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Bob Dole Backs Trump Over “Catastrophic” Cruz (Update – Trent Lott too!)

Bob Dole Backs Trump Over “Catastrophic” Cruz (Update – Trent Lott too!)

Is Republican establishment willing to stop Cruz at any cost?

http://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/im-a-dole-man-1996/

Bob Dole, who has endorsed Jeb Bush, has weighed in on the budding Ted Cruz v. Donald Trump contest in the early GOP primaries, and backed Trump in the strongest terms.  According to the New York Times, Dole warned of “cataclysmic,” and “wholesale losses” if Cruz is nominated.

Dole’s logic is viewing the Trump/Cruz contest explicitly in terms of what is better for the Republican Party establishment:

“I question his allegiance to the party,” Mr. Dole said of Mr. Cruz. “I don’t know how often you’ve heard him say the word ‘Republican’ — not very often.” Instead, Mr. Cruz uses the word “conservative,” Mr. Dole said, before offering up a different word for Mr. Cruz: “extremist.” . . .

The remarks by Mr. Dole reflect wider unease with Mr. Cruz among members of the Republican establishment, but few leading members of the party have been as candid and cutting.

Dole added that Cruz has falsely “convinced the Iowa voters that he’s kind of a mainstream conservative.”

Dole has a longstanding hate of Cruz:

Dole is still squarely a party man, and his attacks on Cruz is consistent with the Republican establishment’s well-established dislike for Cruz.  Indeed, Dole didn’t endorse Trump, but rather said he was the lesser of two evils if the choice is between Trump and Cruz.  Dole’s preferences are right down the party line:

He described Mr. Bush as well qualified to be president, but he also described Senator Marco Rubio and Gov. Chris Christie warmly. Mr. Bush, he said, “doesn’t scream and yell in the debates, so I guess that’s a minus, but he’s a decent, honest guy who’s had experience, and he’s dealt with a legislature.”

But Dole’s warnings about Cruz may not have the impact he is looking for.  Primary voters deride insufficiently independent, conservatives candidates as RINOs and GOPe.  To the extent Dole is saying Cruz is outside the establishment and genuinely conservative, that may well work to Cruz’s favor.

Twitter certainly does not take Dole’s warning against Cruz seriously:

As Erick Erickson pointed out, Dole actually has a long history of predicting conservative candidates cannot win:

Former Senator Bob Dole opposed Ronald Reagan in 1980. Dole feared Reagan would cause substantial losses for the GOP. In fact, Dole was so terrified of what Reagan would do to the GOP that in March of 1980, as Reagan was on course to secure the GOP’s nomination, Dole publicly and privately urged former President Gerald Ford to get into the race to stop Reagan. This Bob Dole, the Dole who lost the 1996 election to Bill Clinton, thinks Donald Trump is way more viable as a candidate than Ted Cruz.

With Sarah Palin and Bob Dole both endorsing Trump in the last two days, he is certainly racking up endorsements from failed past candidates.

UPDATE (by WAJ): Trent Lott too!

https://twitter.com/instapundit/status/689992727509991426

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Comments

Well.

Now T-rump can add the coveted Bob Dole endorsement to that of…

Senator McConnell.

I guess it’s over for Cruz.

(snerk)

    I see you have now turned on Sarah Palin… some conservative you are. (it’s snark, not snerk)

    I still support the supporters of Cruz & Trump and remain a dedicated supporter of Sarah Palin.

    But, there are more Trump supporters than Cruz supporters and I suspect that ratio to increase to the Trump side.

    BTW, who else are you declaring not a conservative? Rush Limbaugh? Mark Levin? If Reagan were alive and endorsed Trump, he too would, no doubt, becomes an instant non-conservative.

    Imagine living under President Trump… for eight years and tell us your predictions of how that will play out.

    Estragon in reply to Ragspierre. | January 20, 2016 at 9:55 pm

    Could be a feint. By putting the imprimatur of “The Establishment” on Trump, they give Cruz the edge in the head-to-head fight. Trump won’t lose more than 2-3 early primaries before quitting in a fit. Then we gang up on Cruz and nominate – anyone else. Makes sense.

    JackRussellTerrierist in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 5:09 am

    Dole? Lott? LMAO! 🙂 Who’s Trump’s next big name supporter from the ranks of the unemployed, never conservative going to be? Charlie Crist?

      MaggotAtBroadAndWall in reply to JackRussellTerrierist. | January 21, 2016 at 11:07 am

      Dole and Lott both sold their souls. They have been highly paid lobbyists in the past (maybe they still are, I don’t know). Influence peddlers. Shills.

      They represent corporate clients who would like them to use whatever influence they have with the elected Ruling Class to rig the system in their client’s favor. I don’t know if Dole did any favors for Trump in Trump’s casino ventures, but I do know for a fact that Dole has had gambling interests as clients in his corrupt influence peddling business in the past.

    Estragon in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 7:10 am

    Love the indignation of the Cruzniks. He spends his whole tenure sh!tting on everyone in the Party except Mike Lee, and they expect warmth and support?

    Old saying: “Be careful how you treat those you meet on your way up, for you’re sure to meet them again on your way down.”

    Of course, bright folks would not buy the act of a career establishment bureaucrat who reinvented himself as outsider.

      scfanjl in reply to Estragon. | January 21, 2016 at 12:42 pm

      As a Cruz fan, I do not expect it. BUT, I held my nose for Dole back in the day and he is saying he can’t reciprocate. It isn’t the endorsement of Trump that is the issue; the issue is what he said about Cruz. He can endorse whomever he wants. But really? Catastrophic? WTH

      inspectorudy in reply to Estragon. | January 21, 2016 at 12:47 pm

      “Everyone in the party”? Oh you mean all of the RINOs like McConnell, McCain, Cornyn, Alexander, et al? Cruz went to the Senate and founf out it was a crony country club. He tried to work with them and got told to tow the “Club” line or he would get no plum assignments. And you call that bad? What was Trump doing during that same period? Why he was contributing $50,000 to McConnell’s campaign against a TEA party conservative in Kentucky. He was contributing to Planned Parenthood, and was talking amnesty for all the illegals that are here. If you are going to make s*it up then you are going to have to eat it when it comes flying back at in your face!

mumzieistired | January 20, 2016 at 7:07 pm

The kiss of death?

    Geezzz. These guys I once voted for. My ears are red.

      Milhouse in reply to Rick. | January 20, 2016 at 8:01 pm

      If you voted for Dole your ears should be red. He hasn’t changed in the past 20 years. He was then exactly what he is now. I voted for Harry Browne, even though the scandals had already started coming out, because I had no preference at all between Clinton and Dole, and I’d rather have an honest crook like Browne than either of them.

As the article stated Dole’s dislike for Cruz is personal because he thinks Cruz has dissed Dole personally.

Dole likes Bush then Christie and Rubio. Trump is his second to last choice.

Cruz has said Sarah Palin knows how to pick winners. This time around her pick is Trump.

    Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 20, 2016 at 7:46 pm

    “Sarah Palin knows how to pick winners.”

    Not this time, and not lots of times past.

    #SuckTrump

      It is Cruz that says Palin k ows how to pick winners. Cruz says he wouldn’t be in senate but for Palin and Cruz says she is wonderful conservative.

        Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 20, 2016 at 8:50 pm

        Her conduct in associating with a Progressive Establishment sell-out deal-making crony capitalist proves she isn’t what she was.

        She HAD BEEN a conservative, back when she would have spit on Duh Donald, and said so.

        http://therightscoop.com/trump-now-bashes-cruz-for-what-sarah-palin-wanted-in-2011-to-end-ethanol-subsidies/

        #SuckTrump

          Better check with your boy Cruz cauze he says TODAY tha Palin is wonderful. Didn’t you get the memo.

          Ragspierre in reply to Ragspierre. | January 20, 2016 at 9:10 pm

          That’s because he’s a very nice man, and not a nasty paranoid narcissist like Duh Donald, who makes Richard Nixon seem well-adjusted and self-assured.

          Radegunda in reply to Ragspierre. | January 20, 2016 at 11:13 pm

          Gary Britt: Trump will turn on a dime from saying you’re “terrific” to saying you’re “terrible” depending on whether he thinks you’re standing in the way of his ambition.

