This is so true

This is possibly the best paragraph that I’ve seen written on this site, in a long, long time.

This is why the GOP has “failed” the Rust Belt. Instead of being in touch with free market principles, Republicans have consistently failed to adhere to them. Maybe that’s the only consistent thing the GOP has been good at: failure to stick to what they believe. But voters have also failed at holding the “leaders” accountable and let them get too cushy in DC. This is why Trump is leading in the GOP race, but Americans need to understand why things are so complicated and how to fix the problem. It isn’t because of “evil corporate leaders,” but a combination of government interference and economics. The key point is figuring out a way to message it towards people in the Rust Belt, whether they’re small business owners or just the guy working a factory plant job. Maybe the solution is just sitting there and saying, “Hey…here’s why things aren’t working,” then going into math, but I’m not 100% sure. The facts are complicated, but the solution is simple IF people are willing to go for it. This means holding politicians accountable for their mistakes and staying involved in politics (and taking the occasional break). There’s responsibility on everyone, it’s just a question of who is willing to do it. – Source: How the GOP failed the Rust Belt and let Trump rise « Hot Air

So true, so very true.

Video: Chuck Todd says that there is evidence that Donald Trump planted Ted Cruz affair story

This comes via The Right Scoop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRiOn5qBZfU

The Right Scoop comments:

I have no idea whether Trump planted the story, but given how nasty he has been at tearing down his opponents with despicable lies and smears of his own, it seems quite plausible to me that he not only knew about the story but probably sanctioned it as well.
And personally I’m finding it harder and harder to stay out of the #NeverTrump camp.

I left the Trump train yesterday. Amanda Carpenter’s smearing did it for me.

I hate to say it, But, John Kerry is right

As you all know, I have rescinded my support of Donald Trump. So, when I saw this article here; I had to agree with it.

Via Yahoo News:

Washington (AFP) – Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the Republican presidential campaign has descended into “an embarrassment” that raises awkward questions abroad about the reliability of the United States.
Kerry said that everywhere he goes, every leader he meets asks about what is happening in America.
“They cannot believe it. I think it is fair to say that they’re shocked. They don’t know where it’s taking the United States of America,” Kerry said in an interview on the Sunday CBS news show “Face The Nation.”
“It upsets people’s sense of equilibrium about our steadiness, about our reliability, and to some degree I must say to you, some of the questions, the way they’re posed to me, it’s clear to me that what’s happening is an embarrassment to our country.”
Kerry was asked out the impact abroad of the Republican campaign with its calls for bans on Muslim immigrants, surveillance of Muslim neighborhoods and the return of waterboarding, an interrogation practice regarded as torture.
Frontrunner Donald Trump and his chief rival Ted Cruz have stepped up the anti-Muslim rhetoric since the suicide bombings in Brussels Tuesday that left 28 dead.

I hate to be the one to say it; But, Jerry Kerry is right. The nasty rhetoric coming out of the Trump and Cruz campaigns is sickening. I would imagine that world leaders would be mildly concerned about it too. I wrote something on Facebook last night and I think it fits here:

One more thing before I go to bed.
I have written about this on my blog, but, I thought I would write about it here as well I have officially thrown in the towel with Donald Trump.
He’s got some great positions on free trade, foreign policy and immigration. But, there are other things that he has done, that I really don’t like at all.
Basically, what happened is there was a story that came out in the National Enquirer that basically accused Ted Cruz of having multiple affairs with multiple women
Well, a young lady who I have known via the Internet for a long time got implicated in that story in the National Enquirer. Her name is Amanda Carpenter and I have corresponded with her on the internet on multiple occasions and she’s also happily married with 2 kids
The fact that Donald Trump basically has not really said anything in her defense and the fact that basically the guy is a misogynist when it comes to women; his attacks on Megyn Kelly are a perfect example of that.
I looked the other way when he went after Megyn Kelly, I looked the other way when he said some rather nasty things about Rosie O’Donald and a few other women. I also looked the other way when some very hardcore racist people began supporting him and he basically would not forcefully distanced himself from those kind of people.
I kind of get wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and I also kind of tried to overlook it.
However, when someone who I happen to know is a sister in the Lord Jesus Christ that loves the Lord quite a bit and strives to serve him and make him the Cornerstone of her family; that being her husband and her two children; gets slimed like that and then Donald Trump turns around and says, “well, I didn’t have anything to do with it” and basically in insinuates that Ted Cruz and the rest of those women had it coming…
,
….I’m sorry, but that’s just too much. Not to mention that Donald Trump has cheapened the political discussion. he has appealed to a raw emotion which is populism and there’s nothing wrong with that; as long as it’s done in a positive way. Donald Trump has used it in a negative way and as a result some pretty nasty things have happened.
Having said that, I have rescinded my support of Donald Trump. I will not be voting for him in the general election. I will be voting third-party most likely to libertarian or Constitution party and if the GOP collapses upon itself in November, it will be nobody’s fault, but their own and I will be able to say that I had no hand in that implosion.
if by some chance Donald Trump does win the White House, personally, I think it’ll be a miracle. because if the GOP establishment doesn’t do him in, then he will do himself in with his nastiness and that’s just how I feel about it.
Ronald Reagan conveyed hope, optimism and faith. Donald Trump, the only thing I see that comes out of him his ego nastiness and vindictiveness; that’s not good qualities for a president.
I ask all of you who are Christians and do pray, that do follow me on Facebook, who are friends with me on Facebook; please hold up Amanda Carpenter, her husband Chris and her daughter and young son in your prayers. Because now, Satan is working overtime to try to destroy that marriage and it’s a sad thing, she’s a really nice woman.

