Tag: Donald Trump

Donald Trump Wins South Carolina Republican Primary

Donald Trump scored another resounding primary victory by being the choice of South Carolina Republican voters Saturday.

This is another nail in the coffin of the Republican establishment.

If the South Carolina vote proves one thing, it is the Republican establishment is in real trouble this election year. Fully 53% of voters in the Republican primary said, in exit polls, they felt betrayed by incumbent Republican politicians.

Trump, who is definitely an outsider, and Ted Cruz, who is considered an outsider by Republican politicos, garnered 54.8% of the total vote.

With 99% of the vote in, Trump had 32.6%, Marco Rubio, 22.4%, Ted Cruz 22.3%, Jeb Bush 7.9%, John Kasich 7.6% and Ben Carson 7.2%.

Trump also was the top vote getter in 44 of the 46 South Carolina counties. Only Richland and Charleston counties, both of which went to Rubio, kept Trump from a clean sweep.

Jeb Bush, the candidate most closely aligned with the Republican Party establishment, finished a poor fourth and announced he was suspending his campaign. Despite having both his brother, former president George W, and his mother in the state to stump for him, Jeb’s campaign went nowhere.

I guess we can conclude, even this most conservative Republican state is tired of the Bushes.

Another candidate who had a disappointing night was Ted Cruz who finished in third place. If Cruz, who loves to pander to the evangelical vote, can’t do better than third place in this heavily evangelical state, I would think his days are numbered.

Horry County led Trump support with fully 49% of the total vote going to Trump. This is another indication that it’s the year of the outsider in politics.

More than any other county in South Carolina, Horry County, with its large transplant and retired population, is indicative of the mood of voters in the nation. More than 50% of the population in Horry County is transplants from all over the eastern half of the United States.

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Republican Presidential Primary Saturday

After nearly two weeks of non-stop mudslinging, Republican presidential primary candidates can sit back and see whose negative ads were most successful.

Or maybe not.

Voters will go to polls Saturday February 20 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to vote for the Republican of their choice. The Democratic presidential primary is Saturday February 27.

Those voters who cast a ballot in the Republican primary are not eligible to also vote in the Democratic primary.

Acceptable forms of ID to vote are driver’s license or other DMV ID, passport, military ID, or SC voter registration card.

I have spoken to several staunch Republicans in Horry County who plan to forego their own party’s primary in order to vote for Bernie Sanders in a week. As a group they support Donald Trump and feel confident in their favorite’s ability to win the South Carolina primary without their vote. Instead, they are in a “stop Hillary” frame of mind.

If polls are to be believed, Trump is on his way to a second straight primary victory. Ted Cruz is currently polling ahead of Marco Rubio for second with Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Ben Carson rounding out the field in that order.

Personally, I see Trump winning with Rubio scoring a surprise second and Cruz third. Rubio remains the choice of a majority of the Republican establishment while the Bush campaign continues to founder.

But, it looks more like a brokered convention is in the offing for the Republicans, the only hope that keeps the Bush candidacy alive.

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SC Moves to Republican Primary Center Stage

For the next 11 days, South Carolina will be center stage for Republican candidates attempting to gain a claim to their party’s presidential nomination.

If history has anything to tell us, it is also time to let the dirty tricks begin, especially with a Bush candidacy in trouble and needing a big showing in South Carolina to remain relevant.

In 2000, after John McCain slapped George W with an 18 point loss in New Hampshire, all the Lee Atwater wannabe’s associated with the Bush campaign in South Carolina smeared McCain as being gay, fathering an illegitimate child, committing treason and having a drug addicted wife, among other things.

With Jeb Bush’s candidacy on life support, I can’t wait to see what the dark side comes up with between now and voting on February 20th.

Of course, this year is different. There is an anti-establishment anger among voters. A full 90% of New Hampshire voters said they were dissatisfied with the federal government in exit polls and 50% of both Republican and Democratic voters said they want an outsider as a candidate in November.

And with 35% of the Republican vote in New Hampshire, Donald Trump demonstrated he is for real by bringing those angry voters under his tent.

A key question in South Carolina voting is how well John Kasich can do. Taking second in New Hampshire voting with 16%, Kasich needs another good showing in South Carolina to demonstrate his campaign is for real.

Ted Cruz gained 12% of the New Hampshire vote with Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio each capturing 11%. All are hoping for at least a second place finish to Trump in South Carolina to continue momentum into Super Tuesday voting on March 1st.

Although, for Bush, it appears his only hope is to keep using the large donations he has received to stay in the primaries, finishing third or worse along the way, and hope for a brokered convention where his cronies may be able to swing the nomination his way.

Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina dropped out of the race yesterday and it’s time for Ben Carson to do the same.

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Presidential Politics 2016

On the first working day of the New Year, my thoughts are of presidential primaries.

For the next seven weeks, South Carolina will be in the national spotlight as candidates travel throughout the state hoping to convince supporters they are the best person to be our next president.

