Jeb Bush Was Supposed to Be New Face of Conservatism, But GOP Rivals Outpaced Him (VIDEO)

His campaign's just sad.

It's always been sad. He's been hated from the get-go. Nobody's wanted him. Nobody's wanted a third Bush term. Now the question is how he can bow out without disgracing his family even further?

At the Los Angeles Times, "Fight or flight? In New Hampshire, Jeb Bush's sagging campaign faces reckoning":

When Jeb Bush entered the presidential race, he had a vision of a transformative candidacy that would remake the Republican Party, attracting young people and minorities — especially Latinos — with a vibrant new image based on solid conservative principles.

Now it has come to this: A dismal finish in the Iowa caucuses, a slog through New Hampshire and a growing wish in the party that Bush would step aside or, at least, tone down his campaign so he doesn't hurt someone more likely to win — such as Marco Rubio, who reflects much of what Bush hoped to accomplish when he ran.

It is, he tells audiences, an exciting and joyful experience.

But for others watching, who know Bush and his family personally, or who witnessed his firm command as Florida's two-term governor, the spectacle is sad and disheartening to see. “It bothers people because they believe he deserves better,” said Susan MacManus, who teaches political science at the University of South Florida and has closely followed Bush and his career for decades.

Stepping into a Bush campaign event can seem like a voyage to the past.

The family lineage is evident even without the ritual invocation of his mother — who campaigned alongside Bush in New Hampshire on Thursday night — his father and, sometimes, his oldest brother, both former president. There is the awkward syntax, the preppy manner and, above all, the unfashionable reverence for elected office and the sanctity of the political process.

Noting that businessman Donald Trump has used profanity three times in a recent speech — Bush had obviously counted — he insisted, “Look, I'm no fuddy-duddy. But this should be at least [PG]-rated. I mean, we're running for president of the United States. There are children listening to this stuff!”

The issues he talks about — term limits, a balanced-budget amendment — were moldy when his brother sought the White House 16 years ago and some of his language can sound oddly old-fashioned as he warns against abusing a president's executive powers, “Oh, my goodness gracious!” or throws a session open to questions with an exuberant, “Give me some doozies!”

There is a hopeful Bush scenario in New Hampshire: a strong finish in Tuesday's primary, which sends him roaring into the next contest in South Carolina, where he emerges as the favorite of those in the Republican Party desperate to stop the insurgencies of Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.It seems improbable, however.

New Hampshire rescued Bush's father, then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, after he stumbled in Iowa in 1988. The state tripped up his older brother, the front-running George W. Bush, and almost cost him the GOP nomination to a surging John McCain in 2000.

This time, though, Jeb Bush rests far back among the also-rans, easily overlooked but for the bombardment of TV and radio advertisements savaging Trump and, especially, Florida Sen. Rubio, a former protégé-turned-campaign-nemesis.

The onslaught has angered many Republicans, including lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who see it as gratuitous, hopeless and, worse, potentially damaging to a candidate some have started to see as their best general election candidate after Rubio's strong third-place finish Monday night in Iowa. Bush appears unmoved.

“Guess what? This is not beanbag,” he said when a woman at a Laconia Town Hall meeting complained about the pile of attack mailers she has received from a pro-Bush political action committee, which has spent tens of millions of dollars attacking Rubio. “If you think it's ugly right now, wait till you get to the general election.”

With an edge to his voice, Bush offered this unsolicited advice to Rubio, who has complained about the barrage of negativity: “Get over it, man. This is politics.”

The former governor is 62, older than the 44-year-old Rubio but younger than Trump and both of the two Democrats running for president...

He might have to drop out after Monday night, but perhaps he's a glutton for punishment, or doesn't want to embarrass his family? I don't know. But the sooner he drops out the better --- it's been merciless on those who've had to watch.

PREVIOUSLY: "Stakes Are High in Tonight's GOP Debate."

FLASHBACK: Hillary Clinton Concession Speech After Finishing Third in 2008 Iowa Caucuses

Here's a preview of her Monday night speech coming up, after she loses New Hampshire to Bernie Sanders, lol.

For the life of me this woman can't get a break. In 2008, everyone thought she'd lock down an Iowa win and coast to the nomination. A year ago people were thinking the same thing about 2012.

The voters aren't cooperating with the party elites and the Clinton machine, obviously.

Via the Des Moines Register:

Deal of the Day: Braun 3040 Electric Shaver

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Plus, from E.J. Dionne, Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism, From Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond.

And Matt Lewis, Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (and How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots), and McKay Coppins, The Wilderness: Deep Inside the Republican Party's Combative, Contentious, Chaotic Quest to Take Back the White House.

BONUS: From Russell Kirk, The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot.

Stakes Are High in Tonight's GOP Debate

Following-up, "GOP Debate Tonight."

At WSJ, "GOP Debate Preview: High Stakes for Candidates Saturday":

The Republican presidential debate night in New Hampshire Saturday will feature the smallest array of candidates yet, but the stakes are higher than ever: For several candidates, this debate could be their swan song.

Among the seven candidates on the stage, there are several for whom a strong showing in New Hampshire is a make-or-break affair. Unlike prior nights, there is no undercard debate.

The line up has been whittled to seven as three candidates have quit the race after poor performances in Iowa — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Sen. Rick Santorum, and Sen. Rand Paul. Also missing is former Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina, who was excluded from the stage because she didn’t do well enough in Iowa or recent polls.

For the seven who remain, here is what they need to accomplish in the debate at St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, N.H...

Keep reading.

Behind the scenes of Playboy's First Non-Nude Issue (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Playboy Magazine's First Non-Nude Issue."

Via ABC News Nightline:

GOP Debate Tonight

It's an ABC News debate, co-sponsored by WMUR News 9 Manchester, New Hamphire.



Plus, "WBUR New Hampshire Primary Poll: Trump Leads Nearest Rivals 29-to-12 Percent."

More Than a Thousand People Flock to Kanab, Utah, for Funeral of Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum (VIDEO)

At USA Today, "Man killed in Ore. standoff remembered as father, patriot":

ST. GEORGE, Utah — An Arizona rancher who was shot to death in a showdown with law enforcement authorities in Oregon last week was remembered Friday as a man who loved his family, his God and his country during funeral services in Utah.

More than a thousand mourners dressed in Sunday best, some in cowboy hats and boots, gathered at a Mormon church near the Kanab airport for services paying tribute to Robert "LaVoy" Finicum of Cane Beds, Ariz., who died Jan. 26 following the monthlong siege at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

“I know my dad’s working just as tirelessly on the other side to protect his family and our freedoms,” one daughter said. Finicum’s 11 children spoke in quick succession during the services.

“He often commented to me about all the good people who were coming to see him and how it encouraged him,” Finicum’s wife, Jeanette, said.

One of those people was Cedar City resident Beth Stephenson, who wrote a condolence card for Finicum’s family while waiting for the funeral to begin.

Stephenson said she introduced herself to Finicum during his brief stop in Cedar City last month for a radio talk show interview before returning to Oregon.

Stephenson, who was working next door to the radio station, said she was impressed with Finicum’s sincerity so she decided to go to the station during a break in the interview.

“I had a strong feeling that he was doing the right thing. ... It was a really strong impression that this was a really great man,” Stephenson said...

More.

PREVIOUSLY: "Supporters from Across the U.S. Gathered for LaVoy Finicum Funeral Services in Kanab, Utah (VIDEO)."

Democrats Use New Hampshire Primary to Frame Long Battle to Come

Following-up from earlier, "A Raging Battle Over the Democrat Party's Future."

At the Washington Post, "Clinton, Sanders use N.H. primary to frame long battle to come":

CONCORD, N.H. — For the Democratic presidential candidates, there are two urgent campaigns underway in New Hampshire.

The first is over the size of what Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders agree is a likely Sanders victory here: Clinton is pulling out every stop to shrink what the latest polls show is a gap of 20 percentage points or more, while Sanders is striving for a win that would give his long-shot candidacy fresh momentum.

