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Far from destroying our democracy, he’s exposing all its phoniness and corruption in ways as serious as he is not. And changing it in the process.As the summer of Donald Trump came to its end — and the prospect of a springtime for Trump no longer seemed like a gag — the quest to explain the billionaire’s runaway clown car went into overdrive. How could a crass, bigoted bully with a narcissistic-personality disorder and policy views bordering on gibberish “defy political gravity,” dominate the national stage, make monkeys out of pundits and pollsters, and pose an existential threat to one...

https://instagram.com/p/75cfHhGhUv/

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush thinks that a new television ad is "disgraceful" for suggesting that his brother George W. Bush didn't keep the country safe during his presidency. Bush singled out Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton in a tweet Sunday, suggesting that her "political machine" was behind a new 30-second ad that will be airing on cable news channels this week.

Videos showing the 6 foot, three inch tall GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush oddly standing on tiptoes for the group photo prior to Wednesday night's debate has stimulated some ridicule of the candidate. This ridicule has prompted Bush campaign manager David Kochel to defend his man by claiming that "it was an effort to level the playing field. Carly Fiorina gets to boost her height by wearing high heels. Why shouldn't Jeb try to offset her unfair advantage by similarly elevating himself?" if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at... http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,180701.0.html

No flaming others on this thread. Thanks. With the thread title in mind, which polls do you trust? Do you trust the "news" polls (as in CNN, ABC News/WaPo, NBC News/WSJ/Survey Monkey or do you trust unscientific online surveys/polls at Drudge Report and Breitbart? How about Gravis Marketing? NBC News Poll, Trump, August - 22%. NBC News poll, Trump, September 6, 2015 - 28%. Right now in the newest NBC News poll (thread at FR right now), Trump - 29%. No statistical improvement from 28%. But Trump is down in the new CNN poll (from 32% just recently to 24%...

After the last presidential nomination cycle, where Mitt Romney had to struggle a bit to get the nomination, GOP leaders decided to make it easier for one of their own to get the nomination. They figured that a GOP insider, bankrolled with big money from the Chamber of Commerce and other like-thinking crony capitalists who want illegal immigration and business opportunities with Iran, could, with proper funding, get 35% or 40% of the vote in Republican primaries. Therefore, GOP insiders thought that increasing the number of states who award delegates based on "winner take all" – where the largest vote-getter,...

Donald Trump may be a hit with the public, but Republicans appear to have little confidence.Seemingly immune to controversies and gaffes that would have ruined less ridiculous men, Donald Trump has topped every single poll taken on the Republican Primary race since late July. But while his controversial views on everything from immigration to trade with China have appealed to a wide swathe of Americans, it has earned him few friends within the party. Statistics site FiveThirtyEight has analysed the endorsements given to each candidate by their fellow party members, weighting the approval of governors, senators and representatives in descending...

GREENVILLE, South Carolina – Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who argued nine cases before the Supreme Court as solicitor general of Texas, declared on Friday almost every Democratic nominee to the high court has voted as a “radical leftist nutcase.” And he said that half of Republican-appointed justices are “screaming trainwreck disasters,” specifically naming Earl Warren, the former chief justice who authored the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision that outlawed segregation. “You know, Democrats are batting almost 1.000 when it comes to Supreme Court nominees,” Cruz told the crowd at the Heritage Action presidential forum in South Carolina. “Every...

Greenville, South Carolina (CNN)—Republican presidential hopefuls were split Friday amid the fallout from Donald Trump not taking issue with a man who, during a campaign event, called President Barack Obama a Muslim and said Muslims are "a problem in this country." Rick Santorum and Ted Cruz refused to criticize Trump or say whether they believe Obama is a Christian, instead slamming reporters for asking about the incident. Jindal said it wasn't a candidate's "role" to correct a questioner -- but also said he would have pointed out the U.S.'s anti-discrimination values. And Chris Christie, Lindsey Graham and Jeb Bush emphatically...