          Hillary Clinton hadn’t changed when Trump shifted her from “terrific” to “terrible.” It was only Trump’s agenda that had changed.

          Likewise with his nasty attacks on Carson, and his nasty attacks on Cruz. His attacks are unprovoked and personal — and designed to beat up any obstacle to his power-quest.

          Neither Carson nor Cruz has responded to Trump with similar vitriol — because both are far better human beings than Donald Trump.

          Radegunda is one of our resident DEMOCRATS who likes to beat up on Trump because Trump is hardest candidate for Hillary or Bernie to beat and the democrats know it.

          Romney was a wonderful human being. But he wasn’t competent and isn’t President.

          The country doesn’t want nice. The country WANTS COMPETENCE and LEADERSHIP.

          Trump has it in spades !!!!!!!!!

          Cruz has the not nice part down. Just not the competence and experience.

          The country wants NATIONALISM/NATIONAL PRIDE POPULIST COMPETENT LEADERSHIP.

          NOT the most ideological pure unlikable bookworm conservative.

          Ragspierre in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 5:52 pm

          The country wants NATIONALISM/NATIONAL PRIDE POPULIST COMPETENT LEADERSHIP.

          Well, when you combine that with the Collectivism of T-rump you understand why Bierhall Britt is all in for Duh Donald.

          Except for the “COMPETENT LEADERSHIP” part, where Duh Donald has never displayed any such thing.

        inspectorudy in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 12:54 pm

        He isn’t saying any such thing. He said that he likes Palin and that without her help he would not be in the Senate. He isn’t saying she is a conservative or that she is NOW picking winners. If you have to go to some obscure quote from Cruz about Palin try doing the same with Trump! You will be a busy boy! He has made so many wild and liberal quotes and anti Republican ones that it will fill a novel.

      murkyv in reply to Ragspierre. | January 20, 2016 at 8:51 pm

      Around 70% of Palins endorsed candidates have won.

      JackRussellTerrierist in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 5:25 am

      Yeah, like Coulter’s, Palin’s batting average on picking winners is right at .000.

      #dumptrump

    I think you misspelled whiner.

    Sanddog in reply to Gary Britt. | January 20, 2016 at 8:29 pm

    If she knows how to pick winners, she never would have run with McCain.

      Again it is CRUZ that says Palin knows how to pick winners. So if you have a problem with that go talk to your boy CRUZ.

        Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 20, 2016 at 8:47 pm

        In his case, it was proven wonderfully TRUE.

        But that was years ago, and she’s lost her mojo. Badly lost it.

        Sanddog in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 1:30 am

        My boy Cruz?

        Honey, if Bob Dole and Trent Lott are backing Trump, they must think it will be a continuation of business as usual. You might want to rethink your support. Unless you think cronyism and screwing the voters is desirable.

          Do try and keep your facts straight.

          1. Dole backs Bush. Then Christie and Rubio. Those are the Dole choices.

          2. Trent Lott is the same as Dole backing any of the establishment candidates over both Trump or Cruz.

          I see reports out of Davos t o day from the big meeting of globalist muckity mucks that Cruz is a big topic of discussion. All the USA representatives former Clinton appointees to republican Eric Cantor talking about how Cruz would be terrible for USA and world economy and world stability.

          Apparently all the world representatives can’t get enough talk of Cruz either. Sharing same concerns that all their countries and the world need USA to keep pulling the world aling and fearing Cruz is candidate mist likely to do stupid things and upset current world relationships.

          What do these people understand about Cruz and his lack of experience that the Cruzbots don’t understand?

          Hmmmmmmm…..

          Ragspierre in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 10:30 am

          T-rump adds Cantor to the roster!

          Wow. How CAN Cruz go on with the great weight of Establishment pukes supporting Duh Donald…????

          (snerk)

          Did I say Cruz? Oops. My bad.

          It wasn’t Cruz the people at Davos were talking about. It wasn’t Cruz that all these globalist muckity mucks were worried about for not being a principled free trader dedicated to continuing the sell out of USA to prop up rest of world.

          Sorry. My mistake. I meant to type TRUMP.

          It is Trump they are talking about and worrying about. It is Trump that all the attendees, former clinton appointees and republican establishment people like Eric Cantor, are complaining of and answering questions about to the other globalists at Davos. Cruz isn’t at all talked or worried about because they understand he is a globalist free trader open borders increase the h1b VISAS kind of guy JUST LIKE ALL OF THEM establishment globalists.

          So what is it you said about all this.. Oh yeah…

          Rags says this is:

          “MORE evidence of the Establishment fearing the TRUMP [Cruz]…!!! That COULD NOT be better news!”

          What else was it that Rags said about this:

          “You really need to figure which side of your mouth you’re going to talk out of” “You’re just pwning yourself as a CRUZ [T-rump] butt boi.”

          So according to Rags this is MORE EVIDENCE THE ESTABLISHMENT FEARS THE TRUMP !!

          Rags as for your talking out of both sides of your mouth and out of your ass willing to say anything and make up any lie and just being an all around homophobic imbecilic child in all your posts……

          HERE ENDETH YOUR FINAL LESSON.

          LMFAO at the fool Ragsy

          Ragspierre in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 11:59 am

          Meh. The overarching lesson is that you are a liar.

          But we get ‘treated’ to that lesson every day. You’re just a lying SOS butt boi for your Progressive man-crush, as you’ve just again demonstrated.

          LOL keep telling youself that Ragsy. Maybe someday you will believe it.

          Just keep repeating the affirmation “no I’m not a lying fool for all to see on LI”

          Ragspierre in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 2:36 pm

          Who told a lie and admitted it was a lie told to troll a reasonable response?

          That would be you.

          Totally in character, totally consistent with what you do every stinking day.

          Excellent exemplar of your Progressive Collectivist man-crush.

          #SuckTrump

          The lie is you Cruzboi lying SOS.

          I presented a set of facts, and you presented your analysis and conclusions based upon that set of facts.

          Your analysis of those facts was that they WERE good for party A and bad for party B. Then you were informed party A was NOT Cruz but Trump and party B was NOT Trump but Cruz. That didn’t change the facts or the analysis.

          At least not unless you are prepared to admit that what you say and think is NOT DEPENDENT ON THE FACTS BUT INSTEAD DEPENDENT ON WHAT LIE YOU CAN TELL TO BENEFIT CRUZ.

          Is that what you are trying to say CruzBoi, your analysis and thinking doesn’t flow from the facts, but just bullshit you blow out of your ass and you can blow it in any direction whatever will be positive from Cruz. Is that what you are trying to say that you are a lying SOS that makes stuff up based upon whatever is the best lie for Cruz !!!

          LOL. You have been exposed,

          Ragspierre in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 3:44 pm

          “I presented a set of facts, and you presented your analysis and conclusions based upon that set of facts.

          Your analysis of those facts was that they WERE good for party A and bad for party B.”

          No, that’s just another series of lies.

          First, you told a deliberate…and admitted…lie in an obvious trolling effort.

          Second, all I said was…

          “MORE evidence of the Establishment fearing the Cruz…!!! That COULD NOT be better news!”

          I said nothing about any T-rump implications.

          You cannot tell the truth, loving and making lies.

          Great T-rump Collectivist sucker.

          And anyone who knows their ass from a hole in your face knows that T-rump is a lying economics moron, who SHOULD be feared by everyone who isn’t a billionaire.

      Palin didn’t pick McCain. McCain picked Palin. Now McCain and his staffers attack Palin (his staffers always attacked Palin even in 2008 which was a huge part of why McCain lost)

      So all the Cruzbots here today are in bed with old McAnus in criticizing Palin. That tells us that Trump is the anti-establishment candidate because you don’t get more establishment RINO than McCain.

damn…

with that endorsement, i have to seriously voting for Cruz…

not that it will matter here in #Failifornia

And this is why in 1996 I honestly had no preference between Dole and Clinton. And even in hindsight I feel the same way.

I said at the time that I had two reasons I couldn’t support Dole: ADA and ADM.

I wrote in Howard Phillips in 1996 rather than pull the lever for the designated loser Dole.

    Rick in reply to windbag. | January 20, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    Seems like we all were equally effective with our 1996 votes.

