hill, while dismissing her as "yet another desperate person looking for their fifteen minutes."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/ex-super-pac-official-claims-trump/2016/03/29/id/721299/#ixzz44KciFmZR
-
Cruz Takes Huge Lead Over Trump in Wisconsin Poll
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=9e52e7d2-d790-43c4-a369-790e2612a0f2&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Cruz Takes Huge Lead Over Trump in Wisconsin Poll (Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 30 Mar 2016
A new Marquette Law School poll shows Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with a 10-point lead over Donald Trump among likely voters in Wisconsin's upcoming open primary election.
In the latest poll:
•Cruz, 40 percent;
•Trump, 30 percent;
•Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 21 percent;
•Undecided, 8 percent.
According to Politico, if Cruz can hold onto a double-digit win, Wisconsin would award 15 delegates to his slate, and he could sweep the state's eight congressional districts, with each adding three more delegates.
The latest poll is the first giving Cruz a large lead in Wisconsin. Three other polls this month have Cruz and Trump within 5 points of each other, according to Real Clear Politics, and the polls overall show Cruz holding a narrow 3-point lead over Trump.
In February, the Marquette poll put Trump on top:
•Trump, 30 percent;
•Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, 20 percent;
•Cruz, 19 percent;
•Kasich and Dr. Ben Carson, 8 percent.
The new poll, conducted March 24-28 and before Gov. Scott Walker endorsed Cruz, also showed most voters in Wisconsin are "very uncomfortable" with the idea of Trump as president:
•Trump, 56 percent;
•Hillary Clinton, 42 percent;
•Bernie Sanders, 31 percent;
•Cruz, 32 percent;
•Kasich, 12 percent
Trump also netted a 22 percent favorable rating, compared to 70 percent who view him unfavorably.
The poll surveyed 1,405 voters overall, with a margin of error of 3.3 points. In the Republican primary, 471 likely voters were surveyed, with a margin of error of 5.8 percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/cruz-leads-trump-wisconsin/2016/03/30/id/721529/#ixzz44QiuLBpA
-
Just as planned. Win just enough to scrape into keeping all other repubs out of the race. Then hand the whole presidency to Hilary.
Whether it's the plan or not, it's worked out identically to just how people thinking trump was a den plant said it would.
All viable repubs wrecked. Bernie labeled a commie. Trumps wedding buddy easily wins the presidency. It's like trump wakes up daily trying to alienate women to insure Hilary wins. It's working. Trump is a very smart man, and his supporters are being played into giving Hilary the White House. You just cannot accept what I'm saying because the liba are the ones warning ya.
-
Trump would be least-popular major-party nominee in modern times
By Philip Rucker and Robert Costa
March 31, 2016
If Donald Trump secures the Republican presidential nomination, he would start the general election campaign as the least-popular candidate to represent either party in modern times.
Three-quarters of women view him unfavorably. So do nearly two-thirds of independents, 80 percent of young adults, 85 percent of Hispanics and nearly half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
Those findings, tallied from Washington Post-ABC News polling, fuel Trump’s overall 67 percent unfavorable rating — making Trump more disliked than any major-party nominee in the 32 years the survey has been tracking candidates.
Head-to-head matchups show Hillary Clinton, as well as her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, leading Trump, often by double digits. Even his two remaining fellow GOP contenders this week backed away from earlier promises to support the eventual nominee.
And with each passing day, Trump makes moves that add further uncertainty to his ability to pivot to the general election. His defiant defense this week of his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who was charged with battery for yanking a female reporter, as well as his remarks Wednesday that women who get illegal abortions should be punished, might play well with his followers — but could further alienate the broader electorate.
“Normally, when you’re in a hole, the best advice is to stop digging. That doesn’t appear to be his inclination,” GOP strategist David Carney said. “It’s like taking a wagon full of nitroglycerine across the prairie. It’s great if you get to the mountains and blow them up for gold. But it’s pretty unpredictable.”
Peter Hart, a veteran Democratic pollster who has studied public impressions of Trump, said voters’ views of him are “exceptionally rancid.”
“In terms of any domestic personality that we have measured, we’ve never seen an individual with a higher negative,” Hart said.
Trump has drawn huge crowds and built a passionate base of supporters who have helped him amass a big delegate lead in the battle for the nomination.
But his success among a segment of the Republican electorate stands in contrast to his weaknesses in a general election decided by all voters.
In that broader context, his dismal standing by all traditional measures points to a big question underlying his nontraditional candidacy: whether Trump, as the GOP nominee, could leverage his celebrity persona and unusual appeal among disaffected voters in both parties to overcome his glaring disadvantages.
Trump’s unpopularity in the Post-ABC poll was driven in part by sharply negative ratings from Democrats and lukewarm Republicans. The greatest risk for his general election viability stems from the unusually poor ratings he gets from swing voting independents and white college graduates.
A silver lining for Trump is that voters overall also feel antipathy for Clinton, the Democratic front-runner. The distaste for Clinton is not as strong as it is for Trump — 52 percent of voters see her unfavorably — but Clinton’s vulnerabilities, combined with Trump’s unpredictability, haunt many Democrats.
Guy Cecil, chief strategist for the pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA, urged Democrats to “postpone the ticker-tape parade,” warning that Trump is not as weak a general election candidate as the current atmosphere would suggest.
“I am skeptical of the polls showing such large leads and it’s incumbent upon us to view this as a close race,” Cecil said. “He’s going to attempt to throw everything, including the kitchen sink and maybe the refrigerator and stove at Hillary. And I would not be surprised if he changes his views on policy issues.”
Overcoming his hurdles likely would require either a massive influx of working-class white male voters — Trump’s base — or dramatic changes in his policies and presentation that might reverse the strongly negative views of him held by women and minorities.
Trump and his advisers say they have plans to accomplish both objectives.
They say he can reverse his favorability ratings over time by framing the fall contest around issues on which they believe Trump’s positions resonate powerfully across traditional demographics: the economy, trade and national security.
Since Trump is not tethered to any particular ideology, his test may be convincing voters that he is not a hostile force and is fit to be president, rather than persuading them to buy into a sweeping conservative ideological project.
The Trump team insists that the power of his personality and the potency of his planned attacks on Clinton would win him new converts. And they are wagering that millions of working-class voters who for a generation have been politically dormant will rush to the polls and offset Trump’s sizable deficit with the ascendant electorate of women, minority and young voters.
“What you’ll find is across the board, in states like Pennsylvania or New York or New Jersey or Michigan, you’re going to have a bunch of blue-collar workers who have supported Trump in the past and will continue to do so,” Lewandowski said. “That broad appeal allows him to expand the electoral map.”
Concerned about his standing in the polls, Trump’s allies are offering advice about how to make up ground with important demographic groups.
Newt Gingrich, a former Republican House speaker who is unaffiliated but has informally counseled Trump on several occasions, suggested he campaign in black neighborhoods, send targeted messages on social media and embrace his outsider approach to government.
“Imagine Trump on the South Side of Chicago saying, ‘People shouldn’t be killed, schools ought to actually work, you ought to have jobs in your neighborhood and you know that Hillary can’t deliver any of those because she is the system,’ ” Gingrich said.
The shift from a primary fight to the general campaign would be Trump’s crucible, requiring him to communicate persuasively with an entirely different electorate than the primary voters he has courted for the past year.
Ben Carson, the famed neurosurgeon who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the Republican presidential race, said he has advised Trump to turn his attention to education reform and charter schools as a means of supplementing his core pitch on trade and immigration to grow his support with young and minority voters.
“Creating ladders of opportunity, such as school choice, is one way to do that,” Carson said. “He’s been very enthusiastic about that suggestion. He’ll have to follow through and get through to those kids and families who don’t feel like they’re getting the best possible education.”
There are stylistic changes Trump can make, as well, Carson said. “A little humility would go a tremendous distance, no question about it,” he said. “Hopefully, he will find that on his own.”
But Frank Luntz, an unaligned GOP pollster, said Trump could erase at least some his deficit if he capitalizes on the fall debates and other events, noting that history is littered with examples of candidates doing just that.
“The big moments cause people to change,” Luntz said. “And let’s face it, we may have a moment outside of conventions and debates that’s even bigger. If you have a Paris or a Brussels on American soil, that can completely change the dynamic.”
It is a tall order, however, for Trump to undo the damage his rhetoric has already done to his image with the rising national electorate that includes Latinos, single mothers and millennials.
“Donald Trump’s whole message is somewhat backward looking,” said Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster who wrote a book, “The Selfie Vote,” about these voters.
Referring to Trump’s slogan, she added: “ ‘Make America Great Again’ sounds like an attempt to turn back the clock to a time most young voters don’t remember.”
Pennsylvania, a Democrat-leaning battleground that Trump hopes to target, is a case study of Trump’s upside and downside. While he has picked up endorsements and blue-collar support in the state’s industrial regions, centrist Republicans from Philadelphia and its vote-rich suburbs have kept their distance. Trump needs to make inroads to win a state Republicans last carried in 1988.
“Ticket-splitting Republicans in the Philadelphia suburbs went for [President] Obama — and if they don’t feel comfortable with Trump, they could go for Clinton,” said G. Terry Madonna, a professor at Franklin & Marshall College, which conducts polling in Pennsylvania.
Madonna said that more than 120,000 voters statewide, mostly Democrats and independents, have switched their registration to Republican since January. But he cautioned against interpreting the moves as a Rust Belt tilt toward Trump.
“Even if these children of Reagan Democrats love his talk about manufacturing and American pride, he’s going to have to make sure he’s not losing the Republicans who are the heart of the party,” said John Brabender, a GOP strategist who has guided the political career of former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). “That will require a campaign of surgical precision.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-would-be-least-popular-major-party-nominee-in-modern-times/2016/03/30/b4b077e0-f5e7-11e5-9804-537defcc3cf6_story.html
-
The "editor's note" is pretty funny. :)
Some Of Donald Trump’s Strongest Defenders Are Now Criticizing Him
Ann Coulter called Trump “mental” for going after Ted Cruz’s wife.
03/31/2016
Deputy Politics Editor, The Huffington Post
Several of Donald Trump’s most vocal defenders are criticizing the GOP front-runner as his pattern of sexism becomes undeniably clear.
The tide began to shift last week, after Trump threatened to “spill the beans” on Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi, and later retweeted a meme comparing Heidi Cruz’s appearance to his wife, Melania, who is a former model.
Then, in a Monday interview, Trump claimed his repeated disparaging comments about women — often about their appearance — were jokes. The next day, Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was charged with allegedly assaulting reporter Michelle Fields, prompting Trump to engage in some textbook victim-blaming. And on Wednesday, he floated “punishment” for women who have abortions. (He quickly backtracked on the remarks, suggesting doctors should be punished instead.)
It’s become too much for some of Trump’s staunchest allies.
Stephanie Cegielski, a former spokeswoman for a pro-Trump super PAC, published a scathing essay this week on xoJane, explaining why she had soured on the candidate. According to Cegielski, who worked for the Make America Great Again PAC, Trump’s candidacy was intended as a political protest, but spun out of hand as his infamous ego got in the way.
“He certainly was never prepared or equipped to go all the way to the White House, but his ego has now taken over the driver’s seat, and nothing else matters,” Cegielski wrote. “The Donald does not fail. The Donald does not have any weakness. The Donald is his own biggest enemy.”
Ultra-conservative pundit Ann Coulter, meanwhile, has gone out of her way to defend Trump countless times. But it appears even her support has its limits. Appearing on a podcast hosted by Breitbart’s Milo Yiannopoulos, Coulter said Trump had crossed the line with his tweets about Heidi Cruz.
“Our candidate is mental,” Coulter said. “Do you realize our candidate is mental? It’s like constantly having to bail out your sixteen-year-old son from prison.”
(However, as she wrote in a column Wednesday, Coulter still believes Trump is the GOP’s only hope for securing the White House.)
Newt Gingrich, who previously praised the business mogul as an “ally to conservatism,” also criticized Trump for going after Cruz’s wife, calling the Twitter spat “utterly stupid” and a “wake-up call” for the candidate.
“It has frankly weakened everything that Trump ought to be strengthening,” Gingrich told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “It sent a signal to women that is negative at a time when his numbers with the women are already bad. It sent a signal of instability to people who are beginning to say, ‘OK, maybe I’ve gotta get used to it, maybe I’ve gotta rely on him, maybe he could be presidential.’”
Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, a longtime friend and business partner of Trump’s, lambasted his campaign’s sexist rhetoric in an interview with Katie Couric.
“He’s not helping, certainly, to put women in the best light,” she said. “Maybe he regrets [his remarks], maybe he doesn’t. I realize he punches hard when he punches back, but that’s just over the top. I wish that no candidate would make those comments.”
And after his abortion remarks Wednesday, Trump even earned ire from some anti-abortion groups.
“No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion,” said March for Life executive Jeanne Mancini. “This is against the very nature of what we are about. We invite a woman who has gone down this route to consider paths to healing, not punishment.”
Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said “punishment is solely for the abortionist who profits” from performing the procedure.
“We have never advocated, in any context, for the punishment of women who undergo abortion,” she added.
As HuffPost Pollster noted Wednesday, his support could be waning elsewhere: Trump’s net favorables are down by 14 percent over the last two months.
Trump’s latest round of sexist comments has drawn ire from some of his own fans.
Meanwhile, other conservatives, who are not Trump fans, are also speaking out against him.
A group of 16 female reporters, many from conservative media outlets, called on the candidate to fire Lewandowski for his “inexcusable” behavior.
And in a National Review column about Coulter, Gingrich and Cegielski, Jim Geraghty berated his fellow conservatives for just now turning on Trump.
“He didn’t abruptly become reckless, obnoxious, ill-informed, erratic, hot-tempered, pathologically dishonest, narcissistic, crude and catastrophically unqualified for the presidency overnight,” he wrote. “He’s always been that guy, and you denied it and ignored it and hand-waved it away and made excuses every step of the way because you were convinced that you were so much smarter than the rest of us.”
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-upsets-conservatives_us_56fc35a2e4b0daf53aee8e7c
-
Gallup Poll: 7 in 10 Women Have Unfavorable Opinion of Trump
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Friday, 01 Apr 2016
Donald Trump has had issues with his image with women since he announced his presidential campaign last summer, but the gender gap among his supporters has grown steadily in recent months, and now, 70 percent of women hold an unfavorable opinion of the front-runner, a new Gallup Poll shows.
Of all respondents, regardless of party affiliation, more men also have an unfavorable view of Trump:
Women: 70 percent unfavorable-23 percent favorable
Men: 58 percent favorable-36 unfavorable
Although Trump's favorability rose slightly in the fall, the gap has been widening since January.
The poll of 3,600 adults nationwide reveals an ongoing concern that Trump could have difficulty netting the votes among women that he would need to seize a general election victory over likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who is a strong candidate among female voters.
Trump has often pushed back against concerns on his ratings among women, pointing out that many of the key people in his business empire are women.
Campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson Thursday night attempted to downplay talk that he is staging a "war on women." She told Fox News' Megyn Kelly — who has been a center part of Trump's image issues among women because of the candidate's ongoing feud with her — that the candidate's lack of political correctness doesn't mean that he is against women's issues.
But still, she acknowledged that even early on, Trump had unfavorable rates among women, and as people started voting, "the issues took over and of course, there is a negative perception out there. You now have Republicans joining in the war on women bandwagon against Mr. Trump."
The latest Gallup Poll was taken before controversies this week and last that could also affect Trump's numbers among women even more.
At the beginning of the week, his campaign spokesman, Corey Lewandowski, turned himself in on an arrest warrant issued on allegations that he'd grabbed former Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields by the arm, causing bruises.
On Wednesday, Trump told MSNBC's Chris Matthews that he'd favor punishing women who have abortions should the procedure become illegal, although he quickly recast the statement and said that he meant that providers should be the ones to face punishment.
Trump's image with women also took a hit in the flap with rival Ted Cruz over their wives in March, adding to concerns about his disparaging comments about female news reporters and others.
Rival candidate John Kasich has mentioned Trump's issues with women in speeches this week, commenting on Thursday that it depends "what my wife and daughters think" before he would decide if he could back Trump should he become the GOP nominee, reports CBS News.
Meanwhile, the Great America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, on Thursday unveiled an ad that will start airing this weekend in Wisconsin and shows a mother in a kitchen with her children, explaining why a Trump presdiency wll keep her family safe, reports NBC News.
Trump's poll numbers in the current Gallup survey show that the outspoken candidate is viewed far more favorably by male GOP voters than by women in the party:
Men: 61 percent favorable-36 percent unfavorable
Women: 49 favorable-46 percent unfavorable
Trump's overall favorable rating (percent favorable minus percent unfavorable) among both men and women also got worse, dropping to a negative 35 points, the poll shows, and while it is commonly believed that more men identify as Republicans while women lean Democratic, women's opinions of Trump's rivals, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich show differently.
Cruz's image is equally negative among both sexes, while Kasich's is equally positive, Gallup reports.
Trump is not the only one with negative ratings, as Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton also is viewed negatively by both men and women. However, she has a net favorable rating of 21 points with women, and a 17-point gap in the March poll.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, her challenger for the Democratic nomination, also a higher favorability rate among women.
The monthly polls are based on the Gallup daily survey, with candidates rated each month by random samples of between 3,648 and 7,302 adults nationally and carry a margin of error of two percentage points.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/gallup-trump-unfavorable-women/2016/04/01/id/721828/#ixzz44b3mkaif
-
Embarrassing. Trump is a dunce. How the heck did this man make billions?
Translation of his comments:
Trump claims abortion remarks taken out of context, but admits 'it could be that I misspoke'
Published April 01, 2016
FoxNews.com
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump claimed Thursday night that his controversial remarks about punishing women who have abortions were taken out of context.
The latest furor to surround Trump's campaign began when he told Matthews there should be "some form of punishment" for women who get abortions if the procedure is outlawed, later adding that what the punishment would be would have to be determined.
The real estate mogul claimed to “O’Reilly Factor” guest host Eric Bolling that MSNBC, which broadcast the Wisconsin town hall during which Trump made the remarks, had edited out parts of the discussion with commentator Chris Matthews.
"This was a long, convoluted question," Trump said. "This was a long discussion and they just cut it out."
MSNBC responded later Thursday with a statement saying: "The town hall interview with Donald Trump was taped in advance and then aired in its entirety. Absolutely no part of the exchange between Trump and Chris Matthews was edited out."
Trump acknowledged later in the interview that, "It could be that I misspoke."
But he insisted he has always believed that "if in fact, abortion was outlawed, the person performing that act is responsible, not the woman."
On Wednesday, Trump pulled back from his orginal position in a statement, saying that " the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman." The reversal did not stop harsh criticsm of Trump by rivals from both parties.
Most notably, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is running second to Trump in the Republican delegate race, said Trump's initial statement was "the latest demonstration of how little Donald has thought about any of the serious issues facing this country."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/04/01/trump-claims-abortion-remarks-taken-out-context-but-admits-it-could-be-that-misspoke.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
"This was a long, convoluted question," Trump said. "This was a long discussion and they just cut it out."
This is a complete lie. It was completely unedited. Trump realizes he's caught in an easily provable lie and just casually moved to next excuse about maybe mis-speaking.
Who are the 40% of the republican base that love this idiot? Why are they so quiet on getbig? 2/5 of you republicans should be supporting this rolling train wreck. Speak on it!
-
Battleground Wisconsin: A Trump loss to Cruz could reshape GOP race
By Philip Rucker and Dan Balz
April 3, 2016
MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin has become an unexpected battleground for Donald Trump and the conglomeration of forces desperately aligning against him, with Tuesday’s primary emerging as a key moment that could reshape the Republican nominating contest both mathematically and psychologically.
Ted Cruz — who has tried to unite conservative activists, talk-radio personalities and the party establishment — stands poised to take some air out of the Trump balloon.
Bleeding from two weeks of self-inflicted wounds and behind in the polls here, Trump scrambled over the weekend to make up ground he has lost to the senator from Texas.
On Sunday, the New York billionaire predicted he would surprise critics. He drew a parallel to his New Hampshire victory in February following a disappointing defeat the week before in the Iowa caucuses — although he was never behind in New Hampshire as he is here.
“We’re having unbelievable response in Wisconsin,” Trump said during a visit to a Milwaukee diner. “And it feels very much like New Hampshire to me, where we started off where, you know, Trump wasn’t going to win New Hampshire, and then all of a sudden, we win in a landslide.”
A defeat for Trump would be an embarrassing setback for the front-runner — not just because of the 42 delegates at stake, but because it would demonstrate weakness in a place where he should be strong. The state’s blue-collar demographics, along with party rules allowing independent voters to cast ballots in the primary, have been expected to work in his favor.
A decisive loss also would lessen his chance of amassing the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination outright. Failure to do so would force an open convention in Cleveland in July.
“Wisconsin has always been a barometer state,” said former governor Tommy Thompson, a supporter of Ohio Gov. John Kasich. “What you’re seeing is that The Donald, who has been moving ahead all across the country, has hit a logjam or a brick wall in Wisconsin.”
A fish fry for nearly 1,000 Republican activists inside Milwaukee’s timeworn American Serb Hall on Friday night told the story.
The real estate mogul who has been bulldozing the field did not show up. In his place, Trump sent Sarah Palin, once a deity on the right who on this night was exposed as a mere mortal. As she testified to “the awesome awakening” brought by “the Trump Train,” Republicans in the crowd rolled their eyes. They checked their phones. There were plenty of murmurs, even some laughs.
Palin got it. Wrapping up her speech, she thanked the Wisconsinites for “allowing me to kind of crash your fish fry.”
When Cruz took the stage a few minutes later, the reception was dramatically different. He declared, “Nominating Donald Trump is a train wreck” — and, pausing for effect, added, “That’s actually not fair to train wrecks.” The crowd responded with roaring adulation.
Cruz has sought to exploit Trump’s vulnerabilities with female voters following a string of controversies. The senator staged an event in Madison last week that he called “a celebration of strong women.” Cruz sat in a plush armchair and listened as wife Heidi, mother Eleanor and supporter Carly Fiorina shared stories about him as a loving father, loyal husband and champion for women everywhere.
Campaigning Sunday in Green Bay with a parade of endorsers, Cruz said, “Wisconsin is a battleground. . . . The entire country is looking to this state Tuesday night.”
[Stop-Trump forces see an opportunity in Scott Walker’s Wisconsin]
Recent polls in Wisconsin show Trump trailing Cruz — in two polls by 10 points, others by single digits — with Kasich running third. The senator has drawn energy, and crucial grass-roots support, after winning the endorsement of Gov. Scott Walker, who is deeply popular among Wisconsin Republicans.
Trump redrew his schedule to devote the final days to barnstorming the state — even missing his new grandson’s bris — in an apparent effort to catch Cruz.
Trump’s campaign has been frustrated in recent weeks as Cruz has seemed to outmaneuver him in some aspects of the delegate race. Cruz’s campaign has begun leveraging arcane party rules to squeeze additional delegates, even in states won by Trump. The front-runner sees a win in Wisconsin as a way to avert a contested convention.
“I really want to win Wisconsin because if we can win Wisconsin we’re going to put all this stupidity away,” Trump said at a rally last week in Janesville.
Charlie Black, a veteran Republican strategist who is now part of Kasich’s team, said of a possible Trump loss in Wisconsin: “I think it’s a big deal because the whole question is can he get to the 1,237. At the rate he’s going, he won’t. I think he’s going to lose Wisconsin and not get very many delegates there.”
What makes Tuesday’s balloting important is that Wisconsin’s electorate plays more to Trump’s strength than to Cruz’s. The percentages of evangelical Christians or Republicans who call themselves “very conservative” are smaller here than in states where Cruz has done best.
Beyond that, Wisconsin’s economy long has had a strong manufacturing base, and Trump has drawn significant support from white, working-class voters with forceful denunciations of free-trade deals that have led corporations to shift jobs overseas.
Cruz’s allies hope a win in Wisconsin could transform the way the Texan’s candidacy is viewed nationally.
“This is a signature win in a blue-collar state . . . that’s outside of the South and the West,” said Keith Gilkes, a longtime Walker adviser. “It demonstrates his ability to coalesce a bigger, broader coalition. That’s the first time he’s done that.”
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich offers a dissenting view about the potential significance of Tuesday’s results, in part because Cruz’s victory is now assumed. “I don’t think much unless the result turns out very, very different than we think it will be,” said Gingrich, who has informally advised Trump. “Cruz should win statewide and half the congressional districts. If he were to sweep as Trump did in South Carolina or Arizona, that would be a bigger thing.”
What also makes Wisconsin important is that it is the only contest on Tuesday. That guarantees outsize attention to the results and to the analysis that follows — the sort of singular focus usually reserved for early-voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.
Trump will have to live with the loss longer than in the past, with no opportunity to recuperate until the New York primary April 19. Trump is the heavy favorite in his home state. A CBS News poll released Sunday showed Trump leading in New York with 52 percent, followed by Cruz at 21 percent and Kasich at 20 percent.
[In a revealing interview, Trump predicts a ‘massive recession’]
“He will have to show what all winning candidates show, which is resiliency in the face of adversity,” GOP strategist Steve Schmidt said.
Gingrich said that Wisconsin could be a wake-up call for Trump that was badly needed. “It might be good that they’ve had to worry about Wisconsin,” he said.
Cruz’s campaign sees Wisconsin as potential validation that he has emerged as the clear and perhaps only alternative to Trump. “I think that can have a dramatic impact on the race,” Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe said.
Cruz’s team thinks the candidate could absorb a loss in New York and recover elsewhere in upcoming contests, with a final June showdown in delegate-rich California.
