Super Tuesday

The Washington Post

Super Tuesday state results

Se arata, printre altele, ca:

„What happened

Even though he lost Texas, Donald Trump was the clear winner for the Republican Party on Tuesday, ending the day as the unrivaled favorite for the nomination. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton strengthened her momentum, helped in part by a sweep of Southern states with large black voting populations.”

Daca veti deschide link-ul veti gasi si rezultatele.

Am urmarit ceea ce s-a intamplat la aceste alegeri primare din interiorul principalelor doua partide din SUA pe CNN. Am stat pana dimineata pentru ca am vrut sa vad atat comentariile de presa, dar si rezultatele, precum si discursurile candidatilor, focalizandu-mi atentia pe Donald Trump, cautand sa inteleg mai bine fenomenul.

Ce se intampla? Donald Trump a obtinut o victorie stralucita atragand voturi de la un electorat din afara celui traditional al Partidului Republican. Faptul ca a venit in forta, cu discursuri pe masura, stilul acesta, este, dupa cat mi se pare, caracteristic GOP (Partidul Republican). Si se vede ca strategia lui da rezultate. Deoarece, pentru ca sa castigi niste alegeri, ai nevoie sa cumulezi voturi mai mult decat contracandidatii tai. Mai ales ca nici rivalii nu stau cu mainile in san.

Insa e un lucru care e trecut cu vederea (sau poate putin inteles), cel putin la noi: discursul D-lui. Trump. Eu le-am urmarit pe toate, si pe cel al domnilor Sanders si Cruz, si pe cel al doamnei Clinton. Dintre toate acestea, discursul lui Donald Trump a fost cel mai aplicat pe probleme economice, de interes inclusiv pentru cetateanul american.

Dl. Trump, spre exemplu, a pus problema enormului deficit comercial pe care SUA il are in relatia cu China, pe faptul ca trilioane de dolari parasesc America si se muta spre alte zari mai bune, adica paradisuri fiscale. Si, intr-adevar, de ce Apple trebuie sa produca in China si sa nu produca in America? Trebuie stiut ca acest deficit comercial e finantat pana la urma din banii cetatenilor americani si nu ajuta la crearea de locuri de munca in America. De asemenea, a pus problema relocarii unor industrii peste granita, spre exemplu in Mexic. Din partea Mexicului, America „castiga” o imigratie in cea mai mare parte ilegala si devine si o piata de desfacere pentru traficul de droguri. Dl. Trump a si dat exemplu statul New Hampshire unde se traficheaza ilegal, desigur, heroina fara probleme. Dansul a facut referire la Marele Zid Chinezesc insa ideea a fost ca SUA nu poate construi un zid care sa apere granita sudica de o imigratie ilegala care pagubeste tara si prin care se realizeaza traficul de droguri. De asemenea, dansul a sustinut dezideratele republicane: renuntarea la Common Core si Obamacare. De asemenea a vorbit ca va lua masura reducerii de taxe si impozite – masura liberala (in sensul liberalismului clasic, nu al Partidului Democrat) – pentru ca sa stimuleze sectorul privat si capacitatea acestuia de a crea locuri de munca.

Interesant este ca aceste aspecte importante ale discursului sau nu prea sunt prezentate, sau cel putin asa mi se pare mie. Mie mi s-a parut ca a fost un discurs ce s-a deosebit foarte mult de cele dinainte, in care Dl. Trump a fost mai mult concentrat pe a face show. De data aceasta s-a referit la problemele reale ale SUA. Inca nu prea stim care vor sunt coordonatele sale de politica externa, dar mai e timp. Din discurs rezulta ca exista cercuri importante in SUA interesate de astfel de probleme macroeconomice care ingrijoreaza, nu doar Dl. Trump e interesat. Impresia pe care mi-a lasat-o este ca astfel de probleme exista, deci sunt reale, si, drept consecinta, se cer rezolvate.

