While Thursday night’s debate performances provided reporters with some substantive content, much of the political news coverage on Friday focused on the notable endorsements picked up this week by the top two GOP presidential candidates. Ahead of Tuesday’s important primaries in Ohio and Florida, prominent Republicans of all stripes began to officially name their favorite between Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Cruz added some diversity to his list of endorsements with nods from the likes of the Black Conservatives Fund, and Meghan McCain, political commentator and daughter of Arizona Sen. John McCain. Cruz wrapped up the week by securing the support of the National Review editorial board and conservative talk radio host Mark Levin.
Trump has also amassed some notable endorsements this week, including one-time rival Dr. Ben Carson. Shortly after the retired neurosurgeon formally announced his pick, Trump received the endorsement of longtime conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly.
It means so much to me- receiving an endorsement from Phyllis Schlafly. A truly great woman & conservative. pic.twitter.com/11rEMu99qc
At a campaign event Friday in St. Louis, the 91-year-old Schalfly introduced Trump with a few remarks explaining why he is her choice.
She said the brash billionaire “has the courage and energy” needed to “bring some changes.” (Read more from “Right After Trump Earns Carson’s Endorsement, He Gets Huge News From This Conservative Icon” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-12 00:53:092016-04-11 10:51:37Right After Trump Earns Carson’s Endorsement, He Gets Huge News From This Conservative Icon
Nearly 46,000 Pennsylvania Democrats have gone Republican since the start of 2016, twice as many as have shifted the other way, as a wild primary fight continues to upend the business of politics as usual and challenge the status quo.
Needless to say, much of this movement is being attributed to the rise of Donald Trump and the so-called “Ditch and Switch” movement, which leans on lifelong Democrats to abandon the party, register Republican and help ensure Trump’s place in the November general election.
A website launched by two North Carolina sisters calling on Democrats to switch political parties and embrace Trump says, “For many years the Democratic Party has promoted agendas that most Americans did not agree with. Our country is deeply divided, and the silent majority has been bullied into silence by political posturing and underhanded agendas that favor the few while excluding the majority.”
The statement supports Dr. G. Terry Madonna’s theory that at least some of the 46,000 Democrats-turned-Republican in Pennsylvania belong to a disaffected class that felt overlooked by elected leaders, or at odds with Democratic party ethos.
“With the increase in support in exit polls for Trump among working class, blue-collar Democrats, it is my belief that these are people who fall into that genre,” said Madonna, who is director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster. (Read more from “‘Ditch and Switch’: Trump May Be Behind Mass Democratic Party Exodus in Pennsylvania” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-11 00:33:362016-04-11 10:51:40‘Ditch and Switch’: Trump May Be Behind Mass Democratic Party Exodus in Pennsylvania
Donald Trump’s campaign is denying charges that top campaign official Corey Lewandowski got rough with a reporter during an event in Jupiter, Florida late Tuesday . . .
After the GOP front-runner spoke at a televised press conference, [Michelle] Fields, according to her Breitbart report, attempted to ask Trump a question on affirmative action as he was exiting the room.
Trump “acknowledged the question,” Fields said, “but before he could answer I was jolted backwards.”
“Someone had grabbed me tightly by the arm and yanked me down,” she added. “I almost fell to the ground, but was able to maintain my balance. Nonetheless, I was shaken.”
Fields, who typically covers Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2016 race and was filling in for a colleague at the Trump event, said she did not recognize who had grabbed her, but cited Washington Post reporter Ben Terris, a witness to the events. (Read more from “Trump Campaign Under Fire for ‘Assault’ on Reporter” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-11 00:31:572016-04-11 10:51:43Trump Campaign Under Fire for ‘Assault’ on Reporter
By B. Christopher Agee. Among the reasons many Republicans list for opposing Donald Trump’s bid to become the party’s presidential nominee is the fact that, in head-to-head polling against presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, the brash billionaire has repeatedly and decisively lost. A recent CNN/ORC poll showed a dramatic shift from previous reports, with Trump down a whopping eight points against Clinton.
Not only did both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio come out on top against Clinton in that hypothetical match-up, the news got even worse for Trump when pollsters probed the favorability factor. Trump fared worse than anyone in either party with 6 in 10 respondents sharing an unfavorable opinion of him.
