Patterico's Pontifications

3/8/2016

CNN: Rubio Advisers Say He Should Get Out Before Florida

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:44 am



Hawaii holds its GOP caucus today, and Idaho, Michigan, and Mississippi have their GOP primaries. These contests will be an interesting test of whether Cruz is cannibalizing Rubio’s support, and whether Trump continues to fade. Meanwhile, we have this report from CNN: Some Rubio advisers say get out before Florida:

A battle is being waged within Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s campaign about whether he should even remain in the Republican presidential race ahead of his home state primary on March 15, sources say.

Rubio himself is “bullish” on his odds of winning the critical primary, despite some advisers who are less hopeful and believe a loss there would damage him politically in both the short- and long-term.

Publicly, the campaign is maintaining they are still a contender in this race, touting a Sunday win in Puerto Rico’s primary that delivered Rubio 23 delegates. But privately, the campaign is having a debate about whether he should remain in the mix — even for his home state of Florida’s primary.

“He doesn’t want to get killed in his home state,” one source familiar with the discussions said, noting “a poor showing would be a risk and hurt his political future.”

Rubio partisans on Twitter were pushing back against this story — and working very hard to spread a story that Ted Cruz was putting out false robocalls claiming Rubio was out.

Does this sound familiar? CNN puts out a story suggesting a candidate might be getting out at a time that is critical for Ted Cruz. Campaigns run around accusing Cruz of dirty play for spreading the story. You can see the Rubio folks licking their chops at the prospect of repeating the story that hurt Cruz after Iowa:

Here is the baseless accusation she is retweeting:

And here she is retweeting another such accusation bearing a #TedCruzLies hashtag:

Screen Shot 2016-03-08 at 7.05.13 AM

The problem is, there is zero basis for the rumor that Cruz is behind any such calls, if they happened. His spokespeople say he’s not. And, if anything, it seems plausible that Trump partisans could be executing a false flag operation.

When a Cruz rapid response guy chided this partisan “journalist” for repeating rumors falsely accusing Cruz of this, she batted her eyes innocently and said she was just gathering information — even as she exulted in the attention she was receiving from the Cruz guy:

This is just one more reason Rubio needs to lose.

I am on record saying that Marco Rubio needs to be curb-stomped in this race. The faster the better. I searched YouTube for the clip from Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” where Cary Grant is hanging onto a cliff at Mount Rushmore by his fingertips, and Martin Landau comes up and steps on the fingers. This is what Cruz needs to do to Rubio.

But if I found the clip, Rubio fans would all say: “BUT CARY GRANT LIVED AND HE GOT THE GIRL TOO!!!1! So it’s probably best I can’t find it.

Cruz can beat Trump head to head. But first, Rubio needs to be out. He won’t leave voluntarily. He won’t make a deal.

Rubio needs to be humiliated. Rubio needs to be ground into dust. The sooner he is gone, the sooner we can consolidate sensible people around Ted Cruz.

Let’s start today.

113 Responses to “CNN: Rubio Advisers Say He Should Get Out Before Florida”

  1. I was quite disappointed in Sarah RTing those unsubstantiated rumors. Not that she’d care what I think.

    physics geek (6669a4)

  2. CNN will go from being shown in Gyms and Airports to the Headrest Displays in Ubers and fuel pump screens at 7-11

    Mr Wizard (c31051)

  3. I live in FL and I have another week to regret it. I’ve been receiving about 6 robo calls a day from some gope telling me I need to support rubio. I can’t wait until after March 15 and I can get back to the normal calls about winning the jamaican lottery or my water is poisoning me.

    Jim (a9b7c7)

  4. If running for President was a stepping stone on a career ladder to being elected God, Rubio would use the 747 at our expense and never show up for work in the Oval Office.

    DCSCA (a343d5)

  5. Dollars to donuts if anything like that is happening (TODAY) that it is either Trump or Rubio doing it.

    Cruz might be doing robo-calls but to think he would create negative momentum with the same formula is a sign of stupid. That ain’t Cruz.

    Rodney King's Spirit (3adc86)

  6. Personally, I think humiliating someone only makes an enemy,
    perhaps someone who will smile to your face
    and wait for the moment to stab you in the back
    but it is real hard to make a friend out of someone you’ve humiliated, on purpose no less.

    If you want to say you want Cruz to have a resounding victory, I can go with that.

    Humiliation is taking all of the Confederacy’s horses and Lee’s sword, which wasn’t done.

    MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84)

  7. That was a little harsh.

    Charles Harkins (acd486)

  8. Just as a point of comparison, I live in Florida and haven’t gotten one robocall about Rubio dropping out. However, I have received unsolicited emails from Rubio’s team telling me how great their guy is. So was my email sold by the RNC? I think so.