Presa noastra prezinta partinitor lucrurile, in favoarea Democratilor, mai exact in favoarea D-nei. Clinton – parerea mea. Dar s-ar putea si e foarte probabil sa avem un presedinte republican la Casa Alba. Dl. Trump s-a referit in special la problemele Americii – nu inseamna ca prin discursul sau ar dori sa impuna o conduita generala aliatilor din Europa. Noi insa ar trebui sa ne zbatem sa atragem investitii americane importante in Romania, sa avem un parteneriat economic de succes cu SUA.

Sa vedem acum ce critici i se aduc D-lui. Trump din interiorul partidului sau, partidul republican.

The Rightscoop

Ben Sasse pens ‘Open Letter’ on what Constitutionalists should do if Trump is nominated…

Se arata, printre altele, ca:

„Ben Sasse hits all the right notes in this open letter to Trump supporters about what a Constitutionalist should do if Trump is nominated.

Give it a read:

AN OPEN LETTER TO TRUMP SUPPORTERS

To my friends supporting Donald Trump:

The Trump coalition is broad and complicated, but I believe many Trump fans are well-meaning. I have spoken at length with many of you, both inside and outside Nebraska. You are rightly worried about our national direction. You ache about a crony-capitalist leadership class that is not urgent about tackling our crises. You are right to be angry.

I’m as frustrated and saddened as you are about what’s happening to our country. But I cannot support Donald Trump.

Please understand: I’m not an establishment Republican, and I will never support Hillary Clinton. I’m a movement conservative who was elected over the objections of the GOP establishment. My current answer for who I would support in a hypothetical matchup between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton is: Neither of them. I sincerely hope we select one of the other GOP candidates, but if Donald Trump ends up as the GOP nominee, conservatives will need to find a third option.

Mr. Trump’s relentless focus is on dividing Americans, and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation. Much like President Obama, he displays essentially no understanding of the fact that, in the American system, we have a constitutional system of checks and balances, with three separate but co-equal branches of government. And the task of public officials is to be public “servants.” The law is king, and the people are boss. But have you noticed how Mr. Trump uses the word “Reign” – like he thinks he’s running for King? It’s creepy, actually. Nebraskans are not looking for a king. We yearn instead for the recovery of a Constitutional Republic.

At this point in Nebraska discussions, many of you have immediately gotten practical: “Okay, fine, you think there are better choices than Trump. But you would certainly still vote for Trump over Clinton in a general election, right?”

Before I explain why my answer is “Neither of them,” let me correct some nonsense you might have heard on the internet of late.

WHY I RAN FOR SENATE

***No, I’m not a career politician. (I had never run for anything until being elected to the U.S. Senate fifteen months ago, and I ran precisely because I actually want to make America great again.)
***No, I’m not a lawyer who has never created a job. (I was a business guy before becoming a college president in my hometown.)
***No, I’m not part of the Establishment. (Sheesh, I had attack ads by the lobbyist class run against me while I was on a bus tour doing 16 months of townhalls across Nebraska. Why? Precisely because I was not the preferred candidate of Washington.)
***No, I’m not concerned about political job security. (The very first thing I did upon being sworn in in January 2015 was to introduce a constitutional amendment for term limits – this didn’t exactly endear me to my new colleagues.)
***No, I’m not for open borders. (The very first official trip I took in the Senate was to observe and condemn how laughably porous the Texas/Mexican border is. See 70 tweets from @bensasse in February 2015.)
***No, I’m not a “squishy,” feel-good, grow-government moderate. (I have the 4th most-conservative voting record in the Senate: https://www.conservativereview.com/members/benjamin-sasse/http://www.heritageactionscorecard.com/membe…/member/S001197 )

In my very first speech to the Senate, I told my colleagues that “The people despise us all.” This institution needs to get to work, not on the lobbyists’ priorities, but on the people’s:

Now, to the question at hand: Will I pledge to vote for just any “Republican” nominee over Hillary Clinton?

Let’s begin by rejecting naïve purists: Politics has no angels. Politics is not about creating heaven on earth. Politics is simply about preserving a framework for ordered liberty – so that free people can find meaning and happiness not in politics but in their families, their neighborhoods, their work.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Now, let’s talk about political parties: parties are just tools to enact the things that we believe. Political parties are not families; they are not religions; they are not nations – they are often not even on the level of sports loyalties. They are just tools. I was not born Republican. I chose this party, for as long as it is useful.

