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That would be both Chris Christie AND Carly Fiorina – after really disappointing results (and blowing millions of bucks), they have dropped out of the race seeking the Presidency.  TMEW asked me about Carly as she had boasted that she was going all the way as recently as last night; all I could do is shrug my shoulders and go “that’s politics”.

Ladies first – message from Carly:

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for this campaign. For standing with me, for fighting with me. For your generosity, for your support, and for your faith. Thank you.

This campaign was always about citizenship—

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Hello Friend,

Tomorrow we in NH have the privilege to cast our votes in the first in the nation primary. I hope you will join me in voting for Senator Ted Cruz. I believe Ted Cruz has the ability to lead our country back to traditional conservative values in the way that Reagan did after the disastrous Carter years.

Early in the primary process I had the opportunity to hear and/or meet many of the republican candidates. Last summer I threw my enthusiastic support behind the man who most distinguished himself as a genuine conservative with proven backbone to take on the establishment in both parties.

Key factors in my decision were:

• BACKBONE – as a freshman senator in DC he stood up for the conservatives values he was elected to represent even when he had to stand against the establishment leadership of his own party. HE WILL STAND FOR THE VALUES HE BELIEVES IN. He has proven that!
• CONSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATIVE – as a constitutional lawyer, as a Texas Solicitor General, as a senator and as a candidate he has clearly articulated constitutional values that I believe in and that our nation was founded on.

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Updated: Originally posted 11/18/15.  Bumped for tomorrow’s First In The Nation Primary

The last couple of election cycles, the ‘Grok as been rather stingy with endorsements. We decided that we would raise our bar high and no longer do the “least worst” that we did in some cases in the past.  We decided that it was no longer sufficient that an “R” followed someone’s name.  It is about Principle and, if at all possible, to look at their actions.  After all, winning is merely a precursor; what is most important is what is done afterwards. Our evaluation started.

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Character used to matter, a lot, on both sides of the aisle.  Now?  Not so much.  Think about these words – one of the seldom time that I will lift an entire post by Jerry Molen at the Daily Interlake (emphasis mine):

OPINION: ‘Once upon a time…’ (It’s not a fairy tale; it’s American history)

Once upon a time… we relished the thought of honesty. We cherished the stories of our first president speaking the truth when it came to chopping down a cherry tree. Now it seems one who may run for the office of president of the United States can lie and for some it doesn’t matter.

Once upon a time… we shunned those liars and prevaricators of truth and deception. Now we celebrate them, elect or hire them and even cheer them rather than demand truth and ethical behavior.

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And not just because they may show results that I don’t like.  It is well known that the polling industry hasn’t been doing all that well the last few cycles with results that didn’t match reality.  Think Brat over Cantor where the TEA Party guy (Brat) was predicted to get swamped by the #3 guy in the US House.

Cantor got schmucked (I do love Yiddish words!); so much for “polling”.  And Trump was supposed to beat everyone last week in Iowa – so much for that.  So when I saw this at RedState, my eyes bugged out:

Was leaked an internal poll from a campaign (SORRY CAN'T SAY WHICH ONE) showing New Hampshire:
Trump 32
Gilmore 17
Kasich 12
Rubio 11
Bush 9

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) February 8, 2016

Seriously – Jim Gilmore?  

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Shot:

Marco Rubio: Let’s dispel with this notion that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

Chaser:

Jeb Bush: “My pledge to you: When I’m president I will not blame Barack Obama for a single thing,” he told listeners at the Nashua Country Club in Nashua, N.H. “The day that I’m sworn into office, I’m on watch — whatever it is.”

Sorry Jeb!, this doesn’t make it.  Much of the malaise of the country is due directly to Obama’s policies that have festered for the last 7 years and for the last two (and the remaining one), he’s only stepped harder on the accelerator in transforming America for the worst.

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And it definitely shows a higher intensity level on the Right than for the Left (emphasis mine, reformatted):

CONCORD — Secretary of State Bill Gardner is predicting a record 550,000 votes will be cast in Tuesday’s Presidential Primary. He believes 282,000 Republican ballots will be cast – a record for the GOP – and 268,000 Democratic ballots, second to the 272,000 cast in 2008.

…There are 882,959 registered voters in the state, with 389,472 undeclared voters, 262,111 Republicans and 231,376 Democrats. If Gardner’s prediction is actuate, 62 percent of the state’s registered voters will participate in Tuesday’s primary.

And the bonus part?

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National Geographic finds that school kids know the answer right away.  Adults, not so much.

You?

Answer after the jump.  And no, I did not “get it”.

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“…Other left-wing groups described them as Leninist and even Stalinist. (snip).  As late as 1969, well after Bernie’s 1963 visit, Dissent was describing Hashomer Hatzair kibbutzim as “Stalinist”.

…Its founder, Ya’akov Hazan, described the USSR as a second homeland and eulogized Stalin, writing how shocked he and his comrades were, “to hear of the terrible tragedy that has befallen the nations of the Soviet Union, the world proletariat and all of progressive mankind, upon the death of the great leader and extolled commander, Josef Vissarionovich Stalin. We lower our flag in grief in memory of the great revolutionary fighter, architect of socialist construction, and leader of the world’s peace movement. His huge historical achievements will guide generations in their march towards the reign of socialism and communism the world over.”

Al Hamishmar, the movement’s paper, had a headline which read, “The Progressive World Mourns the Death of J.V. Stalin”

OK, the piece was about Bernie’s 1963 stay at a socialist kibbutz, Kibbutz Sha’ar Ha’amakim, and showing how much it was aligned with Stalinism; the above is from its founder upon the deceasement of Joe Stalin, former butcher leader of Soviet Union during WW II. It wasn’t that it was about Stalin that caught my eye,nor the thought that Bernie Sanders must have fit in like he was rolled in that Red flag.

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