Patterico's Pontifications

Murder Cruz or rally around him? Why are people assuming those are mutually exclusive propositions? This is Lindsey Graham, after all.

Arizona CJ (da673d) — 3/1/2016 @ 9:58 pm

As a strong Cruz supporter, I had appreciated having Donald around for the first half of this primary process as something of an “f you” to the establishment.
I never wanted him to win, though I would have supported him.

Now that he is quite close, I find myself actually considering not supporting him..

Until this clip of Graham spouting this demographic spiral BS.
They still believe this stuff? You can just imagine all the young people and Mexicans listening and saying “yea! more of this!”

Go home Lindsey. You’re drunk.

asdf (4227f2) — 3/1/2016 @ 10:02 pm

Give it up. It’s over. It’s either Hillary! or the Donald. Make your choise as to which future. Me, I’m making ammo…..

dee (739167) — 3/1/2016 @ 10:19 pm

Reality TV is electing Donald Trump.

Dejectedhead (6f18ea) — 3/1/2016 @ 11:00 pm

Graham is just recognizing the obvious, which is that Trump will beat Rubio in Florida. Rubio should recognize that too. Tonight he’s still high on his own fumes, but the cold reality is likely to set in mañana por la mañana.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/1/2016 @ 11:02 pm

All my Minnesota friends voted Cruz. But Minnesota is full of rubes.

mg (31009b) — 3/1/2016 @ 11:53 pm

Lindsey- no one believes anything you mumble.

mg (31009b) — 3/1/2016 @ 11:54 pm

The nyt has Cruz only about 20 delegates behind Trump’s 240ish.

That tells me that Trump is not doing that we’ll once the dust settles.

scrubone (84f787) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:16 am

I hope Patterico commits suicide tonight.

Joe (dcf4fa) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:17 am

Graham is an idiot who makes Trump look good in comparison.

Hispanics are saying they want to be Republicans but we won’t let them?

No they’re not saying that at all! Graham is part of the suicidal establishment wing of the GOP. Listen to him disparage the white working class base; a bunch of idiot conspiracy theorists who think Obama is a secret Muslim.

As if the Dems who are splitting their votes between Sanders and Clinton don’t believe some weird things. Or Hispanics, for that matter. The fact of the matter it’s elitist establishment types like Graham who created the leadership and policy vacuum that Trump walked right in and took over.

Like an invasive species, don’t get me wrong. Like a parasite that will kill its host and then go on to infest another victim (ask the people he screwed over at Trump U. or in the course of one of his bankruptcies). But you have to give Trump credit. I have to give him credit. He knows an opportunity when he sees it. And I see the Bush/McCain/Graham/Rove/K street wing of the GOP is so stupid it will never learn but will instead go bumbling along creating opportunities for hucksters like Trump any time they can.

He and his dog-walker McCain need to go, and the sooner the better.

Steve57 (1ace39) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:37 am

#9: It isn’t so much stupidity as it is blindness and blinkers. They know what they know and that is all there is to know. The rise of news and opinion blogs and social media as a push for off-the-reservation opinion is not a threat they ever considered. They thought the internet could be worked in the same way the media always has been.

The Old Guard Republicans are comfortable in the role of loyal opposition. They forgot that they have to be loyal to the people who put them in office and actually lead when they have the chance.

Random Numbers (323051) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:50 am

Only way the republican hacks back Cruz is with an amnesty V.P.

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:48 am

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:42 am

alternatively we can rally around Mr. Trump and help make America great again

establishment filth like lindsay graham might pout and cry

but theirs is not to reason why

they’re too busy trying to figure out alternative ways to satisfy Tom Donahue’s deep and abiding hunger for young latino boys

happyfeet (831175) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:48 am

2 1/2 years ago:

“So at his New York penthouse office atop Trump Tower, he convened a meeting.
Trump ushered in a pair of men — one to talk about the awards and a Democratic strategist who works with nonprofits — and three young DREAMer activists.
…..
Trump alternated between making no sense and broad ignorance on the issue, said Gaby Pacheco, a prominent national activist and the third DREAMer in the meeting.
…..
You know, the truth is I have a lot of illegals working for me in Miami,” he told them, using the term for undocumented immigrants those in the meeting found offensive. “You know in Miami, my golf course is tended by all these Hispanics — if it wasn’t for them my lawn wouldn’t be the lawn it is; it’s the best lawn,” Pacheco recalled Trump saying.
Trump said he knew the work of undocumented people is what makes his golf courses and hotels great.
…..
“You’ve convinced me,” Trump said to the delight of the activists in the room.
“We all smiled at each other and said, ‘Wow, we did it, we got this guy to change his mind,’” Pacheco said.”

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/that-time-donald-trump-had-a-meeting-with-dreamers-and-said#.piLnjqXDB

Luke Stywalker (618b5f) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:52 am

yes yes propaganda slut Adrian Carrasquillo sounds like he’s playing this one straight down the middle to me

happyfeet (831175) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:58 am

Lindsey Graham is the lowest of low. Ted Cruz doesn’t need Lindsey…

The funniest thing I ever heard on the radio is Mark Levin ripping Graham to pieces on his show and then using his southern accent and yelling Lindsey Lindsey… it is so lol funny…

jrt for Cruz (bc7456) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:14 am

Col. – Col. West is not for amnesty!

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:17 am

Graham is a flaming Southerner. If Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote had had a child ….

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:18 am

The Democrat results are interesting. Hillary won in states with a strong KKK heritage and in Massachusetts.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:24 am

Jim Nabors had Tennesse Williams voice.

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:25 am

And other Tennessee Williams qualities, too. Ever been to New Orleans, mg?

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:30 am

Hillary! won in Mass. which is where the first shot in the war on women was fired by Ted Kennedy when he murdered Mary Jo Kopechne. How appropriate!

Rev. Hoagie™® (f4eb27) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:42 am

20, 21… Shazam!!!

Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:07 am

That Lindsay guy reminds me of my grandma. Lol. He’s going to regret his pessimistic comments about Trump when he trashes Hillary in the general election. You wanna win the Hispanics? Get a Hispanic woman and she holds both the Hispanics and the women. Lindsay is a crying mess.

The Emperor (f25e8d) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:19 am

Lindsey Graham does more here for Trump than if he gave him $1 million. Cruz should decline this penalty.

Bugg (db3a97) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:22 am

Graham is the kind of guy who straddles things — fences being only one of them. Cruz should not let him rally all the way around. Keep a wall at your back, Ted!

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:26 am

Btw the fake duke robocall was a Rubio operation, red queenthanks you for playing tapper’s game.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:36 am

Furthermore why didn’t Saree lee and cotton rally behind cruz, as vanderleun says ‘they thirst for death’ in re the gop.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:41 am

Graham the endorser of the salafi spring, maverick’s partner in silencing criticism of huma and other Islamist fellow travelers.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:45 am

Yes, I’m disappointed Cotton did not come out for Cruz,
But then again, it’s not like that Cotton has established himself to the point that his endorsement has that much weight and that he is above negative repercussions.

MD not exactly in Philly (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:14 am

This kind of talk helps Trump more. Lindsay doesn’t know shit about politics or how to win elections or he wouldn’t be there mouthing off like the loser he is. He lost woefully in the primaries and for a reason: he doesn’t know shit. Just shut up men.

The Emperor (f25e8d) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:16 am

We’re going to hear a ton of people saying it’s over. It’s not. Trump’s lead is but a single large state’s worth. Trump has not won a majority of delegates. A lot of states coming are winner-takes-all. Time to unify behind the guy who isn’t Hillary or Trump in hopes we have a president who can get things heading in the right direction.

If Rubio dropped out, I don’t think Trump would win.

It’s fun to think about how far ahead of expectations Cruz is. Jen Rubin was saying he was a pathetic candidate, and for Scott Walker or Jeb Bush to address him would be foolish punching down. Now, Rubin is mad that people aren’t getting out of the way of Rubio, whose performance is far behind Cruz. But then, Rubin would rather Hillary be president than Cruz.

Dustin (2a8be7) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:21 am

Jen Rubin is always panicking over something, think of her as Jenny penny.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:23 am

Who is Jen Rubin?

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:23 am

But you’re right. It’s not over until Cruz says it is. Cruz and not nobody else.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:24 am

A bit player in b movies in the 90s.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:25 am

One mardi-gras,nk. That was enough.

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:26 am

Steve Berman at The Resurgent argues that Cruz and Rubio both need to stay in the race in order to have the best chance to stop Trump.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:26 am

That assumes that the party is willing to throw the nomination to someone who lacks a plurality of votes.

Patterico (86c8ed) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:30 am

hey Ted cuba called they want their iphone charger back you probably left it in canada unlike Mr. Trump who probably has an android

advantage: Mr. The Donald

happyfeet (831175) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:30 am

Of the 555 delegates awarded last night, Trump got 234, Cruz 209, and Rubio 90. That’s hardly decisive.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:37 am

Hey Donald, your planet called, and they say you left your Android and your hair dye there. In other words, “D.T., phone home!”

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:38 am

alternatively we can rally around Mr. Trump and help make America great again

happyfeet (831175)

No, actually Trump would make America worse. If you want to make America great again, vote Cruz.

Patrick Henry, the 2nd (ddead1) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:39 am

Curious to see the game plan for Cruz in the next debate.

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:44 am

Lindsey is wanting to drive the Cabriolet to the rally in hopes there will be dancing to a giant video of Freddy Mercury singing Rocket Queen.
Maybe have brunch the next day with some of the pages

steveg (fed1c9) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:55 am

Yes you trust lindsey, about as much as sonny would trust the Jersey tolltakers.

narciso (f364f9) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:00 am

Trump > Cruz

hahaha

no backs

happyfeet (831175) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:01 am

Cruz can’t even get evangelicals to rally around him.

And now the only people who want to support him are the Whigs.

Can’t wait to see the deal this one produces.

So much for the One True Ted.

formwiz (6b3a5a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:04 am

Who’s seen The Hustler, with George C. Scott? Stay at it, Ted, the Combover’s a loser.

