RandySF
RandySF's JournalYou know what's so pathetic about Cruz dropping out?
He JUST spent money on those ridiculous Cruz/Fiorina '16 signs.
Holy crap! I never thought I would see the day
when the Republican party lost control to this degree. We are watching a real realignment of one the country's oldest parties.
I'm calling Indiana for Hillary n/t
I'm calling Indiana for Trump
As much as I loathe this guy, he's proven himself the alpha male of the Republican Party.
Josh Marshall: Caucuses Are Just Voter ID Laws on Steroids
You know that I've been saying over and over that to the extent that the Democratic nomination process is 'rigged', the rigging has been a huge advantage to Bernie Sanders. As I've noted, that's mainly because of caucuses. It drives me crazy, candidly, when Sanders claims on the stump that where voter turnout has been highest, he's done best. That's not remotely true. Indeed, where it's been lowest, he's done best. Almost entirely because of caucuses, which are really the most effective voter suppression method in politics today.
And now here's a good visualization of this fact.
Jeff Stein at Vox highlights this study prepared by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law which captures a lot of what's wrong with caucuses. Read the study itself because it goes into specific issues with complaints about disenfranchisement, complaints, reasons for the problems, etc. But the bare numbers tell the story clearly enough.
As you can see, with the single slight exception of Idaho, no primary state had a lower turnout than any caucus state. Most primary states were in the 30% or 30%+ ballpark, with two states (which Sanders actually won) around 50%. Most caucus states were under 10%.
If you care anything about voter participation or making sure people can vote even if they have a job or don't have a free evening to spend at the local YMCA or school gym, the case against caucuses is simply overwhelming.
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with organizing to bank a lot of delegates from caucuses. Those are the rules the system currently operates under. Barack Obama did just the same thing. So there's nothing or illegitimate about Sanders focusing on caucuses. But there's simply no argument for not reforming the system and ending caucuses as a replacement for actual elections.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/caucuses-are-just-voter-id-laws-on-steroids
Poll: Supreme Court blockade eroding support for Grassley
Democrats are preparing another round of attacks against Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, releasing new poll numbers that show the veteran Iowa senators favorability ratings are tumbling as he plays a key role in blocking Merrick Garlands nomination to the Supreme Court.
The new poll, commissioned by the White House-aligned Constitutional Responsibility Project and the League of Conservation Voters, shows that more Iowans still have a favorable view of Grassley than not, with 42 percent of voters having positive feelings towards the senator and 30 percent having negative perceptions of him.
But those figures, obtained by POLITICO in advance of their release, are a steep dive from the numbers Hart Research Associates which conducted Mondays poll found two years ago. Back then, 60 percent of voters gave Grassley a positive rating and 19 percent had a negative view.
The voters in Iowa are making their frustration with Senator Grassley's obstruction clearer than ever, said Amy Brundage, a spokeswoman for the Constitutional Responsibility Project. This recess and going forward, we will continue to focus on exposing his failure to fulfill his constitutional responsibility until he gives Chief Judge Garland a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/senate-grassley-poll-222696#ixzz47Yrf00OG
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Cruz Delegates Waver as Trump Gains Momentum
Down in the polls and with zero margin for error heading into Tuesdays crucial Indiana primary, Ted Cruz could be forgiven for seeing a silver lining in his apparent strength with unbound Republican delegates. Until Donald Trumps romp through the Northeast last Tuesday abruptly changed the subject, the political world was captivated and Trump supporters were infuriated by the Cruz campaigns successful effort to elect large blocs of friendly delegates at a series of state-party conventions.
But friendly delegates are as subject to shifts in the races momentum as anyone else, and Cruzs strength with some of these crucial first-ballot convention voters may be overstated particularly in North Dakota, where his campaign declared victory after filling 18 of 25 unbound delegate slots with its chosen candidates at the April 3 convention. Those delegates are vital to Cruzs quest to deny his rival the 1,237 delegates hell need on the first ballot in Cleveland. But as theyve watched Cruz struggle to tread water in a primary increasingly dominated by Trump, many of them, wary of a bitter convention battle that could rend the party at its seams, are rethinking their commitment to the Texas senator.
I think [last Tuesdays vote] spooked a lot of people, says Jim Poolman, a North Dakota delegate who had previously committed to a first-ballot convention vote for Cruz. But I want to be clear, I think the will of the people does mean something, as well, he says. Donald Trump has gotten a lot of support across the country, and just [last Tuesday], winning five [states] is one heckuva showing. Poolman now says he will opt to see how the remaining primaries play out, and is not necessarily a first-ballot vote for Cruz.
Hes not alone. Of the ten North Dakota delegates on the Cruz slate reached by National Review, five express serious reservations about backing the Texas senator on that crucial first ballot.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/434793/ted-cruz-delegates-reconsider-supporting-donald-trump
You know, there's really no need to fight with Sanders supporters
Because watching Hillary win is the only reply we need.
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Gender: MaleHometown: Detroit Area, MI
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Current location: San Francisco, CA
Member since: Wed Oct 29, 2008, 02:53 PM
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