      JackRussellTerrierist in reply to Rick. | January 21, 2016 at 5:49 am

      In a roundabout way, it sort of worked out for the better that Bubba beat Dole. At that time, we had Bubba signing ‘pub legislation left and right, welfare reform, budget cuts, etc.. The frosting on the cake, though, which leads me to my point, is the impeachment, exposure of Bubba’s and Hillary’s (especially Hillary’s) financial corruptions ad the bimbo eruptions, which came in Bubba’s second term, and all of which lends itself to the credibility of current investigations of and behaviors by the Clintons. The groundwork for the weakness of Hillary’s present candidacy, was laid then – probably inadvertently because the ‘pubs are too dumb to think that far ahead.

The Republican establishment is willing to go whole-hog in order to defeat Cruz, because they know that a Cruz Presidency will truly be an end to a lot of the executive largess that the establishment GOPe have come to covet. A Trump presidency would tolerate, if not condone, a lot of that executive largess, because that is the way of BIG business (it simply IS: I’ve BEEN there and DONE that). One of my former tax professors put it very well: the individuals have to maintain the ‘trappings of wealth’ in order to appear successful to their colleagues/peers and clients.

The GOPe would rather be a minority party with the perks, than actually govern like grownups. That was the whole reason that the Congress was lost in 2006 and with it the Presidency in 2008, leading to the debacle that we currently face. The only redeeming quality of that was that it finally pissed off the base sufficiently for the TEA-Partiers to form into a (reasonably) coherent group and started electing candidates.

Trump is a Crony-Capitalist. PERIOD. Anybody who tells you differently is selling you a cart-full of horse manure. His principles change with the direction of the wind on what is in his (or his organizations) best interest. When it comes to the Presidency, what CHOICE would Trump make: what is in his OWN interest, or what is in the NATIONS interest (because you can be assured that at SOME point, those two interests WILL be in conflict).

I have quite a bit more reasonable security that Cruz will not face a choice as that, partially because his assets are less but, largely because his mind (as all lawyers minds are) is based on RULES. Some can be bent, others can be broken, but the STRUCTURE itself is a framework inside of which all other decisions are made.

The GOPe knows that within Cruz’s mental framework, they have no place and no power, and they cannot tolerate so much as the thought of that outcome, thus they seek to destroy Cruz as the agent of their doom.

    Nice comment.
    I had the good fortune of working with Ted Cruz on a client matter a few years ago. His mind and abilities are much better than those of most lawyers. It pains me to see him dissed by others for being a lawyer.

    Wow. What an amazing load of total bullcrap. Lawyers minds are based on rules. You don’t know any lawyers minds. Lawyers m8nds vary as much and as wildly as the population from which they come.

    Lawyers follow rules. Like forgetting they were born in Canada and following the financial disclosure rules for over a million dollars in loans. Or forgetting they are for H1b visas before they were against H1b visas. Or promising to build a wall when they have no intention of building wall.

    The only rule Cruz’s mind follows is where can he slither around to get elected. Cruz doesn’t even consistently follow the rules for conservative original intent interpretation of the constitution.

    Want to know about Trump from the Past. Here is Trump on Oprah 25 years ago talking then about how our lousy trade deals are ripping the country off. How we protect mega rich countries in middle east and get nothing for it to cover our costs. Consistent and steady, then and now.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=MOKi5YeNtRI

      Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 20, 2016 at 9:03 pm

      http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/01/trump-i-love-obama-cant-stand-the-tea-party-sarah-palin-doesnt-mind.php

      Wanna know what T-rump was like?

      STILL is like, but he’s a fraud and he’s lying?

      READ THE QUOTES.

        Sarah Palin says your powerline losers that backed ROMNEY are full of crap. I’ll go with Palin and ignore your losers that supported ROMNEY.

          JackRussellTerrierist in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 6:38 am

          The go, Gary. Go off into that happy Trump camp in the sky where faith-based stupidity is rewarded with the companionship of hail fools well met.

          You’re just repeating the same mantra over and over that really boils down to what you WANT to believe, unsupported by evidence as it is. You cannot name three things Trump has ever DONE to advance the conservative position on any given subject of import anymore than the ‘rats can name three things Hillary has ever accomplished, except get rich and get people killed. His record is one of advancing strictly himself, fraud, lies, and lending a new, fuller, broader meaning to ‘flip-flop.’

          Jack, your entire argument comes from the false assumption (and you know how assumptions make ass out of some people) that this election is properly about who is the most conservative. IT ISN’T.

          As I have noted for months and as Peggy Noonan has noted in the past couple weeks this election is NOT ABOUT IDEOLOGICAL PURITY.

          Cruz is the most conservative. Cruz is way more pure conservative than Trump. See I freely say it. The problem for you is that IT DOESN’T MATTER !!!

          This is not a conservative versus liberal election. This is a NATIONALISM POPULIST election. No less than Rush Limbaugh has noted this fact.

          The electorate has determined they want a strong leader with competence and experience at leadership who is going to make America first in all he does. They want a leader who will build the wall, deport illegals, enforce our laws, make great trade deals, EXPAND our trade markets just not ship our jobs overseas.

          Trump has all these things in spades. Cruz not so much. Cruz has the holy roller end times vote and those who are stuck in the 90s and early 2000s thinking conservative is the be all end all of presidential politics.

          So I’m not going anywhere because you and those cruzbots like you need a reality injection from time to time.

        Ragspierre in reply to Ragspierre. | January 20, 2016 at 9:15 pm

        Gaghdad Bob, nobody cares about your sucking.

        Palin backed Romney.

        But read the T-rump quotes.

        #SuckTrump

        You still don’t get it. The only Trump quotes that matter are:

        Build wall

        Deport illegals

        Enforce our laws

        Bring jobs back

        Great trade deals

        Make America Great Again

          Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 20, 2016 at 9:24 pm

          That’s just big talk.

          We can all see what he’s DONE, first chance he got.

          He sold out to crony capitalists in Iowa.

          He’s Mr. Establishment, just as I’ve always said, and now everyone can see.

          I told you, but your cultish religion won’t let you see anything but your delusions.

          Radegunda in reply to Gary Britt. | January 20, 2016 at 11:25 pm

          You certainly put a lot of faith in political rhetoric — but only what it comes from Trump. Everyone else has to demonstrate promises kept — or rather, everyone has to have been 100% satisfactory on every issue.

          Trumpbots always say they’re motivated by anger at politicians not keeping their promises — so they go with the guy who has no record of keeping political promises but does have a record of changing his positions dramatically, and giving lots of support to people the Trumpbots don’t like.

          No wonder that rational people “don’t get it.”

          JackRussellTerrierist in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 6:19 am

          Gary, those are just platitudes and slogans and words from a man who has NEVER DONE ONE THING to indicate he even believes himself. In fact, his record is much to the contrary and completely egocentric and selfish. He sues, cheats, defrauds and flamboozeles people who want to believe things can get better with him at the helm because he’s not part of the ‘machine.’ But he IS part of the machine. He’s the worst part of the machine.

          Good gawd, man, come to your senses….if you have any. If not and you remain such a staunch believer in this bullying oaf of a charlatan, perhaps you might also like to sign up for the $35,000 Trump University (no accreditation whatsoever) Real Estate school on how to make millions in real estate. The ‘school’ is under investigation for this, but nobody ever talks about it. I guess they’re afraid of yet another Trump lawsuit against ‘a little guy’ or a car accident.

          Nope, all of you are wrong. People can tell Trump means what he says and is the kind of guy who will do what he promises to do. Trump doesn’t make threats he makes promises.

          Cruz recently says don’t compare talk compare records. So let’s do just that shall we:

          CRUZ:

          1. Can’t get along with people he works with and has never passed a single bill in Congress.

          2. 17 of 20 years of work experience being a government bureaucrat with almost no executive leadership experience. And what little executive experience he has is not above the mom and pop grocery store level with 3 to 5 employees.

          3. Is a hypocrite when it comes to his signature issue of strict original intent construction and interpretation of the constitution because he urges a liberal living breathing activist judge method of interpreting the meaning of “natural born citizen” in order to maintain he is actually eligible to run for POTUS.

