Donald Trump Wins Indiana, Ted Cruz Ends Campaign
Ted Cruz described Indiana as must-win, but it probably spelled the end of #StopTrump.


Donald Trump is the winner of the Indiana primary, with about five percent of precincts reporting, according to MSNBC.
(Note: This page has been updated to reflect breaking news after polls closed.)
As a direct result of Trump's latest victory, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is ending his presidential campaign, his campaign manager Jeff Roe reportedly told Politico. Ohio Gov. John Kasich will continue his campaign until a candidate clinches the nomination.
Indiana was said to be Cruz's last chance to stop the New York reality TV star from clinching the 1,237 delegates he needs to lock down the Republican nomination for president.
Cruz vigorously pounded the pavement in the Hoosier State, hoping his evangelical-style social conservatism would win over the heartland. He even staged a misbegotten alliance of convenience with Kasich, who pulled his resources out of Indiana to give Cruz a better chance there in exchange for Cruz doing the same in two Western states.
The past week was particularly vicious, with Trump accusing Cruz's father of being an acquaintance of the man who shot President Kennedy, and Cruz calling Trump a "pathological liar."
But at this point, the #StopTrump movement is all but mathmatically eliminated, and Trump's momentum plus Cruz and Kasich's declining stock all bode well for The Donald clinching the nomination and avoiding a contested convention in Cleveland this July.
The Republican Party's likely standard-bearer will go into the general election campaign holding the highest unfavorable ratings for a major party candidate this late into the season ever. Trump currently has unfavorables about 20 percentage points higher than George W. Bush did while running for re-election in 2004 as the American public decided the once-popular Iraq War had become a regrettable, bloody fiasco.
To repeat: the American public dislikes Donald Trump more (by a substantial margin) in 2016 than they did George W. Bush did in 2004.
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It really doesn't matter that the American hate Donald Trump. He is a flash of odor after a meal of beans.
What is disturbing is that a clear majority of the American people crave security over liberty.
Hillary definitely seems to be more of a war monger than Trump. I think one could make the argument that Cruz is as well. Of course it's really hard to actually know where Trump really stands on anything outside of immigration and trade.
From what I gather, Trump has been beating the same dead horse on trade since the 80's with the Japanese. I wonder if he just isn't angry about competing with foreigners in the real estate market.
Regardless, are we officially at post-reality politics where nothing a candidate says has to be grounded in any semblance of truth, or have we been there for a while?
The trade thing is the most disturbing thing about Trump to me. Either he doesn't understand this stuff or he's just blowing hot air to get votes and he doesn't really try to go down that road.
Still, people are mad at the establishment and Hillary IS the establishment more than anyone else. And I think a lot of people are somewhat fascinated with Trump's bad boy image. I know quite a few Hispanics who love the guy, even though common knowledge is that they all hate him. It's just not true, he's a macho guy, lots of latins like that.
"It's just not true"
Actually it is. There are these things called 'polls'. I read them, unlike some people.
The man is going down like a cinderblock in water, and he's taking the GOP with him. I wouldn't mind so much if it didn't mean Democratic rule into perpetuity, since evidently 90% of the country favors jobs programs over liberty.
Sadly this. And plenty of libertarians will wake up next year and ask
WHY COME NO LIBERTARIAN MOMENT?
If all it takes to ruin the Libertarian Moment is Donald Trump then libertarians have serious problems...
^1
This is what I don't understand about the CW that Trump is a reaction to the GOP establishment not living up to its promises - Trump is ten times worse than that and the GOP establishment and Trump are looking more and more like they're going to be working together just fine. Trump is not destroying the GOP establishment, he's rescuing it. The real threat to the GOP is not Trump, it's people like Rand Paul, Justin Amash, Mike Lee and even Ted Cruz - the people who expect the GOP to start keeping its promises about smaller government and greater liberty. Trump wants to win more than anything, and promising people free shit is what wins. If the GOP has to flat repudiate the idea that they stand for smaller government, lower taxes, less spending, less regulation, then that's what they'll do and Trump is just the Democrat to lead them. When has Trump ever said anything to indicate he has any intention of making government any smaller or less intrusive? And keep in mind he's been campaigning for the GOP nod so this is as conservative as he'll get - now that he's working on the general he's going to be even more openly appealling to Dems and that means even more free shit.
