California Voters Want More Water and Less Bullet Train

This is good.

From Leslie Eastman, at Legal Insurrection, "New drought plans needed after “Godzilla El Niño” turns out to be a dud":

Less than a year ago, climate scientists were heralding the “Godzilla El Niño,” which would generate historic rainfalls that could help alleviate California’s mega-drought.

Climate reality has failed to confirm climate theory, as the term “dud” is now being used to describe the weather pattern.

Is this El Niño a dud?

Sacramento is in the peak of its rainy season, but there is no substantial rain in the forecast for the next two weeks. The Sierra snowpack has fallen below normal levels for this time of year. The state’s three largest reservoirs remain far below capacity.

Whither El Niño?

Throughout the summer and fall of 2015, California residents waited in anticipation as they heard about the strong El Niño weather pattern brewing in the Pacific Ocean. We remembered the winters of 1997-98 and 1982-83, when such strong El Niños corresponded with deluges. And we hoped for relief from our long, brutal drought.

But through Feb. 20, Sacramento has seen half the precipitation that occurred by this point in 1997-98 and 1982-83.

At this point, it looks as if California is going to have to continue implementing a wide array of water-saving measures, which include “cash-for-grass” and drought-shaming neighbors...

More.

Well, whether or not we had the "Godzilla El Niño," it's clear the whole "drought crisis" paradigm has been shot through, considering the significant rain and snow we did receive this season. Remember, the snowpack's just above normal levels, and we're likely to get more. (See the Los Angeles Times, "In Northern California, skiers and water officials are grateful for the recovering snowpack.")

And thus, yeah, California residents had better push back against all these stupid, aggressive "water-saving measures." We've always had dry spells in this state. If the idiots and Sacramento would expand water-capture (think reservoirs), we'd all be fine.

'Confederate Heritage Month'

This is so stupid, although I'm sure Stogie at Saberpiont will be pleased.

At the Jackson Free Press, "UPDATED: Mississippi Governor Declares April 'Confederate Heritage Month,' No Slavery Mention":

UPDATED: Gov @PhilBryantMS Declares April ‘Confederate Heritage Month,’ No Slavery Mention https://t.co/ibU5ufM1x1 pic.twitter.com/e5HKN83Icm

— JxnFreePress (@JxnFreePress) February 25, 2016

JACKSON — Two weeks before the Mississippi Legislature allowed 19 state flag bills to die in committee, Gov. Phil Bryant took out a pen and signed an official governor's proclamation, declaring the month of April "Confederate Heritage Month," a routine occurrence in Mississippi and several other southern states.

The proclamation, which does not appear on the State of Mississippi's website with other proclamations, such as about emergency inclement weather, is posted on the website of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which is ferociously against changing the Mississippi flag to remove the Confederate battle flag—which supporters like to call the "Beauregard flag"—from its canton.

#SCV is also an organization that pushes revisionist history about the Civil War and the reasons the Confederacy formed, such as selling books by James Ronald Kennedy and his twin brother Walter Donald Kennedy at Jefferson Davis' Gulf Coast home, Beauvoir, which SCV manages. The Kennedy brothers are founding members of the League of the South. These organizations stand in strong denial of the reasons the Confederates themselves said they seceded, joined the Confederacy and started the war—to maintain slavery, extend it to new states and force the return of fugitive slaves who had made their way to free states.

On Bryant's gubernatorial letterhead, the proclamation starts out by explaining that April is the appropriate month to honor Confederate heritage because it "is the month in which the Confederate States began and ended a four-year struggle." It adds that the state celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on April 25 to "recognize those who served in the Confederacy."

It then explains that it is "important for all Americans to reflect upon our nation's past" and "to gain insight from our mistakes and successes," adding that we must "earnestly strive to understand and appreciate our heritage and our opportunities which lie before us."

#Bryant refuses to take a position on changing the Mississippi flag, saying it should be up to the voters, who decided in 2001 to leave the old flag in place, in a vote that fell largely along racial lines.

#Mississippi, along with Arkansas and Alabama, also celebrate Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's birthday on the same day as the federal Martin Luther King Jr. birthday in January...

In the past, I might have said "to each his own," but since the Dylann Roof Charleston massacre of black parishioners, I'm not about to defend the "heritage" of the Confederate Flag any longer. Sure, let it fly, but don't tell me it's not about slavery. It's about slavery.

More. (Via Memeorandum.)

FLASHBACK: "Leftist Stogie at Saberpoint Joins Marxists and Radical Libertarians on Civil War Revisionism."

There's lots more from the Stogie-Donald debates here.

Awkward Oscar Moments

The Academy Awards is the one awards show I genuinely like, and the one I try to faithfully watch each year.

I don't know how much longer my personal tradition can hold out, however, with all the stultifying political correctness that's taken over everything.

#OscarsSoWhite and all that, you know?

In any case, I love this photo-compilation, at the Los Angeles Times, "23 totally awkward Oscar moments."

As for the political correctness, here's the Times' front-page lead story this morning, "91% white. 76% male. Changing who votes on Oscar won't be easy":

With Sunday’s Oscar show, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will close one of the most contentious awards seasons in its history and open an era of historic change, as the 89-year-old institution launches an ambitious drive to diversify its membership.

A Los Angeles Times study shows just how much work the academy has to do if it intends to reflect the audience it serves — and just how aggressive the group’s new goals are.

In 2012, The Times reported that Oscar voters were 94% white and 77% male. Four years later, the academy has made scant progress: Oscar voters are 91% white and 76% male, according to a new Times study.

Blacks are about 3% of the academy, up from 2%; Asians and Latinos are each just over 2%, with both groups up slightly.

The academy has invited more women and minority group members over the last four years, but with its 6,261 voting members appointed for life, the organization’s ranks were on track to remain overwhelmingly white and male for decades.

Under fire for nominating an all-white slate of actors for two years in a row, the academy last month vowed to double the number of women and minority members by 2020. It also adopted controversial new rules that will allow it to take away voting rights from inactive members.

“Our goal is to make sure that we are active in bringing in different voices regardless of gender or race or sexual orientation,” academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in an interview Thursday. “Inclusiveness in this organization, that is our goal.”

Doubling the number of women and minority members over the next four years, however, figures to be daunting.

The academy has about 1,500 women and 535 non-white people who are eligible to vote on the Oscars, according to Times estimates. Based on those findings, doubling their numbers would require inviting at least 375 women and more than 130 people of color each year.

That would demand a dramatic shift in admissions given that the academy's latest class — touted as the largest and most diverse in its history — was only 322 people, most of them white men...

More.

Sacramento State's Four-Year Graduation Rate is Just 9 Percent (VIDEO)

Actually, I think the four-year graduation benchmark is extremely unrealistic. The problem, though, is that less than half of students are even graduating within six years.

So something's got to be done to boost completion times.

At CBS News Sacramento:



Plus, from the Sacramento Bee, last July, "New Sac State president puts graduation rates first."

Rachel Williams for Primitive Glamour

Nice: "The controversy that surrounds the UK-bred Glamour scene in many ways echoes the complexities of being a Londoner. The old guard becomes the new; what is rejected becomes accepted, and the cycle repeats itself. What is the proper amount of proper? Of course, none of this matters. Our blurb in time is meant for connecting with others and sharing those experiences when appropriate. Whether it be next door neighbors or residents of a community halfway across the globe, every smile has a story."

Direct Rachel link here.

Check out Rosie Jones and India Reynolds at the link as well.

BONUS: Flashback, "Rachel Williams — the Girl Who Broke the Internet — Makes Her Sexy Return!"

Stella Maxwell for Victoria's Secret in Malibu Photo Shoot

At London's Daily Mail, "PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Carefree Stella Maxwell throws off her shirt as she goes topless for beach photoshoot."

