Florida: Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board Can’t Endorse ANY GOP Candidate

This is unusual. And frankly, refreshing.

The editorial board of the Sun-Sentinel in Florida has chosen to not endorse any Republican candidate ahead of the March 15th primary.

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board is not going to make an endorsement in Florida’s March 15 Republican presidential primary because the kind of person who should be running is not in the race.

We cannot endorse businessman Donald Trump, hometown Sen. Marco Rubio or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz because they are unqualified to be president. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the best of the bunch, but if you measure a candidate by the caliber of his campaign, Kasich’s lack of traction and organization make a vote for him count for little.

[snip]

If he could survive the primary, Kasich would prove a strong candidate in November. Recent polls show he averages a 7.4 lead over Hillary Clinton, which is larger than the leads posted by Rubio, Cruz or Trump.

But while Kasich is the most qualified of the four candidates left standing, he lacks presidential presence. And he doesn’t have a chance of winning because the Republican base is in rebellion and he got out of the gate too late to build a viable campaign organization.

Perhaps in a more-rational election year, the Sun Sentinel would endorse John Kasich. But we can’t urge you to vote for someone who doesn’t have a chance of winning the nomination.

It’s notable that the Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board did enthusiastically endorse former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic primary based on her experience, resume and steadiness.

(tipped by TRR reader Tony)

Marco Rubio Wins Big In Puerto Rico’s Republican Primary

As I understand it, Puerto Rico’s rules allow anyone getting over 50% of the vote takes all 23 delegates.

This marks the second win for Rubio in this presidential primary season.

Donald Trump Dismisses Reporter With Same-Sex Marriage Question: “Sit Down!”

As he did after Super Tuesday, Republican front-runner Donald Trump held a press conference of sorts after the Super Saturday contests where he pontificated on beating his rivals, predicting Sen. Marco Rubio getting out of the race and more.

One moment that stood out for me was when he was asked to clarify his position on same-sex marriage by a reporter from the Daily Mail. Trump has gone from saying the ruling is the law of the land to admitting he would pick SCOTUS  nominees that would vote to overturn the Obergefell ruling.

After hearing the question, not only did Trump not offer an answer, he dismissed the reporter telling him to “sit down.”

From the Advocate:

After Trump’s wins on Saturday in Kentucky and Louisiana, he held a news conference in Florida and took questions from reporters even though “the press is among the most dishonest people created by God.”

David Martosko of the Daily Mail asked Trump to clarify his position on same-sex marriage.

“We have policy on it, and I’ve said it very, very strongly, and I think you know it,” Trump shot back at Martosko. “And it’s all done and, you know, how many times do I have to say it?”

Trump has never supported marriage equality, calling himself a believer in “traditional” marriage.

Trump has said it’s impossible for Congress to overturn the law, and, most recently, he told Fox News that he would work to reverse the Obergefell ruling by selecting conservative nominees to the Supreme Court. That comment, made in January, was the first time he’d backed any path toward repealing marriage equality.

But Trump insisted he’d given an answer about same-sex marriage before. “I’ve said it 150 times,” he told the reporter. “We’re not here for discussing that. But everybody knows how I feel on it.”

Martosko tried to explain that Trump hadn’t clarified whether he wants to overturn the ruling because he disagrees with its premise that discrimination against same-sex couples who want to get married is a violation of the Constitution.

“David, sit down please,” he repeated while moving onto another question. “David, David, sit down, you know my position.”

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan Dead At 94

From NBC News:

Former first lady Nancy Reagan has died, according to a spokeswoman with the Reagan Library. She was 94.

The cause of death was congestive heart failure, according to her rep Joanne Drake. “Mrs. Reagan will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, next to her husband, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who died on June 5, 2004,” Drake wrote in a statement.

“Prior to the funeral service, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects at the Library.”

“It is a very sad day,” former Ronald Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein told NBC News.

In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Reagan asked that contributions be made to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation at www.reaganlibrary.com, Drake said.