But he will have to fend with Kasich as well as with Trump. Kasich’s team sees the upcoming calendar as more favorable to the Ohio governor than to Cruz. His advisers expect to win a decent number of delegates in New York and are putting significant effort into Pennsylvania, where Kasich grew up. They see opportunities as well in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware.
“The elongated calendar works to our benefit,” said John Weaver, Kasich’s chief strategist. “It doesn’t seem to do so much for Mr. Trump. Probably his advisers would like to go on a cruise with no WiFi.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/battleground-wisconsin-a-trump-loss-to-cruz-could-reshape-gop-race/2016/04/03/6931881a-f9a5-11e5-80e4-c381214de1a3_story.html?postshare=8631459776189675&tid=ss_mail
-
Trump’s Wisconsin Waterloo?
The state’s political dynamics are hurting the GOP front-runner, and the polls show it.
By Kimberley A. Strassel
Updated March 31, 2016
Wisconsin (Ripon, to be exact) is the birthplace of the Republican Party. So perhaps it’s fitting that Wisconsin may be the state that takes back the Republican Party from Donald Trump.
The Badger State is gearing up to hand the real-estate mogul a defeat, and in the process potentially reroute, yet again, the GOP primary. Polls show Ted Cruz beating Mr. Trump, and some prognosticators have gone so far as to suggest the billionaire could place third—behind even John Kasich. The opposition to Mr. Trump is deep and wide enough that he could lose most districts.
This rebuke has taken a lot of the media and political class by surprise. They figured Mr. Trump would do in this upper Midwestern state what he’d done in other states with a moderate or purplish tint: win. What they missed is Wisconsin’s recent political history and changed Republican culture—which have combined to make the state fertile ground for a Trump takedown.
Part of Mr. Trump’s problem is simple logistics. Wisconsin was put on the calendar as a stand-alone primary, with two clear weeks before and after it. The field is now down to three candidates. All of this has allowed for far greater scrutiny of Mr. Trump, in the form of heavy in-state advertising and earned media.
But it’s the in-state dynamics that are hurting him most. Wisconsin has been in continuous political warfare for six years. Over that time, Republicans lived through Gov. Scott Walker’s epic battle for his Act 10 public-sector bargaining reform; judicial races; a Senate recall effort; a gubernatorial recall effort; a political assault in a vicious John Doe probe; another election cycle; campaign-finance reform; an overhaul of the state’s ethics body; a right-to-work law; and prevailing-wage reform. To name a few.
The state is also proudly home to the speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, and a governor (Scott Walker) who ran for his party's presidential nomination. The result is a conservative electorate that is highly informed, highly energized and highly involved. The fights so far have given voters an acute appreciation of the conservative principles at stake, and a pride in defeating union and liberal priorities. They have radar sensitive to “fake” Republicans, and many aren’t keen on what they are hearing from Mr. Trump.
Wisconsin’s recent political battles also resulted in a dramatic shift in the state’s communications culture. Conservative wariness of liberal, in-state newspapers turned to outright loathing as the print media exhibited a continual bias against Mr. Walker and Republicans. Conservatives as a result made talk radio their news hub, and learned to communicate through online and social media.
Four “talkers” in particular— Charlie Sykes, Vicki McKenna, Jerry Bader and Mark Belling—exercise enormous influence, and cover nearly every inch of the state media market. These days, politicians routinely break their news on radio. Gov. Walker announced his recent endorsement of Ted Cruz on the Sykes show. The new chief justice of the state Supreme Court, Patience Roggensack, granted her first interview to Mr. Sykes rather than to a newspaper.
Mr. Trump stumbled onto three of the four biggest shows on Monday, seemingly unaware that all the hosts are part of the “Never Trump” movement. Mr. Sykes likened Mr. Trump to a “12-year-old bully” and insisted he was no conservative. Ms. McKenna was similarly rough, though Mr. Trump did himself no favors by hanging up on her.
He’s also won no votes by lambasting both Mr. Walker and Paul Ryan. Mr. Trump might have been looking at Mr. Walker’s statewide approval numbers (in the 40s) and figured that hitting Mr. Walker’s tax cuts was smart politics. But the governor’s approval with Republicans is significantly higher—likely in the 70% to 80% range.
Mr. Ryan also is widely liked and admired among Republicans in the state, in particular because he still actively engages in state battles. He regularly goes on talk radio; he has openly supported Walker reforms; he helps out state legislative candidates. Mr. Cruz, by contrast to Mr. Trump, clearly was well briefed on the broader environment. His praise of Messrs. Walker and Ryan earns him strong applause at events, and he’s grasped the power of the state radio.
Wisconsin meanwhile could be huge. Mr. Trump—if he loses badly enough—could come out of this primary with only a half-dozen delegates out of 42. That would all but tank his ability to reach the 1,237 mark for the nomination. Wisconsin could tip this into a contested convention. A bad enough Trump loss might also reset the views of voters in the Northeast primaries coming next.
But perhaps the bigger potential for Wisconsin is to reinforce a growing view among organized Republicans that Mr. Trump is indeed a party usurper, and that they have a duty to use an open convention to stop him. The birthplace of the GOP—and the home of one of the nation’s most war-bloodied and conservative crowds—looks ready to tank Mr. Trump.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-wisconsin-waterloo-1459465004
-
Long but good read about Wisconsin.
Wisconsin: Tipping Point for Cruz vs. Trump?
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/433599/wisconsin-blueprint-donald-trumps-foes
-
Cruz wins Wisconsin, complicating Trump's path to the nomination
Mark Z. Barabak and Michael Finnegan
(http://www.trbimg.com/img-57047468/turbine/la-na-wisconsin-primary-pictures/750/750x422)
Ted Cruz romped to victory Tuesday in the Wisconsin primary, dealing a setback to Donald Trump and complicating the front-runner's efforts to win the delegates he needs to secure the GOP nomination without a fight at this summer's Republican convention.
The primary contest offered just 42 of the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the party convenes in July.
But with the count expected to be very close, every delegate has come to matter and Tuesday's win helped Cruz slice Trump's delegate lead, albeit narrowly.
Speaking to cheering supporters in Milwaukee, Cruz declared his primary win a turning point.
“It is a rallying cry,” the Texas senator said. “It is a call from the hard-working men and women from Wisconsin to the people of America. We have a choice. We have a real choice.”
Trump, who put on lavish displays to celebrate his earlier victories, made no public appearance.
Instead, he spoke through a scathing statement issued by his campaign, saying he was the victim of “an onslaught” by Wisconsin's Republican establishment and “countless millions of dollars” in false advertising. He described Cruz as “a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination” and predicted he alone would secure the delegates to win.
In fact, the math still works to Trump's advantage. He entered the night with a lead of more than 250 delegates, and Cruz seemed likely to shave that by only 30 or so.
Cruz won far ahead of Trump statewide, 48% to 35%. Ohio Gov. John Kasich was a distant third with 14%.
Depending on the final outcome, Trump will need to capture close to 60% of the remaining delegates to clinch the nomination without a convention fight, said David Wasserman, who is tracking the GOP race for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. “Right now,” Wasserman said, “it looks like a 50-50 chance he gets there.”
Heading into the Wisconsin primary Trump suffered one of the rockiest stretches of his campaign, and that raised the hopes of opponents — including many rallying behind Cruz grudgingly as part of a stop-Trump effort — that the New York businessman's controversies may have finally caught up with him.
Exit polls found a strong aversion to the GOP front-runner, who heads to much friendlier territory Wednesday, starting with a rally on New York's Long Island.
Nearly 4 in 10 of the Republican voters interviewed Tuesday said they would be scared of what Trump would do if elected president, much higher than the levels of concern expressed about Cruz or Kasich.
About 6 in 10 said they were excited or optimistic about a Cruz presidency, and about half said that about Kasich, compared with just over 4 in 10 for Trump.
Additionally, the level of discontent with Washington and the percentage of voters favoring a political outsider for president, while considerable, was much lower than in states where Trump ran strongly.
Wisconsin at first seemed tailored to Trump's advantage. The state has a large population of working-class white voters and allows independents to cast ballots in the GOP primary; both groups have undergirded Trump's political success across the country.
Wisconsin is also more secular and less ideological than states where Cruz, running as a staunch social conservative, has performed well.
But almost immediately Trump ran into difficulties, owing to a series of tactical miscues.
He criticized the state's two most popular Republicans, Gov. Scott Walker, a onetime presidential rival, and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, and turned off many by insulting the looks of Cruz's wife, Heidi, in a posting on social media.
“That stung him badly,” said Rep. Reid Ribble, who represents Appleton and Green Bay in Congress and endorsed Cruz days ahead of the primary. “There's a real strong sense of family. The idea that somebody would attack anybody's wife, based on just physical appearance, was just so insulting to the typical father, to the typical husband and to the typical woman.”
Trump also faced a relentless battering from Wisconsin's conservative talk radio hosts, a key ally in Walker's pitched battles against organized labor and the political left.
Walker endorsed Cruz and, in effect, turned the primary into a referendum on his performance, telling Republicans to support the senator over Trump “if you liked what we've done” in Wisconsin.
Trump's difficulties were compounded by a series of controversies, including the arrest of his campaign manager on allegations of manhandling a reporter in Florida, and a statement — which Trump quickly revised — that the candidate would support punishing women who have an abortion if the procedure were banned.
Some voters, like Pam Gruettner, said they had backed Trump at first, only to be turned off by his behavior and outlandish statements, especially in the raucous GOP debates.
“I wanted someone to kick butt and get stuff done in the White House,” said Gruettner, a retired saleswoman, pausing after she cast her ballot for Cruz in Waukesha, a conservative stronghold. “I think his ego got the best of him.”
For some, though, Trump's penchant for unpredictability and blithe disregard for most social and political niceties were precisely the reason to support him.
“Trump is the right person to put in here, because we need somebody who everyone thinks is nuts,” said Tom Podziemski, 67, who cast his ballot in Greenfield, a Milwaukee suburb. “Cruz is just saying what the establishment wants him to say. He's a puppet.”
Cruz ran harder in Wisconsin than any state since Iowa, where he won the first 2016 contest. He faced a two-front battle, against Trump as well as Kasich, who tried to pick off a handful of delegates in friendly pockets of the state, including the university town of Madison.
For Trump, the good news is the balloting now moves to less hostile political terrain, starting in two weeks with a primary in his home state of New York, where he is an overwhelming favorite to capture a substantial chunk of its 95 delegates.
A string of contests follows on April 26 in Pennsylvania and several Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, where GOP voters tend to be less religious and conservative, which could also play to Trump's advantage.
In all likelihood, the race will come down to California, which votes June 7 and offers 172 delegates — the nation's largest cache.
“We should be careful not to overstate the significance” of the Wisconsin results, said Rob Stutzman, a Sacramento GOP consultant running a political action committee opposing Trump in California. He noted the difficult road Cruz faces, particularly in the contests just ahead.
But, he suggested, “Trump may have really hurt himself this past week.... This could be the beginning of a downward trend.”
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-gop-primary-wisconsin-20160405-story.html
-
Great commentary.
Trump on His Way to Oblivion
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=b0184fa7-a24d-4865-83d6-5c34079bc76f&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Trump on His Way to Oblivion (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
By George Will | Wednesday, 06 Apr 2016
It was Paul "Bear” Bryant who said, "It's not the will to win that matters . . . It's the will to prepare to win that matters."
People here at Ted Cruz's campaign headquarters are meticulously preparing to win a contested convention, if there is one.
Because Donald Trump is a low-energy fellow, Cruz will be positioned to trounce him in Cleveland, where Trump's slide toward earned oblivion would accelerate during a second ballot.
Wisconsin has propelled Trump, a virtuoso of contempt, toward joining those he most despises: "losers." In the 1992 general election, Ross Perot, a Trump precursor, won 21.5 percent of Wisconsin's vote, above the 18.9 percent he won nationally.
Wisconsin's populist tradition is persistent and indiscriminate enough to encompass Robert La Follette and Joseph McCarthy.
And evangelical Christians are less important in Wisconsin than in contiguous Iowa.
Nevertheless, temperate Wisconsin rejected Trump, partly for the reason that one of his weakest performances so far was in the reddest state, Utah, where conservative Mormons flinched from his luridness.
His act — ignorance slathered with a congealed gravy of arrogance — has become stale.
If, as seemed probable a month ago, Trump had won Wisconsin, he would have been well-positioned to win a first-ballot convention victory. Now he is up against things to which he is averse: facts. For months Cruz's national operation has been courting all convention delegates, including Trump's.
Cruz aims to make a third ballot decisive, or unnecessary.
On the eve of Wisconsin's primary, the analytics people here knew how many undecided voters were choosing between Cruz and Trump (32,000) and how many between Cruz and John Kasich (72,000), and where they lived.