And at Egotastic!, "STELLA MAXWELL TOPLESS FOR VICTORIA'S SECRET SHOOT IN MALIBU."

BONUS: "Stella Maxwell showcases her lithe legs in racy leather and lace jeans as she steps out in Milan during Fashion Week."

Drug-Dealing Brothers Face Jail-Time After Mocking Judge Who Let Them Off on Facebook

I guess these are a couple of stupid white working-class blokes.

At London's Daily Mail, "Brothers jailed after judge mocked on Facebook for suspended sentences":

Two brothers hauled back to court for mocking a judge on Facebook after she decided not to send them to prison for drug dealing have now been jailed for two years.

Forty minutes after Daniel Sledden, 27, received a suspended jail term from Judge Beverley Lunt, he posted online: "Cannot believe my luck 2 year suspended sentance (sic) beats the 3 year jail yes pal! Beverly [sic] Lunt go suck my ****".

Soon after, his brother, Samuel, 22, wrote: "What a day it's been Burnley crown court! Up ur **** aha nice 2 year suspended..."

The defendants, from Accrington, Lancashire, were recalled for a sentence review when the remarks were brought to the attention of the judge after she previously heard their expressions of remorse for offending.

On Friday, Judge Lunt said: "The question I have to ask myself is this, if I had not known their real feelings at being in court would I have accepted their remorse and contrition, and suspended the sentence. And the answer is of course not.

"Each of the posts indicate they have not changed at all. They have not taken on board anything or learned any responsibility."

The Sleddens originally received a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, after they admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis between May and September 2014.

Both will now serve two years after the suspension was lifted by Judge Lunt...

Still more, plus photos of these two losers.

Donald Trump Leads Marco Rubio by 11 Points in Latest IBD/TIPP National Poll

Rubio's trolling Trump, and everyone's getting all jazzy-pants about it.

I seriously doubt last night's debate will make much difference, however. Trump's going to roll up a bunch of wins next Tuesday, not the least of which in Florida.

Here's the new IBD poll, "Clinton, Sanders Are in a Dead Heat; Trump Leads But Rubio Rises."

The Dems are statistically tied, but Trump still holds a large lead in the GOP race:

Despite her win in the Nevada caucuses Saturday, Hillary Clinton’s lead among Democrats over Bernie Sanders has evaporated nationally, 45% to 43%, according to the latest IBD/TIPP poll. Last month, Clinton topped Sanders 50% to 38%.

On the GOP side, Donald Trump held steady at 31%. Ted Cruz dropped a point to 20%. Marco Rubio, however, saw his support climb eight percentage points to reach 18% — a clear sign that much of the support of candidates dropping out the race have been gravitating to Rubio.

Meanwhile, Ben Carson has 8% and John Kasich has risen to 7%. Both are resisting pressure to step aside.

Trump’s lead, however, narrows considerably when first and second choices are combined. While 42% picked Trump as either their first or second choice, Cruz and Rubio were tied at 39%.

An analysis of the 12 states that vote for GOP candidates on Super Tuesday shows that Trump holds a similar lead, with 31% support. However, Rubio moves into second place at 23%, followed by Cruz at 20%.

Given Trump’s definitive win in Nevada on Tuesday, a string of victories on March 1 could give him a virtually insurmountable lead for the GOP nomination...

More.

Plus, on Florida, at ABC News, via Memeorandum, "Donald Trump Leads Marco Rubio by 16 Points in New Florida Poll."

BONUS: At WFAA News 8 Dallas, via Memeorandum, "Cruz, Trump tied in WFAA Texas poll."

Rotten in Denmark: 'Growing domestic consensus that large-scale Muslim immigration is incompatible with European social democracy...'

Get a kick out of this, from Hugh Eakin, at the New York Review of Books, "Liberal, Harsh Denmark":

In country after country across Europe, the Syrian refugee crisis has put intense pressure on the political establishment. In Poland, voters have brought to power a right-wing party whose leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, warns that migrants are bringing “dangerous diseases” and “various types of parasites” to Europe. In France’s regional elections in December, some Socialist candidates withdrew at the last minute to support the conservatives and prevent the far-right National Front from winning. Even Germany, which took in more than a million asylum-seekers in 2015, has been forced to pull back in the face of a growing revolt from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s own party and the recent New Year’s attacks on women in Cologne, allegedly by groups of men of North African origin.

And then there is Denmark. A small, wealthy Scandinavian democracy of 5.6 million people, it is according to most measures one of the most open and egalitarian countries in the world. It has the highest income equality and one of the lowest poverty rates of any Western nation. Known for its nearly carbon-neutral cities, its free health care and university education for all, its bus drivers who are paid like accountants, its robust defense of gay rights and social freedoms, and its vigorous culture of social and political debate, the country has long been envied as a social-democratic success, a place where the state has an improbably durable record of doing good. Danish leaders also have a history of protecting religious minorities: the country was unique in Nazi-occupied Europe in prosecuting anti-Semitism and rescuing almost its entire Jewish population.

When it comes to refugees, however, Denmark has long led the continent in its shift to the right—and in its growing domestic consensus that large-scale Muslim immigration is incompatible with European social democracy. To the visitor, the country’s resistance to immigrants from Africa and the Middle East can seem implacable. In last June’s Danish national election—months before the Syrian refugee crisis hit Europe—the debate centered around whether the incumbent, center-left Social Democrats or their challengers, the center-right Liberal Party, were tougher on asylum-seekers. The main victor was the Danish People’s Party, a populist, openly anti-immigration party, which drew 21 percent of the vote, its best performance ever. Its founder, Pia Kjærsgaard, for years known for suggesting that Muslims “are at a lower stage of civilization,” is now speaker of the Danish parliament. With the backing of the Danish People’s Party, the center-right Liberals formed a minority government that has taken one of the hardest lines on refugees of any European nation...

Leftists are constantly spewing about how great Scandinavian countries like Denmark are, claiming that their social welfare-state economies are superior to the U.S., blah blah.

Heh, not so much when it comes to Muslim "refugees" though.

Keep reading.

Marco Rubio Goes After Trump at Houston GOP Debate (VIDEO)

I'm tired of the debates, frankly.

But this is pretty good.

At Politico, "Rubio ambushes Trump at GOP debate: The Florida senator, desperate for a surge ahead of Super Tuesday, delivered an all-out assault on the Republican front-runner on the Houston stage."

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Jackie Johnson's Forecast

Mild, no rain today.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 — Starting at $329.00

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BONUS: From Omer Bartov, Mirrors of Destruction: War, Genocide, and Modern Identity.

And ICYMI, The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939–1945.

Jess Greenberg, 'All Along the Watchtower' (VIDEO)

This is fantastic!

I've Finished Orlando Figes, A People's Tragedy

Oh boy, that was a long book, heh.

I wanted to finish before February 8th, when my spring semester started, but I was blogging the Malheur crisis (and the presidential primaries) so much my progress stalled.

Well, I blazed through the last 100 pages or so this week, which is great, because I can now move on to some of the other things I've been meaning to read.

Figes' tome is highly recommended (very highly). You just need to have a lot of time to read.

Here, A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution: 1891-1924.

Pic Dump's Back

Always one of the favorite features at Theo Spark's, "Pic Dump..."

Theo's got his February fundraiser going, so the pic dump might be a limited release.

Melania Trump: 'I followed the law...' (VIDEO)

Mrs. Trump, with Mika Brzezinski, on MSNBC:

Why Moscow Holds the Cards in Syria

From Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jeremy Shapiro, at Politico:

It’s time to drop pretenses of U.S. forces or safe zones and persuade the rebels to accept Russia’s terms. Otherwise a new slaughter will start in Aleppo.