But the more consequential battle playing out on the ground here this week may be about what happens after New Hampshire — and which themes and issues will shape a potentially prolonged battle for the Democratic nomination.

At her appearances here this week, Clinton has tried to build a foundation to frame the choice before Democratic voters in the weeks ahead. “I’m a progressive who gets results,” she has said again and again.

It is not that Clinton is giving up on New Hampshire, a state where she in 2008 and her husband, Bill Clinton, in 1992 mounted comebacks. But however unlikely a victory in Tuesday’s primary may seem, Clinton is using the closing days of the New Hampshire campaign to set the tone for the contests in Nevada and South Carolina, as well as the dozens of big-state primaries and caucuses that follow in March and beyond.

Clinton plans to leave New Hampshire briefly on Sunday for a hastily arranged visit to Flint, Mich. She has regularly cited the lead-poisoned water crisis in the economically depressed and majority-African American city as an example of racial and economic inequality.

“Hillary is looking across a much broader and more diverse Democratic Party than the New Hampshire electorate,” said strategist Paul Begala, a Clinton loyalist. “An old professor of mine said there are parachutists and truffle hunters. Truffle hunters dig down real deep and focus on one thing, and parachutists look at the entire landscape. This is what’s going on here.”

The same could be said for Sanders. On Friday, the senator from Vermont accepted the endorsement of Benjamin Jealous, the former head of the NAACP. (Jealous was scheduled to join Sanders at a news conference at the historic town hall in Exeter, N.H., but a snowstorm snarled his travel plans, and the two men addressed reporters by phone.)

Sanders’s move was aimed at a much wider audience than predominantly white New Hampshire. It also comes as he is trying to boost his recognition and support among black voters, who account for more than half of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina, which holds its primary on Feb. 27.

But Sanders is hardly taking his eye off New Hampshire. Though his aides are trying to tamp down expectations, Sanders is doing everything he can to grind out a big win. His campaign is trying to frame the primary here as a test of general-election strength, considering the state’s large numbers of independent voters.

If he beats Clinton by a large margin, his advisers said, it would be a crucial springboard that gives immediate credibility to his insurgent bid...

Keep reading.

Raheel Raz, By the Numbers: The Untold Story of Muslim Opinions & Demographics

This is awesome, via Big Government, "Viral Video by Muslim Woman Sparks Movement to Defeat Radical Islam." (Via Memeorandum.)



And the Clarion Project, "'By the Numbers': Watch Clarion's New Short Film."

Also, clicking through, "By the Numbers Movie – How We Measured the Stats."

Iowa Democratic Party Jiggered Precinct's Caucus on Election Night

At the Guardian UK, "Iowa Democratic party altered precinct's caucus results during chaotic night":

Shift of one delegate from Bernie Sanders to Hillary Clinton raises questions about Iowa Democratic party’s management of first-in-the-nation vote.

In the Iowa Democratic party’s chaotic attempt to report caucus results on Monday night, the results in at least one precinct were unilaterally changed by the party as it attempted to deal with the culmination of a rushed and imperfect process overseeing the first-in-the-nation nominating contest.

In Grinnell Ward 1, the precinct where elite liberal arts college Grinnell College is located, 19 delegates were awarded to Bernie Sanders and seven were awarded to Hillary Clinton on caucus night. However, the Iowa Democratic party decided to shift one delegate from Sanders to Clinton on the night and did not notify precinct secretary J Pablo Silva that they had done so. Silva only discovered that this happened the next day, when checking the precinct results in other parts of the county.

The shift of one delegate at a county convention level would not have significantly affected the ultimate outcome of the caucus, but rather, it raises questions about the Iowa Democratic party’s management of caucus night.

The Iowa Democratic party had long been plagued with organizational issues around the caucus and failed to find hundreds of needed volunteers to oversee individual precinct caucuses just over a week before Monday. The result was a disorganized process that lent itself to chaos and conspiracy theories. Although Andy McGuire, the chair of the Iowa Democratic party, is a longtime Clinton supporter whose license plate once read HRC 2016, no one familiar with the issue has accused the error of being a partisan process. Instead, they have blamed simple mismanagement.

The party issued a statement early on Tuesday, detailing final delegate numbers that had Clinton winning the caucuses. However, the statement came shortly after party officials gave the impression to the Sanders campaign that no statement with results would be issued at all that night.

Instead, they were told “they would reconvene at 9am and let’s talk”. As of now, Clinton has a lead of just over two-tenths of a percent over Sanders in the overall apportionment of delegates in Iowa. This would equal an overall share of 23 delegates to the national convention for Clinton, to Sanders’ 21. The Iowa Democratic party has refused to audit the results.

The subject came up in Thursday night’s Democratic debate. Clinton expressed no opposition to the concept of an audit saying: “Whatever they decide to do, that’s fine.” Sanders was equally as relaxed. “Let’s not blow this out of proportion,” he said, adding,: “This is not the biggest deal in the world. We think, by the way, based on talking to our precinct captains, we may have at least two more delegates.”

Keep reading.

And see Jennifer Jacobs, at the Des Moines Register, "Iowa margin between Clinton, Sanders shifts as errors found."

Construction Crane Collapse in Lower Manhattan Kills One Person (VIDEO)

At the New York Post, "One person was killed and three others injured when a crane collapsed in lower Manhattan."

And at CBS News 2 New York:

Bernie Sanders Interrupts Press Conference, Rushes to Help Man Who Fainted (VIDEO)

Hat Tip: Ericka Anderson on Facebook this morning, who said, in so many words, that no matter what you think about his views, it's no doubt that Bernie Sanders is a kind and decent man.

Watch:

Jackie Johnson's Weekend Forecast

More nice weather. I don't think anyone's going to complain for tomorrow's Super Bowl up north.

WBUR New Hampshire Primary Poll: Trump Leads Nearest Rivals 29-to-12 Percent

See, "WBUR Poll: In N.H., Democratic Race Tightens Slightly, Trump Stays Ahead on GOP Side."

Trump's numbers are consistent across the number of New Hampshire polls I've blogged. It's the "battle for the second" tier that's pretty unsettled. But Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are tied at 12 percent in the WBUR poll, although the CNN/WMUR poll had Rubio at 18 percent, which is a pretty good difference. See, "Trump Ahead by 11-Points in New Hampshire; Rubio Surges in 'Battle for the Second Tier' (VIDEO)."

It's been a crazy week.

The UMass Lowell poll is releasing numbers throughout the weekend, so there's still more data we'll have to look at before Tuesday's election.

So, check back, as always.

A Raging Battle Over the Democrat Party's Future

It's an ideological battle, although I don't think it's as big a deal as all the media people make it out to be.

The Democrats have been lurching leftward since the early Bush administration, especially post-2003 and the Iraq war. The Democrats became the party of defeat, attacking the Iraq war as based on a lie. John Kerry lost in 2004, but Barack Hussein won in 2008, and the party's been moving left ever since. Now with Bernie Sanders, the Democrats are out and out proclaiming their ideological socialism. No doubt some DNC folks aren't pleased with this candor, thinking it might hurt them in 2016, and Hillary's trying to appear progressive, but not too much so. She's hammering on the pragmatic "progressive who gets things done" meme. But it won't matter much. The cat's out of the bag. If a Democrat wins in November it'll be up to the Republicans in Congress to push back against further gains for socialist ideology in this country, and who's optimistic about that? Not too many GOP primary voters, by the looks of things.

In any case, at the Los Angeles Times, "In fight between Clinton and Sanders, a raging battle over Democrats' future":

The Democratic presidential campaign is most obviously a fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. It is also a contest over what kind of party Democrats want to have and what level of purity will be required to be part of it.

The party’s leftward swing this year, made obvious by the surge of support for democratic socialist Sanders and his call for political revolution, marks a direct reversal of the party’s shift to the center in the 1990s. That lurch, engineered by Clinton’s husband Bill and his allies, moderated the party after its loss of 5-of-6 presidential campaigns from 1968 through 1988 and ushered in a period of top-of-the-ticket Democratic dominance and, for a time, control of Congress.