Walls here are covered with notes outlining every step of each state's multistage delegate selection process. (Cruz's campaign was active in Michigan when the process of selecting persons eligible to be delegates began in August 2014.)
Cruz's campaign is nurturing relationships with delegates now committed to Trump and others. In Louisiana's primary, 58.6 percent of voters favored someone other than Trump; Cruz's campaign knows which issues are particularly important to which Trump delegates, and Cruz people with similar values are talking to them.
Trump, whose scant regard for (other people's) property rights is writ large in his adoration of eminent domain abuses, mutters darkly about people "stealing" delegates that are his property.
But most are only contingently his, until one or more ballots are completed.
Usually, more than 40 percent of delegates to Republican conventions are seasoned activists who have attended prior conventions.
A large majority of all delegates are officeholders — county commissioners, city council members, sheriffs, etc. — and state party officials. They tend to favor presidential aspirants who have been Republicans for longer than since last Friday.
Trump is a world-class complainer (he is never being treated "fairly") but a bush-league preparer. A nomination contest poses policy and process tests, and he is flunking both.
Regarding policy, he is flummoxed by predictable abortion questions because he has been pro-life for only 15 minutes, and because he has lived almost seven decades without giving a scintilla of thought to any serious policy question.
Regarding process, Trump, who recently took a week-long vacation from campaigning, has surfed a wave of free media to the mistaken conclusion that winning a nomination involves no more forethought than he gives to policy.
He thinks he can fly in, stroke a crowd's ideological erogenous zones, then fly away. He knows nothing about the art of the political deal.
The nomination process, says Jeff Roe, Cruz's campaign manager, "is a multilevel Rubik's Cube. Trump thought it was a golf ball — you just had to whack it." Roe says the Cruz campaign's engagement with the granular details of delegate maintenance is producing a situation where "the guy who is trying to hijack the party runs into a guy with a machine gun."
Trump, the perpetually whining "winner," last won something on March 22, in Arizona. Trump, says Roe, is now "bound by his brand rather than propelled by his brand."
If Trump comes to Cleveland, say, 38 delegates short of 1,237, he will lose. Cruz probably will be proportionally closer to Trump than Lincoln (102 delegates) was to William Seward (173.5) who was 60 delegates short of victory on the first of three ballots at the 1860 convention.
Cruz's detractors say he has been lucky in this campaign's unpredictable political caroms that thinned the competition. But as Branch Rickey — like Coach Bryant, a sportsman-aphorist — said: "Luck is the residue of design."
George F. Will is one of today's most recognized writers, with more than 450 newspapers, a Newsweek column, and his appearances as a political commentator on Fox news. Read more reports from George Will — Click Here Now.
http://www.newsmax.com/GeorgeWill/Delegates-Cleveland-Utah-Wisconsin/2016/04/06/id/722588/#ixzz454kWfERt
-
Trump has done the damage to the GOP as planned, and kept hilary out of the headlines. now he can return to twitter feuds, etc.
BUT he has to wreck their convention first ;)
-
AP-GfK Poll: Americans overwhelmingly view Trump negatively
By JULIE PACE and EMILY SWANSON
WASHINGTON (AP) — For Americans of nearly every race, gender, political persuasion and location, disdain for Donald Trump runs deep, saddling the Republican front-runner with unprecedented unpopularity as he tries to overcome recent campaign setbacks.
Seven in 10 people, including close to half of Republican voters, have an unfavorable view of Trump, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. It’s an opinion shared by majorities of men and women; young and old; conservatives, moderates and liberals; and whites, Hispanics and blacks — a devastatingly broad indictment of the billionaire businessman.
Even in the South, a region where Trump has won GOP primaries decisively, close to 70 percent view him unfavorably. And among whites without a college education, one of Trump’s most loyal voting blocs, 55 percent have a negative opinion.
Trump still leads the Republican field in delegates and has built a loyal following with a steady share of the Republican primary electorate. But the breadth of his unpopularity raises significant questions about how he could stitch together enough support in the general election to win the White House.
It also underscores the trouble he may still face in the Republican race, which appears headed to a contested convention where party insiders would have their say about who will represent the GOP in the fall campaign.
“He’s at risk of having the nomination denied to him because grass-roots party activists fear he’s so widely disliked that he can’t possible win,” said Ari Fleischer, a former adviser to President George W. Bush.
Beyond their generally negative perception of Trump, large majorities also said they would not describe him as civil, compassionate or likable. On nearly all of these measures, Trump fared worse than his remaining Democratic or Republican rivals.
Not that voters have all that much love for those rivals. But their negative perceptions don’t match the depth of the distaste for Trump. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is seeking to catch Trump in the Republican delegate count, is viewed unfavorably by 59 percent, while 55 percent have negative views of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Another problem for Trump is that his public perception seems to be getting worse. The number of Americans who view him unfavorably has risen more than 10 percentage points since mid-February, a two-month stretch that has included some of his biggest primary victories but also an array of stumbles that suggested difficulties with his campaign organization and a lack of policy depth.
A survey conducted by Gallup in January found Trump’s unfavorable rating, then at 60 percent in the their polling, was already at a record high level for any major party nominee in their organization’s polling since the 1990′s.
Candi Edie, a registered Republican from Arroyo Grande, California, is among those whose views on Trump have grown more negative.
“At first, I thought he was great. He was bringing out a lot of issues that weren’t ever said, they were taboo,” Edie said. Now the 64-year-old feels Trump’s early comments masked the fact that he’s “such a bigot.”
“I don’t know if he’s lost it or what,” she said. “He’s not acting presidential.”Trump’s unpopularity could provide an opening for Cruz, though he is loathed by many of his Senate colleagues and other party leaders. After a big win Tuesday in Wisconsin, Cruz is angling to overtake Trump at the July GOP convention.
Clinton’s campaign believes Trump’s sky-high unfavorable ratings could offset some questions voters have about her own character, and perhaps even give her a chance to peel off some Republicans who can’t stomach a vote for the real estate mogul.
Andrew Glaves, a “hard core” Republican from Bothell, Washington, said he might have to side with Clinton if Trump becomes the nominee, even though she’s out of step with his views on gun rights, his top election issue.
“I’d be willing to take that as opposed to doing so much harm to the country’s reputation,” said Glaves, 29.
More than 60 percent of all registered voters and 31 percent of Republicans said they definitely would not vote for Trump in the general election.
One group that is still with him includes those who describe themselves as both Republicans and supporters of the tea party movement. Sixty-eight percent of them have a favorable view.
Pennsylvania Republican Robert Paradis plans to vote for Trump in his state’s primary this month. The 76-year-old said that while Trump’s uneven temperament makes him cringe “all the time,” he’s hopeful the front-runner’s bluntness can shake up Washington.
“He’s not a politician; he says it the way he feels it,” Paradis said.
___
The AP-GfK Poll of 1,076 adults was conducted online March 31-April 4, using a sample drawn from GfK’s probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Respondents were first selected randomly using telephone or mail survey methods and later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn’t otherwise have access to the Internet were provided access at no cost to them.
http://ap-gfkpoll.com/featured/ap-gfk-poll-americans-overwhelmingly-view-trump-negatively
-
Movement Grows to Nominate Retired Gen. James Mattis for President
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e24111eb-be16-4253-b5c6-992023e73a17&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Movement Grows to Nominate Retired Gen. James Mattis for President Ret. Gen. James Mattis. (AP)
By Jason Devaney | Friday, 08 Apr 2016
A retired four-star general could land on November's presidential ballot if one group of conservatives has its way.
Gen. James Mattis, who retired in 2013 after a 44-year career with the Marines, has been the subject of a movement with roots among billionaire conservatives who do not want to see Donald Trump or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz win the presidency.
According to The Daily Beast, the movement seems to be picking up steam.
The 65-year-old general received a package that contained six documents from roughly a dozen wealthy donors that mapped out a battle plan for him to win the presidential election.
Mattis took control of U.S. Central Command in August 2011 and served in that role until his retirement. He's known as the "Warrior Monk," and speculation has been swirling since the 2012 election of his potential to be president.
"Haven't seen the reports and I'm quite sure it's just idle talk," Mattis told The Daily Caller last month.
Mattis ruffled feathers in the White House because of his strong opinions. According to a Washington Post story last year, he was an outspoken critic of the Obama administration's policy with Iran and repeatedly called for a military response to the nation's aggression.
Mattis' opinions on Iran, according to the Post, were the reason why his time at Central Command lasted less than two years.
This summer's Republican National Convention will have to be contested in order for Mattis to land on the presidential ballot. Trump leads Cruz in the delegate vote, but there has been talk about delegates changing their mind and naming Cruz or perhaps someone else as the nominee.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Movement-Draft-GenJames-Mattis-GOP/2016/04/08/id/722945/#ixzz45FtbxlTA
-
Current delegate count (1237 needed):
Donald Trump - 743
Ted Cruz - 517
John Kasich - 143
Marco Rubio - 171
Ben Carson - 9
Jeb Bush - 4
Carly Fiorina - 1
Mike Huckabee - 1
Rand Paul - 1
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2016/presidential-primary-caucus-results
-
Popular vote results for Florida, Ill, Ohio, NC, Mo, and DC and the totals to date:
Tuesday's results:
3,196,905 = Votes for Trump
4,499,938 = Votes for other candidates
Total:
7,446,394 = Votes for Trump
12,309,275 = Votes for other candidates
Popular vote totals after Arizona, Utah, and Wisconsin:
8,107,544 = Votes for Trump
13,333,131 = Votes for other candidates
-
You and me both.
Levin: ‘I Am Not Voting for Donald Trump,’ ‘Count Me As Never Trump’
by IAN HANCHETT
8 Apr 2016
Talk radio host Mark Levin, who has endorsed Republican presidential candidate Texas Senator Sen. Ted Cruz, declared, “I am not voting for Donald Trump. Period” and “count me as never Trump” on Friday.
Levin said that a couple of years ago, the Senate Conservatives Fund contacted his publisher to buy old copies of his book, “Liberty & Tyranny” to promote membership, something he wasn’t involved in. Levin defended this as “perfectly legitimate,” and done by many groups and authors, and as far as he knew, wasn’t bulk buying, and didn’t impact any lists. He further stated that whatever money he got from this sale was donated to charity.
Levin then stated, “Roger Stone is a thug. He’s a sleazeball. … And he’s a hatchet man for Donald Trump. So he puts out this obscure article from this obscure website, that used that to claim that I’m bought and paid for by the establishment. … And in the article, they trash other people too, Beck, Erickson, I think there’s another fellow in there trashed, with these nutjob conspiracy theories, and just flat-out lies.”
Levin continued, “Now, there are sleazeballs, like him, sleazeballs like Coulter, and sleazeballs like some talk show hosts, and I’m biting my tongue, who are so contemptible and pathetic, they want to use the most outrageous attacks on one of their colleagues to try and promote themselves. It’s truly pathetic.”
He then added, “Now, I’ve backed Cruz, and I’m going to continue to back Cruz, but here’s what I’m going to do. As a result of what the Trump supporters have attempted here, particularly Roger Stone, I am not voting for Donald Trump. Period. … And if anybody has a problem with that, Donald Trump, you can talk to Roger Stone. These bully, dirty tricks, Nixonian tactics, they’re only going to backfire. They’re only going to backfire. So, count me as never Trump. There’s been too much of this folks, way too much of this. The crap in the National Enquirer against Ted Cruz, the attacks on Michelle Fields, I mean, I can go right through the list, too much, too much, too much. At some point, you’ve got to stand up to it.”
Levin concluded, “And if they piss me off one more time, I’m going to urge millions and millions of you, should he get the nomination, not to vote for him either.” And “‘Ooh, Roger Stone has nothing to do with the campaign.’ Oh yes he does.”
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/04/08/levin-i-am-not-voting-for-donald-trump-count-me-as-never-trump/
-
Something tells me we are going to see one of these 2 girls for Veep Candidate on this ticket
Carly Fiorina
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/CarlyFiorina49416.jpeg)
Susana Martinez
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Governor_NewMexico.jpg/220px-Governor_NewMexico.jpg)
NY State GOP Chairman Touts NM Gov. Martinez for VP
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c4dbd6b3-a087-4dc6-ab0e-0ca0265ea159&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: NY State GOP Chairman Touts NM Gov. Martinez for VP
By Greg Richter | Sunday, 10 Apr 2016
New York State GOP chairman Ed Cox on Sunday touted New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez as a potential vice presidential candidate Sunday during a radio talk show interview.
Martinez will be the keynote speaker at the Manhattan GOP dinner on April 14th dinner where the remaining candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich will also be speaking, Cox noted on "The Cats Roundtable" on AM 970 in New York.
"Our honoree is Gov. Susana Martinez, the first Latina governor in the history of the United States, governor of New Mexico, of course [is] a potential vice presidential candidate," Cox told host John Catsimatidis.