          4. Has never built a business, met a payroll, or risked his family’s net worth on anything ever.

          5. First term Senator of little experience and NOT QUALIFIED yet to be president.

          TRUMP:

          1. Took a business with negative net worth in 1992 and built it into a 10 Billion global brand with no debt today. Employing 10s of thousands of employees.

          2. 40 years of significant executive leadership experience.

          3. Has NEVER been a government bureaucrat.

          4. Relates to and is admired by the common man. Understands how USA and USA workers get ripped off in trade deals and relationships with other countries.

          5. Very likable and works well with others. Strongest possible love for the USA and wants the USA to WIN in all it does.

          6. The most qualified presidential candidate since Reagan.

          Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 6:25 pm

          Aside from all the lying bullshit about BOTH Cruz and T-rump, we have THIS as EVIDENCE of reality…

          T-rump sold out the first chance he got to the Establishment.

          Exactly as I said he would.

        I read the quotes, and it’s funny, I saw nothing about him not being able to stand the Tea Party. How did that get into the headline? Ah, the mysteries of life during an election cycle.

          Ragspierre in reply to JBourque. | January 21, 2016 at 8:42 am

          KING: You’re not going to march with the tea party?

          TRUMP: I don’t march with the tea party. But I’ll tell you what, they have a good point, because when you see the kind of money that this country is — to use a horrible expression, Larry, I know you’ve never heard this — but that this country is pissing away, I can understand where they’re coming from.

          When Trump referred to the country wasting money, what was he talking about? I don’t know, but not the massive bank bailouts of 2008 and 2009. He thought those were terrific:

          Trump went on to defend the TARP bailouts: “If they didn’t stuff the banks with money, we’d be in depression number two right now, Larry. I mean, we would be strongly in depression number two. So they did the right thing in putting money into the banks.”

      Sanddog in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 1:41 am

      Gary, you just don’t get it. Trump can spout whatever popular soundbites can get him elected today but if you think there is going to be any serious change, you’re just flat out delusional. Trump will, as he has done his entire life, do whatever is best for Trump. There will be no wall. There will be no huge tariffs on imported goods. Tariffs on China won’t end currency manipulation and no House member who has to run for reelection every two years is going to vote for anything that raises the price of consumer goods. That’s just not going to happen.

        You are wrong. They said the same thing about Reagan not being able to do what he promised. They were wrong then and are wrong now.

          Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 7:32 pm

          Except Reagan had a Conservative core, and was a truth-teller.

          Neither of which describes T-rump, as you’ve admitted several times.

          He’s a NATIONAL SOCIALIST…er…nationalist populist, according to you. According to me, he’s just a lying, deal-making New York City Progressive.

      Mr. Britt: Perhaps you should read through my blog http://www.fleeingfromutopia.blogspot.com and my profile there before you cast aspersions that I don’t know lawyer’s minds.

      I’m in the same profession you are (although my clientele is somewhat different, as I am a trial practice attorney). That being the case and given some of YOUR particular practice areas of Tax Law, Stark Law and Pension / 401(k), I would think YOU of all people would understand the particular workings of logic from x to y to z, which is itself nothing more than a rules-based system.

        Ragspierre in reply to Chuck Skinner. | January 22, 2016 at 10:18 am

        Good GAWD man, who do you think you are…???

        He’s a DUEL PROFESSIONAL (as he’s reminded us multiple times, doncha know).

        Which is WAY less impressive when you look at anything he says touching the law, and that he doesn’t seem to grasp “average” or “percentage” at all well.

    Lets ask the million dollar question here. What kind of SCOTUS would either appoint. That should set back most
    conservatives on Trump. Imagine a deal with the Dems
    over which Justice to appoint by Trump.

    This is not a worst case scenario, there will be justices
    up this next election that is crucial to our country.

    Cruz will not falter.

    JackRussellTerrierist in reply to Chuck Skinner. | January 21, 2016 at 5:54 am

    Agreed.

    Trump is Charlie Crist with a Duck’s Ass haircut from the 50s and less spray-on tan.

    MaggotAtBroadAndWall in reply to Chuck Skinner. | January 21, 2016 at 11:47 am

    Chuck nailed it.

    The way I see it, Democrats can’t lose with a Trump presidency. That’s because despite having the largest House majority in almost a century, establishment Republicans decided they preferred caucusing with Democrats than with conservatives. Boehner stopped using the so-called Hastert Rule (which meant that as a Republican Speaker he’d only advance bills that had the support of a majority of Republicans). Ryan effectively gave Nancy Pelosi the Speakers gavel and allowed her to push through the Omnibus bill. 95 Republicans voted against it. Only 18 Democrats voted against it. That’s what you get with a “Republican” speaker.

    Democrats can’t lose. They get their policies if either Trump or Hillary get elected, and they get their policies on steroids if Bernie gets elected. It does not matter what the partisan electoral makeup of Congress is because corrupt establishment Republicans prefer working with Democrats than with conservatives. As far as I can tell, Cruz is the only one willing to try to stop the business as usual corruption. That will disrupt the lives of a lot of sleazy people in Washington. That’s why they hate him.

    inspectorudy in reply to Chuck Skinner. | January 21, 2016 at 1:00 pm

    The establishment KNOWS that they can DEAL with Trump but they know from experience that Cruz will not fold or deal with them. In the next few weeks we will see the establishment come out for Trump. The latest is Karl Rove who is now talking about how the RNC can work with him. This is so obvious to most of us but the carny Trump has still snookered some of the rubes into believing that the devil is really an angel.

I’m surprised this article was even published.

Meh.

    One year from today, Obama is an ex-president.
    That’s my happy thought for today.

    Daiwa in reply to Daiwa. | January 20, 2016 at 8:54 pm

    By that, I meant who gives a flying rat what Bob Dole thinks? Why in the world would his opinion influence [i]anyone[/i].

      Well, I agree with you, Daiwa. What we are seeing is flailing of arms and gnashing of teeth and a lot of spittle contests.

      No one is saying it but… Sarah picked the stronger of two champions and history will judge her kingmaker prowess once again.

        Ragspierre in reply to VotingFemale. | January 20, 2016 at 9:40 pm

        Didn’t she run with McAnus and back Romney?

        As a king-maker, she’s right up there with Ann Coulter…

        inspectorudy in reply to VotingFemale. | January 21, 2016 at 1:02 pm

        No, she jumped the shark! She may have picked the leader at this moment in time but as the past positions and deeds of Trump began to surface all will see that she made a yuuuuge mistake!

      Estragon in reply to Daiwa. | January 21, 2016 at 1:02 am

      Why would yours? Yet here you are.

      Dole at least risked life and limb to secure your freedom, you could show respect by keeping quiet instead of marking yourself as a worthless punk.

        MikeInCA in reply to Estragon. | January 21, 2016 at 5:41 am

        yeah, because only people who served can criticize politicians. You always say the dumbest things.

        Daiwa in reply to Estragon. | January 21, 2016 at 8:20 am

        Fair enough criticism, had I offered one on Trump or Cruz. And FWIW, I served. I just don’t think Bob Dole’s opinion is particularly newsworthy.

NC Mountain Girl | January 20, 2016 at 9:32 pm

The GOP establishment suspects that that Trump’s self image is so wrapped around his being able to make deals that he will compromise whatever core principles he actually has time and again to get to “Yes”. Cue up Meet the new boss, same as the old boss because Trump supporters are likely to e be fooled once again by a candidate’s promises.

    It’s hard to discern what could be the basis for Trump fans’ fervent belief that he would be more unwaveringly principled and reliable than anyone else, when the actual facts show someone who will turn on a dime in order to promote himself.

    And Trump fans are equally inconsistent. They’ll praise Trump as a “negotiator” who just throws things out to get the process going — and simultaneously insist that he’ll do everything he says (or rather, he’ll do the things they agree with).

    The mind of a Trump fan is a mystery to anyone who expects some consistency and attention to facts.

      Sammy Finkelman in reply to Radegunda. | January 21, 2016 at 12:38 am

      It’s hard to discern what could be the basis for Trump fans’ fervent belief that he would be more unwaveringly principled and reliable than anyone else, when the actual facts show someone who will turn on a dime in order to promote himself.

      It’s easy.

      They don’t know anything that Trump said about public issues before about June, 2015; don’t want to believe anything contradictory that people t(or the media) tell them; and think some of what Trump said is so out of the political mainstream that only a person who sincerely meant them would say it. Nobody else does.