This is the worst possible outcome, I think, for libertarians - the GOP is going to figure out it can win without even bothering to pay lip service to libertarianish ideas, so fuck it, they'll just go whole hog liberal and to hell with even pretending any more.
Either he doesn't understand this stuff or he's just blowing hot air to get votes and he doesn't really try to go down that road.
Why not both? They aren't mutually exclusive.
Macho? Which part of Trump is macho, the daily Mani/pedis, the girl hands, the lack of any manual labor in 7 decades of life, the whining, the lying, the pondering? What's macho about him?
I wasn't even thinking about foreign policy; most people want a government that will guarantee them economic security. It used to be that the GOP was the party of economic liberty, and the Democrats were the party of welfarism. Now, voters for both parties are asking for the government to take care of them.
yeah, the republican arguments about healthcare that I saw were all different ways to go about some sort of universal coverage. I mean since "progressives" are always trying to progress and "conservatives" are trying to stay in the same place of course the middle gets progressively more progressive.
We have a socialist party and a 1992 Democratic party. Just like Europe. And that's turned out so well.
We have a socialist party and a 1992 Democratic party.
And in 20 years we'll have a Maoist party and a socialist party - and the socialists will still be called 'right-wing extremists' and 'free-market nutjobs' and 'Ayn Rand cultists' just like the 1992 Democratic party will be in, oh, just about an hour or so from now.
Yep. The U.S. is transforming into Europe, in all its stagnant, statist backwardness.
Trump is the pallbearer of the Rethuglican Party, which never could decide, do they stand for smallering Government Almighty, or do they stand for being the Supervisor of All Female Body Parts... The Womb Guard of AmuriKKKaaaa... Death of ReThuglican Parties?!?!? Bring it OOOONNNNN!!!!
Security? Maybe, but I think at least some of it is a craving for revenge that is not entirely unwarranted, even if it is self-destructive. Theres a whole load of fuckers out there that need to be made to suffer, and Trump looks to some people like the possible implement of their ruination.
Voters are so desperate to not waste their votes that many will vote for the leader even if they hate him. They see Cruz and Kasich as also-rans, with no chance of securing the nomination.
And it doesn't matter how much polls say people hate Trump. In November, they'll have the choice between a crooked, uninspiring, politically correct Washington insider and a circus buffoon strong man who gives voice to their fears and concerns. Who do you think they will actually pull the level for?
It's really hard to predict general elections this far out. I definitely would not wager any money on it. But just armchair prognostications here, I think they are underestimating Trump about the general, as they have been all along in these primaries. I think he will beat Hillary. I think Bernie might beat Trump, but not Hillary.
"It's really hard to predict general elections this far out."
Wrong again. Polls start becoming predictive in mid-April. The numbers are clear: Trump couldn't win against Manson.
Do you know anything? At all? Do you just clamber through life in a fog of impulses and impressions?
Rasmussen poll today put Trump and Shrillary about even. And we are miles from home.
"Rasmussen poll today put Trump and Shrillary about even."
And every other poll has Hillary far out ahead, and Trump's numbers as radioactive.
You people have cunts for brains.
Words, eat them you will.
While I'm riding the unicorn President Trump bought me.
"Prunts", if you please.
You know Cytotoxic, it is possible to disagree with people without being nasty.
I saw a poll the other day that has Carter beating Reagan 58% to 33%.
There is only one poll that counts and that one comes out in November.
"It is possible to disagree with people without getting nasty"
He'll learn the wisdom of that after he graduates from middle school
Being*
Why are you guys feeding the Ottawa Senators troll? The guys doesn't just act like an asshole here. He's all over the place.
