Call it panic day for the Republican establishment: GOP front-runner Donald Trump celebrated seven wins and tightened his grip on the party’s nomination on Super Tuesday, the most important day yet in the 2016 election.
Trump won Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Ted Cruz took Oklahoma, a closed primary where Democrats and independents were not allowed to vote, Alaska and Texas, Super Tuesday’s “crown jewel.”
Marco Rubio won Minnesota.
In a speech Tuesday evening, Trump declared, “I congratulate Ted Cruz on his [Texas] win. … Thank you for such an exciting night, I’ve had a lot of fun. I feel sorry for Rubio.”
Trump promised, “We’re going to create jobs like you’ve never seen. We’re going to lower taxes substantially for the middle class, who have been forgotten in our country. We’re lowering taxes on business. When you see Pfizer moving to Ireland. You used to see companies move between states. Now they’re moving to other parts of the world. We can’t have that. We’ve lost thousands of jobs and manufacturing plants. We can’t have that happen.”
The billionaire said it takes courage to run for president.
“I’ve never done it, I’ve created a lot of jobs, but never run for president,” he said. “When you look at our jobs and our depleted military… we’re going to make our military better so nobody will ever mess with us.
Trump declared that his candidacy has “expanded the GOP.”
“When you see the numbers that we got in South Carolina, we got Democrat voters to switch to vote for us. We doubled the voters from four years ago. I’m a unifier. Once we get this finished, I’m going to go after Hillary if she’s allowed to run. Rubio and Cruz would probably have a very hard time. We have expanded the Republican Party.”
Regarding his position on Planned Parenthood, Trump said: “I’m just doing what’s right. Planned Parenthood has done very good work for millions of women. We’re not going to fund as long as they perform abortions, and we’ll see what happens. I’m going to be good for women and women’s health issues. That might not be a perfectly conservative view, but I’m the most conservative on the military, the border, Obamacare, education … You can call it what you want, but I’m a truth teller.”
As for his temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., Trump said, “We have a big big problem – radical Islamic terrorism – big, big problem, not only for us but look at Germany, Sweden. It’s a disaster. We are not going to allow people to come into our country when we have no idea who they are or where they come from with no paperwork. They are young, strong, powerful, and you say why are they not back fighting for their country? We are going to build a safe zone in Syria. I am going to get the Gulf states to pay for it.”
Trump said he has “a lot of respect for the RNC”
“I don’t know if I’ve been treated fairly or not, but what I do have is millions of people,” he said. “I was amazed at the numbers; the GOP has a lot of energy and the Democrats don’t. Their numbers are down. If I’m going to win more states tonight with tremendous numbers, I think we’re a democracy and it’s awfully hard to say ‘that’s not the person we want to win.’ We have a lot more people, we’re taking from the independents.”
“Tuesday night feels like an evening that will require bourbon and soul-searching for Republicans,” a GOP insider told Politico.
“Game. Set. Match. On both sides,” added a Virginia Republican. “Sure, there will be some surprises and zero candidates will drop out as most have the wherewithal and ego to slog ahead for weeks to come, but this thing is done. Despite conspiracy theories, Trump and Clinton will be cruising to their respective nominations.”
In his speech on Super Tuesday, Cruz told his supporters:
“Tonight, this campaign enters a new phase. We began with 17 Republican candidates. Through the first four states, the race narrowed considerably. Tonight was another decision point, and the voters have spoken. Tomorrow morning, we have a choice, so long as the field is divided. We cannot defeat Donald Trump. And tonight we have seen that our campaign is the only campaign than can beat, and will beat, Trump.
“I congratulate Trump on his victories tonight. But we are the only campaign that has beaten him once … twice … three times. …
“Republicans, together we have a choice. We are blessed with a deeply talented, honorable field.. For the candidates who have not won a state, I ask you to prayerfully consider us coming together united. For those who have supported other candidates, we welcome you on our team standing united as one.”
“Head to head, our campaign beats Trump resoundingly. But for that to happen, we must come together. Republcian primary voters in upcoming states: You too have a choice. … America should not have a president whose words would make us embarrassed if your children repeated them. We can nominate a Washington dealmaker – profane and vulgar who has used government power for personal gain – or we can nominate a proven conservative. who has fought consistently for working men and women and to defend the Constitution.