The very CNN poll Donald Trump said to look at shows him losing to Hillary Clinton and me beating her #GOPDebatehttps://t.co/P71S1WEhrY
A subsequent poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal confirms Trump would face a pronounced electoral deficit against Clinton if the general election were held soon. In a one-on-one race, respondents said they would give Clinton a 13-point margin of victory. Both Cruz and Rubio remain competitive with Hillary, the poll results found, as both Republicans finished within two points — or less than the survey’s margin of error — of the former secretary of state. (Read more from “Brand New Poll Just Revealed Best Candidate to Go up Against Clinton – It’s NOT Who You’d Think” HERE)
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Donald Trump to Storm Convention Just Shy of Delegate Threshold for Nomination
By Ralph Z. Hallow. Donald Trump is on track to hand the Republican establishment an unprecedented defeat at the national convention in July, despite being outspent 3-1 by party leaders and their associates in their all-out effort to turn primary and caucus voters against him, according to a state-by-state delegate allocation analysis by The Washington Times.
By the time California and three other states count their votes from the last four primaries June 7, the brash billionaire businessman and TV star will be 74 or so delegates short of the 1,237 majority needed for the nomination, the analysis shows.
With so large a plurality in the offing, it is increasingly unlikely that the Republican establishment, fronted by 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, will carry through with plans to change the convention rules to wrest the nomination from Mr. Trump and hand it to an establishment-approved candidate such as Marco Rubio or John Kasich, or even a noncandidate like House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who is expected to be named the convention’s chairman and has the adoration of the party’s power brokers.
“I cannot imagine him not getting a majority on the first ballot if he’s only 74 delegates short of a majority,” said Republican superlawyer and Constitution scholar James Bopp Jr. (Read more from “Donald Trump to Storm Convention Just Shy of Delegate Threshold for Nomination” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-10 01:06:222016-04-11 10:51:44Brand New, Surprising Poll Reveals ‘Best’ Candidate to Go up Against Clinton; Analysts Now Predict Brokered Convention
By Ryan Grim, Nick Baumann and Matt Fuller. Billionaires, tech CEOs and top members of the Republican establishment flew to a private island resort off the coast of Georgia this weekend for the American Enterprise Institute’s annual World Forum, according to sources familiar with the secretive gathering.
The main topic at the closed-to-the-press confab? How to stop Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google co-founder Larry Page, Napster creator and Facebook investor Sean Parker, and Tesla Motors and SpaceX honcho Elon Musk all attended. So did Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), political guru Karl Rove, House Speaker Paul Ryan, GOP Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Ben Sasse (Neb.), who recently made news by saying he “cannot support Donald Trump.”
Along with Ryan, the House was represented by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton (Mich.), Rep. Kevin Brady (Texas) and almost-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), sources said, along with leadership figure Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.), Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (Texas) and Diane Black (Tenn.). (Read more from “50+ Jets Fly the World’s Elite to Secret Island Meeting to Stop Trump” HERE)
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Elites Are Horrified by Donald Trump. What If Republican Voters Don’t Agree?
By Greg Sargent. With anxiety about Donald Trump rising among GOP elites and conservatives, we’re seeing more and more efforts from right-leaning writers to explain the ugliness of Trumpism — its bigotry, its authoritarianism — as a way of dissuading Republican elected officials and GOP voters in coming primaries from supporting him.
Which gives rise to a question: Are the Republican candidates running against Trump making anything close to this same case? . . .
It’s true that some criticism has been directed at Trump for supporting Obamacare, abortion, gun control, and private property seizures. But those criticisms remain comfortably within the boundaries of GOP orthodoxy. Trump’s rivals seem to believe there is some risk, or at least nothing to gain, in hitting him for vowing not to touch the entitlements of aging Republicans, for attacking free trade deals as bad for workers, and for vowing a very hard line on immigrants and Muslims — as if such attacks would not win over Republican voters, or might even alienate them.
All the high-minded criticism from right-leaning writers could dissuade Republican politicians from supporting Trump, by warning them what a disaster he’d be for the country (and for conservatism and the GOP), thus persuading them not to act on short-term political expediency if he keeps winning. That’s a noble goal and could make a difference. But the fact that some of these criticisms of Trumpism are not being targeted towards Republican voters in any serious or sustained way tells us a lot about why Trump is succeeding. (Read more from “Elites Are Horrified by Donald Trump. What If Republican Voters Don’t Agree?” HERE)
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Tech Titans, GOP Elite Plot Trump Attack on Private Island
By Douglas Ernst. A parade of tech titans flew to a private island over the weekend to discuss ways of derailing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Congressmen from both sides of the political aisle, political operatives, and influential members of the media were also in attendance.
