Thursday, March 17, 2016

'Open Convention' vs 'Brokered Convention'

The RNC of the GOP, Republican National Committee of the Grand Olde Party, think and say that they are in charge of their own political party. The have 'Rule 40' that was put in to benefit Mitt Romney, but they may change that rule the week or day before the national convention in Cleveland Ohio July 18-21, 2016.

They could then just choose the (1) Nominee; (2) VP Nominee; and (3) Platform for the 2016 general election, to run against the Democrat(ic) Party replacement for HRClinton.  This would be the old-style 'Brokered Convention' where the main (1) Nominee is decided in a 'smoke-filled room'.

On the other hand, an 'open convention' requires repeated voting.  Delegates are 'bound' to vote on the first ballot for how they were selected, and released on subsequent votes.

This all becomes moot if Donald J. Trump achieves 1,237 (simple majority) before Convention.  Of course, Ted Cruz could also achieve the number to grasp the gold ring, but there is a 50/50 chance we arrive at Cleveland Convention with a plurality (the most but not majority) and we feel that Trump would like the challenge and drama.

What are your thoughts and comments?

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Run up to 1,237 Delegates {25 states are yet to vote}

Run up to 1,237 Delegates  {25 states are yet to vote, 3-11-2016}

Voting     Total     State   Trump %   Trump      Running     Cruz %    Cruz   Running 
Date        Deleg    Abbr.    popula      Deleg        Total           popular  Del      Total
-Mar11       825                                                       463               463    362      362 
Mar12    19m      DC/G     ??              ?17?         480              ?x?       xx          xx 
Mar15    99         FL          100           99             579              xx         xx          xx 
Mar15    69         IL           100           69             648              xx         xx          xx 
Mar15    52         MO       100           52             700              xx         xx          xx 
Mar15    72p       NC         ??              36?           736              36?      xx          398 
Mar15    66         OH        ---              0                xx                 ---         0            xx 
Mar22    9            AS         100 ?        xx              xx                 xx         xx          xx 
Mar22    58         AZ         100x         xx              xx                 100y   58         456 
Mar22    40         UT         20m          xx              xx                 80m     80         496 
Apr5       42         WI         100           42             778              xx         xx          xx 
Apr19     95         NY         100m        95-15       873              xx         xx+15  xx 
Apr26     28         CT          100m        28-8          901              xx         xx+8   xx 
Apr26     16         DE         100           16             917              xx         xx          xx 
Apr26     38         MD        100           38             955              xx         xx          xx 
Apr26     71         PA         100           71             1026            xx         xx          xx 
Apr26     19p       RI           ??              ?9?            1035            ??         10?       506 
May3      57         IN          100           57             1092            xx         xx          xx 
May10    33         NE         100x         xx              xx                 100y    33         539 
May10    34         WV        100           34             1126            xx         xx          xx 
May17    28p       OR         ??              14?           1140            ??         14?       553 
May24    44p       WA       ?? m          22?  +3     1162            ??         22? -3  575 
Jun7        27         MT        100x         xx              xx                 100y    27         602 
Jun7        29         SD         100x         xx              xx                 100y    29         631 
Jun7        24p       NM        ?? x           5                1167            ??         19         670 
Jun7        51         NJ          100           51             1218            xx         xx          xx 
Jun7        172       CA         100           172           1380            xx         xx          670 

Where in the world is :::   ND,  WY,  (??=some questions)
x/y = win-uncertain w/no-polling, yet.   m=winner-take-most.

Look to Donald J. Trump to go into Convention with ~1,380 delegates (after CA votes);
and Senator Ted Cruz in 2nd-place with less than half of that.  These are projections.
Do not look for any RNC efforts to take the nomination away from delegate voting .!.
The next president will be President Trump or President Cruz;  HRC is unelectable.

.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Closed-door VS Open-Convention (NRC rule change?)

