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Archives: On the Street Interview with Elizabeth Esty
May 5, 2013
Kent, CT – Elizabeth Esty is asked about controversial campaign donations and her views on the second amendment.
Ameriborn News Exclusive Interview with U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty
Written by Juliana Simone
Kent, CT – Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-5) who took over this formerly held seat by her fellow party member Connecticut U.S. Senator Chris Murphy after the 2012 elections, was speaking to a small circle of constituents in Litchfield County about some of the issues that came up this Saturday afternoon on her “Congress in Your Corner” tour. A beautiful May afternoon allowed the United States Representative to stay and mingle with a handful of interested constituents who reside in one of the districts forty-one towns.
“I was delighted to see so many people show up today,” she told the group. Congresswoman Esty was pleased there were a variety of topics that were a mix of local, state, federal and environmental issues, among them Bulls Bridge and the Appalachian Trail which are pertinent to the area. In regards to the Appalachian Trail which runs 2,181 miles from Maine to Georgia, concerns about unsupervised swimming where there was a recent fatality, parking, safety and trash were discussed.
The Appalachian Trail is mostly maintained by the National Park Service one Esty and a member of the circle concluded but Esty asserted if the parking spaces were on a state road then this would be a state issue. A man told the Congresswoman the newly created parking spaces were for CL&P so she wondered if this then was deeded land or an easement and concluded that state, local, federal and non-profits will have to figure this out.
Before departing the group, she was asked about Statico, and whether this had been resolved, and U.S. Representative Esty replied she would have to get them an update and reminded them a couple of people had asked about this today in her appearance at the Kent Memorial Library.
With time constraints where the Congresswoman had scheduled to look at local artist paintings before leaving Kent, she excused herself and then gave Ameriborn News Network some of her time. Here is a transcription of the two questions asked of Representative Esty and her responses along with the accompanying video of the interview:
Juliana Simone: Congresswoman, can I ask you a couple of questions?
Rep. Esty: Well, it depends…
Juliana Simone: Well, they’re different subjects but I was just wondering…
Rep. Esty: I’m sorry. You’re with whom?
Juliana Simone: Ameriborn News.
Rep. Esty: Okay.
Juliana Simone: We endorsed you over Donovan in Campaign 2012…(Esty laughs)
Earlier this week, you had to return some campaign donations from Northeast Utilities involving you and your husband (because of him) being the DEEP commissioner in CT…Are you going to return the rest of the individual donations that Jon Lender mentioned in the Courant?
{A toddler rides his scooter between the interviewer and Esty and Esty asks him, “are you going through?” She says, “He’s enjoying his scooter,}
Rep. Esty: Um, No. The NU made a decision it was an (obstruction) but I have worked in the field of energy and environmental issues for a long time. I served well before my husband’s appointment. I served on the Energy and Technology Committee and the folks are aware of my work there…
Juliana Simone: At the House?
Rep. Esty: In the House of Representatives here in the state of Connecticut…and that’s firm support from people over the years in communities and around the country…and a lot of those folks are people elsewhere around the country who are very concerned about having knowledgeable people in Congress who are making national – {ed.: indiscernible} to address these national, and frankly, international concerns.
Juliana Simone: Okay. Thank you. (Rep. Esty nods.)
And, about the death penalty…I know that you’re against the death penalty, so I was wondering, you know, unfortunately, the Fifth Congressional district in Connecticut had two of our most heinous national stories about murder – with Cheshire and the home invasion, and then our Newtown Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy…Now, I know you voted against the death penalty when you were a state representative and that included the Cheshire home invasion gentlemen, and now, if the Sandy Hook shooter…
Rep. Esty: I’m not answering any hypothetical about that, you know?
Juliana Simone: But I was wondering if he didn’t commit suicide, and he was found and convicted would you have voted for the death penalty against him?
Rep. Esty: “I gotta tell you I don’t answer any hypotheticals about that, you know…my job is focused at this point on representing Newtown and all of the citizens of (that) district…and trying to make sensible gun control laws and gun safety laws so that we minimize the risk of any other communities going through what happened in their communities…
and today we had a number of gun owners who came to speak to me and we also had a very good conversation – because there is so much misinformation. Part of the problem right now is there’s a lot of heat but not a lot of light about what’s happening…about we need to have real information about what the safety laws are and what those proposals would do…and I think if people look at them they’ll see how sensible they are and how important it is to get this done, to save the lives of children every day…
and police officers every day are just making sure that all of the law abiding gun owners are going through background checks, too…and so does everybody else…so they can’t choose to avoid going through a background check…which is what allow right now…and that’s just bullsh*t…”
The press liaison for Congresswoman Esty interjected there was no more time as she had to go view the paintings of the local artists.
The follow up question to Rep. Esty given more time would have asked about all of the gun owners who aren’t law abiding and do not go through background checks to acquire their weapons but hopefully both our state and federal legislators will include this issue in their future discussions, proposals and legislation.
Memorial Day – United States of America
Donald Trump after Indiana: Two Hundred to Go; Cruz Suspends Campaign
Bernie Sanders Wins Indiana over Clinton
Written by Juliana Simone
With tonight’s primary win in Indiana over challenger’s Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich, Trump is the projected winner with 52.9% to Ted Cruz at 36.7% with 60% reporting. Kasich is coming in with around 7.8%. This win with 57 delegates, will bring the delegate count for Trump to 1,041, less than two hundred from the 1,237 total needed to get the Republican Party nomination at the Ohio convention in July on the first ballot.
Kasich is saying he is going to stay in despite winning one state, Ohio, and with nothing else to bring to the table except maybe his moderate position. In a statement released tonight, Kasich’s campaign said their goal is to win the nomination in an open convention. Cruz always maintains he will stay in the race.
