Flash/Mike--your thoughts on last night's election results....

[bigbadjohn45]

Looks like it's now clearly Trump's to lose, although some of the political pundits are saying that Kasich could further split the vote that could lead to a contested convention. Glad to see Rubio do the right thing and bow out. It'll be interesting to see if he'll endorse Cruz, although it may now be too late to matter....

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

I think Cruz only hope is a real 2 man race, while Cruz will get some of the Rubio vote, Kasich will pull in some of those. I think Trump will come up short of 1237 but he will be way ahead of the other two.

Cruz problem is he just can't win in battle ground states, but he is still part of the vote (including Trump) that is anti establishment. Kasich will make the argument he can win the battle ground states. Like I said in another thread, if Trump is way ahead and they take the nomination then all hell will break lose.

Think about it this way, as big as the problems are in this country, our party isn't even in agreement. Really, the D's aren't either, it just isn't public for everyone to see. I think their are a lot of Bernie supports that hate Clinton's guts.

Its going to be Trump vs Clinton - who knows how this will go down. I think Trump is highly variable - he could win or he could go down big time. Lots of time before November.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

This whole notion that the GOP takes the nomination away from Trump and gives it to someone else is nonsense. The GOP cannot simply give the nomination to anyone. In a contested convention, the delegates vote the first time and if no one has the needed number of delegates to win the nomination, the delegates are free to vote for someone else. If Trump still cannot get the number of delegates necessary to win in the second vote he can't expect the GOP to simply give him the nomination based on his plurality because the rule says a plurality is not enough, you need 1,237 delegates to win.

From "7 things you need to know about a contested convention":

"It's a marathon, and if you run a marathon, even if all the other runners collapse before the 25-mile mark, if you collapse at the 26-mile-mark, you haven't crossed the finish line," is how Berg-Andersson explained the GOP's thinking. "So the finish line here is 1,237 delegates. Sorry, that's the rule."

Putnam agreed -- a plurality simply won't do it.

"I doubt any change is in the offing," he said. "I don't think they would either lower that or raise it in an effort to prevent Trump. That sort of proposal has never really come up."

If another candidate is able to get the necessary number of delegates, then he wins fair and square according to the rules regardless of whether Trump has a plurality going into the convention.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/16/politics/contested-convention-how-it-works-questions/index.html

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

This whole notion that the GOP takes the nomination away from Trump and gives it to someone else is nonsense. The GOP cannot simply give the nomination to anyone. In a contested convention, the delegates vote the first time and if no one has the needed number of delegates to win the nomination, the delegates are free to vote for someone else. If Trump still cannot get the number of delegates necessary to win in the second vote he can't expect the GOP to simply give him the nomination based on his plurality because the rule says a plurality is not enough, you need 1,237 delegates to win.

From "7 things you need to know about a contested convention":

"It's a marathon, and if you run a marathon, even if all the other runners collapse before the 25-mile mark, if you collapse at the 26-mile-mark, you haven't crossed the finish line," is how Berg-Andersson explained the GOP's thinking. "So the finish line here is 1,237 delegates. Sorry, that's the rule."

Putnam agreed -- a plurality simply won't do it.

"I doubt any change is in the offing," he said. "I don't think they would either lower that or raise it in an effort to prevent Trump. That sort of proposal has never really come up."

If another candidate is able to get the necessary number of delegates, then he wins fair and square according to the rules regardless of whether Trump has a plurality going into the convention.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/16/politics/contested-convention-how-it-works-questions/index.html

Spoken like a true establishment Republican .

These are the party rules. So you expect Trump after millions of attack ads from the people that make up the rules to just accept them if he is the clear leader.

 

[MTLynn]

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

Yes, and he can take his cult following with him. You can support your guy if you want to but don't expect conservatives to let this nationalist hijack the Republican Party just because he threatens to form a third party.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Guys, I think this is all a mute point. Trump will most likely win AZ, WI, NY, PA, et al., and it's over. Wish I were wrong (you know I do), but I think the die is cast. After last night, I've come to grips with the fact that DT will be our nominee. Let's all pray he can win in November because Hillary is the enemy we know.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Guys, I think this is all a mute point. Trump will most likely win AZ, WI, NY, PA, et al., and it's over. Wish I were wrong (you know I do), but I think the die is cast. After last night, I've come to grips with the fact that DT will be our nominee. Let's all pray he can win in November because Hillary is the enemy we know.