The Olde "smoke-filled room" won't happen[edit]

Rule 40 says that votes will happen until someone reaches the simple majority of delegates (1237). I heard Ted Cruz say today that selecting the Republican nominee to run in the general election would lead to an uprising if it is done in a Smoke-filled room. In this, he was clearly mistaken. The RNC could change the rule, and probably will, but it will still come to voting over and over. On the other hand, it is noted that the week or so before the Convention, the RNC will meet and decide any rule changes, such as allowing any candidate with at least one delegate won to be allowed on the first ballot. That could prevent Trump or Cruz (current leaders) from achieving the simple majority on the first ballot. However, they would probably come to the same conclusion after the third vote. Another scenario would be for two candidates to team, POTUS/VP, to exceed the 1,237 delegate majority. This can all be documented in the current news, but why not wait a week until winner-take-all voting takes place in Illinois, Florida, and Ohio? Also, wait until someone exceeds the simple majority and "The Establishment" (so-called) decides to change the rules anyway to try to exclude Trump or Cruz. (Hannity says that what applies to hating Trump also applies to Cruz, the outsiders.) 

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Republican Debate in Detroit FoxNews 3/3/2016

Republican Debate in Detroit FoxNews    3/3/2016
Moderating:  Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly, and Chris Wallace.
Candidate hopefuls: Trump, Ted Cruz, Rubio, Kasich.

Since you can fast forward through the video and word-search the transcript, we will give the main topics presented and the main comments from the four candidates.  We will provide a little ‘color commentary’ but expect you to be watching and see that for yourselves.  Look for further discussion on our new website:  http://ConserveThot.blogspot.com where you also can argue back and forth. 

We really like Ted Cruz putting in the next nominees to the Supreme Court, but expect Donald Trump to roll on.  ABC means Anybody But Clinton and she is already convicted in the Court of Public Opinion.  Anyone the Democrats have will be beaten in a landslide by Trump, Cruz, or Rubio, hands down!

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FoxNews INTRODUCTIONS: Partnering with Facebook with 52million checking in. 
60sec answers, 30sec re-butt.  “Be respectful, like a Red Wings hockey game.”

MAIN TOPIC:   Romney’s comment, directed to Trump (asked by Chris Wallace)
Trump:  He failed and lost to Obama. I believe in Free Trade, not when they beat us with imbalance, etc.  “We will make great trade deals”

MAIN TOPIC:   What are your views on the Ku Klux Klan?
Trump:  Take a look at my Twitter account.  [Chris Wallace gives a friendly smile]

MAIN TOPIC:   You mocked Trump with ‘small hands’ etc.
Rubio:  He deserves to be attacked that way;  I would prefer to have a policy debate.
Trump:  I take back calling him a light-weight;  look at these hands. [Big]

MAIN TOPIC:   [Lynnette was coughing and I missed the question about Trump vs Ted Cruz]
Cruz:  This is not about the insults;  This is about JOBS.  People are interested in solutions, not slogans.
Trump: I’ve heard him say over and over and I’ve won three, he’s being beaten badly.
Rubio: 2/3 of the people don’t vote for him;  he is not Conservative.
Trump:  Very nice words but happen to be wrong.  National poll: He’s at 15, he’s at 14, I’m at 49%.

MAIN TOPIC:   Do you buy Romney’s blueprint?
Kasich:  Democrats tell me all the time that I can get the crossovers, as the adult on the stage.

MAIN TOPIC:   What jobs have you created?
Rubio:  Go on my website to see real policies.
Trump: This little guy has lied so much about my record.  My sister thought it amazing.
Rubio:  The answer is that he is not going to do it.  (Bring manufacturing back from Mexico.)
[Rush Limbaugh said that a strategy for Rubio would be to egg Trump to making a bad statement.]

MAIN TOPIC:   Trump proposed tax cut to add $10TRILLION; be specific what to cut
Trump:  Common Core; Environmental Protection; waste, fraud, abuse; Larry Kudlow likes my plan.
[Graphic shows $544 Billion deficit]   We don’t bid properly with Pharmaceuticals.
[Another full screen graphic]  We’ll save $300billion/year if we negotiate.

