Evangelicals Give Big South Carolina Kiss To Donald Trump - 72% of the voters in South Carolina Saturday night with evangelical

[HAPPY2BME]

For months and months, Donald Trump has been exclaiming, “The evangelicals love me and I love them.” Well folks, tonight that love affair paved his way to victory in the all-important South Carolina Primary. 72% of the voters in South Carolina Saturday night with evangelical. Trump won 33 percent, of them. Ted Cruz won 27 percent, and Rubio won 22 percent. So let’s not kid ourselves here: Donald Trump is on his way to the GOP nomination and if he wins it, it will be because of evangelicals. Plain and simple.

Let’s have this thought sink in for a moment. Donald Trump won the evangelical vote in South Carolina. Let me repeat that. Donald Trump won the evangelical vote in South Carolina. Ted Cruz, the evangelical candidate did not. Marco Rubio, who speaks so eloquently about God didn’t either. Both those men (Rubio and Cruz) are solid men who love Jesus. But it is Trump who has done the best job of channeling the anger of the GOP electorate and guess what? Evangelicals are upset with the Republican Party too. They’ve felt like cheap political pawns for years, constantly being used by the GOP to get out and vote and then having nothing to show for it. With Trump, many of those evangelicals feel like they’ve found the politically incorrect mouthpiece to channel their inner frustration. Is he the most righteous man to carry the torch? No. Is he the most transparent and authentic one? Clearly, they believe so. Look, evangelicals are not monolithic. There are plenty of evangelicals who can’t stand Trump. But as we saw in South Carolina tonight, there are plenty who trust him to get America back on the right track.  So now it’s on to Nevada where Trump holds a massive lead. Then come the SEC Primaries where Trump is once again poised to do very well. Let’s have some truth telling here: if this was anybody other than Donald Trump, we’d say this nomination process is virtually over. But because it’s Trump and he’s such a wild card, we can’t say that. If Trump is going to lose this nomination, he’ll have to beat himself. He’ll have to be SO over the top that it becomes too much to handle. I’m not convinced that’s going to happen. He has a Teflon quality that is remarkable to watch.

Now, as for Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, this is going to be interesting. Let’s start with Cruz.

You’ve got to feel for the guy. He’s got a stellar record of defending Judeo-Christian principles; he’s a born-again believer; he has plenty of money; he’s thrown the liberal policy kitchen sink at Trump and he’s as smart as they come. Then along comes South Carolina with a treasure trove of evangelical voters. You would think this state is picture perfect for him yet Trump beats him among evangelical voters (33 to 27%). That simply can’t happen and for that reason alone it just wasn’t a good night for Cruz. What I’m picking up from evangelical voters who are on the fence is that some just either don’t trust him based on what happened in Iowa (and also what Trump and Rubio have been saying about his character) and they don’t necessarily like the way he comes across. They feel he’s a bit too slick and too cute by half. Those are the perceptions out there in evangelical world and it hurt him in South Carolina. There’s also another factor. Cruz is trying to channel that outsider, anti-Washington DC space that Trump occupies too but it plays better with Trump because he is indeed an outsider that talks like one. Cruz is a U.S. Senator that does not talk like an outsider. He talks like a polished politician. The two don’t go together and I think it hurts him stylistically. As for where he goes from here, I will tell you this: Cruz is a fighter and so is his campaign. They have a great campaign operation and they’ll figure a way (on paper at least) to plot strategy and come back. Then they have to hope that their paper strategy comes to fruition by the time those crucial SEC Primaries take place a week from Tuesday.

