Matthew Sheffield brings up a really good point, and asks a great question.
Through May 3rd, 2016:

• 2016: Donald Trump won 40.4% of vote, everyone else 59.6%
• 2012: Mitt Romney won 37.5%, everyone else 62.5%

More people voted against Mitt Romney in ’12, than have voted against Donald Trump in 2016 –Data Here– So why wasn’t there a #NeverRomney movement?

What this reality actually does is destroy the current narrative and prove the #NeverTrump people are nothing more than DC beltway party ideologues and those who make a living from: 1) propping up the UniParty directly, or 2) giving the appearance to stand in opposition to the UniParty.

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.

“Trump gives the people a seat at the negotiating table. It doesn’t mean we’ll always win everything we want, but we at least will have a seat”. ~Twitter Steph

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 †

Candidate Donald Trump is holding another rally tonight in Eugene Oregon at Lane Events Convention Center at the Fair. The event is to begin at 7:00pm PDT / 10:00pm EDT:
Live Stream Link – Alternate Live Stream #1 – Alternate Live Stream #2 (<- active first)

Just want to point out something simple, yet seemingly getting lost in the chatter.
It is not the “conservative base”, the grassroots or the average Joe or Jane from Main Street USA who are currently digging in their opposition to Donald Trump.  The base, the middle class, is entirely behind Trump.

The oppositional forces are the entrenched political class, the establishment, the elites and those who financially benefit from the DC status quo.  This group includes the professional punditry and chattering class who associate with the DC confabs.
Voices who assign divergent attributes are entirely gaslighting their audience.  Believe your own eyes and break the cycle of Battered Conservative Syndrome.
(more…)

Captain Obvious award.   Then again, there’s those pesky political “Principles“…
INDIANA – Less than a week after proclaiming to Indiana voters that he would vote for Ted Cruz in his state’s primary — a tepid endorsement that featured high praise for Donald Trump — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has made it official: He is all in for the presumptive Republican nominee.

“I’m fully supportive of our presumptive nominee, and I do think Donald Trump will do well in the State of Indiana,” Pence told reporters, according to Indianapolis’ Fox affiliate. “I’m going to campaign hard for the Republican nominee because Indiana needs a partner in the White House.”  (read more)

Yesterday House Speaker Paul Ryan threw elbows toward the successful insurgent candidacy of Donald Trump by openly stating his refusal to support the presumptive nominee.
From a review of Mr. Trump’s statements in the aftermath of the Ryan commentary it appears no-one, including those closest to Paul Ryan, were anticipating the remarks.  Ryan was essentially stating an opinion that Donald Trump needed to change his positions and come to heel around the perspectives, opinions and policies of Ryan himself.

Obviously the position of Ryan, vis-à-vis demanding Trump acquiesce and rebuke his own platform, is a ridiculous assertion.  However, given the legislative priorities expressed by Speaker Ryan, fundamentally Ryan didn’t have much choice.  Yet the position of Mr. Trump is the stronger hand.  Indeed Donald Trump has campaigned against the entire construct of Ryan’s agenda – and he won.
From the most accurate interpretation of the events that followed Ryan’s remarks, Mr. Trump reached out to RNC Chairman Reince Preibus to state his strong disappointment at being blindsided by Ryan’s statement.   Preibus and Ryan are life-long friends since childhood in Wisconsin.
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White House Version – President Obama has initiated an enhanced transition of power process through an executive order directed toward the assembly of a cross functional transition team from all cabinet members.

Regular Speak Version – In case Trump wins this thing we’d better have an efficient process in place for shredding the evidence, and keeping all executive leadership from prosecution. (more…)

Candidate Donald Trump is holding a rally today in Omaha Nebraska at Werner Enterprises Hanger. The event is to begin at 4:00pm CDT / 5:00pm EDT:
Live Stream Link – Alternate Live Stream #1 – Alternate Live Stream #2

Donald Trump called in to Fox and Friends this morning: