Gravis Marketing did a poll for OANN News (link) showing Donald Trump with considerable lead (34%) again in Iowa.   The Gravis Poll was taken Jan 11th and 12th, two days later than the last two poll results, Quinnipiac and PPP:

Today candidate Donald J. Trump will hold a rally in Pensacola, FL at the Pensacola Bay Center (formerly Pensacola Civic Center).  The event begins at 7:00PM CST / 8:00pm EST

Live Stream Link #1 – Live Stream Link #2 – Live Stream Link #3

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A Tale of Two Shiftys’

There is a bigger controversy about to break wide-open that’s potentially far more significant than Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell approving Nikki Haley’s non-subtle attack on GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.  That bigger controversy is the Spanish version of the GOP State of the Union rebuttal containing an “amnesty pledge“.

As this is written, Governor Nikki Haley is trying to get out ahead of the building expose’.  Haley just gave a DC press conference claiming she does not support “amnesty”; however, against her earlier admission of Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell approving her script – the Spanish version must have held similar approvals.

Governor Haley gave the English version, Miami Representative and party-insider Mario Diaz-Barlat delivered it in Spanish.  Here’s a (paragraph by paragraph) comparison as translated by the Miami Herald (emphasis mine):

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Following the arrest and detention of ten U.S. military sailors in the Persian Gulf, Iran releases a propaganda video showing our soldiers humiliated and on their knees.  The video is being broadcast through out Iran and the larger Middle-East with the message of how the Iranian Revolutionary Guard made the U.S. military cower. 

Hillary Clinton and President Obama have both (falsely) stated that ISIS uses video of republican candidates to generate recruitment efforts for radical jihad.  What exactly do you think the Islamic recruitment value is for footage of U.S. military cowering?

(two videos follow BBC outline)  The US has apologised to Iran after 10 American sailors were arrested for entering Iranian waters, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards naval forces has said.

General Ali Fadavi accused those detained of “unprofessional” acts.  But he suggested the group, who are being held by the guards, could be released soon. (more…)

Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, and Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, personally selected South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to deliver the State of The Union rebuttal/attack on GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.   Ryan and McConnell also personally approved the script.

Donald Trump is the leading GOP presidential candidate, and has been in the lead for over six months; he is supported by the majority of the party base.   Ryan, McConnell and Haley are attacking their own electorate. Exceptionally typical of aloof Establishment Republicans. – The Stupid Party Gets Even Stupider –

#ColdAnger

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Note  – over the next several weeks, expect to see a Jeb Bush come-back to overtake Marco Rubio. Senator Rubio was never intended to be the torch-bearer for the GOPe nomination, he does not have political permission from the penthouse power brokers.

A new NYT/CBS Poll (full pdf below) shows candidate Donald Trump with a comfortable national lead over second place Ted Cruz. Third place Marco Rubio, while being supported by the new-money GOPe crowd (Hedge-Funders), does not have the fully vested approval of the Wall Street Oligarchs – watch his position carefully.

There are several indications that Ted Cruz has peaked, and there are certainly indications that Marco Rubio’s peak occurred about 3 weeks ago, between Christmas and New Year.  In the next three weeks we can expect to see some rather dramatic shifts; they will be most notable in the February States (Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina).

We are now entering the Thunderdome phase, and you can expect to see simultaneous trip-wire flares triggered at any moment.  All of the candidate Super-PAC banked money will now be deployed with exponential fury.  So too will the trickery and shenanigans. (more…)

A metaphor for allowing compassion (humanitarian crisis) to destroy:

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 †