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The Iowa Kerfuffle Boggles My Mind
Rush Limbaugh.com ^ | February 4, 2016 | Rush Limbaugh

Posted on 02/04/2016 2:29:27 PM PST by Kaslin

RUSH: We're gonna start here, as I told the broadcast engineer, with F. Chuck Todd on the Today show today with Savannah Guthrie. They were speaking about Ted Cruz's campaign, telling voters about Carson's leaving the race because of a report on CNN. Now, let's review this. Let's review what we know, just before we get to the sound bite. Somebody at CNN -- I forget the name -- tweeted that Carson was leaving the race and going home to Florida and then to the National Prayer Breakfast.

That was a CNN tweet.

And the CNN reporter had to get it from somewhere, and he did not get it from Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz didn't know. And, by the way, this is 10 minutes, 20 minutes before the caucus begins. This is between the hour of 5:30 and 6:30 PM on Monday. Somebody had to tell the CNN reporter that Ben Carson was going back to Florida. The CNN reporter tweets it; the campaigns see it. It clearly said that Carson is returning to Florida and not going to New Hampshire or South Carolina, but is going to attend the National Prayer Breakfast today.

So the Rubio campaign and the Cruz campaign get in gear and point this out to their people on the ground, and they pass it around as though it could be that Carson or CNN is saying that Carson is leaving the race. He is, what the CNN tweet said, going back to Florida. Well, then the results come in, and Carson outperforms what the Real Clear Politics polling average showed that he would do. Cruz wins when Trump was forecast by the polls to win by four. That shakes up everything.

The Democrat side's a mess.

Democrats and the Des Moines Register, a whole bunch of people, are still embarrassed over what happened there. Because of all the embarrassment on the side of the people who lost. Then somehow it ends up that the Cruz campaign engaged in a "dirty trick" by simply passing on information to caucus-goers that was supplied by Carson or his campaign to CNN. This was then said to be "a dirty trick," and Dr. Carson went out there and said he was righteously indignant and offended and so forth.

He went so far as to make it look like he thought Cruz ought to fire somebody for making this happen. In the meantime, not one caucus-goer has yet come forward and said, "I intended to vote for Dr. Carson, but when I saw that Cruz tweet that went out that he had left the race, I changed my vote." Not one person has come forth and said so. And I am here to tell you that if those people existed, they would have found by now, and you would have seen them all over CNN, PMSNBC, and Fox.

Ben Carson would have needed 25,000 votes...

He ended up with 17,000, a solid fourth place. He would have needed 25,000 votes to tie Rubio. Nobody is making the claim that he was cheated out of 25,000 votes when his total was 17,000. The CNN reporter is Chris Moody. Okay? So that's what happened. Now let's go to the Today show today with Savannah Guthrie speaking with F. Chuck Todd of Meet the Press. She said, "Donald Trump is accusing Cruz of stealing the election in Iowa. Number one, is there anything in the substance of that, and, number two, is Trump's attack a smart political attack, do you think, Chuck?"

TODD: I have to say, the more they fight, the more this helps one candidate. Not Ted Cruz, not Donald Trump, but Marco Rubio. The private polling I've been hearing about over the last two days post-Iowa indicates that Cruz hasn't gotten a bump, and I think partly because Trump has been beating him up. Trump's been eroding a little bit. And there's only one guy on the rise: Marco Rubio.

RUSH: Okay. So F. Chuck cites "private polling" (meaning we're not allowed to know who) that says Trump's attacks on Cruz are working because Cruz isn't getting the bump that you would normally expect to see after a big win in Iowa, that Trump's numbers are eroding a little bit, but the big gainer happens to be Marco Rubio. And people are scratching their heads, wondering how that happened. "Why is that? Rubio? How in the hell does Rubio get a bump? What is happening here to cause Rubio to rise in the polls?"

People are scratching their heads and looking in the deep, dark crevices of the sofa trying to figure what's happening here. And F. Chuck thinks that Trump's attacks on Cruz on this Carson thing are actually hurting Cruz even though Cruz has apologized. But, of course, we're not finished.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I gotta quick question. I want to go back just a little bit here to audio sound bite number seven, Savannah Guthrie asking F. Chuck Todd, "Hey, Chuck, anything in the substance of this Carson, Cruz, Trump business reporting that Carson was leaving the race? And number two, is it a smart thing for Trump to attack Cruz on?" (replaying of sound bite) Stop it right there. Stop it. Stop it right there. What is this, "Cruz hasn't got a bump"? We just had the story that the Iowa winner doesn't get a bump in New Hampshire.