    InRussetShadows (aacbd5)

  9. Here’s a link to a (close-up) still photograph of Landau stepping on Cary Grant’s hand at the end of ‘North by Northwest.’
    https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRWRsJ1sdy6g6W04Z9uWr_-54OG4PEWA2mHd2vBMkU4igzHmaB-VQ

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  10. Trump just pulled a USS Maine on Rubio and Cruz.

    Rodney King's Spirit (3adc86)

  11. I voted for Rubio, I donated to Rubio – for Senate, against Crist, in Florida. I also donated to Cruz against Dewhurst, so he has my contact info too. So I am on both their lists.

    (I have not voted in the primary yet, and obviously have never voted for Cruz in the past since I have never lived in Texas)

    I got emails from Rubio proactively soliciting my input on dirty tricks by other campaigns, warning of dirty tricks, etc. but I didn’t get any robocalls or any dirty tricks from the Cruz campaign.

    The Rubio emails sure rubbed me the wrong way.

    Appreciate the points by MD in Philly, etc. – although I think all Patterico is asking for is a votes for Cruz. I see no request for anything else (other than some strong metaphorical language about voting for Cruz).

    The only way Rubio is humiliated is at the voting booth (which is fair, and can’t be a cause for grudge holding) or by his own actions (which is his own fault). If they create false accusations of dirty tricks and use that to poison the well and nurse a grudge, then they aren’t a man and don’t deserve a vote.

    Go Cruz. Go Patterico.

    PrincetonAl (b0eb82)

  12. If the media were to do anything but harm Cruz, he would be winning this debacle.

    mg (31009b)

  13. True, PrincetonAl.

    MD not exactly in Philly (deca84)

  14. but the thing is… if Cruz wins the nomination
    he’ll definitely lose to Hillary Clinton in the general election.
    How do I know this? …Take into account that Cruz is already struggling to beat Trump…
    and Trump is overpowering Clinton.

    The only person I see Trump having a moderately difficult time beating
    may be Bernie (But Bernie isn’t going to get the Dem nomination at this point)

    keep in mind also… Cruz isn’t well liked.
    mostly because he failed to deliver on his promises to build a wall during his Senate Run…
    or to even deal with the immigration/border problems which he said he would.
    he should of done something when he had the chance, it would of made running for president far easier for him in the end.

    how to get Ted Cruz elected… well….
    someone in the GOP needs to force him to enact a immediate repeal of 0bamacare.
    that is his only shot at the nomination at this point.
    and I mean a physical repeal of ramming-the-ACA-down 0bama’s throat… with a veto-breaking proof majority
    before 0bama leaves office…. There is nothing Americans would love to see more…
    than to see 0bama suffer immensely by losing his legacy before he is kicked out of office permanently. that would most likely given him several boosts.

    *l* problem is… even if Cruz won the nomination, he doesn’t have a very good chance against hillary like Trump does.

    YourMaster (c7e392)

  15. Appreciate the points by MD in Philly, etc. – although I think all Patterico is asking for is a votes for Cruz. I see no request for anything else (other than some strong metaphorical language about voting for Cruz).

    Really PrincetonAl? Explain to me the metaphor in: “I am on record saying that Marco Rubio needs to be curb-stomped in this race.” if you will. Curb stomping is what inner city thugs do by laying a victims forearm between the curb and street then jumping on it to fracture the bone. What exactly is that a metaphor for?

    This is what the left has done to political discussion among Republicans about Republicans. I’ve never heard of this before in the Republican party. Beat the sh!t out of or rip’em a new one and stuff but curb-stomped?

    Rev. Hoagie™® (eb7063)

  16. Speaking as someone who thinks Rubio more electable come November (although I don’t personally like the guy better) compared to Cruz, I think you need to bear something in mind:

    The more you push this frankly hateful, “curb stomp him” mentality, the fewer of those who previously supported the “curb stomped” candidates will turn out for the eventual nominee who did the “curb stomping.”

    Now, am I in that potential “sore loser, won’t vote” category? Hell no. But many are.

    Mitch (341ca0)

  17. @TrumpSlave (AKA YourMaster) You’re promoting Donny’s delusions of grandeur, based on your own silly read of the situation. Your opinions are of little consequence when the majority of RCP averages of national polls of general election matchups show Cruz beating Hillary, while the majority of the same polling averages show Hillary tromping on Trump. Your carefully formulated falsehoods notwithstanding, Cruz is the better candidate—on all levels.

    This is a great Patterico column; since Marco is apparently hoping to be anointed in a convention with the nomination he can’t win by caucus and election, he needs to be shown that such dreams are harmful to America.

    Cyborg (f1cb9c)

  18. “People are saying,” “Word has it,” “I hear from people I trust.”

    This is the basis people are using for believing something is true.

    CrustyB (69f730)

  19. yes yes we have to stomp him stomp stomp stomp

    happyfeet (831175)

  20. Every candidate who drops out insists, up until the moment that he drops out, that he’s in it to win it, he’ll fight to the convention, etc. I still have hopes that Rubio will recognize reality.

    If he doesn’t, the humiliation will be self-inflicted, and likely career-ending.

