2016 Elections

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1:05 & 2:50 ("MAPS")

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[O Really]

http://www.salon.com/2015/09/23/noam_ch ... ainstream/

“Republicans have just drifted off the spectrum,” [Noam] Chomsky declared in response to a question about what the “antics” of Trump say about American exceptionalism.

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Donald Trump goes ballistic after 'total fool' journalist uses lewd insult against him on Fox News

Real-estate magnate Donald Trump fired off multiple furious tweets Wednesday night after a crude remark was used against him on Fox News.

Rich Lowry, the editor of the conservative magazine National Review, said the Republican presidential front-runner was attacking rival Carly Fiorina because she emasculated him at last week's presidential debate.

"Part of what's going on here is that last debate. Let's be honest: Carly cut his balls off with the precision of a surgeon, and he knows it," Lowry said during a Fox News interview, according to video posted by Mediaite.

Host Megyn Kelly was shocked.

"What did you just say?!" Kelly said. "You can't say that."

... But Lowry refused to back down.

In a series of his own Wednesday night tweets, he continued to taunt Trump. He noted that Trump frequently bragged about not being politically correct and that the businessman used a "boorish insult" against Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO who confronted him at last week's CNN debate for mocking her face.

Lowry's response:

.@realDonaldTrump I thought the Carly cut your balls off line might bother you, but you know it's true...
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) September 24, 2015

.@realDonaldTrump I love how Mr. Anti-PC now wants the FCC to fine me. #pathetic
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) September 24, 2015

.@realDonaldTrump so it's OK for you to insult Carly's looks, but you can't handle me describing what happened to you in the debate?
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) September 24, 2015

.@realDonaldTrump man, you can dish it out but you REALLY, REALLY can't take it
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) September 24, 2015 ...

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Jeb Bush: The Pope Shouldn't Discuss Climate Change Because 'He's Not A Scientist'

Pope Francis is a scientist, which someone with a degree in Latin American Studies ought to know.

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http://www.salon.com/2015/09/23/noam_ch ... ainstream/

“Republicans have just drifted off the spectrum,” [Noam] Chomsky declared in response to a question about what the “antics” of Trump say about American exceptionalism.

Good timing.

Trump kicking ass followed by Fiorina and Carson, Perry and Walker out, now Boehner throwing in the towel! One theory, I don't know - Maybe the mainstream GOP is conceding to the even wingnuttier wingnuts and hopes to try and rebuild after enough general elections are lost.

Speaking of Boehner, I just learned that in 2013 his daughter Lindsay was married to Dominic Lakhan, a Jamaican-born construction worker with waist length dreadlocks who has been busted for pot. Wow.

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Conservatives to 2016 GOP field: Defy us at your own peril

Conservatives to 2016 Dem field: Here are the keys

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So, if Biden jumps in who will his votes come from?

There's not much difference between him and Hillary ideologically and they have comparable political resumes. Biden's is officially longer, but Hillary has SoS and advising Bill.
Biden is more "common man" while Hillary is more patrician.
Biden, so far, doesn't have the scandals that Hillary does.
Some will vote for Biden because he's not a woman while some will vote for Hillary because she is one.
Biden has a somewhat deserved, somewhat undeserved goofy and loose cannon reputation.

Then, there is Sanders. How many support him because they're true believers and how many because he's not Hillary? If his support is mostly ideological, he gains by Biden's entry. If his support is mostly anti-Hillary, he loses by Biden's entry.

I don't know.

I'll keep supporting Sanders until another actual progressive looks viable . . . or he gets a dementia diagnosis.

NBC/WSJ Poll: Trump and Carson Lead GOP; Clinton Loses Ground

... And on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has lost ground to Bernie Sanders — she leads him by just seven points with Joe Biden in the race, and 15 points without the vice president. That's down from Clinton's 34-point lead over Sanders in July and her whopping 60-point lead in June....

In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton is the first choice of 42 percent of primary voters, Sanders is in second at 35 percent and Joe Biden third at 17 percent. No other Democrat gets more than 1 percent.

When Biden - who is still mulling a campaign - is removed from the field, Clinton's lead over Sanders grows to 15 points, 53 percent to 38 percent, which suggests that Biden's entry would hurt Clinton more than Sanders.

Back in July, Clinton held a 34-point lead over Sanders, 59 percent to 25 percent. And in June, it was 60 points, 75 percent to 15 percent.

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NBC/WSJ Poll: Trump and Carson Lead GOP; Clinton Loses Ground

Given last week's headlines (Ben Carson: Big Bang A Fairy Tale, Theory Of Evolution Encouraged By The Devil) and Carson's waffling on anti-vax claims, it was inevitable that he would surge ahead.

The Republican Right is saying "This guy is goddamned stupid! HE'S ONE OF US!!!"

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I think Carson can be discounted. There is no way that enough GOP voters actually pick him despite what they tell pollsters while pretending to not be racist. GOP sexists probably mean the same fate for Fiorina. Right now, I would bet on Rubio, but without much confidence. Trump could take it or Bush's money could still win out.

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I think Carson can be discounted.

True. Herman Cain led the GOP polls for a while. And this point in the last election cycle, Rick Perry was leading.

Trump could take it or Bush's money could still win out.

I think the Democrats are holding back on criticizing Jeb!. If nominated, you'll be reading a lot about Jeb!'s ties to the mob and terrorists.

[Boatrocker]

I think the Democrats are holding back on criticizing Jeb!. If nominated, you'll be reading a lot about Jeb!'s ties to the mob and terrorists.

Yeah. No point wasting ammo right now; let 'em expend their ammo on each other.

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At least as a whole, the GOP candidates have made a good starting impression.

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At least as a whole, the GOP candidates have made a good starting impression.

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I see that the curtain finally fell on Carly Fiorina's campaign.

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Scott Walker to drop out of race: sources

LOL, there was a time when I thought Koch-puppet Walker might be one of the more formidable nominees. The 2016 GOP Klown Kar is explained by GOP voters.

It must have been "God’s plan" that he fail so miserably.

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Coming up:

- Nate Silver starts releasing his 2016 election forecasts.
- Republicans remember how Nate Silver got it exactly right in 2012...
- And Karl Rove and other Republican pollsters got it wrong.
- The Republican Right blames Nate Silver for their 2012 defeat...
- And attacks him as a commie Marxist socialist.

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When asked if his low poll numbers would make him consider dropping out of the presidential race, Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters, “Hell no.”

Which, also, incidentally, is his poll number.

[Boatrocker]

When asked if his low poll numbers would make him consider dropping out of the presidential race, Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters, “Hell no.”

Which, also, incidentally, is his poll number.

Rimshot.

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Bobby Jindal's presidential campaign is angrily insisting that the "Duck Dynasty" cast supports him and not Donald Trump.

This is all you need to know about the Bobby Jindal campaign.