Can the shaky cease-fire announced this week avert a fresh disaster about to happen in Syria? The siege of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. That will be the key test for the pact, which is to go into effect on Feb. 27. For weeks now, Aleppans have felt a sense of impending doom. Recently, Syrian government forces with the support of Russian air power cut off the last remaining major supply route to rebels in Aleppo, setting the stage for a siege. Fearing the prospect of bombardment and starvation, tens of thousands of Syrians have already fled toward Turkey and the hope of safety. With Ankara refusing to let most of them into the country, a humanitarian crisis is already brewing on the border. Many thousands more are fleeing to other parts of Syria, including to regime-held areas. A not-small percentage of them will end up on the road to Europe this spring and summer.

Ironically, the talks are not even any longer about bringing relief to Aleppo. It was the Assad regime’s advance on the city in early February that pushed international negotiations forward. But the talks are less likely to have any meaningful impact there than in other parts of Syria because fighting has dramatically intensified in and around Aleppo even as negotiations have progressed. And the Russians have made it clear that even if a cessation of hostilities comes into effect, Aleppo and the neighboring province of Idlib will be excluded from the arrangement due to the direct presence of Jabhat al-Nusra, Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria.

The fact that President Vladimir Putin came out so quickly in support of the agreement, making a special address on Russian television yesterday, at least holds out the prospect of a new commitment from Moscow. This is presumably based on the military gains Putin’s forces have helped Assad secure over recent months. And the Russian leader has reason to be confident he can control events on the ground: The presence of al-Nusra, in particular, gives Russia an excuse to keep fighting in Aleppo and even to target rebel fighters that the West would prefer to support. Washington knows it is impossible to craft a cease-fire that would still allow attacks on the Islamic State—which President Barack Obama wants—but rule out efforts against al-Nusra, which is a terrorist organization by any definition.

Many still see the ultimate answer in the use of U.S. military force or a no-fly or safe zone to save the people of Aleppo and to push back the Russian-supported regime advance. Such voices are demanding that Washington find a way to reopen supply routes into the city and increase the flow of high-end weapons to the rebels.

But just as constant in these refrains is the lack of a broader strategy in which to place the use of U.S. force. Beyond the fact that these measures would risk a direct U.S.-Russian clash and the possible outbreak of a wider conflict, it is doubtful whether safe zones would actually improve protection for civilians. Without an accompanying ground force able to secure the zones, fighting will continue. Al-Nusra and ISIL are likely to partly fill any vacuum. Pushing the regime back from northern Aleppo may change the identity of those who suffer, but it will hardly reduce the problem overall...

Keep reading.

Donald Trump Shatters the Republican Party

A great piece, from Shane Goldmacher, at Politico, "Trump shatters the Republican Party: How the 2016 primary will define the GOP for years to come."

Iran Pledges Huge Cash Bonuses to Palestinian Terrorists Who Kill Israeli Jews

This is extremely troubling, from Jonathan Tobin, at Commentary, "Iran Pledges Cash for Killing Jews."

Jackie Johnson's Mostly Sunny Forecast

The Northern California mountains picked up 20 inches of new snow with that brief storm last week, so I'm not too worried about all the warm weather we're having in SoCal.

It's been nice.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Republicans Go from Denial to Acceptance

I don't know if the Kübler-Ross model applies, but no doubt the GOPe's going through some of the classic stages of grief. Eventually they're going to have to accept that Donald Trump's going to be the nominee.

That could come as early as next week.

At LAT, "Republican elite are shifting their thinking on Donald Trump: 'You know, this could happen'":

Republican leaders who view Donald Trump as a pox on their party have finally settled on a strategy: Resist him as long as they can. Then figure out how to retreat gracefully.

Most mainstream Republicans still worry that Trump would make a bad president. And they hold deep concerns that his incendiary rhetoric and ideological smorgasbord of ideas could damage the party, both politically and philosophically, so profoundly that it might never recover.

But even as many party elites have fallen in line behind Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in recent days — believing him the best hope to defeat Trump — they no longer dismiss the billionaire celebrity or insist that it will all work out, as it usually does for the establishment in GOP primaries.

“A lot of longtime Republicans, probably a couple weeks ago, had to sit down and think, ‘You know, this could happen,’ ” said Trent Lott, the former Senate majority leader from Mississippi who is now a Washington lobbyist.

For many in the party establishment, that reckoning amounted to an existential crisis, a moment to reflect on where their core beliefs end and where their practical political instincts kick in.

If Trump wins the nomination, his combative relationship with the establishment will end in an embrace, though perhaps an uneasy one, predicted Lott, who is backing Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

“They’re not going to sign up, and they’re not excited by the prospect,” Lott said of his fellow party standard-bearers. “But I think they’re thinking that if he becomes the nominee — he runs the table and becomes the nominee — we’re certainly going to support him if it comes to Hillary or Bernie.”

It’s a slow process. Several establishment figures, including former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Reagan administration Secretary of Education William Bennett, said in recent days that Trump has reached out to them to talk policy, sending a broader signal that he may be able to win over at least a few establishment allies. And others have sounded notes of increasing acceptance...

More.

Deal of the Day: Over 65% Off Latest Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2-in-1 Convertible 11.6-Inch IPS Touchscreen Laptop (Tablet)

That's quite a deal.

Hurry while supplies last.

At Amazon, 2016 Latest Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2-in-1 Convertible 11.6-inch IPS Touchscreen Laptop (Tablet), Intel Quad Core Processor, 4GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, HDMI, Bluetooth, Webcam, AC Wifi, Windows 10 Pro, 3.2 lbs.

Plus, from Gretchen Morgenson, Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Created the Worst Financial Crisis of Our Time.

And from Jeff Madrick, Age of Greed: The Triumph of Finance and the Decline of America, 1970 to the Present, and Why Economies Grow.

BONUS: From Professor Benjamin J. Cohen, Currency Power: Understanding Monetary Rivalry.

Donald Trump Taunts Republican Rivals, Predicts Election Steamroller Toward the Nomination (VIDEO)

Hey, this is freakin' too good!

And I was watching last night as well.

At Politico, "Trump taunts rivals and predicts quick end to GOP race" (via Memeorandum).

Watch the victory speech at KTNV News 13 Las Vegas, "Donald Trump makes victory speech in NV."

And more, at CNN:

Super Sexy Samantha Hoopes Outtakes from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 in Malta (VIDEO)

She's freakin' awesome.



FLASHBACK: "Uncovered Samantha Hoopes 2015 (VIDEO)," and "Samantha Hoopes, the Lady from the 'American Thickburger' Video."

False Flag? Ku Klux Klan Members Support Donald Trump at Nevada Caucuses (VIDEO)

I personally don't believe it.

I suspect these "KKK members" are a couple of leftists out to smear Donald Trump, and it worked. Far-left media and blog outlets are all over the story on Google.

It's a false flag operation.

Watch, at KTNV News 13 Las Vegas:

The #FreeStacy Twitter Exodus Has Begun

At the Federalist.

And see the latest update from R.S. McCain, "#FreeStacy: Have You Mentioned @srhbutts Lately? Perhaps You Should."

Adam Baldwin Sets Record Straight on Quitting Twitter

I like Adam Baldwin. He's a Hollywood actor who's pretty much like a regular guy. I've engaged with him a couple of times on Twitter, and he praised my reporting on the Los Angeles anti-Israel ANSWER protest with a "---> #IAmAndrewBreitbart" tweet. That was cool.

See his Twitter update on the #FreeStacy disaster, at Twitchy, "Adam Baldwin sets the record straight, bids farewell to Twitter."