Trump is all hot flashes. He has no stamina. Keep the pressure on him and he’ll either collapse or blow up.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:07 am

“Evangelicals” are as big a squirrel as “White Hispanic”. Is David Duke an “Evangelical”?

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:10 am

But not as dead a squirrel as what Trump wears on his head.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:12 am

I think it assumes that Trump will get the nomination unless there is a way to push the decision to a brokered convention.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:14 am

“unlike Mr. Trump who probably has an android”

Happyfeet – he tweets from his iPhone.

JD (34f761) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:27 am

I hope Patterico commits suicide tonight.

Joe (dcf4fa) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:17 am

Yah. That’s something I needed to see less than a week after finding my brother’s body in a pool of blood and brain matter in the shower.

Pat, why don’t you drop the hammer on this a*s? He adds precisely nothing to the conversation, he isn’t witty, clever, or even of average intelligence.

Bill H (dcdd7b) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:49 am

I’m sorry to hear that, Bill H. My condolences to you and your family.

As for Joe, Trump’s weirdos are as much a reason to oppose him as Trump is himself.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:52 am

Sorry to hear that as well, a terrible thing to need to deal with.

MD not exactly in Philly (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:59 am

Bill H, along with everyone here, condolences.

People who write things like that are on a spectrum, aren’t they? It’s just better to never even start.

I have seen cases where people who write that kind of thing get chased down and confronted. They always seem, um, much less brave and confrontational in those cases.

The internet seems to encourage that kind of classless and cruel minded behavior.

Simon Jester (2708f4) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:02 am

not even Mr T can make iphones cool

happyfeet (268331) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:03 am

I read a story the other day in the Boston Herald about Democrats in Massachusetts re-registering as Republicans or Independents in order to vote for Trump.

Today, there’s a story in the Washington Post about the concentration of Trump victories in open primary states.

It may be that we are witnessing a spontaneous (and, probably, heartfelt) “operation chaos” by unhappy Democrats.

ThOR (a52560) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:05 am

I am sorry, Bill H.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:07 am

I’m sorry to hear that, Bill H.

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:09 am

Also, comment 9 adds nothing. He shouldn’t be banned but he should be moderated.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:10 am

Waitin’ at teh airport gate
Teh plane I ride is gonna be late
2000 miles I roam
Just to play in teh ocean foam

Colonel Haiku (c06b23) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:11 am

Thanks for the condolences everyone. I didn’t post looking for that, but Joe kinda set me off. If this were over at Ace’s, I would have, errr, expanded a bit more on my remarks.

Bill H (dcdd7b) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:12 am

Condolences to you and the family, Bill H… that is rough. All the best to you.

Colonel Haiku (c06b23) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:13 am

suicide rate is way too high it’s

something’s wrong

happyfeet (268331) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:15 am

Also, comment 9 adds nothing. He shouldn’t be banned but he should be moderated.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:10 am

That was what prompted me. I likely wouldn’t hurt him were I to hunt him down, but I am big enough, when I get angry I tend to put the fear of God into people.

Bill H (dcdd7b) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:17 am

Rubio has two options for for how he is seen 4-8 years from now.

1 (8 years)Vice President and Republican nominee to succeed outgoing President Cruz.

2 (4 years)Former senator and once presidential candidate seen only as an occasional guest commentator on Fox News on a slow news night. While Senator Cruz is the presumptive nominee after Hillary’s disastrous term (Or her VP in office post-impeachment.)

Either way, when the dust settles, Cruz will still hold elective office and be viable in 4 years. There is only one way Rubio will be able to say the same about himself.
Rubio either cuts a VP deal with Cruz (who is not stupid enough to pass that up), or he will be out of office and out of opportunity.

Random Numbers (d5cd81) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:20 am

After Cruz is elected, we should look to de-Trumpify America. Maybe we could threaten the Mexican government that with every illegal we have to deport, we also send back a Trump supporter, unless Mexico cooperates with us to stop the flow over our mutual border? And actually do it, making America really, really great?

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:23 am

Rubio also needs to give consideration to the GOP base in FL, if he wants to keep the 2018 Governor’s mansion as a viable option. If he were to take one for the team now, the GOP base may be more forgiving about his Gang of 8 misstep come time for the 2018 Governor’s race. Of course, I’m just speculating that he’s even interested in that position. I think being Governor would enable him to accrue that executive experience which currently is absent from his resume.

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:29 am

Nice to see you again, happy. I see you support Trump too. 🙂

The Emperor (f25e8d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:29 am

After Cruz is elected, we should look to de-Trumpify America. Maybe we could threaten the Mexican government that with every illegal we have to deport, we also send back a Trump supporter, unless Mexico cooperates with us to stop the flow over our mutual border? And actually do it, making America really, really great?

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:23 am

That idea amuses me. “With every specially marked deportee, get a Trump supporter, absolutely free!”

Bill H (dcdd7b) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:36 am

Yes yes and nice to see you too!

happyfeet (268331) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:38 am

Teh Chimperor…

Colonel Haiku (c06b23) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:46 am

So sorry, Bill H.

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:52 am

I admire Tennessee’s election system. The Attorney General of Tenn is elected by the State Supreme Court. Now how cool is that? They don’t have to worry about Govnr Scumbag appointing his crony to enforce the law.

I want that for the whole country.

papertiger (c2d6da) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:02 am

Lindsey Graham also said on CBS that Hillary Clinton would probably win a general election race with Donald Trump because dishonest beats crazy.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:09 am

Rubio claims he can win Florida because he nearly closed the gap (in Virginia, I think)

I don’t think anybody else but Trump besides Rubio can win it – Cruz is not going to win Florida, and there are early votes already cast and being cast.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:13 am

nk is auditioning for a job in the Twitter Star Chamber.

papertiger (c2d6da) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:14 am

Twitter Star Chamber? I was thinking more along the lines of Relocation Centers for Trump supporters; each consisting of a long deep trench, a .30 caliber belt-fed machine gun, and a Bobcat mini-bulldozer.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:26 am

Of the 555 delegates awarded last night, Trump got 234, Cruz 209, and Rubio 90. That’s hardly decisive.

It’s about 41% of the new delegates, and his total is about 46% of all delegates. There are more to come — 20 more from Texas anyway, which should all go to Cruz.

But the point is that while Trump has been able, like Imperial Japan, to “run wild considerably for the first six months” he is running up against harder targets and a consolidating field. He does poorly in closed primaries and more of those are coming up.

It’s not clear that Rubio will be a factor, although losing Kasich and Carson would help a lot. Right now they only benefit Trump. There are so many many candidates that a brokered convention would turn to before Kasich that it’s funny.

Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:27 am

Mumbles Gets Fired on The Apprentice

papertiger (c2d6da) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:31 am

I was thinking more along the lines of Relocation Centers for Trump supporters; each consisting of a long deep trench, a .30 caliber belt-fed machine gun, and a Bobcat mini-bulldozer.

Aw man. Another Clinton voter.

papertiger (c2d6da) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:34 am

I forget sometimes and think of you as good people, nk. My mistake.

papertiger (c2d6da) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:37 am

Having thought about it overnight, Cruz and Rubio have completely different plans regarding the illegals after the wall is built. Rubio homes there is room for some kind of ~~amnesty~~ accomodation, while Cruz appears to have a harder line than Trump. While it is possible that Cruz’ position is negotiable after he gets past Trump, and after a wall is built, I think Rubio would be VERY uncomfortable being VP during a mass deportation.

I don’t think Rubio would do it, and if he did, he might feel the need to resign at some point.

Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:40 am

Bill H, that’s terrible. My condolences.

aphrael (3f0569) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:40 am

*hopes. Spellcheck is not proof-reading.

Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:42 am

Joe, at 9: what the hell? It’s comments like that that make much of the internet a cesspool. They’re not wanted here. Go away.

aphrael (3f0569) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:43 am

I read a story the other day in the Boston Herald about Democrats in Massachusetts re-registering as Republicans or Independents in order to vote for Trump.

Today, there’s a story in the Washington Post about the concentration of Trump victories in open primary states.

It may be that we are witnessing a spontaneous (and, probably, heartfelt) “operation chaos” by unhappy Democrats.

ThOR (a52560) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:05 am

Oklahoma, which Cruz carried, is a closed primary. Open primaries are a bad idea.

Gerald A (7c7ffb) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:56 am

I guess a major question with the general in mind is whether the very large voter turnout for Repubs is from new voters coming out for Trump,
Or an “Operation Chaos” with people who have no plan to vote for a Republican in the general,
Or how much of each.

MD not exactly in Philly (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:07 am

Chris Christie must realize he screwed up colossally..right?

Mr Wizard (c31051) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:13 am

DRJ, thanks for that link to the Berman piece, but I think he’s all wet. He doesn’t really factor into his guesswork how much better a single candidate — whether it were Cruz, Rubio, or for that matter Kasich — would do against Trump anywhere except Florida; rather, he apparently just assumes that everywhere else, the departed candidate(s) votes would be evenly distributed. He thinks it’s incredibly obvious, for example, that if the voting extends that far, Trump would win California. Why would Trump win a two-person race in California? I don’t believe that he would.

He also asserts that a unity ticket would “play into Trump’s hands.” But he never really explains why. He suggests that Rubio’s voters would go to Kasich, but Kasich has no national operation and no prospects for a win in a multi-candidate race anywhere but, possibly, his home state. Why presume that Rubio’s voters would be that stupid?

I don’t even buy Berman’s assumption that because Trump now leads in FL polling by four points more than Rubio and Cruz together are polling, Trump would still be certain to win FL even if Rubio or Cruz withdrew before March 15th. What’s been fueling Trump’s polling numbers before last night was the growing, but false, impression that he’s inevitable, combined with the lateness of the punch-back-and-up strategy of the other candidates except for Cruz. But last night, Trump underperformed his polling. In places like Texas, which looks more than a little like Florida in some key respects, Trump spectacularly underperformed his polling!

There is plenty of time, states, and delegates enough left to beat Trump — resoundingly — if the vote against him stops being split. This race is exactly that simple, but Berman doesn’t seem to grasp that.