Clinton's response to Sanders' strength has been to put forward her own brand of pragmatic liberalism and to insist that her plans are more achievable given Republican strength on Capitol Hill and a deeply-divided country. That is a less-than-satisfying response for many Democrats who want to seize on this campaign to pick a nominee who reflects the party’s more-liberal present and not its moderate past.

Both Sanders and Clinton are riding the impact of increased partisanship and polarization in the country, the same factors that have forced Republicans through internal bloodbaths.

A Gallup survey released earlier this year showed the growth of more ideological wings in both parties. Among Democrats, 45% identified themselves as liberal, up 6 points since 2011 and 16 points since 2000. The change has been driven in large part by a growing minority vote and the increasing youth of the party.

Republicans’ growing pains were the mirror image, with self-identified conservatives growing to 68% of the party, up 6 points since 2000.

The fight over what defines a Democrat will spark repercussions throughout the presidential race and into the general election, for the different answers suggest vastly different paths to the presidency.

Sanders' view is that by drawing enthusiastic support he can expand turnout nationally and in the states to create a mandate for his ideas.

"Democrats win when there is a large voter turnout, when people are excited, when working people, middle-class people and young people are prepared to engage in the political process," the Vermont senator said Thursday.

Clinton portrayed herself as the natural successor to President Obama and someone whose views would find support among both Democrats, independents and moderates who might be put off by Sanders’ inciting call...

Still more.

CNN Hypes 'White Nationalist' Robocalls for Donald Trump in New Hampshire (VIDEO)

Here's CNN the report, via Memeorandum, "Trump's unwelcome support: White supremacists."

And Red State's Jay Caruso runs with the story, "White Supremacists Form a Super PAC. Take a Wild Guess Who They're Supporting?" (That's a safe link, to Caruso's Twitter feed. Red State and the National Review people completely lost it this last couple of weeks over Donald Trump. It's been pretty ugly, really.)

This isn't the first media outlet hyping the so-called "White Nationalist" support for trump. The group's robocalls were also reported in Iowa. The Washington Post covered them, sensationally, apparently. Jared Taylor, who's interviewed at the CNN video, responded to WaPo's report here, "Donald Trump, White Supremacism, and the Insanity of the WASHINGTON POST":

The Washington Post recently interviewed me for a story about robocalls I made to support Donald Trump in Iowa [Hear a white nationalist’s robocall urging Iowa voters to back Trump, January 12, 2016]

The reporter, Peter Holley [email him], was the usual bright young lad, and we had a 45-minute phone conversation that covered a lot of ground.

People who know nothing about racial dissidents call us “white supremacists,” so I explained why that’s wrong.

Me: “No, I’m not a white supremacist. If that’s someone who wants to rule over people of other races, I’ve never even met one. They’re extinct.”

Mr. Holley: “What about someone who thinks white people are superior to other people?”

Me: “I don’t think that. East Asians have higher average IQs, lower crime rates, fewer illegitimate children—they’re superior to whites in lots of ways. Do you want to call me a ‘yellow supremacist’?”

I went on to explain that “white supremacist” is the most morally-loaded expression of contempt for a white person in the English language. I told him it’s the equivalent of calling blacks ni**ers. If you want to say someone is so wicked and primitive that you needn’t pay attention to a word he says, you call him a “white supremacist.”

Well, Mr. Holley managed not to call me the equivalent of a ni**ger—but referred to me as “editor of the white supremacist magazine American Renaissance.”

When I emailed to ask him why AmRen is “white supremacist” he wrote back to say: “I think, given the content of your magazine, that’s not inaccurate.”

I suppose the best we can hope for from Washington Post is that it be “not inaccurate.”

So what did he call me? A “white nationalist.”

As I like to ask, what do you call a black person who prefers black culture and prefers to live and hang out with other black people? A black person. It’s the ones who don’t prefer black culture etc. who are called names like “Oreo.” It’s the same with Hispanics. “Coconut” is not a compliment.

But as soon as a white man says he prefers white people and European culture then you need a swear word for him. If you’ve been talked out of “supremacist” you go with “nationalist”—because it has the bomb-throwing aroma of Basque or Kurdish nationalism.

Years ago, I sometimes let people class me as a “white nationalist.” But I’ve since concluded that the term is hopelessly tainted. White advocate, race realist, identitarian—I accept any of those terms. But I can’t get the WaPo to use them anyway.

The less sophisticated-East Cost-liberal that a paper is, the better. Local community fishwraps have written touchingly straightforward stories about me. Even USA Today recently wrote “Taylor, who describes himself as a ‘white advocate,’. . . .” [White nationalists urge support for Donald Trump in Iowa, by Fredreka Schouten, January 12, 2016]

I tried to warn WaPo’s Mr. Holley about the Southern Poverty Law Center ($PLC to VDARE.com). For the 100th time, I tried to explain how contemptible it is to look for people with whom you disagree, claim to read their minds, and then call them “haters.” It’s like “white supremacist.” “Haters” are so unhinged that what they say is sure to be rubbish, so if the SPLC’s Mark Potok says Jared Taylor is a hater that’s all you need to know about him...

Still more. (Via Memeorandum.)

That's all good.

Remember, though, I draw the line at flying the Confederate Flag. If you're going to insist flying it because is "heritage not hate," you've lost me. I'm sympathetic, but I just don't buy the "heritage" argument, even less so after spending all last summer reading Civil War history.

Supporters from Across the U.S. Gathered for LaVoy Finicum Funeral Services in Kanab, Utah (VIDEO)

There's video at the report.

Watch, at Fox News 13 Salt Lake City, "Supporters from across the country gather in Utah for funeral of LaVoy Finicum":

Hundreds of people gathering at Kanab church for the funeral of LaVoy Finicum. pic.twitter.com/MjY8U9fLU4

— Robert Boyd (@Robertboydfox13) February 5, 2016

Shawna Cox, one of the protesters who was with Finicum and arrested the day he died, just arrived at the funeral. pic.twitter.com/f6DuIIeMfb

— Robert Boyd (@Robertboydfox13) February 5, 2016

Supporters of LaVoy Finicum continue to arrive at a Kanab church, reaction at 4pm. pic.twitter.com/mq0jNX8pML

— Robert Boyd (@Robertboydfox13) February 5, 2016

Two of Finicum's 11 children speak. They say "the federal government broke the law not their father." pic.twitter.com/4MJrdZHXi6

— Robert Boyd (@Robertboydfox13) February 5, 2016

Finicum children are calling for a private investigation regarding their father's death. pic.twitter.com/mnwEYaEElI

— Robert Boyd (@Robertboydfox13) February 5, 2016

KANAB, Utah -- More than a thousand people from across the country gathered in Kanab Friday for the funeral of Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum, who was shot and killed by authorities in Oregon during the standoff and protest at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

LaVoy's two eldest daughters spoke at a press conference after the services, saying they believe their father didn't break the law, but the federal government did. The family is calling for a private, independent investigation into LaVoy's death.

LaVoy Finicum's family said a lot of people in the past week have only focused on the way he died, but they said it's more important to focus on the way he lived

Horses with empty saddles galloped past LaVoy Finicum's family and supporters, as they carried the casket to his final resting place. It was one last ride for the lifelong rancher.

"We've often said LaVoy was born a century too late, you know, so the honor of being led off in a wagon and escorted by horseback is an honor for any cowboy,” said David Cluff, one of Fincium’s cousins.

Many of the people attending the funeral said they never even met LaVoy, but they wanted to be here because they share the same values.

"This is a great American patriot,” said Loie Corson, who attended the services. “I didn't know him, and I might not have done it the way he did, but I really feel in my heart that he tried to do it through the system. He tried to take the legal channels, and when you go up against the system: it's tough.”

PREVIOUSLY: "About Two Dozen People Visited LaVoy Finicum Memorial on U.S. 395 Today."