MAIN TOPIC:   Who will collect the taxes if you abolish the IRS?
Cruz:  They are so corrupt, put it on a postcard. Let me go back to the lack of specificity.  I have given a plan that will cut $500billion.  Donald Trump has been part of the corruption in D.C.
Trump:  I have been supporting politicians on many sides for years, I wasn’t a politician. Etc.  We need people to break gridlock and get things done.

MAIN TOPIC:   Is Trump wrong saying not to increase the Minimum Wage?
Kasich:  I’m the only person on stage that balanced the budget. Use common sense.  Etc.  I won.

MAIN TOPIC:   Immigration
Cruz:  Look to the actual record.  Donald Trump gave $50,000 to Gang of Eight.  Why?
Trump:  I’m doing 120 deals outside of the United States.  Soon children will take over.

MAIN TOPIC:   The New York Times interview, and flexibility in deporting
Trump:  Off-the-record is a very important thing.  There is always some tug-and-pull, negotiation.

MAIN TOPIC:   After Gang of Eight, you still seem to not
Rubio:  I absolutely want to solve this situation;  I did the best with the Senate that was then.
Trump:  Sheriff Arpaio supports me.  Rubio give-and-take is OK.

Break for commercial:  Last Q was from Megyn:  Will you allow releasing The NYTimes tape?
Trump doubles-down like a negotiator and teases them, “I will not do that.” [serious face.]

MAIN TOPIC:   Visas for highly-skilled or not?
Trump:  I’m changing; I’m changing.  We need to keep the brain-power after they graduate here.

MAIN TOPIC:   You reversed yourself, you declined to join H1D abuse.
Cruz:  I’ll call for an audit.  It is not dissimilar with Donald’s hotel in Florida.  How many worked as a waiter?  [He asks the audience, and everyone claps, cheers, and raises a hand.]
Trump:  I’ve had tens of thousands;  short season;  It’s legal and we bring them in, and out.
Cruz:  That’s not accurate. Americans wanted the jobs. Etc.  [“wrong”, Trump interjects]
Trump:  This is what other hotels do …  [Cruz wants the tape released:  “You’re the liar” says Trump.]

[The audience is yelling and no one can understand what they are saying.  They yell to each other.]

MAIN TOPIC:   ISIS and ground troops in Syria
Rubio:  It will require Special Ops and air strikes.
Kasich:  I helped Rumsfeld with his problems. Libya is a desert.  Work with Muslim friends. Etc.  Take care of the job in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and then come home.

MAIN TOPIC:   Military will refuse to carry out extreme interrogation
Trump:  They won’t refuse me, believe me.  They are chopping off heads.  Waterboarding is fine.  Can you imagine these animals that chop off heads and see us talking about waterboarding.  That is what leaders do.  [Addresses the families of the terrorists, watching their husbands on TV.]
Cruz:  Yelling doesn’t make you a tough guy.  Reagan generated jobs, rebuilt the military, and won the Cold War;  I will do the same thing.  If they wage Jihad against America, they sign their death warrant.

MAIN TOPIC:   Snowden and treason, you waited to condemn
Cruz:  Start with the facts first, and pass judgement later.  He fled to Russia, China, undermined us.

MAIN TOPIC:   Who would you get for Anti-Terrorism.
Trump:  [xxx]   I said from the beginning that Snowden was a spy.
Kasich:  I knew Ronald Reagan.  You can take it from there.

[Another commercial break.]

MAIN TOPIC:   Megyn asks about reversing and shows clips on war answers …
Trump:  I was always against going into Iraq;  nuclear weapons changed the game. Etc.
Trump:  At first they were talking about small number of Syrian immigrants. Safe zones there.