Tonight in Indiana, numbers are tight between the Vermont Sanders who has a large following of his own, and Mrs. Clinton. Reporters on the mainstream media are saying they have to keep refreshing the pages showing results to find out who is ahead by mere numbers. With Sanders appearing to be the winner at just after 8PM, with Sanders at 53.1% to Clinton’s 46.9%, with 55% reporting, he is appearing to be the projected winner.
But with any frontrunner of a political party, when the numbers separating two candidates aren’t far enough apart, changes can be made to switch the results, whether its “missing” ballot boxes found, or late reporting large districts, or last hour votes from who knows who, the end result isn’t called until its called. Regardless, this Indiana win is important for Bernie Sanders, and continues to illustrate many democrats are not finding Mrs. Clinton too likable.
Earlier on the democrat front, MSNBC this evening had an interview with Jeff Weaver, Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sander’s campaign manager, as results still stream in. He was asked about the drop off in contributions between March and April, citing Sanders donations dropped 20 million from previous months. Weaver replied their average has been 17 million a month but numbers like this are not sustainable.
It’s worthwhile to point out small grassroots donations, as Sanders has achieved in much larger numbers than presumed nominee Hillary Clinton, hold a lot of weight on Election Day. Others would argue it’s more important to get the large donations from lobbyists and PAC’s, as former First Lady and SOS Clinton does regularly. Liberal Hollywood, who has never understood where they fit on an economic map in terms of individual earnings and capitalism, and the vitriol agenda they promote as if they were have-nots, also holds incredibly high ticketed fundraising dinners for Clinton. Recently, actor George Clooney and his new wife had to pay 353K to Hillary for her to appear at their event.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/hillary-clinton-george-clooney-fundraiser-221207
Any voter who thinks this woman, is in touch with their lives or needs, or even cares if she does know, better take another look. This is a woman who has lived off of taxpayer money and flown only on private jets for decades, has lived a life of a bon vivant, which was something in olden days that only attractive and entertaining people could pull off. Would she even know how to board a commercial jet? Does she even know how to drive?
Mrs. Clinton told the mainstream media in interviews looking for sympathy, she went from being so poor when moving out of the White House, she and the former President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, didn’t know how they would prevail, to an amazing achievement of an accrued nest egg of thirty-one million dollars. Her husband, in name only, as the two have not lived together, for…? Fifteen years? Is worth eighty-million. Perhaps they can afford to return the White House furniture they took with them when leaving for the chosen exit strategy location of New York, for Mrs. Clinton to run for the U.S. Senate, if she actually gets elected.
With Sanders a presumed winner, Clinton pundits are quickly noting how unimportant this win is for Sanders, and how it means nothing in terms of Hillary’s outcome with upcoming primaries and the ultimate nominee. The narrative is always so blatant. Of more concern to Sanders supporters, the fix was in a long time ago, and no matter how well he continues to perform, Clinton will get the nomination both due to super-delegates pledged even before the first primary, and the large funding behind her whatever the source.
Going forward, all Americans can hope for a more positive arena that talks about the important issues today. The below the belt comments made by Senator Cruz in regards to Trump, and the abstract comments made by Trump today in regard to Cruz’s father really need to stop. These exchanges would make fine former President Ronald Reagan not only cringe, but be truly dispirited.
Cruz, in his comments after his loss tonight in Indiana, referred to Reagan and spoke at length about what the former beloved Republican President believed. To do so, after completely ignoring Ronald Reagan’s well-observed eleventh commandment, “though shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican” which he did not follow today or in days earlier. His pronounced would-be running mate, former businesswoman Carly Fiorina, followed suit, and spent much of her stump speeches insulting the frontrunner.
Trump, has not abided by this Reagan commandment either. Perhaps he gets a bit more of a pass in that one, he’s from New York, where New Yorkers speak frankly and loudly, and two, he has not always proclaimed to be a conservative and has not always been a registered Republican. For the record, he has been registered as a Republican for more years than a Democrat.
Still, the mudslinging needs to stop. Perhaps Senator Cruz realized this, too, as he just announced he was suspending his campaign.
An admirable man, his run and patriotism should be admired. More amazing to many, is Kasich’s staying in, who has won only one state compared to Cruz. There is a method to every campaign. Perhaps Kasich feels he can enough anti-Trump votes at the convention to somehow someway become the nominee.
As for Clinton and Sanders, to the Democrat leadership, they once again have to face another evening that shows them the man they considered no challenge at all, is still beating the anointed woman they believe will aside from all scandal and lack of achievement regardless of title, become the first female President of the United States.
On to Nebraska and West Virginia.
Analysis: Five State Primary Day Sweep for Trump; Four States for Clinton
Cruz Announces VP Pick Businesswoman Carly Fiorina and Looks West for Wins
Written by Juliana Simone
Winning projections for both frontrunners, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton were validated on Tuesday, April 26th, with Trump winning all five states up for grabs, and Clinton winning four out of five states with final totals reported over their opponents.
It was clear before 1AM the numbers for Rhode Island still seemed too close to call. News the next day showed with the final count, Vermont U.S. Senator Sanders beat the 2008 democrat presidential candidate Clinton in Rhode Island, 55% to 43.3%. As a result, the former Arkansas and U.S. First Lady did not have the same five state sweep Republican opponent Trump achieved, nor were her numbers as good as the ones Trump won overall.
Too early to project except for the temptation of the sensational news headline, the media reported Tuesday evening Hillary had a huge night and easily won all five states in this late April primary in the northeast. Mrs. Clinton, naturally, quick to embrace the moment in a campaign that has surprised supporters how difficult it has been for her to compete with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, happily chose this moment in the sun to pan to voters and the cameras that she is a popular candidate, despite the unexpected success of her challenger.