“It’s our choice. Trump has pledged to expand Obamacare into socialized medicine, with the government controlling and rationing your healthcare. As president, I’ll repeal every word of Obamacare. Trump promises to cut deals with Democrats, continue Washington cronyism, just like he supported the TARP Wall Street bailouts. I’ll end corporate welfare, adopt a flat tax and abolish the IRS. Trump funded the ‘Gang of Eight.’ With your help, I led the successful opposition. Trump supports Planned Parenthood. I will direct the Justice Department to investigate Planned Parenthood. Trump promises to compromise with Reid and Schumer on SCOTUS nominees. I’ll never compromise our religious liberty.
“Unlike Trump, I’ll never compromise our Second Amendment rights. Trump pledges to be neutral between Israel and Palestine. As president, I won’t be neutral. We’ll stand unapologetically with Israel. Trump says he’ll keep the Iranian nuclear deal. I’ll rip it to shreds on day one. If you’re angry with Washington, I understand. But Trump has been part of the Washington corruption for 40 years. He’s Harry Reid’s and Jimmy Carter’s favorite Republican.
“Together, we’ll repeal Obamacare, abolish the IRS, pull back the EPA regulators killing small businesses, stop amnesty and secure the borders. And the result will be small businesses exploding, wages going up, millions of new jobs, people coming out of school with two, four, five job offers. Let’s show that Reagan’s love, faith and optimism were not misplaced. Let’s show that we won’t let the American light go out, that we’ll fight for life and for freedom. Together, we can do it. If we return to free-market principles and liberties that built America once again, we can have morning in America. Thank you, and God bless each and every one of you!”
Lindsey Graham told CBS: “We may be in a position where we have to rally around Ted Cruz.”
Rubio won’t face his must-win home state primary in Florida until March 15. After that date, states will begin assigning delegates on a winner-take-all basis.
In a speech Tuesday evening, Rubio declared:
“We believe in Reagan principles! We believe in the Constitution! We believe the world is a better place when America is the strongest country on Earth. And we know we’re strongest when we stand with allies like Israel! We stand for freedom in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua! These things are not negotiable!
“Trump said he won’t take sides with Israel against its enemies. When I’m president, we are taking sides! We’re on Israel’s side. And the world will know it, because on my first day, we’ll cancel Obama’s deal with Iran. When I’m president, I’ll follow the Constitution, not violate it every day! On my first day, I’ll cancel every single one of Obama’s unconstitutional executive orders.
“When I’m president, we’ll have free enterprise! I didn’t start out with a ‘small $2-million loan from my dad,’ I didn’t inherit $100 million. We’ll save Medicare, balance our budget. We’ll repeal and replace Obamacare. We’ll have a real war on terror. They’ll be eradicated; they’ll go to Guantanamo. We’ll take care of our veterans. We’ll celebrate our police and firefighters. We’ll defend your Second Amendment right to protect yourself and your family.”
Rubio urged Americans not to “give in to fear, anger, sham artists trying to take advantage of your hardships.”
“We won’t allow the president to be a socialist, or under FBI investigation!” he declared. “I’ll unite this party, and we’ll grow it. We’ll do whatever it takes. We’ll send a message to the nation. … We will leave for our children a country better than we’ve ever seen.”
Neither Carson nor Kasich performed above 10 percent in any state.
On Tuesday, Carson declared:
“We cannot allow people to wage wars on women, faith, liberty, everything we hold dear. Freedom is not having the PC police telling us everything we can and can’t say. We determine our level of freedom by saying what we can and can’t accept. Freedom is not free. We need to fight for it every day. People call me nasty names every day. I let it roll off me. But it’s sad we’ve reached a stage where because someone disagrees with you, they want to call you names. Where did that come from? Not from our Judeo-Christian foundation. It came from something evil. Something we must eradicate.”
“We Americans are all in the same boat. We need to start thinking collectively. Compared to China, India, we don’t have that many people. We have a responsibility to develop all of those people. the more people we bring into the structure of success, the fewer we have to take care of and pull along. We need our people to achieve, we must reevaluate the structure of our school system, we need to provide school choice. Seventy-one percent of applicants to the military are rejected, most often because of their education. Education is a national security issue. We need to be less interested in ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ in the Oscars. Our nation is in horrible trouble. Why squabble when we have such important issues to deal with?”
For Republicans, 595 delegates were at stake in 11 states. To win the party nomination, GOP candidates need 1,237 delegates.
http://www.wnd.com/2016/03/super-tuesday-results-republicans-choose-their-man/
