Iowa’s Des Moines Register endorses Clinton, Rubio

[HAPPY2BME]

Strategists have raised questions about whether the paper’s approval can do much to influence voters, and could even be counterproductive.

Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Marco Rubio on Saturday won the endorsement of the Des Moines Register, the most prominent daily newspaper in Iowa, with just over a week until voters caucus on Feb. 1 and begin the process of selecting their parties’ presidential nominees.

In the dual editorials, the paper said Democrat voters had "one outstanding candidate deserving of their support," citing Clinton's "depth" of "knowledge and experience" and her ability to work across party lines as a New York senator, while stating that the "whip smart" Rubio could "chart a new direction" for the GOP.

The paper’s editorial board acknowledged that Clinton is “not a perfect candidate,” detailing her email furor and changing stance on gay marriage and immigration, but argued she was much the more qualified candidate than both Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley. Of Rubio, the paper argued that he still faces questions over his experience and ability to unite the party, but that he could offer above other GOP contenders “an uplifting message ‘of a new American century.’”

Both campaigns quickly blasted out the respective editorials in emails to their supporters. But strategists and observers have raised questions about whether the paper’s approval can do much to influence voters – and in some cases could even be counterproductive.

The Register has been endorsing candidates ahead of Iowa's presidential caucuses since 1988, but this cycle’s blessings came amid an upside-down political atmosphere in which once-vaunted traditions have become unwelcome reminders of insiderdom.

The two Republican candidates likeliest to win the caucuses -- Donald Trump and Ted Cruz -- didn't even bother to court the paper's endorsement. And it's unclear if they would’ve have wanted it anyway. Republican strategists and political observers predicted that unlike in previous years, a Register endorsement is an instant talking point for rivals, proof that the winners are aligned with a mainstream media outlet's moderate-to-liberal lean .

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/des-moines-register-endorsements-2016-gop-218124

[HAPPY2BME]

Iowa’s Cornfields Are Frozen, But Field Houses on Fire for Cruz, Rubio, Trump

With eight days until the February 1 caucus, Iowans may be freezing but they are feeling the heat from the Rubio, Cruz and Trump campaigns. In this cycle, the Iowa caucus may be the final determinant of the Republican primary and not only do the top tier candidates know it, but so do the Iowa caucus goers. Unlike past elections, the Republican nominee could very well march to the nomination straight out of the gate from America’s heartland.

This morning in Ames, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with over 400 Iowans at the Iowa State University Alumni Center. Under a barrage of $2 million worth of attack ads from Jeb Bush’s ‘Right to Rise PAC,’ Rubio is seeking to cement a top three finish in the caucus. Falling out of the top three will impair any chance that Rubio has to continuing campaign with the plausible path to the nomination. In a sign that the Rubio campaign has already conceded winning or over performing in the caucus, the campaign cancelled over $1 million worth of TV-advertising in Iowa.

However, the Rubio campaign was later greeted with some positive news. The Des Moines Register, Iowa’s influential paper of record, endorsed Rubio writing “Rubio offers an uplifting message of a “new American century.” This endorsement gives Rubio an opportunity to gain some much needed late momentum and mentions in the local news cycles.

Donald Trump held two rallies today. This morning in Sioux Center, Trump spoke to a large audience hitting the themes of his campaign – a strong military, defeating radical Islam and securing the southern border – while rallying his supporters to caucus. On Friday, the Trump Campaign released an ‘Iowa Caucus Finder.’ In a second rally in Pella, Trump was introduced by the Iowa’s most popular politician Sen. Chuck Grassley. While Grassley did not endorse Trump, he praised the campaign and closed by saying “We have an opportunity once again to make America great again.”

Trump has overtaken Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the Real Clear Politics average. If Trump wins the Iowa Caucus, he could very well march through New Hampshire and South Carolina on his effectiovely winning the Republican nomination by February 20th. In an effort to close the deal and stop a late surge from Cruz, the Trump campaign switched all of its ad reservations to 60-second spots in order to air its attack ad on Cruz. The ad suggests that Cruz supports amnesty of illegal immigrants.

After a five day swing in New Hampshire, Cruz returned to Iowa for a rally with Glenn Beck at the Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny. The rally, with crowd estimates as high as 2,000 attendees, was organized by Keep the Promise, a Cruz affiliated Super PAC and featured Glenn Beck who formally endorsed Cruz. Echoing his message that he is the sole consistent conservative in the race, Cruz promised to fight the ‘Washington Cartel.’ Cruz followed the rally with three retail campaign stops in Dike, New Hartford and Waterloo.

While the Cruz campaign believes it can finish second in the caucus and still have a plausible path to the nomination, Cruz will find it difficult to gain momentum should he lose. By all accounts, the Cruz campaign has the best organization in Iowa. He has also earned the critical endorsements of both Rep. Steve King (R-IA)79% and Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader. And his campaign has heavily invested its time and effort to securing a win on caucus night.

The next eight days of the election will culminate in a critical turning point not only for the Republican nomination but the direction of the country. And with Hillary Clinton trending down to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), we could see the beginning of the end of the Clinton machine as well.

The stakes of the 2016 Iowa caucus have never been higher in the modern era of campaign history.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/23/iowas-cornfields-are-frozen-but-field-houses-on-fire-for-cruz-rubio-trump/

[Sanguine]

Good grief. 

I'll use happy3beme's tagline as a comment to the Des Moines Register:  "It is no mystery.  We have trusted liars, cheats, swindlers, and manipulators to lead us."  And, the Register has included itself in those categories.

[aligncare]

ANY publication that would endorse Hillary Clinton has a screw loose.

Ah, I see that my birdcage needs new lining. Excuse me while I take care of that. Hmm, now where did I leave that copy of the Des Moines Register?