    The voters are taking this in-hand; they are, increasingly, ahead of the GOP establishment and ahead of the Rubio & Kasich campaigns in recognizing the reality that this is a two-man race. That’s the message from Kansas and Louisiana and Maine and Kentucky, where late-breakers and election-day deciders broke very strongly for Cruz. Tonight’s returns in ID, MS, MI & HI are unlikely to give either Kasich or Rubio much encouragement or many delegates. Let’s hope they also trigger some clear-eyed realism among those in the #NeverTrump camp who haven’t yet acknowledged the political reality that Cruz is the only viable alternative.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  21. Is there any way that the website software here could be jiggered a bit, so that before “YourMaster” (#13) can post here again, he or she is forced to watch the “Schoolhouse Rock” video, “I’m Just a Bill”? The moron who writes these comments clearly hasn’t got a clue about the most basic provisions of the Constitution, so I suppose it’s no surprise that he is absolutely wrong in all of the facts he thinks he knows about Ted Cruz.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  22. Kasich is hoping to do well in MI and then win Ohio, and do well enough in the rest of the states to be seen as a legitimate contender for nomination on the second vote…
    at least that is what he is saying.

    We’ll see how he does in MI,
    and if he wins in Ohio,
    or if he maintains enough of a split to allow Trump to win by 3% points over Cruz.

    MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84)

  23. Beldar, your better shot would be to get the add-on that blocks comments by people who you don’t want to see.

    Someone was kind enough to write one for us (was it Gabriel Hanna?, or?)

    MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84)

  24. To echo YourMaster; what blue state does Cruz have a prayer of turning red? I don’t see one. I like Cruz, but the Jesus/social conservative stuff KILLS HIM in the Electoral College.

    Math wise(and math is hard, as you must know)Trump is gonna take a whole pile of delegates in blue state GOP primaries. If he wins Florida, it’s over. But for chicanery, which could happen.

    Is Rumpf a distant relative of Drumpf?

    Bugg (db3a97)

  25. I’m using the code, MD, and loving it. I am truly ashamed to say that I do not recall who it was that provided us with such a boon. My apologies to you( who wrote it) , sir!

    I will not hazard a guess.

    felipe (b5e0f4)

  26. At this point there’s a good possibility the Cruz supporters have hammered away with insults and ridicule so much that they’d be lucky to pick up half the Trump supporters in a general election. So I guess now it’s time to alienate the Rubio supporters. Instead of welcoming people to change their minds beating the living hell out of them and calling them names is the next best thing.

    So when it’s Cruz vs. Hillary! and we look around for more support from former Trump and Rubio fans don’t be surprised when they thumb their noses at us and Hillary! wins.

    Rev. Hoagie™® (eb7063)

  27. It was some one quite brilliant with computers who has been using them before DOS came out, for whom it was trivial.

    Second thought, i don;t think it was Gabriel Hanna, but I’m blanking on the name.

    MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84)

  28. @ Bugg: Did the “Jesus/social conservative stuff” kill Reagan in the electoral college in 1980 or 1984? I seem to recall Reagan winning a whole ton of states that were then, and are now, considered “blue states.” Ditto with George H.W. Bush’s 1998 election, ditto with George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election.

    Go big or go home. Give the voters a real choice, not a choice between Dems and Dems-Lite. That’s the only way to win a mandate election, which is turn is the only way to do “big things” like repealing Obamacare, ending crony capitalism, and reforming entitlements. The general election will be fought over those issues, along with national security & defense issues.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  29. Rev. Hoagie™® (eb7063) — 3/8/2016 @ 10:31 am
    I’m afraid you’re right.

    But it may be a lawyer thing, Rev.

    The one time I was a witness in a criminal trial the defense and prosecutor looked like they wanted to strangle each other in the courtroom,
    then were as pleasant as could be to each other in the elevator afterwards.
    (I was still quite perturbed at the defense attorney).

    MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84)

  30. I want Rubio to drop out because I support Cruz.

    But I recall all those demands that Cruz drop out a few weeks ago. “Cruz would be a fool to stay in and not back Rubio” is an honest paraphrase from quite a few voices. Cruz was under tons of fire and many said he had his moment and it was over. In the past week he’s getting more votes than any other candidate.

    Rubio’s hopes are Florida and if I were him I would have a hard time backing out, after all this misery, before I saw that one best chance through. Rubio gave up his Senate career for this run.

    how to get Ted Cruz elected… well….
    someone in the GOP needs to force him to enact a immediate repeal of 0bamacare.
    that is his only shot at the nomination at this point.

    No one in the GOP has the ability to force Cruz to do anything. His actions are unencumbered by the establishment. This is why I trust him. Cruz has done a lot to thwart Obamacare in the last couple of years.

