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| English: Trump International Hotel and Tower and the Chicago River (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Trump dominated the Republican primary in South Carolina on Saturday, just as he did in New Hampshire. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida finished second, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas was third.
Former Secretary of State Clinton overcame her nervousness about Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont's upstaging her to win the Nevada caucus. also on Saturday.
In the GOP delegate count (according to Real Clear Politics) Trump has the early lead with 67, Cruz with 11, and Rubio with 10. To gain the nomination, 1237 delegates are needed to win.
Clinton had 502 delegates on the Democratic side (Real Clear Politics includes so-called "superdelegates" here) to Sanders' 70. She needs 2382 to win.
We all know by now that every time Trump opens his mouth, he's bound to offend someone. That person right now is none other than Pope Francis, who said that Trump's plan to wall off the U.S.-Mexican border is what he considers to be un-Christian behavior. The Donald, going where other politicians fear to tread when it comes to dealing with certain religious leaders, called the remark "disgraceful". Besides, isn't the Vatican itself walled off? This is just one reason why Trump is where he is. You've heard people complain that politicians will say and do just about anything to get elected? This guy does that, and the public and media just lap it up.
The GOP field is down to five candidates following the departure of Jeb Bush. In any other election, the former Florida governor would have been the favorite, being rich, powerful and connected. He just ran up against someone just like him, but without the political history and reserve. Does this mean that the Bush political dynasty is over, or is it just taking a break?
Rubio may not have won a single primary thus far, but by default he's being seen as the choice of mainstream Republicans now that Bush is gone. They believe Cruz is too extreme and Trump is too . . . too much to be taken seriously as credible conservatives. One wonders if it's already too late to stop Trump, despite the GOP's best efforts. If they're putting in an effort at all.
The next biggie on the campaign trail (not counting the South Carolina Democratic primary this Saturday, where Clinton is expected to win) is Super Tuesday on March 1, where 11 states with primaries or caucuses will help decide the fate of the field.
No doubt you have seen ads for the candidates bombard your TV screens in the more highly-contested states. Not so much in Minnesota, where Clinton and Sanders have had their messages on local stations. But where's the GOP? Do they think this state isn't important in the grand scheme of things politically?
The next few weeks will tell a lot about who's going to be the nominees for both parties. The way things are going, however, this race may just have been decided.
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