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2016 Republican Primary Tag

Is Donald Trump the Republican nominee? Not *technically,* but it is much, much more likely than a day ago. There is an ever so slight possibility that Trump could be denied 1237 delegates going into the convention. I hope Cruz fights on. [Update - not to be, Cruz suspends campaign.] Conservatives on Twitter wasted no time in assessing the implications of The Trumpublican Party: https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/727634645404270596 https://twitter.com/philipaklein/status/727634781278711808

Indiana votes today. The finally tallies could make or break Senator Cruz's 2016 White House aspirations. Prior to Hoosiers heading to the ballot box, Trump was ahead in the polls.

The Republican delegate situation:

Immediately after winning the primary, Trump tweeted:

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed the father of his rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) helped Lee Harvey Oswald kill President John F. Kennedy. "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being — you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous," he told Fox News. "What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that. That was reported, and nobody talks about it."

The video below is meaningful at so many levels. At one level, it's for me another Ted Cruz moment, similar to when he confronted with facts and logic Code Pink protesters. A Ted Cruz moment for me:
Cruz could have reacted many ways. He could have shouted down the people shouting him down. He could have insulted them. He could have had security push them away. But instead, he engaged. That’s what was important to me. The confidence to engage rather than avoid. Standing face to face with hostile protesters was very Andrew Breitbart-like.
The video below is of Cruz "debating" a Trump supporter. Was this person a real supporter or, as Allahpundit puts it, a parody of a Trump supporter. The Trump supporter is rude and verbally abusive -- spewing the one-liners and insults he hears from Trump. Listen to the guy. Is there anything he or the crowd says that you couldn't image Trump saying himself and in the same manner?

This awkward little gem from Ted Cruz's Vice Presidential announcement is bouncing its merry way around the internet. It's like a train wreck -- you want to look away, but you can't:

Mike Pence's radio endorsement of Ted Cruz was watered down by praise also for Donald Trump. It was a weird endorsement -- he said all the right things about Cruz, but an endorsement is not the time for balance. Pence has an op-ed in The Indianapolis Star in which he repeats the endorsement, without the watering down:
... While I like and respect each of our candidates, I am voting for Ted Cruz on Tuesday. In making my decision to support Ted, I am guided by the principles best espoused by former President Ronald Reagan. I am a Reagan Republican; drawn to his vision of less taxes, less government, traditional values and a strong military. Ted articulates that same agenda with an unwavering devotion to our Constitution, the sanctity of life, and the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

The video below points out the dilemma of this political season. The anarchist, leftist and Reconquista street thugs who attack Trump supporters are a common enemy, and will just as easily turn on ANY Republican or conservative. Trump is just their excuse to riot du jour. It is completely consistent to be against Trump getting the nomination AND to defend the right of Trump supporters to peaceably assemble and express their views. It's the exception to the rule that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. KTVU reports:
Christopher Conway may have been the bravest man in Burlingame Friday morning. Dressed in suit and wearing a red baseball cap with the words "Make America Great Again", Conway walked through a large group of Donald Trump protesters outside the California GOP Convention. As you might image, the protesters weren't happy to see him.

Indiana has become contentious territory in the Republican primary elections. 57 delegates will go to Tuesday's Republican primary winner. No splitting here -- Indiana is a winner-take-all state. For Cruz to have a chance of keeping Trump from the necessary 1,237 delegates, he must win Indiana. Naturally, the airwaves are full of PAC ads questioning Trump's credentials, background, and pretty much everything else. Our Principles PAC released a new ad Friday and has devoted $2 million to their anti-Trump efforts in Indiana.

Anti-Trump protesters surrounded rally sites, waved Mexican flags, and ventured to prevent Trump supporters from seeing The Donald speak. The term "protesters" being used to describe these thuggish demonstrators is an inaccurate, weak description. They harassed and intimidated Trump's supports who were attempting to hear the candidate speak at two separate California events.

John Boehner appeared at Stanford University last night. The appearance is making news. It's revealing not just because of Boehner's vitriolic personal attack on Ted Cruz, but more important, the revelation that Boeher is friends with Donald Trump and they golf and text regularly. So tell me again how the GOP establishment supports Cruz and how Trump will shake them up and burn them down. The Stanford Daily reports, John Boehner talks election, time in office:
Much of the discussion – and laughs – focused on Boehner’s views on the current presidential candidates. Segueing into the topic, Kennedy asked Boehner to be frank given that the event was not being broadcasted, and the former Speaker responded in kind. When specifically asked his opinions on Ted Cruz, Boehner made a face, drawing laughter from the crowd.

If you're the guy (or gal) out there who keeps tempting fate by asking what could possibly make this GOP primary season worse, for the love of all that's holy, STAHP. I beg you. If you love George Washington you'll stop... Because the dumpster fire isn't burning bright enough, a federal judge scheduled the Trump University hearings for the first day of the GOP Convention. I can see it now...
"Where's Donald Trump? I thought he was supposed to speak at the convention tonight." "Oh him? Yeah, he's testifying to fraud allegations. Should be there soon though." "Cool." [Nervous laughter] ::looks up at bar TV:: ::sees breaking news coverage of Donald Trump driving a white Bronco, leading police in a high-speed chase:: "I'M STEALING BACK THE NOMINATION THAT WAS STOLEN FROM ME FIRST!11!!! It's MINE! MIIIINNNEE!!!!" Trump hollers from the window, hair piece blowing in the wind.

It's not exactly "breaking news" anymore. Ted Cruz is announcing that should he get the nomination, his running mate will be Carly Fiorina.

Ted Cruz has a major announcement at 4 p.m. today. We will turn a video feed live at that time. Reports are emerging that he will announce that Carly Fiorina will be his running mate:
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will announce on Wednesday afternoon that former presidential rival Carly Fiorina has agreed to be his running mate should he win the GOP presidential nomination. Sources confirmed to WMUR political director Josh McElveen and political reporter John DiStaso that Fiorina, who has been a supporter of Cruz for several weeks, will be the focus of the announcement that Cruz intends to make in Indiana Wednesday afternoon.... Should Cruz survive Indiana, California’s primary is key on June 7. Fiorina is viewed as a potential asset to Cruz in California, where she won a U.S. Senate primary in 2010 before losing to Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in the general election.

Last night was the night Mr. Donald J. Trump took a big step towards a first ballot win. As abhorrent at that result may be, there's no sense deluding ourselves. Trump still isn't there, however, and isn't yet on a trajectory to be there. But he's a lot closer as a result of small Republican electorates in northeast blue states which will vote Democrat in the general election. California will decide the fate of the Republican nomination process. Who could have predicted that? Perhaps recognizing what a Trump nomination means, RNC Chair Reince Priebus appealed last night for party unity. My response was to state the obvious, the Party is over. https://twitter.com/LegInsurrection/status/725161440257183744

Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvanie, Rhode Island, and Maryland vote today. All polls close at 8:00 PM EST. UPDATES (by WAJ): Issue is not whether Trump wins the 5 states, issue is whether he picks up more delegates than expected, which he will have to do to get on trajectory for first ballot win. https://twitter.com/ABC/status/725112239469006848