Tuesday, February 02, 2016

So it appears that Hillary Clinton did indeed win the Iowa caucus. But only by the slimmest margin ever!

Courtesy of the Iowa Democratic Party:

IDP Chair Dr. Andy McGuire released the following statement on tonight’s 2016 Iowa Democratic Precinct Caucuses: 

“Tonight we saw an historically close Iowa Democratic Caucus that featured one of our strongest turnouts ever and passion and energy from Democrats all across our state. 

“After a year where Iowans took the time to see candidates, ask them thoughtful questions, and became volunteers and leaders themselves, tonight 171,109 Iowa Democrats came together with their neighbors to engage in a spirited discussion on the future of our country. We saw passionate, engaged Iowans turn out in all 99 counties, and for the first time ever, the IDP ran both a Tele-Caucus and satellite caucus locations, fulfilling our promise to expand participation and improve on an already incredible process. 

“The results tonight are the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history. Hillary Clinton has been awarded 699.57 state delegate equivalents, Bernie Sanders has been awarded 695.49 state delegate equivalents, Martin O’Malley has been awarded 7.68 state delegate equivalents and uncommitted has been awarded .46 state delegate equivalents. We still have outstanding results in one precinct (Des Moines—42), which is worth 2.28 state delegate equivalents. We will report that final precinct when we have confirmed those results with the chair.

Okay so essentially, according to the Iowa Democratic party, there are not enough outstanding results to move the needle far enough to give Sanders the victory.

That's good to know because last night I went to bed unsure as to who exactly should be taking a victory lap.

In fact when Hillary gave what was essentially a victory speech, I was a little put off and thought it was arrogant.

However as it turned out she was right, so hat's off to her for having better information than the rest of us.

Of course before she takes any victory laps it must be noted that several of the counties that the Clinton campaign "won" were decided by a coin toss.

Personally I have less confidence that Hills can win in New Hampshire, however if she pulls it off, even with margins as slim as the ones in Iowa, that could start her inevitable surge to the nomination.

149 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:45 AM

    The first female presidential candidate to ever win the Iowa caucus. That's a big deal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 66gardeners12:09 PM

      It's absolutely a big deal. It is time for a woman president. It will be a long time before another female comes along with her qualifications. I'm psyched about her being president.

      Just a few minutes ago I saw part of a brilliant Bernie Sanders speech about income inequality. We need him to make real change in America.

      Delete
    2. A win by only a half percent and a few coin tosses, but still, you're right. But it's time we stopped even mentioning candidate's gender.
      It's 2016.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:03 PM

      Wouldn't it be nice if it didn't matter anymore, Barbara? It's a big deal that she won in Iowa, just like it was a big deal when Obama was the first African American candidate to win in Iowa. These kinds of milestones are important.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous2:26 PM

      We are not in a "post-sexist" world. It matters.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous3:10 PM

      It shouldn't matter, but it does.

      Twenty years ago I had the honor of meeting Mary Robinson, the President of Ireland. She had already been President for 6 years.

      For a country that prides itself on innovation, technology and creating the future for everyone else to follow, we in the United States have a VERY long way to go to achieve real equality in many areas, including politics. Just look at the embarrassingly small percentage of women in state governments and in Congress.

      The first African-American President was a big deal and the first female President will be too.

      Delete
    6. Hillary has 701.
      Bernie has 697.

      That's only a 4 point difference.

      Virtually a tie.

      While it is technically a win for Hillary, it is actually a loss, considering that she used to lead Bernie by 50% and now they are tied.

      She'll probably lose New Hampshire.

      Bernie was written off and dismissed by main stream Democrats.

      I think they better start paying attention.

      I'll say it again. Put them both on the ticket. Doesn't matter who's on top. Both of them are strong enough to take on whoever ends up on the GOP ticket. Pick one or the other and you risk alienating enough Democrats to allow the Republicans to win.

      We can't risk a Republican win, no matter who it is.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous12:36 PM

      HRC just squeaks by in Iowa,which is right next to her home state.

      I wonder how Sanders will do in NH which is next to his home state???

      Delete
  2. Anonymous11:48 AM

    Hillary is not going to win in New Hampshire. That's Bernie country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:56 AM

      Yes, and very few racial or ethnic minorities. It might be a emotional victory, but it won't mean much for the overall primary.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:27 PM

      OT,
      prosecutors here in Anchorage seem to be getting this right ... http://www.adn.com/article/20160202/anchorage-mother-charged-son-s-death-self-inflicted-shooting

      too bad the rest of our country can't seem to get it right ..

      Delete
    3. Anonymous1:45 PM

      It's practically a home state. Why shouldn't he win it?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous2:16 PM

      If he doesn't win, it doesn't bode well for him.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous2:35 PM

      12:27pm

      The kid that died was named Bradyn Heath. Wonder if any relation?

      Delete
  3. I told ya'all 8 months ago that Sanders' bid had legs. He has the youth vote, just like Obama, and grassroots support. Sanders' ideas and speeches give me the chills, just like Obama's did. And Jimmy Carter's, a peanut farmer who came from waaay behind to win, just like Sanders will.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:59 AM

      Sanders needs to make better inroads with African American and Latino voters if he wants the kind of success Obama and Carter had.