The American Enterprise Institute held its annual World Forum on St. Simons Island, Georgia, on Sunday. Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, said in an email that attendees were focused on finding a way to stop Trump, the Huffington Post reported Monday.
“A specter was haunting the World Forum–the specter of Donald Trump,” Kristol said while lifting a line from the “Communist Manifesto,” the website reported. “There was much unhappiness about his emergence, a good deal of talk, some of it insightful and thoughtful, about why he’s done so well, and many expressions of hope that he would be defeated. The key task now, to once again paraphrase Karl Marx, is less to understand Trump than to stop him” . . .
Radio host Rush Limbaugh weighed in on the event, which allegedly featured a a presentation by Rove on the Republican front-runner’s biggest weaknesses.
“It was a circle, and they were sitting around the circle, and they were all telling each other or asking each other, ‘How the hell did this happen?’ And it’s an understandable thing. They think they run the world. They think they control these things. And out of the blue comes the Trumpster,” said Limbaugh. “You got all these tech CEOs and all these left-wing inventors and tech people with these Republicans? That’s crony capitalism right in front of your face, or crony socialism.” (Read more from “Tech Titans, GOP Elite Plot Trump Attack on Private Island” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-10 00:58:282016-04-11 10:51:4550+ Jets Fly the World’s Elite to Secret Island Meeting to Stop Trump
By B. Christopher Agee. As each of his rivals continue to gain national support at his expense, struggling GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump is facing yet another hurdle this week in his race to the party’s nomination.
Time and again, the brash billionaire has faced criticism that his stated positions on a number of issues have been unclear or too vague. On Saturday, the Daily Mail attempted to get some specifics on one such issue when a reporter asked whether Trump supports a constitutional right allowing gay couples to marry.
During his obfuscated response, Trump reportedly became irritated with the reporter.
“We have policy on it,” the candidate insisted. “And I’ve said it very, very strongly. And I think you know it. And it’s all done and, you know, in a campaign, how many times do I have to say it?”
The reporter once again asked for a direct answer, prompting Trump to respond with the same dismissive rhetoric.
“It’s like, as an example, what is my position on 900 different things,” Trump said. “I’ve said it 150 times. We’re not here for discussing that. But everybody knows how I feel on it.” (Read more from “Donald Trump Is Avoiding Questions on 1 Controversial Issue… Many Observers Are Speculating” HERE)
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Romney Sends out Anti-Trump Robo-Calls for Rubio, Kasich
By Fox News. Mitt Romney is blasting out robo-calls on behalf of Marco Rubio and John Kasich — and against Donald Trump — in the states voting Tuesday, marking his most direct appeal yet on behalf of any candidate since he delivered a scorching condemnation of Trump’s candidacy last week.
Voters are going to the polls Tuesday in Republican contests in Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii.
Romney’s team still insists the party’s 2012 presidential nominee is not endorsing any candidate, describing the latest robo-calls as more a bid to combat Trump than an indicator of support for Rubio or Kasich. Romney reportedly did pro-Rubio calls in all four states holding contests Tuesday, and recorded a pro-Kasich call in Michigan only.
“Gov. Romney has offered and is glad to help Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Gov. John Kasich in any way he can,” a source close to Romney said in a statement. “He’s been clear that he believes that Donald Trump is not the best person to represent the Republican Party and will do what he can to support a strong nominee who holds conservative values to win back the White House.” (Read more from “Romney Sends out Anti-Trump Robo-Calls for Rubio, Kasich” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-09 00:32:372016-04-11 10:51:46Donald Trump Is Avoiding Questions on 1 Controversial Issue… Many Observers Are Speculating
At a press conference held after his victories in the Michigan and Mississippi Republican presidential primaries, Donald Trump called on the Republican party to come together and unify behind him.
“Given your statement to Major [Garrett] about how easy it would be to beat Hillary Clinton do you agree you’re going to need to get mainstream Republican politicians, the establishment as it has been labeled behind you? And if so, what do you say to them tonight, given so many are pouring their money in to trying to beat you?” FOX News’ Campaign Carl Cameron asked Trump.