"She's got a wonderful personal story, a great history as governor," Cox said. "And having all three presidential candidates there while she delivers her keynote speech, and you've got them delivering their speeches."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/ed-cox-susana-martinez-new-mexico-vice-president/2016/04/10/id/723179/#ixzz45XLJHBDX
-
NY State GOP Chairman Touts NM Gov. Martinez for VP
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c4dbd6b3-a087-4dc6-ab0e-0ca0265ea159&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: NY State GOP Chairman Touts NM Gov. Martinez for VP
By Greg Richter | Sunday, 10 Apr 2016
New York State GOP chairman Ed Cox on Sunday touted New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez as a potential vice presidential candidate Sunday during a radio talk show interview.
Martinez will be the keynote speaker at the Manhattan GOP dinner on April 14th dinner where the remaining candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich will also be speaking, Cox noted on "The Cats Roundtable" on AM 970 in New York.
"Our honoree is Gov. Susana Martinez, the first Latina governor in the history of the United States, governor of New Mexico, of course [is] a potential vice presidential candidate," Cox told host John Catsimatidis.
"She's got a wonderful personal story, a great history as governor," Cox said. "And having all three presidential candidates there while she delivers her keynote speech, and you've got them delivering their speeches."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/ed-cox-susana-martinez-new-mexico-vice-president/2016/04/10/id/723179/#ixzz45XLJHBDX
A Rubio/Martinez ticket would be the Democrat Party's worse nightmare.
-
Rubio cannot be on the ballot during the contested convention unless they change the rules. Same for Kasich and everyone other than Cruz or Trump.
But I agree that would have been a good ticket. Cruz/Martinez would be good too.
-
What a clown. Dr. Carson and Fat Man are not happy about this development.
Trump: I'd Consider Rubio, Kasich, Walker for VP
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=ae1c826c-ddda-4eaf-a83d-b3ac00f6ac13&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Trump: I'd Consider Rubio, Kasich, Walker for VP (Getty Images)
By Jason Devaney | Monday, 11 Apr 2016
Donald Trump said he's open to asking Marco Rubio, John Kasich, and Scott Walker to be his running mate should he win the Republican party's presidential nomination.
In an interview with USA Today, Trump said he has a mental list of potential vice vice presidents but will not reveal it. When asked about giving Rubio, a Florida senator who suspended his presidential campaign in mid-March, a job in his administration, Trump wouldn't rule anything out.
"Yes. I like Marco Rubio. Yeah. I could," Trump said.
"There are people I have in mind in terms of vice president. I just haven't told anybody names. ... I do like Marco. I do like Kasich. … I like Walker actually in a lot of ways. I hit him very hard. ... But I've always liked him. There are people I like, but I don't think they like me because I have hit them hard."
Trump has rubbed many of his opponents the wrong way during the campaign. Kasich, Ohio's governor, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are the two remaining active candidates in the GOP race. Cruz has been especially vocal about keeping Trump out of the White House.
Regarding Rubio, Trump said the dust-up between the two men regarding some off-color jokes is in the past.
"He made a mistake," Trump told USA Today. "He became Don Rickles for about four days, and then I became worse than Don Rickles."
Political commentator Dick Morris told Newsmax last month he believes Trump and Kasich struck a deal that will keep Kasich in the race, which could slot Kasich in as Trump's VP.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/donald-trump-consider-vice-president/2016/04/11/id/723378/#ixzz45d8W4Hb9
-
What a clown. Dr. Carson and Fat Man are not happy about this development.
Trump: I'd Consider Rubio, Kasich, Walker for VP
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=ae1c826c-ddda-4eaf-a83d-b3ac00f6ac13&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Trump: I'd Consider Rubio, Kasich, Walker for VP (Getty Images)
By Jason Devaney | Monday, 11 Apr 2016
Donald Trump said he's open to asking Marco Rubio, John Kasich, and Scott Walker to be his running mate should he win the Republican party's presidential nomination.
In an interview with USA Today, Trump said he has a mental list of potential vice vice presidents but will not reveal it. When asked about giving Rubio, a Florida senator who suspended his presidential campaign in mid-March, a job in his administration, Trump wouldn't rule anything out.
"Yes. I like Marco Rubio. Yeah. I could," Trump said.
"There are people I have in mind in terms of vice president. I just haven't told anybody names. ... I do like Marco. I do like Kasich. … I like Walker actually in a lot of ways. I hit him very hard. ... But I've always liked him. There are people I like, but I don't think they like me because I have hit them hard."
Trump has rubbed many of his opponents the wrong way during the campaign. Kasich, Ohio's governor, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are the two remaining active candidates in the GOP race. Cruz has been especially vocal about keeping Trump out of the White House.
Regarding Rubio, Trump said the dust-up between the two men regarding some off-color jokes is in the past.
"He made a mistake," Trump told USA Today. "He became Don Rickles for about four days, and then I became worse than Don Rickles."
Political commentator Dick Morris told Newsmax last month he believes Trump and Kasich struck a deal that will keep Kasich in the race, which could slot Kasich in as Trump's VP.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/donald-trump-consider-vice-president/2016/04/11/id/723378/#ixzz45d8W4Hb9
After all that shit he was talking?
-
After all that shit he was talking?
Right? He is so full of crap.
-
Right? He is so full of crap.
You're right about Dr. Carson and the Jersey Jumbo... They are both very upset, and I imagine rightfully so to hear this.
Hopefully they wise up and pull their support.
-
What a clown. Dr. Carson and Fat Man are not happy about this development.
Trump: I'd Consider Rubio, Kasich, Walker for VP
it's lowbrow pandering for those delegates and supporters.
Trump looks so unbelievably see-thru now... zero fortitude, zero beliefs... so flexible from day to day, just changing positions with the wind.
All those repubs that said Trump was different... you look pretty stupid now. Trump is below-average intelligence politically, no denying it.
-
Trump is the biggest crybaby on the political scene.
Trump draws RNC rebuke over ‘rigged’ primary charge, missing key deadlines
Published April 13, 2016
FoxNews.com
While Donald Trump turns his campaign attacks toward his own party -- alleging the nominating process is “rigged” -- he's missing critical deadlines and being outmaneuvered by the Ted Cruz campaign, as frustrated party leaders tell the front-runner: "Give us all a break."
The billionaire businessman said Tuesday night at a CNN town hall that he knows the rules “very well” but those rules are “stacked” against him by the establishment.
That prompted a cutting retort from Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.
The dispute over process is building as Cruz’s operation has proved more adroit lately in getting supporters elected as the actual delegates who will attend July’s convention. Last weekend at the Colorado state convention, he gained all 34 delegates to this summer's convention in Cleveland.
On the sidelines, he’s also working to get allies elected as delegates in states that – unlike Colorado – hold traditional primaries and caucuses that allocate delegates based on voting.
In those states, delegates “bound” to Trump or Cruz or Ohio Gov. John Kasich would have to vote for their respective candidates on the first ballot at the convention. But if there’s an open convention – meaning nobody has the necessary 1,237 delegate to clinch the nomination – Cruz is banking on his delegate allies to surge over to his side on a second ballot, which many would be allowed to do.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that based on their own analysis, Cruz could pick up at least 130 – and as many as 170 or more – additional delegate votes on the second ballot at an open convention.
This would make it even harder for Trump to lock down the nomination, upping the pressure on the front-runner to clinch the party nod by the final June contests. The campaign has insisted they can do this, and that Cruz won’t get the opportunity to use his backup delegate allies on a second ballot.
But the Trump campaign has made it harder on itself by missing crucial deadlines in a number of states to lock up delegates who would stay loyal beyond the first ballot.
Trump's team is only now starting to engage in the delegate selection process, the choosing of the actual people who will attend and vote at the convention. Republicans have already selected delegates in at least nine states. And in others, such as Virginia and Arizona, the deadline to apply to be a delegate has passed.
Indiana's primary, for example, won't take place until next month. But the deadline to become a national convention delegate was in mid-March. Anti-Trump forces reportedly have already been lining up delegates who would turn on Trump at a contested convention.
"Are we concerned? Yes, definitely," said Tony Samuel, vice chairman of Trump's Indiana campaign.
The Cruz team feels the opposite.
Delegates Pledged to Republican Candidates Over Time | InsideGov
"Even if (Trump) jumped into high gear, he can't do it," said Shak Hill, a Cruz campaign leader in Virginia. "That's where he's been shut out of the game."
Trump is just ramping up his operation, but in some states he's too late.
In Virginia — a state where Trump won the primary — he has missed the deadlines to assemble lists of potential delegates. Cruz, however, has delegate candidates in 10 of Virginia's 11 congressional districts.
The application deadline was last month.
Indiana's primary is May 3, but 27 of the state's 57 delegates — the actual people — have already been selected at congressional district caucuses. The deadline to register as a candidate for delegate was March 15.
In the at least nine states that have picked some or all of their delegates, Trump has won a total of 100 delegates in primaries and caucuses in these states. In most, however, the candidates had no formal role in selecting the people who will fill those slots.
Trump, meanwhile, is banking on rallying popular support – which so far has kept him far out in front in the Republican field – in hopes of winning the nomination outright.
"Our Republican system is absolutely rigged. It's a phony deal," Trump told a rally in a packed airport hangar in Rome, N.Y., Tuesday evening.
"These are dirty tricksters," he said, placing the blame on the Republican National Committee. "They should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this kind of crap to happen," he added.
He went further a few hours later during the CNN town hall in New York City, suggesting the RNC was actively working to defeat him.
"The RNC doesn't like this happening. They don't like that I'm putting up my own money because it means they don't have any control over me," Trump said.
Cruz tore into Trump in a radio interview Tuesday, accusing his rival of being a bully, inciting violence and using dirty tricks to intimidate voters and delegates. Cruz unloaded on Trump over reports that his supporters were publishing the home addresses of delegates in Colorado and threatening to make public the hotel room numbers of delegates at the convention this summer.
"That is the tactic of union thugs," Cruz told host Glenn Beck. "That is violence. It is oppressive."
Cruz conceded that Trump will do well in upcoming primaries, including in Trump's home state of New York next Tuesday. Cruz said he will fare better when the race shifts back west to Indiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana, before finishing in California on June 7.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/04/13/trump-draws-rnc-rebuke-over-rigged-primary-charge-missing-key-deadlines.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Trump is the biggest crybaby on the political scene.
"But I like so many of his ideas"
- Gutless republicans, 2016, who just woke up to his reckless liberal nature.
-
A State-By-State Roadmap For The Rest Of The Republican Primary
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-state-by-state-roadmap-for-the-rest-of-the-republican-primary/
-
Cruz on Rubio for VP: 'You’d be a fool not to consider him’
By Mark Hensch
April 13, 2016
GOP presidential candiate Ted Cruz on Wednesday said that any White House hopeful would be lucky to add Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to his or her ticket.
“Anyone would naturally look at Marco as a terrific candidate for vice president,” he said during a CNN town hall in New York. "You’d be a fool not to consider him. He’s very, very talented. I think the world of Marco.
“He is one of the best communicators in the Republican Party," the Texas senator added. "He ran a campaign that inspired millions of people. It inspired me.”
Cruz stopped short of saying Rubio, who ended his own bid for the White House in March, is in the mix for his potential running mate.
“We’re in the process of looking now at a number of different options,” he told host Anderson Cooper. "I think very, very highly of Marco.”
Cruz also said he bears no ill will toward Rubio after they sometimes traded barbs during the Republican primary.
“It’s a campaign,” he said. "He was trying to beat me, I was trying to beat him. That’s what happens in a campaign.”
Rubio praised Cruz earlier on Wednesday, arguing that his former rival remains the only true conservative in the GOP nominating race.
"[He is the] only one that fits that criteria,” he said of Cruz on “Levin TV,” before adding he means candidates “actively campaigning.”
Rubio suspended his own Oval Office bid last month after finishing second in his home state’s GOP presidential primary.
Donald Trump leads Cruz in the GOP nominating race by approximately 7 points nationwide, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/276257-cruz-on-rubio-for-vp-youd-be-a-fool-not-to-consider-him
-
Exactly.
John Sununu: Trump 'Wasn't Smart Enough' To Pay Attention to Delegate Process
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=07ddcb66-b14f-4d9a-8d90-c9247e6d9b13&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: John Sununu: Trump 'Wasn't Smart Enough' To Pay Attention to Delegate Process (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Monday, 18 Apr 2016
Donald Trump is arguing that the delegate elections system is rigged because he "hasn't done his homework on it and he hasn't paid attention" about a voting process that has been place for years, former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu said Monday.
"Just because he wasn't smart enough to pay attention, he is trying now to bully the process with his rhetoric," Sununu told Fox News' Bill Hemmer on the "America's Newsroom" program. "Every state is entitled to choose their own process. And every candidate, including all the other candidates, paid attention to that. But he chose to try run a campaign on hot rhetoric instead of doing his homework."
Trump's claims that the elections system is rigged against outsider candidates like himself grew over the weekend after Wyoming's state convention awarded all 14 of its delegates to his main rival, Ted Cruz.