In terms of the Rhode Island results, a difference of 12% is considerable, and it should make voters wary of what the agenda driven mainstream media reports. Numbers like that are way too large to call for any election. Messaging must have prioritized the iffy statistics that those who chose to call Rhode Island for the former Secretary of State, believed would go their way, and rushed to embellish Clinton’s win as equal to those of Trump’s.
What’s clear to those who have followed this race from the beginning, is she is not a popular candidate, and polls continue to show she has a high percentage rate as someone who is not likable. According to polls, for whatever they’re worth, Republican opponent Trump has the same. The difference is in the numbers.
Holding true to the pattern that began early on with the beginning of state primaries, the turnout for Trump and the Republican Party far exceeds the turnout for Clinton and the Democrat Party.
The Republican Party is seeing a record high turnout on primary days and in terms of people registering to the party to be able to vote for their preferred candidate in these primaries. Most of the unaffiliated and moderate democrats are making this switch to vote for Trump in states whose election laws do not allow open voting where any registered party member can vote for whomever they choose on the ballot.
The Democrat Party has seen its voters very unenthusiastic about getting to vote for either of their two candidates. Records show four million less democrats have cared to cast a ballot this election year in their primaries. The only candidate motivating any new group in droves who often don’t care to vote, is Sanders with the millennial group made up of young adults between twenty and thirty.
Statistics and analysis show the Trump campaign even outperformed the estimates polls provided going into this latest Super Tuesday. What the mainstream media chose not to emphasize was that Donald Trump, not only won all five states in the Tuesday primary, but he won every county of all five states. Neither of his Republican opponents were able to win one county in this primary. Clinton could not say she also won every country of the four states she was declared the winner.
How the five candidates performed on the 26th:
Connecticut: Trump @ 57.86% (votes cast: 123,367) to Kasich @ 28.37% (votes cast: 60,481) and Cruz @ 11.71% (votes cast: 24,969); Clinton @ 51.8% (votes cast: 170,075) to Sanders @ 46.42% (votes cast: 152,410). Trump took all 28 delegates; Clinton took 28 delegates to Sanders 27.
Delaware: Trump @ 60.8% (votes cast: 42,472) to Kasich @ 20.4% (votes cast: 14, 225) and Cruz @ 15.9% (votes cast: 11,110); Clinton @ 59.8% (votes cast: 55,950) to Sanders @ 39.2% (votes cast: 36,659). Trump took all 16 delegates; Clinton took 12 delegates to Sanders 9.
Maryland: Trump @ 54.4% (votes cast: 236, 623) to Kasich @ 23.0% (votes cast: 100, 089) and Cruz @ 18.9% (votes cast: 82,038); Clinton @ 63.0% (votes cast: 533,247) to Sanders @ 33.2% (votes cast: 281,275). Trump took all 38 delegates; Clinton took 61 delegates to Sanders 33.
Pennsylvania: Trump @ 56.7% (votes cast: 892,702) to Cruz @ 21.6% (votes cast: 340,20) and Kasich @ 19.4% (votes cast: 304,793); Clinton @ 55.6% (votes cast: 918, 689) to Sanders @ 43.6% (votes cast: 719, 955). Trump won all 17 delegates; Clinton took 105 delegates to Sanders 83.
Rhode Island – Trump @ 63.8% (votes cast: 39,059) to Kasich @ 24.4% (votes cast: 14, 929) and Cruz @10.4% (votes cast: 6,393); Sanders @ 55% (votes cast: 66, 720) to Clinton @ 43.3% (votes cast: 52, 493). Trump took 12 delegates, Kasich 5 and Cruz 2; Sanders took 13 delegates to Clinton’s 11.
Connecticut was the state most analysts and polls believed could go to Sanders. He was well in the lead through much of the day, then a slim lead through the evening, but final tallies pushed Clinton over the edge to win. Connecticut has a history of funny math on ballot mishaps on Election Days, so it’s tough to say if Sanders didn’t actually win this state.
Sanders, who wanted to speak at UCONN, on one of his campaign speeches, couldn’t meet their terms and had to go the New Haven green and Hartford the next morning. It is of note that UCONN presented an award to former President Bill Clinton for human rights in October, and the UCONN Foundation paid Hillary Clinton $251,250. As a resident, I see Sanders lawn signs and bumper stickers on cars a lot and have yet to see anything for Clinton.
Trumps biggest wins were in Rhode Island and Delaware in the low sixties percentage wise. The other three states he still performed well in, with two in the high fifty percentiles and Maryland, his lowest at still just under 55%. Clinton has one state that gave her a return in the low sixties – Maryland. Delaware had her second best returns at almost sixty percent, and her two wins put her in the low to mid-fifties. Rhode Island, which she lost put her in the low forties.
Sanders highest percentage was his winning state, Rhode Island, of course, at 55%. Kasich’s highest return was in Connecticut, known for its large group of moderate Republicans, at 28%, and Cruz’s best state was Delaware at just under 16%.
Of all the candidates the winner of who won their home state by the largest percentage goes to Bernie Sanders, where the Vermont U.S. Senator won by a whopping 86.1%, faring much better than fellow colleagues in the Senate, Cruz and Marco Rubio, who failed to win over challenger Donald Trump, who considers Florida to be his second home. Trump won his home state of New York with a respectable 60.4%, Cruz won Texas with 43.8%, and Kasich won Ohio as sitting Governor, with 46.8%.
It’s tough to say what Hillary Clinton’s home state is and she claims a few to hold that distinction. Born and raised in Illinois, she attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts and Yale Law School in Connecticut. She met her future husband on this Ivy League campus, the 42nd President of the United States, William J. Clinton, who proposed marriage, but a staff opportunity in Washington D.C. that made her future there a bright one, was her preference at this given time.