      Delete
    2. 66gardeners12:10 PM

      Hillary 2016

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:57 PM

      Hillary for cell block #2016!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous1:23 PM

      12:57 - Are you a Bernie Bro or a GOP "Low*"?
      (*Low information voter)

      Delete
    5. Anonymous1:40 PM

      Go away Sarah.

      I'm a Democrat and I'm voting for the Democrat.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous4:36 PM

      I might be a berniebro-

      But Hrc's hoes

      are old and so fat

      they can't see

      their toes!

      Delete
    7. Anonymous12:49 PM

      Ooops it might be a good idea to quit the berniebro stereotyping.

      It is offensive and well Hillary hoes rhymes well with it!!!!

      I think we can be better than this here at IM, were not palinbots were IM readers for christs sake!

      We support Bernie and want to express our views too! Not to have childish name calling and battles of opinion, just the facts ma'am as Joe Friday of Dragnet used to say!

      just the facts, leaving off the ma'am so as not to be chauvinisttic

      Delete
  4. Anonymous11:51 AM

    Clinton did not win because of the coin tosses. They would not have made much, if any, of a difference in the end.

    "As a result of the coin toss, Clinton was awarded an additional delegate, meaning she took five of the precinct’s eight, while Sanders received three.

    Similar situations played out at various precincts across the state, but had an extremely small effect on the overall outcome, in which Clinton won 49.9 percent of statewide delegate equivalents, while Sanders won 49.5 percent. The delegates that were decided by coin flips were delegates to the party's county conventions, of which there are thousands selected across the state from 1,681 separate precincts. They were not the statewide delegate equivalents that are reported in the final results."

    http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2016/02/02/sometimes-iowa-democrats-award-caucus-delegates-coin-flip/79680342/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:57 PM

      Interesting the article above says 49.9 to 49.5 or 0.4 difference-

      But I find the Iowa dem party says
      48.8 to 48.6. Now I wnder if six coin flips won it fir HRC.

      Delete
    2. You don't understand what happened. Six lost coin tosses = six state delegates for HRC. Had the coin tosses split evenly, Bernie would have edged HRC in state delegates, a very SOFT number as these are the people who vote for the delegates who actually get to vote for the national delegates.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous11:55 AM

    The Sanders campaign had to shut down live feed from their rally because supporters were chanting about Hillary being a liar and booing her when she gave her victory speech. Are they sure it wasn't a Trump rally instead of one for Sanders?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:05 PM

      Really? Link?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:16 PM

      Trump would have kept his feed going.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:22 PM

      Got a link for that?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous12:25 PM

      There are serious problems for Hillary. She is despised by large portions of people, including in the Democratic party.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous12:29 PM

      http://www.politico.com/blogs/iowa-caucus-2016-live-updates/2016/02/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-liar-218599

      Delete
    6. Anonymous1:39 PM

      12.05 you may as well face it, the behavior of the Bernie supporters is deteriorating. I've had to unfollow a couple on Twitter because they became so offensive.

      Oh, and did you know you can get your own links? I'm sure Gryphen would be happy to show you how to use Google.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous2:04 PM

      I'm the OP and I forgot the link. Sorry about that.

      As someone who is largely undecided, I found the behavior to be very off putting and distasteful.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous4:01 PM

      I love Bernie but I think he's too progressive for our time. Look at what the Republicans did to Barack Obama. The republican's have demonized Hillary for over 20 years so I hope all dems get behind her to pull this one off. We can't afford a Ted Cruz, Donald Trump or Rubio!!

      Delete
    9. Anonymous4:32 PM

      @anon 1:39pm
      As an undecided lifelong Democrat I will agree with you.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous4:43 PM

      I've seen both sides here have beeing rude to each other.

      Maybe all of us IM readers,
      need to quit with the name calling and start dealing in facts, rather than insults and opinion!

      An IM reader for years that supports Mr Sanders for president.

      Delete
    11. This is why both need to be on the ticket. It is the divisiveness that will keep democratic voters home.

      The Republicans will hold their noses and vote for whoever the party puts up.

      The Democrats will say fuck it and stay home rather than vote for the opposition.

      So both Bernie and Hillary need to be on the ticket so that their supporters will show up and vote. Especially if Hillary is at the top. Because she is more polarizing than Bernie and if it's only her and some no name for VP she will lose Democratic votes. She won't have enough with just her own supporters alone.

      Bernie has a chance of attracting Independents and Republicans that won't be able to stomach whoever the GOP puts on the ticket. Hillary won't. If anything she will drive them away.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous10:45 AM

      If Sanders sided with HRC, I would vote Green Party.

      I would feel that I had been sold out to the corps, as I would be.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous10:47 AM

      HRC for Mr Sanders VP, would be as bad as JFK's choice of LBJ and the end results would also be the same

      Delete
    14. Anonymous10:57 AM

      The army is out there. This past week, I interviewed three candidates for Congress, all running in seats currently held by Republicans, who have endorsed Bernie Sanders. They may not all win­—some might not even represent the Democrats in the general election—but they exemplify a new energy in the party, expressing pride in liberal ideas instead of fleeing from them, ready to work the levers of the system to achieve progress wherever possible. The greatest gift Sanders—the longtime independent—has given to the Democratic Party is to inspire a progressive revolution from within.

      https://newrepublic.com/article/129047/bernies-army-running-congress

      Delete
    15. Anonymous11:07 AM

      What end result? do you think Sanders would get assassinated?

      Delete
    16. Anonymous11:08 AM

      Sure, 10:45. Have fun with Ted Cruz or Jeb Bush or whichever anti choice, racist piece of shit the GOP puts up. People refuse to see the forest for the trees.

      Delete
    17. Anonymous11:09 AM

      Then you, 10:45, are an idiot.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous11:55 AM

    I awoke this morning to the coin toss news as well. Is that what it comes down to? Why not evenly split delegate equivalents between the two? How silly and "democratic" of them!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12:03 PM

    I will vote in the national election for whomever wins the Democratic primary, even if he or she isn't my first choice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:26 PM

      Me too, we have 2 very strong candidates and any infighting will only take away from both at this point.

      Delete
    2. How would you feel if both were on the ticket? Better?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9:45 AM

      HRC is corporate Sanders supporters are tired of corporate rule in the USA, no more tricle down BS.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous12:08 PM

    I must have heard a different speech, I did not hear Hillary declare victory. Sounded more like she was talking about getting a Democrat in the W.H.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She has claimed victory on a number of news shows since.

      But yes that speech in Iowa felt like a victory speech, and it was meant to feel that way.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:17 PM

      She did exactly what many, many other politicians have done before her.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:26 PM

      @ Gryphen,
      she declared victory only after being declared the winner. But even before carrying 49 plus percent she had every right to have a positive speech( Like Bernie had).

      Did you accidently sit on a Palin up there in AK?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous9:46 AM

      HRC declared herself winner!

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:06 AM

      She is the winner. If she were another candidate her speech would have shown confidence and strength. Instead she gets scolded for being presumptuous.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous12:11 PM

    There was a kid with stickers on his face at Hillary's speech. "Was last night "sticker kid" planted by the Sanders campaign?" http://www.mediaite.com/online/investigation-was-last-nights-viral-sticker-kid-planted-by-sanders-campaign/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous12:13 PM

    MSNBC is finally airing a Sanders rally. After non-stop coverage of Trump and live broadcasts of numerous rallies of his equating to millions of dollars of free air time, they are finally giving people a chance to hear Sanders. And they act like they have nothing to do with Trump's poll numbers. All they care about are ratings. Major welfare abuser in America is Walton Family and Walmart! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:05 PM

      I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing! Bernie was really going after the major players in the corruption of our political system. It really was significant that MSNBC aired it!

      I knew it was very important for Bernie to do well in Iowa for his momentum. I have been waiting for someone to run on getting the money out of politics since the 90's!!
      I'm FEELING THE BERN!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:18 PM

      Ralph Nader did it in 2000.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:24 PM

      Ralph Nadar is a woman hating pig.

      Delete
  11. Hillary won six out of six coin tosses. The odds of that happening are 1.56%.

    Who provided the coins?

    She has 700 state delegates to Sanders' 695 state delegates. If those coin tosses had gone the other way, she'd have 694 delegates to Sanders' 701 delegates. If the coin tosses had split evenly, she'd have 697 delegates and Sanders would have 698 delegates.

    I find it ironic that the influence of money is the ONLY reason she is considered the victor... and her victory speech was indeed arrogant.

    It was Sanders' night.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:32 PM

      I'm sure Hillary sent staff with fake coins to every single caucus meeting just in case there needed to be a coin toss.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:35 PM

      Who provided the coins? Are you serious?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous1:26 PM

      Just because odds are low doesn't mean they are impossible to achieve. See "Lottery Winners, Each and Every". This is why Americans need more math and science education.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous1:33 PM

      A Karl Rove person!

      Want us to sign your timesheet?

      Delete
    5. Anonymous2:12 PM

      We should all invest in Arrogance now, when it's affordable. If the Clintons return to the WH, the value of Arrogance stock will skyrocket. Exceeded only by Sense of Entitlement.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous2:19 PM

      What a stupid comment, 2:12.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous4:22 PM

      Actually it's a 50/50 chance of each coin toss. And as minnesotan who has watched two coin tosses for a mayoral position in my small town twice, I will say the banker brought a new coin and the whole counsel examined the coin.

      Why are you trying to start crap with no evidence? You sound like a repuglican?

      BTWQ coin tosses are used in many states to settle tied elections, but you must assume that Hillary went back in time 150 yrs, set that up and brought a two headed coin, you might want to set down the joint and back away slowwwwwly.

      Delete
    8. Considering how close the end was, that means she didn't really win. Had Sanders won even half of the coin tosses he's probably have won.