If our Party is no longer working for the things we believe in – like defending the sanctity of life, stopping ObamaCare, protecting the Second Amendment, etc. – then people of good conscience should stop supporting that party until it is reformed.

VOTING

Now, let’s talk about voting: Voting is usually just about choosing the lesser evil of the most viable candidates.

“Usually…” But not always. Certain moments are larger. They cause us to explicitly ask: Who are we as a people? What does the way we vote here say about our shared identity? What is actually the president’s job?

THE PRESIDENT’S CORE CALLING

The president’s job is not about just mindlessly shouting the word “strong” – as if Vladimir Putin, who has been strongly bombing civilian populations in Syria the last month, is somehow a model for the American presidency. No, the president’s core calling is to “Preserve, Protect, and Defend the Constitution.”

Before we ever get into any technical policy fights – about pipelines, or marginal tax rates, or term limits, or Medicare reimbursement codes – America is first and fundamentally about a shared Constitutional creed. America is exceptional, because she is at her heart a big, bold truth claim about human dignity, natural rights, and self-control – and therefore necessarily about limited rather than limitless government.

THE MEANING OF AMERICA

America is the most exceptional nation in the history of the world because our Constitution is the best political document that’s ever been written. It said something different than almost any other government had said before: Most governments before said that might makes right, that government decides what our rights are and that the people are just dependent subjects. Our Founders said that God gives us rights by nature, and that government is not the author or source of our rights. Government is just our shared project to secure those rights.

Government exists only because the world is fallen, and some people want to take your property, your liberty, and your life. Government is tasked with securing a framework for ordered liberty where “we the people” can in our communities voluntarily build something great together for our kids and grandkids. That’s America. Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom of speech – the First Amendment is the heartbeat of the American Constitution, of the American idea itself.

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO MR. TRUMP?

So let me ask you: Do you believe the beating heart of Mr. Trump’s candidacy has been a defense of the Constitution? Do you believe it’s been an impassioned defense of the First Amendment – or an attack on it?

Which of the following quotes give you great comfort that he’s in love with the First Amendment, that he is committed to defending the Constitution, that he believes in executive restraint, that he understands servant leadership?

Statements from Trump:
***“We’re going to open up libel laws and we’re going to have people sue you like you’ve never got sued before.”
***“When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. They were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak…”
***Putin, who has killed journalists and is pillaging Ukraine, is a great leader.
***The editor of National Review “should not be allowed on TV and the FCC should fine him.”
***On whether he will use executive orders to end-run Congress, as President Obama has illegally done: “I won’t refuse it. I’m going to do a lot of things.” “I mean, he’s led the way, to be honest with you.”
***“Sixty-eight percent would not leave under any circumstance. I think that means murder. It think it means anything.”
***On the internet: “I would certainly be open to closing areas” of it.
***His lawyers to people selling anti-Trump t-shirts: “Mr. Trump considers this to be a very serious matter and has authorized our legal team to take all necessary and appropriate actions to bring an immediate halt…”
***Similar threatening legal letters to competing campaigns running ads about his record.

And on it goes…

IF MR. TRUMP BECOMES THE NOMINEE…

Given what we know about him today, here’s where I’m at: If Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee, my expectation is that I will look for some third candidate – a conservative option, a Constitutionalist.

I do not claim to speak for a movement, but I suspect I am far from alone. After listening to Nebraskans in recent weeks, and talking to a great many people who take oaths seriously, I think many are in the same place. I believe a sizable share of Christians – who regard threats against religious liberty as arguably the greatest crisis of our time – are unwilling to support any candidate who does not make a full-throated defense of the First Amendment a first commitment of their candidacy.

Conservatives understand that all men are created equal and made in the image of God, but also that government must be limited so that fallen men do not wield too much power. A presidential candidate who boasts about what he’ll do during his “reign” and refuses to condemn the KKK cannot lead a conservative movement in America.

TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT

Thank you for listening. While I recognize that we disagree about how to make America great again, we agree that this should be our goal. We need more people engaged in the civic life of our country—not fewer. I genuinely appreciate how much many of you care about this country, and that you are demanding something different from Washington. I’m going to keep doing the same thing.