But failing to pass the District of Columbia bar exam to become an attorney there, she took the bar in Arkansas where her boyfriend Bill Clinton was returning. Passing that exam, she agreed to marry Clinton, where they lived and worked for almost twenty years.
Winning the White House in 1992, put Mrs. Clinton in Washington, D.C. for eight years. When her husband’s two terms ended, she did not want her spot in the political limelight to end, so she cherry picked New York as her choice to run for the U.S. Senate. Plunking down money on a 1.7 million dollar home in Chappaqua, to qualify her for the run as a resident, she eventually won over the New Yorker’s who recognized her as a carpetbagger, with the general consensus that maybe more state money would come to them with someone as powerful as a former First Lady as their U.S. Senator.
Though New York is actually listed as her home residence, she has spent little time in that home since its purchase in 1999. Its former President Bill Clinton who has lived in the house since the Clinton’s bought into the Empire State. Once Hillary won her Senate seat through New Yorker’s votes, the Clinton’s purchased a home for 2.85 million in what is known as the upscale area of northwest Washington as “Observatory Circle.” The brick colonial is located on a dead end street.
Whichever home she designates at the moment, in Illinois she won with 50.5% of the vote, just slightly over opponent Sanders who came in with 48.7%. In Arkansas, the home of her husband who was the Governor there and a former President, she faired the best at 66.3%. In New York, the blue state she’s spent a fraction of the time, she won with 58%. In Massachusetts, where she attended college, she just beat Sanders 50.1% to 48.7%.
In caucuses, Cruz won in Wyoming with his highest percentage achieved at 66.3% with 644 votes cast, while Trump in this state caucus gave Trump his lowest figure to date at 7.2%. Idaho went to Cruz with 45.4% to Trump’s 28.1%. Trump did not visit Idaho unlike Cruz. Idaho also chose Sanders over Clinton by a large margin: 78% Sanders to 21.2% Clinton. In Alaska, both Cruz and Sanders one. Cruz, by almost three points, but Sanders ran away with it beating Hillary 81.6% to 18.4%.
On a larger scale in terms of the numbers, as noted in an earlier post, Trump has already received 2.1 million more votes before this five state primary, than Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012. This is an amazing figure.
On the Democrat Party side, the party has seen four million less people care to cast a vote in the primary process. Whether Democrats don’t care for either choice enough to go vote, or will just pull the lever for whoever becomes the nominee, remains to be seen. People can only wonder what the turnout would be with Clinton on this second try versus any other opponent than Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, in challenging her.
The candidate who has ignited the Democrat Party, as Trump has lit up not only Republican Party supporters, but democrats and unaffiliated, is Sanders. Sanders is the politician who has brought out masses of followers to his rallies, has won ten states over the media’s anointed Clinton the Party did not believe perceivable, as well as nearly tying her in states like Missouri.
He’s received more private grassroots donations, has kept Clinton’s winning margins in many primaries and caucuses far from solid leads, and could arguably be the frontrunner if not for the Democrat Party’s super-delegate system. Professionals and voters have speculated over whether or not Sanders knew Clinton had all these super-delegates in the bag, before he even began his campaign. Did he know he would never have the opportunity to become the party nominee, no matter how popular his campaign became? Certainly his voters did not.
An interesting local news highlight here in New England, reported on Tuesday’s five state primary, which illustrated how popular Sanders is among his party’s voters and devotees, on a small but impressive note for those of who know the area, ” Democrat turnout was so high on Block Island that a ferry had to ship extra Democratic ballots to the remote community Tuesday evening.”
For those not familiar with this region, Block Island is part of Rhode Island – an island off of the shore of Rhode Island which is a local tourist attraction for both sailors and visitors who take the ferry there and stay in hotels as a summer getaway destination.
Despite his large following, mostly with the youth vote, as pointed out earlier, this is not his sole demographic. A pronounced Socialist, Sanders appeals to disenfranchised Americans, big government fans and most likely Democrats who don’t care for Hillary, or maybe even both Clinton’s.
Still, with the northeast four state sweep on Tuesday, Sanders said Wednesday with last night’s returns, he would now be laying off hundreds of staff employees around the country and focus on California, which he considers to be a state he can win. He explained in regards to the campaign layoffs, that in states whose primaries already have passed, he did not need staff their anymore and needed to focus on the remaining 14 states whose delegates and voters were still important going forward. The Vermont U.S. Senator also said he will remain in the race until the convention.
Trump, has his own possible battle awaiting him in Ohio at the Republican National Convention with many party candidates, leadership and advisers not hiding the fact they are doing everything they can to keep him from becoming the nominee. Whether it’s Cruz and Kasich with their news announcement this week on teaming up to not campaign or advertise in states that favored either over the other, to keep more delegates from Trump acquiring the 1,237 needed to not go to a second ballot at the convention, when bound delegates can then vote for whomever they choose, or if its reputable long-serving Republican’s whether elected into office or not, saying they’ll vote for Hillary before Donald, Trump and his millions of supporters have to prepare themselves for a showdown on in July.
If Trump continues to win the remaining primaries, and falls just short of the total delegates needed only to have the national convention delegates award the nomination to someone else, leaves supporters wondering if Trump should run as an independent. On the democrat side, Sanders is wondering this, too, with his large following and earned primary and caucus wins, why should he bow out because the party already had given the nomination to Hillary through their super-delegates despite his hard work and positive response?
Trump, a businessman who’s made billions of dollars in real estate investments and other ventures, is the only self-funded candidate out of the remaining five, and also out of the original seventeen Republicans. This is something conservatives in the Republican Party usually laud, as it means the candidate won’t be prone to backroom deals and secret handshakes with lobbyists, special interest groups and politicians across the aisle, since no money had to exchange hands between them in the form or campaign contributions or PAC money.