    This kind of attack is made by people whose understanding of making a deal is limited to having two people take equal turns at slicing a salami. That is the kind of deal making we’ve had since Reagan. That isn’t Trump’s method of deal making. Trump understands leverage. How to get it and how to use it.

    So other than being a completely baseless worry that only someone like Cruz with zero leadership and deal making experience could make, it is very persuasive.

      Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 6:38 pm

      Like when he sucked the big one with the Plaza Hotel in New York City?

      Paying for a “fancy” and losing tens of millions, while putting people who trusted him in the grease.

      You’re an amazing cult fanatic sucker.

Henry Hawkins | January 20, 2016 at 9:50 pm

Bob Dole? Yikes, lol. We in NC remember Elizabeth Dole a little better, one of our worst senators ever, a total phone-it-in GOP establishment entitled elitist who did nothing for ‘her’ state.

In ’96 I wasn’t so much against Dole as having been little reason to support him. Most of the better GOP candidates did not run because few saw any pathway to defeating incumbent Clinton.

    Henry Hawkins in reply to Henry Hawkins. | January 20, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    “having been *given* little reason to support him.” (He was a pale and bland low energy campaigner, in retrospect, much like ’16 Jeb!)

Lucien Cordier | January 20, 2016 at 10:49 pm

…Mr. Dole said, before offering up a different word for Mr. Cruz: “extremist.”

Isn’t it nice when Republicans adopt the language of lying leftists to attack conservative Republicans? Dole, burn in hell with Pelosi, Reid, and Wasserman Schultz.

This must be confusing to the Trumpbots. They’ve been insisting that anyone who doesn’t support Trump is necessarily a RINO Establishment sell-out. And now, Mr. Milquetoast Establishment Sr. says their hero is maybe not so bad!

But Trumpbots will surely find a way to explain it away — as they explain away (rather than explain rationally) anything unpleasant or untrustworthy about Trump. They refuse to hold Trump to the same standards they apply to everyone else — or to any standard at all, really.

Ted Cruz is the GOP establishment candidate…
he takes money from Goldman Sach’s. That should tell ppl all they need to know that he is a political puppet just like Hillary is the DNC establishment puppet/candidate. The DNC definitely favors hillary over Bernie because to the DNC she will let the mooch off the taxpayer money on their lil lefty projects. the GOP establishment definitely favors Ted Cruz, but it would seem the people actually favor Trump. which has to irk them to no end.

why? because they know these candidates like hillary/Cruz can be controlled/used by the elite to keep that spigot of sweet sweet taxpayer money funding their projects.

….their afraid of Trump and Bernie…

anyhow if the GOP wants to win, I’d go with Trump he will destroy hillary on the issues and the women card won’t work/it’ll backfire in her face badly. If only hillary can be manuevered into the nomination… as she is the weakest dem canidate. man on man… most dems hate hillary. and it will demoralize them to the point of not voting, if she is the dem candidate.

Wanna know the reason why most people don’t like Ted Cruz? he reminds most ppl of Romney. (who also was considered the most conservative canidate at the time… and lost to obama because he sort just let 0bama walk all over him and didn’t confront him on the issue’s like 0bamacare)

The GOP of course has no problem with all the Dems hopping party lines to back Trump.

The Democrat in this race is Trump.

    Radegunda in reply to Andy. | January 21, 2016 at 12:32 am

    Indeed. Trump thought Obama had a deep grasp of economic issues; that the team he brought in was terrific; that the “stimulus” that’s ended up doubling the national debt while not helping the economy was the right policy; etc.

    Trump fans can’t explain how someone they trust to “make America great again” could have been so wrong, when millions of Americans could see the terrible reality of Obama and his aims back in 2008.

    Trump says he favors ethanol subsidies — because he thinks that will get him votes in Iowa. Cruz opposes ethanol subsidies while the Iowas caucuses are approaching — because he knows it’s a bad policy for the country as a whole.

    And yet the Trumpbots imagine that Trump is the pure, selfless, “can’t be bought” hero. It’s beyond weird.

    People didn’t mind it when Reagan attracted these Reagan democrats to the GOP either. The establishment also attacked Reagan back in the day just like they attack Trump today.

    Trump = Reagan; Reagan = Trump

Sammy Finkelman | January 21, 2016 at 12:29 am

And Iowa’s Governor Terry Branstad (the longest serving governor…in U.S. history * ) did the same thing – he made a dis-endorsement of Ted Cruz.

http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-governor-urges-caucus-goers-no-cruz-cites-213133436.html

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/19/politics/terry-branstad-ted-cruz-defeat/

* Governor 1982-1998 (4 terms) and again since the 2010 election. This breaks the record held by George Clinton of New York, Governor 1777-1795 and again 1801-1804.

It could be they think Donald Trump is faking it, but Ted Cruz is sincere, or anyway would run on a far right platform. Or maybe they think the all-important thing is for Cruz noot to become the main challenger to Trump. ‘

Probably these theories are not really right.

    Branstad no doubt wants to keep the ethanol subsidies pouring in from the rest of the country’s taxpayers. Trump obviously thinks that’s a winning strategy — i.e. buying Iowa votes from other people’s pockets.

      Sanddog in reply to Radegunda. | January 21, 2016 at 1:43 am

      It’s all about the ethanol… a subsidy based on a really bad idea that needs to die a quick and final death.

        Sammy Finkelman in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 10:10 am

        The question is, how do they get everybody in Iowa to back this? Or at least regard this as a pro-Iowa thing. To how many people in Iowa is this really important? I wonder this about some other things that are supposed to be of value to some state, also.

        Ethanol is something that was lobbied for back in the 1970s – when we were supposed to be running out of energy.

        It was supposed to be a method of stretching fuel supplies – and also producing less carbon monoxide. Now they seem to be interested in lower emissions of carbon dioxide, something which is a futile as bailing out the ocean with a teaspoon.

        Of course, even of you believed in thae value of ethanol, you could import ethanol, make it out of sugar cane etc.

        It was used at one time in Brazil and in the Phillipines.

        Sanddog in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 1:21 pm

        Trump is now pandering to Iowa by declaring that the Fed needs to increase the percentage of ethanol in gasoline. The fed set the amount of ethanol that must be blended with gasoline by the gallon instead of by percentages. We’re already at 10% which is the limit that can be used by all gasoline engines without harm. Does Trump even understand the high cost that will be borne by consumers if the levels are jacked up even higher to satisfy corn growers?

        davod in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 6:56 pm

        Cruz said he prefers to have the subsidy die slowly (As per current legislation) to allow time for the farmers to find other uses for the ethanol. What a terrible ogre.

        Ragspierre in reply to Sanddog. | January 21, 2016 at 7:38 pm

        Which shows he has very sound economic understanding and cares about people.

        When you distort a market the way the whole ethanol thing has, you induce people to rely on those distortions.

        It’s only good sense to remove the distortions in a way that causes the least turbulence in the related area and economy.

Trump and Cruz are both terrific.

May they run together.

If Dole and Lott are for Trump, that cinches it for me . I will NEVER vote Trump. I think it illustrates that Trump has assured them it will be business as usual, same old, same old after he is elected. Dole says Cruz isn’t for “the party”. These old goats don’t realize it is really about THE COUNTRY at this point. Who cares about the party? Does Trump? Ha! if it is his success or the Republican Party, guess what goes in the commode?

    Except neither Dole or Lott endorse or support Trump. They both endorse and support Bush then rubio christie and kasich. They in fact support all 9 other candidates over Trump. Trump is their second to last choice out of all GOP candidates.

JackRussellTerrierist | January 21, 2016 at 6:49 am

It seems like a no-brainer to note that endorsements from Dole and Lott are more like the kiss of death for somebody trying to play outsider.

Lots of the former senators don’t have real jobs. They’re K St. lobbyists. Trump had no soul to sell but he has a power position to peddle. I’d say these endorsements confirm he met the lobbyists’ prices, which has always been his M.O..

As I said, a lifelong NYC ‘rat doesn’t change his sports at 69, wake up one morning and declare he’s running on the other party because he’s had a change of heart and suddenly gives a shit.