Classy as always, Cytoxic.
Could someone just convince him that Trump's not going to deport him so he'll get his head out of Hillary's dried up old ass? I mean if Trump was going to deport him, that's the one thing that could maybe make me vote for Trump.
It's clear that I'm a lot smarter than you. You don't have to make it crystal clear.
Funny thing about smart people is that they usually don't need to recite incantations to convince others of their intelligence.
Dewey Defeats Truman!
According to polls, Trump left the race 5 months ago and Rubio is the undisputed nominee. If you wind up being right about Trump losing a general it will only because of the stopped clock axiom.
Actually, the polls had Trump ahead then too. They also had him just as toxic to independents too.
Again: cunt-brained.
That's curious since you predicted, on the basis of expert polling data, that Trump would not win the nomination many months ago. Like I said, if you wind up being right, it will be entirely by accident. Your predictive capabilities on these matters can be bought and sold for about $1.99 a minute on the psychic hotline.
FWIW, I still stand by this post from February of 2014.
Also, since you have no experience with cunts or brains, you should try to find a new insult.
Given that the contest is now Trump vs. Hillary, that is one prescient prediction.
It's the most exotic (read: strange and unfamiliar) insult he could think of and dammit he's going to get some mileage out of it
But the same polls that put Orange up in the primaries put him down in the general. It's not a guaranteed loss, but it is very likely and likely to be a blowout.
He is right, you know. The winners were clearly known by this time in all past elections. Well, except for 1980. Or 1988. Or 1992. Or 2004. Or 2008. Or 2012.
I'm still sticking with President Joe Biden.
I will vote for Trump in November for the entertainment value if nothing else. A decent looking first lady is a bonus.
"Voters are so desperate to not waste their votes that many will vote for the leader even if they hate him."
Met a few like this who, months ago, didn't like Trump but ended up voting for him in the Penna. primary because "he looks like the winner." And, by mid-November, they will be back to claiming "I always knew he would kill the GOP."
Eruptive lightnings flutter to and fro
Above the heights of immemorial hills;
Thirst-stricken air, dumb-throated, in its woe
Limply down-sagging, its limp body spills
Upon the earth. A panting silence fills
The empty vault of Night with shimmering bars
Of sullen silver, where the lake distils
Its misered bounty.?Hark! No whisper mars
The utter silence of the untranslated stars.
Hillary and Bernie are within 1 point now.
This calls for a clarinet solo.
Interesting "clarinet."
(In all seriousness, thanks for this -- another place for me to look for obscure music for my twisted tastes...)
The clarinet starts at about 4:45. And it's fucking mindblowing.
Bitch Please Warty.
https://vimeo.com/7987001
You don't even give me Adrian Belew Talking Heads? Fuck off.
Also, I was going for something that evokes horror, you know, since this greasy ape is going to be our next overlord. DOOOOM
I'm beginning to like this Trump fellow. He seems like a winner.
Just remember I predicted a Hillary/Trump election Months ago. Now you get to vote for two Crony Socialists in the general election, for President.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec3hqJr6AKo
Sithrak is pleased.
Sithrak is probably Trump's backroom campaign manager.
NTTAWWT, mind...
Sithrak is never pleased! He's going to torture you in the afterlife for even suggesting it. Of course, he was going to torture you anyways, but in your case, he's going to have a reason.
I find it eerie how Scott Adams blog hit this on the mark. This psychology/persuasion stuff...I'm dumbfounded. I'll wait for reason's libertarian case for Hillary soon, but damn. I'm going to stop worrying and learn to enjoy the chaos.
Been hoping Reason would jump on the "enjoy the chaos" vein as well.
Alas, it's mostly been pants-shitting instead.
Gosh, a libertarian magazine repulsed at the prospects of an anti-libertarian being the GOP nom? Instead of snickering like children becuz kaos is kool?
What Scott Adams said was psychobabble and pseudoscience. Trump is still never going to be president.