Megyn Kelly Discusses Her 'Bizarre' Feud with Donald Trump (VIDEO)

She's interviewed by George Stephanopoulos, who I normally try to avoid.

But it's an interesting clip, nevertheless. I have a lot of respect for Megyn Kelly, despite all the attacks Fox News has been getting from various parties, not the least Donald Trump.

Watch, via GMA:

About Two Dozen People Visited LaVoy Finicum Memorial on U.S. 395 Today

LaVoy's funeral was today in Kanab, Utah.

I'll have more on that.

Meanwhile, here's Cole Miller for KOIN News 6 Portland:

Roughly two dozen people showed up to Finicum's memorial along Highway 395 to say a few words #KOIN6News pic.twitter.com/2a632j8TLM

— Cole Miller (@ColeKOIN) February 5, 2016

And watch here, "Hundreds attend LaVoy Finicum viewing," and "Sympathizers pack Utah town for LaVoy Finicum."

Donald Trump Holds 19-Points Lead in UMass Lowell Tracking Poll with 3 Days of Post-Iowa Caucus Data

Okay, following-up, "Trump Ahead by 11-Points in New Hampshire; Rubio Surges in 'Battle for the Second Tier' (VIDEO)."

Now, here's the latest from UMass Lowell, "FEB. 5: RACE TIGHTENING ON BOTH SIDES":

Today is the first release with three days of post-Iowa Caucus data. It appears that Clinton’s win in Iowa has led to a sizable bump. She now trails Sanders by 15 points, 55%-40%. Trump continues to lead his nearest Republican challenger by 19 points. Cruz and Rubio show moderate gains.

And see, "UMass Lowell/7News: Daily Tracking Poll of New Hampshire Voters, Release 5 of 8":

Trump Leads by 19; Race is Tightening

Meanwhile, after losing the expectations game in Iowa, businessman and reality television personality Donald Trump continues to lead his nearest Republican challenger by 19 points. Trump is garnering support from 34% of Republican primary voters; he is down two points from Wednesday’s release and four points since our first release before the Iowa Caucus. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who had previously gained in every day of our tracking poll, remains at 15%, unchanged from yesterday. Ted Cruz is at 14% (no change), John Kasich is at 8% (+1), Jeb Bush is at 8% (no change), Chris Christie is at 5% (no change), Ben Carson is at 4% (no change), Carly Fiorina is at 3% (no change), of Republican Primary Likely Voters 8% remain undecided.

Soft Support: 42% of Republicans Still Could Change Their Minds

Republican primary voters, however, are still making up their minds. In addition to the 8% who remain undecided, 42% say that they could change their mind...

Well, the "soft support" likely means that Saturday's GOP debate could have a real impact.

Stay tuned...

Trump Ahead by 11-Points in New Hampshire; Rubio Surges in 'Battle for the Second Tier' (VIDEO)

The story's at Newsmax, "CNN/WMUR Poll: Trump Has 11-Point Lead on Rubio":

Here are the results:

Donald Trump: 29 percent
Marco Rubio: 18 percent
Ted Cruz: 13 percent
John Kasich: 12 percent
Jeb Bush: 10 percent
Chris Christie: 4 percent
Carly Fiorina: 4 percent
Ben Carson: 2 percent
Jim Gilmore: 0 percent

And watch, via CNN.

I like that, the "battle for the second tier," heh:



And from yesterday, "Donald Trump Now Holds 21-Point Lead in New Hampshire Tracking Poll; Marco Rubio Scores Post-Iowa Bounce."

I'm going to take a look and see what's up with the UMass poll and will update. Stay tuned...

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Plus, David Bowie Black Book.

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California Republican Assemblyman Matthew Harper Walked Precints for Ted Cruz in Iowa

On Monday I was so excited about the caucuses I wrote that I wished I was in Iowa to witness them first hand, to say nothing of campaigning for the candidates.

Well, Assemblyman Matthew Harper, from Huntington Beach, did just that.

What a great story.

At LAT, "A California Republican went to Iowa for the caucuses. Here's what his weekend was like":

Iowa Democrats' HQ building looks grim with no cars in the parking lot, like it's ready to be condemned. #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/nmiKmZ6Guo

— Matthew Harper (@AsmHarper) January 30, 2016

It's a vacation only political nerds could love: a trip to chilly Iowa in the lead-up to its famed presidential caucuses. California Assemblyman Matthew Harper, a Republican from Huntington Beach, booked his first-ever trip to the Hawkeye State months ago, before he even had chosen a candidate.

Last weekend, Harper, one of the more conservative members of the Assembly GOP caucus, spent 36 hours making calls and walking neighborhoods in support of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. He talked to The Times about his whirlwind trip when he returned...

I'm a political nerd, lol.

Keep reading.

Bernie Sanders Supporters Banned from Tinder After Stumping for Candidate on Dating App

OMG this is the most hilarious campaign ever.

Remember the Vanity Fair piece about Tinder last year? Totally salacious and bizarre, frankly. Robert Stacy McCain blogged it, "‘Hit-It-and-Quit-It on Tinder’."

So now some Sanders supporters are banned from the app after campaigning for the geezer Vermont senator and democratic socialist?

You can't make this stuff up!

At Reuters, "Sanders supporters banned from Tinder after campaigning on dating app" (via Memeorandum):

This was me trying to be cool yesterday. #selfie #makeup #makeupaddict #notcool pic.twitter.com/51Bx4rYn60

— Haley Lent (@haleymlent) January 29, 2016

Stumping for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tinder is getting some women banned from the online dating app after sending campaign messages to prospective matches.

Two women - one from Iowa and the other from New Jersey - confirmed to Reuters on Friday that they received notices from Tinder in the previous 24 hours that their accounts were locked because they had been reported too many times for peppering men on the site with messages promoting Sanders' candidacy.

Robyn Gedrich, 23, said she sent messages to 60 people a day for the past two weeks trying to convince them to support the U.S. senator from Vermont in his race for the Democratic nomination against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Do you feel the bern?" her message to other Tinder users read, parroting a Sanders campaign slogan. "Please text WORK to 82623 for me. Thanks."

Gedrich, an assistant store manager at retailer Elie Tahari who lives in Brick, New Jersey, said a text would prompt people to start receiving updates from the Sanders campaign, as well as a link where they could sign up and volunteer. She has been unable to sign back into Tinder since logging off on Thursday.

Haley Lent, 22, a photographer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, told Reuters in a Twitter message that she also got locked out of the app on Thursday night after sending messages trying to convince people to vote for Sanders the previous night.

Lent, who is married, said she talked to 50 to 100 people on the app. She had even bought a Tinder premium membership, which allows users to change their location, for a month so that she could reach people in New Hampshire and promote Sanders.

"I would ask them if they were going to vote in their upcoming primaries," she said. "If they said no or were on the fence, I would try to talk to them and persuade them to vote."

A spokeswoman for Tinder, which is part of Match Group Inc, owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp IAC.O, did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

More.

And ICYMI, "The 'Sexist Double Standard' Behind Millennials' Support for Bernie Sanders."

The Political Betting Market and the Jeb Bush Campaign

So, yesterday I asked "Is there a betting market on when he's dropping out, because the wait is painful?"

And lo and behold, in my inbox this morning, "Political Odds – The Blather Before the NH Battle."

There's no odds on Jeb dropping out, although he's not highly favored to win the GOP nomination, heh:

ODDS TO WIN THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION

Marco Rubio: 3/2
Donald Trump: 4/1
Ted Cruz: 5/1
Jeb Bush: 10/1
John Kasich: 12/1
Chris Christie: 12/1
Ben Carson: 25/1
Carly Fiorina: 40/1
Jim Gilmore, Paul Ryan, Michael Bloomberg, Mitt Romney and Clint Eastwood (field bet): 50/1

Barbara Bush is mobilizing the WWII generation to get out their walkers and vote for Jebbie! #Jeb!