    I have heard a few radio callers boosting Trump by complaining that Cruz has been ineffective in the Senate. They then always throw in that Trump is more conservative, which makes no sense to me. The problem in the Senate is the party generally, and if Cruz was to have accomplishments beyond shutting down mistakes, he would have to work with Reid and Mcconnell, the way Trump and Obama think a Senator should. I disagree completely with that approach, and I’m proud that Cruz represents me well as he seemed too good to be true when I first voted for him.

    Being true to one’s word is hard on the hill. This pressure to have some accomplishment, requiring deals like Rubio made, is the big reason. Reconsider the impact your wishes actually have on our political system.

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  31. Rev. Hoagie™® (eb7063) — 3/8/2016 @ 10:31 am

    I hope it does not play out that way, but if it does, one would think that it would apply to Trump’s campaign as well. Either way, it means a dire outcome for team R. I agree that it is time to swing for the fences.

    felipe (b5e0f4)

  32. “GOP Leaders, Tech Execs Plot Against Trump At Secret NeoCon Island Meeting”

    More important than what Romney said (after all, it’s not as though he’s the first person to essentially call Trump a demagogic lunatic who has no business being President) was what his speech represented: all-out panic on the part of the GOP establishment.

    This is it folks. Trump is on the verge of winning the nomination and although most still think he can’t beat Hillary, the national election is a wildcard. If Trump can go from laughingstock to presumed GOP nominee in nine months, there’s no reason to think he can’t ride the populist wave all the way to The White House.

    It’s “the establishment” trying to bend the will of the electorate. It’s “entrenched business interests” aligning with bought-and-paid-for politicians to stand in the way of a populist revolution.

    Long story short, if the establishment and the business community keep focusing on how to subvert democracy rather than on how to craft a message that resonates with voters, they are going to end up handing the keys to The White House to Trump on a silver platter.

    https://patterico.com/2016/03/08/cnn-rubio-advisers-say-he-should-get-out-before-florida/#comments

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  33. But Martin Landau got picked off by the Ranger with a rifle! Then he fell hundreds of feet to the waste pile of rocks at the base of the monument! Can you imagine how difficult that is to clean up a splattered body from that pile of rocks? Pretty damn hard. And you want to do that to your hero???

    dee (3248c1)

  34. But it may be a lawyer thing, Rev.

    I do hope so, MD. One of my best friends “tells” me he’s gone over to the Trump camp. Why? Because his wife, who is moron Hillary! supporter kept bad-mouthing Trump and as he said:” If Ruth hates him that much, he must be good”. I think push come to shove he’ll be with us and Cruz.

    Rev. Hoagie™® (eb7063)

  35. Well it’s a metaphor, notice that none of those attendees at the confab were for Cruz.

    narciso (732bc0)

  36. Not sure that Trump is so much fading as not picking up any new support. After all, who would Trump pick up who is not already in his camp?

    RUBIO is cratering, not fading, and most of that goes to Cruz, with some to John (“Let’s not bicker”) Kasich.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  37. That’s probably a more accurate perspective. Ken start selling out to epstein, was disappointing.

    narciso (732bc0)

  38. I want to see Rubio drop out and join Cruz as the VP-apparent. In line with Patterico’s movie clip idea, perhaps Cruz could introduce him with “Say hello to my little friend!”

    But that would be wrong.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  39. The entire “Rubio out before he gets crushed” is unsubstantiated and not fact-checked by CNN. Or so Rubio guy Alex Conant contends.

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  40. hey there Sarah girl
    whatcha gonna do wit’ all that
    junk in teh big rumpf

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  41. Love the Trump supporters lamenting the rhetorical jabs made by Cruz supporters when the candidate they support says some of the most sophomoric and vile things on the campaign trail. A quick thought experiment for your Trump fans, if being called names by idiots on Twitter, who have zero impact on your life now or in the future, is enough to kill your support for Cruz, how can you say A) the ridiculous statements by Trump shouldn’t do the same for non-Trump supporters, and B) having a Presidential candidate, who can and will affect our lives in the future, act like a schoolyard bully isn’t cause for grave concern?

    Sean (1d5074)

  42. Although CNN and factchecking, vizxini.

    narciso (732bc0)

  43. So when it’s Cruz vs. Hillary! and we look around for more support from former Trump and Rubio fans don’t be surprised when they thumb their noses at us and Hillary! wins.

    That’s what happened to Goldwater. Although I’m not sure how you converse with Trump supporters without at some point trying to break through their dogma with a club.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  44. No private individual, no candidate, no Political Operative, no PAC has to spread ugly rumors about Marco Rubio in Florida. Trump was right, Rubio couldn’t get elected Dog Catcher in the Sunshine State. His well followed election to the Senate wasn’t so long ago that GOP voters here have forgotten Rubio’s blatant treachery on the amnesty issue.

    Rubio said one thing to get elected, then he betrayed the voters who put him in office when he joined the Gang of 8. That’s it. Game Over! Then to add insult to injury, we find he doesn’t even bother to show up for work.