This advantage Trump has and also gives voters, now is hardly ever mentioned in the media and the Republican Party seems mute on this positive. The argument stands that this is because the insiders in D.C. want everyone to have the same strings tied to them as are tied to everyone else there. A man with no strings is free and clear and does not need to respond on demand. Clearly a dangerous concept to the establishment.
An interesting turning point that followed Tuesday’s results, was Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, exiting the northeast and leaving his losses behind to announce he had picked his running mate for Vice President, if he can somehow achieve the nomination at this time. He chose the only female Republican who sought the nomination for President of the United States in 2016, former business executive Carly Fiorina.
A good choice in that it brings a female on to his ticket for those voting for Hillary simply on gender alone. She is not a party insider, as Cruz wrestles with the constant argument between those who claim he himself is one as an elected Senator, and those who maintain he is anything but, as someone who’s always bucked the system and stood alone on some important issues his colleagues would not join him on.
She also must have appealed to Cruz as she was born in Texas to a father who was an attorney, law professor, deputy U.S. attorney general and judge on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In the debates, one prime time and the others in the pre-prime time broadcasts for lower polling candidates, she made it clear she was very sharp on policy and could run circles around Hillary if they’d ever have the opportunity to debate. This, of course, is the reason the media never gave her much airtime. Yes, they want a woman to become President, but, no, not a Republican one.
Pundits saw both negatives and positives in his decision. Negatives cited were her inability to win a primary or caucus and poll numbers that kept her off the prime time debate stage except for once. Positives were her college and business connections to California and again, the fact she is a female.
Personally, for those who listened to the debates, one has to wonder if her accepting the invitation to be Cruz’s running mate was because as she stressed in every opening or closing statement, she’d been told no her whole life, and she found a way to get what she wanted anyway. Perhaps this is her drive in that she’s turned a public and party no into a yes.
Additionally, it gives her more on-camera time to say negative things about Donald Trump. The two had their moments on national television during the debates, and it’s clear there is no love between the two of them. If her coming back into the spotlight means she’ll be spending her time criticizing Trump with snarky remarks, (she’s already said “Trump will be a disaster for this nation” if elected) instead of being at her best and highlighting Clinton’s many weaknesses and troubles, then perhaps she should have passed on a possible run with Cruz.
The etiquette of Reagan’s eleventh commandment is perhaps now off the table as her own election is at hand along with Senator Cruz. So for now, the campaign speech will be its Trump who is the projected disaster, not Clinton. For his part on Cruz teaming up with Fiorina, Trump has said the Cruz-Fiorina announcement was a waste of time.
Polls in Indiana, which is holding its primary this Tuesday, May 3rd, show an uptick for the Texas Senator since announcing Fiorina as his VP choice. With what little polling has been done, there, however, polls currently show Trump still leads by around 5%.
Total delegate counts going into this Tuesday stand with Trump at just under one thousand at 996; Cruz with 565 and Kasich with 153. Florida U.S. Senator, Marco Rubio, who suspended his campaign after his loss in Florida to Trump, with 164 still holds more delegates than Kasich, but with Kasich staying in until the end, despite only winning his state of Ohio, should pick up enough by the end of the primaries to exceed Rubio. Unbound delegates for Rubio, most after the first ballot will be up for grabs.
With the primaries coming to a close, ten remaining states for the Republican candidates, including California, will have the final say if Donald Trump can go to the Ohio convention with the needed delegate count to become the nominee with no second, or possibly more, ballots, and the potential to become the 45th President of the United States.
Five State Primary Today: What Will the Results Reveal Voters vs. Establishment?
Written by Juliana Simone
April 26, 2016
With the recent news story that highlighted a new pact between Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich, where they will work together in the forthcoming weeks to alter the outcomes of delegate votes for frontrunner New York businessman Donald Trump, it appears that the Republican Party’s establishment, still hopes to stop Trump from becoming the 2016 nominee for President of the United States under any circumstances.
Five states are holding presidential primaries today: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. There are still 733 delegates up for grab out of the 1,237 total needed at the national convention by a candidate to secure the nomination and not have the vote go to a second ballot. For those who have read my previous posts, as I’ve mentioned before, many tricky things happen once it goes to a second ballot, or more if necessary.
Trump is showing high polling numbers in all of the five states voting today and is expected to win them. In our state of Connecticut, polls have Trump winning at 40% with Cruz just over 20% and Kasich in the high teens. With that in mind, Cruz and Kasich apparently have decided to move forward to upcoming primary states like Indiana, who along with Tennessee, have their primary on May 3rd.
The pact between Senator Cruz and Governor Kasich has the two contenders agreeing to not challenge each other in a state where one clearly has higher expected returns. Strategically, this means they each will be more likely to win the state, or at least many of the state’s delegates over Trump.
Kasich, still the candidate who has only won one state, his own, and is perceived by many as someone who should have suspended his campaign months ago, continues to enjoy his time in the spotlight, and remains ambitious in his campaigning. Proof of this was his remarks yesterday that he still hoped to win Indiana, even though he’d just agreed with Cruz he would not campaign in this state to give the edge to Cruz and thus help to eliminate Trump. Cruz, in turn, would not campaign heavily in New Mexico and Oregon to give an edge to Kasich.
But, Kasich, quickly showed the true nature of politics, when hours later from the announcement of their agreement, he said at an appearance in Philadelphia Monday, “Indiana voters should vote for me.” Yes, he did withdraw his public appearances to stay true to the pact with Cruz, but he still plans on meeting with Indiana Republicans, including their Governor, and attending a fundraising event there. In return, Cruz’s campaign said they would never tell any voter who to vote for and told supporters they did not endorse tactical voting.