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 5, 2016

"The Bush Family Rallies Behind Jeb in New Hampshire," on @CNN's chyron right now. Oh brother, Jebbie is toast. cc. @BrookeBCNN #JebBush

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 5, 2016

The 'Sexist Double Standard' Behind Millennials' Support for Bernie Sanders

In 2008, Hillary Clinton ran on a relatively genderless platform of competence and pragmatism. She was going to be the one ready to step into the chief executive role and pick up the "red phone."

This year I'm not sure what she's trying to do. Bernie Sanders is accurately hammering her on her flip flops between being a moderate and progressive. You can't be both, although Clinton would like to have that way.

In any case, she's playing the gender card to the hilt this year, including in last night's debate.

Full-on feminist-identity collectivists of course are down with Clinton simply because she's a woman, no matter how desperately the try to say otherwise (see, "An All-Caps Explosion of Stupid Gender Identity Politics").

But 87 percent of young people were going for Sanders in Iowa, so obviously that leaves a lot of other young women going for the Vermont senator.

Why?

Well, according to Catherine Rampell, at the Washington Post, it's because of Sanders' socialism, which is "a feature, not a bug" of his campaign. It's also because Sanders is totally authentic. He's like a social media star who tweets "#IWokeUpLikeThis." With his loose fitting suits, mussed up gray hair, and odd Brooklyn accent, it's like he "woke up just like this," and that endears him to young hipsters.

Yeah, he's pretty cool, I gotta admit, but mostly because it's amazing to watch him take on not just the Clinton machine, but the entire Democrat Party mainstream establishment. It's pretty fascinating.

In any case, more at Memeorandum.

(Oh, the double-standard is that professional women like Clinton can't get away with the all mussed up look. They've gotta be tight and pretty and all-together all the time. That a old guy like Sanders doesn't is totally sexist, man.)

Hillary Clinton 44 Percent, Bernie Sanders 42 Percent, in New National Quinnipiac Poll

It's within the margin of error. Basically, Bernie's got that dead heat thing going nationally with "Secretary" Clinton.

At Quinnipiac, "February 5, 2016 - U.S. Republicans Want Trump, But Rubio Is Best In November, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Dem Race Is Tied, But Sanders Runs Better Against GOP":

Donald Trump still leads the GOP presidential pack among Republican voters nationwide, with 31 percent, followed by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas with 22 percent and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida with 19 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today. Dr. Ben Carson has 6 percent, with 9 percent undecided and no other candidate above 3 percent.

In the Democratic race nationwide, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has 44 percent, with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont at 42 percent, and 11 percent undecided. This compares to a 61 - 30 percent Clinton lead in a December 22 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll.

Sanders and Rubio are the strongest candidates in general election matchups. If former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg runs, he hurts Sanders more than he hurts any of the top Republican contenders.

Among Republicans, 30 percent say they "would definitely not support" Trump, while 15 percent say no to Cruz and 7 percent say no to Rubio.

Sanders has the highest favorability rating among top candidates, while Trump has the lowest.

"Democrats nationwide are feeling the Bern as Sen. Bernie Sanders closes a 31-point gap to tie Secretary Hillary Clinton," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

"And despite the Iowa setback, Donald Trump is way ahead of his GOP opponents."

"But that's not the whole story nine months before Election Day. In mano a mano, or mano a womano, face-offs with all contenders, Sanders and Rubio would be the candidates left standing," Malloy added.

"Although he is characterized as the New York counterpunch to Trump, Mayor Mike Bloomberg is more the nemesis of Bernie than he is of Donald." 

Still more.

In a national match-up, "Sanders thumps Trump 49 - 39 percent."

Ted Cruz and the Art of the Dirty Trick

Following-up from yesterday, "Ted Cruz Campaign Sent Voicemails to Iowa Voters Spreading Ben Carson 'Suspension' Rumors (AUDIO)."

From Amy Davidson, at the New Yorker:

There has never been a more tainted victory in the Iowa caucuses,” a spokesman for Ben Carson’s campaign said on Tuesday. He was referring to what he called Ted Cruz’s “abject lies” and, particularly, to what appears to have been a concerted effort on the part of the Cruz campaign to persuade voters at caucuses that Carson had dropped out. Carson himself told Fox News that his wife had had to personally refute that rumor at one caucus site—and once she had, he said, he won there. “Isn’t this the exact kind of thing that the American people are tired of? Why would we want to continue that kind of, you know, shenanigans?” Donald Trump put the charge in his own terms in a tweet: “Ted Cruz didn’t win Iowa, he stole it. That is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got far more votes than anticipated. Bad!”

That was only part of what Trump had to say. He threatened to sue Cruz; he made himself the champion of the honor of Ben Carson, a man who Trump has suggested is “pathological.” He tweeted that “the State of Iowa should disqualify Ted Cruz from the most recent election on the basis that he cheated—a total fraud!” Cruz had also sent out a mailer marked “Voter Violation,” which purported to contain information about voters and their neighbors, and was printed on yellow paper to look like a real ticket—which, as Ryan Lizza noted, was just the beginning of its problems. It was a “disgrace,” Trump said, adding what was, for a New York real-estate developer, the ultimate insult: “It looks right out of municipal government.” Cruz tried to dismiss it all as a “Trumpertantrum.” The problem was that, in the whirlwind of Trump’s rage, there were some hard objects swirling around and banging into Cruz’s story.

Cruz has said that he won Iowa by being uncompromising and clever, with all those data-driven, micro-targeted canvassing runs—part of what his campaign reportedly called the Oorlog Project. According to Sasha Issenberg, of Bloomberg News, it was “named by a Cruz data scientist who searched online for ‘war’ translated into different languages and thought the Afrikaner word looked coolest.” (“War” is cool; “war” with a hint of an illiberal siege mentality in its orthography is, apparently, coolest.) And it was, by all accounts, a get-out-the-vote drive like none other—even better than Barack Obama’s, in 2008, which had set the standard...

Keep reading.

The "art of the dirty trick." "Artful smears."

This is getting to the mos artful election ever, lol.

'Please Clap' - Jeb Bush Pleads for Seat-Fillers to Applaud (VIDEO)

Is there a betting market on when he's dropping out, because the wait is painful?

Man.

Via CNN:

Playboy Magazine's First Non-Nude Issue

At PuffHo, "Playboy's First Non-Nude Issue Is Here And It's Totally SFW," and London's Daily Mail, "Playboy debuts first nude-free issue: Instagram-famous model Sarah McDaniel poses for a sext on the cover of the redesigned magazine."

"Instagram-famous model" Sarah McDaniel is featured on the cover. She was at Bro Bible last year, "The Internet Is Losing It Over This 20-Year-Old Model With Different Colored Eyes."

Good for Playboy. They're making the transition away from the old-line men's magazine to the social media era.

Deal of the Day: iPhone 6S Case, Verus

At Amazon, iPhone 6S Case, Verus [Layered Dandy][Brown] - [Card Slot][Flip][Slim Fit][Wallet] - For Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S 4.7" Devices.

Plus, from Robert Gildea, Fighters in the Shadows: A New History of the French Resistance, and Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation.

BONUS: From Robert O. Paxton, Vichy France: Old Guard and New Order, 1940-1944, and The Anatomy of Fascism.

Hillary Clinton Can't Shake Troubling Questions About Ties to Wall Street (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "Hillary Clinton Accuses Bernie Sanders of an 'Artful Smear' During New Hampshire Debate (VIDEO)."

What's going to be weird is if Hillary succeeds to forcing Sanders off his Wall Street attacks because of her allegations of "smears." What really are those smears? Is she claiming he's attacking her ties to the Israel Lobby? Now that's innuendo.

At the New York Times, "Hillary Clinton Is Again Put on the Defensive Over Perceived Ties to Wall Street":

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Hillary Clinton appeared frustrated.

Dozens of prominent economists and academic experts have endorsed her plans to regulate the financial sector. Her policies would “try to prevent the problems of the future,” she explained in Thursday’s debate, in addition to reining in “the excesses of Wall Street.”