    Floridians know they deserve better than Marco Rubio, and they do. There’s absolutely no need to spread rumors about Rubio, heck! He might not be able to get himself elected to the Miami City Commission, much less win a statewide primary election. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

    ropelight (ed50d3)

  45. Little punk robot latest victim of the trumpenator! Canada turd crud next!

    trump 1 (b511d6)

  46. I am probably unique here as not particularly caring whether Rubio or Cruz is the nominee. I have large issues with both men, but my preferred candidate is no longer running, so I have to settle.

    However, the electoral math works out that Cruz supports include some people who have Trump as second choice. It is unlikely that there are many such among Rubio or Kasich supporters. If Cruz were to drop out, Trump would win and I don’t want that. Ideally Kasich would drop out and we could see who that helps — Cruz would probably get some on the basis of #notTrump. Failing that Rubio drops out.

    I think that Rubio is hoping Kasich drops out, but Kasich, like Dogberry, is too clever by half.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  47. Crud suppository time to hop on your pogo stick and hop over to the toilet and flush yourself.

    trump 1 (b511d6)

  48. Little punk robot latest victim of the trumpenator! Canada turd crud next!

    Here’s the thing about Trump supporters: they aren’t embarrassed to write stuff like that. Tells me all I need to know about Trump and his supporters.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  49. Mekka Lekka Hi
    Mekka Hiney Ho! Jambi
    my blue Hawai’i

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  50. Hillaryclinton
    I’d sooner lose my right arm
    than vote for that b*tch

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  51. this hamoa beach
    will leave you feeling like you
    want samoa

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  52. Hillary! douche time to crawl to your Rascal scooter and drive over to your outhouse and dive in yourself.

    How’s that Perry? Can you understand me now?

    Douchery 1 (eb7063)

  53. Who are you for Perry Sanders the commie?

    Rev. Hoagie ™ (eb7063)

  54. Trump flushes crud down the toilet soon!

    trump 1 (b511d6)

  55. “Trump Would Dominate Clinton, Sanders in the General Election, Data Model Predicts”

    Basically, the Primary Model looks at how well candidates perform in their respective party primaries and extrapolates from there how they will do in the general. According to Helmut Norpoth, a professor of political science at Stony Brook University and the author of the HuffPo piece, the model accurately predicts the winner every presidential election since 1912 with only one exception. Incidentally, the model also shows both Cruz and Rubio losing if nominated.

    https://pjmedia.com/trending/2016/03/08/trump-would-dominate-clinton-sanders-in-the-general-election-data-model-predicts/

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  56. The Dems have to be enjoying the meltdown of the Republican Party.

    WJ3 (6c93d5)

  57. I think where you’re getting this wrong, ropelight, is the hatred part.

    Hate is an expensive emotion and I can’t afford it.

    Donald Trump, shipmate, does not deserve your faith.

    Steve57 (c2ddfd)

  58. If Rubio cannot win Florida, neither can Cruz. The only two candidates who have a possibility of getting Florida’s 99 delegates are Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. If anybody is arguing anything else than taht would give all of Florida’s 99 delegates to Trump, they are lying. They are lyinbg whether they are actually working for Cruz or not.

    Cruz has to be behind it, or people supporting him or working for him, and if not Cruz, then Trump or Clinton.

    The only people that Rubio dropping out now, before Florida would help are Trump, and indirectly, Clinton – and maybe Cruz if he or someone for him thinks he can’t be chosen in a contested convention, and he doesn’t care who else wins the nomination, and the election, if he doesn’t.

    It could be people working for campaigns. The political consultants must be acting in their own self-interest – they want to get other jobs, and being instrumental in getting someone else to quit could help them with the candidates they help, or at least get them an inside track on other jobs.

    The only thing that it makes sense for a non-Trump or anti-Trump Republican voter in Florida to do on March 15 is to vote for Rubio, because of all the votes for Rubio that are already in the bank. That could be as much as 5% or more. There are probably more in the bank for Jeb Bush than for Ted Cruz.

    I think maybe Cruz wants Rubio to drop out and he doesn’t care if that means that Trump gets all of Florida’s 99 delegates. If he doesn’t, he should say what Mitt Romney did – vote for Rubio in Florida and for Kasich in Ohio.

    I say that Rubio shouldn’t drop out even if he loses Florida, because he can probably get most of New York’s delegates, and those of Pennsylvania, as well. Kasich will probably mostly drop out.

    Sammy Finkelman (936567)

  59. For those interested, here is the code:

    javascript:(function($){‘use%20strict’;var%20n=/^(happyfeet|jmann|Gil)/i,aa=$(“.fn”),end=aa.length,i,el,v,p;for(i=0;iend;i++){el=$(aa[i]);v=el.text();if(n.test(v)){p=el.parents(“.comment-body”);p.children().not(“span,br,.reply”).hide();p.css(“padding”,”1em%200%200%203em”);p.css(“cursor”,”pointer”);p.click(function(){if($(this).children()[0].style.display===”none”){$(this).children().not(“span,br,.reply”).show();$(this).css(“padding”,””);}else{$(this).children().not(“span,br,.reply”).hide();$(this).css(“padding”,”1em%200%200%203em”);}});}}}(jQuery));

    I had to omit one character (less than sign) from the code because it was causing problems.