RELATED: "Update from Robert Stacy McCain."

Donald Trump Wins Nevada Caucuses (VIDEO)

It was interesting watching last night, for one thing because I saw no polls on Nevada before the caucuses. But Fox News called the race immediately as the voting ended, so I guess the results were never in doubt.

I love this.

At the Las Vegas Sun, "With commanding Nevada victory, Trump strengthens his lead in GOP race":

Ten seconds before the Nevada caucuses officially closed at 9 p.m., an excited crowd of several hundred Donald Trump supporters counted down in a ballroom at Treasure Island.

As the clock struck 9, CNN called the election for Trump, sending the crowd into choruses of wild applause, whistles and chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump” that echoed throughout the room where Trump’s caucus watch party was being held.

The win comes as no surprise: Expectations were particularly high for Trump over the past few days. Polling in the state — scarce and uncertain as it was — placed Trump with a wide lead over Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Fresh off a first-place victory in South Carolina, Trump carried that momentum over into Nevada, holding two packed rallies Monday and Tuesday in Las Vegas and Sparks.

A solid victory in Nevada is expected to propel Trump solidly forward to next week, when 11 states hold their nominating contests on Super Tuesday. The Nevada win is Trump’s third first-place win in a row, following New Hampshire and South Carolina. (The only state he hasn’t won was Iowa, the first nominating contest, which Cruz carried.)

Nevada was long projected to be Rubio’s firewall, but instead he left the state in second place.

Trump won 46 percent of the vote. Rubio placed second at 24 percent and Cruz was in third at 21 percent. Ben Carson garnered 5 percent of the vote, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich is at 4 percent.

“A couple of months ago, we weren’t expected to win this one, you know that, right?” Trump told the crowd through whistles and cheers Tuesday night. “Of course, if you listened to the pundits we weren't expected to win too much, and now we're winning, winning, winning.”

The question now for Rubio and Cruz in the coming days is what, if anything, can knock Trump off his game...

Actually, Cruz is collapsing, big time. I expect he'll be getting calls to quit the race soon, especially next week, if his slide continues on Super Tuesday.

More.

Plus, at Politico, "Cruz: It's me vs. Trump now":

Ted Cruz was running a very close third in the Nevada caucuses on Tuesday night when he gave his concession speech, but that didn't stop him from declaring the Republican presidential primary a two-campaign race.

For Cruz, it's down to him and Donald Trump...

And at Memeorandum.

Update from Robert Stacy McCain

At the Other McCain, "What @FemFreq Didn’t Say."

I haven't tweeted today. I suspect I'll be back on the platform sometime soon, but it's not the same to me with Robert banned. Frankly, it's weird.

PREVIOUSLY: "Fire @Jack Dorsey!"

Allegations of Lies and Deception Take Toll on Ted Cruz Presidential Campaign

This is just sad.

I've never had any negative thoughts about Ted Cruz. Indeed, he's always seemed like a pretty stand-up guy, and no doubt a rock-ribbed conservative. But now he's being excoriated as a sleezeball? What a shame.

At the Washington Post, "Shouts of ‘liar’ are taking their toll on Ted Cruz’s campaign":

Ted Cruz’s presidential bid is in turmoil after repeated allegations of unsavory campaign tactics by his Republican rivals, leading some key supporters to call for a shake-up in the candidate’s message and strategy a week ahead of the crucial Super Tuesday primaries.

Aides and allies of the insurgent senator from Texas acknowledged in interviews this week that the campaign has been damaged by attacks on Cruz’s integrity from Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. They have pointed to a series of questionable tactics by the Cruz camp, including calls to voters suggesting that candidate Ben Carson was dropping out and the sharing of an inaccurate video suggesting Rubio had disparaged the Bible.

The video flap prompted Cruz to abruptly fire his chief spokesman, Rick Tyler, who posted the clip on social media, on Monday in an attempt to put his candidacy back on course. But the troubles continued Tuesday, when the campaign halted the sale of merchandise by a street artist whose social-media accounts include controversial and sometimes racist messages.

Cruz also weathered another wave of attacks from Trump on the eve of the Nevada caucuses. Trump told a rally in Sparks, Nev., that Cruz is “like a little baby — soft, weak little baby. . . . But for lying, he’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

Cruz and his aides say the accusations of deception are simply false. But with the issue dominating media coverage for more than a week, aides and supporters now acknowledge that the attacks have started taking a toll.

Louie Hunter, Cruz’s Georgia co-chair, said the allegations of untruths being pushed by Trump and Rubio have made their way to voters.

“I think both the Trump and the Rubio campaigns have seized on the narrative that if they say ‘liar’ enough, enough people are going to believe it,” Hunter said. “I think that has manifested itself into some people questioning, albeit incorrectly, the real moral character of Senator Cruz and of this campaign.”

The tumult comes at a crucial time for Cruz, who won the Iowa caucuses at the start of the month but finished third in both New Hampshire and, more disappointingly, South Carolina — a state filled with the evangelical Christians and tea party conservatives who make up his political base. After Tuesday night’s Nevada caucuses — which Trump was favored to win — Cruz is looking ahead to March 1, known as “Super Tuesday,” which features 11 state contests mostly in the South, including Cruz’s home state of Texas.

Cruz’s campaign has been focused on Super Tuesday since its inception, with the candidate calling the South a “firewall” that could help him gobble up delegates and secure the nomination. The campaign has poured time and resources into the delegate-rich region, believing its high percentage of religious and conservative voters would be natural Cruz supporters...

Keep reading.

Also at the Texas Tribune, "Cruz Campaign Pulls Work from Controversial Artist Sabo."

Fire @Jack Dorsey!

Following-up from yesterday, "Robert Stacy McCain Responds to Twitter Suspension — #FreeStacy."

Adam Baldwin, television star and well-known conservative on social media, quit Twitter once and for all yesterday.

He deleted everything except his final tweet, which links to Robert Tracinski, at the Federalist, "#FreeStacy: The Old Regime and the Twitter Revolution."

It's an excellent piece. I mean, I like Tracinski, but this essay really illustrates his range. And I love this from his concluding five-point plan to rescue the platform:

4) Fire CEO Jack Dorsey.

The “Trust and Safety Council” was Dorsey’s brainchild, and he’s the one who chose to give it over to political hacks with an axe to grind. In other words, while Twitter’s user base has been leveling off and its share price has been going down in flames, he’s been busy hatching a scheme to drive away even more of its users. If Dorsey were sole owner of Twitter, he would have a right to run it into the ground however he likes. But it’s a publicly traded company, and he has shareholders, co-owners of the firm who have a right to complain that he’s crashing their share prices for the sake of his own personal political crusade. The company’s remaining shareholders need to rebel before he sets fire to more of their money.

Other prominent Twitter users are also hanging up their hashtags, most notably Ace at AceofSpadesHQ, who said he's "done with it," except for "promotion" or "to criticize the regime."

I first signed up for Twitter to connect with tea party people and to promote my blog. It's been fun (while it's lasted) to connect with a lot of cool people ("tweeps") from around the country, but I'm seriously upset that Robert's been banned. His old R.S. McCain handle has been removed permanently. See, the Other McCain, "#FreeStacy: @rsmccain ‘Will Not Be Restored’; @SexTroubleBook Suspended."

I don't know about other folks, but these developments make Twitter definitely less fun for me. People keep talking about taking their debates elsewhere, but right now who knows where that's going to be?

.@Jack, Twitter is dead to me if you permanently ban my friend Robert Stacy McCain. @safety @Support cc. @Instapundit #FreeStacy

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 22, 2016

@lamblock Ima 'bout to cry frankly. I tag R.S. McCain in almost everything I tweet. It's not going to be the same. Folks are quitting.