[Dust up with Megyn and Rubio challenging Trump on an ongoing legal action with Trump University. They pound him over and over with what they perceive as ‘facts’ and Donald says let’s see after it is resolved in three years. He gets really beat up on this one.  Trump says he doesn’t cave.]
Cruz:  Is this the debate you want in the general election?  [Trump, “Oh, stop it.”]
Cruz:  Count to ten, Donald.   Come join us—we want you on our team.  [Cheers]
Megyn goes to Kasich “Let’s come together and stop fighting” to go to commercial break.  The audience cheers the statement of Kasich.  We’ll see if that translated to votes in Ohio, winner-take-all on March 15 where Trump now leads by double-digits.

MAIN TOPIC:   Why haven’t Republicans done more with water in Flynt Michigan?
Rubio:  Accountability is important, and it wasn’t political. Ensure it never happens again.

MAIN TOPIC:   Should gov’t bail out the schools?
Kasich:  They came to me in Ohio.

MAIN TOPIC:   Detroit was the symbol of U.S. manufacturing might, not now. Be specific.
Cruz:  60 yrs of failed Leftwing policy.  [History] It is an outrage, media should report it.

SOCIAL ISSUES    [Clip of Kasich vs GAY marriage dissenters.]

MAIN TOPIC:   GAY is the law of the land, What of Adoption
Cruz:  It should be a state decision.  There is no compromise like another on this stage.
Trump:  He is right.  Most people would prefer to leave it to the states.

MAIN TOPIC:   Scalia talked about guns
Rubio:  The Second Amendment is in the Constitution for a reason.  Criminals don’t follow the laws.

MAIN TOPIC:   [Trump changed his mind and now doesn’t ban assault weapons]
Trump:  If Paris had guns, you would not have had 130 people killed.
Cruz:  He would compromise on the Supreme Court.  [“I did not say that”  adds Trump.]
Trump:  He supported John Roberts, the primary supporter, who let us down on Obamacare.
Cruz:  Breathe, breathe, breathe,  I wrote one opEd, and I wouldn’t have nominated him.
Rubio makes some comment we missed and smiles to audience applause.
[Commercial ads, including the new movie “Risen” which is amazing, for the faithful.]

MAIN TOPIC:   Tell Mr Trump why he isn’t prepared on Foreign Policy.
Rubio:  Etc.  Much of our future now depends on it.  Millennials can be the greatest generation.
Trump:  I’ve gotten to know Marco and he is not a leader. They will do as I tell them (in military.)
Rubio:  One again, he didn’t respond with policy.  North Korea has a lunatic. [Arguing next]
Trump: Wouldn’t it be nice if we got along with Russia, China?  Etc.

MAIN TOPIC:   Sanctions on North Korea
Cruz:  The Clinton Adm failed and lifted sanctions.  Now it is harder. Move carriers to So.China sea. Etc.
[Break.  Graphic of Facebook: Trump(60%); Cruz(18%); Rubio(11%); Carson(7%); Kasich(4%)]
[[So for the last month conversations, Ben Carson was beating Kasich in the conversations.]]

LAST QUESTION OF THE NIGHT:   THE RNC PLEDGE:  “Will you support the nominee?”
Rubio:  She lied to the families of the victims of Benghazi.
Cruz:  I made a promise, I will fight for your rights.
Kasich:  I’ll be the nominee.  [cheers]
Trump:  Even if it’s not me?  Millions and millions have come in; Democrats are losing.  Yes, I will.

Closing Statements:
Kasich:  I have a record, not just talk/theory.  We’ve left no one behind in Ohio.
Rubio:  Problems in America; embrace opportunities, if we get this election right.
Cruz:  To every soldier;  Mom & Dad;  Immoral to send to battle with arms tied. I…will…have…your…back!!!
Trump:  We will bring JOBS back, and you will be very proud of America.  Thank you.
[Trump shakes everyone’s hand but Rubio doesn’t open his, so Trump gives him a fist bump.]
[Kasich doesn’t want a photo of shaking hands w/Rubio, so he gives him an elbow bump.]
Bottom Line:  Rubio says he’ll win in Florida; and Kasich says he will win in Ohio.

“Who won the Debate?” DrudgeReport voting: Trump(66%);  Cruz(20%);  Kasich(9%);   Rubio(5%).