Of course, this will be mostly on the Republican side as South Carolina is one of the most intensely conservative states in the nation.

Right now that looks like it means Donald Trump and, possibly, Ted Cruz against the field.

The Trump phenomenon is holding, even gaining a little momentum as the voting nears. Cruz, who must be considered another outsider in traditional Republican circles, has been coming on strong in the minds of South Carolina voters for the last month.

More traditional, establishment candidates, such as Jeb Bush, are trailing miserably.

If nothing else, this is a year of protest against the system, something traditional politicos have been slow to pick up on.

And what better state to lead that protest than South Carolina?

When Trump first announced his candidacy, I thought we would have a couple of months of fun with his outrageousness, then, he would fade from view.

That hasn’t happened.

The more outrageous Trump’s pronouncements are, the more his support grows.

Because the general feeling throughout the country is the system needs change.

I have been socially liberal all my life, but, when Trump calls for an end to all Muslim immigrants into the country, it strikes a sympathetic cord within me.

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The Donald Trump Experience

I went to the Donald Trump campaign rally Tuesday night at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in order to experience the current Trump phenomenon first hand.

I came away less than impressed.

Whoever did advance, if anyone, for the Trump visit blew it by ultimately choosing the convention center. Neither the advance team nor the convention center staff had any idea how to set up the site for a political rally.

The Mitt Romney event of 2012 at Horry Georgetown Technical College on the old air force base, while much smaller was much better put together with only one day notice.

To any candidate looking to hold a rally in Myrtle Beach in the future, don’t choose the convention center.

Now to Trump.

His speech, if you can call it that, he proudly said was without teleprompters. Of course, it would have been hard to put it on a teleprompter because even he, apparently, did not know what he was going to say before he got up to the microphone.

The first 20 minutes was a recitation of what great crowds attend his events, polling numbers from many of the early primary states that show him in the lead and how great he is compared to the other candidates.

He felt the need to introduce all his family members who had accompanied him to Myrtle Beach and gave the microphone to his current (third) wife, Melania, for a few comments about what a great president Trump would be.

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Retirees Don’t Count Illegals Do

Retirees drawing social security (myself included) have already heard there will be no increase in benefits this year.

While the government says inflation is too low to justify an increase in benefits, it evidently is raging in the medical field because we also heard there will be a significant increase in medicare coverage costs.

That’s the government’s way of saying ‘we’re not giving you any more money, but you are going to give us more money.’ (We’ve heard that one most of our lives.)

None of us believe the federal government propaganda that inflation is too low for a cost of living increase with a dozen eggs costing nearly $3 these days and most other food costs way up.

No, it’s that we don’t count anymore. Those in Congress count on us to be relatively predictable in our voting patterns. They have to spend their time, and our money, on those new potential voting blocs – illegal immigrants and refugees!

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Why Donald Trump Matters

The following letter casts light on why Donald Trump and his message have caught on with average Americans across the nation.

His message resonates with them while those we call mainstream politicians of both parties don’t.

This was sent to me by my good friend John Bonsignor yesterday. It is just too good not to be shared. If you have seen it before, read again. If not, read to the end and think about it.

900 teachers just got laid off from the Los Angeles Unified School District. They are $650,000 over their annual budget. The following letter from an English teacher helps to explain one area that looms large over California’s educational crisis.

It is sad what is happening to our great country all because our politicians are afraid they will miss out on a vote. What a travesty!

THIS ENGLISH TEACHER HAS PHRASED IT THE BEST I’VE SEEN YET.

THIS SHOULD MAKE EVERYONE THINK, BE YOU DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN OR INDEPENDENT.

FROM A CALIFORNIA SCHOOL TEACHER – – –

“As you listen to the news about the student protests over illegal immigration, there are some things that you should be aware of:

I am in charge of the English-as-a-second-language department at a large Southern California high school which is designated a Title 1 school, meaning that its students average lower socioeconomic and income levels.

Most of the schools you are hearing about, South Gate High, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park , etc., where these students are protesting, are also Title 1 schools.

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Donald Trump – Fun for a While

Donald Trump finally took the plunge.

“The Donald”, as former wife Ivana dubbed him, is officially a presidential candidate.

His candidacy is a first in American politics – a super-rich populist who, virtually all on his own, will “Make America Great Again.”
And it should be fun while it lasts.

During his rambling, nearly 47 minute campaign announcement, Donald Trump told us he wasn’t bragging because he didn’t have to brag. Then, he went on to make 257 self-references.

”I’m really rich.”

“I’m proud of my net worth. I’ve done an amazing job.”

“I have the best golf courses in the world.”

“I have the greatest assets.”

“I beat China all the time, all the time.”

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A Little Fun With Presidential Politics

I remember when presidential politics started at the beginning of the year of the presidential election.

Those were the good old days.

Now, of course, the next election cycle begins the day after votes are counted for the last election.

As a result, we are already looking at a Republican field of possible candidates that includes the names Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Ted Cruz, Chris Christie and Lindsey Graham.

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