For Marco Rubio, this was a great night. First of all, instead of fighting Jeb Bush for third place, he was fighting Ted Cruz for a virtual tie for second. That’s a win any way you cut it. But it gets better. Jeb Bush is now out of the race. That should translate into more support for Rubio. Plus, expect to see an onslaught of GOP politicians starting to endorse Rubio this week. I’m waiting for Mitt Romney to endorse him anytime now. This is all bad news for Ted Cruz because when this happens the media will begin to craft the storyline that Rubio is going to try to be the giant slayer against Trump. Cruz wants that title so he’ll need to fight off that narrative while at the same time fight off a media generated narrative that if he can’t win evangelicals in South Carolina, how in the world will he do any better in the SEC Primaries? So the bottom line here is that Rubio has a huge upside now with momentum in his favor. Rubio’s problem is that he needs that one-on-one matchup with Trump quickly but Cruz is in the way. Conversely, Cruz really needs Rubio out of the way so he can go after Trump. Neither one is going to happen in the short term and you know what that means right? It means Trump continues to move forward because the mathematical pie will work in his favor.  It just keeps breaking Trump’s way.

http://www1.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2016/02/20/evangelicals-give-big-south-carolina-kiss-to-donald-trump

[HAPPY2BME]

What does the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church have to say to the Christians of South Carolina now?

Are they ALL APOSTATE?

Let’s have this thought sink in for a moment.

Donald Trump won the evangelical vote in South Carolina. Let me repeat that.

Donald Trump won the evangelical vote in South Carolina.

Ted Cruz, the evangelical candidate did not.

Marco Rubio, who speaks so eloquently about God didn’t either.

[HAPPY2BME]

This is an example of why I have resigned from the Republican Party and declared myself Independent. I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or Tea Party to do what is best for America. Unless more godly men and women get in this process and change this wicked system, our country is in for trouble.

Shame on the Republicans and the Democrats for passing such a wasteful spending bill last week. And to top it off, funding Planned Parenthood! A Huffington Post article called it “a big win for Planned Parenthood.” I call it a big loss for America.

After all of the appalling facts revealed this year about Planned Parenthood, our representatives in Washington had a chance to put a stop to this, but they didn’t. There’s no question—taxpayers should not be paying for abortions! Abortion is murder in God’s eyes. Seeing and hearing Planned Parenthood talk nonchalantly about selling baby parts from aborted fetuses with utter disregard for human life is reminiscent of Joseph Mengele and the Nazi concentration camps! That should’ve been all that was needed to turn off the faucet for their funding. Nothing was done to trim this 2,000 page, $1.1 trillion budget.

This is an example of why I have resigned from the Republican Party and declared myself Independent. I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or Tea Party to do what is best for America. Unless more godly men and women get in this process and change this wicked system, our country is in for trouble. I want to challenge Christians, even pastors, across the country to pray about running for office where they can have an impact. We need mayors, country commissioners, city council members, school board members who will uphold biblical values.

In just a couple of weeks, I will begin going state by state to every capital in our nation to hold prayer rallies for our country and share this same challenge on the Decision America Tour. Des Moines, Iowa, is first on January 5. I hope you’ll join me in your capital—check decisionamericatour.com for more dates and details.

https://www.facebook.com/FranklinGraham/posts/1061896050533242

[mountaineer]

I just came across this post from Mike Huckabee on Facebook:

Sunday morning musings before church:

The dust has settled in the Palmetto State and the pundits and trying to understand it. Having been twice a candidate and also having been in the pundit chair (easiest job on earth—talking about what other people are actually DOING!), here is what I believe we can glean from the SC results (and I am not, have not, and don’t plan to endorse a candidate in the near future):

1. Evangelical “leaders” aren’t. When a number of high profile leaders of Christian organizations endorsed Ted Cruz, it was supposed to signal that there was a “coalescing” around Cruz among the church-going evangelicals. Supporters of Rick Santorum, Ben Carson, and me were told that their votes were being “wasted” and they should get on the train for Ted. But the people in the pews had a mind of their own and voted all over the board, and in SC where evangelicals make up 74% of the vote (more than Iowa and far more than NH), it was Trump who won them. So why? To that, we turn to observation #2:

2. This is a disruptive election. It’s not just that a totally non-traditional candidate won in SC, but both parties are being rocked by those who don’t fit the normal “mold” for candidates. People in America know that their institutions have failed them and they are willing to take a chance on someone with little or no experience in governing because they are convinced that it’s the experienced politicians who have cost them their jobs, their hopes and dreams. They don’t distinguish between those who governed effectively at the local or state level and those who govern in the cesspool of the Washington/Wall Street Axis of Power. (How well I know!)