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 23, 2016

Well @Jack, the #Twitter time-suck is past its prime, and #TCOTs are bailing out. You might want to #FreeStacy. @safety @Support

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 23, 2016

Save Up to 50 Percent or More on Select Mega Bloks Construction Toys

Today only, at Amazon, Save on Mega Bloks Construction Toys.

Also, from Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Plus, The Harper Lee Collection: To Kill a Mockingbird + Go Set a Watchman (Dual Slipcased Edition).

The New Shape of the Republican Race

From Ronald Brownstein, at the Atlantic (via Memeorandum):

After his solid, broadly based victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Donald Trump now holds a commanding position in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

But Trump still faces two “known unknowns,” to borrow the memorable phrase from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, an architect of the Iraq War that Trump now excoriates. One is whether Trump has a ceiling of support. The second is whether, even if he does, any of his remaining rivals can unify enough of the voters resistant to him to beat him.

So far the evidence suggests the answers are: maybe, and not yet. Indeed over the first three contests, Trump’s two principal remaining opponents have shown mirror-image weaknesses. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has assembled a coalition of support that is too narrow; Florida Senator Marco Rubio is building a coalition that is too shallow.

As in his New Hampshire win earlier this month, Trump’s support in South Carolina transcended many of the usual fissures in Republican politics, according to exit poll results posted by CNN. The one big exception remained education: In each of the first three contests, including the Iowa caucus, Trump has not run as well among voters with a college degree as with those lacking advanced education. But because those white-collar voters have fragmented among many choices, none of Trump’s rivals is consolidating enough of them to overcome the New Yorker’s dominant position among voters without a college degree. The simple equation that Trump has consolidated blue-collar Republicans while the party’s white collar wing remains divided remains the most powerful dynamic in the race, even as Trump has failed to exceed 35 percent of the vote in any of the initial contests.

More.

But actually, I like this passage from this last weekend's Los Angeles Times:

...two factors could conspire to give Trump the nomination.

First, his challengers continue to find reasons to remain in the race, and the longer the field remains crowded, the harder it is for any one of them to attract more voters than Trump in a given state. In fact, one of Rubio’s main arguments is that “the longer this goes on, the worse it’s going to be,” and therefore he is the candidate who can unify the party. A Bush aide said he dropped out in part to help the party unite behind an alternative.

Trump himself mocked pundits for saying his opponents’ votes combined could defeat him if some of them drop out.

“These geniuses,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “They don’t understand that as people drop out, I’m going to get a lot of those votes also. You don’t just add them together.”

Second, polls show an increasing number of Republicans have become comfortable with Trump leading the party’s ticket in the November general election. In the Fox poll, 74% of Republicans said they would be at least somewhat satisfied with Trump as president. That number was far smaller (43%) among all voters.

To beat back Trump, Cruz, who won the Iowa caucuses, will need to pick up wins in a slew of Southern state primaries held March 1, and hope other contenders drop out. But the Texas senator ultimately will have to persuade more voters to embrace his pure form of conservatism and reject Trump as a phony, a case he has been trying to make for weeks.

“If you are conservative, this is where you belong,” Cruz told supporters Saturday. “Because only one strong conservative is in a position to win this race.”

Rubio, who may have been helped by his endorsement this week from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, has a different challenge. The Florida senator will have to begin winning states and hope that a majority of Republicans decide they want a more mainstream candidate, despite polls showing voters are looking to back those who have not served in government.

Rubio did well among GOP primary voters who said they wanted to vote for the best general election candidate, but only about 15% of South Carolina voters said that was a priority.

“If it is God’s will that we should win this election,” Rubio said Saturday night, “then history will say, on this night in South Carolina, we took the first step forward to the beginning of a new American century.”

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 Cover Girls Open Up (VIDEO)

I haven't actually seen the new edition in hard copy.

I need to buy a copy for, eh, my records, lol.

Robert Stacy McCain Responds to Twitter Suspension — #FreeStacy

Robert's backup account, @SexTroubleBook, is now also suspended.

The evil SJWs have declared all out war on him --- and his supporters.

I wrote about this on Saturday, "Robert Stacy McCain Suspended on Twitter — #FreeStacy."

Folks should tweet to @Support, @Twittter, @Safety, and @Jack (Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and current CEO), using the #FreeStacy hashtag.

.@Jack, Twitter is dead to me if you permanently ban my friend Robert Stacy McCain. @safety @Support cc. @Instapundit #FreeStacy

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 22, 2016

Meanwhile the Ralph Retort posted an email from Robert, "FOLLOW-UP: R.S. McCain’s Amazing Response to His Unfair Twitter Suspension":

I reached out to Mr. McCain before publishing our first story this morning. He got back to me with this response. In my opinion, it was too good not to be its own post. So, here you go…

As I have said for years: Being notorious is not the same as being famous, but it’s better than being anonymous.

That is to say, I don’t often complain about being hated or misunderstood. It comes with the territory. I started out in the news business as a $4.50-an-hour staff writer for a tiny weekly newspaper in Austell, Georgia. Most people have no idea what I did before I got involved in political journalism as an assistant national editor for The Washington Times in 1997, or even have any idea of the work I did there. The vast majority of people who read my blog or follow my Twitter feed have any knowledge of or interest in my personal “backstory.” It’s not about me. I am not the story. I am the guy telling the story, or I am the guy making jokes about the story. I understand that. But I think some people in the New Media era lose sight of this reality.

Politics is like football. It’s a team sport. Until I was in my mid-30s, I was a very partisan Democrat. Bill Clinton (who I voted for in 1992) cured me of my Democrat loyalty. During the 1990s, I began a rather deep autodidactic study of politics, history, economics, philosophy, etc. My politics are conservative, my economics are Austrian, my faith is Christian. It’s that simple — and certain people HATE me for it. But those people hate everybody who is not a Democrat. Fine. I understand that kind of hate, having once been a Democrat myself, but Democrats think of their personal hatred as “social justice.” And so I understand them better than they understand me.

However, it’s not about me.. I’m just a story teller, really, and also occasionally a cheerleader for my team. But I was making my living and paying my bills as a journalist before I got into politics, before there was any such thing as a blog or Twitter. So, if you will excuse my French, fuck “social justice,” and fuck all these pretentious idiots who popped up on the Internet three or four years ago claiming to be “experts” on something. They may fool some people, but they don’t fool me. Zoe Quinn, Brianna Wu, Anita Sarkeesian, that whole worthless crowd of phony hustlers? They don’t fool me. I was street-smart enough to spot their kind of hustle even before I got into the news business. “Social justice” is a three-card monte hustle, a cheap and transparent scam or, as Friedrich Hayek said, social justice is a mirage. The object of the SJW game — for Quinn, Wu, Sarkeesian, et al. — is for them to make money without ever doing any actual work except be a professional “activist.” Yeah, so fuck their activism, and fuck their claim to being morally superior to me (or you or anybody else) just because they are an “activist” who claims to be advancing “social justice.” They do not fool me, nor should anyone else be deceived by their bogus hustle, and the fact that my @rsmccain account got suspended? Just further proof of what I keep saying: Feminism is a totalitarian movement, and the First Rule of Feminism is, “Shut up!” Sarkeesian and her crowd cannot sustain their arguments against well-informed criticism, and so they attempt to “win” the argument by silencing all criticism.