    Just add the names of the commenters you wish to filter, to the list in parenthesis that begins with “troll” and add separators as needed. Then open your browsers bookmark sidebar and create a bookmark (I named mine “cleaner”)and enter the code as the “location.” Now replace the one character (less than sign) I took out. It goes right after :”length,i,el,v,p;for(i=0;i” and right before “end;i++){el=$(aa[i]);v=el.text” with no spaces.

    Use: activate the bookmarks sidebar in your browser where you placed the new bookmark. while in the comment section, click on the new “cleaner” bookmark. All the comments are now filtered and you can read troll-free.

    felipe (56556d)

  60. Heh, I meant to change “happyfeet” to “troll.” So much for discretion.

    felipe (56556d)

  61. 56.The Dems have to be enjoying the meltdown of the Republican Party.

    You would think so WJ3, but every democrat I know is scared to death of Trump. Why? They should be scared of Cruz, he’s the real conservative and he’s the one who will rock their world.

    Rev. Hoagie ™ (eb7063)

  62. @ felipe: Does this javascript work-around interfere with the comment numbering (for cross-referencing purposes)?

    Beldar (fa637a)

  63. @ Hoagie (#60), who observed that the Dems “should be scared of Cruz, he’s the real conservative and he’s the one who will rock their world.”

    I agree completely with you about this. My guess is that most Dems are still not paying very close attention to Ted Cruz’ substantive positions yet. What they see and hear about Cruz from the MSM and all the other sources in their Leftie cocoons is just enough to validate the Dem party line (zealot cowboy from Texas who looks like The Count from Sesame Street but will impose a theocracy and trigger global thermonuclear war).

    That’s frankly what most Republicans from outside Texas thought about Ted Cruz this time last year.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  64. … and yes, many Republicans from outside Texas still do think those things about Cruz.

    But they’re adjusting their paradigms (I’m thinking of you, Lindsay Graham).

    Beldar (fa637a)

  65. As for comment numbering, the number we see is generated by our browsers, not the website. And the website comes up with its own number. For example, Beldar’s comment 63 (or could be 64 or 65 if you have comments in moderation) is actually comment 1847067. Impressive that there are almost two million comments!

    Why not just past the last four digits of the website’s serial of each comment on the timestamp line, beneath the comment? That way we would all be on the same page when we reference eachother’s comments.

    Sure, they wouldn’t be sequential because people are commenting on different posts, but that wouldn’t hurt anything.

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  66. “Here We Go… Fareed Zakaria Likens Trump Supporters to ISIS”

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/03/here-we-go-fareed-zakaria-likens-trump-supporters-to-isis-video/

    very similar to your average cruz or rubio supporter…

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  67. Beldar, I’ve liked Cruz since I heard him on TV a couple years ago. And his filibuster didn’t hurt either. And his back talk to the Republican hierarchy. And you’re right because people I know who hadn’t heard of him 8 months ago are strong supporters now. I figure if we can each get one or two people to go Cruz it’ll be a landslide.

    Rev. Hoagie ™ (eb7063)

  68. trump1/Perry, I have a photo of a classroom of Sander’s supporters:

    http://cdn.newsbusters.org/styles/front_list_image/s3/images/red-china.jpg?itok=Ox7bucPP

    Rev. Hoagie ™ (eb7063)

  69. A new NBC News/WJS national poll “conducted mostly after last Thursday’s raucous GOP debate”:

    Trump 30%
    Cruz 27%
    Kasich 22%
    Rubio 20%

    I think Ted Cruz is going to have another “surprisingly” good night tonight. I think Cruz will finish a close second, in both delegates and vote, behind Trump in Michigan. But I think Cruz will win in Mississippi and Idaho. I make no prediction about Hawaii other than that Trump won’t win there.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  70. Bah, once again forgot to complete the link, sorry.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  71. Don’t know if this has been seen here before, but it’s a good one, no matter who put it out… https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nh8kaXXv35c?rel=0

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  72. Roobs has no business staying in the race he’s an unethical sub-kasich dick joker and he’s not resonating.

    happyfeet (831175)

  73. Are you still in Hawaii, Haiku? It sounded awesome.

    DRJ (15874d)

  74. #71, Mr Happyfeet, sometimes I wonder if you say these things to intentionally subvert support for Trump. You can’t possibly be a Trump Fan Boy and call Rubio “unethical.”…at least not with a straight face. Please break the fourth wall and wink at the camera.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  75. well one would say the same, of the representation you make of cruz supporters,

    narciso (732bc0)

  76. “Possible Republican presidential candidates in 2016”