I just regaled you with it.

I just informed you of the story that New Hampshire voters, they do not like to rubber stamp what comes out of Iowa. This is what we're told in the Drive-Bys today, that New Hampshire voters go in there and no matter who wins Iowa, they're not gonna win New Hampshire. New Hampshire voters go in there and they make a point to make sure they vote for somebody other than who won Iowa, right? So what is F. Chuck talking about here when he says that the polling data he's hearing about indicates Cruz hasn't gotten a bump?

According to these guys, there is no bumping coming out of Iowa. So that means one of these things isn't true, and I'll tell you which one isn't true. This silly assertion that New Hampshire makes sure to not vote for the Iowa win is absolute flat-out BS. Stop and think for a moment how in the world that could be made a reality. Who would organize that? Who sends the memo out to all of the voters in New Hampshire? "All right. Ted Cruz won in Iowa.

"That means he cannot win in New Hampshire. You know what to do! Now get out there and vote." Really? Is that how it happens? Or does every New Hampshire voter consciously say, "Screw Iowa. I'm gonna make sure that whatever happens here is not what happened there." That's what they want us to believe? Of course there's a bump coming out of Iowa! Of course it'd be a huge bump coming out of Iowa for Cruz, especially given how it happened and what the expectations were. There are a huge...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: bencarson; rushlimbaugh; rushlovesrubio
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More in the link
1 posted on 02/04/2016 2:29:27 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

It’s a big nothing-burger.

The vile left is attacking Cruz with everything they got. They don’t care that these attacks are lies.


2 posted on 02/04/2016 2:30:55 PM PST by GeronL (I remember when this was a conservative forum)
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To: Kaslin

Noize.


3 posted on 02/04/2016 2:31:51 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (I apologize for not apologizing.)
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To: Kaslin

Once again, “The Stupid Party” lives up to its’ name.


4 posted on 02/04/2016 2:32:23 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: GeronL

Indeed, Trump - the ultra vile left - is attacking all of our Republican candidates to seriously damage them.

Remember what Trump did to Carson !!!

Remember his birther lies and flip flops on Cruz !!!

He is a vile man who will stop at no dirty trick to win.


5 posted on 02/04/2016 2:39:47 PM PST by Pikachu_Dad ("the media are selling you a line of soap")
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To: Kaslin
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Article Link: http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2016/02/03/ben-carson-gets-hoisted-petard-isnt-pretty-video/

Reporter: Do you regret, uh, announcing that that you were going to be going back to Florida and spurring some of this confusion?

Carson: Well, I didn’t make that announcement. Uh, I guess somebody talked to … other people…

Reporter: Well, your campaign told the press.

Carson: You know, *I* didn’t say it, so don’t blame me. [laughing]

Reporter: But you’re here telling us that people should know what’s going on in their campaign and hold people accountable, I mean that’s [crosstalk]

Carson: Well, let me ask you this question, is it okay after being on the road for after three weeks to go home to Florida and get a fresh change of clothes? Or is that a problem? Does that make someone into an evil, horrible person?

..... So, to summarize:

Carson admits his own campaign staffer talked to the media and said he was going to Florida.
Carson takes no responsibility for the actions of this staffer.
Cruz staffer tweeted a media report based entirely on what the aforementioned staffer said.
According to Carson, Cruz should take responsibility for that staffer.


So Carson knew his campaign leaked this to the press. Then got angry that it snowballed from there.... He is kinda burrying the lead here isn't he.

And going home to get a change of clothes? Is Iowa or New Hampshire so rural that he can't send staff or go himself to buy some more clothes?


6 posted on 02/04/2016 2:40:28 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: GeronL

No, it is yet another big ‘keep Donald in the news with free publicity’ ploy.


7 posted on 02/04/2016 2:40:34 PM PST by Pikachu_Dad ("the media are selling you a line of soap")
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To: Pikachu_Dad

He does manage to do that well.


8 posted on 02/04/2016 2:44:32 PM PST by jospehm20
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To: GeronL

Vile liberals you say?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3392917/posts

Indeed.