So why do so many voters not believe it?

“I have a broader view,” Mrs. Clinton said, contrasting her plan to that of Mr. Sanders, whose anti-Wall Street message has turned him from a long-shot candidate to a serious contender for the Democratic nomination.

“If all we are going to talk about is one part of our economy, and indeed one street in our economy, we’re missing the big oil companies, we’re missing the other big energy companies,” Mrs. Clinton said. “We’re missing the big picture.”

The response provided a perfect opening for her populist opponent. “Madam Secretary, it is not one street,” Mr. Sanders said. “Wall Street is an entity of unbelievable economic and political power.”

In an election year fueled by the anger over the growing gap between rich and poor, Mrs. Clinton, who is widely viewed as too close to the financial sector, seems an imperfect messenger for change. She has developed sophisticated policy proposals that many economists agree would aggressively regulate the financial sector, but they have collided with the image that Sanders supporters and other political rivals have painted of her: Wall Street’s friend and defender...

More.

Two NYPD Officers Shot in the Bronx; Suspect Dead (VIDEO)

Well, hopefully Black Live Matters' not fomenting a new wave of cop killings.

At CBS News 2 New York, "2 NYPD Officers Shot In Melrose Houses In The Bronx, 1 Suspect Dead."

Piers Morgan and Susan Sarandon Trade Twitter Barbs

I saw this in real time on Twitter.

At London's Daily Mail, "Piers Morgan and Susan Sarandon trade Twitter barbs and partially-nude photos in response to actress' ample display of cleavage during SAG Awards in memoriam segment."

Would Susan Sarandon wear this to a funeral? No.
It was thus horribly inappropriate for an In Memoriam tribute. pic.twitter.com/hMoGChJY8D

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 3, 2016

Playboy Model Katie May, 'Queen of Snapchat', Dies at 34

She suffered a stroke.

You never know when you're going to go.

At London's Daily Mail, "Playboy model and 'Queen of Snapchat' Katie May dies after suffering 'catastrophic' stroke aged 34 leaving behind young daughter."

'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli Smirks, Takes the 5th, During Congressional Hearing (VIDEO)

Watch, at NBC News, "Martin Shkreli Testifies Before Congress and Annoys Congressmen."

And at USA Today, "Martin Shkreli pleads the Fifth, then tweets about 'imbeciles' in Congress."

LaVoy Finicum Speaks to the Press on 17th Day of Armed Standoff at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "LaVoy Finicum's Death in Oregon Occupation Prompts Memorials Across the Country."

Here's a video flashback, via the Portland Oregonian:

NFL Works on Gender Inclusivity (VIDEO)

I don't see what's the big deal.

Women love football. Will we see women quarterbacks and head coaches? Er, maybe, and that's not the point. It's about making the sport welcoming to both women and men, and opening up opportunities all around.

At CBS Evening News:

Hillary Clinton Accuses Bernie Sanders of an 'Artful Smear' During New Hampshire Debate (VIDEO)

Hmm, is she trying to accuse Sanders of something nefarious, like she's in bed with a Jewish cabal, or something?

I've never heard of anything like that, especially since I think Sanders' attack on her Wall Street ties is completely legitimate. Let's see how this plays out today in all the talking-head commentary.

The background is here, "Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Hold 'Explosive' Debate in New Hampshire."

At watch, via CNN:



And at Politco, "Clinton and Sanders get ugly":

DURHAM, N.H. — Escalating the brawl that's defined the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders viciously attacked each other’s progressive credentials at Thursday night’s debate, with Clinton accusing Sanders of smearing her record and treating her differently because she’s a woman.

An uncomfortable Sanders was taken aback, responding, “Whoa, whoa, whoa...wow.”

"If you've got something to say, say it, directly," said Clinton of Sanders' repeated insinuations that she is beholden to her big money donors. "It's time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out."

Those explosive exchanges — which continued throughout the MSNBC debate — typified the fight between the two candidates who each regularly bristle when confronted with the other's definition of progressivism, or even their Democratic bona fides. The nasty tone showed that Democrats have a heated race on their hands, and that any idea of a Clinton coronation has vaporized.

"A progressive is someone who makes progress," a clearly unhappy Clinton said of Sanders' attempts to paint her as a moderate. "That's what I intend to do." She continued, "I'm a progressive who gets things done. Cherry-picking a quote here or there doesn't change my record."

When Sanders freshly accused Clinton of being part of the “establishment” that he’s railing against, Clinton had a ready response, one that invoked her gender.

“Honestly, Senator Sanders is the only person who I think would characterize me, a woman running to be the first woman president, as exemplifying the establishment,” she said. “It’s really quite amusing to me. People support me because they know me, they know my life’s work. They have worked with me, and many have also worked with Senator Sanders and at the end of the day they endorse me because they know I can get things done.”

Clinton’s accusation came after her campaign has been floating the idea that Sanders and his allies have been engaging in implicitly sexist attacks. With just four days before the New Hampshire primary, Clinton has been ramping up her gender-based appeal and calling out a “Bernie Bro” phenomenon raging online...

More.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Hold 'Explosive' Debate in New Hampshire

I was enjoying it, heh.

From Hadas Gold, at Politico, "Clinton and Sanders just had the election's most explosive exchange to date" (via Memeorandum):

Absolutely great debate.

— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 5, 2016

After a string of debates where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders discussed (and occasionally disagreed about) the fine points of progressive policy, the two finally had a full-fledged throwdown Thursday night.

Clinton accused Sanders of going negative on the campaign trail, telling the Vermont Senator at the Democratic debate that his campaign was smearing her name.

"I think it's time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out in recent week," Clinton said after Sanders talked about getting money out of politics...

David Brock's going to have a field day. The "artful smear," heh.

LaVoy Finicum's Death in Oregon Occupation Prompts Memorials Across the Country

At the Portland Oregonian:

Robert "LaVoy" Finicum was shot to death by the side of a remote Oregon road. Few were there to see him die, but hundreds of people around the country have indicated they will attend rallies and vigils in his memory this weekend.

Finicum was a prominent figure in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He was fatally shot by Oregon State Police on the 25th day of the occupation during a traffic stop that ended with the arrest of key leaders of the occupation.

The funeral is Friday, Feb. 5, in Kanab, Utah, Finicum's family said. More than 30 memorials, candlelight vigils and rallies in at least 17 states are planned for Feb. 5, Feb. 6 and Feb. 7.

Though the FBI said Finicum was reaching for a gun before he was shot, some rally organizers said he should not have died.

"If he was breaking laws, they should have arrested him. He didn't have that chance," said Krista Etter, who has scheduled a rally in front of the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. "He didn't get to be heard to prove he was guilty of anything."

One Facebook event scheduled for Sunday is called "Rally Protest Of The MURDER of LaVoy Finicum."

Keep reading.

Shawna Cox Begs to Attend LaVoy Finicum Funeral

She's being denied.

The funeral's today, in Kanab, Utah.

At the Portland Oregonian, "Accused Oregon refuge occupier begs to attend LaVoy Finicum funeral."

Accused Oregon refuge occupier begs to attend LaVoy Finicum funeral #OregonStandoff https://t.co/J8Uv4cE9hI pic.twitter.com/xFCpSbWTk7

— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) February 5, 2016

Jackie Johnson's Friday Forecast

Hey, great weather. Who can complain?

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

#DemDebate: Will the Real Progressive Please Stand Up? (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "Will the Real Progressive Please Stand Up?"

And just now, from the MSNBC debate.

It's amazing that the modern Democrat Party has jettisoned the old-fashioned "liberal" label worn so proudly by folks like Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. It's no longer your father's Democrat Party.

Watch:

'Once again the world is laughing at Iowa...'

Chuck Todd just mentioned the Des Moines Register's editorial this morning, "Something smells in the Democratic Party":

Once again the world is laughing at Iowa. Late-night comedians and social media mavens are having a field day with jokes about missing caucusgoers and coin flips.