Trump be’s gettin’ high on Ethanol now….and God and the devil only know what else.

America does NOT need yet another word-weaseling lawyer, Junior Senator (not even one full term) of dubious citizenship, dubious eligibility, divided loyalties, who has never run a business and/or served in the military for our President.

Word weaseling like Clinton and Obama

Junior Senator like Obama

Dubious citizenship and eligibility like Obama

Divided loyalties like Obama
(Obama = Islam, globalism, communism)
(Cruz = Cuba, globalism, communism?)

Cruz and Rubio have engaged in activism for Cuban exiles and Cuban citizens ‘immigrating wit benefits’ to US (in reality living part time in Cuba/US) on taxpayer dime, thus helping Castro’s failed socialist state.
[Revealing that a relative of Castro gave the Spanish version of the GOP answer to Obama’s SOTU address, that said a far different thing in Spanish than Haley said in English]
———
Michael Savage: Ted Cruz is a Weasel
Published on June 12, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/embed/TEF4HV27VLk

“Is Republican establishment willing to stop Cruz at any cost? “The ethanol buck wants to stop at Tpump.

The Dole, Lott Backing of the Trump: The senile seize the day…and one day only.

~~~
The “extreme” Ted Cruz is exactly what we need in the WH. He will turn Washington on its head. The world weary and senile backers of Trump and Hillary do not want real change, they like the sound and fury of anger.

All of Trump’s bravado will come to naught. If Trump goes to Washington he will need insiders to show him the ropes. His learning curve and the subsequent unintended consequences of Captain Ahab directives will capsize the ship of state and tow us all under.

I see reports out of Davos t o day from the big meeting of globalist muckity mucks that Cruz is a big topic of discussion. All the USA representatives former Clinton appointees to republican Eric Cantor talking about how Cruz would be terrible for USA and world economy and world stability.

Apparently all the world representatives can’t get enough talk of Cruz either. Sharing same concerns that all their countries and the world need USA to keep pulling the world aling and fearing Cruz is candidate mist likely to do stupid things and upset current world relationships.

What do these people understand about Cruz and his lack of experience that the Cruzbots don’t understand?

Hmmmmmmm…..

    Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 10:23 am

    So…

    MORE evidence of the Establishment fearing the Cruz…!!! That COULD NOT be better news!

    You really need to figure which side of your mouth you’re going to talk out of, Gaghdad Bob! You’re just pwning yourself as a T-rump butt boi.

      Did I say Cruz? Oops. My bad.

      It wasn’t Cruz the people at Davos were talking about. It wasn’t Cruz that all these globalist muckity mucks were worried about for not being a principled free trader dedicated to continuing the sell out of USA to prop up rest of world.

      Sorry. My mistake. I meant to type TRUMP.

      It is Trump they are talking about and worrying about. It is Trump that all the attendees, former clinton appointees and republican establishment people like Eric Cantor, are complaining of and answering questions about to the other globalists at Davos. Cruz isn’t at all talked or worried about because they understand he is a globalist free trader open borders increase the h1b VISAS kind of guy JUST LIKE ALL OF THEM establishment globalists.

      So what is it you said about all this.. Oh yeah…

      Rags says this is:

      “MORE evidence of the Establishment fearing the TRUMP [Cruz]…!!! That COULD NOT be better news!”

      What else was it that Rags said about this:

      “You really need to figure which side of your mouth you’re going to talk out of” “You’re just pwning yourself as a CRUZ [T-rump] butt boi.”

      So according to Rags this is MORE EVIDENCE THE ESTABLISHMENT FEARS THE TRUMP !!

      Rags as for your talking out of both sides of your mouth and out of your ass willing to say anything and make up any lie and just being an all around homophobic imbecilic child in all your posts……

      HERE ENDETH YOUR FINAL LESSON.

      LMFAO at the fool Ragsy

        Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 11:13 am

        Interesting, Bierhall.

        You intentionally publish a lie with the purpose of trolling a response based on that lie.

        And you THEN do a lil’ Snoopy dance when your propaganda lie elicits a reasonable response.

        Excellent representative of the Progressive T=rump!

        Barfing my ass off.

        #SuckTrump

          LOL ! Keep digging and spinning Rags. You’ll hit china soon.

          You said Davos proves TRUMP is feared by the Establishment. Which of course he is.

          Not Cruz because is just another of the globalist open borders free trader establishment.

          Here ends the lie of the latest bullshit Cruz campaign talking point. Cruz is the real establishment globalist and Trump is hated by the Davos establishment.

          Your doing a great job for your boy Cruz today Rags. LMFAO.

          Ragspierre in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 11:37 am

          “Not Cruz because is just another of the globalist open borders free trader establishment.”

          More obvious…and desperate…lies from an admitted liar.

          Like I say, you are a great example of T-rump’s Progressive Collective.

          You say lots of things but now your talking out of your ass has been fully exposed for all to see.

          Thus is what you said:

          Rags says this is:

          “MORE evidence of the Establishment fearing the TRUMP [Cruz]…!!! That COULD NOT be better news!”

          What else was it that Rags said about this:

          “You really need to figure which side of your mouth you’re going to talk out of” “You’re just pwning yourself as a CRUZ [T-rump] butt boi.”

          So according to Rags this is MORE EVIDENCE THE ESTABLISHMENT FEARS THE TRUMP !!

          Rags as for your talking out of both sides of your mouth and out of your ass willing to say anything and make up any lie and just being an all around homophobic imbecilic child in all your posts……

          HERE ENDETH YOUR FINAL LESSON.

          LMFAO at the fool Ragsy

          Ragspierre in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 1:12 pm

          HERE ENDETH YOUR FINAL LESSON.

          You keep saying that. I do not think it means what you think it means.

          You’ve spent the morning lying, admitting your lies, and compounding your lies.

          I do believe I’ve been vindicated in my disgust for you, butt boi, and TOTALLY by your own demonstration.

          The lies are all yours trying to spin your way out of how you have been completely shown to just spew bullshit at of your ass.

          I presented a set of facts. Those facts were true. They are from story linked on Drudge this morning. If you were more well informed instead of just being an empty headed bullshit artist you would not have been fooled.

          Based upon the facts presented you provided your crack blathering analysis that the facts indicate something great for Party A and something bad for Party B.

          Then you were informed that Party A was NOT Cruz but Trump and Party B was not Trump but Cruz.

          Its called a scientific experiment to test a hypothesis. My hypothesis was that you are a 1000% predictable Cruzbot, not well informed as to current events, and who spews nothing but bullshit out of his ass all over LI. And that you wouldn’t be able to resist spinning how those true facts were great for Cruz and bad for Trump. Except it turned out the names were reversed.

          Does anybody with the slightest bit of integrity here think that if I had not reversed the names and presented the same facts that Rags would have presented an entirely different analysis of those very same facts. An analysis 180 degrees opposite complete with lots of name calling and talking about how I speak out of both sides of my mouth.

          What we have made clear here Rags is that you speak from both sides of your mouth through your ass and onto the pages at LI.

          Ragspierre in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 4:06 pm

          “My hypothesis was that you are a 1000% predictable Cruzbot…”

          Which, along with your inability to grasp the “hard” concept of “averages”…

          shows you are an idiot in at least TWO professions.

          1. law, and

          2. accounting.

          EXCELLENT demonstration!

          incoherent childish blathering does not an insult or argument make..

https://pjmedia.com/trending/2016/01/20/cruz-reports-raising-700k-after-iowas-branstad-called-for-his-defeat/

Huh.

It appears that there are a LOT of Americans who are disgusted with the T-rumpian Progressive sell-out to crony Establishment pukes in Iowa, and are putting their money behind principled Ted Cruz.

Heh…!!!

    I wonder how much of that came from the establishment open borders free trade globalist pukes in Davos. And will Cruz properly report it on his financial disclosures or will he get confused and have memory problems again.

      Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 11:42 am

      Continuing your slimy LEFTIST attacks on the guy who DIDN’T sell out to the Establishment first chance he got.

      But it is who your are, Collectivist.

      Pointing out that Cruz is the unfeared darling of the Davos open borders free trader anti american world elitec establishment is just factual observation.