A former B-movie star, she married Ronald Reagan in 1952 and went on to become famous as a First Lady who was extremely loyal and protective of her husband.

While beloved by the conservative community, when I think of the Reagans I remember the tens of thousands who died during the early years of the AIDS epidemic, and the Reagans did little to nothing to stop it. It wasn’t until May 1987 that President Reagan finally addressed the issue of AIDS – after over 20,000 Americans had died from the disease.

Results Of Super Saturday On The Campaign Trail

All in all, Super Saturday didn’t change the momentum of the current presidential primary season.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton came up short in the Nebraska and Kansas caucuses to Sen. Bernie Sanders but won big in the lone primary of the night in Louisiana.

Donald Trump won two states (Louisiana and Kentucky), while Sen. Ted Cruz also won two contests (Maine and Kansas).

Big loser of the night had to be Sen. Marco Rubio who still only has one win this entire primary season. He’ll really need to win his home state of Florida (where he’s trailing in double-digits) on March 15th to look viable.

Louis C.K. On Donald Trump: “It Was Funny For A While But The Guy Is Hitler”

Louis C.K.

Comedy superstar Louis C.K. has penned a devastatingly honest email to his fans regarding the current election cycle.

I won’t preface it except to say it’s spot on. He doesn’t advocate for any one candidate, but he does implore folks to actually think about who they are voting for.

Please stop it with voting for Trump. It was funny for a little while. But the guy is Hitler. And by that I mean that we are being Germany in the 30s. Do you think they saw the shit coming? Hitler was just some hilarious and refreshing dude with a weird comb over who would say anything at all.

And I’m not advocating for Hillary or Bernie. I like them both but frankly I wish the next president was a conservative only because we had Obama for eight years and we need balance. And not because I particularly enjoy the conservative agenda. I just think the government should reflect the people. And we are about 40 percent conservative and 40 percent liberal. When I was growing up and when I was a younger man, liberals and conservatives were friends with differences. They weren’t enemies. And it always made sense that everyone gets a president they like for a while and then hates the president for a while. But it only works if the conservatives put up a good candidate. A good smart conservative to face the liberal candidate so they can have a good argument and the country can decide which way to go this time.

Trump is not that. He’s an insane bigot. He is dangerous.

He already said he would expand libel laws to sue anyone who “writes a negative hit piece” about him. He says “I would open up the libel laws so we can sue them and win lots of money. Not like now. These guys are totally protected.” He said that. He has promised to decimate the first amendment. (If you think he’s going to keep the second amendment intact you’re delusional.) And he said that Paul Ryan, speaker of the house will “pay” for criticizing him. So I’m saying this now because if he gets in there we won’t be able to criticize him anymore.

Please pick someone else. Like John Kasich. I mean that guy seems okay. I don’t like any of them myself but if you’re that kind of voter please go for a guy like that. It feels like between him and either democrat we’d have a decent choice. It feels like a healthier choice. We shouldn’t have to vote for someone because they’re not a shocking cunt billionaire liar.

We should choose based on what direction the country should go.

I get that all these people sound like bullshit soft criminal opportunists. The whole game feels rigged and it’s not going anywhere but down anymore. I feel that way sometimes.

And that voting for Trump is a way of saying “fuck it. Fuck them all”. I really get it. It’s a version of national Suicide. Or it’s like a big hit off of a crack pipe. Somehow we can’t help it. Or we know that if we vote for Trump our phones will be a reliable source of dopamine for the next four years. I mean I can’t wait to read about Trump every day. It’s a rush. But you have to know this is not healthy.

If you are a true conservative. Don’t vote for Trump. He is not one of you. He is one of him. Everything you have heard him say that you liked, if you look hard enough you will see that he one day said the exact opposite. He is playing you.