    Time Frame: Mar 03, 2016 – Mar 08, 2016 (5 Day Rolling)
    March 07, 2016
    719 Respondents

    Donald Trump 39.9%
    Ted Cruz 22.0%
    Marco Rubio 13.8%
    John Kasich 11.5%

    http://polling.reuters.com/#poll/TR130/filters/PARTY_ID_:2/dates/20160303-20160308/type/day

    of course you cant count on this poll because the only sensible people included in it are the ones who voted for cruz

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  77. a corrective to the earlier link,

    http://www.dailypundit.com/?p=117948

    narciso (732bc0)

  78. Nate Silver, within the past hour, regarding these competing national polls:

    [B]oth surveys showed Trump trailing in hypothetical one-on-one matchups with Cruz and Rubio.

    We generally don’t think you should be paying that much attention to national polls now that lots of states are voting. However, the ABC and NBC polls are interesting insofar as they fairly closely resemble the voting so far. Trump has 34 percent of votes in the 20 states and territories that had voted before tonight, compared with 29 percent for Cruz and 21 percent for Rubio. If Trump leads Cruz by only that relatively narrow margin, and not the massive one implied by some other national surveys, it’s not hard to imagine Cruz surpassing him in a one-on-one matchup.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  79. “Natural Born Woman Citizen

    Looking out on this morning’s race
    You got to feel so uninspired
    And when we had to face some more of what you say
    Lord, it made us feel so tired

    You harped about some baby birthin’, you wouldn’t shut your mouth
    That’s when we knew that Trump’s campaign’s gone south

    Cuz you made us see
    You made us know
    You made us say that Ted’s a natural born citizen

    When the campaign was in the lost and found
    You came along, to claim it
    We didn’t know just what was wrong with Ted
    ‘Til your BS helped us name it

    Now we’re no longer doubtful of who we’re voting for
    And if that makes you pissy we don’t need to do more

    Cuz you made us see
    You made us know
    You made us say that Ted’s a natural born citizen

    Oh, Ropey, what you doin’ with Trump?
    He made you look just like a chump
    And we just wanna talk sense to you
    Get out while you still have a life

    Cuz you made us see
    You made us know
    You made us say that Ted’s a natural born citizen

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  80. Yes we are here in Hawai’i ’till tomorrow, DRJ. I think I’ll send a couple of pics to Mr. Frey.

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  81. Coronello, I think you can appreciate this.

    My brother is going to let me drive the ’65 Galaxie Convertible.

    Which is a big deal. After I wrecked the Nova. But that was like 30 years ago.

    Steve57 (c2ddfd)

  82. Lil’ bro still hasn’t gotten over teh Nova. So it doesn’t look like I’ll be setting my grubby paws on the GTO anytime soon.

    Steve57 (c2ddfd)

  83. “Time-Lapse Photography Into the State of Florida 03/15/16 Republican Primary; Cruz Moving Up, Rubio Trending Down, Trump Impervious & Still in the Lead”

    Looking ahead to the 11/08/16 general election, Florida’s critical 29 electoral college votes are very much in play. Clinton today runs effectively even with any of the top 3 Republicans. At this hour, it’s:

    * Trump 45%, Clinton 44%. Clinton gets 82% of the black vote, 61% of the Non-Cuban Hispanic vote.
    * Clinton 45%, Rubio 44%. Clinton gets 82% of the black vote, 58% of the Non-Cuban Hispanic vote.
    * Clinton 46%, Cruz 44%. Clinton gets 79% of the black vote, 64% of the Non-Cuban Hispanic vote.

    http://www.surveyusa.com/

    IMPERVIOUS:

    adjective

    1. not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  84. @83, how did we not?

    Steve57 (c2ddfd)

  85. impotent

    1
    a : not potent : lacking in power, strength, or vigor : helpless
    b : unable to engage in sexual intercourse because of inability to have and maintain an erection; broadly : sterile

    2
    obsolete : incapable of self-restraint : ungovernable

    nk (dbc370)

  86. He’ll be staunch — until he’s not: Marco Rubio today on Hewitt’s radio show:

    HH: Now your colleague, Lindsey Graham, is pretty much ubiquitous, urging either a Cruz/Rubio or a Rubio/Cruz ticket. Have you had any conversation with Senator Cruz about that?

    MR: We have not, and I don’t think that’s something you’ll see for some time, if ever. I think everyone’s focuses on running for president right now. And you know, as we move forward, we’ll see how things turn out.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  87. Coronello, I’m just tossing this out there. When you talk classic cars, you never hear Triumph Spitfire.

    Almost never.