3. Those who call for candidates to “get out” need to shut up! It’s an ELECTION—not a SELECTION by a snobby group of smug “professionals.” Let's let VOTERS VOTE and do the winnowing of the field. In Iowa, supporters of Cruz urged the supporters of Carson, Santorum and me to not “waste their votes” on us. Some commentators actually said we were being “selfish” for running and should get out in order to move votes toward the candidate that the commentator was favoring. What a stunning arrogance! I had an answer to some reporters who asked me, “why don’t you get out?” I asked one from MSNBC, “Isn’t your network in a distant third position among cable news networks? Then why do you keep broadcasting? Why don’t you “get out” and make room for the ones who have more viewers?” I said this to the anchorette on air and she immediately ended the interview and went to break. Most of the pompous pop-offs who call for candidates to get out have never been on the ballot. They speak from the press box, not from the arena floor and have no idea what it’s actually like to run for office and even less to govern. So a little insight—it’s harder to get out than to get in because you have people who have invested their time, their money, and their sweat and reputations to help you. You want to give them your best and leave it all on the turf for them. You didn’t get in because of your cheap critics, and you sure as heck won’t get out because of their self-serving advice! If Ben Carson is compelled to stay in, then that is a decision for Ben Carson and his supporters to make—not his opponents! And if we are going to urge people out based on the past, then Cruz, Marco and Kasich need to go as well because Cruz is where I was---won Iowa, but lost in NH and SC. Kasich and Marco have yet to win. So are supporters of Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich also calling for THEM to get out?

4. Trump’s candidacy is not a fluke. And it’s rarely mentioned but one of the reasons that he is a force is that he and Ben Carson are the only GOP candidates left who aren’t funded by the same corporatists/globalists/special interests that fund candidates from BOTH parties (Bernie the exception on the Dem side). Many voters are finally understanding that the 3 magic words in politics are these: FOLLOW. THE. MONEY. The reason things don’t change regardless of who is in power, regardless of the speeches, ads, and promises is because candidates are funded by the SAME BUNCH of Wall Street big banks, hedge fund managers, and special interests. Trump is paying for his own campaign and voters are encouraged that no one will own him.

Let me repeat that I’m not endorsing anyone yet—I want to be able to speak freely and objectively about the race and once an endorsement is made, there is nothing left to say. I have PLENTY to say and will keep saying it! In the meantime, I invite YOU to say what YOU think. I believe your views are as valid as the so-called “experts” who pontificate on radio and TV and online and in print and who are often clueless, but bluster on anyway. So take it away Facebook friends!

Posting this does not imply agreement. Just food for thought.

[jmyrlefuller]

Trump’s candidacy is not a fluke. And it’s rarely mentioned but one of the reasons that he is a force is that he and Ben Carson are the only GOP candidates left who aren’t funded by the same corporatists/globalists/special interests that fund candidates from BOTH parties

We hear it from Trump's shills all the time, of course neglecting the fact that Trump is the corporatist/globalist/special interest that funds candidates from both parties himself. Seriously, people.

[truth_seeker]

Good for Huckabee. Telling it like it is. And calling out Cruz, for his sleazy tactics. And sticking up for Trump.

"Supporters of Rick Santorum, Ben Carson, and me were told that their votes were being “wasted” and they should get on the train for Ted."

Too bad those here, that are obsessed with their anti-Trumpism, are not as wise as Gov. Huckabee.

[sinkspur]

Good for Huckabee. Telling it like it is. And calling out Cruz, for his sleazy tactics. And sticking up for Trump.

"Supporters of Rick Santorum, Ben Carson, and me were told that their votes were being “wasted” and they should get on the train for Ted."

Too bad those here, that are obsessed with their anti-Trumpism, are not as wise as Gov. Huckabee.

Yeah. All the anti-Trump people are just supposed to shut up.

Daft.

[aligncare]

I would have never guessed that Donald Trump could draw so heavily from evangelicals. Trump's overall success surprised lots of folks.

[mountaineer]

We hear it from Trump's shills all the time, of course neglecting the fact that Trump is the corporatist/globalist/special interest that funds candidates from both parties himself. Seriously, people.

Agreed.