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Suppose one of the top three candidates “runs the Table”

Suppose one of the top three candidates “runs the Table”
Which state puts the top candidate beyond a simple majority of delegates?
Let {C1,C2,C3} be {Cruz,Rubio,Trump} and Let C1 win 100% in the
‘winner-take-all’ states and 50% in the states dividing delegates proportionally.
Add the delegates from Feb-June to project the running cumulative results:
IA15+NH12+SC25+NV15+AL25+AL14+AR20+GA38+MA21+MN19+OK22+TE29+TX78+VT8+VA25+WY15+KS20+KY23+LA24+ME12+PR12+HI10+ID16+MI30+MS20+USVI5+Guam5+DC10+FL99+IL69+MO52+NC36+M9+OH66+Samoa9+AZ58+UT20+ND28+WI42+CO37+NY95+CT14+DE16+MD38+PA54+RI10+IN57+NE36+WV34+OR14+WA22+CA172+MT27+NJ51+NM12+SD29.

Adding these delegates will give us a “rough guestimate” of what to expect:
IA15+NH27+SC52+NV67+AL92+AL106+AR126+GA164+MA185+MN204+OK226+TE255+TX333+VT341+VA366+WY381+KS401+KY424+LA448+ME460+PR1462+HI472+ID488+MI518+MS538+USVI543+Guam548+DC558+FL657+IL726+MO778+NC814+M823+OH889+Samoa898+AZ956+UT976+ND1004+WI1046+CO1083+NY1178+CT1129+DE1208+MD1246+PA1300+RI1310+IN1367+NE1403+WV1437+OR1451+WA1473+CA1645+MT1672+NJ1723+NM1735+SD1764.
Maryland and Pennsylvania vote on April 26th, not that far away, to exceed the 1,237 delegate simple-majority. Still, there will be a somewhat open convention.

PS: Current NRC rules: C2 & C3 need to win eight states to stay in.

_____________________________________________________________

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Ramifications of the South Carolina 3-way win

What do you think of Trump winning, Cruz and Rubio tying, and Dr Ben Carson beating Jeb Bush?  Bush drops out and Dr Carson stay in! Trump took all 50 delegates in SC capturing 33% of the votes, and Rubio and  Cruz tie at 22% of the vote.  You could say that Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio “also ran” since South Carolina (SC) is a ‘winner take all’ state.  Frank Vandersloot and Mitt Romney endorse Rubio now.

==External links==
The Official RNC 2016 Republican Nominating Process
https://www.gop.com/the-official-guide-to-the-2016-republican-nominating-process/

Green papers for 2016 primaries, caucuses, and conventions
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/

ElectionProjection.com
http://www.electionprojection.com/2016-elections/2016-presidential-primaries.php 2016 Presidential primaries

These are the three links which I put into the Wikipedia pages for the 50 states (plus DC and five territories). Today, Glenn Beck is fasting and praying for Ted Cruz and I’m fasting for Donald J. Trump .!.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Republican 9th Debate (SC) Ted Cruz comments (7)

Ted Cruz Comments   (Time allowed his seven comments)
From the ninth debate in South Carolina, Saturday 13, 2016, with Republican candidates.

CRUZ: Justice Scalia was a legal giant. He was somebody that I knew for 20 years. He was a brilliant man. He was faithful to the Constitution. He changed the arc of American legal history. And I'll tell you, his passing tonight, our prayers are with his family, with his wife, Maureen, who he adored, his nine children, his 36 grandkids.
CRUZ: But it underscores the stakes of this election. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will strike down every restriction on abortion adopted by the states. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will reverse the Heller decision, one of Justice Scalia's seminal decisions that upheld the Second Amendment right to keep and to bear arms.
We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that would undermine the religious liberty of millions of Americans -- and the stakes of this election, for this year, for the Senate, the Senate needs to stand strong and say, "We're not going to give up the U.S. Supreme Court for a generation by allowing Barack Obama to make one more liberal appointee."
And then for the state of South Carolina, one of the most important judgments for the men and women of South Carolina to make is who on this stage has the background, the principle, the character, the judgment, and the strength of resolve to nominate and confirm principled constitutionalists to the court? That will be what I will do if I'm elected president.    (APPLAUSE)