      They were within 4 points of each other. Essentially a tie.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous9:17 PM

      Please read the comment up-thread about how the coin tosses didn't actually make a difference in Clinton winning.

      Delete
  12. Crystal Sage12:20 PM

    It has gotten to the point that I cannot go to my usual political discussion site because of the Hillary bashing.What disturbs me is that the Democratic Party has an embarrassment of riches in its candidates, while the GOP is merely an embarrassment. Why cannot some supporters of Bernie (mostly) and Hillary behave like adults? Come on, people. No matter which of the two ends up with the nomination, we must support the Democrat's choice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:34 PM

      I completely agree. I know that most Sanders supporters are great, caring, progressive people. But there is a lot of nastiness and sexist language again Hillary (calling her a cunt, bitch, etc..), which is surprising considering these people are supporting a supposed progressive candidate.

      This kind of vitriol will drive people away from the voting booths if their candidate doesn't win the primary, and then everybody loses.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:37 PM

      This is my first time I'm faced with a caucus rather than a primary (I moved to Colorado a couple years ago). I'm not looking forward to it.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous1:01 PM

      http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/02/i-like-bernie-sanders-his-supporters-not-so-much-berniebro

      Delete
    4. Anonymous1:31 PM

      12.37, you could write a boots on the ground report; I'm sure Gryphen would appreciate it. I never knew how quaint the caucus system is until I saw it on The Good Wife.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous1:48 PM

      12:34 I see that sort of thing in everyone of the camps. Stop lumping people together. It only makes you look like part of the GOP.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous2:06 PM

      How is this lumping people together?

      From the original comment:
      "I know that most Sanders supporters are great, caring, progressive people."

      Hmm, well I guess it's lumping people together as great, caring, and progressive. Do you have a problem with that?

      Delete
    7. Anonymous2:15 PM

      I see that sort of thing, too.

      Unfortunately, I've seen it more among a certain proportion of Bernie Sander's supporters. Even the Sander's camp sent out a notice asking them to stop.

      I would like to see evidence that people are calling Sanders such sexist names as cunt, bitch, twat, etc.. Pretty much the worst I've seen said about him is that he's an angry old man. Clinton's been called a "post-menopausal" bitch. I've also seen Hillary called "Hiltery" by Sander's supporters.

      I've been called uniformed, not a "real liberal" or a "real democrat" because I haven't completely jumped on the "feel the Bern" bandwagon.

      I hate it when Hillary supporters accuse Sander's supporters of being sexist because they won't vote for Hillary. On the other hand, I hate it when Sander's supporters accuse Hillary supporters of voting for her just because she has a vagina. Neither of these things is true and it's just plain offensive.

      I keep my ears open because I'm undecided at this point and I can tell you the worst of it is coming from the Sander's side (and by "worst," I mean the most vicious comments) which really makes me sad considering the political and ethical positions of their chosen candidate.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous3:23 PM

      In 2012 I voted for Clinton in the primary because I felt she was more qualified than Obama was at the time, although I liked him a lot and hoped he would run again in the future.

      However, when he became the Democratic candidate, I never felt a moment's hesitation before casting my vote for him in the general election.

      With the future of several seats on the Supreme Court in jeopardy, an economy still struggling to recover from the disaster of the Bush years, and a tinderbox in the Middle East, it is absolutely critical that we keep a Democrat in the White House. Hopefully, we will also win back control of at least one house of Congress, too.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous4:19 PM

      @ anon 3:23pm
      I agree completely, whomever the Democratic candidate is they will have my complete support.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous12:35 PM

    I think there were repubs voting in dem caucuses for Bernie. They want him to get the nomination as it is the only way the can win the white house.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:50 PM

      Excellent post.

      Delete
    2. I think they've made an error if they think that strategy will work.

      Didn't work in 2008 when they supposedly tried the same thing.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous12:35 PM

    As usual, a woman can't just win, she has to win by a landslide or she's considered the loser.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:50 PM

      Bingo!

      Delete
    2. Considering the coin tosses, no she didn't win. She got very lucky. It would have been better had she won by a landslide. She squeaked by by the luck of several coin tosses. Hardly a victory to brag about.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9:18 PM

      Again, mlaiuppa, please read the comment upthread about the coin toss. It's not accurate that she won because of them.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:28 PM

      Of course if Bernie had won by only a couple of points, all of a sudden he'd be Jesus and it would prove everyone loves him and he's destined to be President. You're right, no winning with this bunch.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:04 AM

      It's not about male chauvinism, I have voted for Jill Stien of the Green Party and will do so again if HRC get nominated.

      I am against corporate owned politicians and what they have done to our country!

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:04 AM

      He LOST and that's what they are saying.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous12:37 PM

    As of today, Clinton has 385 superdelegates and Bernie as 29. Bernie needs massive wins because of this. He's a recent addition to the Democratic party; watch to see who from the party endorses him in the near future. Here's an article that explains super delegates from last fall: http://www.npr.org/2015/11/13/455812702/clinton-has-45-to-1-superdelegate-advantage-over-sanders

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why? If they were so close, why the disparity in assigned delegates? It was 701 to 697.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9:19 PM

      She's way ahead because of support from the superdelegates. This goes beyond Iowa (as it usually does).

