[TontoKowalski]

I don't know anything about a "dirty trick" but from tweets and photos tweeted out by journalists there, the attendees were completely disinterested in Cruz's speech.

As I said on the thread last night, these were party bigwigs. I don't want to guess at how much it cost to attend the dinner. They've all heard the stump speeches before; some can probably deliver them.

Trump took an interesting approach with his stroll down memory lane. Cruz delivered a speech they'd all heard many times before.

[Cboldt]

Cruz had a bad spot in the lineup too, last. Totally agree that he missed an opportunity to "change it up" more than he did. The last quarter of his speech, about his momentum in this race, should have been skipped entirely. His policy remarks were pretty good, at least direct.

Trump did good. Probably a bit of what is known as "shit luck" to that. He didn't feel a need to make the talk about politics in particular, but instead about tangible objects that have their current form, in part because he took an interest in them. It just happened that those objects are familiar to this NY audience.

[freepersup]

$1,000 a plate just to get in, up to $200,000 for the big enchilada- which was a table for ten, 4 VIP passes to the meet and greet, 4 VIP pictures, publication in the official program and recognized as a Chairman level sponsor... and possibly, a perk or two else that escapes me at the moment.