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    sui_generisBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:28am

    Mildly-Interesting Factoid — the Republicans haven’t won a Presidential race without someone named Bush or Nixon on the ballot since 1928.

    Mildly-Depressing Factoid — so far the turnout in primary states has been way down from last year among Democratic voters, and way up among Republican ones.

    Meaningful on the Republican side come November, or just the result of so many options on their primary ballot...?

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      KC Ribssui_generis
      2/22/16 12:38am

      Let’s just say that Nixon didn’t propel Eisenhower to victory in 1952 or 1956, and Bush didn’t propel Reagan to victory in 1980 or 1984.

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      GeorgeGeoffersonLivessui_generis
      2/22/16 12:46am

      There is more heat on the GOP side becuase as you say there have just been so many more choices, and because it’s the party out of the White House. I honestly hope no one is expecting 2008 numbers from Dems, because they aren’t going to happen and never was. This is going to be closer to 2012.

      Of course the party out of the White House is going to be hungrier. The only way this will matter, however, is if they end up picking someone competitive.

      A good sign for Dems? Bernie and Hillary are raising amounts of money not usual for this kind of seat for an outgoing president of the same party. Hillary in particular is shoring up downballot Dems in huge ways by coordinating fundraising for what had been at the beginning of this a struggly DNC. I like that someone’s paying attention to the House and Senate races, because it won’t mean much if we don’t make gains down-ballot, and that starts with making such these Senate and Congressional campaigns get the funding and expertise they need from the national party.

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    Wayward ApologyBrendan O'Connor
    2/21/16 11:50pm

    These numbers are really hard to understand, can someone put them in say numbers of adorable puppies and kittens euthanized in animal shelters because of lack of funding?

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      Brendan O'ConnorWayward Apology
      2/21/16 11:53pm

      a fucklot

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      DuddyKravitzWayward Apology
      2/21/16 11:54pm

      It’s approximately like 20.4 million kicks in the balls from rich people who have many, many, many fucks but wouldn’t dream of giving any to the puppies and kittens. Much less, of course *snicker* the poors.

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    GeorgeGeoffersonLivesBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:28am

    BTW, this should have been a story, today:

    Kasich signs bill to defund Planned Parenthood

    Tired of hearing about how “not insane” he is.

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      Chief Wiggum, P.I.GeorgeGeoffersonLives
      2/22/16 4:49am

      Oh I didn’t think anyone was saying he isn’t awful, I thought we were using him to make the point of how awful their field is if he is the least awful of their bunch

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      Austin "lash" WilliamsonGeorgeGeoffersonLives
      2/22/16 5:03am

      Kasich is evil, rather than Trump’s insanity.

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    ╰(　´◔　ω　◔ `)╯< Woke and BokeBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:21am

    The irony is that SuperPACs aren’t even going to propel the eventual President to victory (Trump), just billions of laundered Russian rubles.

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      KC Ribs╰(　´◔　ω　◔ `)╯< Woke and Boke
      2/22/16 12:40am

      Your theory reminds me of the hordes of penniless Buddhist monks who reportedly donated $5,000 each to Al Gore.

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      Poodletime╰(　´◔　ω　◔ `)╯< Woke and Boke
      2/22/16 12:41am

      Tell us more about Trump and the rubles. I am intrigued!

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    AdjraBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:15am

    The Guardian’s analysis of why Bush’s attacks on Rubio failed is spot on. It was so obviously driven by this feeling of entitlement and conceit about some imaginary inner-party political pecking order that simply does not translate for voters. It is actually quite off putting towards Bush, not Rubio. Particularly in a year of anti-establishment fervor, but even more so when it is not really based off of the idea that Rubio should defer to Bush himself (I mean a little, yes Bush is his elder in Florida, but this has little meaning nationally), but rather comes from the idea that Bush’s national stature should be respected because of his family. I am owed the Presidency because of what my family has done for the Party and anyone who challenges me is being disrespectful is a just terrible campaign message.

    Though “kill Rubio in his crib” is a hilarious name for a campaign strategy.

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      GeorgeGeoffersonLivesAdjra
      2/22/16 5:20am

      I actually kind of sympathize with pecking orders. Of course there is no written rule concerning when and who should run in a party. But, if I “waited my turn” for cycle after cycle after putting in the hardwork of building a party only for some corrupt little ambitious showboat to then exploit that apparatus, I’d be a little pissed, too.

      Now, I can’t sympathize with the particular dynasty aspect of this as it relates to Jeb. But, yeah, I hate watching climbers wait behind a bush while someone else is building a ladder, and then race up the ladder they didn’t help to build the minute the guy at the base is finishing it.

      Should Marco make it to the general, he’s going to find out how unprepared for this he really is.