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9:52 AM

      She was the only candidate thought to have a chance six months ago. HRC grabbed as much of the super delegates support as possible.

      But the super delegate are known to change as the nomination nears.

      Delete
    4. Superdelegates can flip their vote at any time, and have a history of doing that when the early frontrunner fails.

      Bernie doesn't need massive wins, just wins.

      Delete
  16. O/T but the comments on this thread have me in stitches. They show just what a big mistake Trump made by soliciting Sarah Palin's endorsement. Sarah has turned into a total laughingstock and that is all any of us who frequent this blog want to see, other than an arrest and some prosecutions and for her fraud to be exposed to the world.

    https://www.yahoo.com/politics/sarah-palin-talks-about-trump-1356599980007478.html

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous1:28 PM

    Americans will crow over a win of 100th of a second .... but hey it's Hillary.

    It's a shame more women aren't standing up for Hillary, even of only the democratic women who stood up for Sarah Palin in 2008 when they saw she was being publicly mistreated by the chauvinists of the media.

    Why are women so jealous of Hillary Clinton? I can think of a lot of reasons but they all come back to Bill Clinton.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:46 PM

      Jealousy? This is not middle school.

      Buzz off with your publicly mistreated horseshit. She's been called out. Point blank. No mistreatment about it, you simpleton.

      Your obvious troll shows that you know Bernie is the man. Scares you, doesn't it?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:07 PM

      Bernie IS the man. Interesting choice of words.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:07 PM

      This sums up how I feel about Bernie supporters these days. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/02/i-like-bernie-sanders-his-supporters-not-so-much-berniebro

      Delete
    4. Anonymous2:23 PM

      I'm a Hillary supporter (and a woman), but I think the "they're just jealous" crap is a bunch of bullshit and wish people would fucking stop saying it.

      And also, fuck Sarah Palin. It wasn't sexist then to say that she didn't know her ass from a hole in the ground and it's not sexist now.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous2:24 PM

      "But hey it's Hillary"

      Hilarious because if Bernie Sanders had won by "a 100th of a second" his supporters would be crowing all over the place too.

      Delete
    6. Mistreated by chauvinists in the media?

      You sound like Sarah Palin.

      She was thin skinned, whiney and couldn't take the heat of the adult's table. Nor criticism that was true.

      Sarah was an idiot who comported herself like a tooth gapped hick with only a 4th grade education. And she was rude to boot. She got in over her head and all she knew how to do was point racist and bigoted fingers of blame and spew hate mongering.

      Criticism of her wasn't because she was a woman.

      It was because she was an idiot. And that moron John McCain didn't bother to VET her before putting her on the ticket.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous11:13 AM

      HRC poll Iowa_

      Monmouth University 10/22 - 10/25/15 HRC 65

      Mr Sanders 24

      Wit, the polls having highly favored HRC, she sure lost a lot of voters to end with a 0.02% win!

      Delete
  18. Anonymous1:42 PM

    O/T Persons shot last night in Wasilla have been identified. It was not Track. One was a child. Heart breaking.

    http://www.ktuu.com/news/news/troopers-investigating-gunshot-reports-at-a-meadow-lakes-area-home-monday/37753152

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:32 PM

      The worst part is that we don't know who the perpetrator is and if he has been apprehended. Trooper Helo2 has still been flying around this area even today. I've actually put a shell in the chamber of my shotgun, just in case there is some crazy murderer running around near where I live.

      No worries, there aren't any children in my home and I don't have any close neighbors, which makes me more concerned if there is a crazy murderer on the loose perhaps seeking refuge.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:41 PM

      It sounds like the troopers are being pretty tight with any info. Weird. Stay safe!

      Delete
  19. Anonymous1:51 PM

    Can someone please list Bernie Sanders' achievements in his decades in congress?

    I'm having trouble finding them on the internet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Balzafiar2:24 PM

      Google -- wiki: bernie sanders

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:29 PM

      One of the best things that Hillary did as a Senator was approve funds for invading Iraq. She sure has her priorities in order, right?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:56 PM

      She does now, @2:29. Hey, did Bernie e ear change his mind and decide to hold gun manufacturers accountable? What's the latest on his gun manufacturers' liability position?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous4:03 PM

      If you do your research, you will find HRC never got one cosponsor for the few bills she wrote.

      But she is a hawk!

      Wars! Baby, Wars!

      Delete
    5. Anonymous6:07 PM

      Did Bernie ever flip flop on gun manufacturers' liability? Yes, yes, he did.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous6:58 PM

      Show me, as if I recall he flip flopped because of a ryder that was attached after his signing it.

      Will Hillary flip on the TPP???

      Bet she will.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous6:58 PM

      Bernie Sanders' Troubling History of Supporting US Military Violence Abroad
      Why aren't we talking about Sanders' foreign policy more?

      http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-sanders-troubling-history-supporting-us-military-violence-abroad

      Delete
    8. Anonymous8:20 PM

      Hmm and was it HRC or Bernie that voted for the Iraq war.