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DICKERSON: Senator Cruz, you talked about the first Gulf War as being a kind of model for your focused, and determined effort to go after ISIS. But, there were 700,000 ground troops as a part of that, and you don't have a ground component to your plan. Why?
CRUZ: Well, we need to focus on what the objective is, you know? You're question about the first three questions you would ask in this Situation Room. I think it is a problem if the president, commander in chief we've elected does not have the experience and background to understand the threats facing this country coming in on day one.
If you look at the threats facing this country, the single gravest threat, national security threat, is the threat of a nuclear Iran. That's why I've pledged on day one to rip to shreds this Iranian nuclear deal, and anyone that thinks you can negotiate Konami does not understand the nature of Komani.
When it comes to ISIS, we've got to have a focused objective. One of the problems of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's foreign policy, and sadly, too many establishment Republicans in Washington, is they focus on issues unrelated to protecting this country. They focus on nation building, they focus on toppling governments to promote democracy, and it ends up undermining our national security.
Now, with regard to ISIS, we need a commander in chief that sets the objective we will utterly defeat them because they have declared war. They've declared a jihad on us.
Now, what do we need...
(BELL RINGING)
CRUZ: ... To carry that out. We need overwhelming air power, we need to arm the Kurds who can be our boots on the ground, and if ground troops are necessary than we should employ them, but it shouldn't be politicians demonstrating political toughness. It should be military expert judgement carrying out the objectives set out by the commander in chief.
(APPLAUSE)
CRUZ: We have Kurds in both Iraq and Syria. They are fighting ISIS right now. They are winning victories right now. ISIS is using American military equipment they've seized in Iraq. And the Obama administration refuses to arm the Kurds, the Peshmerga, the fighting forces who have been longtime allies.
We ought to be arming them and letting them fight. Now if we need to embed Special Forces to direct our overwhelming air power, if it is required to use ground troops to defeat ISIS, we should use them, but we ought to start with using our incredible air power advantage.
The first Persian Gulf War, we launched 1,100 air attacks a day. Today we're launching between 15 and 30. We're not using the tools we have and it's because the commander-in-chief is not focused on defeating the enemy.
 (APPLAUSE)

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CRUZ: Well, let me say it at the outset that everyone here understands - everyone understands that how - that the middle class has been left behind in the last seven years of the Obama economy and we've got to bring jobs back. We've got to get people back to work. We've got to get wages going up again. We've got to get people moving from part time work to full time work.
We all agree on that but it's not going to be solved with magic pixie dust. It's just going to be solved by declaring into the air, "let there be jobs." We actually have to understand the principles that made America great in the first place.
Now, where do you get economic growth? If you look at cause and effect over our nation's history, every time we lessen the burden of Washington on small business owners, on job creators, we see incredible economic growth. You do that through tax reform and regulatory reform.
My tax plan - typical family of four , first 36,000 dollars you earn, you pay nothing in taxes - no income taxes, no pay role taxes, no nothing. Above ten percent, everyone pays the same simple flat ten percent income rate, it's flat and fair. You can fill out your taxes on a postcard and we abolish the IRS. If you want to see the post card, I've got it on my website.
… 
CRUZ: Now Major, the business flat tax that is in my tax plan is not a VAT.   A VAT in Europe is a sales tax. The business flat tax is not a sales tax, it is a tax of 16 percent opposed fairly and evenly across the board on all business.
One of the things that's critical is we're doing that in conjunction with abolishing the corporate income tax, with abolishing the Obamacare taxes, with abolishing the payroll taxes which are the biggest taxes paid by most working Americans and with abolishing the death tax which is cruel and unfair. And you asked about economic growth, the non-partisan tax foundation estimated a simple flat tax that would product 4.9 million new jobs, it would increase capital investment by 44 percent and would lift everyone's income by double digits.
That's how you turn the country around, not just hoping and praying for it but implementing policies that work.