    Steve57 (c2ddfd)

  88. an awkward sample, I think,

    Filtering: SurveyUSA interviewed 2,450 state of Florida adults 03/04/16 through 03/06/16. Of the adults, 2,204 were registered to vote. Of the registered voters, 1,961 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in the 11/08/16 general election, 937 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in the 03/15/16 Republican presidential primary, 823 were determined to be likely to vote in the 03/15/16 Democratic presidential primary, 724 were determined to be likely to vote in the 08/30/16 Republican primary for US Senator, and 592 were determined to be likely to vote in the 08/30/16 Democratic primary for US Senator. This research was conducted using blended sample, mixed mode. Respondents reachable on a home telephone (64% of registered voters) were interviewed on their home telephone in the recorded voice of a professional announcer. Respondents not reachable on a home telephone (36% of registered voters) were shown a questionnaire on their smartphone, tablet, or other electronic device.

    narciso (732bc0)

  89. Steve… One of my dream cars is a ’64 or ’65 Galaxie with a 427, a 4 speed, bench seat and dog dish caps. Same goes for a ’62 thru ’64 Chevy Bel-Air with a 409 and same equippage.

    Working on the mid-engined X1/9 has given me a GREAT appreciation for the pull-up font end of the Spitfire… an absolute dream to work on.

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67)

  90. I get this strange feeling of dejavu,

    https://twitter.com/thehill/status/707306161264074752

    narciso (732bc0)

  91. uh oh…real clear politics just called mississippi for trump…with 0% of the vote…trump up double digits over cruz

    trump pulling away over kasich in michigan…up over cruz by double digits and climbing…

    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  92. drudge calls mississippi for trump 🙁

    http://drudgereport.com/

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  93. MICHIGAN
    TRUMP 38% KASICH 29% CRUZ 20%

    🙁

    http://drudgereport.com/

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  94. oh no…its the trumpster…

    trump up by double digits over kasich now in michigan 🙁

    hes only up by 17 over cruz though 🙁

    http://drudgereport.com/

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  95. oops…decision desk hq calls michigan for trump…:(

    http://www.decisiondeskhq.com/march-8th-gop/

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  96. real clear politics same same…:(

    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

    sound awake (6ad1ec)

  97. MI and MS are both open primaries I believe. Lot’s of Democrats love Trump.

    Gerald A (7c7ffb)

  98. Again the state Cruz would turn to red from blue is?

    Bugg (3ae93d)

  99. #102

    Since polls show Trump losing to Hillary, he would turn exactly zero blue states to red.

    Cruz doesn’t have to turn blue states to red. He just needs the swing states that Bush won in 2004.

    Gerald A (7c7ffb)

  100. 102. Again the state Cruz would turn to red from blue is?
    Bugg (3ae93d) — 3/8/2016 @ 6:26 pm

    Spoken like a Democrat.

    Luke Stywalker (33f010)

  101. There are polls showing Trump beating Hillary in NY and Fla, and making NJ, Ct, Penn and Mass competitive. Those electoral votes change the math in a very good way,and forces Hillary to spend time and resources in places that were assumed to be in her column. Again, my question goes unanswered.

    Bugg (3ae93d)

  102. There are polls showing Trump beating Hillary in NY and Fla, and making NJ, Ct, Penn and Mass competitive. Those electoral votes change the math in a very good way,and forces Hillary to spend time and resources in places that were assumed to be in her column. Again, my question goes unanswered.

    Bugg (3ae93d) — 3/9/2016 @ 4:08 am

    Florida is not a blue state it’s a swing state. The latest poll shows Clinton +2 over Cruz and the same poll shows Trump +1 over Clinton – a meaningless difference.

    Where did you get that there’s a poll showing Trump beating Hillary in NY? RCP has one Clinton – Trump poll for NY, taken about a month ago. Clinton is +25 over Trump. I can’t find any NJ poll on Clinton – Trump on RCP but I assume he’s way behind there if there is one. Someone’s feeding you bad information.

    Trump is not going to turn any blue state red vs. Clinton. Therefore your question is irrelevant.

    Gerald A (7c7ffb)

  103. Could he turn it orange? 😉

    nk (dbc370)

  104. Trump would be qualified to run for head of the NAACP.

    Luke Stywalker (33f010)

  105. RCP does show Trump did better against Clinton in PA than Cruz last October, which is meaningless at this point. There’s nothing more recent at RCP.

    Gerald A (7c7ffb)

  106. 93. Steve… One of my dream cars is a ’64 or ’65 Galaxie with a 427, a 4 speed, bench seat and dog dish caps. Same goes for a ’62 thru ’64 Chevy Bel-Air with a 409 and same equippage.

    Working on the mid-engined X1/9 has given me a GREAT appreciation for the pull-up font end of the Spitfire… an absolute dream to work on.

    Colonel Haiku (d1ec67) — 3/8/2016 @ 5:01 pm

    I’ll have to somehow pull through with the 390 and the automatic.

    Pray for me, Coronello.

    Steve57 (4d34f4)

  107. You wound me with the comment about the Bel Air and the 409. I let one slip by me for $30k. 409 and a four speed. I don’t know if that’s what counts as a good deal, but when I think about it I’d rather have the Bel Air than the $30k.

    Steve57 (4d34f4)


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