      These globalist establishmentvtypes know Cruz is one of them. It is Trump they fear. It is Trump they know is NOT part of the globalist open borders free trader establishment.

      Rags says this is:

      “MORE evidence of the Establishment fearing the TRUMP [Cruz]…!!! That COULD NOT be better news!”

      What else was it that Rags said about this:

      “You really need to figure which side of your mouth you’re going to talk out of” “You’re just pwning yourself as a CRUZ [T-rump] butt boi.”

      So according to Rags this is MORE EVIDENCE THE ESTABLISHMENT FEARS THE TRUMP !!

      Rags as for your talking out of both sides of your mouth and out of your ass willing to say anything and make up any lie and just being an all around homophobic imbecilic child in all your posts……

      HERE ENDETH YOUR FINAL LESSON.

      LMFAO at the fool Ragsy

        Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 1:27 pm

        HERE ENDETH YOUR FINAL LESSON.

        You keep saying that. I do not think it means what you think it means.

        You’ve spent the morning lying, admitting your lies, and compounding your lies.

        I do believe I’ve been vindicated in my disgust for you, butt boi, and TOTALLY by your own demonstration.

          The lies are all yours trying to spin your way out of how you have been completely shown to just spew bullshit at of your ass.

          I presented a set of facts. Those facts were true. They are from story linked on Drudge this morning. If you were more well informed instead of just being an empty headed bullshit artist you would not have been fooled.

          Based upon the facts presented you provided your crack blathering analysis that the facts indicate something great for Party A and something bad for Party B.

          Then you were informed that Party A was NOT Cruz but Trump and Party B was not Trump but Cruz.

          Its called a scientific experiment to test a hypothesis. My hypothesis was that you are a 1000% predictable Cruzbot, not well informed as to current events, and who spews nothing but bullshit out of his ass all over LI. And that you wouldn’t be able to resist spinning how those true facts were great for Cruz and bad for Trump. Except it turned out the names were reversed.

          Does anybody with the slightest bit of integrity here think that if I had not reversed the names and presented the same facts that Rags would have presented an entirely different analysis of those very same facts. An analysis 180 degrees opposite complete with lots of name calling and talking about how I speak out of both sides of my mouth.

          What we have made clear here Rags is that you speak from both sides of your mouth through your ass and onto the pages at LI.

      Milhouse in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 2:51 pm

      The “establishment open borders free trade globalist pukes in Davos” are the Republican Party. Anyone who is against the Davos crowd has no more business in the GOP than Bernie Sanders would; you are a trespasser and a thief. For you to vote in a Republican primary is fraud. The tent is not big enough for you. You deserve no more consideration than a socialist or a klansman.

        Two points then:

        1. If Davos is the GOP and DAVOS hates Trump and is worried about TRUMP then that confirms TRUMP IS ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT.

        2. But Davos is not just GOP but includes more former Clinton appointees than any other politicos.

        Davos is the whole Democrat/Republican UNIPARTY that Trump opposes and will BLOW UP. That uniparty is plenty worried about Trump, but Cruz not at all because they know Cruz is one of them.

          Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 3:52 pm

          Well that’s completely delusional in light of the EVIDENCE from Iowa that Mr. Establishment is exactly who I’ve said he was.

          He’s also an economic idiot, and can be depended on to use BIG GOVERNMENT to screw with both the domestic and international market.

          Anone with a brain should be afraid of him.

T-rump is an economics idiot, and his stupid scares a lot of people.

“Donald Trump doesn’t understand trade. Even if China “dumps” goods on America, we don’t “get nothing” — we get the goods. As Trevor Woolley posted on my Facebook page, “The fact that the free market is based on consensual transaction means that no trade can decrease anyone’s wellbeing.”

Right. Since trade is voluntary, no trade happens unless both sides think they will gain. Trade may eliminate jobs in some industries, but it creates jobs elsewhere, more jobs, and creates wealth for the vast majority.

Helping some American companies by restricting foreign imports, as Donald Trump vows to do, sounds nice, but you can’t restrict goods available to American consumers without reducing competition. Protected from competition, companies get lazier, less productive. They innovate less. Prices rise.”
http://townhall.com/columnists/johnstossel/2016/01/20/economic-myths-n2106816

And, to listen to Duh Donald’s demagoguery, you’d think American manufacturing is all but dead. The opposite is true. It’s at an all-time high in out-put.

http://mercatus.org/publication/us-manufacturing-output-vs-jobs-1975
and
https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/OUTMS

Note that, while we produce MORE, we employ fewer people.
This is consistent with every other developed nation in the world, and it simply reflects the effect of capital, which buys force-multipliers to make each worker MORE productive.

So, T-rump isn’t just an economics idiot, he’s a lying, demagogic idiot.

    The entire cut and paste job argues agaibst a false premise. Trump intends to EXPAND trade not restrict trade. Something the incompetent moron crowd that has previously done our trade agreement negotiating doesn’t get because their skill set is limited to memorizing a few lines about free trade good from an economics text while not having the slightest clue about how the real world works and without the skill to negotiate tgeir way out of a wet paper bag.

      Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 1:53 pm

      “Trump intends to EXPAND trade not restrict trade.”

      This is an obvious lie, as Trump suckers have shown in their comments about trade. THEY, irrationally, HATE trade.

      The rest is just ad hominem bullshit. Per usual.

        Arguing from unstated unreferenced comments from some unspecified person is NOT an argument, not reasoning, not logic just you blather bullshit cause you can’t deal with the facts.

        When Trump forces open the markets in south korea, china, japan, etc. that will EXPAND trade because we will be selling MORE stuff to them and the trade balances will even out. That is MORE trade. EXPANDED trade. It will also be FAIR TRADE and SMART TRADE.

          Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 4:10 pm

          Because that worked SO well with Smoot-Hawley.

          Oh. Wait…

          That kind of delusional COLLECTIVIST bullshit is a BIG part of what made the Great Depression “great”.

A Tpump primer, part one, The Specter…

“If Donald Trump as president of the United States is the ghost that’s stalking Davos, many among the global elite hope he’ll be banished by spring. Others see that as wishful thinking.

“I think the nominees will be Donald Trump for the Republicans and Hillary Clinton” for the Democrats, Donald Baer, a former White House adviser under President Bill Clinton, said at a panel co-hosted by Bloomberg and WPP Plc. “The next year will be a very uncertain, chaotic period.””

Uncertainty is the greatest things Americans fear the most, including those Americans in denial: Sarah Palin, Bob Dole,…Grandma Hoseus….

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-21/trump-fear-stalks-davos-as-elite-pray-for-spring-reality-check

Ted Cruz is certainty in a world that wants government to be the agent of change and responsibility and not the individual.

    Your post confirms that the open borders free trade globalist elite establishment fear Trump because he isn’t one of them and do NOT fear Cruz because they understand Cruz is a globalist open borders establishment free trader just like all of them at Davos.

    As Rags said. It shows they fear Trump and that Trump is not part of the Davos globalist establishment.

    He said it could not be better news for Trump.

      Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 2:01 pm

      “Trump intends to EXPAND trade not restrict trade.”

      Again, lying and talking out of both sides of your lying, T-rump sucking mouth, Spunky.

      Obviously, IF your one lie was correct, it would contradict your OTHER apparent lie.

      The problem of pathological liars is that they can’t keep track of their lies, especially if they are basically stupid.

      Milhouse in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      open borders free trade globalist elite

      In other words, conservative. Protectionists belong in the Democratic party. You have shown that you are a protectionist, so get the **** out of our party and take your protectionist clown with you. You have no right to take over the GOP. It’s not yours.

        Saying I or Trump are protectionists are a symptom of your complete lack of understanding of what I and Trump are saying and your complete lack of skill set at negotiating. In other words your thinking is just like that as the morons who have negotiated all our trade deals for the last 35 years.

        Trump will EXPAND trade by forcing open the markets in South Korea, Japan, China, etc. to goods made in the USA.

          Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 4:12 pm