      Hint it was not Mr Sanders. :)

      Mr Sanders respects our vets not war.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous9:26 PM

      He voted for blanket immunity for gun manufacturers.

      He's changed his mind on that.

      He voted against gay marriage. He's changed his mind on that, too.

      Please, let's not pretend Bernie Sanders has a pristine record. If you support him, support him because of (and in some cases, in spite of) his entire record. No candidate is perfect. If you are looking for a perfect candidate, you won't find one and you risk ushering in someone much worse is you stay home.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous10:37 PM

      Hillary Clinton has taken her furthest, most public step away yet from President Barack Obama, rejecting the core of his self-described foreign policy doctrine and describing his decision against backing Syrian rebels early on as a “failure.”

      She also stood unequivocally with Israel in its current battle with Hamas in a lengthy, detailed interview on foreign policy with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, which was conducted last week prior to the president’s authorization of airstrikes against Islamist militants in Iraq. The interview was published late Saturday.

      Obama’s foreign policy doctrine as a whole has been slammed as too slow to respond, too passive instead of proactive, especially as crises have unfolded everywhere from Ukraine to the Gaza Strip. In the interview, Clinton, who served as secretary of state during Obama’s first term, argues there’s a balance that can be struck between muscularity and isolationism — bolstering the concept of American exceptionalism, which she promotes in her new book, “Hard Choices.”

      http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/hillary-clinton-takes-president-barack-obama-109887

      Delete
    11. Anonymous10:41 PM

      Clinton as U.S. Secretary of State at that time knew that Libya was no threat to the U.S. She knew that Muammar Gadhafi had been closely cooperating with the U.S. in combating Islamist extremism. She probably realized that Gadhafi had a certain social base due in part to what by Middle Eastern standards was the relatively equitable distribution of oil income in Libya.

      But she wanted to topple Gadhafi. Over the objections of Secretary of “Defense” Robert Gates but responding to the urgings of British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicholas Sarkozy, she advocated war. Why? Not for the reason advertised at the time. (Does this sound familiar?) Not because Gadhafy was preparing a massacre of the innocents in Benghazi, as had occurred in Rwanda in 1994. (That episode, and the charge that the “international community” had failed to intervene, was repeatedly referenced by Clinton and other top officials, as a shameful precedent that must not be repeated. It had also been deployed by Bill Clinton in 1999, when he waged war on Serbia, grossly exaggerating the extent of carnage in Kosovo and positing the immanent prospect of “genocide” to whip up public support. Such uses of the Rwandan case reflect gross cynicism.)

      http://novorossia.today/i-urged-him-to-bomb-the-warmongering-record-of-hillary-clinton/

      Delete
    12. Anonymous10:46 PM

      Hillary Clinton Pushed Obama to Keep Troops in Iraq

      But at the time of the negotiations, Clinton’s State Department and the Obama White House were not on the same page. The vast majority of the senior White House national security team, including Obama himself, saw ending the Iraq war as a key campaign promise, a way to right a Bush administration wrong, and as a bow to the will of the American people.

      For Clinton, her State Department senior staff—as well as for top officials at the time, including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and CIA Director David Petraeus—there was a national security interest in keeping thousands of troops in Iraq. There were limited, but important, missions to be done: countering terrorists, advising the Iraqi armed forces, and protecting U.S. personnel. Clinton was particularly aggressive in pushing for a long-term troop presence, officials involved in the negotiations say.

      http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/18/hillary-clinton-pushed-obama-to-keep-troops-in-iraq.html

      Delete
    13. Anonymous10:49 PM


      Monsanto and Hillary Clinton's Redemptive First Act as Secretary of State

      Obama chose Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State. We cannot know what deals were struck to make her stop her destructive campaigning long after it was apparent she had lost. But we do know that Mark Penn, CEO for Burson-Marsteller, one of the world's large PR firms representing Monsanto advised her for years and ran her campaign. And when she showed up again, by Obama's side, suddenly so did a man named Michael Taylor ... also again.

      http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=392

      Michael Taylor is a Monsanto lawyer Bill Clinton once put in charge of the FDA where he approved Monsanto's rBGH. Hillary was back, and Obama was putting Taylor on his transition team.

      www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_15710.cfm

      Source:
      https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/monsanto-and-hillary-clintons-redemptive-first-act-secretary-state

      Delete
    14. Anonymous10:53 PM


      While Hillary Was Secretary of State, Foreign Corporations in Favor of TPP Paid Bill over a Million Dollars
      Could Clinton's silence on the matter be due to a serious conflict of interest?

      as Secretary of State, she was part of the negotiating team for the deal, calling it the “gold standard” of trade agreements. In a statement she gave in the summer of 2012, she said the agreement would “benefit” the United States.

      A whole host of American corporations also have feted the Clintons since they left the White House in 2000, particularly those on Wall Street, giving them over $100 million in wealth generated entirely from paid speaking engagements for the benefit of primarily corporate audiences. Many of these domestic corporations, it goes without saying, are enthusiastic backers of the TPP.

