Posted on 03/07/2016 7:27:20 AM PST by SeekAndFind
If “Super Saturday” was expected to bring any additional clarity to the race on either side of the aisle we should probably downgrade the definition of super just a bit. On the Democrat side of the picture, Bernie Sanders bounced back from Tuesday’s drubbing with wins in the caucuses in Nebraska and Kansas, while the primary in Louisiana saw Hillary Clinton winning in a landslide. In other words, Bernie is still lagging badly in the delegate race, but he scored enough positive headlines to continue raising money and pushing the race deep.
As far as the GOP goes, there were four major contests to watch and they wound up being split down the middle. Louisiana and Kentucky went for Trump strongly while Ted Cruz turned out big numbers in Maine and Kansas. If you see a couple of names conspicuously missing from the headlines, those would be John Kasich and Marco Rubio. Kasich was no surprise since he’s just waiting around for Ohio anyway, but Rubio is very much in need of another win and it just didn’t happen. This led both of last night’s winners to come out and suggest it’s time for the Florida senator to call it a day.
First up was Donald Trump. Here’s the video, followed by the specific comments. (Business Insider)
“I think it’s time for Marco to clean the deck. I really do. And I say that respectfully,” Trump said at a press conference in Florida.
Trump held the press conference after four states held primaries or caucuses earlier in the day. Trump was projected to win Kentucky and Louisiana, while Cruz won Kansas and Maine.
“I think Marco Rubio had a very, very bad night,” Trump said. “And personally I’d call on him to drop out of the race. I think it’s time now that he drop out of the race. I really think so. I think it’s probably time.”
Of course, the love festival for Ted Cruz couldn’t go on without a few digs. Trump followed up his congratulations to the Texas senator by saying that he should do well in Maine because it’s so close to Canada.
For his part, Cruz’s victory dance was short but to the point. He also seems to feel that it’s time to clear the decks and meet Trump one on one out in the street. (Washington Post)
Republican Party leaders have wrung their hands over the prospect of Trump winning the Republican nomination, and Cruz and Rubio have each sought to paint themselves as the only candidate who can take him down. They have accused Trump of feigning conservative values and fooling voters with promises he cannot keep.
“The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together,” Cruz, the senator from Texas, said in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, speaking shortly after his projected victory was announced.
If you’re expecting all of that to have any impact on Rubio’s outlook, you probably shouldn’t hold your breath. Marco is down in Puerto Rico getting ready for today’s contest and he was still Mr. Optimism after the votes were counted. He told reporters that the map “only gets better for us” from here on out and people shouldn’t get impatient. What was even more curious was the reason he gave for doing so poorly last night. (NBC News)
“These states have a certain profile that other candidates do better in,” he said of Kansas, Kentucky and Louisiana, all of which voted Saturday and went for his opponents, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.
But he framed his losses in all three states — after a three-stop barnstorm of Kansas on Friday — as part of his overall strategy to amass enough delegates to make a play for the nomination in the long run.
“What you need to understand is that all of these states are awarding delegates by proportion. So tonight, we will have more delegates than we did last night.”
What does “a certain profile” mean in this context? If this had been a Republican talking about a loss to a Democrat we’d be hearing accusations of racist dog whistles right and left this morning. But I’m unsure how the Republican voters in any of these states fit a certain profile which makes them less likely to vote for Rubio.
Still, even with all of this sniping going on, I think Rubio has a reason to not simply run up the white flag. He’s going to do quite well in Puerto Rico today and if there is any reality to the alleged power of the #NeverTrump movement, he could stand to benefit from the anticipated erosion in Trump’s numbers. Well.. that’s the theory, anyway. But if The Donald is actually slipping, last night might lead one to think that the benefit is accruing to Ted Cruz instead.
I pretty sure Trump and Cruz agree there there is no way the GOPE gets a brokered convention unless one of the them is the Nominee.
#NoRomney
This is now a sustainment campaign of convention spoilers Rubio and Kasich. They will never suspend their campaigns because they want to keep the magic number from being reached so the RNC ‘fix’ can be implemented.
Considering the last debate where Cruz and Rubio were tag teaming him with ZERO substance attacks, this is a good thing for Trump. He will be able to lob some heavy artillery at Cruz and put Cruz on the defensive.
There is only so much Cruz can attack him on without looking desperate and petty.
Rubio don’t go!!...until the 16th
They want to stay in to compete in the brokered convention.
They want to pick up as many delegates as they can.
No reason for anyone to drop out.
I noticed Rubio is now saying that he is done with the name calling. He has realized, too late, that the only campaign damaged by his buffoonery was his own.
He did as he was instructed. Go berzerker at Trump at the expense of his own dignity in an effort to appease the GOPe puppet masters. He failed, but he did as he was told. In the end, it is his career that he torpedoed. The GOPe could not care less about Rubio now that he has failed.
It is a start. Kasich too.
And since the GOPe hates them both with the intensity of a thousand suns, it will never happen. But it is great they continue to say it because it exposes the GOPe’s nefarious plans to hijack the convention.
They will keep pulling Little Marco’s strings until it no longer makes sense and then he will disappear for a few months before turning up at a K-Street lobby outfit at a salary of a few hundred $K per year. He’s 44 years old and has 4 kids and hasn’t been in the Senate long enough to accrue any graft so this is his big payday opportunity. He will be fixed up for life.
Busssssted!
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has carried on at least two extramarital affairs since he entered politics.
GotNews.com can confirm through lobbyist sources in DC and Tallahassee that at least one DC-based lobbyist has had an extra marital affair with the first term U.S. Senator. Still another Florida-based lobbyist has been IDed as carrying on an affair.
The first woman was Amber Stoner, a 36-year-old woman who worked for Rubio when he was head of the Florida Republican Party.
Stoner, who later became a lobbyist, traveled with Rubio at least seventeen times, including several resort towns on the GOP credit card. Rubio still hasn’t released all of his credit card records from his time heading the party.
Stoner, who has been a lobbyist for the health care industry–just like Rubio, was suddenly cut off after Rubio ascended to the Speaker of Florida House. She had formerly been the Foursquare Mayor of... Marco Rubio’s office.
Ankle Biters Rubio and Kasich.
How do you attack a zero substance candidate? With zero substance attacks.
I don’t care much for Rubio but he did try to get Donnie to talk substance and it was glaringly obvious that trump couldn’t.
A lack of substance is both trump’s weakness and strength. It allows him to contradict himself and say that it’s what he’s meant all along. Surely even his supporters can see it. It’s brilliant in some ways. It should have caught up to him by now but he’s managed to navigate the situation very well by saying look at my web page. (A phrase I hate when any candidate uses it... there should be a gong every time they say it.)
OK, this is stupid. It’s like saying the coaches of KU basketball and OU basketball agree that Perdue shouldn’t win the tournament. Names may vary; principle the same. Of course they think he should leave. Why is this news?
[I don’t care much for Rubio but he did try to get Donnie to talk substance and it was glaringly obvious that trump couldn’t.]
The fact you’re calling Trump “Donnie” only proves your blatant bias and invalidates your argument.
So too do I agree.
Yup, Rubio needs to pack it in, and take Kasich with him.
He’ll go kicking and screaming right after he loses Florida to Trump!
Unfortunately, I think you are correct.
I agree he lacks GREATLY on any level of substance. He may get away with this during the primaries but when it’s mono e mono with the lib nominee he had best step up his policy understanding or it could get rather ugly and fast. Not only will the moderators make him look silly but so too will the lib cantidate
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