It’s not a good plan to hope for some sort of miracle rescue through deadlock or, worse, back-room dealings and jiggering at the convention. That genuinely will destroy the GOP even if successful.

No, Trump still has to be beaten. Cruz can do it if Rubio drops out, but especially if Rubio were to actively throw in with Cruz as part of a unity ticket. Rubio has a tiny shot at doing it, if Cruz were to drop out, but objectively that would be a much higher hill for Rubio to climb than for Cruz, given where they now stand in delegate totals after TX, OK & AK have been added to Cruz’ Iowa totals.

ropelight and that tiger-whatever fellow, like Trump himself, are all beginning to feel their sphincters tightening. If they can’t see the message that Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska sent last night, they’re whistling past the graveyard, at least to the (debatable) extent that they still have any connection to objective reality. However, I feel guilty for wasting my time, the keystroke wear-and-tear on my keyboard, and the slight additional expenditure of electricity required to display the pixels of the end of this paragraph, on something as ridiculous and misleading as they consistently have shown themselves to be, just like their hero.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:43 am

^ No, Chris Christie just realized that he isnt going to be AG and that Trump made him chief “‘stopper” – why else would you have such a large man behind you when you are onstage?

urbanleftbehind (5eecdb) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:44 am

#83: Kevin, it seems to me that you are posing an Obama-like strawman for the illegal immigrant issue. A huge portion of those who are here illegally have remained beyond the term of their visas. They are hiding in plain sight, more than likely, and they have options that would allow them to return to their home country relatively easily. Another portion supports relatives in their home country with money earned here, and they too, would find it easy to return. And yet another portion has committed serious crimes here, and should be jailed and then returned for to their place of origin.

So if U. S. policy makes it likely that it would cost those who are here for economic reasons more to stay here than to return voluntarily, or if hard time faced the felons prior to a second deportation, then these individuals would return on their own volition. Not in a mass migration, with hundreds of thousands interned in camps on the border, but in steady trickles that would amount to a large number over time.

A serious policy of simply enforcing existing rules would begin to pay visible benefits in a short time. And this should lead to revised policies that Cruz could develop in partnership with Congress to deal with the remaining portion of the illegals who may have created grave problems for their children should they be forced to return.

Paradoxically, more intent the U. S. appears to be on solving the issue in an uncompromising way, the more humane the ultimate resolution will be. Those who put “compassion” first undermine the goal of controlling who come to our country to live and work. Such “compassion” will eventually and inevitably lead to some very unpleasant and inhumane responses.

BobStewartatHome (a52abe) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:45 am

@ Mr. Wizard: The look on Christie’s face standing behind Trump was pretty much indistinguishable from the look my dog gives me when I yell at him for eating other dog’s poop. Like all dogs, he’s good at looking subservient when he needs to, but he doesn’t necessarily really feel guilty about what he’s done. Dogs eat poop; unprincipled opportunists like Chris Christie are dogs.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:47 am

Kevin, it seems to me that you are posing an Obama-like strawman for the illegal immigrant issue.

Bob–

I am looking at it from Rubio’s standpoint, as to whether it makes sense for him to join Cruz on a unity ticket. Not from a policy perspective, which for me remains unsettled. Rubio, however, wants to be the President who cemented Latinos into the GOP constellation. That’s really what he’s thinking, near as I can tell, and joining with Cruz might be more of a sell-out than he could tolerate.

Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:51 am

Beldar, keep on typing! The small amount of energy your computer consumes is returned to you in the form of heat for your house, which for most of us at this time of the year is a benefit. And if Texas is already into the A/C phase of the year, just turn up the thermostat a degree or two while you’re composing. Let the A/C rest while you expend some emotional heat, and you’ll probably net out saving a few pennies.

BobStewartatHome (a52abe) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:54 am

Listen very carefully to Ted Cruz’ exact words when he describes his position on what will be done with those illegal immigrants already in the U.S. after the borders are secured. He says, consistently, that existing law will be enforced. He will also acknowledge, if pressed, that existing law is clear, and requires that people who are here illegally be deported. He is not saying that he will categorically oppose any and all changes in that law at that point. He’s very carefully not talking about that subject, which is a choice of emphasis that is a nod to current political demands.

Ted Cruz is a rule-of-law guy, first, last, and always; he’s not going to pander, as Rubio does on this issue, when Rubio says, “We’ll see what the American public will accept after the borders are secured again,” which is a broad hint that Rubio will indeed support either a change in law (which would be politically legitimate) or another executive-branch relaxation of enforcement (which wouldn’t be). And he’s certainly not proposing something like Trump’s fantastical touch-back scheme, in which “the good ones” will be allowed to return immediately after they’re deported.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:55 am

I see your point Kevin. But as VP he could be the architect of the next phase of this project. And if he had a functional immigration system as his foundation, he’d be able to make more positive headway than otherwise. Winks and nods like Trump’s off the record admission to the NYT are certainly not the way forward.

BobStewartatHome (a52abe) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:57 am

Paradoxically, more intent the U. S. appears to be on solving the issue in an uncompromising way, the more humane the ultimate resolution will be. Those who put “compassion” first undermine the goal of controlling who come to our country to live and work. Such “compassion” will eventually and inevitably lead to some very unpleasant and inhumane responses.

The most (if not only) important thing in this process is to make clear that illegal immigration will not be tolerated, and will be prevented in depth. This will require lots of things, not just a wall, and this may or may not mean that some of the current illegals will be able to stay, or at least return. I would think that reforming our immigration laws so that able-bodied twenty-somethings get first crack, and we stop bringing in aging relatives and putting them on Medicare.

Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:59 am

not proposing something like Trump’s fantastical touch-back scheme, in which “the good ones” will be allowed to return immediately after they’re deported.

and which, like most of Lord Trump’s proposals, would be extra-legal.

Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:02 pm

Poop attracts flies. And speaking of poop vietnam war draft dodger chicken hawk romney is upset too!

more victories for trump (8dc17b) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:16 pm

You’re thinking Christie will be assassination insurance?
Looked to me like Trump had forgot Chris was there.

papertiger (c2d6da) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:30 pm

Carson has said he’s not going to participate in the Detroit debate and he sees no path to the nomination. He’s out.

Thank you, Dr. Carson. Better a late reality check than none at all.

I’m less eager for Kasich to drop out. He’s unlikely to have much of any effect on the next two weeks beyond, possibly, denying Ohio’s votes to Trump, but I’m far from comfortable that he could do that.

At a minimum I expect Rubio & Cruz to continue the informal truce they observed at the Houston debate and to focus fire on Trump. But I hope their campaigns are still talking. There’s a deal to be made, if Rubio is mature enough to recognize the operative facts on the ground and his resulting limited options (which don’t include being the nominee).

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:31 pm

Trump wouldn’t choose Christie as Veep, but he’d put Christie into his cabinet as his AG. Trump would pick some other establishment insider in whose legitimacy he could help clothe himself. It might be Kasich, but it more likely would be someone southern or western. I don’t think Sessions would want to be Veep at 69, but he might want Scalia’s seat. But that leaves a world of other cowardly establishment Republicans who’ve already given up on stopping Trump.

I don’t expect Trump to announce anyone, though, while he’s still on his current glide path, and if he can maintain it, he’d certainly hold that chip to play during the convention itself, to help him quash any last-minute resistance from the establishment GOP if he comes to Cleveland with a commanding (but less than majority) lead in delegates.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:36 pm

Kevin M, don’t you understand: Laws are for the little people! Trump was good buddies with Leona Helmsley (along with, apparently, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsey Lohan).

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:39 pm

Bill H: My prayers and condolences to you.May the memories of your brother fill your heart with joy.

mike191 (4c004d) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:44 pm

If the voters listened to Cruz we might survive.

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:45 pm

IN one post Beldar asserts to have that special ability to look inside Donald Trump and know what Trump’s going to do. IN the next he perpetrates a fraud, asserting that Leona Helmsley was a good friend rather than the reality, that Trump was her foil in New York real estate, even buying the ground the Empire State Building stands on out from under her.

I think there’s something perverse in aiding the media’s active denigration of celebrities on the basis of their skin color.

papertiger (c2d6da) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:53 pm

Did you read the link I left papertiger? There’s no video there to confuse you.

I’ll save you the trouble. Trump claims in the space of about two minutes both to be Helmsley’s bitter enemy and best friend.

And now I’ve wasted another 30 seconds of my life correcting someone who’s too damned lazy to click the hyperlink I left.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:58 pm

I’m not voting for Bernie Sanders because he’s a red, but I’m not voting for Donald Trump because he’s orange. (LOL)

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:59 pm

102. …I’m less eager for Kasich to drop out. He’s unlikely to have much of any effect on the next two weeks beyond, possibly, denying Ohio’s votes to Trump, but I’m far from comfortable that he could do that…

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:31 pm

I’m eager for Kasich to drop out. Ohio has a winner-take-all primary. Five of the six states/territories up for grabs on March 15 have winner-take-all primaries. As long as Kasich, Rubio, and Cruz are splitting the #NeverTrump vote then we can expect Trump to rack up a lot of delegates in the winner-take-all primaries.

Steve57 (1ace39) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:16 pm

85. Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:42 am

*hopes. Spellcheck is not proof-reading.

Spellcheckers only check for words, not meaning. They find problems where there are not any, and they miss things. Since ‘homes’ is a word, it didn’t spot it.

It will never catch typing “now” instead of “not” which can completely reverse the meaning.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:36 pm

BobStewartatHome (a52abe) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:45 am

Paradoxically, more intent the U. S. appears to be on solving the issue in an uncompromising way, the more humane the ultimate resolution will be. Those who put “compassion” first undermine the goal of controlling who come to our country to live and work. Such “compassion” will eventually and inevitably lead to some very unpleasant and inhumane responses.

I doubt that very much. The unpleasant and inhumane responses will come only from pressing the issue. Now I could see a near civil war within the United States, and opportunity for enemies to strike.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:41 pm

you realize that the fighting won’t be just between american citizens and aliens, bbut between different U.S. citizens, combined with accusations that some president that was elected is illegitimate.