I think one of the reasons I have taken the contrarian view is because of a lot of my fellow believers. It is my opinion that many Christians believe the government and the right politician can change our culture. Its just a pipe dream for Christians to make a goal to have "heaven on earth" , that somehow we are going to be immune to a world that is broken. I could go deeper on this point but the only thing I will say is we should be more concerned about the Gospel and less concerned about who is on the Supreme Court. Guys, I am looking at the man in the mirror.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

I think one of the reasons I have taken the contrarian view is because of a lot of my fellow believers. It is my opinion that many Christians believe the government and the right politician can change our culture. Its just a pipe dream for Christians to make a goal to have "heaven on earth" , that somehow we are going to be immune to a world that is broken. I could go deeper on this point but the only thing I will say is we should be more concerned about the Gospel and less concerned about who is on the Supreme Court. Guys, I am looking at the man in the mirror.

Mike, sorry it's taken me so long to respond to your post as it was late in the day and I didn't get a chance to get back with you.

My take is that America is in a current state of cultural rot, brought about by our declining devotion to God as a nation. I've been saying on here for years now that, in my opinion, America's main problem is not so much economic or political, it's a spiritual problem. We've strayed away from our worship of God Almighty and replaced that with our worship of other gods--whatever that may be to an individual.

Although I agree with your premise that neither government nor the right politician can change our culture, I do think it's still possible that a Godly leader could still play a major role in turning us back in the right direction by example.

A good example of this was King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was one of the fewkings of Judahwho was constantly aware of God’s acts in the past and His involvement in the events of every day. The Bible describes Hezekiah as a king who had a close relationship with God, one who did “what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 31:20).

Hezekiah, a son of the wicked King Ahaz, reigned over the southern kingdom of Judah for twenty-nine years, from c. 726 to 697 BC. He began his reign at age 25 (2 Kings 18:2). He was more zealous for the Lord than any of his predecessors (2 Kings 18:5). During his reign, the prophetsIsaiahandMicahministered in Judah.

After Ahaz’s wicked reign, there was much work to do, and Hezekiah boldly cleaned house. Pagan altars, idols, and temples were destroyed. Thebronze serpentthat Moses had made in the desert (Numbers 21:9) was also destroyed, because the people had made it an idol (2 Kings 18:4). Thetemplein Jerusalem, whose doors had been nailed shut by Hezekiah’s own father, was cleaned out and reopened. The Levitical priesthood was reinstated (2 Chronicles 29:5), and the Passover was reinstituted as a national holiday (2 Chronicles 30:1). Under Hezekiah’s reforms, revival came to Judah.

Because King Hezekiah put God first in everything he did, God prospered him. Hezekiah “held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook” (2 Kings 18:6–7).

Hezekiah’s life is, for the most part, a model of faithfulness and trust in the Lord. His faith was more than superficial, as his bold reforms show. Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord was rewarded with answered prayer, successful endeavors, and miraculous victory over his enemies. When faced with an impossible situation, surrounded by the dreadful and determined Assyrian army, Hezekiah did exactly the right thing—he prayed. And God answered.

Could a Godly man such as Ted Cruz help turn America back in the right direction? Perhaps. It would certainly be a step in the right direction and present a bold contrast to the evil, Godless, Obama administration.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

BBJ, watch this video and tell me what you think.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Flash, I appreciate you posting that. I, too, have read where Trump has stated he's not sure if he's ever asked God for forgiveness (see article below). Is this the kind of leader we need at a time in our nation's history in which we've strayed so far from God Almighty and His teachings? I think not!

Here's the article which references what Deace stated:

Trump: I Don't Think I've Ever Asked God for Forgiveness
By Todd Beamon | Sunday, 19 Jul 2015 10:13 AM

Donald Trump said Saturday that "I am not sure that I have" ever asked God for forgiveness, telling the 2015 Iowa Family Leadership Summit that "I just go on and try to do a better job from there.

"I don't think so," Trump, who is Presbyterian, said in response to the question from pollster and summit host Frank Luntz. Trump was among 10 Republican presidential candidates at the daylong event in Ames, Iowa.

"If I do something wrong, I think I just try to make it right," Trump said. "I don't bring God into that picture. I don't.

"When we go into church — and when I drink my little wine, which is about the only wine I drink, and have my little cracker — I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness. I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed, OK?

"But, to me, that is important," Trump said. "In terms of officially, I could tell you absolutely. I don't think in terms of that. I think in terms of, 'Let's go on and let's make it right.'"

When Luntz first asked the question, Trump said that he was Presbyterian and that his pastor was the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, the author and longtime pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. He died in 1993 at 95 years old.

"That's a tough question," is how Trump began his initial response. "I am a religious person. I'm Protestant. I'm Presbyterian. People are so shocked and they find this out.

"I go to church. I love God — and I love my church," he added. "The great Norman Vincent Peale was my pastor. He was so great. He would give a sermon, and you'd never want to leave."

Luntz then pressed him on the forgiveness issue, which brought chuckles from some members of the audience.

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