CNN – New Day:

In 2014 when we first wrote about the GOPe road map, the prediction of 15 republican candidates and the “splitter strategy”, many political followers said we were engaged in speculative nuttery.
In 2015 when we first wrote about the roles of each of the “splitter strategy” participants, many more political followers said we were engaged in conspiracy theory.
In hindsight, both of those previous sets of predictions were entirely accurate.
However, in December ’15, and January ’16 we predicted something else, something even more radical.  We predicted record-breaking voter turnout in the primary and general election of 2016.
In November 2015 a blogger named Citizen Dale coined the phrase “The Monster Vote“.  We agreed with the underlying premise, and we predicted specific statistics that, if achieved, would prove if the Monster Vote was real.
However, because there are so many naysayers, we asked for independent review of our predictions and analysis.  Many of you will remember – Nick H, a statistician by trade, took on the challenge and expanded on our theory.   In February, we developed a few simple predictions for the primary and general election.
We can now look at the 2016 voter results and compare them to our tripwire predictions. (more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “2016 Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Presidential Race and/or any of the candidates therein.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

West Virginia is one of two states voting on Tuesday (the other Nebraska).  The Donald Trump campaign has put together a voter information card to assist West Virginia voters:

For additional information including polling locations – SEE HERE

Donald Trump’s convention and delegate manager Paul Manafort appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss the state of the race and the current position of the Donald Trump campaign:

Anyone else noticing how the political media and #NeverTrump camps are shifting the “conservative” litmus goalposts to circle the wagons around Paul Omnibus Ryan?
The larger Vichy Republican Tribe is being resoundingly defeated by the Monster Vote, the broad-based Trump Coalition.  There’s a particular humor in noting there’s more of us holding the whack-a-mole hammers than the popping up heads of the failing punditry.

The same thing happened in 2009/2010 when the Tea Party coalesced fiscal conservatives.  If you can generate a large enough movement, in this case the Trump Coalition, each person carrying a thimble full of water can fill a swimming pool containing all the politicos just by the sheer numbers within the assembly.
When a magnitude of the electorate begin focusing on a single objective, the DC snorkels begin taking on water, they can’t breathe, they need: A) the water to stop; and, B.) Snorkel extensions.
Team Trump is currently thumping the professional political class. They are simply being defeated. Historically, whenever this happens the GOPe begin looking for something ideological and political they can frame as a win to preserve the morale of the usurping agents.
By all accounts it appears they’re looking at “Saving Paul Ryan” to be that “shiny thing”.
Here’s Palin: (more…)

Approximately three weeks before the arrest of Freddie Gray the state attorney,Marilyn Mosby, asked police to target an intersection in Baltimore (around the Gilmore Homes housing area) for  “enhanced” drug enforcement efforts. 

Officer Edward Nero and Officer Garrett E. Miller were conducting a bicycle patrol around Gilmore Homes when they made eye contact with Freddie Gray, who took off running. The officers pursued Gray and caught him.  Gray was restrained and handcuffed, and they found a “spring assisted” knife on his belt.  An arrest van was called to the scene, Gray was put in the van for transport to Central Booking.
According to a medical autopsy, Freddie Gray suffered an apparent severe spinal injury (self-inflicted) in the van and died after being transported to the hospital. 
(more…)

ABC News With George Stephanopoulos (Recorded on Friday – broadcast today, allowing ABC to construct the Clinton Foundation editing):

Happy Mother’s Day to all our lady readers. We express our hope that this day of reflection on the gifts our mothers bring to the world in general, and to us in particular, is one filled with the joy of family and memories of the wonderful women in your life.
Motherhood doesn’t get as many good reviews as it used to. Our world is in a rush, and the hot ideas today are to make our lives all about us, to glory in being as selfish and self centered as possible. For those who choose to be parents nowadays, the world has shifted to encourage self indulgent children, bought off by distant and carefree moms who offer largesse instead of love.
Today is a day when almost everyone gets nostalgic about moms though. We remember her sacrifices, her strength, her absolute rock solid steadiness when the trials and fears of childhood sent us into her arms. We remember her instantly at our bedside when we were ill in the middle of the night, we remember her cheering for us at the ball field and applauding with joy at the ballet recitals, we remember her special cookies and her radiant smiles. We now, years later, recognize that her version of motherhood was built around sacrifice, and that she made that work in a joyful and steadfast good for her family and herself. We remember her hours in prayer, and now wonder how countless many she sent winging to heaven on our behalf, and again, years later, recognize the blessings her faith and prayers brought us, in answer, and in example.
Today we celebrate feminism in all it’s infinite gift and glory. Thanks, Mother, for choosing life, for choosing us. Today, we return a tiny portion of the grateful prayers for you.