We do not need to attempt to turn the United States into the Dominican Republic, the Ivory Coast, or Burma.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:44 pm

Does anyone here, besides myself, know that if you hire an illegal, and they go through E-Verify, and E-Verify says no eligibility to work–that continuing to employ them is perfectly legal?

Does anyone here, besides myself, know that if you use E-Verify to screen a potential hire, you have broken the law–you must first hire the person before you can check their status?

Given that immigration law is a kabuki dance, designed to be unenforceable, why would I worry about the difference between Cruz’s plans or Trump’s plans?

Telling me Cruz is going to enforce immigration law (or Trump for that matter) gives me not one whit of reassurance regarding immigration policy.

Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:47 pm

Cruz Supporter, have you ever commented here using a different screen name? If so, what was it?

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:51 pm

#55 I’m sorry to hear that, Bill H. My condolences to you and your family. As for Joe, Trump’s weirdos are as much a reason to oppose him as Trump is himself.
nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:52 am

I keep coming back to this and I keep asking, these Trump Weirdos (as you call them) are the Voters Cruz was targeting to get and win with. What does that say about Cruz?

Rodney King's Spirit (3adc86) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:07 pm

Poop attracts flies. And speaking of poop vietnam war draft dodger chicken hawk romney is upset too!

more victories for trump (8dc17b) — 3/2/2016 @ 12:16 pm

I didn’t know Trump served in Vietnam.

Gerald A (7c7ffb) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:10 pm

It’s not all bad news, folks. There’s Canada to migrate too. You can begin to book your place up north.

The Emperor (108c11) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:10 pm

#migrate to

The Emperor (108c11) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:11 pm

Trump is the most “militaristic” candidate we have. He said so. (LOL)

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:12 pm

The following excerpt is from Alex Pfeiffer’s article in the Daily Caller 3/2/16:

Trump Wins In America’s Most Hispanic City

New York real estate developer Donald Trump beat out his Republican rivals in America’s most Latin city Tuesday.

Webb County, Texas is home to Laredo, where 96 percent of its residents consider themselves Hispanic. Laredo makes up 95 percent of the population in Webb County and is the county seat. It has the most Hispanics per capita of any city with more than 100,000 residents.

Anyone who thinks Cruz can block Trump’s march to the GOP nomination has their account in the wrong bank.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:14 pm

#113 And I want to point out the same attitude displayed by NK about Trump’s supporters is IDENTICAL IN NATURE to the contempt that Country Club Republicans have for its base of Conservative supporters.

In essence, if you support me/us then you won’t be insulted, we will continue in our indifference to your concerns and we will leave you alone while we feather our nest with your tax dollars. Otherwise, if you vote for someone else then you are a troglodyte and we will come and screw you.

Reminds me of the Middle Ages Royalty who ignoring the poor and did nothing to help them other than tax them but in response to peasants uprisings the same royalty would burn down their farms and request more taxes while requiring them to pledge fealty (again).

Kind of shameful in my view.

Rodney King's Spirit (3adc86) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:14 pm

Cruz Supporter, there’s a question waiting for you at #112. Answer it.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:15 pm

Hey, Ropelight, have you ever run out of tin-foil whilst making your replacement hat?

John Hitchcock (eca416) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:16 pm

Does anyone here, besides myself, know that if you hire an illegal, and they go through E-Verify, and E-Verify says no eligibility to work–that continuing to employ them is perfectly legal?

Does anyone here, besides myself, know that if you use E-Verify to screen a potential hire, you have broken the law–you must first hire the person before you can check their status?

Yes, I knew those things. The E-verify system has many false negatives, so it can’t really be made mandatory.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:17 pm

The Emperor – No guns and plenty of Muslims. O Canada
http://time.com/money/4230415/trump-presidency-move-cape-breton-island/

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:17 pm

I keep coming back to this and I keep asking, these Trump Weirdos (as you call them) are the Voters Cruz was targeting to get and win with. What does that say about Cruz?

Weirdos’ votes count just the same as anyone else’s, and only a fool would deliberately drive them away. There’s nothing wrong with trying to get them, so long as you don’t soil yourself in the process by pandering to them.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:19 pm

Laredo makes up 95 percent of the population in Webb County and is the county seat. It has the most Hispanics per capita of any city with more than 100,000 residents.

Yes, but how many of them vote, and how many voted in the R primary?

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:20 pm

http://cbiftrumpwins.com/#intro

mg (31009b) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:22 pm

Canada might have been a good option if Harper were still PM.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:24 pm

Doctrinaire Conservatives who support Cruz and are angry at Self Described Conservative who Trump Supporters need to man up, cease the disparaging comments and accept the nature of the battle in electoral terms.

Lest these Doctrinaire Conservatives who support Cruz are also led to pasture as the Country Club Republicans have been in this election.

Getting Power and using it for Good takes a lot more than what I am seeing expressed from the Cruz Supporters. I am a Cruz guy but he must have a back up plan if he wants to lead this Country in the right direction. He has dragged the debate to the right and that is good, now he needs to use that to amass power and use it — even if that means “working with Trump” or Rubio.

Rodney King's Spirit (3adc86) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:27 pm

#120 ropelight,

No, have you?

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:27 pm

Yes, I have, Cruz Supporter. Now it’s your turn.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:30 pm

Oh, ropelight, the Jan Brady whining gets old. And I actually like “The Brady Bunch.”

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:37 pm

I like how Cruz keeps beating that old line that he’s the only candidate that has beaten Trump….once! And he keeps using that line. Really embarrassing. How many times has Trump beaten him? Seven and counting.

The Emperor (108c11) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:43 pm

errrr….last night…?^

Mr Wizard (c31051) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:48 pm

@Milhouse: The E-verify system has many false negatives, so it can’t really be made mandatory.

Well, that is one way to put it–another way to put it is that it has been made absolutely useless. You are allowed to continue to employ someone that E-Verify has said has no eligibility to work, at your discretion.

So not one illegal who works at a place that uses E-Verify ever has to be fired. Employers legally can, and do, ignore the results of E-Verify and continue to employ illegals.

Because E-Verify would never have been allowed if it ever was of any use.

Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:51 pm

#132 The Emperor,

Cruz won Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska.

You say that counts for “one” victory, but my public skool math says it counts as “four.” Or as they write in Arabic, “4.”

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:53 pm

#125, Milhouse, there aren’t many Republicans in the border county, only 4,089 votes in the primary. Trump won with nearly 35 percent, Rubio came in 2nd with 28.4%, with Cruz at 28.1% for 3rd place.

Trump also did well among Hispanics in Nevada.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:57 pm

@Cruz supporter.
Trump beat Cruz, fair and square. And to your point, Cruz is not the only republican who has “beaten” Trump. Rubio just took that cake. And it gets confusing: did Rubio beat Trump or Cruz? Guess they beat each other.

The Emperor (108c11) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:12 pm

#137 The Emperor,

Your assertion was that Cruz only beat Trump “once.”
I pointed out that Cruz actually won Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska.
What is the problem?

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:21 pm

And you beat off, Lovie.

CS, Chimperor/Emperor/Love2008 is a Democrat troll who turns up here every election season, and only during election season, to waste Patterico’s bandwidth.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:23 pm

“I guess a major question with the general in mind is whether the very large voter turnout for Repubs is from new voters coming out for Trump,
Or an “Operation Chaos” with people who have no plan to vote for a Republican in the general,
Or how much of each.

MD not exactly in Philly (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:07 am“

I’ve felt from the jump, that many of the Trump supporters were disaffected Dims, who would “go home” when it got to the General. Disaffected and also trying to provide Hilary/Bernie with the weakest possible GOP opponent. Every stupid and/or contrary thing Trump has said, has been filed away by the Dims for use in the main event. Whether he realizes or not, Trump is a “dead man walking”.

Mike Giles (059ed1) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:25 pm

BTW, notice how good Trump does in mixed or open primaries as compared to closed primaries. The GOP should have long since made all their primaries closed. Independents should either not vote, or man up and pick a party.

Mike Giles (059ed1) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:29 pm

true, but that’s part of priebus’s hunger games, open primary, openly biased debate moderators,
‘a strange feeling of deja vu’ is coming on,

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:34 pm

125, Milhouse, there aren’t many Republicans in the border county, only 4,089 votes in the primary.

Exactly. So what exactly was your point in writing about it? What implication did you mean us to draw from the fact that Trump won a primary among a handful of Republicans in a town that has a lot of Hispanics who didn’t vote? It seems like saying that because Clinton swept the SC primary she must be very popular in that state. She isn’t, but the vast majority who don’t like her don’t vote in D primaries.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:37 pm

Yeah, Mike is right. Cruz has won 3 out of 4 primaries where only Republicans are voting.

The idea that all these Obama voters crossed over to support Trump is pretty interesting, though I believe a lot of them are doing this because they want the democrat to win in November. If they really are drawn to Trump’s refreshing hatred of political correctness (except when he whines about something that offended him), it’s interesting that they are democrats today.

I see the argument for Trump has eroded down to ‘he’s the winner; if you don’t support him you’re wrong because he’s inevitable’

I don’t think so. Trump’s only about 100 delegates ahead and he hasn’t won a majority of delegates so far. And besides, how many Trump fans agrees with that logic when Romney or Mccain got close to nomination? The primary isn’t over. Folks should vote for the best guy, with the right character and leadership and principles.

Dustin (2a8be7) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:45 pm

The point, Milhouse, is that Hispanics in Loredo who identify as Republicans prefer Trump to either Rubio or Cruz.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:48 pm

How do you know?

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:50 pm

Democrats or former non-voters? If there is strategic crossover where I’m at, it’s going to be unofficial and undesired by the ward-heelers. There is a contested primary for Mark Kirk’s Senate seat and my local state rep has a credible primary challenger, for a couple of examples. People who vote the way they’re told to vote will vote in their own party’s primary.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:55 pm

I agree with you Dustin, at least in part, but I also urge voters to take into consideration the constitutional eligibility of the candidates. Cruz and Rubio don’t qualify as natural born citizens and as such are ineligible for the office they seek.