This is why you can’t even state FACTS about these people on Twitter without being accused of “harassment.” Facts are harassment and truth is hate and Oceania Has Always Been at War With Eastasia. Sarkesian is anti-freedom because she is anti-truth. She and her little squad of soi-disant “feminists” are just hustlers looking for a free ride, and the only way they can get that ride is to silence anyone who speaks the truth about them and calls them out as the cheap bullshit artists they actually are. Me? Nobody cares about me. I am not the story. But I am the guy telling the story, and I’m not going to shut up so long as I can breathe. If I drop dead right here, right now, as soon as I click “send,” I will keep telling the truth, because that’s what the job is about. Fuck “social justice.” Give me freedom, and give me truth...

More.

Donald Trump to Hold Campaign Events in Las Vegas Today (VIDEO)

Following-up from previously, "Donald Trump's Momentum (VIDEO)."

At KTNV News 13 Las Vegas:

Donald Trump's Momentum (VIDEO)

At the New York Post, via Memeorandum, "Donald Trump leads polls in 10 of next 14 voting states."

And at the New York Times, "Donald Trump's Victory Spurs Renewed Scrambling Among Republicans."

Amber Lee's Monday Forecast

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Angry Mob Cheers as Huge Blaze Rips Through Migrant 'Refugee' Shelter in Saxony, Germany (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Angry Mob Threatens Migrant 'Refugees' in German Town of Clausnitz (VIDEO)."

There's more, at BNI, "GERMAN patriots cheer and try to stop firefighters as Muslim illegal alien invader center burns in Saxony."

And at London's Daily Mail, "Anti-migrant mobs cheer and try to stop firefighters getting to planned refugee shelter as it goes up in flames in Germany."

Angry Mob Threatens Migrant 'Refugees' in German Town of Clausnitz (VIDEO)

Here's the video, "Refugees cry as they were welcomed by neo-nazis in #‎Clausnitz near #‎Döbeln #‎Germany last night..."

Watch also at Euronews, "German police defend their handling of migrant bus unrest."

More, at the BBC, "German police justify handling of migrant bus incident."

The Party of Bush Yields to a New Face (VIDEO)

Heh.

"Yield" is putting it nicely. Jebbie got the freakin' boot!

At the New York Times, "The Party of Bush Yields, Warily, to a New Face: Donald Trump":

In his emotional seven-minute farewell to a Republican Party that elevated his father and brother to the White House, there were two words that a choked-up Jeb Bush could not bring himself to utter: “Donald Trump.”

Mr. Bush, the former governor of Florida, had been soundly rejected by an electorate he no longer recognized, hobbling his campaign and leaving him little choice but to withdraw from the presidential race.

“The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken,” Mr. Bush said, holding back tears. “And I really respect their decision.”

It was a stunning turn for the man who a year ago embodied all the qualities that his party’s elders imagined Republican voters wanted in a president: civility, experience, pedigree and tolerance.

They were wrong.

The party of Prescott Bush, George Bush and George W. Bush is, for the moment, the party of Donald J. Trump.

For the past year, party leaders who had pleaded with Mr. Bush to run and armed his campaign with a record-shattering war chest of $100 million had consoled themselves with assurances that Mr. Trump’s popularity in the polls would never translate into victory at the ballot box.

Mr. Trump, it turned out, knew their voters better than they did.

Mr. Trump’s commanding back-to-back primary wins in two disparate regions of the country have forcefully shaken the Republican firmament out of a prolonged state of self-denial.

“It’s an enormous moment,” said Steve Schmidt, a top Republican strategist on John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008 and George W Bush’s in 2004. Unless further rivals immediately quit the race, “it’s very difficult to see how he is stopped on his way to the nomination.”

Keep reading.

Bob Schieffer on the State of the GOP Race (VIDEO)

Schieffer's excellent home-spun political analysis.

Nothing to disagree with, frankly.

From this morning's "Face the Nation":

WATCH: Behind the Scenes Sports Illustrated 2016 Ashley Graham (VIDEO)

Bodacious.

Gigi Hadid Uncovered for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 (VIDEO)

Watch, "Gigi Hadid Uncovered Swimsuit 2016."

BONUS: "Gigi Hadid Intimates Swimsuit 2016: Watch the exclusive behind the scenes video from the Tahiti SI Swimsuit 2016 shoot, featuring Gigi Hadid."

Deal of the Day: Save 50 Percent on Calvin Klein Underwear

At Amazon, Save on Calvin Klein Underwear.

Also, from Margalis Fjelstad, Stop Caretaking the Borderline or Narcissist: How to End the Drama and Get On with Life (hat-tip: Instapundit).

And from Charles Gati, ed, Zbig: The Strategy and Statecraft of Zbigniew Brzezinski.

BONUS: From Heather Cox Richardson, To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies." (That's last Sunday's funnies, since this morning's aren't up yet.)



Also, at Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES: Trump Derangement Edition." Also, at Theo's, "Cartoon Roundup..."

Cartoon Credit: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – You Didn’t Build That."

'Since the South Carolina contest moved up on the political calendar in 1980, no Republican has carried both New Hampshire and South Carolina and then failed to win the nomination...'

A great piece, from Susan Page, at USA Today, "First Take: History is now on Donald Trump's side."

Why Ted Cruz is South Carolina’s Biggest Loser (VIDEO)

Yeah, Cruz is not cruising to the nomination. He couldn't even win SC's evangelicals.

See Jonathan Tobin, at Commentary, "Why Cruz is SC’s Biggest Loser":

There’s no question that the main story coming out of the South Carolina primary is another big win for Donald Trump. His double-digit margin over his nearest competitors was very much along the lines of his impressive victory in New Hampshire and looked to have won him all of the state’s delegates. Trump proved that nothing he could say — whether it was repeating far-left talking points about George W. Bush, endorsing the ObamaCare personal mandate or opposing entitlement reform — could alienate his supporters. With one third of GOP primary voters solidly in his pocket, it’s possible to argue that he has a clear path to the Republican nomination so long as he is facing two or more competitors in the remaining states, especially once most of the contests become winner-take-all affairs.

But if Trump is the big winner in South Carolina, Ted Cruz is the big loser....

Cruz’s assumption was that once other candidates that appealed to social conservatives like Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum dropped out, he could count on a united evangelical vote. But what Trump showed us in South Carolina is that there is no such thing as a united bloc of religious conservatives. Or even of Tea Party voters that should, in theory, also be flocking to Cruz. What’s killing Cruz is that a lot of people who ought not to be voting for someone with Trump’s record are doing so. Cruz is right that he is the principled conservative that represents the beliefs of these voters. But they are still voting for Trump.

Trump may be hitting a ceiling at about one third of the vote. But that bloc is largely composed of the Tea Party and evangelicals that Cruz assumed would never stick with the frontrunner. If this pattern is repeated in the SEC states, Cruz will lose them. And once you get past that point in the calendar, the GOP race moves to northern, Midwestern and southern states where Cruz’s brand of conservatism has even less of a constituency. Trump may triumph there too, especially if Rubio is forced to compete with Kasich. But whatever happens in those states, the least likely outcome there would be victories for Cruz...

More.

And ICYMI, "Donald Trump Wins South Carolina Primary (VIDEO)."

Hillary Clinton Regains Momentum After Crushing Defeat in New Hampshire (VIDEO)

And she's going to consolidate that momentum in South Carolina, which holds its Democrat primary next Saturday, February 27th.

At the Washington Post, "Clinton defeats Sanders in Nevada; black voter support appears decisive":

LAS VEGAS — Hillary Clinton held off a powerful late challenge from rival Sen. Bernie Sanders in Nevada’s Democratic caucus vote Saturday, securing a narrow victory that helps the former secretary of state regain momentum after a crushing defeat in New Hampshire.

Nevada was the first state to test support among minority voters, who have long been expected to be in Clinton’s camp. As it turned out, preliminary entrance polls showed Latinos favoring Sanders, despite having voted for Clinton 2-to-1 when she ran in 2008. African American voters, meanwhile, appear to have overwhelmingly supported Clinton — a development that could bode extremely well for her given the run of Southern states with large black electorates voting in the coming weeks.

“Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other,” Clinton told supporters gathered at a Las Vegas hotel ballroom. Clinton congratulated Sanders on a close election, but she got in a few digs, too.

“It can’t just be about what we’re going to give to you; it has to be about what we are going to build together,” she said in an unmistakable reference to Sanders’s large and expensive plans for government-run health care, college and more.

Clinton’s campaign cast doubt on the strength of Sanders’s support among Hispanics, pointing to majority-Latino precincts that she won...

Keep reading.

Also, at PuffHo, "Civil Rights Legend Says Sanders Supporters Yelled 'English Only' at Her."

Well, Sanders won't pick up Latino voters that way, obviously.

Amber Lee's Sunday Forecast

That rain on Thursday sure helped, but it's not coming back for a while yet.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Donald Trump Wins South Carolina Primary (VIDEO)

He's practically cruising to the nomination at this point.

We'll see what happens in Nevada, but no matter. If he sweeps a majority of the contests on March 1st, Super Tuesday, it's a done deal.

At LAT, "Trump wins South Carolina primary; Cruz and Rubio battle for second as Bush quits the race":

Donald Trump rode a week of insults directed at a popular pope and a GOP president to trounce his opponents in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary Saturday, the most convincing evidence to date that his establishment-smashing campaign is on track to win the nomination.

None of Trump's rivals came close to knocking him off Saturday, despite – or perhaps because of – his position at the center of one of the most polarizing campaign weeks in recent history.

“There’s nothing easy about running for president, I can tell you,” Trump told a cheering crowd in Spartanburg, S.C., late Saturday. "It’s tough. It’s nasty. It’s mean. It’s vicious. It’s beautiful. When you win, it’s beautiful, and we are going to start winning for our country.”

On the other end of the spectrum was the night's biggest casualty, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who quit the race after months of limping along in Trump's shadow and as the target of much of Trump's derision.

"I'm proud of the campaign we've run," Bush told supporters. "But the people of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken."

With about one-third of the ballots counted, Trump had about 33% of the vote. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, also running as a party agitator, was running just barely ahead of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for second place.

Many figures in the party elite have viewed Rubio as the last man standing between traditional GOP values and the restive forces that have come to upend them in the 2016 campaign. So far, however, he has not won a contest.

Trump's victory was sweeping. He won among veterans and nonveterans, moderates and conservatives, evangelicals and nonevangelicals, women and men, according to the results of the exit poll conducted by Edison Research for the Associated Press and the major television networks.

As he has throughout the campaign, Trump dominated the vote of Republicans without a college education and those with incomes below $100,000. College graduates were closely divided among backers of Trump, Cruz and Rubio. Those with incomes above $100,000 split their vote between Trump and Rubio, the exit poll indicated.

Almost the only significant demographic group that did not go for Trump were those who called themselves "very conservative," who sided with Cruz...

Still more.

And at Memeorandum.

Jeb Bush Quits 2016 Presidential Campaign (VIDEO)

Obviously, there's lots of news tonight, but this bit on Jeb Bush really rates, heh.

 At USA Today, "Jeb Bush drops out of Republican presidential race."

Our long national nightmare is over - #JebBush suspends presidential campaign. #SouthCarolina #SCPrimary #SouthCarolinaPrimary #GOPprimary

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 21, 2016

Man Captured on Film Being Arrested in a 1963 Protest is Bernie Sanders, His Campaign Says

That's the headline at the New York Times, via Memeorandum.

But see Twitchy:

Photo of Bernie Sanders getting arrested during civil rights protest in 1963 discovered #FeelTheBern https://t.co/JUTBiIrWJT

— TwitchyTeam (@TwitchyTeam) February 20, 2016

Dude's definitely got some credibility on civil rights, despite the attacks of Hillary's henchmen.

'Shadowbanning'

As noted, my blog time's been down this week, because I'm back at my day job, lol.

I saw this Milo piece earlier, but didn't have time to read it.

At Breitbart London, "EXCLUSIVE: Twitter Shadowbanning 'Real and Happening Every Day' Says Inside Source":

Rumours that Twitter has begun ‘shadowbanning’ politically inconvenient users have been confirmed by a source inside the company, who spoke exclusively to Breitbart Tech. His claim was corroborated by a senior editor at a major publisher.

According to the source, Twitter maintains a ‘whitelist’ of favoured Twitter accounts and a ‘blacklist’ of unfavoured accounts. Accounts on the whitelist are prioritised in search results, even if they’re not the most popular among users. Meanwhile, accounts on the blacklist have their posts hidden from both search results and other users’ timelines.

Our source was backed up by a senior editor at a major digital publisher, who told Breitbart that Twitter told him it deliberately whitelists and blacklists users. He added that he was afraid of the site’s power, noting that his tweets could disappear from users’ timelines if he got on the wrong side of the company.

Shadowbanning, sometimes known as “Stealth Banning” or “Hell Banning,” is commonly used by online community managers to block content posted by spammers. Instead of banning a user directly (which would alert the spammer to their status, prompting them to create a new account), their content is merely hidden from public view.

For site owners, the ideal shadowban is when a user never realizes he’s been shadowbanned.

However, Twitter isn’t merely targeting spammers. For weeks, users have been reporting that tweets from populist conservatives, members of the alternative right, cultural libertarians, and other anti-PC dissidents have disappeared from their timelines...

More.

RELATED: "Robert Stacy McCain Suspended on Twitter — #FreeStacy."

Here's Jackie Johnson's Weather Forecast from Last Night

I've been catching up on some sleep, heh, so blogging's been light.

Here's Jackie!

Robert Stacy McCain Suspended on Twitter — #FreeStacy

This kind of thing is getting old and dreary, but at least the latest episode attests to the far-reaching good will Robert Stacy McCain has earned across the web's social media and blogging landscape. Maybe we should start calling him Robert Stacy McMensch (a "mensch" is Yiddish for a person with "great honor and integrity").

Robert blogged about his imprisonment in Twitter Gulag, "The #FreeStacy Story: Why Was My @rsmccain Account Suspended?"

I'm Robert Stacy McCain. I've been a journalist since 1986. My account @rsmccain was suspended tonight. #FreeStacy #tcot @ToniMZ81

— Sex Trouble (@SexTroubleBook) February 20, 2016

Folks, R.S. McCain is tweeting at his backup book account, @SexTroubleBook. #FreeStacy @Support

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 20, 2016

Also from Ed Driscoll, at Instapundit, "WELL, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS THAT WAY AT THE MOMENT: Is Twitter Silencing Conservatives?" (Legal Insurrection and Twitchy linked there.)

Also, from Da Tech Guy, "The Twitter Star Chamber Suspends Stacy McCain" (via Memeorandum)."

Still more, from Robby Suave, at Reason, "Did Twitter's Orwellian ‘Trust and Safety’ Council Get Robert Stacy McCain Banned?" (at Memeorandum).

Robert's still in Twitter Gulag. Please keep sending tweets to @Support, @Twittter, @Safety, and @Jack (Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and current CEO), using the #FreeStacy hashtag.

Sometimes I think that I wouldn't still be blogging if it wasn't for Robert. He makes it fun and I'm proud to say he's a good friend.

And while you're at it, hit the tip jar at The Other McCain.

I'll have updates, of course.

Is Socialism Making a Comeback?

A great read, from Michael Tanner, at CATO.

Federal Prosecutors Push Back Against Apple

At LAT, "Feds strike back at Apple, say firm misleads in public battle over terrorist's iPhone":

In a stinging rebuke of Apple, federal prosecutors contended Friday that the company was “not above the law” and could easily help the government unlock a terrorist’s smartphone without undermining anyone else’s privacy.

