Sarah Palin and Donald Trump

[shebird]

What a pair. Her endorsement speech yesterday was just bonkers - words just fail me when it comes to Donald Trump.

Is this the best America has to offer?

Considering Hillary is being bankrolled by Wall Street and Sanders has accepted no donations from the same it's a remarkable result for Sanders. He has millions of ordinary Americans sending $20 or $30 to his campaign, and has raised about $30Bn this way. Clinton has about $150Bn to play with, and Wall Street will throw as much as they have to at the presidential race to keep Bernie out.

Trump is a busted flush, Cruz is ineligible and hated, so Rubio will probably get the nomination. Looks like another Democrat win then.

Why is Cruz ineligible? Also is Clinton literally funded by Wall Street or is that opinion?

The significant thing about that result is that Rubio did much better than expected, which puts him in a good position for future polls. It demonstrates that Trump and his politics are a whole lot less popular with the Republicans than they would like to think.

GOP stands for Grand Old Party *the Republican Party).

'Not a good start for Trump 2016 Claig...'

Not bad at all. Governor Branstad, the Governor of Iowa and the longest standing Governor in the history of the United States, who endorsed Trump, said all along that Trump would not win it and that Cruz would. The reason is that about 60% of voters in Iowa on the Republican side are evangelicals and Trump was a liberal (pro life and supported Obama on a lot of issues) in the past and Cruz and Rubio both have better Christian and ideological conservative backgrounds. Also Cruz had a better ground game while Trump had a better air game, but in Iowa it is all about the ground, where Iowans prefer to see their candidates face to face so that they can look them in the eye and determine which of the bunch are Establishment liars and stooges. Trump had huge rallies but didn't have the best ground game.

'That went well, didn't it.'

Very well indeed. Trumpites would have loved Trump to beat Cruz, but "the nasty guy, the very nasty guy" as Trump calls him beat him.

'What happened?'

Yhe 'nasty guy, the very nasty guy' won. Turnout was huge, Trumpites turned out in force, but the surprise was how much life the Establishment still had left in them. They cam up strong in a last minute spurt on the putside lane with the Establishment's last hope, Rubio.

But don't worry, it was expected, and means that Trump gets a few less delegates than Cruz, but Iowa is atypical of states across America. Now we move to New Hampshire where Trump is expected to thrash Cruz and the Establishment lane and then we move to South Carolina and on the way to Super Tuesday. Trumpites will now come out in even "yuger" (as Trump calls it) than before.

The elites breathed a sigh of relief tonight but it is false hope. Their panic is still there, they know they are up against Trump, their nemesis and the people's candidate.

'Trump is a busted flush, Cruz is ineligible and hated, so Rubio will probably get the nomination. Looks like another Democrat win then.'

This is an arse about face analysis. Trump holds all the cards, you are right that Crux is disliked by the Establishment and lots of voters won't like him either. Rubio has done well and the Establishment will have to put all their eggs in his basket against Trump. The Democrats won't win, they don't stand a chance. Did you not hear Trump's speech after the count?

"We love you Iowa. We're going to win the Reoublican nomination and beat Hillary, Bernie or whoever the hell they put up there"

That is the statement that sent fear into the hearts of the elite.

'Also is Clinton literally funded by Wall Street or is that opinion?'

Yes she is Wall Street backed, and she was last time, but so was Obama. It will be important whom the billionaire Soros backs. Last time he backed Obama over Hillary and in Hillary's leaked emails we learned that it was rumoured that he said he regrets that. Soros will probably back Hillary above Bernie, but I don't think we know yet. Also rumours are that Biden or even Kerry may have to enter the Democrat race in order to try and save the day against Trump. So it's still early days.

It's Trumo 2016!

'Why is Cruz ineligible?'

Cruz was born in Canada and to be President, the Constitution says that you have to be a "natural born citizen of the United States". Cruz is a citizen of the United States, but the legal argument is, is he a natural born citizen. Lots of people say he is, including legal experts, but Trump cites the liberal Harvard Law Professor who taught Cruz at Harvard Law School and who is probably America's top constitutional law expert, who says he isn't.