"Wyoming has a process where they select delegates through a series of caucuses starting at the community, through the counties, and then to the state," said Sununu. "That's been in place for years."
Meanwhile, Sununu said Trump will be in trouble at the Cleveland convention this summer if he does not have 1,237 delegates, the minimum he needs to claim the presidential nomination on the first ballot.
And even though a new poll Wall Street Journal poll shows that most people believe the candidate with the most votes should have the nomination, it must be the majority, not the most votes from the delegates, said Sununu, and he doesn't think that will happen, even considering the number of unbound delegates that will be available.
"Most of those unbound delegates can't stand him," Sununu argued. "He has to try to win on the first ballot because a lot of his delegates also can't stand him, and they will abandon him on the second."
Sununu, the former White House chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush, also chaired the rules committee for the 2012 GOP convention, and pushed back against some in the party who want to change the event's rules before it convenes.
The convention rules "can't" be the same this year as they were in 2012, said Sununu, because "every convention has to adopt its own rules that deals with the time frame they're in and process that is taking place."
The Republican National Committee, led by Chairman Reince Priebus, has its own rules committee, Sununu continued, but "that rules committee cannot and should not try to change the rules for the convention. The convention should have its rules established by the convention rules committee that will meet a day or two before the opening of the convention and establish the rules."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/donald-trump-delegate-process-elections/2016/04/18/id/724481/#ixzz46Cgv3dVU
-
Exactly.
John Sununu: Trump 'Wasn't Smart Enough' To Pay Attention to Delegate Process
I disagree. I think this whole delegate mess is Trump's way to bail out of the race and save face. He doesn't win enough delegates, he blames 'the system' and he gets to save face and scoot on out of the race.
Trump is an amazing marketer, but he's not the guy who wants to read boring documents for 14 hours a day. He's nearly 70 and he lives like royalty already. President, as a job, would be harder and way more stressful than what he does now. He's a ribbon cutter now.
Whatever his purpose for this race - raise his profile, win it for clinton, just make noise about some issues... whatever the case, he's come pretty far now and sees this delegate mess as a way out. After losing the first state, he repeated this 'mistake' in Colorado. And he JUST sent his team to Cali to get started. IMO, he's purposely underperforming in any place where delegate/shady party practices can be blamed.
He can save face, slink out the door as the people's champion, and return to being 'the man' on his own terms.
-
This thread has become like a therapy session for Trump haters.
-
Donald Trump's field director resigns
By Jeremy Diamond, CNN
Mon April 18, 2016
(CNN)Donald Trump's national field director resigned Monday amid a staff shakeup that put Scott Walker's former campaign manager in charge of the campaign's ground operation.
Stuart Jolly, the national field director, tendered his resignation to Trump, two days after Trump met with senior staff and officially elevated Trump's recently-hired national political director Rick Wiley above Jolly.
"I left. I wasn't pushed, I wasn't shoved, I wasn't asked to leave," Jolly told CNN Monday in a phone interview.
Jolly was a longtime loyalist to Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and Jolly's departure shrinks the circle of loyal aides Lewandowski has around him as Paul Manafort, Trump's recent hire to manage the convention strategy, gains more clout in the Trump campaign.
"I don't want to hurt Mr. Trump and I certainly don't want to hurt Corey," Jolly told CNN, adding that it was simply time to leave amid the campaign shakeup.
Politico first reported the resignation Monday.
Jolly said he is encouraging his field staff to stay on with the campaign.
"You gotta love and respect the people you work for. Things were changing so I'm going to give them an opportunity," Jolly said. "I would obviously have less input."
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/18/politics/donald-trump-field-director-resigns/index.html
-
Trump, in interviews and debates, “comes off like a third grader faking his way through an oral report on current affairs.” lol Truth.
(http://static2.politico.com/dims4/default/819c37d/2147483647/resize/1160x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Fa2%2F16%2Fcf2ef2974e6ea7eee5b2880f7a8b%2F160418-donald-trump-corey-lewandowski-1160-ap.jpg)
According to Republican operative Cheri Jacobus, she met twice with Corey Lewandowski but the meetings did not result in her joining the Trump campaign. | AP Photo
GOP operative sues Trump, Lewandowski for defamation
By BEN SCHRECKINGER
04/18/16 0
A veteran Republican operative filed a defamation suit against Donald Trump and his campaign manager in New York on Monday over statements the pair made earlier this year portraying her as a spurned job-seeker with a grudge against the Republican front-runner.
The suit, brought in New York County by communications strategist Cheri Jacobus, seeks $4 million in damages as well as unspecified punitive damages and court costs. It alleges that Trump and campaign manager Corey Lewandowski falsely and knowingly impugned her professional reputation in retaliation for her criticisms of Trump’s performance as a candidate.
The case again casts a cloud of legal trouble over Trump’s campaign just four days after a prosecutor in Florida announced his decision not to pursue a criminal battery case against Lewandowski for an unrelated March incident in which he grabbed Michelle Fields, then a reporter for Breitbart, by the arm.
The complaint stems from comments Lewandowski and Trump made in late January and early February following Jacobus’ January 26 assertion on CNN that Trump, in interviews and debates, “comes off like a third grader faking his way through an oral report on current affairs.”
The next day, on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Lewandowski said that Jacobus “came to the office on multiple occasion trying to get a job from the Trump campaign, and she wasn’t hired clearly she went off and was upset by that.”
Following a February 2 CNN appearance in which Jacobus criticized Trump’s claim that he does not get enough credit for self-funding his campaign, the businessman tweeted “@cherijacobus begged us for a job. We said no and she went hostile. A real dummy!”
On Feb. 5, two days after a lawyer for Jacobus sent Trump and Lewandowski a cease-and-desist letter in response to those comments, and one day after POLITICO reported on the letter, Trump tweeted, “Really dumb @CheriJacobus. Begged my people for a job. Turned her down twice and she went hostile. Major loser, zero credibility!”
According to Jacobus, the campaign first reached out to her last spring through a former Trump aide, Jim Dornan. She met twice with Lewandowski but the meetings did not result in her joining the campaign. A person involved in the preparations for Trump’s campaign has previously confirmed that version of events to POLITICO.
According to the complaint, Jacobus decided she did not want a job with the campaign after encountering Lewandowski’s “boorish behavior.”
Citing comments Jacobus made last summer on CNN defending Trump from charges of racism, the complaint makes the case that — contrary to Trump’s and Lewandowski’s accusations — she was not embittered by her prior interactions with the campaign.
The suit further alleges that Trump and the campaign bore a grudge against Jacobus for providing information to a Washington Post reporter for an article last fall about the pro-Trump Make America Great Again super PAC, which had close ties to the campaign and was run by an associate of Lewandowski’s. Following the Post’s reporting, the super PAC shut down.
A spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign, the general counsel of the Trump Organization and Lewandowski all did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In an email, Jacobus’ lawyer, Jay Butterman of Butterman & Kahn in New York, said the defendants had been served with the complaint, which also holds Trump’s campaign liable for damages.
“While libel suits are generally difficult to prove, in this matter it is indisputable that the statements of Trump and his agents which are the subject of this lawsuit are defamatory,” Butterman wrote. “Donald Trump far exceeded the legitimate bounds of free expression in his false attacks on Ms. Jacobus. He should be held accountable for his actions. We have no doubt that the defendants will hurl a host of technical objections at this filing, but we are confident that the complaint has already addressed the technical hurdles often confronting the victims of defamation.”
Attached to the complaint is an exhibit demonstrating the online abuse from non-campaign individuals directed at Jacobus following Trump’s and Lewandowski’s statements. It includes an image of Jacobus, made by a Trump supporter, doctored to show testicles dangling from her chin.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/cheri-jacobus-trump-lewandowski-defamation-lawsuit-222103#ixzz46IKutTsh
-
Trump, in interviews and debates, “comes off like a third grader faking his way through an oral report on current affairs.” lol Truth.
Yeah, but a lot of people in the republican party "love many of his ideas".
They admit he speaks like a 7 year old and has squat for any kind of platform, and they admit he was a lifetime liberal... but they like vague ideas like greatness and winning, whatever that means.
-
Delegate count after Trump's win in New York:
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160420012111-t1-delegate-scorecard-042016-overlay-tease.jpg)
-
Nothing Changed Yesterday—And Trump Is Still Not on the Path to Nomination
by Jeremy Carl
April 20, 2016
Before we begin debunking, let’s start with the obvious: It was undoubtedly a good night for Trump and unsurprisingly so, as NR’s Henry Olsen predicted on election eve. Trump looks to have taken 90 delegates and 60 percent of the vote, somewhat better than projections, although most election-eve forecasts had him taking at least 85 or so of New York’s 95 delegates (Olsen had him pegged for 87).
But despite his victory, Trump got only a very modest bump from New York last night. And despite the breathless TV and print commentary from our New York–centered media, he still faces huge obstacles if he wants to get a sufficient number of delegates to be nominated on the first ballot. And if he is not nominated on the first ballot, given Cruz’s wildly successful delegate strategy, it is unlikely he will be nominated at all.
In fact, according to the analysis of the widely-respected 538.com, Trump actually fell just short of the number of delegates he needed in New York to put himself on the path to the magic number of 1,237.
And, though he should have a good week next week when Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island vote, he will need a New York–level performance, not just a victory, if he wants to substantially improve his nomination odds.
New York and the five states voting next Tuesday are all part of the Democrats’ “blue wall.” Democrats have won all of these states in each of the last six elections. Only one of these states (Pennsylvania) has given more than 45 percent of its vote to the GOP candidate in any of the last six elections. New York and Rhode Island have never even given 40 percent to GOP candidates during this time.
It will be a major surprise if Trump loses any of the April 26 “Acela corridor” states. In fact, the 538.com base projections, which still have Trump coming up almost 80 delegates short of the 1,237 he will need for a first-ballot nomination, project that he will easily win almost all of the delegates in these states next week. If Cruz (whom, full disclosure, I have endorsed), or even the delusional John Kasich, were to somehow surprise him, most likely in Pennsylvania or Maryland, it would constitute a major setback for Trump.
The real final charge for the nomination begins not next week in the Northeast, but the following week in Indiana. Even in a best-case scenario for Trump, he can probably gain no more than ten or 15 delegates above current projections, still leaving him far off pace to clinch the nomination. On the downside, if he unexpectedly loses anywhere on April 26, his path to 1,237 delegates is almost certainly foreclosed. An April 26 sweep is already priced into Trump’s stock.
The real final charge for the nomination begins not next week in the Northeast, but the following week in Indiana, the first of the final ten states to vote on ground that is much more favorable to Cruz. In fact, Cruz is favored in most of the last ten states, with only New Jersey and (narrowly) California falling into the Trump column. (Tim Alberta has an outstanding look at Cruz’s strategy in Indiana on NRO today.)
There is no denying that Indiana is critical for both Trump and Cruz – Cruz can survive a loss there, but an overwhelming victory by Trump in Indiana could make 1,237 delegates a reasonable possibility for the businessman and would definitely be a substantial blow to Cruz’s chances. In contrast, if Cruz wins in Indiana, the “swingiest” of the states that he is favored to win down the stretch, Trump would face almost impossible odds in getting to 1,237. Until Indiana, almost every delegate Cruz wins is upside – and his biggest risk (even more so than Kasich’s crazy-uncle spoiler candidacy) is that a sloppy pro-Trump media narrative overwhelms him before he can get back to the campaign trail, where he will almost certain close strongly. Barring a very unusual occurrence, this contest will not be decided until (at the earliest) the final states vote on June 7.
Even in Trump’s New York victory, there were warning signs for any mainstream GOPers tempted to get behind him. According to exit polls, he took 63 percent of the over-45 vote but just 50 percent of those 45 and under. He took just 52 percent of working-class (under 50K family income) Republicans, far short of the 63 percent he took among wealthier Republicans. And perhaps most important, he won less than half as many votes as Hillary Clinton and just two-thirds as many as Bernie Sanders. His “dominant” performance was only dominant in the context of a state with a small minority of GOP voters. GOP turnout was up moderately compared with 2008 (the last open-seat presidential race in New York) but there was absolutely nothing in New York’s GOP turnout to suggest that Trump would be a game-changer in terms of putting new states in play. In fact, Trump took just 50 percent of independents, far worse than his share among New York’s atypically liberal Republicans.
Nor was the news much better for Kasich, the Baghdad Bob of the 2016 campaign, who was busy yet again claiming momentum after another 30-point-plus shellacking. There is much to suggest that his performance in New York was something of a one-off, though he’ll likely do respectably on April 26 because of the relatively favorable demographics of the states voting then. After that, things look bleak for Kasich, unless you assume that his only role in the race is to help Trump win the GOP nomination.
