Well, did you vote? lohud.com |
Today is Wednesday, which means it is time for the weekly edition of the Blogger Candidate Forum and there is much to say. The dust has settled on the New York state primaries and both parties's frontrunners have emerged with resounding victories. Congratulations are in order for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump who both beat back challengers by wide margins. Although, Blogger has to say that both Governor John Kasich (a very distant second) and Senator Ted Cruz (a more distant third) were virtually no match for the Trump machine. Certainly, the Gentleman from Texas's snide comments about "New York values" did not help him much. Senator, what do have to say about "Hollywood values?" We, here in Los Angeles, are eagerly awaiting your pronouncement. In the meantime, Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to his home state of Vermont to "recharge" (lick his wounds) and the Kasich campaign must be wondering how longer can they realistically continue. The Gentleman from Ohio has not won a primary since winging his home state and still thinks he can seize the nomination from Mr. Trump. Let us take a look at the results and ponder where do we go from here.
The remaining candidates nbcnewyork.com |
Just looking at the numbers, it seems that both Sen. Cruz and Gov. Kasich have virtually no chance of winning the Republican nomination outright. Even if it were to go to a contested convention, both gentlemen would be hard pressed to convince enough people swing their vote toward either one. The issue is that both gentlemen are so far behind, that it would take literally an act of divine intervention for either one to catch up. What made the difference for Mr. Trump, in this primary, was essentially refraining from vein-popping statements like his comments on abortion and playing up his New York-ness. If Blogger knows anything about New Yorkers it is they are a very loyal crowd.
The front-page from the Daily News politicsusa.com |
Do you all remember being taught about not insulting yours host when you visit someone? Apparently Senator Ted Cruz skipped that lesson because he quickly realized that bashing "New York values" did not earn him many friends or any delegates. At a campaign event, last night in Philadelphia, Sen. Cruz wisely opted to address his supporters before the polls closed, thus sparring the embarrassment of acknowledging his third-place finish. It was not like the Senator was actually expecting a good night but he figured if he could keep Mr. Trump to under 90 out of 95 delegates available, it would be a good night. (http://www.cnn.com; Date accessed 04/20/2016)
Governor John Kasich took a more low key but adorable approach, eating his way through the campaign. His non-New York-ness showed when the Governor ate a slice of pizza, at Gino's Pizzeria, with a fork and knife. Cute but a major faux pas. Then proceeded to sample a pickle, soup, and apple strudel at PJ Bernstein's Deli before downing a massive sub sandwich at Mike's Deli. Aside from the inevitable case of indigestion, the eat-your-way strategy helped the Governor to a distant second and snatch some delegates out of the Trump machine. The Governor is hoping that next week's contests in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and other Mid-Atlantic states that are predominantly suburban and moderate will add to his minuscule delegate count. (Ibid)
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders before a debate magazine.com |
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton soundly bested Senator Bernie Sanders in the battle for Democratic New York. Sec. Clinton resoundingly beat Sen. Sanders 58.0% to 42.0% of the vote (Source: Associated Press). At stake were 247 delegates. Sec. Clinton added 139 to her count while the Gentleman from Vermont claimed 106 delegates. As things stand, Madame Secretary now has a total to 1,930 out of 2,383 delegates needed to win the nomination outright. Lagging behind is the Senator with 1,189 delegates. (Ibid)
The numbers alone tell us that Sen. Sanders's
Bernie Sanders shaking hands with strikers blogs.wsj.com |
Senator Sanders also continues to allege that Sec. Clinton is violating campaign finance laws through joint fundraising account with the Democratic National Committee, is concerned about the long-term damage to the party, and how it plays into Donald Trump's "Crooked Hillary" scenario. Crooked Hillary? Pot meet kettle. However, Senator Sanders still has not addressed the fundamental flaw in his campaign, his inability to win over African-American voters. Blogger has observed that the Gentleman from Vermont's core constituency is made up of young, white voters. While the Senator has gone out of his way to release adds directed by Spike Lee, featuring Rosario Dawson and Danny Glover, aligning himself with the Working Families Party and the Transit Workers Union. both with strong African-American links. Despite all this, if the Senator cannot improve on his polling numbers with New York African-Americans, it is doubtful he ever will. (Ibid)
Hillary Clinton addressing her supporters democratandchronicle.com |
New York once again demonstrated why the Senator cannot catch up. Exit polls presented data showing Sec. Clinton doing better among voters 30 to 49-although the Senator out performed her with voters 18 to 29-and maintained her advantages among women and minority voters. However, Sen. Sanders did well with younger, make, and Caucasian voters. This looks good for Madame Secretary going into the next round of primaries through to California, not so much for the Senator. (Ibid)
Although, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton claimed the end is neigh, yours truly is quick to remind them both that "it ain't over until the fat lady sings." In short, do not start writing your nomination acceptance speeches just yet. There are still a number of primary contests that have yet to be run, including the big prize, Blogger's home state of California. California is one of the most multicultural states in the nation. Learn to make friends and not just with celebrities. Blogger believes that the primary contests will all come down to the Golden State.
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