Skip to main content

For the Record: Scoreboard-watching and more debates

Brett McGinness   | Paste BN

More voting and more debating over the weekend, and the so-called "biggest surprise" was Ted Cruz winning the Maine caucuses. From here on out, we're just going to pretend that there's a bunch of intrigue and backstabbing happening behind the scenes, "House of Cards"-style. (Except for the part where journalists get murdered, which we're indifferent about.) Monday's here, with more debating and more voting on the horizon ... let's check out the scoreboard.

Scoreboard watching

Super Saturday, the NIT to Super Tuesday's NCAA Tournament, was held this weekend, with Ted Cruz taking GOP contests in Kansas and Maine and Donald Trump winning in Kentucky and Louisiana. Marco Rubio claimed a win on Sunday in Puerto Rico, which should mean he'll push for Puerto Rico's statehood to be granted by the end of the week. Bernie Sanders notched wins in Kansas, Maine and Nebraska while Hillary Clinton took Louisiana, but when the dust settled, Bernie barely edged Hillary on the delegate totals, 64 to 62. More votes are coming up this week, despite the lack of clever nicknames for either Tuesday or Saturday.

Republicans (178 delegates at stake)

Tuesday: Hawaii caucus; Idaho, Michigan and Mississippi primaries

Saturday: Washington, D.C. and Guam caucuses

Democrats (172 delegates at stake)

Tuesday: Michigan and Mississippi primaries

Saturday: Northern Mariana Islands caucus

We watched it so you could watch 'Downton Abbey' or soccer or whatever

Last night's Democratic debate (the seventh of 10) was in Flint, Michigan, currently in the Western Hemisphere semifinals for world's worst public water disaster. If you love verbal jabs, here are the sassiest debate moments. If you're here for the (mostly Flint-related) fact checking, here you go. Aside from that, here's where the two Democratic candidates, agreed, disagreed and agreed-but-Bernie-thought-that-way-first.

The agreements:

  • Flint water crisis: They both said it's a travesty, and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder needs to resign because of it. And it's not just about politics, they really really do care about the crisis, you guys.
  • Incarceration: Hillary had to disavow the results of Bill Clinton's crime legislation that led to a huge increase in incarceration in the U.S., particularly for black males. Bernie, who also voted in favor of the legislation, said there were some good provisions in it, but his administration would decrease the number of people in jail.
  • Education: Both say more federal aid is necessary to help K-12 education (and then Sanders tacked on a mention of his free college plan).
  • Republican candidates: All of them are worse than either of the Democratic candidates.
  • Racism: It's terrible.

The legitimate disagreements:

  • The financial bailout: Clinton said it saved the American auto industry; Sanders called it a bailout of Wall Street that ruined the economy.
  • Speeches to Wall Street: Sanders said Clinton needs to release the transcripts of her paid speeches to Wall Street banks; Clinton said she'll release the transcripts "as long as everybody else does, too." (Likelihood of those vague parameters being met: zero.) Bernie's response: "I'm your Democratic opponent. I release it! (accompanied by his signature hand gestures). Here it is! There ain't nothin'!"
  • The Export-Import Bank: It's either an institution that levels the playing field for American exports or a slush fund for major corporations ... Hillary backs it, Bernie hates it.
  • Lawsuits against gun makers: Clinton says victims and families of gun violence should be able to sue manufacturers, Sanders says removing immunity would shut down gun manufacturing in the U.S.
  • Fracking: Hillary says it's fine wherever local populations are good with it. Bernie hates it altogether.

The "we may agree now, but I was the first one to think this" issues:

  • Trade agreements: They're generally terrible, and they're helping companies move jobs overseas. But Bernie insists he was the first to think this.
  • 1990s welfare reform: Hillary says it sounded good in theory, but it's terrible the way it was applied; and besides, the Republicans took out all the good provisions in it.

Missed out on all the fun? The next Democratic debate is Wednesday night.

Brokeredback convention

Dreams of a brokered convention — why can't we quit you? Thanks to Ted Cruz's victories in Kansas and Maine, coupled with close second-place finishes in Louisiana and Kentucky, the odds of a brokered convention increased slightly over the weekend. Cruz picked up 69 delegates while Trump finished with 53; Cruz now trails Trump 384 to 300 in the overall delegate count. Mitt Romney is rooting for the most popular non-Trump candidate to claim the remaining states with huge delegate counts to deny Trump the magic number of 1,237 candidates needed to claim the nomination outright. Kasich is up for the idea, seeing as how that's the best chance he has to move from a distant fourth to the nomination.

One thing's for certain: If Donald Trump walks away from a brokered convention without the nomination, that pledge he signed last year is sure to be used as a prop to be torn in half during a late-July rally. Both sides knew this, right? Might as well have said, "Donald, to symbolize your pledge to support the Republican nominee, the RNC is presenting you with this priceless, fragile Ming vase. Take super-good care of it, OK?"

More from the campaign trail

Everyone wants to be Trump's VP

Speaking of political props, SNL brings back Chris Christie as The Donald's "sad, desperate little potato" while Hillary brings "ten black people and one Muslim person" to serve as her victory speech backdrop.

Facebook Twitter Email