9 posted on 02/04/2016 2:44:37 PM PST by demshateGod (Trump: We will have to leave borders behind and go for global unity)
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To: Kaslin

Why is Carson still in the race, he is finished.


10 posted on 02/04/2016 2:45:09 PM PST by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
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To: Pikachu_Dad

BTW, Speaking of Dr. Carson and the “rumor” that he was going home to Florida and then to the National Prayer Breakfast.

Dr. Carson attended the prayer breakfast in Washington DC today. Is he rushing to NH to campaign? If not, what about South Carolina?

NH is not far from DC by plane ( a little over an hour ).

If he isn’t going to NH to campaign, in what way was the “rumor” inaccurate?


11 posted on 02/04/2016 2:45:50 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: GeronL

That’s why Ted apologized for the “nothing burger”, right?


12 posted on 02/04/2016 2:48:04 PM PST by TheStickman
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To: Kaslin

Rove gives the chronology of how Cruz rigged the election.

I am no fan of Rove, but the facts agree with Mr. Trump and Dr. Carson, even CNN is exonerated.

Cruz is very Nixonesque

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocgEmgXXwF8


13 posted on 02/04/2016 2:57:50 PM PST by Zenjitsuman (A)
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To: fortheDeclaration
He will probably have to call it quits, as he is running low on funds.

Personally I think it was ridiculous to ask him to run for the presidency because he gave that outstanding speech at the Prayer Breakfast.
Don't get me wrong. I like Dr Ben Carson, but I think he would more suited as Secretary of Health and Human Services or perhaps even as Surgeon General of the United States.

14 posted on 02/04/2016 2:58:10 PM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: Kaslin

Maybe he should untie the half of his brain that’s tied behind his back so that he can better grasp the situation.

Personally, I think we should all move on from Iowa and be done with it, but listening to Rush tie himself into a pretzel to spin things for Cruz is a big eye roller.


15 posted on 02/04/2016 3:05:23 PM PST by perfect_rovian_storm
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To: Kaslin

add that Marco Rubio probably got a lot of the votes if anyone actually switched.


16 posted on 02/04/2016 3:11:58 PM PST by Son House (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; the Original Legislative Fraud.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Carson: Well, let me ask you this question, is it okay after being on the road for after three weeks to go home to Florida and get a fresh change of clothes? Or is that a problem? Does that make someone into an evil, horrible person?

No, it makes you an evil, horrible liar. Nobody running for President needs to fly home for a change of clothes. You didn't even bother coming up with a decent lie. FUBC

17 posted on 02/04/2016 3:25:04 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: Talisker

I would not go to the extent of using “evil” on Ben Carson.

The fact is I think Carson knows his chances in NH are slim to nill. Therefore, he isn’t going to spend time going there ( or maybe he will, but I’m still waiting. He was in DC for the Prayer breakfast today, NH is just one hour away by plane).

His giving this excuse gives his opponents the impression that he is giving up ( I know I’d get that impression if I heard it for the first time ).

It is unfortunate that Cruz ( and also Rubio ) staffers and supporters ( e.g. Steve King ) misinterpreted it as quitting and posted it as such.

But all uses of the word — EVIL — anywhere are misplaced IMHO.


18 posted on 02/04/2016 3:32:57 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
...Carson takes no responsibility for the actions of this staffer...

But it's also possible that Carson said he was going home and CNN jumped to the conclusion that he was quitting the race, and then the Cruz campaign picked up on the CNN report.

The only fault I can see in the Cruz camp is to be too quick to believe CNN.

19 posted on 02/04/2016 3:42:42 PM PST by libertylover (The problem with Obama is not that his skin is too black, it's that his ideas are too RED.)
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To: SeekAndFind
His giving this excuse gives his opponents the impression that he is giving up ( I know I'd get that impression if I heard it for the first time ).

It is unfortunate that Cruz ( and also Rubio ) staffers and supporters ( e.g. Steve King ) misinterpreted it as quitting and posted it as such.

But all uses of the word - EVIL - anywhere are misplaced IMHO.

LOL, sabotage of ones opponents in order to manipulate outcomes against the interests and efforts of voters is EVIL.

Grow up.

20 posted on 02/04/2016 3:47:20 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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