This is why I stopped supporting Donald Trump; nothing more, nothing less. Quite bluntly, I have had enough of it. When the GOP finds someone, who is not a clown show, to run for President; I might vote for them. Until then, I will be voting third party. The silliness with Amanda Carpenter was it for me.

Others: Booman Tribune

Audio: Special Comment: Dear Donald Trump, I am done with you

[podcast]

Dear Donald J. Trump,

I have been a supporter of yours for a very long time. I began to take your campaign seriously after the first few primaries and caucuses. I liked your stances on foreign policy and on free trade and I still happen to think that they are good positions to take and I thank you for taking them. I also thank you for coming out and slugging it out with the Republican Establishment.

However, Mr. Trump. I happen to be a person of morals; I cannot continue to support your Presidential Campaign any longer. I even donated five dollars to your campaign recently as well. It seems that your followers, or supporters, if you will, have a bit of a problem.

The case I am referring to is the horrible smear that is being bandied about regarding your opponent Ted Cruz; you know, the Christian that subscribes to the dominionist theology? Now, my issue is not so much the smear of Cruz that bothers me; I really do not like the guy either. Ted Cruz is much to the right of me. Ted Cruz’s Dominionist stance does creep me out in a big way.

However, it is someone, which has been caught up in the scandal that really bothers me; in fact, it really pisses me the hell off — in a big way. This scandal has ensnared and tainted the reputation of a one, Amanda Carpenter, who is, conversely, a very sweet and lovely woman, who is a believer in Jesus Christ, just like me.

Now, I know and I do believe you, when you say that you had nothing to do with the scandal. In fact, it has been reported that Macro Rubio’s allies were responsible for the story. I believe that to be a fact and I trust you, when you say that the story was not planted by you, at all.

However, Don, and I hope I can call you that, what brought me to decision to rescind my support of your campaign is one thing and one thing alone: your supporters. I happened to be on twitter tonight looking at Amanda Carpenter’s twitter timeline and some of the replies to Amanda’s tweets were deplorable. This poor woman smeared as an adulterating whore by your supporters on twitter. This, my friend, is very unacceptable.

Now, I know what you are thinking; “He is going blame me for what others say?” Well, no, not exactly. I do not blame you for what is being said about this woman. However, I do blame you for one thing and that is cheapening the discourse in the political conversation. They are quite numerous: The attacks Megyn Kelly, the broadsided comments about women in general, your equating all of those who practice Islam to terrorism, the nuanced racism in your campaign and the not-so-nuanced racism of many of your followers and your utter refusal to distance yourself at great lengths from these people. I tried ignoring it; I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt — I tried, man, I really did try.

Now, I am sitting watching your supporters and the media smearing this beautiful woman; and you are doing nothing about it, at all. This, my friend, is just too damned much for me. I cannot and will not sit idly by and watch this woman being slimed like this, for political gain, not yours, not Rubio’s; not for anyone. This is enough for me and I am, as they say; cutting bait.

Therefore, I want it to be publicly known; I have removed an image that was created by someone that I included a link to your donation page on your campaign’s website. I cannot be seen as someone that thinks that this sort of idiotic smearing of a happily married woman with children is even remotely acceptable; it is not and I will not be ex parte to it.

So, what happens now? I will be voting third party. I never fully ever trusted the Republican Party. To me, they are the party of the wealthy class, to which I am not a part of, at all. I come from a working class family, which were represented by the Democrats — Although, conversely, The Democratic Party could give a remote damn about us anymore. They simply now are the party of special interest and globalism. I will never for that party anymore. But, as it seems that you are going to be the “anointed one” come the Cleveland Convention; I will vote a third party, most likely either Libertarian or Constitution Party.

I wish you the best in your pursuit. However, I will have to leave you now.

Signed,

-Charles Patrick Adkins

Owner

Eye on the Republic