Upon hearing this news, frontrunner Trump addressed this pact from an appearance in Warwick, Rhode Island, calling it conclusion, and saying in business or the stock market, if you collude, you’d be put in jail, but in politics, because it’s a rigged system, a corrupt enterprise, in politics you’re allowed to collude. He said he was happy with this news, in that it showed how weak and pathetic the two were, as they are just getting killed…it shows complete weakness…two long time establishment guys now had to get together to try and beat the guy that speaks what the people want.
Of note, heading into this late April five state primary, Donald Trump now has had 2.1 million more votes cast for him than Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012. As the projected winner over Ted Cruz and John Kasich by sizeable percentages, Trump’s count will continue to grow this evening when final tallies are posted.
Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has acknowledged Trump will win the five states today, but believes once the primaries head back towards the western states, results will change and not favor Trump. After May 3rd, the states of Nebraska and West Virginia have primaries on May 10th; Kentucky, Oregon and Washington hold their primaries on May 17th; big-prize state California, along with Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota primary on June 7th, and lastly Washington D.C. (democrat party only) on June 14th.
The discussion that remains as the main talking point, is whether or not Donald Trump can achieve the total of 1,237 delegates needed at the national convention in Ohio to become the nominee without heading into the second ballot. At this time, he is the only Republican candidate remaining of the three that has the potential to achieve this feat. Whether or not the Republican establishment hopes to derail this effort remains to be seen.
EMERSON POLL: TRUMP COULD SWEEP CONNECTICUT;SANDERS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF CLINTON
CTprimaryEmersonpollresultsApril122016
The upcoming Connecticut primary in a poll released today by Emerson College, showed 50% of state Republicans likely to vote for businessman Donald J. Trump. Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has one won state (Ohio) comes in second with 26% with the highest favorable rate among all candidates. Texas U.S. Senator is placed third at 17%. Six percent remain undecided.
Former SOS Hillary Clinton still leads Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders with a 49% lead over his 46%. Sanders holds a higher favorable view among voters, however.
Connecticut’s primary will be held on April 26th.
Why Wisconsin Counts
Written by Juliana Simone
The reason one state counts this far into the game comes down to two words: Second ballot.
Most readers probably thought they would see the words ‘contested convention.’ Also important in that one leads to the other.
But for those in the know, where things get tricky at a state or national convention, is when a candidate well into the lead and has been told by numerous delegates they were the sure winner by a healthy percentage, suddenly find themselves short enough to have to go into a second ballot.*
Wisconsin’s numbers tonight award the winner 18 delegates. Three delegates for each of the eight congressional districts within the state are then distributed. With polls showing Texas U.S. Senator well in the lead over businessman Donald Trump on the Republican side, strategists show no matter how it’s cut up, Trump won’t come out with enough to call it a win heading into the national convention after tonight.
This is good news for Cruz supporters, or the ‘I’ll-vote-for-Hillary’ group before Trump, despite their patriotic stance presented to the public. Anyone who has served on the municipal level, no matter how small a town, can tell you how every vote matters. Town board seats and State House seats have been won by one vote. One vote. Something sadly much of America, whose citizens have the privilege to vote, does not recognize each Election Day.
The Kasich camp, still believes somehow somewhere the Ohio Governor can become the nominee, even with only winning one state to date, his own, out of thirty-two primaries/caucuses held to date. Many people believe he should have left the stage some time ago. Arguably, if there was a third man (or woman) still standing, the list is long in terms of exceptional candidates who were presented to us originally back in late 2015.
Both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz voiced their opinions pre-Wisconsin vote that Kasich should drop out with only one state under his belt. But the long-serving Republican Party candidate says he is staying in until the convention. He has noted in public comments that no one outside of Ohio even knew who he was before running for President of the United States, so perhaps this achievement accompanies his view of what America would be under his leadership.
“Up until now, no one knew who I was. They thought my name was ‘Governor of Ohio.’ Finally I’m getting some attention! People can hear my message!” This may be true in some circles, but most people didn’t even know he was the Governor of Ohio. Other Governor’s had more national media attention going into this competition. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Understandably, this is a shining moment for John Kasich, the current Ohio Governor. Considered a moderate who has made statements of note during his campaign, including the idea he would perhaps pick a democrat to be his Vice President on the ticket.
Also, like Republican Party nominee veteran John McCain, (who lost to Illinois U.S. Senator Barack Hussein Obama in 2008), Kasich says he will work with both sides of the aisle, and is described as a big government legislator. For these reasons, Kasich is not popular with conservatives, libertarians, right-sided Republicans and some of the blue-collar demographic who support Trump.
New York businessman Donald Trump has connected with voters from a vast amount of demographics and appears to be the only Republican who currently can assure cross-over votes. Kasich’s camp would disagree with this assessment and argue because of his moderate stance, he will appeal to these groups, as well. But this is old strategy from the current GOP establishment which continues to believe, if we’re more like them they’ll vote for us. Election results have not proven this to be case in terms of who wins the highest office politically. (McCain 08; Romney 12.)
Federal offices hold Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Congress with a mix, depending on the state, but notably with the addition of new conservative faces. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is one of those. Endorsed by former Alaska Governor and 2008 Vice President Candidate Sarah Palin, he won his U.S. Senate seat in 2012. Governor Palin now has endorsed Donald Trump for the party nomination for president, but either way, she clearly stands by candidates who are anti-establishment.
Cruz has made this reputation by his actions as a constitutionalist in Washington D.C., who stands firmly on the Founder’s principles and his, while Trump presents this status as a businessman who has never held public office but has made major achievements over his lifetime. Both men have Ivy League degrees (Cruz: Princeton/Harvard; Trump: Wharton Schol of Business, University of Pennsylvania) and are happily married with children.
They each have their critics, too.
Cruz, has people who staunchly insist he is not qualified to run for the office of President of the United States since he was born in Canada. His mother, an American, married a Cuban native. He also is said to have few allies among his colleagues in the U.S. Senate for his strong approach in fighting the insiders and business as usual.