So Hillary will soundly defeat Trump in November? Do you have any psuedoscientific psychobabble to back this up? I am easily persuaded by fancy words.
"So Hillary will soundly defeat Trump in November?"
Yes.
"Do you have any psuedoscientific psychobabble to back this up?"
No just poll data. Not a surprise to me if you don't know the difference.
What makes you think poll data is better than psychobabble six months away from the election? Move to Canada already. Oh wait.
The libertarian case for Clinton will have something to do with divided government, though I don't know how 'divided' it would really be. Insiders would control the Presidency and both houses of Congress. More and more, the differences seem cosmetic. I wouldn't mind seeing Trump as President just to give certain people conniptions because I don't think it will really change much for good or bad.
If Trump is such a loser than will there be divided government? But then again the Democrats controlled congress in 1972 and 1984...
Oh and Hillary can just issue some EOs. Who's going to stop her? The Democratic Senators? the Democratic SCOTUS? The Democratic MSM?
In all of the permutations, Trump + Republicans in control (but not supermajority) of both houses is probably the least bad, with Trump + split Congress maybe edging it out.
Trump + Democrats is pretty scary, although Hillary + Democrats is downright frightening. Hillary + Republican supermajority is our only salvation if it must be Hillary.
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Congratulations on your election win Mrs Clinton. You certainly didn't earn it.
Huh, html is hard
I'm sure someone can school my ass on the details, but Bush beat Kerry with a slim majority and Bush enjoyed incumbency.
The left was still ostensibly anti-war then as well, and Kerry had voted for Iraq. Hillary did as well, of course, but nobody gives a fuck anymore. The anti-war left dissolved on January 20th 2009.
Did someone here say that all Hillary supporters are known trolls? More evidence.
...what?
Clean the shit out of your ears asswipe.
I can't take any more of Cyto's drivel. See ya.
Well, there went our chance at getting a libertarian-like candidate in the White House -- or, at the very least, one who wouldn't wipe their ass with the Constitution.
It's a shame, but maybe that's what had to happen -- the Republican party had to completely degenerate into a laughing stock before there was a chance of fixing it.
In any case, a protest vote is the only option. A toast to Gary Johnson and/or Austin Petersen -- at least there will be one candidate with some integrity in the race.
I wish "None Of The Above" was an option. Maybe we could have four years without any legislation being signed. That would be nice.
Don't forget Darrell Castle.
"[QUESTION] In a perfect world, 5 years from now, what actions do you desire to see the United States federal government accomplish?
"[ANSWER]...1. Return to fiscal sanity and solvency. Do what it takes to bring spending under control so the debt can be brought down and we are freed from enslavement to creditors.
"2. Take a more non-interventionist approach to foreign policy to build a more peaceful world."
Spoiler alert - not the cocktail party candidate.
One of my coworkers is into that party. They've got some good ideas.
Maybe Castle will be able to share these ideas when Stossel holds his third-party debate this year?
Or maybe during his interview with Reason...
ha ha ha ha, I crack myself up!
They support the war on drug users.
Yes and no:
"Drug Abuse
"The 10th Amendment states:
""The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
"The 4th Amendment states:
""The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
"The Constitution Party will uphold the right of states and localities to restrict access to drugs and to enforce such restrictions. We support legislation to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States from foreign sources. As a matter of self-defense, retaliatory policies including embargoes, sanctions, and tariffs, should be considered.
"At the same time, we will take care to prevent violations of the Constitutional and civil rights of American citizens. Searches without probable cause and seizures without due process must be prohibited, and the presumption of innocence must be preserved."
The *federal* war on drugs would be confined to the foreign drug trade - the states could still carry out their war on drugs if they wanted, but neither the states nor the feds would be able to engage in highway robbery ("asset forfeiture") and related abuses.