More Donald Trump The Road Ahead for Trump Might Be Almost as Friendly as New York Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations Dep’t. Trump’s Prospects Looking at New York’s exit polls, there’s substantial evidence that Cruz’s “New York values” comments hurt him there — which won’t be a problem for him next week. The exits showed that Kasich dominated among the #NeverTrump crowd in New York. Among the 24 percent of voters who said they would not vote for Trump if he were the GOP nominee, Kasich won a staggering 72 percent of them, far better than he had ever previously done with this demographic. He won 40 percent of voters who decided in the last week (far better than his 25 percent overall), suggesting that he maximized his value among late deciders. And perhaps most surprisingly, he beat Cruz among self-described conservatives and Evangelical Christians. The exit polls strongly indicate that Cruz and New York had a passionate, mutual non-love affair, so much so that he dramatically underperformed even in his strongest demographics. Don’t expect a repeat of that going forward.
In a week’s time, we’ll likely be back here analyzing some more Trump “victories.” But his win in New York and a follow-up sweep on April 26 are just what he’s expected to do. And he’ll have to exceed, not just meet, expectations in May and June if he wants to win the nomination.
— Jeremy Carl is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/434267/donald-trump-new-york-primary-win-changes-nothing
-
:o Took the gloves off.
Cruz: Trump 'is a pathological liar'
Trump criticized Cruz's father earlier Tuesday
Author: By David Wright and Julia Manchester CNN
Published On: May 03 2016
(http://www.news8000.com/image/view/-/39279092/medRes/1/-/maxh/365/maxw/650/-/363maoz/-/TedCruz-jpg.jpg)
Ted Cruz, April 28, 2016
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
(CNN) -
Ted Cruz on Tuesday unloaded on Donald Trump, accusing him during a news conference of being a "pathological liar," "utterly amoral," "a narcissist at a level I don't think this country's ever seen" and "a serial philanderer."
"He is proud of being a serial philanderer ... he describes his own battles with venereal diseases as his own personal Vietnam," Cruz said, adding that he was quoting Trump from an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show."
The Texas senator's comments come as polls indicate Trump is poised to claim victory in Cruz's must-win state of Indiana, and follow accusations the front-runner made about Cruz's father.
"This man is a pathological liar, he doesn't know the difference between truth and lies ... in a pattern that is straight out of a psychology text book, he accuses everyone of lying," Cruz said as Indiana voters headed to cast their ballots.
"Whatever lie he's telling, at that minute he believes it ... the man is utterly immoral," Cruz told reporters. "Donald is a bully ... bullies don't come from strength they come from weakness."
Earlier Tuesday, Trump had criticized Rafael Cruz, calling him "disgraceful" after he urged evangelical voters in Indiana to reject his son's rival.
Trump also referenced a report from the tabloid National Enquirer -- without naming the publication -- which alleged that it had identified Rafael Cruz in a photo with Lee Harvey Oswald months prior to the JFK assassination. CNN has not independently confirmed that report.
"And (Ted Cruz's) father, you know, was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's, you know, being shot. I mean the whole thing is ridiculous," Trump said in an interview on "Fox and Friends." "I mean what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald, shortly before the death? Before the shooting? It's horrible."
The publication -- which endorsed Trump -- has also run recent stories making various allegations about the billionaire businessman that have not been confirmed by CNN or other publications.
The Cruz campaign responded to Trump by calling him "detached from reality."
"His false, cheap, meaningless comments every day indicate his desperation to get attention and willingness to say anything to do so," said Catherine Frazier, Cruz's campaign spokeswoman in a statement. "We are campaigning on jobs freedom and security while Trump campaigns on false tabloid garbage. And the media is willfully enabling him to cheapen the value of our democratic process."
http://www.news8000.com/trump-attacks-cruzs-father-as-indiana-votes/39355204
-
:o Took the gloves off.
nothing like waiting until you're mathematically eliminated, to say this.
Still, as of this morning, Cruz STILL won't say whether he'll support Trump in the general election. Pathetic.
-
nothing like waiting until you're mathematically eliminated, to say this.
Still, as of this morning, Cruz STILL won't say whether he'll support Trump in the general election. Pathetic.
Why stick with him? Why not choose Cruz now? Cause when you want to join his camp next week, those of us who have been supporting him the entire time are going to call you a bandwagon fan.
-
I have a better idea for all the evangelicals who voted for Trump: slap yourself in the face.
It's Trump: Here's what evangelicals should do now
By Bruce Ashford
Published May 04, 2016
FoxNews.com
Following his victory in the Indiana primary, Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for president of the United States. In upcoming days, many of us in the evangelical community will be tempted to be despondent, maybe even to detach ourselves from the political process out of a feeling of helplessness. And yet, we should not despair. Although we have lost the nomination contest, at the same time we surely have won an opportunity to regain our evangelical witness.
We must regain our witness. Even if Trump were to have lost the nomination in a contested convention, Evangelicals had already slipped up by supporting the rise of a primary candidate whose campaign is characterized by overheated ethno-nationalistic aggression, who wants to curb free speech, who did not immediately and decisively distance himself from David Duke’s support for his candidacy, who seems only questionably committed to the pro-Life and religious liberty causes, who regularly demeans those who oppose him, and whose rallies have been punctuated by violence and civil unrest. In spite of these things, a certain sector of the Evangelical world—let’s call them Trumpangelicals—support his candidacy.
But what about the rest of us, those of us who are Evangelical but cannot countenance the thought of an Evangelical-supported Trump nomination? How do we recover from having allowed within our ranks the rise of Trumpangelism? How should we evangelicals reposition ourselves in order to regain our witness?
The 2016 election cycle offers an almost-irreplaceable opportunity for evangelicals to redefine ourselves and regain our witness. The redefinition and regaining must include at least three planks:
First, it offers us the opportunity to do something we should have been doing all along: by criticizing both the Democratic and Republican front runners, we can show that Christian wisdom often defies traditional social and political categories such as Democratic and Republican. This type of Gospel-centered Christianity will diminish our culture’s ability to classify and dismiss the church as the religious special interest wing of any one political party.
Second, we now have the opportunity and responsibility to speak with a clear voice on a broader array of policy issues. Instead of applying our moral exhortations to the Clintons alone, we can apply them also to a GOP nominee whose words and actions cause us a great deal of moral concern. Instead of applying Jesus’ command of neighbor love exclusively to the unborn, we can demonstrate our love for other persons—immigrants, refugees, those who are financially destitute—by making and stating our policies in ways that are both convictional and compassionate.
Third, we can help provide healing for the unhealthy and even toxic nature of American politics and public life. Over the past decade, our public discourse has become increasingly uncivil. For our part, Evangelicals can show the world what it looks like to speak and act with conviction while at the same time doing so civilly. We can take tough stances on issues while refusing to misrepresent, demean, or demonize those who oppose us. We can treat our political opponents as people with whom we disagree rather than as people who should be demeaned and degraded.
If we evangelicals are going to regain our voice in upcoming years, we must reposition ourselves as something other than the religious special interest arm of the Republican Party. I am a registered Republican. I’ve voted Republican in every election. But first and foremost, I am a Christian. My allegiance to Christ and the gospel transcends my allegiance to the Republican Party; if and when the GOP’s platform or politicians are at odds with my Christian convictions, I will leverage my Christianity to criticize the party.
Let us remind ourselves that these are things we should have been doing all along. We’ve failed to do so consistently or recognizably, and the rise of Trump’s candidacy offers us remarkable and irreplaceable opportunity. The moment has come to seize it.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/05/04/its-trump-heres-what-evangelicals-should-do-now.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
Trump is a recipe for disaster. It will start with Republicans not voting for him in November.
Trump's Victory Sending Some Running From GOP
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Trump-Victory-GOP-Running/2016/05/04/id/727135/
Turns Out Some Republicans Would Rather Disown Their Party Than Vote For Donald Trump
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/never-trump-republicans_us_57294b6de4b096e9f08fabe8
-
About time.
Kasich to suspend presidential campaign
Published May 04, 2016
FoxNews.com
Ohio Gov. John Kasich plans to suspend his Republican presidential campaign, Fox News has learned.
The expected announcement comes after the underdog candidate abruptly canceled an appearance in the D.C. area. He plans to make a formal statement Wednesday afternoon in his home state.
A Kasich spokesman said the Republican presidential candidate will speak in Columbus at 5 p.m. ET.
The governor originally had planned to speak with reporters at the Dulles airport in Virginia ahead of finance events Wednesday, but did not show up. The campaign later confirmed he was not going to Dulles.
The decision comes after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz suspended his campaign Tuesday night, having finished a distant second in the Indiana primary.
Kasich placed last in that contest, though his campaign initially said Tuesday night they would keep going – until a candidate has the requisite 1,237 delegates.
Donald Trump has not yet reached that number.
Despite the change in plans Wednesday, the Kasich campaign was making fundraising appeals in the aftermath of the Indiana results, continuing to cast the Ohio governor as the only one who could derail Trump at the party convention -- and the best candidate to face likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the fall.
The campaign even invoked Star Wars Day, calling him the "only hope" on Twitter.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/04/kasich-to-speak-in-ohio-amid-speculation-over-campaign-plans.html?intcmp=hpbt1
-
George W. Bush Sitting Out Election With H.W., No Plans to Endorse Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=9bd8dadf-0528-4bba-b99a-a00ee0755f8e&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: George W. Bush Sitting Out Election With H.W., No Plans to Endorse Trump Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush (R) and his son President George W. Bush (L) stand together during the commissioning ceremony on the deck of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, January 10, 2009. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
By Clyde Hughes | Thursday, 05 May 2016
George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, will be sitting out the presidential election and have no plans to endorse Donald Trump, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
The Washington Post reported that it is the first time in five presidential election cycles that Bush 41 is not endorsing the Republican nominee.
A spokesman for his son, Bush 43, made a statement Wednesday evening after Ohio Gov. John Kasich followed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to the exit, noted The Guardian.
"President George W. Bush does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," said the spokesman for the two-term president before President Barack Obama.
Jim McGrath, spokesman for George H. W. Bush, told The Guardian that the elder Bush has stepped away from politics.
"At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics," McGrath said. "He naturally did a few things to help Jeb, but those were the 'exceptions that proved the rule.'"
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the brother of George W. Bush, dropped out of the presidential race in February after his campaign failed to gain traction in the South Carolina primary, reported Politico.
"It's also not a total surprise, even though the Bushes have been prominent voices in the last several presidential elections," The Dallas Morning News said about George W. Bush's announcement on the 2016 race.
"Trump taunted former Florida Gov. Jeb Brush with vigor this year. He spared not even former first lady Barbara Bush from his barbs. And the mogul blasted George W. Bush over national security, using 9/11 to challenge the notion that Bush kept the U.S. safe," the News said,.
On the campaign stump, Trump called the Iraq War "a mistake" and claimed that he was against it at the time, said The Guardian.
http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/george-w-bush-sitting-out-election/2016/05/05/id/727322/#ixzz47nZqoyOl
-
Democratic Advertising Blitz Awaits GOP's Trump
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=a26fa2dd-6cca-4ab9-8c0e-60df79b567b5&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Democratic Advertising Blitz Awaits GOP's Trump (Getty Images)
Friday, 06 May 2016
Long before Donald Trump swatted away his Republican presidential rivals, his likely Democratic opponent and her allies began laying traps for him.
Priorities USA, the lead super PAC backing Hillary Clinton, has already reserved $91 million in television advertising that will start next month and continue through Election Day. In addition, Clinton's campaign and Priorities USA have both debuted online videos that cast Trump in a negative light — a preview of what voters will see on TV over the next six months.
So far, Priorities USA is the only group on either side that has rolled out such an ambitious advertising plan geared toward the general election. The group's leaders say they're trying to avoid what they see as the core mistake made by Trump's Republican rivals — not pushing hard enough against him until it was too late.
"There's a reason that we have a head start," said Justin Barasky, a Priorities USA spokesman, "and it's that we've taken Donald Trump seriously all along, unlike the Republicans."
The group's ad strategy will test what has been a hallmark of Trump's GOP primary rise: his ability to withstand — even thrive in the face of — tens of millions of dollars in attack ads.
An Associated Press review of Priorities USA's TV buys, collected by Kantar Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group, reveals a formidable 22-week advertising blitz through what the group considers key battleground states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia.
In those states, Priorities USA will start ads in major metropolitan areas, then broaden its outreach to smaller cities as the November election approaches. The group will also start ads on satellite TV in September.
According to the CMAG data, Priorities USA plans to spend about $4 million a week through most of June. The group then slows spending through July, taking off the weeks of the Republican and Democratic conventions, when widespread television coverage essentially provides free media time for the candidates.
Priorities USA returns to the airwaves in August and begins unloading $60 million in ads between September and Election Day. The week of the election, Priorities USA plans to spend about $8 million in the seven battleground states.
The heaviest concentration is in Florida, where the group has reserved $23 million in time, mostly in Orlando and in Tampa.
The group also plans to spend about $19.5 million in the traditional presidential bellwether state of Ohio. More than half is for Cleveland, Akron and Columbus.