          “I or Trump…”…!?!?!?

          Is English your SECOND language or are you illiterate in more than one?

          I reject the use of “me” in such situations. I also refuse to put the ” mark outside the period unless the entire sentence is a quote.

          I’m an independent free spirit, and not someone like you that spews bullshit out of their ass all over LI.

      Thump, thump, thump, Thump-T-thump is stalking…

      What those in Davos want and (most sane people) is certainty, certainty, certainty.

      Fiscal and monetary policy certainty is absolutely NOT what Obama and his FED have provided and NOT what a Tpump would provide as he seeks to remakes the U.S. in his own image. One Obama is enough.

        And they are CERTAIN that Cruz is a globalist open borders free trader sell USA workers down the river establishment kind of guy JUST LIKE THEM.

          Free and fair trade scares you doesn’t it. Another specter on the horizon.

          Are you afraid USA workers can’t compete with the rest of the world? Maybe you should be.

          Trumpian Protectionism doesn’t solve your problem. Trump won’t solve your problems. Growing up will solve your problems and the problems of those who refuse to change or adapt to better themselves to compete in a world marketplace.

          And, you shouldn’t buy any electronic device, ever…so you won’t sell USA workers down the river.

          What are you talking about? All my posts say I’m for Free and Fair Trade. I complain about the morons what are for Free and unfair trade which is what we have had the last 35 years.

          Ragspierre in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 4:14 pm

          IOW, “I’m a liar AND I’ll try a straw man!”

2 weeks away. One more debate. We have a long range forecast of snow and sleet in Iowa on Feb 1 (37 high 22 low). Caucuses start at 7 pm local time.

The only post debate Iowa polls I have seen are Monmouth and Loras.

Monmouth

Trump 25% (last time 19%)
Cruz 27% (last time 25%)

Loras

Trump 26% (last time 23%)
Cruz 25% (last time 30%)

    Trump leads in Iowa in 4 of last 6 polls and in RCP average. And all these polls are before Palin endorsement and Brandstad move against Cruzz.

    Hence all the recent hysteria on the part of the cruzbots plus the two democrats Radegunda and Estragon pushing for Cruz the easiest republican for the democrats to beat.

      PhillyGuy in reply to Gary Britt. | January 21, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      What’s funny is someone downvoted basic facts. No opinion at all.

      Right now, Cruz would split Iowa, get hammered in NH SC and NV. Trump would win every single SEC state.and Florida. A quick estimate shows Trump would have about 800 of the 1236 delegates needed after the March 15th primaries end. That would bring us to the Big East primaries on April 19th and 26th.

      This is the snapshot as of this morning using current polling. Cruz absolutely HAS to win SC and Texas to have a chance at the nomination.

      I expect the debate right before the Iowa primary will be extremely nasty from all sides.

    PhillyGuy in reply to PhillyGuy. | January 21, 2016 at 4:29 pm

    New post-debate Emerson College Iowa poll (likely voter screen).

    Trump 33%
    Cruz 23%

    This is the very first poll that includes the Sarah Palin endorsement. The commentary suggests that the endorsement caused a major change in the polling. I could not find any priors.

    http://media.wix.com/ugd/3bebb2_542e7f5df4e14162851de1c77b0df5f4.pdf

http://rightwingnews.com/john-hawkins/the-chart-that-proves-donald-trump-cant-win-a-general-election/

This is, of course, ESPECIALLY true since T-rump is Mr. Establishment and his suckers rely on lies and liars to stay in the game.

From what I have seen in various blogs I check, most people who support Trump will support Cruz. Trump’s support is not coming from the Establishment. The support of Trump is a study in psychology. He has flip-flopped all over and although not in politics where his record could be questioned, he has publicly held some positions not acceptable to what I would term the conservative viewpoint. Nonetheless, he has made people believe that he does want to “make America great again.” His support seems to come from all different directions. I don’t believe in demagoguery, which I see happening with supporters of both candidates. An observation I have made is that the private Trump appears to be much more likable than the public Trump. The only candidate who could be worse than Obama is Hillary Clinton. Make that two: or Bernie Sanders.

Ad homemin lies by the admitted liar, Gaghdad Bob, T-rump sucker nonpareil.

BUT a testable hypothesis! Let’s see, Collectivist.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t feel he can appeal to people across the board,” [Orrin] Hatch said. “For us to win, we have to appeal the moderates and independents. We can’t just act like that only one point of view is the only way to go. That’s where Ted is going to have some trouble.”…

“An awful lot of us really didn’t like to be targeted as corrupt, establishment bought by the lobby establishment,” [Dan] Coats added. “It sure looks like someone was using it as a way to gain notoriety as the only true conservative in Washington.”…

“I think people are concerned,” [John] Cornyn told CNN. “Because obviously the top of the ticket will have a big bearing on whether we’ll hold a majority of the Senate. We don’t need any headwinds from the top of the ticket. We need some tailwinds.”…

“There’s no doubt he has harmed relationships among people,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee. “I would assume that all members would work with the elected president for the good of the country. But there is no doubt there would be strains in the working relationship.”

Then…

“Donald is publicly bragging about how all the big establishment players are getting behind him, and his criticism of me is he said I went to Washington and actually stood up and fought in Washington and Donald has said, well, the problem he has with me is that I won’t go along to get along in Washington,” the Texas senator said in an interview Wednesday night with Fox News’ Sean Hannity.

“He’ll go along to get along,” Cruz said. “I’ve got to tell you Sean, you know the conservatives across this country, I don’t think the problem with Washington is we haven’t had enough Republicans willing to cut deals with the Democrats.”…

“And the establishment seems to have made a determination Donald Trump’s a guy they can make a deal with who will continue the cronyism and corporate welfare and bailouts for big banks,” he added. “And I think that we’re seeing conservatives getting behind us, and we’re seeing the Washington establishment getting behind Donald Trump, interestingly enough.”

PLUS the EVIDENCE of Duh Donald selling out to the crony BIG CORN in Iowa for the cheap price of a few hoped-for caucus votes.

It doesn’t get any more clear than that.

    PhillyGuy in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 7:00 pm

    What’s clear is that Rafael’s campaign tactics are failing. He is getting hit from all sides. Tonight Krauthammer kneecapped Cruz. He said that the reason why no Senate colleage would support him is that he was unlikable.

    Rafael had to drop that silly NY values angle. Now he’s trying out a theme that Trump is part of the establishment. That’s an absurd attack and it won’t work either.

      Ragspierre in reply to PhillyGuy. | January 21, 2016 at 7:19 pm

      “Tonight Krauthammer kneecapped Cruz. He said that the reason why no Senate colleage would support him is that he was unlikable.”

      The AMAZINGLY stupid fallacy of a resort to authority, and one you would normally hate.

      Coupled with your attack on Cruz from the LEFT, which is where you T-rump suckers really find your center.

      McConnell really, really doesn’t like Cruz. Neither does McAnus. I can’t think of a higher compliment!

      But T-rump thinks the Clintons are “terrific”, and he REALLY likes them!

      The New York values thing isn’t spent, liar. I heard Cruz on Hannity use it to very good effect. Because it’s true. See, Trump sucker?

        PhillyGuy in reply to Ragspierre. | January 21, 2016 at 7:34 pm

        Pugs, it’s not borne out in the polls. That’s what counts. Not your silly pronouncements. This is an election, remember? The guy with the most votes in each primary state wins. If polling were so unimportant, why is Cruz paying for it? If Cruz loses Iowa his campaign is finished. Even a tie is very bad for Rafael.

        As far as Dole is concerned, he’s 91 years old. People should just leave him be. He says what he says. It’s not going affect anyone. I don’t put any importance on his comments at all.

          Ragspierre in reply to PhillyGuy. | January 21, 2016 at 7:44 pm

          “Pugs, it’s not borne out in the polls. That’s what counts. Not your silly pronouncements. This is an election, remember?”

          Why, yes. And you’re an idiot. The poll dancing you do doesn’t mean jack shit.

          PhillyGuy in reply to PhillyGuy. | January 21, 2016 at 8:02 pm

          ok whatever you say Pugs. I’m just laughing at you.

          Ragspierre in reply to PhillyGuy. | January 21, 2016 at 8:13 pm

          Colin Campbell

          @BKcolin

          Donald Trump calls Emerson College a “very important” university because they had poll of Iowa showing him ahead.

          He’s a genius.

http://twitchy.com/2016/01/21/ive-come-around-a-little-bit-orrin-hatch-thinks-gop-could-win-with-trump/

Another BIG endorsement for Duh Donald. From the eGOP, who know a deal-making Progressive thug when they see one!