That’s fine. We can take ribbing over our quirky process. But what we can’t stomach is even the whiff of impropriety or error.

What happened Monday night at the Democratic caucuses was a debacle, period. Democracy, particularly at the local party level, can be slow, messy and obscure. But the refusal to undergo scrutiny or allow for an appeal reeks of autocracy.

The Iowa Democratic Party must act quickly to assure the accuracy of the caucus results, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

First of all, the results were too close not to do a complete audit of results. Two-tenths of 1 percent separated Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. A caucus should not be confused with an election, but it’s worth noting that much larger margins trigger automatic recounts in other states.

Second, too many questions have been raised. Too many accounts have arisen of inconsistent counts, untrained and overwhelmed volunteers, confused voters, cramped precinct locations, a lack of voter registration forms and other problems. Too many of us, including members of the Register editorial board who were observing caucuses, saw opportunities for error amid Monday night’s chaos.

The Sanders campaign is rechecking results on its own, going precinct by precinct, and is already finding inconsistencies, said Rania Batrice, a Sanders spokeswoman. The campaign seeks the math sheets or other paperwork that precinct chairs filled out and were supposed to return to the state party. They want to compare those documents to the results entered into a Microsoft app and sent to the party.

“Let’s compare notes. Let’s see if they match,” Batrice said Wednesday.

Dr. Andy McGuire, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, dug in her heels and said no. She said the three campaigns had representatives in a room in the hours after the caucuses and went over the discrepancies.

McGuire knows what’s at stake. Her actions only confirm the suspicions, wild as they might be, of Sanders supporters. Their candidate, after all, is opposed by the party establishment — and wasn’t even a Democrat a few months ago.

So her path forward is clear: Work with all the campaigns to audit results...

More.

Bernie Sanders: 'The economy is rigged...' #DemDebate (VIDEO)

They're going at it like gremlins tonight!

Via MSNBC:

Ted Cruz Campaign Sent Voicemails to Iowa Voters Spreading Ben Carson 'Suspension' Rumors (AUDIO)

The story's at Big Government, "EXCLUSIVE–Voicemails: ‘Ben Carson Suspending Campaigning’; Cruz: ‘Accurate Report’."

Here's #1:

[inaudible]…from the Ted Cruz campaign, calling to get to a precinct captain, and it has just been announced that Ben Carson is taking a leave of absence from the campaign trail, so it is very important that you tell any Ben Carson voters that for tonight, uh, that they not waste a vote on Ben Carson, and vote for Ted Cruz. He is taking a leave of absence from his campaign. All right? Thank you. Bye.

Here's #2:

Hello, this is the Cruz campaign with breaking news: Dr. Ben Carson will be [garbled] suspending campaigning following tonight’s caucuses. Please inform any Carson caucus goers of this news and urge them to caucus for Ted instead. Thank you. Good night.

More at TPM, via Memeorandum, "Cruz Camp Left Iowa Voters Voice Mails Repeating Carson ‘Suspending’ Rumors."

Bernie Sanders Maintains Big Lead in New Hampshire

Here's the results from the latest WSJ/NBC News/Marist poll out of New Hampshire, at NBC News, "Poll: Sanders leads Clinton by 20 points in New Hampshire":

PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire – Bernie Sanders maintains a significant double-digit lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, according to an NBC News/Wall Street/Marist poll conducted after Clinton’s narrow apparent win in Monday’s Iowa caucuses.

Sanders gets the support of 58 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, while Clinton gets 38 percent – essentially unchanged from a last week’s NBC/WSJ/Marist poll, which showed Sanders ahead by a 57 percent-to-38 percent margin in the Granite State...

Keep reading.

Donald Trump Now Holds 21-Point Lead in New Hampshire Tracking Poll; Marco Rubio Scores Post-Iowa Bounce

Following-up from Tuesday, "Latest New Hampshire Republican Poll Shows Donald Trump with 24-Point Lead Over Ted Cruz."

Trump still holds a commanding lead, Ted Cruz is flat, and Marco Rubio's enjoying a post-Iowa bump.

On Twitter:

Rubio gains in @UML_CPO @7News #NHPrimary tracking poll b/c of gains w/ women, age 65+ and registered Republicans https://t.co/8rcR1o7YS8

— UML Public Opinion (@UML_CPO) February 4, 2016

Rubio w/ post-#IACaucus bounce, but trails Trump by 21; Trump stable @ 38, 38, 38 & 36 (today) in 4 days of tracking https://t.co/8rcR1o7YS8

— UML Public Opinion (@UML_CPO) February 4, 2016

Re: Umass NH poll, see page 6 at link. Note trend post Iowa. Trump slightly down, Cruz flat, Rubio daily uptick.https://t.co/NA6JStJjYM

— Brit Hume (@brithume) February 4, 2016

Malheur Holdouts David Fry, Sean Anderson, Sandy Anderson, and Jeff Banta Included in Federal Indictment

Flashback to last Saturday, "'It feels like a zombie apocalypse' — Last Malheur Holdouts Hope Against Hope (VIDEO)."

Well, I guess the feds aren't going to agree to the demands of the last holdouts.

Here's the story, at the Portland Oregonian, "Federal grand jury indicts 16 in refuge takeover":

BREAKING: 4 remaining occupiers indicted for federal conspiracy: David Fry, Sean Anderson, Sandy Anderson and Jeff Banta.

— Les Zaitz (@LesZaitz) February 4, 2016

Indictments accuse 16 of threatening violence against anyone who tried to remove them from refuge #oregonstandoff https://t.co/5n1DULrg42

— Maxine Bernstein (@maxoregonian) February 4, 2016

Read federal indictment against Bundys and alleged co-conspirators here: #oregonstandoffhttps://t.co/5n1DULrg42

— Maxine Bernstein (@maxoregonian) February 4, 2016

Ammon Bundy and 15 others accused in the armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge -- including four people who remain at the bird sanctuary -- have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to impede federal officers through intimidation, threats or force.

A federal grand jury returned the indictments Wednesday and they were unsealed Thursday morning.

It accuses Ammon Bundy, the leader of the monthlong armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns, and the other key players of conspiring to prevent employees of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from working at the refuge, taking over the property armed with firearms and intimidating the people of Harney County.

The alleged offenses began Oct. 5, when two of the defendants met with the Harney County sheriff to warn of "extreme civil unrest'' if their demands were unmet, according to the indictments.

The accused co-conspirators are charged with occupying the federal property "while using and carrying firearms,'' threatening violence against anybody who attempted to remove them from the refuge and using social media and other means of communication to recruit and encourage others to join them.

The indictments also alleged the group carried firearms on the federal property and refused repeated federal orders to leave. It contends the conspiracy lasted through the date of the indictments.

Keep reading.

Young Democrats Reject Hillary Clinton's 'Slick Willy' Reprise, Flock to Bernie Sanders

Hillary's slick, just like her husband, "Slick Willy" --- and the Democrat youth demographic's not going for it.

At NYT, "Young Democrats Flock to Bernie Sanders, Spurning Hillary Clinton’s Polish and Poise":

Is youth in rebellion against Hillary Clinton? @Yamiche and I report: https://t.co/7VR5Bdywor

— Amy Chozick (@amychozick) February 4, 2016

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Bernie Sanders is 74. He grew up playing stickball in the streets of Brooklyn and watching a black-and-white television.

Yet this child of the 1940s, who says Franklin D. Roosevelt is his favorite president, has inspired a potent political movement among young people today. College students wear shaggy white “Bernie” wigs on campus, carry iPhones with his image as their screen saver, and flock to his events by the thousands.

And armies of young voters are turning what seemed like a long-shot presidential candidacy into a surprisingly competitive campaign.

“He may seem like some old geezer who doesn’t care about stuff,” said Caroline Buddin, 24, a sales associate in Charleston, S.C. “But if you actually give him the time of day, and listen to what he has to say, he has a lot of good ideas.”

In interviews, young supporters of the Vermont senator’s presidential bid almost all offer some version of the same response when asked why they like him: He seems sincere.