So, there’s more than the one argument you note for supporting Trump, or more accurately, for rejecting pretenders.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:55 pm

#146. Milhouse, a little bird told me. Now, that’s enough. It’s dinner time.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 3:57 pm

Cruz and Rubio don’t qualify as natural born citizens and as such are ineligible for the office they seek.

OK. But that issue has been decided, and not in your favor. If someone really doesn’t want to support Cruz despite him being an American every day of his life, because they are afraid of his secret Canadian loyalties, that’s their right, just as it’s Cruz’s right under the constitution to run for the presidency.

Trump himself has said this issue was settled in Cruz’s favor.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reversed his position on Ted Cruz’s eligibility to run for president, now saying his Canadian birthplace shouldn’t disqualify him.

“I hear it was checked out by every attorney and every which way and I understand Ted is in fine shape,” Trump told ABC News just before speaking at a Capitol Hill rally blasting the Iran nuclear deal.

You believe Trump has the integrity and character and expertise to be president, Ropelight. Therefore we’ll take Trump’s argument against his own interests, that Cruz is eligible for the presidency, as correct.

Of course Trump has also said the opposite of this, but he said that for political reasons and I’m not concerned with that.

Dustin (2a8be7) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:06 pm

this has been the quietest news blip in a while,

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/02/ex-guantanamo-detainee-allegedly-led-recruiting-cell-for-islamic-state.php

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:20 pm

Dustin, contrary to efforts to sweep the eligibility issue under the rug, it’s not settled, not at all. As for Trump, he says what he says, I say what I say, and I say the constitution trumps the Donald.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:20 pm

“Cruz Supporter, have you ever commented here using a different screen name? If so, what was it?”

Ropelight – I answered this previously. I thought the same, but could find no evidence of same.

JD (fd9fdd) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:32 pm

The Laredo folks are wondering how Trump won Webb County, too. They seem to think the Hispanic vote split between Cruz and Rubio, leaving Trump the winner. Here are the Webb County election results (eliminating all but the top 3 finishers):

Cruz .. 1155 .. 28%

Rubio .. 1163 .. 28%
Trump .. 1427 .. 35%

County Turnout .. 3.46% out of 117,905 Registered Voters

Selected demographics of Webb County are:

Population, Census, April 1, 2010 …. 250,304
Hispanic or Latino, percent, April 1, 2010 .. 95.7%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, July 1, 2014 .. 3.7%

That means there are about 10,000 white/not Hispanics in Webb County. How many of them do you think are registered voters? How many of those white/not Hispanic registered voters do you think voted for Trump?

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:37 pm

Thanks, JD, I appreciate your efforts. But, I still have an unsettling feeling that jerk has more background information than a newbie would know. I’ll keep an eye on him and eventually the truth will come out, it always does.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:41 pm

Trump won with nearly 35 percent, Rubio came in 2nd with 28.4%, with Cruz at 28.1% for 3rd place.

Meaning almost 2/3 voted for someone other than Trump.
That doesn’t prove he is all that popular among “Hispanics” in general, especially since 56% voted for a “Hispanic”* instead,
it is just that there were two Hispanics to split the vote.

You can make an argument out of that to say Trump will continue to win primaries against a split opposition, but it does little to say Trump will do best with “Hispanics” in the general.

*I put “Hispanic” in quotation marks because it is a vague term, people who speak Spanish as a primary or secondary language in Laredo are not necessarily similar to those in other parts of the country.

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:53 pm

Dustin, contrary to efforts to sweep the eligibility issue under the rug, it’s not settled, not at all.

It’s settled legally. Eligibility has been determined by the folks who put people on ballots.

But I also disagree with you that the issue has been swept under the rug. It’s been loudly broadcast by Trump. Trump who admitted Cruz was eligible but then flipped on this in bad faith. He did the same with Obama, of course, building credibility with the xenophobic types in the same sort of way he did with his weird handling of the KKK thing recently.

Dustin (2a8be7) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:53 pm

Additionally, the fact that he ducked the question for weeks, when a simple response would have put it to rest, tells me there’s more to it than stubborn intransigence.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:55 pm

I guess the issue may not be completely settled, because I guess other suits could be filed in other jurisdictions, yes?

But yes, it has not been swept under the rug, but there is a significant difference of opinion as to what the terms mean.

I’m happy to acknowledge that people have different opinions, but it appears that one opinion has been chosen to go by.

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:58 pm

Additionally, the fact that he ducked the question for weeks, when a simple response would have put it to rest, tells me there’s more to it than stubborn intransigence.
ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:55 pm

Feel free to repeat that speculation as much as you want (and have).
It is also possible he didn’t want to answer it in the same way one doesn’t want to answer, “When did you stop beating your wife?”

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:00 pm

Please, MD, the two questions are vastly different. When did you stop beating your wife? is the reigning example of an indictment masquerading as a question.

Have you ever commented here using a different screen name? is a straightforward inquiry.

I’ve commented here using a different screen name and freely admit it. If anyone asked me I would have told them. Why did Cruz Supporter run away and hide every time he was asked the same question. Liviticus was the first one who asked him as far as I know.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:13 pm

Ropelight’s comment about Laredo depends on the assumption that since Laredo is heavily Hispanic, the few thousand who voted in the R primary were also heavily Hispanic, and thus that the result there tells us something, however small, about the Hispanic vote. I question that assumption. I don’t know whether it’s true, and neither does ropelight. I see no reason to suppose that the voters in the R primary in Laredo were more heavily Hispanic than elsewhere. And if they weren’t then the result tells us precisely nothing.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:13 pm

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:13 pm

Ropelight, my apology,
I became confused in my thinking combining two separate lines of discussion.
I thought you were talking about whether Cruz would respond to the question of being a valid candidate,
not whether CS had commented under another name before.

I agree that he seems to have been around awhile, as I believe he “did an Icy imitation” with a RIP.
But no, he/she is not Icy.

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:22 pm

Oh ropelight, this is the first time I saw you ask me such a silly question. If you’ve asked me in the recent past, I haven’t seen it. Some of us work for a living, you know, and we don’t have time to read every comment in every thread.
And on top of that, you generally make some really “out there” allegations, such as that Vice President George H.W. Bush conspired with the Hinckley family to murder President Reagan.

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:24 pm

Milhouse, Trump got more votes in the GOP primary than either Cruz or Rubio in a heavily Hispanic county, if that tells you precisely nothing then you’re willfully ignorant.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:24 pm

Cruz Supporter, are you really so two-faced you refuse to admit the question has been put to you a number of times? Really?

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:26 pm

I’ve seen ropelight make the question

And the results in Laredo tell me, as I’ve already said, that 65% of voters wanted someone other than Trump.
MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 4:53 pm

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:31 pm

According to DRJ’s post above, Trump got 1,427 votes in a county with 117,905 Registered Voters. That’s heavy only if you’ve been smoking something: “Heavy, man!”

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:34 pm

That’s right nk, Trump got more votes in Laredo than either Cruz or Rubio – and Cruz won Texas. Webb county is along the border with Mexico and the GOP voters want Trump to build a wall to keep out illegal aliens.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:41 pm

Milhouse, Trump got more votes in the GOP primary than either Cruz or Rubio in a heavily Hispanic county, if that tells you precisely nothing then you’re willfully ignorant.

On the contrary, if you think it tells you anything then you’re too stupid for words. The Hispanic population of the county is completely irrelevant. All that matters is the makeup of the voters in the R primary, and you have given us no reason to suppose that they were heavily Hispanic. If you don’t understand that then you should not comment on anything involving statistics.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 5:59 pm

I don’t know what stage this is,

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/03/trump-leading-among-republicans-who-hate-trump.html

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:02 pm

Ropelight – none of the IP or email trace back to anyone but that commenter. Believe what you wish, but if there is someone sock puppeting, I am very good at sniffing it out.

And Milhouse is precisely right about Laredo. Your numbers are meaningless.

JD (34f761) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:18 pm

All am saying is that you guys should be careful how you attack Trump in the primaries. You are simply giving the Dems ammunition to fight him should he eventually emerge as your nominee. It’s all am saying. Let’s tone it down a notch.

The Emperor (108c11) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:28 pm

JD, it’s not meaningless that Trump got more GOP votes in Webb county than either Cruz or Rubio. It’s significant especially since Cruz won Texas rather handily. Milhouse is Milhouse, but I expect better from you.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:34 pm

ropelight,

Webb County in TX is a heavily Democrat county. The GOP turnout is a small percentage of the county. Therefore, it’s probably not a good example of the narrative you’re attempting to push.

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:45 pm

It’s not meaningless that 65% of voters in Laredo voted against Trump.
We could go back and forth like this a long time.

The Emperor (108c11) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:28 pm
I am quite sure that there is nothing I could make up even about Trump,
that will be as bad as what the Dems will throw at him.

I see no reason to be some abusive as to alienate those who appreciate Trump’s candor, that I think is a bit of a valid concern,
but giving the Dems ammo??
nah, if they can’t find it, they will make it up.

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:49 pm

All am saying is that you guys should be careful how you attack Trump in the primaries. You are simply giving the Dems ammunition to fight him should he eventually emerge as your nominee.

Good. He will never be my nominee.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:50 pm

As of the 2010 census, the population of Webb County was 250,304. 1,427 is not even margin of error.

But I’ll play your game. The 1,155 who voted for Cruz and the 1,163 (total 2,318) who voted for Rubio are people who hire Mexicans to mow their lawns and wash their cars. The 1,427 who voted for Trump are people who were turned down by Mexicans for “spare change”.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 6:51 pm

Ropelight – you have ZERO idea who those Republican votes were cast by, nor the ethnic composition of the Relublicans in that county, thus making your little Narrative meaningless.

JD (fd9fdd) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:03 pm

After all of Trumps routs, how far ahead is he in delegates?