Trump, the media has pulled out all stops to try and bury every day, as both the never-perceived front-runner, and due to personal vendettas apparently from some of the media’s upper tier. A blunt man, who speaks plainly with no apology, receives constant criticism from the commentators and politically correct crowd who does not believe any lets-cut-to-the-chase speak, should ever be allowed (regardless of how they talk amongst themselves privately with no cameras rolling.)
But both of these aforementioned things the two men bring to the table, who presumably will be the nominee coming out of the national convention in July, are what brings them their devout fans.
Interestingly, the location of the convention is in the home state of Governor Kasich, where the third man hoping to somehow grab a seat in this game of musical chairs, still hopes for some miracle that can happen with the arm-twisting and madness of the super-delegates.
On the democrat front, things are even bleaker for Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders who has won the last states over presumed former First Lady/NY Senator/SOS Hillary Clinton despite her serious woes with the FBI in re her email server scandal. For this party, primaries have just been an expense for taxpayers, as Clinton already had sewn up all her caucus’s super-delegates before even starting the process. It must be a concern to those who immediately ushered her in to this front-line position and ignored her pockmarked veneer that the massive youth turnout for Sanders would not take kindly to learning their vote never mattered due to these party logistics.
Sanders who has out-performed her in many states throughout the county, has left the democrat party in a dilemma. With large wins in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and one really close win in Michigan, he has outperformed what any pundit conceived after his announcement. His supporters maybe at best can hope for a FBI arrest for Clinton, which is far more deserved than what General Patraeus was found guilty of – but even he made recent comments Clinton under the Obama administration and the current Department of Justice will sweep under the rug to keep their liberal agenda for the country going.
On the Republican front, somehow this group needs to form an alliance whoever the nominee is after the convention. The country continues to diminish as Democrats are elected or re-elected due to stubborn Republican voter divide.
*{Ask former Congressman and retired U.S. Army Colonel Rob Simmons, (CT-2), who was assured he would beat the democrat nominee, Connecticut’s long-serving Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, once becoming the official nominee in 2010, but a second ballot flipped the vote for newcomer WWE co-owner Linda McMahon.}
Update: In My Vue: Top Ten Director List – the other five
Written by Juliana Simone
Best Film Director List:
Billy Wilder
John Huston
David Lean
Adrian Lyne
Tony Scott
Ridley Scott
Clint Eastwood
Steven Spielberg
Woody Allen
Spike Lee
{Editor’s note: these choices are in no particular order. They are my top ten in my view. It would be easy to add another five, all worthy of mention. Of course, there are many others beyond that…but, this is a top ten list.}
#
Okay. For those who need to know who the other five would be:
Alfred Hitchcock
Sydney Pollack
Anthony Minghella
James Ivory
Ang Lee
{Editor: Honorable mentions to both exceptional directors Martin Scorsese and Mike Nichols. Favorite Scorsese film “Raging Bull”}
{” Favorite Nichols film “Wolf.”}
The Anti-Trump Stump
Written by Juliana Simone
March 18th, 2016
Lindsey Graham’s endorsement of Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday, states his reason for this as being Cruz is our “best chance to stop Donald Trump.” This shows the Republican National Committee does believe it is much more important to take out the popular frontrunner, than the Democrat challenger, former First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
Other supposed Republicans, also have picked up this torch and are clearly making it more of a goal to assure businessman Donald Trump does not receive the nomination at the upcoming Republican National Convention, regardless of how many states he’s won in the primaries, and how the majority of voters from both parties and the independents, have clearly made him their choice.
As a veteran RNC rules committee member has affirmed recently, it’s the RNC super-delegates and delegates who make this decision. Who cares about the majority of people who took the time to go to their polling places and cast a vote for Trump, and how much it cost municipalities to conduct these primaries?
Apparently, it’s more important for the GOP establishment to lose the Presidential race in 2016 then let Donald Trump win the country’s highest office. They would rather allow a democrat candidate running for the second time, who is now associated with more illegal acts and scandal than her previous run in 2008, to win and during her term bury the United States, in four to eight more years of the liberal policies that have made America the weak and blemished country it is today, after two terms of the Obama administration.
There’s a goal!
Which brings many commentators to note, how much does the Republican establishment really care about the American people and those who are registered with their party? It is clearly more important to them that they dictate the outcome of races, however large or small, by choosing the candidates, effecting results at the state and federal conventions, what insider friends can continue to give jobs, and who will allow them if elected, to keep their jobs and affluent lifestyle, whether it’s as a legislator or someone behind the scenes who works as a consultant, adviser, staff hire or lobbyist.
Sure, there are some never-Trump haters who would rather toss the election to perhaps who is arguably the worst candidate ever put up for our country’s highest office, that the establishment feels they are connecting with or protecting, but the current numbers clearly show they’re in the minority.
For the Republicans who work in politics, or volunteer for their state parties or a particular candidate’s campaign local or federal, it’s been known for a long time now that Republican’s do most of the Democrats work for them. Their continual attacks against fellow party members, however revered or popular, meddling at the convention level to throw over the candidate who has earned the nomination over someone else regardless of experience or likely voter turnout, gets chosen either due to deep pockets or insider influence.
Unfortunately, this insider influence often doesn’t pick the winners, but it does provide them with their position and livelihood. Even if they truly care about winning, maybe they just don’t have the gift or objectivity to choose the right candidate. Outside of D.C., there are even public figures who are declaring they’d rather help Hillary Clinton win then see Donald Trump become the party nominee.