“I say let’s come together folks,” Trump said Tuesday night. “We’re going to win. I say let’s come together. Carl, the answer is not 100 percent but largely I would say yes. Some people you are just not going to get along with. It’s okay.”
“I am a unifier,” Trump said in Jupiter, Florida tonight. “I unify. You look at all of the things I built all over the world. I’m a unifier. I get along with people. I have great relationships. I even start getting along with you, right? Campaign Carl. But, no, I get along with people. And I really say this, Carl, I think it’s time to unify.” (Read more from “Trump Just Told the Republican Party Exactly What They Need to Do to Win the Election” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-09 00:31:062016-04-11 10:51:47Trump Just Told the Republican Party Exactly What They Need to Do to Win the Election
It still is uncertain if there are enough Donald Trump supporters to garner him the GOP nomination for president – we’ll probably have a pretty clear idea in just a few weeks. But if the intensity of their support, and animus for those who disagree with their choice, would count, Melania Trump already would be measuring for curtains in the private quarters of the White House.
WND CEO Joseph Farah on Tuesday released in his daily commentary his personal recommendation for the presidential election this fall: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz . . .
While affirming he would support Trump, the front-runner right now, if he turns out to be the nominee, he said Cruz “demonstrates he has the clearest, most Reaganesque vision of where the country needs to go in its much-needed recovery from eight years of Barack Obama. Cruz is principled, sophisticated and a solid conservative whose understanding of and commitment to the Constitution is unshakeable.”
The emails to WND erupted.
They blasted, they criticized, they ridiculed and they charged. They talked about Cruz’s politics, how evil is Hillary Clinton, Trump’s business skills, Cruz’s wife, the U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio, and many more topics. (Read more from “Trump Fans Erupt Over 1 Bold Endorsement” HERE)
By Jack Davis. The brother of legendary civil rights activist Medgar Evers has two messages for America. One is that Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is “the best candidate.” The other is that those obsessed with the past and the Ku Klux Klan have to “stop living in the past.”
“I believe in him first of all because he’s a businessman. I think jobs are badly needed in Mississippi,” said Charles Evers, 93, whose brother was gunned down in 1963. Evers, a former leader in the NAACP, became a Republican and supported Ronald Reagan in 1980.
In an interview on National Public Radio, Evers said Trump would be a unifier.
“I think he’s the best candidate,” Evers said on NPR. “Number one, he’s independent. Number two, he speaks on what he thinks and not what some other politician may tell them. I like him as a person. He’s a self-made man, and he doesn’t have to take donations from Charles Evers, other people. Once he get elected, he won’t owe me a thing.” (Read more from “Trump Just Scored a Shock Endorsement That May Silence Those Calling Him Racist” HERE)
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Hillary Clinton Pledges to Never Let Donald Trump Become President
By Liz Kreutz. Hillary Clinton took direct aim at Donald Trump during a rally in Detroit tonight, vowing to never let the Republican front-runner become president as she continued to shift her focus away from Bernie Sanders and toward the GOP field.
“Because of the kind of campaign that the Republicans have been running, led by their front-runner, we have a lot of people who have been attacked, right?” Clinton asked the crowd of roughly 850 people at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
The reference to Trump prompted loud “boos” from her supporters, which seemed to fire up Clinton. “I mean, you got to say this about him, he is an equal opportunity attacker,” she said about her possible future opponent in the general election. “He’s attacked Mexicans, he’s attacked people with disabilities, he’s attacked women, he has attacked Muslims. He’s just gone after everybody.”
She added: “We will not let a person like that ever become president of the United States.” (Read more from “Hillary Clinton Pledges to Never Let Donald Trump Become President” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-07 23:32:472016-04-11 10:51:49Trump Just Scored a Shock Endorsement That May Silence Those Calling Him Racist
House Speaker Paul Ryan has had conversations with Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the speaker’s office said Monday.
“Speaker Ryan has now had phone calls with Donald Trump and Senator Cruz to explain House Republicans’ plan to present a bold conservative policy agenda this year,” press secretary AshLee Strong said in a statement provided to TheBlaze.
She added, “He will have similar calls with Senator Rubio and Governor Kasich soon.” (Read more from “Paul Ryan Speaks With Trump and Cruz — Here’s What the Speaker Discussed With Them” HERE)
00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-03-07 23:32:172016-04-11 10:51:49Paul Ryan Speaks With Trump and Cruz — Here’s What the Speaker Discussed With Them