For the generation that researchers say has been the most bombarded with marketing slogans and advertising pitches, Mr. Sanders, the former mayor of Burlington, Vt., has a certain unpolished appeal.

The first group of students working to elect Bernie Sanders president sprang up at Middlebury College in Vermont. There are now similar chapters at over 220 campuses across the country, with the biggest one at the University of California at Berkeley.

The movement, at least initially, was not so much the result of an organized effort by the Sanders campaign, but more of a visceral response to the candidate.

“It seems like he is at the point in his life when he is really saying what he is thinking,” said Olivia Sauer, 18, a college freshman who returned to her hometown, Ames, Iowa, to caucus for Mr. Sanders.

Young voters’ support for Mr. Sanders has created a quandary in Hillary Clinton’s campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, where millennial staff members have tried to persuade their peers to back the former first lady, using social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. On Monday in Iowa, Mr. Sanders defeated Mrs. Clinton among voters ages 17 to 29 by 70 percentage points, greater than the 43-percentage-point margin Barack Obama won in the same age group in Iowa in 2008.

That is true among both men and women, and even Mrs. Clinton called the gap “amazing” during an appearance on CNN on Wednesday...

Look, eight years with a stealth socialist candidate who's been stymied in realizing the revolution, youth voters want to complete it with a candidate who loudly proclaims his collective agenda, and tries to sugar coat it by calling it " democratic socialism."

Heh, Bernie honeymooned in Soviet Russia. We're in for one snooker of ride.

Keep reading.

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 Cover Model to Be Revealed in Television Special

I still think it's going to be Nina Agdal, but we'll see. We'll see.

Here, "SI Swimsuit 2016 Revealed : Celebrate the issue with our live show during NBA All-Star Weekend on TNT."

Preview here, "Best body-painted swimsuit of all time?"

Be sure to tune in next week to see the #SISwim 2016 cover reveal and so much more! https://t.co/GahkujUOo9 pic.twitter.com/JHNAg05yQa

— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 3, 2016

A Stronger Congress, a Healthier Republic

From Elizabeth Price Foley, at Instapundit, "MORE OF THIS, PLEASE: Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) have an oped in NRO, “A Stronger Congress, a Healthier Republic”:

"The federal government is broken. And while there is plenty of blame to go around, only Congress can fix it.

We don’t mean this as an indictment of any one leader or party, because the dysfunction in Washington today has accreted over decades, under Houses, Senates, and presidents of every partisan combination, as well as the many different justices of the Supreme Court. . . .

The stability and moral legitimacy of America’s governing institutions depend on a representative, transparent, and accountable Congress to make its laws. For years, however, Congress has delegated too much of its legislative authority to the executive branch, skirting the thankless work and ruthless accountability that Article 1 demands and taking up a new position as backseat drivers of the republic.

So today, Americans’ laws are increasingly written by people other than their representatives in the House and Senate, and via processes specifically designed to exclude public scrutiny and input. This arrangement benefits well-connected insiders who thrive in less-accountable modes of policymaking, but it does so at the expense of the American people — for whose freedom our system of separated powers was devised in the first place.

In short, we have moved from a nation governed by the rule of law to one governed by the rule of rulers and unelected, unaccountable regulators. Congress’s abdication, unsurprisingly, has led to a proliferation of bad policy and to the erosion of public trust in the institutions of government. Distrust, also unsurprisingly, is now the defining theme of American politics. . .

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The Great GOP Realignment

Following-up from Sunday, "The Realignment of 2016."

From Joshua Green, at Bloomberg (via Memeorandum):

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump may herald an historic working-class Republican revolt against the party establishment.

A few days before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, Brad Martsching was barreling down a Pennsylvania highway, hoping to unload his eighteen-wheeler in time to get back home to Indianola, south of Des Moines, and participate for the very first time in the opening ritual of the presidential primary process. Martsching, 46, had settled on Ted Cruz over Donald Trump, but was mostly nursing his disgust at Republican leaders. “I’m a conservative. I want the Constitution to be our law, not political correctness,” he said. “I want a smaller government with less control of our personal lives and more control of our border, our finances, and our safety as a nation.” Republican lawmakers kept frustrating him by ignoring their campaign promises. “We get people that run as conservative and even get Tea Party support—they wear that lapel pin proudly,” he said. “But when they leave for Washington, they leave it on their dresser at home.”

Martsching was fed up. A lot of other Iowans were, too. So they handed a victory to Cruz, who infuriated Republican leaders by engineering the 2013 government shutdown. And they made Trump, who’s equally unpopular in Washington, a close second. Add Cruz’s 28 percent to Trump’s 24 percent, and more than half of caucusgoers supported an outsider openly despised by the GOP establishment. Voters had heeded party elders for decades by nominating establishment figures such as Bob Dole, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. The Iowa result was nothing less than a revolt, and the message to Republican leaders unmistakable: Drop dead!

It’s easy to view this year’s Republican primary as a cult of personality and no more—the rise and fall of a colorful billionaire who stars in the greatest reality show on television. But what’s happening is much broader than Trump and Cruz. It’s an extension of a shift in Republican politics that’s been under way for several years. Although the media is portraying the outcome in Iowa as a repudiation of Trump, it’s better understood as a repudiation of the party establishment—just the latest in a series of uprisings dating to the 2010 election. At the congressional level, the GOP has already realigned itself to reflect this anger. Almost 60 percent of House Republicans were elected in 2010 or after. They’ve radicalized their party in Congress and driven out its establishment-minded speaker, John Boehner...

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Brown University Changes Name of Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day

This country's becoming increasingly Balkanized, and there's no guarantee that our historic national unity will persevere.

At USA Today, "Brown University changes name of Fall Weekend to Indigenous People's Day."

An All-Caps Explosion of Stupid Gender Identity Politics

Seriously, I'm getting old, but hilariously, not nearly as old as Hillary Clinton, but for this woman, Courtney Enlow, Grandma's the be-all-end-all of her FUCKING EXISTENCE ON THIS GREAT GREEN FUCKING EARTH!

At Pajiba, "An All-Caps Explosion of Feelings Regarding the Liberal Backlash Against Hillary Clinton."

Jackie Johnson's More Warm Weather Forecast

It's going to be perfect for the Super Bowl.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Donald Trump Accuses Ted Cruz of Stealing the Iowa Caucuses (VIDEO)

Today was vintage Trump.

At Politico, "Trump accuses Cruz of 'fraud,' calls for new Iowa election":

Donald Trump’s moment of humility didn’t last long. The billionaire businessman, still licking his wounds after a decisive loss in Iowa on Monday, is now crying foul, accusing Ted Cruz of stealing the election and calling for a do-over.

After congratulating Cruz during his concession speech on Monday night, Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to make the case for why his loss was a crock.

"Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he illegally stole it. That is why all of the polls were so wrong any [sic] why he got more votes than anticipated. Bad!" Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. The tweet disappeared within minutes of posting and was replaced by another that no longer included the word “illegally.”

He followed up with an ultimatum: “Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified,” he tweeted. Trump said later Wednesday that he'll likely sue. "I probably will; what he did is unthinkable," he said during an interview with Boston Herald Radio.

Trump, the master of reinvention, is trying to flip the script from loser to wronged winner, after the outcome of Iowa pierced the bubble of invincibility around the real estate mogul. Trump had sailed through the first eight months of his presidential run, defying critics who predicted that his incendiary statements would surely sink him. He went into Iowa with a roughly 5-point lead but failed to close the deal, losing to Cruz, 24 percent to 28 percent.

Temporarily bowed, a somber Trump accepted the defeat Monday night and vowed to win New Hampshire. "We finished second, and I want to tell you something, I'm just honored. I'm really honored. And I want to congratulate Ted, and I want to congratulate all of the incredible candidates,” Trump said during his concession speech, flanked by his wife, Melania...

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PREVIOUSLY: "Sarah Palin Slams the 'Lies of Ted Cruz's Campaign'."