The Kendrick’s, Arizona’s owners of the baseball team the “Diamondbacks” have come out to say they would rather lose thousands of dollars a month with less ticket sales to their games by making their position known, then see Trump nominated. This is an odd decision, as Trump has two important endorsements from the state of Arizona already – former Governor Jan Brewer, who was another anti-immigration advocate lambasted by the mainstream media, regardless of how many millions of dollars this issue cost her state and taxpayers, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who also agrees how important it is to stop the influx of illegal immigration and has seen first-hand the damage it does on a continual basis.
The Kendrick’s comments, as conservatives, seem disjointed, in that Ken Kendrick announced he was fine with 100,000 people not attending their major league team games if in protest to their decision to not support Trump, they stood up for the right thing – Mrs. Kendrick, making comments from a Phoenix suburb after hearing this said she hoped Ken kept feeling this way. Kendrick is someone who has poured tens of millions into advertising dollars to stop Trump’s road into the party nomination. For the record, Mrs. Kendrick was a Rubio supporter, who gave at least $350,000 to the Florida U.S. Senator also seeking the nomination to run as the 2016 Presidential candidate.
Rubio who gave one of his best speeches after losing Florida, which perhaps left voters wonder where this man was during the race, now is blaming the media for his loss as the nominee, and also saying he won’t run for another term as U.S. Senator.
The trail continues with the Ricketts who founded Ameritrade, own the Chicago Cubs, and Club for Growth, a fund and a PAC which has spent more than 28 million dollars in anti-Trump advertising over anti-Clinton ads. They feel satisfied with their views and spending, saying all of the negative Trump things will come out eventually. Perhaps they should focus, as “true” republicans and conservatives how many more serious negative things about Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton have come out for decades, and are still coming out present day.
If their thinking is they will do this after Texas U.S. Senator Cruz becomes the nominee, or one-state winner, John Kasich, what they sadly don’t understand is neither Cruz nor Kasich will beat Clinton, regardless of Cruz’s exceptional education and patriotic dedication to the Constitution, or Kasich’s warm and fuzzy moderate ‘I’ll-just-get-along’ message. Moderate democrats and independents won’t vote for a conservative who holds the bible up at events, however admirable this is in a country founded by Christians, and Kasich’s cross the aisle handshake extension, won’t bring in the frustrated American’s who can get more of that from Clinton, and did not elect 2008 Republican Presidential nominee Arizona’s U.S. Senator John McCain or 2012 nominee former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Conservative magazines, who still perceive themselves this way, such as the “National Review,” have dedicated whole issues to why Trump should not be the nominee. The democrat party couldn’t ask more from the liberal magazine “Mother Jones.”
Donald Trump, in respect to conservatism: he has the most amazing children, all on solid ground, who are achievers, and did not take the fact their father had money as a lifestyle choice that now allowed them to do nothing all day but perhaps sit on their surfboards in hopes of catching a wave; in respect to Christianity, he proudly states he is of this faith; in terms of abortion, though later in life, which is not uncommon, he realized he is pro-life; as for patriotism, his message has resonated loud and clear with the masses, in that quite simply, he considers being a patriot as someone who will keep America free and safe, even though this stance is faulted every day by the media and his democrat opponents, as if this is wrong; Marriage: although married three times, his current wife and two ex-wives have only good things to say about him, which is a testimony in itself; Constitutionally, Trump stands by the second amendment, the first, etc.
The Clinton’s, though not married more than once, live in a façade of a marriage, for political ambition and most probably monetary concessions (if they were to divorce). The former President of the United States, has reportedly had continued extramarital affairs, which could be argued as understandable when there is no relationship with their spouse for multiple years. Hillary, to this day portrays herself to the public, as a woman who cares about her fellow females, and is the opposite to Republican party members who are holding a ‘war against women,’ despite the fact she allegedly led multiple abusive attacks on the women her husband was involved with since marrying.
The Clinton’s, from what research reveals, haven’t lived together after leaving the White House, and have rarely been seen together for over a decade except for gratis publicity photo ops during Hillary Clinton’s failed 2008 Presidential run among the Democrat Party. Understandably, perhaps the disgrace the forty-second President brought to the Clinton brand name, after his affair with young intern Monica Lewinsky while serving as President, was enough for the former First Lady to move on with her own career.
Nee, William Jefferson Blythe III, Bill Clinton has maintained the quickly purchased lodging in Chappaqua, N.Y., purchased by the couple that allowed his wife, to run for the U.S. Senate in New York. The Illinois native had no affiliation with this state, but in terms of campaign ambition, it had clout, and was arguably winnable due to its majority of democrat voters. She succeeded, despite initial rejection from constituents, and went on to lead an unimpressive role in the United States Senate.
Mrs. Clinton today, according to published articles, lives in D.C on Whitehaven Street in a home that cost almost three million dollars, and would sell today for over six million.
It’s believed if not for her continued ambitions to be the first female President of the United States, the two would have divorced and moved on. Both of the Clinton’s will be seventy years old, or soon turning seventy come this November.
Despite the numerous scandals surrounding both Hillary and Bill Clinton, past and present, the one-time Secretary of State appointed under current President Barack H. Obama, continues to push forth her dream to be the first female President of the United States. For those in the know, there could not be a worst choice and the list is long as to why. For now, Vermont U.S. Senator, Bernie Sanders, continues to challenge her for the democrat nomination at the upcoming national convention. Regardless of his popularity among the under-thirty voting demographic, Mrs. Clinton had sewn up the super-delegate vote needed within their party to receive the nomination, before the challenge even started.
Where does this leave the youth vote who wanted Sanders and not Clinton? Nowhere. But, for those indoctrinated by an education system that promotes liberal ideology, they’ll just hold their nose and vote for the corrupt Clinton rather than a true patriot with concerns about America’s future like businessman Donald Trump, or Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. Governor John Kasich, after winning his own state, is also still hoping to receive the Republican nomination at the GOP convention.
In My Vue 