JD (fd9fdd) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:04 pm

JD, I may be heading back east in 3-4 weeks
This sat might be a good day to meet half-way.

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:09 pm

JD, you say I have ZERO idea who those Republican votes were cast by and that’s true, I don’t know exactly who they are or what their ethnicity might be. But nk seems to know who they are. All I know is than more of them voted for Trump than voted for either Cruz or Rubio. That’s not a narrative, it’s a fact.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:11 pm

more of them voted for Trump than voted for either Cruz or Rubio.

Time for Venn diagrams…

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:15 pm

All I know is than more of them voted for Trump than voted for either Cruz or Rubio. That’s not a narrative, it’s a fact.

But it’s a meaningless fact. You claimed it was significant because Laredo is so heavily Hispanic, but that’s nonsense.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:17 pm

Who wins an election is not meaningless, surely you’re not that stupid, or that dishonest.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:31 pm

Painted Jaguar (Disdainful look on visage- is there another kind- flicking tail):
Who wins an election is not meaningless,
but it doesn’t mean what you suggest it means.

Painted Jaguar (a sockpuppet) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:35 pm

Trump won 35% of 3.46% of the registered voters of Webb County, Texas. We don’t know anything about who cast those votes since Texas has an open primary (except if there is a primary run-off). But we do know from my Laredo Morning Times’ link above that local residents believe Hispanics split their votes between Cruz and Rubio. That is some evidence that Whites voted for Trump, not Hispanics.

However, this is such an incredibly small sample that I don’t think it tells us anything.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:38 pm

ropelight: Ted Cruz won 1,239,370 votes in Texas yesterday, which represents 43.75% of the total votes cast. Donald Trump won 757,618, or 25.75%.

That’s a popular vote margin of 481,752 out of a record-setting 2,832,234 votes cast. (The total vote in the 2012 primary was a then-record setting 1.4M votes.) Because Texans turned out in record numbers to vote for Cruz and against Trump, Ted Cruz beat Donald Trump in Texas by 18 full percentage points, in what was nominally still a five-man race, despite the fact that tens of thousands of early votes had already been cast, and wasted, on candidates like Bush, Christie, Huckabee, and Fiorina who had already dropped out.

Maybe you missed those totals because you were out barking at the moon or trying to find an appropriate seasoning for your dips, but that means that in Texas, Ted Cruz beat Donald Trump like a rented mule. Cruz beat Trump like the red-headed stepchild.

Cruz beat Trump like my friends in the Longhorn Band beat on that giant drum, Big Bertha, at every Longhorn football game. And you know what? Trump made the same noise, just like Big Bertha, because Trump is big and hollow.

Shame on you, liar. Shame on you for going on the internet and trying to spin this through dishonest parsing of inapplicable statistics from the most Democratic county in Texas as being some kind of silver lining for Donald Trump.

You’re crazy. You’re incurable, but I want to make absolutely sure than no one who’s not crazy is at any risk of being misled by your despicable nonsense.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:39 pm

Um, Trump didn’t win Texas. He came first in one tiny district. That’s completely meaningless. The only reason we’re discussing it is because you tried to make a point about the Hispanic vote, but that point is invalid.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:39 pm

Cruz got more votes yesterday in Texas in a five-man race than Romney got in Texas in 2012 even though the RNC had already declared Romney the certain nominee.

If the rest of the GOP performed like Donald Trump did yesterday in Texas, the Democrats would still rule this state.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:40 pm

I wonder how many other websites ropelight and papertiger and their ilk visit, where their lies go unchallenged?

Where all do you guys comment, ropelight & papertiger? Let us know, and let us know what names you use there, so we can visit those places to provide some, umm, context.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:44 pm

Let’s take a closer look at Webb County, since ropelight insists:

Hillary Clinton: Total votes 18,559
Bernie Sanders: Total votes 6,177
Donald Trump: Total votes 1,427
https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar01_233_county239.htm?x=0&y=171&id=243

Bernie Sanders beat Trump like a drum. Tararatrumtrum, Tararatrumtrum. Hillary did not even notice him.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:53 pm

Beldar, you called me a string of dirty names. I don’t believe I’ve ever said anything to you approaching that sort of thing. In fact, I believe I’ve always been respectful toward you…

May I direct you to my comment at #118 above? Please have a look and get back to me if you wish.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:54 pm

By the way, do you know why there was a record-setting turnout in the Texas GOP primary in 2012, even though Romney had already sewn up the GOP presidential nomination and no statewide races for state positions were on the ballot?

It’s because we were having a very hotly contested race for retiring Kay Bailey Hutchison’s U.S. Senate seat. Ted Cruz drove that record-setting turnout, too, and then an even more record-shattering turnout for a primary runoff election when he finished off David Dewhurst.

You’ll have lots better success peddling your JFK conspiracy theories than you will trying to convince anyone that Donald Trump avoided humiliation in Texas yesterday. Trump got crushed, and any honest person would admit that instead of trying some sort of desperate spin.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:00 pm

I don’t respect you anymore, ropelight. You’re a crazy liar, and you’ve forfeited my respect.

Have I not yet made that clear?

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:00 pm

Yes, Beldar, quite clear. Did you bother to look at my comment at #118 yet?

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:04 pm

Yes, that’s the lie I was directly referencing, ropelight.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:09 pm

Or rather, your most recent lie.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:09 pm

Comment #118 is mendoucheous, at best, as myself and others have pointed out to you.

JD (fd9fdd) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:12 pm

ropelight, you don’t seem to get it.
Webb County may be heavily Hispanic—but it’s also heavily Democrat.

A very small percentage of voters voted in the primary. And a teensy-tiny percentage of those voters who voted in the primary voted Republican. And only 35% of that percentage voted for Trump.

It’s kind of like one of those Russian matryoshka dolls…the kind where there’s a smaller doll inside of another doll, and then still yet another smaller doll, and so forth. Until finally there’s a thimble sized doll.
That’s the percentage that Trump got in Webb County. There’s no other way to spin it.

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:12 pm

I don’t know what lie you’re referring to. Please point it out.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:13 pm

You have pulled a needle out of a haystack,
and claimed to have found a great iron deposit

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:15 pm

Cruz Supporter, it’s not spin. It was a primary election. How many Democrats voted for Hillary or Bernie is pretty much irrelevant. Those who voted GOP voted for Trump over either Cruz or Rubio. It’s not rocket science.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:17 pm

the most interesting detail, are the red queen/doc brown, I don’t have to explain who they are do I, re 2008, that is the difference between a obama driven election, and one that isn’t

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:22 pm

Is there anyone out in the universe other than ropelight that needs further explanation?
If so, maybe someone else will try to help.
G’nite

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:23 pm

Your lie was that the fact that this tiny insignificant result happened to take place in a heavily Hispanic city somehow tells us something about the Hispanic vote.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:23 pm

So little Juan’s mother is making tortillas, and Juan grabs a handful of flour and smears it all his face. Very proud of himself, he shouts, “Look, mama, I’m white”. His mother is not happy. She smacks him over the head and says, “Look at the mess you made. Go wash your face.” Juan runs out of the room crying to his father. “Papa, papa, look, I’m white”. His father smacks him across the head and says, “You’re a pendejo. Go wash your face.” Juan runs to his grandmother and, you guessed it, gets another smack and scolding. He stomps his foot and says, “I’ve been white for only a couple of minutes and I already hate you wetbacks. I’m going out and voting for Donald Trump.”

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:26 pm

#203 ropelight,

You were holding up this specific county as an example of Trump winning the Hispanic vote. What we’re telling you is that it’s a very small sample size. And by the way, 2/3’s of Republicans who voted, voted for someone not named Trump.

This is like going to a Yankees baseball game and sitting among a little section where a busload of Baltimore Orioles fans are, and then determining that there’s a lot of support for the Orioles in NY.

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:26 pm

The lie, ropelight — which you’ve just doubled down upon — is to suggest that Trump did well in Texas among hispanics, and that he’s therefore got the GOP nomination locked up. The data you’ve cited don’t support that conclusion, and the conclusion itself is palpably ridiculous. You’re talking about a margin measured in dozens of voters; I’m talking about a margin measured in the hundreds of thousands, which you dishonestly refuse to acknowledge.

You’re exactly like Trump when he says, “Oh, that vile word, that wasn’t my word, I was just repeating it when that lady yelled ‘P*SSY!” You think you’re being smart and clever and lawyerly. Here’s a pro tip, dude: Don’t ever try to practice law, you’ll be buried because juries can spot your kind of phony from a mile away.

Enough arguing with the insane. I’ve made my point. You’ve made yourself into a jackass — again. But you can’t shame the shameless, so I doubt you’ll ever admit that even to yourself.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:29 pm

Beldar, here’s an excerpt from DRJ’s link to the local Webb county newssite:

(Webb County Republican Party Chairman Randy) Blair argues that if there were only one Hispanic candidate in the running, that person likely would have won Webb County.

In regard to why Latinos would vote for Trump, Blair says it’s for the same reason people all around the country are voting for him: “The pure fact that Trump has garnered the attention of so many people through the media. … He has been able to use the media to his advantage tremendously.”

“Unfortunately, I still don’t understand how he can make the comments that he makes publicly and continue to do so well,” Blair added.

Blair certainly seems to think Latinos voted for Trump, even if observers here can’t seem to grasp the possibility.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:44 pm

203. Those who voted GOP voted for Trump over either Cruz or Rubio. It’s not rocket science.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:17 pm

No, they voted for not-Trump over Trump. It’s not rocket surgery.

Steve57 (1ace39) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:45 pm

194 You’ll have lots better success peddling your JFK conspiracy theories than you will trying to convince anyone that Donald Trump avoided humiliation in Texas yesterday. Trump got crushed, and any honest person would admit that instead of trying some sort of desperate spin.

So if Trump was humiliated in Texas (his opponent’s home state) what happened to Cruz in Massachusetts (or Vermont or Alabama)?