But I can’t support Donald Trump.

Humbly,

Ben Sasse
Nebraska”

Dude makes a lot of sense. I don’t think all of Trump’s followers care about the Constitution, so this probably won’t reach them – but SOME do. And they really need to strongly reconsider what it means to elect Trump as our nominee.”

In presa noastra s-a prezentat cum ca ar fi vorba de un „razboi civil” in randul republicanilor. Mai degraba este vorba de atitudini si e normal sa fie asa intr-o societate libera.

Criticile aduse lui Trump de catre constitutionalisti sunt justificate. Pentru ca in America, nerespectarea Constitutiei poate echivala cu instaurarea unei dictaturi. Asta e lucrul cel mai periculos. Iar Dl. Trump trebuie sa tina cont, dupa parerea mea, de aceste critici. Recentele sale declaratii au pus, desigur, pe ganduri oamenii. De asemenea, un sfat pe care i l-as da D-lui. Trump este sa se fereasca de orice declaratii rasiste sau cu iz rasist. Un presedinte republican – Abraham Lincoln – a militat si a reusit sa aboleasca sclavia negrilor in SUA! Cum a remarcat un invitat la CNN, Ku Klux Klan a actionat dupa o agenda progresivista, pe criterii de rasa, iar Partidul Democrat divide si acum societatea americana pe criterii de rasa. Iar Dl. Trump si tot Partidul Republican ar trebui sa-si aminteasca de cuvintele lui Antonin Scalia:

„To pursue the concept of racial entitlement—even for the most admirable and benign of purposes—is to reinforce and preserve for future mischief the way of thinking that produced race slavery, race privilege and race hatred. In the eyes of government, we are just one race here. It is American.^[76]„

Deci „in ochii guvernului suntem o singura rasa. Suntem americani.” si aceasta e atitudinea corecta.

Iata ce a aparut in presa noastra:

Gandul

Explicaţie uluitoare a lui Donald Trump pentru refuzul de a se delimita de Ku Klux Klan care îl susţine în alegeri

Se arata ca:

„Candidatul în alegerile primare republicane Donald Trump a refuzat duminică să se distanţeze de fostul lider al Ku Klux Klan (KKK) David Duke, care a anunţat că-l susţine, miliardarul atrăgându-şi astfel un val de critici, relatează AFP în pagina electronică.

Duke a fost liderul organizaţiei rasiste în anii ’70, dar s-a distanţat de mişcare la sfârşitul deceniului trecut.

Însă el apără în continuare teoria superiorităţii rasei albe, revizioniste, şi-i atacă în mod regulat pe evrei.

Întrebat despre susţinerea pe care şi-a exprimat-o acest reprezentant al extremismului din Statele Unite faţă de el, Donald Trump a dat asigurări că nu ştie nimic despre David Duke.

El şi-a schimbat astfel poziţia, după ce a afirmat vineri că dezavuează această susţinere.

Îndemnat să condamne Ku Klux Klan şi mişcările care susţin extremismul, Donald Trump a declarat că mai întâi trebuie să se „informeze” cu privire la aceste grupări.

„Nu vreţi să condamn o grupare despre care nu ştiu nimic. Va trebui să mă informez”, a declarat promotorul newyorkez pentru CNN.

Aceste declaraţii ambigue au fost condamnate de către trei dintre ceilalţi patru candidaţi în cursa pentru obţinerea învestiturii republicane în vederea alegerilor prezidenţiale de pe 8 noiembrie.

„Într-adevăr trist, @realDonaldTrump, valorezi mai mult. Trebuie să fim cu toţii de acord, rasismul este un lucru rău, KKK este detestabil”, a afirmat Ted Cruz într-un mesaj postat pe Twitter.

„Mişcările care promovează ura nu au ce căuta în Statele Unite. Suntem mai puternici împreună. Şi atât”, a subliniat, la rândul său John Kasich.

„Nu putem să fim un partid care să desemneze pe cineva care refuză să condamne apărătorii supremaţiei albe şi Ku Klux Klan-ul”, a afirmat, de asemenea, Marco Rubio, într-un mesaj postat pe Twitter.