Trump says "Crus has got a problem, he's gott get it cleared up". Most commentators agree with Cruz, but the Supreme Court has never ruled on the issue on what "natural born" means as defined in the Constitution.

Cruz challenged Trump to a "mano a mano" debate and Trump said where does he want to hold it "in Canada?"

It's Trump 2016!

No one is yet mentioning it, but I think similar questions will probably come up about the Establishment's last hope, their last gasp, Rubio.

Is Rubio eligible, is he a "natural born citizen"?

He was born in the United States, but I think his parents at the time were not both US citizens.

It's Trump 2016!

Mike Huckabee has pulled out of the race. He is a great guy, very funny, always optimistic and always supports blue-collar working class voters. Trump is holding a rally in Little Rock, Arkansas in the next few days. Rumours are that Huckabee may endorse Trump.

Rumours that Trump may even choose Huckabee as Vice President. It would be a great choice as Huckabee has been in and around Washington for ages and strongly supports the working class. That would give Trump lots of experience about the ashington trough political shenanigans that the puppets get up to.

Is Rubio eligible, is he a "natural born citizen"?

He was born in the United States, but I think his parents at the time were not both US citizens

Which is of course totally irrelevant under US law.

It would be a terrible pity if birthers tried to derail a Rubio candidacy on grounds that are at odds with the Constitution and a century of Supreme Court judgements, rather than actually engaging on the issues.

Trump said repeatedly and very confidently that he would prove Obama wasn't eligible to act as President, and ended up with egg all over his face. It seems to be something of an obsession with him. When he and/or his supporters apply that tactic to Cruz and Rubio, you have to wonder whether they feel that's the only way he could bet them.

It is all about law. i don't know what the law is, but the society runs under law.

"Marco Rubio's lawyers are defending his eligibility to run for president in a quixotic legal challenge that alleges he isn't a natural-born citizen.

A Florida voter filed the suit, which claims that the senator isn't a true "natural-born citizen" under the Constitution because his parents were not both U.S. citizens at his birth in Miami.
...
So far, only Cruz has faced significant questions from those challenging his natural-born status. But the legal brief shows Rubio's lawyers trying to cut down the accusations at an early level.

thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/265891-rubio-lawyers-swat-down-birther-challenge

Apparently it has something to do with "birthright citizenship" which is part of the 14th Amendement.

Veritat, Trump is saying that Cruz has to get a definitive legal judgement on the matter because otherwise the Democrats will start a legal case to question it. Trump says he is bringing it up for Cruz's benefit.

Trump says he is bringing it up for Cruz's benefit.

How thoughtful of him!

Anyone born in the US is a citizen, regardless of the citizenship of their parents. That's the constitution, and upheld by the Supreme Court on numerous occasions. The anti-constitution attempts to question Rubio's eligibility have nasty racist overtones, as did Trump's (and others') about Obama.

'Trump says he is bringing it up for Cruz's benefit.

How thoughtful of him!'

Absolutely. I have not seen a more thoughtful candidate amongst the ones on offer.

'Anyone born in the US is a citizen'

Yes, but the legal question is are they a "natural born citizen" as defined in the Constitution. That has to be determined legally, probably in the end by the Supreme Court if a case is taken out by someone of standing.

Trump says about Cruz that some court cases have been dismissed due to the people bringing the cases not having "standing". Trump says he might take one out himself because he has "standing" just to help Cruz out and clear the whole thing up.

It's been dealt with by the Supreme Court a number of times. Those trying to make it an election issue are only using it as a particularly unpleasant dead cat tactic, pure and simple, hoping people will intuitively question his citizenship because he isn't white.

Trump says he is bringing it up for Cruz's benefit.

Of course he is. He could of course have taken the sensible line of saying it was nothing to do with him, the courts would sort it out if it needed to be. Some might say that would be the statesmanlike thing to do. But no, Trump wanted to "benefit" Cruz. We believe him, thousands wouldn't.