James B. Shearer (0f56fb) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:53 pm

Well, there is Perez Hilton real name Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. who is Trump’s real good buddy. He might have gotten out the gay Hispanic vote for Trump. 1,427 out of a quarter million people seems like a realistic number.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 8:58 pm

Ropelight,
My, admission against interest,
Read it again and highlight the part where he says Trump would have lost if he was running against only one Hispanic instead of two…

MD not exactly in Philly (deca84) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:06 pm

Regarding the Lindsay Graham interview that prompted this post in the first place, I’m trying to figure out what to make of an article titled, Will the GOP establishment line up behind Ted Cruz now? (italics in original):

Graham is not just testing the waters for a Cruz endorsement in his capacity as one of the beltway media’s most beloved and entertaining regulars. He’s doing it as a top-shelf surrogate for Jeb Bush — the candidate he endorsed after ending his own presidential campaign — and an unrepentant neoconservative. Even his hypothetical rush to Cruz’s side is a body blow to Rubio.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:11 pm

Mr. Shearer, Cruz never boasted that he would beat Trump in MA, VT, or AL.

The humiliation is not from losing, but from losing after boasting.

There are many other humiliating aspects as well, such as the fact that Trump underperformed his polls so spectacularly in Texas, or that he lost ground between early voting and election day, or that the record-setting turnout was to vote against him.

But the main one I had in mind was about Trump bragging.

Hey, was it you who was insisting in these comments a few weeks ago that Kasich would get something like 8-10% in Texas? I’m not willing to invest the effort to go check that out, but I’m pretty sure I made a prediction about his total, and Ted Cruz’, that yesterday bore out. You’re a diligent guy, wanna go back and look it up?

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:15 pm

Link: http://theweek.com/articles/609750/gop-establishment-line-behind-ted-cruz-now

Why is Mr. Poulos’s guess better than yours, Beldar?

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:16 pm

The Bush family sees that it needs to get behind Cruz or it will tarnish the Bush brand in Texas even more than it already has. Graham is the deniable way of testing the waters to see how much backlash a Cruz endorsement might generate.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:16 pm

Dang, thanks nk … blew another link, I do need to proofread.

I honestly don’t know what to make of his piece, and I’m not familiar with the writer. What did you think?

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:19 pm

Here is the rest if the Laredo news article quote that was selectively excerpted above:

Webb County Republican Party Chairman Randy Blair spoke to LMT about why this may have occurred.

“I really think the main reason he won in Webb is because the two (candidates) behind him split the Hispanic vote,” Blair said.

Ted Cruz won 1,155 votes in Webb County and Marco Rubio won 1,163, an eight-vote difference ― a true split. (Trump came in with 1,427 votes.)

Blair argues that if there were only one Hispanic candidate in the running, that person likely would have won Webb County.

In regard to why Latinos would vote for Trump, Blair says it’s for the same reason people all around the country are voting for him: “The pure fact that Trump has garnered the attention of so many people through the media. … He has been able to use the media to his advantage tremendously.”

“Unfortunately, I still don’t understand how he can make the comments that he makes publicly and continue to do so well,” Blair added.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:19 pm

Yes, thanks DRJ, that does indeed seem to accurately describe his premise, and better than I could’ve! What do you think of it, though?

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:20 pm

I defer to DRJ.

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:20 pm

I think I put it into the category of “stuff I very much wish I could believe but can’t quite swallow whole.”

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:29 pm

I wonder if John Cornyn, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and some other prominent Texas Republicans who so far have not spoken out for Cruz might now reconsider that in light of the very strong and full-throated roar of approval Sen. Cruz got from the Texas GOP voters yesterday? Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick, and former Gov. Perry are all on board, but none of them has the GOP establishment (DC) clout or contacts.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:33 pm

So, ropelight: Any other crap you want to throw against the wall about the results in Texas yesterday, or should we turn to how Trump lost Alaska despite Sarah Palin’s endorsement? About how in her hometown, Wasilla, the late returns are what widened Cruz’ margin?

Or do you have some other misleading factoid you want to bring here for us to explode?

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:36 pm

It could also be that the Bushes are worried about Trumps’ advisers, especially this one, or that they hate Rubio and want to hurt him. Plus I imagine Trump is the worst possible candidate for the Bushes.

But I think it’s about Texas because the Bush family has always been about family first, and I firmly believe their standing in Texas has taken a hit since Bush 43 said he didn’t like Cruz. That was a big unforced error by 43.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:38 pm

If Cruz does not win the Presidency, he is looking at another eight years as the Senator from Texas right now. On the other hand, what will Rubio have to offer to the national Republicans?

nk (dbc370) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:41 pm

216 Hey, was it you who was insisting in these comments a few weeks ago that Kasich would get something like 8-10% in Texas? I’m not willing to invest the effort to go check that out, but I’m pretty sure I made a prediction about his total, and Ted Cruz’, that yesterday bore out. You’re a diligent guy, wanna go back and look it up?

Wasn’t me and I don’t recall anyone else saying that either. Maybe another blog? As long as we checking up on past predictions in comment 194 of this post you said:

(1) It doesn’t matter whether Kasich & Carson formally withdraw or not. Neither of them will ever see 3% again, anywhere. It’s now a three-man race.

which seems to have been a bit off. You also predicted:

(4) In the resulting two-man race, Cruz will win every primary after March 1 and take the nomination on the first ballot.

You still think Cruz is going to run the table?

James B. Shearer (0f56fb) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:42 pm

well General Flynn, is one of the sharpest men on the staff, he noted the constellation of salafi
elements being supplied by the kingdom and the emirates, and warned what it would lead to,

narciso (732bc0) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:46 pm

That may be true, narciso, but I don’t think the Bush approach to Russia meshes with his.

DRJ (15874d) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:55 pm

Sure, Beldar, I’ve got a little something for you. What kind of a so-in-so would sing Sarah Palin’s praises here to the extent of convincing a significant portion of Patterico’s commenters to support her for Vice President (before McCain named her as his running mate) and now turn around and mock that good woman (who has been unmercifully smeared along with her daughters and her Downs Syndrome baby) for Trump’s poor performance in Alaska?

Are you so consumed with hatred for Donald Trump, me, and papertiger that you can’t see the extent to which you demean yourself.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:57 pm

216 There are many other humiliating aspects as well, such as the fact that Trump underperformed his polls so spectacularly in Texas, or that he lost ground between early voting and election day, or that the record-setting turnout was to vote against him.

As for Trump underperforming his polls, the final 538 polls-plus projection had him at 26.6 (based on a polling average of 27.4) so his underperformance was hardly “spectacular”. Cruz on the other hand overperformed his polls (538 polling average 35.9%) by quite a bit leading to a larger than expected margin.

James B. Shearer (0f56fb) — 3/2/2016 @ 9:59 pm

Yes, Mr. Shearer, Kasich surprised me in VT with his second-place finish, and he had a distant but still respectable 18% losing result in the equally irrelevant (to the GOP) state of MA. Kasich might also get second place again in Michigan, and it’s not impossible that he might beat Trump in OH. He’s still a ridiculously regional candidate with no national organization, inadequate money, and no path to the nomination, but he’s exceeded, slightly, the expectations I had for him that evening after the SC primary was done.

Nevertheless, if you look at their respective results nationally, Kasich and Carson have continued to poll pretty close to the 3% I predicted. Kasich got 4% in AL, AK, AR, OK, & TX yesterday, with 6% or less in GA, MN, & TN. Now, of course, Carson is out of the picture, but he only had double-digit totals in two states yesterday (10% in AL, 11% in AK). I stand by my conclusion then that Carson was already irrelevant to the race, but I concede that’s not quite as conclusively proven of Kasich if you’re willing to believe in miracles.

If Rubio and Kasich had the good sense to drop out, I think Cruz might indeed run the table. That’s the premise of the prediction you quoted. That premise may still come true, or it might be postponed to March 15.

But I do indeed still think once it’s a two-man race, Trump will lose everywhere — even New York. The question is just when and whether we can get the necessary clarity that it is, indeed a two-man race.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:03 pm

Yeah, as mentioned on TV today, the Carolina Panthers would have won the Superbowl if the Denver Broncos had dropped out.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:07 pm

ropelight, did you really just try to use Trig’s Down’s Syndrome against me? You are truly disgusting.

I was indeed a fan of Gov. Palin’s, and I supported her in 2008, and I believe to this day that she was a promising young politician who was spectacularly failed by the McCain campaign and the RNC, and of course she was savaged mercilessly and unfairly by the media. Despite that, she was the best thing in McCain’s campaign, very nearly the only good thing in it. However: I was very, very disappointed when she abandoned her career as a public servant, resigned the governorship, and became instead a niche celebrity talking head. She’s still occasionally a constructive voice, but that’s very hit-or-miss, and I no longer count myself a fan.

This shows that I actually can be persuaded to adjust my opinions based on developments. I don’t view the political candidates I support as being some sort of demi-gods to whom I owe a blind obedience. When they screw up — and I believe Gov. Palin did — and when they disappoint me, I adjust my opinions about them accordingly.

But there’s nothing that could shake you from your adoration of the Donald, and that’s even sadder than that you would try to bring a child like Trig into this discussion.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:09 pm

Beldar, get real, you didn’t use Trig against Palin and I didn’t use Trig against you. I mentioned the unmerciful smearing she got (from Dems, their celebrity allies, and the establishment media) for the great crime of being a woman and a Republican.

I no more adore Trump than I adore boiled asparagus.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:24 pm

Hewitt interviewing Rubio today (emphasis mine):

HH: A lot of people are asking whether you and Senator Cruz are open to talking to each other about what to do post-Super Tuesday, especially those in the #NeverTrump movement? And I will add that as part of the question. What do you think of the #NeverTrump movement, which your colleague, Ben Sasse, and others have signed onto? Is that a prudent movement? And are you and Ted Cruz going to work to support it?