      To be clear, I’m not saying some Jeb is some guy who started at the bottom, or that him bashing Rubio’s entitled attitude isn’t insanely hypocritical. I’m talking about all of this in the more general sense. At the end of the day, a democracy - and internal party politics as they’ve been shaped - is about what the people want. But, Rubio really is a little show pony allergic to work. It has got to be painful for anyone - Jeb or otherwise - having to watch empty suit rise.

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      MaLaoshiGeorgeGeoffersonLives
      2/22/16 9:23am

      I’ve said elsewhere, and still believe, if Rubio makes it to the general, he wins even if he loses. He’ll be a viable candidate for the next three cycles if he doesn’t do something unbelievably stupid. Er, MORE unbelievably stupid than all the stupid shit he already says and does, I mean.

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    Syphilitic Scalia SaysBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:09am

    $24.4 million dollars worth of Supergirl themed Real Dolls and the associated parts, cleaners, accessories, outfits, etc.

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      Masshole JamesSyphilitic Scalia Says
      2/22/16 12:28am

      Can we hold a contest to change your name? Maybe to Clarence Chlamydia or something...

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      Syphilitic Scalia SaysMasshole James
      2/22/16 12:36am

      Bed, Bath, & Beyonce

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    GeorgeGeoffersonLivesBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:10am

    Richard DeVos, owner of the Orlando Magic

    Of course the fucking DeVos’ have their hand in this failure. They are basically the main funder of the the Michigan GOP and every conservative interest you can think of in the state.

    The Dems have had it hard up here, lately, but one of my most enduring political memories in statewide politics will be when incumbent Governor Jennifer Granholm beat his Romneybot 2.0 son by 14 points in the 2006 gubernatorial election after everyone over the summer was lamenting she was through. It was kind of like a rough preview of the 2012 presidential election. DeVos spent $42.5 million, the most of any gubernatorial campaign in state history at the time. Over $35 million of that came from his and his families wealth. Granholm ended up spending only $15.7 million, and did this all with an approval rating under 50%.

    Good to see this weird-ass family wasting its money again at such a spectacular level.

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      Ed SpockGeorgeGeoffersonLives
      2/22/16 7:32am

      Yeah the Devos’ clan has fucked this state six way from Sunday.

      I take consolation in the following though.

      1. The Orlando Magic has never won and NBA title and isn’t close to one anytime soon.

      2. The family is going to burn in hell when they die.

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      Galeria Nacional de ClipArtEd Spock
      2/22/16 8:52am

      The De Vos family is why Austin Powers hates the Dutch.

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    destor23Brendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:09am

    What’s most staggering to me is that the people in charge of these PACs don’t steal the money because they want to keep their reputations with the donors, as you say. That can only mean that keeping their reputations with the donors with worth a hell of a lot more than pocketing $25 million (which is a dynastic fortune even in our age of billionaires).

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      Sktroopdestor23
      2/22/16 6:54am

      Just look into Palin’s SuperPAC if you want to see what happens to the money when you have one being run who doesn’t give a crap about their reputation. Only a small percentage of the monies collected ever make their way to campaign uses with the greatest portion being used by Palin and family for “expenses”.

      This is exactly why the IRS had been investigating SuperPACs a few years back. They are so unregulated that just about anyone can set one up and use the money as they want. During the 2012 election The Colbert Report set up a SuperPAC for no other reason but to show just how loosely-goosey the rules are. (Colbert’s program ended up giving all the funds collected to charities)

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      Cherith Cutestorydestor23
      2/22/16 8:23am

      The type of candidate capable of raising that much money is likely already incredibly wealthy and it’s unnecessary. I know there is never enough money for these people. But it’s really not worth it.

      Keep an eye on what happens to Ben Carson’s PAC money.

      If one of their staff does it “without consent” (or so it would be said) that is theft/fraud/breach of fiduciary duty depending on how they do so.

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    Fresh Courage TakeBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:43am

    If memory serves, didn’t Sarah Palin basically make off with her PAC money?

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      nice_marmotFresh Courage Take
      2/22/16 3:04am

      Yeah, but she blew it all on meth.

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      Armageddon T. Thunderbirdnice_marmot
      2/22/16 7:52am

      Based on how she looked during her Trump stump, I’m guessing opioids.

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    #NotAllYzermanBrendan O'Connor
    2/22/16 12:01am

    Most of that, the Associated Press reports, was from Richard DeVos, owner of the Orlando Magic, who gave $250,000 on January 19.

    Still a better use of money than signing Grant Hill.

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      nice_marmot#NotAllYzerman
      2/22/16 3:02am

      Zing!

      Wait, Grant Hill is still in the league?

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      JRAnice_marmot
      2/22/16 10:38am

      No he’s not, if you were serious.

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