Jordan House

Scott Walker no doubt wanted to continue his quest to become President. But with his poll numbers at almost zero, he just couldn’t raise any money. Big contributors give to those they think can be winners.

In bowing out, Walker urged the other GOP candidates to consider dropping out so the party could rally around someone who could beat the bellicose billionaire blowhard currently leading the pack.

Walker didn’t say who should stay and who should go, however.

Those few who actually have loyal supporters might be able to sway them to support someone else — assuming they can set aside their ambitions and drop out.

But Marco Rubio, for one, isn’t looking to drop out any time soon. Hoping to capitalize on Walker’s departure, Rubio has begun touting his campaign’s thriftiness.

Will Scott Walker’s drop-out strategy work?

John Kasich got mixed reviews in the most recent GOP Presidential debate, but at one point he hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Kasich watched his fellow GOP hopefuls trading zingers, making thinly-veiled personal attacks, and acting like junior high students with the teacher out of the room.

Apparently fed up with the childishness on the stage, Kasich said, “If I were sitting at home watching this back-and-forth, I’d be inclined to turn it off.”

He urged the moderator and his fellow candidates to focus on the issues.

Good idea. America deserves better than what the GOP is offering right now.

Will the GOP hopefuls rise above their schoolyard taunting and actually put forward potential policies so we can see where they stand on issues of concern to most working Americans? (Hint: not what they talked about during the “debate.”)

When Nikki Haley first was elected Governor of South Carolina, she got lots of attention as a potential GOP VP candidate. She was someone in short supply among Republicans — an elected official who was a woman and a minority.

She quickly made friends in GOP circles, particularly among fellow Governors.

Unfortunately for her, she fell as quickly as she had risen. She couldn’t get along with the GOP-controlled state legislature and her first term showed few accomplishments. And voters heard lingering discussion of political and personal controversies. Talk of her as a potential VP died down.

She now is back in the spotlight after helping lead the local effort to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.

This week she made the rounds in Washington and gave a speech at the National Press Club, reminding folks of her flag effort and enhancing her status as a potential GOP VP. She even admitted she “will sit down and talk” if offered a spot on the ticket.

Not everyone in South Carolina approves of her performance as Governor. Visit our underfunded schools or drive over our crumbling bridges and roads to see why.

But Nikki Haley is back. And again is letting folks know she is interested in the GOP VP spot.

As the Presidential hopefuls travel around South Carolina ahead of the February 20, 2016 Primary, she will have plenty of candidates to talk to.

After that certain billionaire blowhard’s racist remarks actually made him more popular with GOP voters, the other GOP hopefuls have been doubling down, pandering to the segment of the GOP base that wants to rid America of immigrants.

Several candidates are jumping on the build-a-wall bandwagon. Scott Walker even wants to build a wall on our border with Canada. And Chris Christie wants to track immigrants like FedEx tracks packages.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. Except for Native Americans, everyone here either came from somewhere else or descended from someone who did.

Do these candidates really think their immigrant-bashing will help elect a Republican President?

I retired early from a good career generating publicity for people, companies, services and ideas. I understand the value of publicity — especially free publicity.

And I know that some people really crave publicity. But I now pick and choose who I help publicize.

A while back I stopped writing about a particular woman who quit just two years into her term as Governor and went on to be a GOP VP nominee and then to making lots of money as a paid speaker, Fox News commentator and reality TV star. (Fox recently dropped her, saying she is “irrelevant.”)

She craved publicity. I decided in my own small way not to give her what she wanted.

Did it hurt her? Of course not. But it made me feel better.

And now I have decided to stop writing and Tweeting about a certain bombastic billionaire blowhard who is running for President.

I lived in New York City for 25 years. I have seen enough of him.

He craves publicity. I decided in my own small way not to give him what he wants.

Will it hurt him? Of course not. But it will make me feel better.

So far, nothing Donald Trump has said — no matter how outrageous — has hurt him.  His fans haven’t seemed to mind his racist remarks about Mexicans, his insult to former POW John McCain, his bullying of anyone who dares cross him or his frequent fact-free rants.

But his nastiness toward Fox reporter Megyn Kelly — including personal insults and vile comments via Twitter and TV shows — may be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

GOP leaders have been wringing their hands for weeks, scared Trump just might get their nomination and have no hope of winning Hispanic or women’s votes.

And the Presidential primary candidates seem afraid to take him on directly, no doubt fearing the personal retaliation he has demonstrated regularly.

But Trump’s attack on Megyn Kelly has given the GOP some backbone.  Some GOP leaders and strategists are becoming a bit more vocal.

An MSNBC pundit (I wish I could remember who) today pointed out that Trump’s supporters like him, but not the others in the field, whom Trump trashes regularly. The pundit noted that as the primaries go on, supporters of those who drop out won’t necessarily go to Trump, but more likely will gravitate to one of the “regular” candidates. Trump likely will stay in the low 20% and below range. This would seem to help Jeb Bush the most, in my view. Given this, and the huge sums of money Bush is raising, Bush may well end up as the GOP nominee.

Are we seeing the beginning of the end for Trump?  Maybe. The public has grown used to his outrageous antics, but Trump’s personal attack on a female reporter may have been too much, even for Trump.

Stay tuned.

Did last night’s GOP debate in New Hampshire change any voters’ minds?

Did it allow any candidate to shine?

Or will it be remembered as just a cattle call, as one news report noted?

Some folks in South Carolina were no doubt amused by Lindsey Graham’s stumbling, but no one takes him seriously.

Thursday night’s debate — which will feature Donald Trump — should be more fun to watch.