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CRUZ: Well, you know, your question highlights a sharp difference on immigration on this stage. You know, in a Republican primary, everyone talks tough on immigration. Everyone is against illegal immigration in a Republican primary. But as voters, we've been burned over and over again by people that give us a great campaign speech and they don't walk the walk.
There are sharp differences on amnesty. If you look at the folks on this stage, when Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer and establishment Republicans were leading the fight to pass a massive amnesty plan, I stood with Jeff Sessions and Steve King and the American people and led the fight to defeat that amnesty plan.
(APPLAUSE)
STRASSEL: So would you -- would you use the addresses?
CRUZ: Now that moment...
STRASSEL: Would you pick them up?
CRUZ: That moment was what Reagan would call "a time for choosing." When it comes to deciding which side of the line you're on, the Rubio-Schumer amnesty plan...  (BOOING)
CRUZ: ... apparently supported by the donor class, which is why Washington supported it. The Rubio-Schumer amnesty plan passed the Senate and it was on the verge of passing the House.
House leadership intended to take it up and pass it with the Democrats overruling most of the Republicans. And the question for anyone on illegal immigration is where were you in that fight? Where did you stand?

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…   Cruz and Rubio argue.   Cruz says he has support of Levin/Limbaugh/Sessions.  …
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CRUZ: I think it is a very important question because the people who have been hurt the most in the Obama economy had been the most vulnerable. It's been young people. It's been Hispanics. It's been African-Americans. It's been single moms. We have the lowest percentage of Americans working today in any year since 1977.
And the sad reality is big government, massive taxes, massive regulation, doesn't work. What we need to do instead is bring back booming economic growth, let -- small businesses are the heart of the economy. Two-thirds of all new jobs come from small businesses. If we want to lift people out of poverty -- you know, I think of these issues from the perspective of my dad.
My dad fled Cuba in 1957. He was just 18. He couldn't speak English. He had nothing. He had $100 in his underwear. And he washed dishes making 50 cents an hour and paid his way through school. Today, my dad is a pastor. He travels the country preaching the gospel.
Now, I think about all of these issues. How would it impact my dad when he was washing dishes? If we had Obamacare in place right now, the odds are very high my father would have been laid off because it's teenaged kids like my dad who have gotten laid off. If he didn't get laid off, the odds are high he would have had his hours forcibly reduced to 28, 29 hours a week.
We need to lift the burdens on small businesses so you have jobs and we need welfare reform that gets people off of welfare and back to work.
(APPLAUSE)

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DICKERSON:    [Trump and Cruz, why don’t you two argue for the camera?]
CRUZ:   [Trump supports Planned Parenthood;  etc.]
TRUMP:  [Not for Abortion—He lies and is not liked.]  
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CLOSING: Senator Cruz, your closing statement?
CRUZ: South Carolina, you have a critical choice to make. Our country literally hangs in the balance.
Do you want another Washington deal maker who will do business as usual, cut deals with the democrats, grow government, grow debt and give up our fundamental liberties? Or do you want a conservative, a proven conservative that will stand and fight with you each and every day?
Listen, repealing Obamacare is not going to be easy. Passing a simple flat tax that abolishes the IRS is not going to be easy but if we stand with the American people we can do it.
And today, we saw just how great the stakes are, two branches of government hang in the balance. Not just the presidency but the Supreme Court. If we get this wrong, if we nominate the wrong candidates, the Second Amendment, life, marriage, religious, liberty - everyone of those hangs in the balance.
My little girls are here. I don't want to look my daughters in the eyes and say, "we lost their liberties." Who do you know will defend The Constitution and Bill of Rights? And as a Commander in Chief, who do you know will stand up to our enemies as the clam, steady, deliberate, strength to defeat our enemies, to secure our borders and to keep America safe.

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