The Constitution Party seems to be the only party that actually understands what the 10th Amendment means. Which is I guess unsurprising given their name. The LP and mainstream libertarians (ha!) seem to be onboard with the "incorporation at all costs" doctrine which directly contradicts the 10A and requires a very tortured reading of the 14A, an amendment that has already been contorted beyond all recognition by the courts.
That might be interesting to watch. The Libertarian debate sucked, IMO.
When I first heard of the Constitution Party I was interested in some of their stuff right up until I learned their version of the Constitution is the one Jesus wrote. I find it hard to believe that their object in gaining power is to leave people alone.
So the guy in 4th place is still running?
O-kaaaaaaay.
OVER silent waters
day descending
night ascending
floods the gentle glory of the sunset
In a golden greeting
splendidly to westward
as pale twilight
trem-
bles
into
Darkness
comes the last light's gracious exhortation
Lifting up to peace
so when life shall falter
standing on the shores of the
eternal
god
May I behold my sunset
Flooding
over silent waters
At the beginning I figured Trump was a shill for Hillary. Then I thought he was getting into the whole power thing, and in it to win it. Now that it's just the two of them, I'm not so sure. I can't tell if he's still working for her, or if the power has gone to his head.
Either way I'm still writing in "None of the above."
Well, I'm callin' it: four more years of Democratic misrule. And probably even more years of a leftwing Supreme Court.
Only four?
And probably even more years of a leftwing Supreme Court.
Say goodbye to First and Second.
Oh yeah and...Libertarian Moment!
Only four?
It is possible that Hillary will be so reviled that she doesn't make it past Term 1, so long as the GOP isn't, once again, completely and irredeemably retarded.
And, like Obama, she'll still have the media on her side. But I doubt she'll have the Millennial vote in 2020..
so long as the GOP isn't, once again, completely and irredeemably retarded.
That's asking a lot...
And fucking fucking fuck does this Red Blue thing piss me off. The Democrats should be fucking Red dammit! I always have to think about it.
"They said team Red. That's the ones who don't have red flags from foreign countries adorning their walls. OK."
What a sad night for all here! Your team red selects Trump. Enjoy!
Don't you have a one trick pony to bugger?
It's like a depression around here. And I thought libertarians would love it, because it just might be the end of the GOP. Your team red colors are showing.
Yeah, the end of the GOP is something to celebrate. Kinda the way Eastern Europe celebrated when the Soviet Union liberated them from the Nazis. It would have been better if all these people suddenly so pissed off at the GOP that they'll support anybody promising them a free pony ride had been pissed off back when Ron Paul was running.
It's your party. Reason libertarians attached their star to the GOP a long time ago. And you thought you were influencing them toward libertarianism. Right. Enjoy.
Yeah, libertarians will have to be content with the dozens of states that have low taxes, gun freedom, and relative economic sanity.
Enjoy your party pining for a decrepit socialist fogey while settling for a charmless crony dirtbag.
joe has a cankle fetish. NTTAWWT.
Kasich. What a fucking no class loser.
First Rand Paul ran, and while I wasn't fully on board with everything he did and said, he certainly had some good ideas which he seemed to be willing to carry out if elected. Of course, Congress wouldn't let him, but at least he'd give it the old college try.
So I rooted for Rand Paul.
Then the Republican voters decided they didn't like Rand, so I checked out Cruz. Sure, Cruz was a tad more bellicose and jerkish than I would have wished, and when it came time to defend civil liberties and reform criminal justice he fell down on the job. But I could put up with that. He was no Rand Paul, but at least he preached the virtues of constitutionalism and didn't draw a silly distinction between "social issues" and "economic issues." So I could settle for Cruz.
But no, it seems I hadn't settled *enough,* now the Republican voters want some jerkoff sellout squish of a New York liberal who gets applause lines with his "politically incorrect" speech - you know, like Nixon in 1968 only without the grace and tact.
Some of us know Nixon was the god-father of the Libertarian Party. His "we're all Keynesians now" wage and price controls kinda told you everything you needed to know about the GOP and the GOP hasn't changed much since then.
We still have Alice.
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