There's no substantive GOP counterweight to the pro-Clinton effort — partly because Trump has repeatedly trashed big donors and called the outside groups that can raise unlimited money from them "corrupt."
As the presumptive GOP nominee, Trump is now beginning his outreach to donors. But even if he fully embraces outside help, he's far behind: One super PAC backing him, Great America, was almost $700,000 in debt at the end of March.
Another group that was a major player in the 2012 race, American Crossroads, is still "evaluating what our specific role will be," said spokesman Ian Prior.
Television ads are only one part of Priorities USA's strategy. It is putting at least $35 million into online advertising between June and Election Day, Barasky said. Those ads will largely aim to drive up turnout among core Democratic groups: African-Americans, Hispanics, women and younger voters, Barasky said.
Trump is already getting a taste of what some these ads will say.
On Thursday, Priorities USA overlaid audio of Trump talking about "unifying" the Republican Party with images of violence that has erupted inside and outside of his massive rallies. "I think we're going to win in November," Trump says at the end. "NOPE," reads text on the screen. "Vote for Hillary Clinton."
That follows an online video the Clinton campaign put out Wednesday that features clips of prominent Republicans, including his former rivals, bashing Trump in every possible way.
"He needs therapy," says former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at the end of the spot.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Donald-Trump-Hillary-Clinton-Election-2016-Advertising/2016/05/06/id/727531/#ixzz47tZKBFov
-
Trump Picks Chris Christie to Head Transition Team
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e15a2eaf-8cf2-46c7-9ccf-9b08203668e8&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Trump Picks Chris Christie to Head Transition Team
Monday, 09 May 2016
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Monday he has chosen New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a rival turned ally, to lead his transition team as he prepares for the general election campaign.
"Governor Christie is an extremely knowledgeable and loyal person with the tools and resources to put together an unparalleled Transition Team, one that will be prepared to take over the White House when we win in November," Trump said in a statement.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/trump-christie-head-transition/2016/05/09/id/727877/#ixzz48B87N8Ns
-
Ben Carson is leading the veep selection committee, he said while in bonita springs, FL this past weekend.
-
Is Fat Man the leader in the club house?
AP Interview: Donald Trump Says He's Narrowed VP Shortlist
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
Donald Trump, the Republicans' presumptive presidential nominee, says he's narrowed his list of potential running mates to "five or six people," all with deep political resumes.
He says he has not ruled out New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former rival who has embraced the billionaire's campaign with gusto.
"I have a list of people that I would like," Trump said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.
The real estate mogul and former reality television star said he's giving special weight to political experience because he wants a vice president who can help him "with legislation, getting things through" Washington if he wins the White House.
"We don't need another business person," said Trump, who touts himself as one of the best in that category.
He also said choosing a person who's previously held elected office would help with the process of looking into the person's background, in part because that person already would have been checked out by voters, the news media and to some extent the government.
"For the most part, they've been vetted over the last 20 years," he said.
If he selects a military or business person, he said, "the vetting is a whole different story. Whereas the politicians are, generally speaking, pretty well vetted."
Trump would not reveal the full list of possible running mates, but said his decision this week to appoint Christie to head his White House transition team did not mean the New Jersey governor was out of consideration.
"No, not at all," he said.
Trump's vice presidential pick could be crucial to easing the concerns of Republicans who worry about their presumptive nominee's lack of political experience, as well as his temperament to serve as commander in chief. Tapping a political insider would also be a way for Trump to signal a willingness to work with the party establishment he has thoroughly bashed throughout the primary.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer are among the Republicans who have suggested they would be open to joining Trump on the GOP ticket. Others, including Trump's former primary rival Marco Rubio, have ruled out being considered.
"I have never sought, will not seek and do not want to be considered for vice president," the Florida senator wrote in a Facebook post Monday.
Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has been chosen to run the vetting effort "with a group" that includes former rival Ben Carson and Trump himself, he said.
"Honestly, we're all running it. It's very much a group effort," said Trump, adding that he's in no rush to announce his pick.
"I do think I don't want to make a decision until the actual convention. Not even before it. I mean until it," he said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-vp-list-political/2016/05/10/id/728157/#ixzz48IMEeCul
-
He'd actually be a good choice.
Newt Gingrich Tops Trump's VP List
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e81ee8fb-35ec-4456-8fd1-2c624b3397ea&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Newt Gingrich Tops Trump's VP List
By John Gizzi
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is now the leading candidate to be tapped by Donald Trump as his running mate, a close confidante of Trump tells Newsmax.
On Tuesday, Trump told the AP that he has whittled down his choices to 5 or 6 names.
"I have a list of people that I would like," Trump revealed in his interview Tuesday.
But the name that keeps cropping up as his favorite is Gingrich, a Trump confidante tells Newsmax.
Trump has tapped former presidential contender Ben Carson to help pick his running mate. Carson said Tuesday that he is stepping down from that post to focus on the Thursday meeting between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump also announced this week that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will head his transition team.
Trump is said to favor Gingrich for several reasons.
First, Trump recognizes he is a Washington neophyte and sees in Gingrich someone who can school him in the legislative process and “make nice” with Capitol Hill.
Trump admitted to the AP he wants a running mate who can help him "with legislation, getting things through."
As Speaker, Gingrich successfully got Bill Clinton to sign legislation abolishing welfare, while agreeing to budget constraints that led to the first balanced budgets in a generation.
Trump has other reasons he is leaning toward Gingrich. He is said to personally like him. Rubio, Newsmax reported, has already been eliminated though he lobbied through surrogates for the job. Rubio has denied doing so.
Trump also finds Ohio Gov. John Kasich “kind of quirky” and not someone he resonates with, the confidante said.
Trump is apparently discarding the traditional approach of picking a running mate to provide geographic or ideological balance to his ticket. Instead he wants someone he “can live with for eight years,” the Trump source said.
This concept of a “simpatico ticket,” while rare, occurred when then-Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas turned to then-Sen. Al Gore of nearby Tennessee to run with him in his successful 1992 bid for president.
Though Gingrich did not endorse Trump, the Fox News commentator was an early defender of Trump in the GOP primary.
In addition, they pointed out, Gingrich helped organize a key meeting of Washington insiders for Trump that included former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston, R.-LA, and Heritage Foundation President and former Sen. Jim DeMint, R.-S.C.
“Donald values loyalty,” the source said, and Gingrich has been loyal.
Trump told the AP that he also is looking for a candidate who has held office and been under the public microscope.
"For the most part, they've been vetted over the last 20 years," he explained to the AP.
Gingrich has had such vetting, and survived a bitter, though unsuccessful run for president in 2012 against Mitt Romney.
Gingrich is also considered one of the best communicators in the party, and Trump is placing great emphasis on who can go toe-to-toe against Hillary Clinton’s running mate in upcoming debates.
Trump’s camp also is also said to be worried that his move to the center, already underway, may alienate conservative voters.
Gingrich remains a popular “Reaganite” – and could re-assure these voters if Trump takes positions not in line with party orthodoxy, the source said.
Newsmax queried Gingrich if he has been in discussions with the Trump campaign about the VP slot.
He offered a terse email reply: "No."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/newt-gingrich-tops-trump-vp/2016/05/10/id/728194/#ixzz48MxFAZ4s
-
Trump: I don’t expect to release my tax returns before November
Colin Campbell
Deputy Politics Editor
May 11, 2016
In a reversal, Donald Trump no longer appears eager to release his tax returns before the November election.
Trump said in a Tuesday interview with The Associated Press that an ongoing Internal Revenue Service audit was his primary reason for not releasing documents. But he also said he didn’t think voters would care.
“There’s nothing to learn from them,” he said.
Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, has for months declined to release his tax returns, citing an audit. However, the billionaire developer previously indicated that he wanted to disclose his records, a traditional practice during presidential campaigns.
“As far as my return, I want to file it,” he said during a February debate. “I will absolutely give my return, but I’m being audited now for two or three years, so I can’t do it until the audit is finished, obviously,” he added.
He also told the Syracuse Post-Standard in April, “I actually look forward to giving the tax returns, but as soon as the audit is complete.”
(https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/v9iEICU94Yv9iZpc.guFbg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9NTE2NA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/10cda9c625fcd22dfd49261bdc622b92)
Donald Trump (Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP)
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, prominently raised the tax return issue in February by speculating about a possible “bombshell” hidden in Trump’s records. Romney is a fierce critic of Trump’s candidacy.
“Either he’s not anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is, or he hasn’t been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to pay,” Romney suggested at the time. “Or perhaps he hasn’t been giving money to the vets or the disabled, like he’s been telling us he’s been doing.”
There is a long-standing tradition of presidential candidates releasing their income tax filings. Although they are not required to do so, White House contenders have consistently disclosed their tax documents, a tradition that goes back to the 1970s, according to The Washington Post.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate this year, also has been criticized for being slow to release his tax filings. Last year, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton released eight years of tax returns.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-i-dont-expect-to-release-my-tax-returns-133532154.html
-
He'd actually be a good choice.
Newt Gingrich Tops Trump's VP List
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e81ee8fb-35ec-4456-8fd1-2c624b3397ea&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Image: Newt Gingrich Tops Trump's VP List
By John Gizzi
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is now the leading candidate to be tapped by Donald Trump as his running mate, a close confidante of Trump tells Newsmax.
On Tuesday, Trump told the AP that he has whittled down his choices to 5 or 6 names.
"I have a list of people that I would like," Trump revealed in his interview Tuesday.
But the name that keeps cropping up as his favorite is Gingrich, a Trump confidante tells Newsmax.
Trump has tapped former presidential contender Ben Carson to help pick his running mate. Carson said Tuesday that he is stepping down from that post to focus on the Thursday meeting between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump also announced this week that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will head his transition team.
Trump is said to favor Gingrich for several reasons.
First, Trump recognizes he is a Washington neophyte and sees in Gingrich someone who can school him in the legislative process and “make nice” with Capitol Hill.
Trump admitted to the AP he wants a running mate who can help him "with legislation, getting things through."
As Speaker, Gingrich successfully got Bill Clinton to sign legislation abolishing welfare, while agreeing to budget constraints that led to the first balanced budgets in a generation.
Trump has other reasons he is leaning toward Gingrich. He is said to personally like him. Rubio, Newsmax reported, has already been eliminated though he lobbied through surrogates for the job. Rubio has denied doing so.
Trump also finds Ohio Gov. John Kasich “kind of quirky” and not someone he resonates with, the confidante said.
Trump is apparently discarding the traditional approach of picking a running mate to provide geographic or ideological balance to his ticket. Instead he wants someone he “can live with for eight years,” the Trump source said.
This concept of a “simpatico ticket,” while rare, occurred when then-Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas turned to then-Sen. Al Gore of nearby Tennessee to run with him in his successful 1992 bid for president.
Though Gingrich did not endorse Trump, the Fox News commentator was an early defender of Trump in the GOP primary.
In addition, they pointed out, Gingrich helped organize a key meeting of Washington insiders for Trump that included former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston, R.-LA, and Heritage Foundation President and former Sen. Jim DeMint, R.-S.C.
“Donald values loyalty,” the source said, and Gingrich has been loyal.
Trump told the AP that he also is looking for a candidate who has held office and been under the public microscope.
"For the most part, they've been vetted over the last 20 years," he explained to the AP.
Gingrich has had such vetting, and survived a bitter, though unsuccessful run for president in 2012 against Mitt Romney.
Gingrich is also considered one of the best communicators in the party, and Trump is placing great emphasis on who can go toe-to-toe against Hillary Clinton’s running mate in upcoming debates.
Trump’s camp also is also said to be worried that his move to the center, already underway, may alienate conservative voters.
Gingrich remains a popular “Reaganite” – and could re-assure these voters if Trump takes positions not in line with party orthodoxy, the source said.
Newsmax queried Gingrich if he has been in discussions with the Trump campaign about the VP slot.
He offered a terse email reply: "No."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/newt-gingrich-tops-trump-vp/2016/05/10/id/728194/#ixzz48MxFAZ4s
Newt = best candidate in 2012
Still think a minority VP pick would help a little more but a Newt pick for VP?
I would freaking love that! He would eviscerate in a debate whatever stooge Hillary put up there.
-
He'd actually be a good choice.
Newt Gingrich Tops Trump's VP List
Newt is ending up to be one of the greatest political chameleons of our time.
Adopts whatever position is popular like he always owned it. He'll have us all believing he was cheering loudest for Trump from minute #1.
He was married, getting BJs under his desk from his secretary, while prosecuting Bill Clinton for lying about the same thing. He was loudest for global warming being manmade, then magically went in the opposite direction. Newt actually worked WITH Bill Clinton to give amnesty to millions - and in 2016, he'll magically have all of us believing he supported a wall/mass deportations all along.
http://universalfreepress.com/2014/bill-clinton-newt-gingrich-granted-amnesty-millions-illegal-aliens/
Newt is one flexible dude on position.... which works great for that Trump ticket ;)