[SNIP] Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush triggered boos when he defended his early support for the Common Core education standards, a policy developed by state leaders in both parties that has become a target of tea party ire. "I'm for higher standards, and Common Core standards are higher than the standards that exist," Bush said before being interrupted by boos. "If South Carolina wants to be without Common Core standards, great, just make sure the standards that you apply are higher than the ones before you had Common Core. Standards matter. Accountability matters." [SNIP]

Jeb Bush Responds To Trump: Obama Is An ‘American, He’s A Christian’ By Sean Sullivan. September 18. MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. -- Jeb Bush responded Friday night to Donald Trump's decision this week not to correct a questioner who said President Obama is a Muslim who is "not even an American." "Barack Obama is a talented man -- and by the way he's an American, he's a Christian -- his problem isn't the fact that he was born here or what his faith is," said Bush in a speech here. "His problem is that he's a progressive liberal who tears down...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Gov. Scott Walker, eager to jump-start a flagging campaign, expressed support for a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding and likened his fights with lawmakers in Wisconsin to the movie “Braveheart.” Jeb Bush reveled in the weeds of his tax plan and federal discretionary spending, appearing grateful for the chance to address a policy forum — until a discussion of his long-held support for Common Core education standards inspired hearty boos. “Hang on a second,” he pleaded. “You’re going to like the ending of this story.” And Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon ascending in recent weeks toward...

Via Sean Sullivan at Twitter Sean Sullivan ‏@WaPoSean · 29m29 minutes ago .@JebBush responds to Trump in Mackinac speech: "Barack Obama is a talented man -- and by the way he's an American. He's a Christian."

Almost unnoticed in Wednesday night’s GOP debate was the insult aimed by Jeb Bush at every activist Irish American who remembers the troubles in Northern Ireland. Bush was asked a throwaway question: 'Which female he would put on the $10 bill?', as has been mooted by many in Congress. His reply was astonishing. While other candidates made appropriate picks such as Rosa Parks and Susan B. Anthony, Bush threw a curve ball at Irish Americans everywhere with his pick. "I would go with Ronald Reagan's partner: Margaret Thatcher," Bush said. "A strong leader is what we need in the White...

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush said Monday that his wife misled U.S. Customs officials about $19,000 in new clothing and jewelry she brought into the country because she didn't want him to know how much she had spent on her five-day Paris shopping trip. Forced to explain his wife's actions at the Atlanta airport Thursday, Bush said Monday that the episode had disrupted their family life. His wife, Bush said, feels "horrible about this." "It was a difficult weekend at our house," Bush said. On Friday, the Bushes disclosed that Columba Bush had paid a $4,100 fine and was briefly...

In this anti-establishment time, Jeb Bush is branding himself as a “disrupter.” He has been increasingly using that word in the context of his Tallahassee record and how he would shake up Washington. “People know that we need principle-centered leadership, a disrupter to go to Washington, D.C. The one guy that had some special interests that I know of that tried to get me to change my views on something -- that was generous and gave me money -- was Donald Trump. He wanted casino gambling in Florida …” Bush again pressed the word during an interview Thursday with Sean...

She says this on a podcast with Fox colleague Chris Stirewalt. Dana: Do you think any of them run as a third party? Stirewalt: No, Paul has been a loyal foot soldier for Mitch McConnell, he ain't gonna do that. And Ted Cruz ain't gonna do that. Could Trump still -- he's not gonna get -- Dana: I don't think it would be Trump. Stirewalt: Who would it be? Dana: I'm gonna hold my cards. She advertised this on The Five and gave a big Chessire Cat grin like she's not speculating, like she knows something. So: Who? Well, first...

A terrible and boring debate can still be consequential. The sheer length of the Republican debates on CNN confounded any chance of there being a single narrative coming out of it. Early on Jeb Bush was completely unable to take on Donald Trump, and I pictured donors rushing to their phones to call Romney back in to save their party from The Donald. But, hours later, Jeb loosened up and showed a sporting personality. Donald Trump came out firing zingers, but became the low-energy man by the end of the night. Jeb gets points for showing any life at all....

LAS VEGAS — Jeb Bush’s first post-debate political rally started a few minutes early, in a rec center room built for 200 but only half-full. He started with an in-joke, about a candidate who would not be named and whose rallies were at least a basketball stadium larger. “I hope that I am so brilliant and so eloquent and so high-energy that you feel compelled to caucus for me,” Bush said as chairs were put down to fill out space. After delivering some of his stump speech, he asked if anyone had seen the debate. “It was crazy, different,” he...

During a turning point in the Republican debate Wednesday, Jeb Bush was asked about a charged comment Donald Trump made this summer about Bush's Mexican-born wife.. Trump, who has repeatedly called Bush weak on immigration, had said in July that Bush has "a soft spot for people from Mexico" because of his wife's ancestry. “Did Mr. Trump go too far?” a debate moderator asked Bush last night. Bush, the former Florida governor, defended his wife, saying she “loves this country as much as anybody in this room.” Seemingly emboldened by the applause that followed, Bush went a step further. “We're...