      None of this is to say that Clinton's ever-changing positions on trade are solely due to money flowing into her joint bank account – but it does raise the question of some very serious conflicts of interest

      http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/while-hillary-was-secretary-state-foreign-corporations-favor-tpp-paid-bill-over

      Delete
    15. Anonymous10:55 PM

      45 times Secretary Clinton pushed the trade bill she now opposes

      http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/15/politics/45-times-secretary-clinton-pushed-the-trade-bill-she-now-opposes/index.html

      Delete
    16. Anonymous9:24 AM

      Sen. Elizabeth Warren - Congress should oppose the TPP trade deal

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWXJJy_Tq-U

      Delete
    17. Anonymous9:34 AM

      In a scorching speech from the Senate floor on Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said the American criminal justice system is rigged in favor of the wealthy, and condemned new legislation that would make it harder to prosecute bank fraud.

      "There are two legal systems," Warren said. "One for the rich and powerful, and one for everyone else."

      Warren's office issued a report earlier this week documenting 20 cases in which federal officials had enough evidence against corporate malfeasance to issue fines. In most of the cases, companies were not even required to admit guilt. In only one case did a corporate offender go to jail -- Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, who received a 3-month sentence over a mine disaster that killed 29 people.

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-american-justice-rigged-for-rich_us_56b205a2e4b04f9b57d7e5fe?utm_hp_ref=politics

      Delete
    18. Anonymous10:04 AM

      Would HRC prosecute???

      A whole host of American corporations also have feted the Clintons since they left the White House in 2000, particularly those on Wall Street, giving them over $100 million in wealth generated entirely from paid speaking engagements for the benefit of primarily corporate audiences.

      http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/while-hillary-was-secretary-state-foreign-corporations-favor-tpp-paid-bill-over

      Looks like HRC is a part of the problem, not the cure.

      Delete
    19. Anonymous12:09 PM

      The implication was that progressive Bernie Sanders is too far to the left to accomplish anything—all of his ideas are pie-in-the-sky. You have to be able to find the bipartisan, “warm, purple space” as Clinton said earlier this year, to get anything done. Slate's Jamelle Bouie was super-impressed by this rationale, saying Clinton has “skilled use of bureaucratic power.”

      The problem with this narrative is that it is completely false. Not only has Sanders gotten a lot more things done than Clinton did in her own short legislative career, he's actually one of the most effective members of Congress, passing bills, both big and small, that have reshaped American policy on key issues like poverty, the environment and health care.

      http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-gets-it-done-sanders-record-pushing-through-major-reforms-will-surprise-you

      Delete
    20. Anonymous1:47 PM

      Here are 2 good articles about how Bernie HAS gotten things done


      How Bernie Sanders Fought for Our Veterans
      One of America’s biggest ideologues knows how to make a deal.
      http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/how-bernie-sanders-fought-for-our-veterans-119708


      GOP Officials Publicly Denounce Bernie Sanders’ Obamacare Expansion, Quietly Request Funding
      https://theintercept.com/2015/07/06/gop-senators-support-sanders-obamacare-expansion/

      Delete
  20. Anonymous2:01 PM

    Bernie comes across as the Democrat's version of Trump - lots of appealing promises without details on how to implement them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:31 PM

      Lots of info and youtubes on the net,

      To much for me to write here, and one must pay attention as his policies, many of them work in conjunction with others. No simple tax, nor cutting fraud, bargaining for prices and he'll make more jobs fixing the US infrastructure.

      The more you learn the more sense it will make.

      I've been paying attention to Sanders for the last 3 yrs, I am impressed.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:55 AM

      2:01 PM - not just Sanders, they all have solutions, just ask 'em. They'll never tell you the whats and hows. On both sides.

      Delete
  21. Anonymous2:04 PM

    OT but dead baby last summer who shot itself has last name Heath. Any relation to the Heaths?

    http://www.adn.com/article/20160202/anchorage-mother-charged-son-s-death-self-inflicted-shooting

    ReplyDelete
  22. For a viciously funny take on the Iowa caucuses, do take a gander at The Rude Pundit:

    "What did we learn? Well, other than that rabid religious twat mites will vote for whatever crazed fucker jacks off to Jesus hardest..."

    Or, "For instance, dickfaced shitsmear Ted Cruz, a man whose voice sounds like he molests rodents..."

    Warning, Mr. Rude is not for the faint of heart. Or genteel of speech.

    rudepundit.blogspot.com/2016/02/iowa-who-fuck-cares.html

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous3:28 PM

    Can Clinton get back on track?