MR: Here’s the reality. 64% of the people who voted yesterday did not vote for Donald Trump, 64%. You have a frontrunner who has never reached 50%, and it’s going to be a real struggle for him to bring…there is a real hard core resistance to him. I think the majority of voters in our party are resistant to him. And as the race narrows, it’s going to become more apparent. But right now, I’m focused on the next states up. You know, we’re in Michigan here today, and we’re campaigning hard. We’re really looking forward to Florida on March 15th. That’s going to be a big night for us. We’re focused on that right now. We feel really good about the states that are coming up. And you know how this process is. Talking to me again on Saturday and on Monday, and after more votes come in, the whole dynamic changes again. There’s been so many ups and downs in this race. And convention wisdom has been wrong the entire time.

That’s not a “no,” it’s a “later.” He’ll surely know by tomorrow whether he’s gotten any kind of bump in his home state to cut into Trump’s lead there. I think he may not have the luxury of waiting that he thinks he has.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:27 pm

I can’t seem to get a link right tonight to save my life, trying again before I put nk to the trouble. 😉

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:28 pm

Rubio’s finished. Once he joined the Gang of 8 it was over for him. He’ll never be anything more than a one term Senator. Now, with his gutter assault on Trump he’s effectively reduced himself to the level of an Anthony Weiner.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:33 pm

BTW, Hewitt today asked both Kasich and Rubio whether they were encouraging the other’s supporters to vote, strategically, in an anyone-but-Trump fashion. That is, he asked whether Kasich would encourage his Florida supporters to vote for Rubio in exchange for Rubio to make that pitch to his own supporters in Ohio. All of this would be to deny Trump in a winner-take-all state.

Neither took the bait, though, and Rubio seemed to reject it pretty strongly:

’m not ready to do, that to me is really processy. I’m not, I don’t want to interfere with the process in that way. The truth is that I’m not looking to get involved in stuff like that.

I think Cruz would say the same thing, although he’d probably be more likely couch it in terms of being a betrayal of principle to the voters who’ve already cast votes for him.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:42 pm

When Megyn Kelly asked Cruz tonight about the prospects of a “unity ticket,” Cruz twice said that Rubio is “spectacularly talented,” but that he has no path to the nomination, and that the Cruz campaign is welcoming everyone who’s coming to the conclusion that Cruz is the only candidate left who can beat Trump head-on-head.

That is: He made nice, and he didn’t say “no.” Instead he made the case for why he ought to head the unity ticket.

Hmm.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:58 pm

“Now, with his gutter assault on Trump he’s effectively reduced himself to the level of an Anthony Weiner.”

The irony is rich in this coming from a Trumpian.

JD (fd9fdd) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:24 pm

It appears that Karl “Turd Blossom” Rove has done the math that I’ve been looking for, but was too lazy to try to compile, regarding nationwide vote totals yesterday:

Mr. Trump took 2.9 million of the 8.5 million votes cast, roughly 34.4%. Sen. Ted Cruz garnered 2.5 million votes, 29.3%. Sen. Marco Rubio got 1.9 million, votes, 22%. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Dr. Ben Carson and the other 14 candidates trailed with 1.2 million votes, 14.4%.

In other words, almost two of three Republicans are still not voting for the celebrity hotelier. He is winning—but not yet winning like a candidate who has consolidated his lead and unified the party.

We’re supposed to believe that the difference between 34.4% and 29.3% can’t be overcome in the 35 states that have yet to vote? We’re supposed to believe that Rubio, Kasich, and Carson voters who’ve resisted Trump so far will suddenly begin to like him, when there’s a single clear alternative who has beaten him, and obviously can beat him again?

Trump should be worried, but he’s like a drunk who believes himself bulletproof.

Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 11:48 pm

Beldar, I think this might explain the Trumpeters.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/04/how-the-p-c-police-propelled-donald-trump.html

I appreciate your thoughtful perspective in the comments section here.

Simon Jester (980c29) — 3/3/2016 @ 12:42 am

I would hope that in smaller states where one of the two candidates has no way to get much and the other might beat Trump, it’s in both their interest (for now) to embarrass Trump. There’s 3 caucus states on Saturday that Trump is supposed to win, but could be beat by either Cruz or Rubio if the other combined forces.

Kevin M (25bbee) — 3/3/2016 @ 12:50 am

Ditto what I wrote about Beldar to you, Kevin M.

Simon Jester (980c29) — 3/3/2016 @ 12:52 am

I think that is true, Simon,
but not the complete truth.
Had the elected R’s had a spine to do what they campaigned on and stand up rationally and reasonably to the assaults of the Left, there also would have been no “need”, or opportunity, for a Trump.

Like many things, the “perfect storm” is the result of a confluence of factors.

MD in Philly (at the moment not in Philly) (deca84) — 3/3/2016 @ 4:46 am

#239 ropelight,

Donald Trump actually donated money to Anthony Weiner’s campaign—did you know that? The only people that Trump didn’t seem to donate to were Veterans groups, conservative think tanks, and his church. (LOL)

Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 3/3/2016 @ 5:44 am

Now, with his gutter assault on Trump he’s effectively reduced himself to the level of an Anthony Weiner.

ropelight (20aa8c) — 3/2/2016 @ 10:33 pm

What gutter assault on Trump?

Gerald A (945582) — 3/3/2016 @ 5:48 am

What is true, one of her nazgul persecutors, I song even give him a name was following the false flag attack on trump.

So after the lawfare that was organized by the democratic party and the Alaskan establishment, the merciless ridicule her primary choices earned here, after she defended the tea party, and the end told her to get lost, how else was she to make a living.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/3/2016 @ 6:38 am

narciso,
Are you referring to the Huntress backing Trump?

MD not exactly in Philly (deca84) — 3/3/2016 @ 6:41 am

No the prologue, which suggests beldar is accepting the narrative over the facts.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/3/2016 @ 6:43 am

GenerL Flynn organized the entire intelligence network for Petraeus in afghanistan, so when he saw the same players pop up in syria, he knew something was up.

narciso (732bc0) — 3/3/2016 @ 6:53 am

Blair certainly seems to think Latinos voted for Trump,

How could he possibly know?

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/3/2016 @ 2:20 pm

You were holding up this specific county as an example of Trump winning the Hispanic vote. What we’re telling you is that it’s a very small sample size.

It’s not just thatit’s a small sample size. We have no reason to suppose that the voters in question are Hispanic in the first place. The fact that they happen to live in a heavily Hispanic town doesn’t tell us anything about them. For all any of us know none of them may be Hispanic.

Milhouse (87c499) — 3/3/2016 @ 3:05 pm

116. Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1) — 3/2/2016 @ 1:47 pm

Does anyone here, besides myself, know that if you hire an illegal, and they go through E-Verify, and E-Verify says no eligibility to work–that continuing to employ them is perfectly legal?

Maybe that’s the way it works now, but that would not be the way it would work when mandatory.

I believe this is the way it would work:

1) An employer is not allowed to ask for any proof of identity, or the right to work in the United States, before making a tentative decision to hire, that would only be rescinded if the person did not, or could not, provide the relevant documents.

2) After being hired, the employee has 3 days to provide the proof.

3) Nobody is allowed to ask any person for any more proof than anyone else has to provide. No extra checking if someone has an accent, or looks Chinese, because that would be discrimination on the basis of race or national origin. No extra checking if something else raises a red flag in the eyes of the employer, because it probably falls into one of the prohibited categories of discrimination, or it is hard to prove otherwise.

4) If e-verify is used, upon the employer being contacted by e-verify, the employee is to be immediately fired. No matter how much it might disrupt the business.

5) Unless they appeal, in which case the employer can, and maybe must, wait until the Social Security Administration comes back with a final decision, saying, for instance, no, this Social Security number is invalid, or it belongs to somebody somewhere else in the United States.

Does anyone here, besides myself, know that if you use E-Verify to screen a potential hire, you have broken the law–you must first hire the person before you can check their status?

Yes, I do.

At the government’s command, you hire, and at the government’s command you fire. This is no way to run a business, but who’s paying attention to things like that?

Given that immigration law is a kabuki dance, designed to be unenforceable, why would I worry about the difference between Cruz’s plans or Trump’s plans?

Some plans can make things worse.

Telling me Cruz is going to enforce immigration law (or Trump for that matter) gives me not one whit of reassurance regarding immigration policy.

This makes things more irrational and unpragmatic. Don’t you want that?

After all, what else do you think that concentrating on enforcement, without revisiting any elements of the law, means??

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/3/2016 @ 10:10 pm

The Emperor (108c11) — 3/2/2016 @ 2:10 pm

There’s Canada to migrate too. You can begin to book your place up north.

Don’t you know that Canada has its own immigration laws?

It is not as easy as it was during the Vietnam War era, when all an American citizen needed to do was cross the border (which was easy, and possible using a birth certificate) at which point he or she could become a “landed immigrant” in Canada.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/3/2016 @ 10:16 pm

195.Beldar (fa637a) — 3/2/2016 @ 7:40 pm

Cruz got more votes yesterday in Texas in a five-man race than Romney got in Texas in 2012 even though the RNC had already declared Romney the certain nominee.

As James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal likes to put it, when he encounters an argument like that:

Fox Butterfield, is that you

Fox Butterfield once wrote that the number of people in jail went up in spite of the fact that the crime rate went down. Here, fewre people voted in the Texas Republican presidential primary in 2012 than in 2016, because the RNC had already declared Romney the certain nominee. But this was a highly cntested election.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/3/2016 @ 10:41 pm

Beldar: When I replied at 10:41 pm I missed that comment that said there was a record high turnout in the Republican primary in Texas in 2012 because there was also a Senatorial primary that day.

But Romney’s percentage was, I assume, higher in 2012 than Cruz’s percentage now (you don’t say the contrary, but only cite absolute numbers of votes) so for Cruz to get more votes there must have been more people voting. I think you also said there was a higher turnout this year than 2012.

And there might, in fact shuld have been, fewer votes cast in the presidential primary than in the Senatorial Republican primary in 2012.

Sammy Finkelman (9775b0) — 3/3/2016 @ 10:53 pm

3/1/2016

“We May Have to Rally Around Ted Cruz” Says . . . Lindsey Graham?!

265 Responses to ““We May Have to Rally Around Ted Cruz” Says . . . Lindsey Graham?!”

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