“Rather than assist the effort to fully investigate a deadly terrorist attack,” government lawyers said, Apple “has responded by publicly repudiating” a court order demanding the company’s help.

The court filing portrayed the conflict as a battle between FBI agents working tirelessly to obtain key information about a terrorist plot that killed 14 people and injured 22 in San Bernardino in December and a private company wishing to protect its reputation and brand.

In a motion to compel Apple’s help, prosecutors also accused the company of making misleading statements...

More.

Lily Aldridge Uncovered for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 (VIDEO)

Watch, "Lily Aldridge Uncovered Swimsuit 2016."

Great to see Ms. Lily back for 2016. She's fabulous.

Polls Tighten on Eve of Heated South Carolina Republican Primary

It's going to be interesting.

If Donald Trump wins it'll be the beginning of a dash to the nomination. He'll have so much momentum he'll be unstoppable.

But the race is apparently tightening in the Palmetto State, so we'll see. We'll see.

At the New York Times, "Republicans Speed Across South Carolina as Race Tightens":

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Republican presidential candidates hurtled across South Carolina on Friday to make their final, frantic pitch one day before the state’s primary, as polls showed the race tightening here after a volatile and often nasty week of campaigning.

The vote on Saturday, a critical test of organization and strength for much of the field, comes as the candidates are closing in on Donald J. Trump, who until now has held comfortable leads in the polls here. A new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll shows Mr. Trump just five points ahead, down from his 16-point lead in the state a month ago.

The poll had Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in second with 23 percent, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, vying for third and fourth place, with 15 and 13 percent, respectively. Ben Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon, and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio each had 9 percent.

As the Republican field winnows, nearly all of the remaining contenders need to deliver strong performances. A big victory by Mr. Trump would give him a jolt of momentum that could add a sheen of inevitability to his candidacy heading into the crucial March 1 contests, when 12 states vote, many of them in the South...

Keep reading.

Kate Hudson's New Book, Pretty Happy

The lovely Ms. Hudson was on CBS This Morning yesterday.

Watch, "Kate Hudson on new health book, 'why not' mantra."

And check it out, at Amazon, Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body.

BONUS: From the Ellen DeGeneres Show, "What's Cuter Than Kate Hudson Holding a Baby Panda? Nothing."

Caroline Wozniacki Featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 in Body Paint (VIDEO)

Amazing.

Via Theo Spark, "Caroline Wozniacki Bodypainting Swimsuit 2016... (VIDEO)."

Ted Cruz Overtakes Donald Trump in Latest Nationwide GOP Presidential Poll (VIDEO)

A huge deal is being made about this poll, but it's only 28 to 26 percent in favor of Ted Cruz, well within the margin of error. Besides, Quinnipiac's out with a new national survey as well, and Donald Trump's way out front, with a 2-1 lead. NBC/WSJ could be an outlier?

In any case, at NBC News, "Surprise: Trump Falls Behind Cruz in National NBC/WSJ Poll":

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has fallen behind Ted Cruz in the national GOP horserace, according to a brand-new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

In the poll, Cruz is the first choice of 28 percent of Republican primary voters, while Trump gets 26 percent. They're followed by Marco Rubio at 17 percent, John Kasich at 11 percent, Ben Carson at 10 percent and Jeb Bush at 4 percent.

The results from the poll — conducted after Trump's victory in New Hampshire and Saturday's GOP debate in South Carolina — are a significant reversal from last month, when Trump held a 13-point lead over Cruz, 33 percent to 20 percent.

Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollster Peter Hart and his firm Hart Research Associates, says Trump's drop could signal being "right on top of a shift in the campaign."

"When you see a number this different, it means you might be right on top of a shift in the campaign. What you don't know yet is if the change is going to take place or if it is a momentary 'pause' before the numbers snap back into place," he said.

McInturff added, "So, one poll post-Saturday debate can only reflect there may have been a 'pause' as Republican voters take another look at Trump. This happened earlier this summer and he bounced back stronger. We will have to wait this time and see what voters decide."

This poll comes after other surveys -- both nationally and in South Carolina, the site of Saturday's next Republican contest -- show Trump with a commanding lead. But some of those weren't conducted entirely after the last debate like the NBC/WSJ poll.

Another possible explanation for Trump's decline in the new NBC/WSJ poll is an increase in "very conservative" Republican voters from January's sample...

More.

Also at Hot Air, "Whoa: WSJ/NBC national poll shows Cruz climbing past Trump to lead, 28/26: I want to believe. But I don’t."

Today Only: Save 30 Percent on Fire HD 6, 6" HD Display

At Amazon, Fire HD 6, 6" HD Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB - Includes Special Offers, Black.

Also, Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers.

Plus, From Michael Gunter, Out of Nowhere: The Kurds of Syria in Peace and War.

And, from Fred Lawson, Global Security Watch-Syria (Praeger Security International).

More, from Flynt Leverett, Inheriting Syria: Bashar's Trial by Fire.

Campus Anti-Semitism Looks to Instill Hatred for Long Term

From Barbara Kay, at Toronto's National Post:

At McGill University, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) zombie has returned.

For the third time in less than two years (and the fifth time in seven years), anti-Zionist crusaders are on the warpath. A motion calls on the Students Society of McGill University at their winter general assembly on Feb. 22 “to support any (BDS) campaigns on campus and to pressure the McGill board of governors to divest from corporations ‘complicit in the occupation of the Palestinian territories’.”

Similar motions in the Fall of 2014 and March of 2015 were, respectively, shelved indefinitely and failed on a secret ballot. Yet here the anti-Zionists are again. Clearly they hope to wear down the student body to the point of indifference or numbed acceptance.

The vehicle for this latest anti-Israel motion is the McGill BDS Action Network, which consists mainly of members of a group advocating Palestinian human rights and is endorsed by the McGill Black Students’ Network, McGill Students for Feminism, the McGill Syrian Students’ Association, the environmental activist group Divest McGill and the Union for Gender Empowerment.

No thinking person can avoid noting the irony in these names. Environment? Israel leads the world in agricultural sustainability, water conservation and arid-land research, while its neighbours pump non-renewable oil in increasing quantities. Gender rights? Israel is the only country in the entire Middle East that accords equal rights to women and gays.

And the Syrian Students Association? More people have died in the past year in Syria than have died in the entire Arab-Israeli conflict in the last 65 years, and for reasons that have nothing to do with Israel. Why does the Syrian Students Association not direct its activist energies in support of their ethnic brethren, or the Christians and Yazidis who will never be able to return to their ancestral homes? Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of Western progressivism, where hatred of Israel is so fierce it can derail activists from attending to the causes they allegedly represent...

Keep reading.

Unhinged, Anti-American Salon: 'The Pledge of Allegiance Must Go...'

Not linking to the Salon piece, although you can click through at Memeorandum, "The pledge of allegiance must go: A daily loyalty oath has become a toxic, nationalistic ritual."

You can also read excerpts at Truth Revolt, "Salon: 'Toxic, Nationalistic' Pledge of Allegiance 'Must Go'."

It's a classic anti-American screed from the godless, anti-American left.

No one thinks America's perfect, but if you refuse to pledge allegiance to your own country, then you're not really an American. Your loyalties lie elsewhere, with the global movement to destroy the American project, with the left, with international communism, and with global jihad.

It's pretty straight up.

More at Memeorandum.

And on Twitter:

I'm "dangerously close to radical" for arguing US kids be treated like kids in other democracies, not indoctrinated. https://t.co/ONJ8KcoOKt

— David Niose (@ahadave) February 17, 2016