    Hillary Clinton once had a 50-point lead in Iowa, so by any measure the Bernie Sanders finish should be alarming to the former secretary of state and her supporters. Clinton was supposed to be better organized and better positioned in Iowa, but the Vermont senator's enthusiastic supporters clearly made her ground game a wash. Next up is New Hampshire, which is even friendlier territory for Sanders - right now, he enjoys a double-digit lead there. Even though the map starts looking more favorable to Clinton after next week, she will likely want to make a race of it with Sanders in New Hampshire to avoid the narrative that her candidacy is imploding.

    http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/2016-campaign-enters-high-gear-what-s-next-race-n509836

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous4:10 PM

    Personally I thought both Hillary and Bernie had very positive speeches at the end. They both did quite well. I wish them both the best and whichever one is the Democratic candidate will get my full support and financial donation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:48 PM

      I think the same. :)

      Delete
  25. Anonymous4:20 PM

    On the coin tosses: There were 6 locations, 6 coins, 6 coin tossers, 6 callers of heads or tails. They were 6 completely unrelated events where the odds at each event was 50%. Because they were independent events, you can't calculate the odds of winning 6 out of 6 the way you would if it was the same coin being tossed by the same person 6 times in a row. Although it seems very lucky or uncanny, it's really just 6 unrelated events each with 50% probability. I'm a Bernie gal but I don't think there were shenanigans with the coin tosses. It does show how quaint and quirky the caucus practice is though.

    ReplyDelete
  26. emrysa6:54 PM

    gryphen I find the comments on this thread very interesting... discrediting bernie for no substantial reason. I think you may have some trolls in the midst that were sent to discredit bernie - in light of last nights numbers - because he's actually giving hillary a run for her money. "shut him down, shut him down now!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:34 PM

      Oh, please. Maybe you should read through the comments again.

      And who exactly would have sent trolls to IM to discredit Sanders? The same people who were at the ready with fake coins at every single caucus in Iowa JUST IN CASE?

      Bernie Sanders isn't a saint and Hillary Clinton isn't a monster. Sanders did very well in the Iowa caucus and Clinton made history.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:35 AM

      Mr Sanders made history by tying the known leader. HRC had an experienced campaign team that was supposed to win by a landslide, not 0.02%.

      HRC is a corporate owned politician, plain and simple!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous7:56 AM

      Was it really 0.02%???

      I had to check the Iowa Democrat Party site and anon 7:35 is right!

      https://www.idpcaucuses.com/#/state

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:01 AM

      She made history as the first woman to win the Iowa caucus.

      I guess it's impossible for even some Democrats to give her that.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:02 AM

      It wasn't s tie and how did he make history doing that? Has it never been done before?

      Delete
    6. Anonymous12:27 PM

      Hillary made histor for women,
      but...

      Sanders Beats Clinton 49-49; The Real Story Behind the Iowa Numbers: "Hillary Clinton's razor thin margin was actually a defeat of a well-financed, highly organized, experienced Clinton campaign and the HRC camp ought to be worried about it."

      Delete
    7. Anonymous12:30 PM

      I wonder who had the most votes??

      Did HRC even win the popular vote with the 6 coin flips and a 0.02% win.

      Somehow I doubt she did and I have read it went both ways.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous8:27 AM

    Former American president Jimmy Carter has warned that US politics has been corrupted by billions of dollars of campaign financing following a supreme court ruling that he said legalised “bribery”.

    He described the landmark 2010 Citizens United court decision, which equated campaign spending with free speech, as an “erroneous ruling”.

    Speaking after the Iowa caucuses, in which Republican candidates spent $43m on TV advertising and Democratic candidates spent $16.8m, Carter said the domination of money in politics represented the biggest change since he was elected president in 1976.

    http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/03/carter-says-campaign-finance-2010-citizens-united-ruling-legalised-bribery

    and which Democratic candidate not only supports Wall Streets money in politics, but is wallowing in their money, HRC!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous9:56 AM

    Mr Sanders has plans to end the revolving door between the military and their contractors, to eliminate waste like this!
    ------------------------------------------

    If not scrapped, the jet is expected to cost us $1.45 trillion.

    The argument then becomes "what do we do with that money instead?"

    If the F-35 is scrapped and we return our tax money to a functioning purpose, we can spend $62 billion a year and provide free college education across the country for the next 23 years.

    https://www.minds.com/blog/view/513476480706031616

    ReplyDelete
  29. The media picked a winner but not one Iowa delegate has been selected yet. Next are the county conventions where they elect the delegates to the CD and State conventions where actual delegates are elected.

    In this kind of delegate selection process, Clinton could have beaten Sanders by a large margin but still only end up with half the delegates.

    I went home to Iowa to work for Bernie and in college towns the excess votes were dramatic. Bernie absolutely won the popular vote, but the DNC has mandated that the IDP not share that data (and the total votes --without any splits-- have already been published in the DM Register so it's not secret stuff).

    Media coverage was terrible. I understand why most Americans resent Iowa's caucuses. None of you have a clue what they're really about (think voter lists are nice to have? Try working a list of people who actually felt strongly enough to go out at night in February to too small a room filled with too many people for too long a time!).

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous3:12 PM

    Thank you for your quite informative post!

    "but the DNC has mandated that the IDP not share that data"

    Debs W Schultz is impartial and honest.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous3:35 PM

    Het Gryphon HRC and Sanders Townhall Tonite!

    http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/03/politics/new-hampshire-democratic-town-hall-what-to-watch/

    ReplyDelete

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