In fact, if you do vote for Trump, at least look at him very carefully first. You owe that to the rest of us. Know and understand who he is. Spend one hour on google and just read it all. I don’t mean listen to me or listen to liberals who put him down. Listen to your own people. Listen to John Mccain. Go look at what he just said about Trump. “At a time when our world has never been more complex or more in danger… I want Republican voters to pay close attention to what our party’s most respected and knowledgeable leaders and national security experts are saying about Mr. Trump, and to think long and hard about who they want to be our next Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world.”

When Trump was told what he said, Trump said “Oh, he did? Well, that’s not nice,” he told CBS News’ chief White House correspondent Major Garrett. “He has to be very careful.”

When pressed on why, Trump tacked on: “He’ll find out.”

(I cut and pasted that from CBS news)

Do you really want a guy to be president who threatens John McCain? Because John McCain cautiously and intelligently asked for people to be thoughtful before voting for him? He didn’t even insult Trump. He just asked you to take a good look. And Trump told him to look out.

Remember that Trump entered this race by saying that McCain is not a war hero. A guy who was shot down, body broken and kept in a POW camp for years. Trump said “I prefer the guys who don’t get caught.” Why did he say that? Not because he meant it or because it was important to say. He said it because he’s a bully and every bully knows that when you enter a new school yard, you go to the toughest most respected guy on the yard and you punch him in the nose. If you are still standing after, you’re the new boss. If Trump is president, he’s not going to change. He’s not going to do anything for you. He’s going to do everything for himself and leave you in the dust.

So please listen to fellow conservatives. But more importantly, listen to Trump. Listen to all of it. Everything he says. If you liked when he said that “torture works” then go look at where he took it back the next day. He’s a fucking liar.

A vote for Trump is so clearly a gut-vote, and again I get it. But add a little brain to it and look the guy up. Because if you vote for him because of how you feel right now, the minute he’s president, you’re going to regret it. You’re going to regret it even more when he gives the job to his son. Because American democracy is broken enough that a guy like that could really fuck things up. That’s how Hitler got there. He was voted into power by a fatigued nation and when he got inside, he did all his Hitler things and no one could stop him.

Again, I’m not saying vote democrat or vote for anyone else. If Hilary ends up president it should be because she faced the best person you have and you and I both chose her or him or whoever. Trump is not your best. He’s the worst of all of us. He’s a symptom to a problem that is very real. But don’t vote for your own cancer. You’re better than that.

That’s just my view. At least right now. I know I’m not qualified or particularly educated and I’m not right instead of you. I’m an idiot and I’m sure a bunch of you are very annoyed by this. Fucking celebrity with an opinion. I swear this isn’t really a political opinion. You don’t want to know my political opinions. (And I know that I’m only bringing myself trouble with this shit.) Trump has nothing to do with politics or ideology. He has to do with himself. And really I don’t mean to insult anyone. Except Trump. I mean to insult him very much. And really I’m not saying he’s evil or a monster. In fact I don’t think Hitler was. The problem with saying that guys like that are monsters is that we don’t see them coming when they turn out to be human, which they all are. Everyone is. Trump is a messed up guy with a hole in his heart that he tries to fill with money and attention. He can never ever have enough of either and he’ll never stop trying. He’s sick. Which makes him really really interesting. And he pulls you towards him which somehow feels good or fascinatingly bad. He’s not a monster. He’s a sad man. But all this makes him horribly dangerous if he becomes president. Give him another TV show. Let him pay to put his name on buildings. But please stop voting for him.

And please watch Horace and Pete.

Donald Trump Asks Supporters To “Raise Their Right Hand And Pledge” Their Support

At a rally in Florida on Saturday, Donald Trump asked his audience to raise their right hand and make “a pledge, a swearing” to support him.

This is looking very familiar to me. Let me think, let me think, “raise your hand and pledge support”…

Give me a second, it’ll come to me. Let’s see: divisive, racist, ego-maniac…

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));

Audience Pledges To Support Donald Trump
At a rally in Florida on Saturday, Donald Trump asked his audience to raise their right hand and make “a pledge, a swearing” to support him.
Posted by BuzzFeed Politics on Saturday, March 5, 2016