And it's fascinating that Trump didn't display his altruistic concern about "helping" Cruz till Cruz became a credible threat to him.

'It's been dealt with by the Supreme Court a number of times'

I am not sure it has, not in terms of becoming President. Lots of people didn't know that Cruz was a Canadian citizen up to some months ago, including Cruz according to him. It came as a surprise to many voters. I think more surprises could possibly come up.

'He could of course have taken the sensible line of saying it was nothing to do with him, the courts would sort it out if it needed to be.'

He has said that. All he wants Cruz to do is to get clarification on it legally becuase it would be an utter farce (and a total gift to the Establishment and elites) if it turned out that Cruz was the nominee and that it was then challenged by the Democrats and they were found to be in the right and that Cruz was not eligible. All Trump is saying is that it should be legally ruled on before anything like that might happen.

' Trump didn't display his altruistic concern about "helping" Cruz till Cruz became a credible threat to him'

Absolutely, Trump said that Cruz now has a 4 or 5% chance of winning and therefore it should now be cleared up.

No one has yet said anything about Rubio but from what has happened with Cruz, it wouldn't be a surprise if that comes up at some point.

"Trump says he has no questions about Rubio's eligibility to be president"

edition.cnn.com/2016/01/17/politics/donald-trump-marco-rubio-ted-cruz-nikki-haley-jeb-bush/

There's plenty of precedent around citizenship.

His detractors are trying to draw attention to to Rubio's race and parentage to turn voters off him because of where his parents were born.

Nb: I'm not a Rubio supporter, but I think this is a fairly disgusting tactic.

Given the huge hype around Trump, it was a major loss for him. And not a great night for Clinton.

I'm not a Rubio supporter, but I think this is a fairly disgusting tactic.

Same here. And as a longtime Florida voter, I have had the opportunity to vote against him, and if he is the Republican nominee, I'll have that opportunity again. But it is settled law that people born in the US are US citizens. Very settled law.

Wow. If Cruz didn't know he was a Canadian citizen until a few months ago that would imply he does not have a passport and would never have left the USA. Not a particularly good sign in a potential world leader, one who's never seen the world.

"Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday said that he initially didn't know he was Canadian citizen because he didn't think it was important to consult an immigration lawyer to find out.

"That's something I'd never talked to an immigration lawyer [about] because, frankly, it didn't matter," Cruz, R-Texas, told KTRK reporter Tom Abrahams at a Houston airport today. "I was a citizen by birth and was focused on doing my job."

abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/ted-cruz-always-thought-canadian-birth-didnt-matter/

This is from an extremely clever man, a US National Debate Champion, and someone who studied at Harvard Law School.

'it is settled law that people born in the US are US citizens'

Yes, but are they "natural born citizens" which means that they are eligible to run for President. There is a court case about this now as far as I understand it.

What you have to ask is what is going on with the media and particularly with Establishment Fox News? Why was it such a surprise about Cruz and why is no one mentioning Rubio now and will they do so later or is it not an issue and if so why is there a court case about it?

What is going on? Why did the mdia not tell people that Cruz was a Canadian citizen etc?

'Given the huge hype around Trump, it was a major loss for him'

It wasn't. That is how the media is playing it, but the Governor of Iowa, who endorsed Trump, said beforehand that Trump would not win and Cruz would and that is due to the high evangelical voter contingent in Iowa.

If Trump loses New Hampshire in a week's time, that will be a amajor loss for him.

'Not a particularly good sign in a potential world leader, one who's never seen the world.'

Cruz won't win. Most of the Republican Establishment dislike him and he won't appeal to any voters outside of ideological conservatives.

Rubio is different because he is more moderate and the Establishment's favourite but even he won't appeal to the general public because he is too ideologically conservative. Only Trump out of the leading three candidates will have cross-party appeal.

Eh, the Iowa figures confirm the high floor/low ceiling theory for Trump.

New Hampshire will be interesting, particularly to see where supporters of those who lucked out in Iowa go. I'm unconvinced by the Trump numbers.