Această polemică are loc în contextul în care trei persoane au fost rănite cu arme albe, dintre care una grav, în timpul unor ciocniri, sâmbătă, în California, între membri Ku Klux Klan şi opozanţi ai grupării.

Donald Trump a fost criticat duminică şi din cauza unei mesaj pe care l-a postat pe Twitter.

Criticat pentru că a republicat un mesaj postat pe Twitter în care era citat fostul dictator italian Benito Mussolini, el şi-a apărat gestul şi a spus că nu-l interesează autorul, ci acel citat în sine.

„Mai bine trăieşti o zi ca un leu, decât o sută ca o oaie”, este citatul republicat de către Trump.”

Asemenea atitudini nu-i fac bine D-lui. Trump si ar trebui sa se fereasca de acestea. La CNN, intr-o disputa aprinsa, un analist de culoare a pus corect problema: daca e impotriva terorismului atat de hotarat, de ce nu spune despre Ku Klux Klan ca e o organizatie terorista? Asemenea inclinatii catre Putin sau Benito Mussolini, sau admiratia pentru forta Partidului Comunist Chinez, evident ca au ridicat semne de intrebarea in interiorul GOP… Insa Dl. Trump ar trebui sa se gandeasca la faptul ca mesajele pe care le transmite sunt privite cu interes de Uniunea Europeana, de aliatii Statelor Unite. E foarte probabil sa ajunga Presedintele SUA. Cum ar trebui sa privim noi aceste afirmatii care denota admiratie fata de puterea unor dictatori sau care mangaie pe crestet Ku Klux Klan-ul? Evident, astfel de mesaje sunt extrem de toxice si te-ar putea duce cu gandul la transformarea Lumii Libere intr-una totalitara. Fereasca Dumnezeu de asa ceva!

De aceea respectarea Constitutiei SUA trebuie sa fie o prioritate pentru Dl. Trump si dorim sa vedem o atitudine in acest sens. Nu doar una conservatoare, dar si una constitutionalista, care apara Constitutia SUA si intreaga Lume Libera. Este deosebit de important pentru Europa, pentru tinerele democratii din Europa de Est, tari supuse in perioada postbelica unor regimuri comuniste, dictatoriale, in care au suferit milioane de oameni! Asemenea derapaje de la Constitutia SUA trebuie condamnate!! Iar Dl. Trump ar trebui sa le evite cu orice pret. O America mareata nu inseamna o America mussoliniana, o America fascista in care drepturile si libertatile oamenilor sa fie incalcate!

Daca Dl. Trump isi va revizui atitudinea, comportamentul si declaratiile, va reusi sa coaguleze intreg Partidul Republican de partea sa. Dansul a vorbit despre extinderea partidului, de marirea partidului, pentru ca a atras sustinatori din afara lui. Insa lucrul acesta nu trebuie facut cu orice pret, cu pretul incalcarii Constitutiei SUA.

Speram ca alegerile din SUA nu vor aduce un Presedinte ce sa provoace derapaje grave, derapaje de la Constitutia SUA, ce ar putea influenta toxic, negativ Uniunea Europeana si relatiile SUA cu Uniunea Europeana. E o perioada de dezbateri, fara indoiala. Iar acestea trebuie sa fie constructive. Totusi, in discursul sau Dl. Trump a lansat cateva teme de dezbatere interesante. I s-a pus o intrebare si despre atitudinea D-lui. Ben Sasse. A evitat un raspuns direct si clar. Speram sa ia aminte totusi la aceste critici. Si sa-si aminteasca faptul ca America a reprezentat pentru Europa un far al Libertatii, pentru Europa de Est a reprezentat speranta pentru o societate libera, dupa decenii de totalitarism. Mie mi-e teama ca o deplasare politica a SUA in zona fascismului ar putea reprezenta un dezastru in Europa. Speram sa nu se intample asa ceva!

In rest, da, sunt de acord cu temele de dezbatere propuse de Dl. Trump. Trebuie sa tratam problemele cu luciditate.

Recomand citirea integrala si in original a tuturor articolelor.