RoverAndOut

Wonder if they'll mention the following: 1. Her rep as the blowjob queen of Hollywood. 2. How much money the US taxpayer paid in taxes for her to maintain her lifestyle choices. 3. Her record on HIV/AIDS and minority rights. None of the above, I'm sure. What amused me on the BBC Obit was how she 'gained a new purpose' after her husband's death 'promoting the use of stem cell research in the bid to find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's.' Amazing how many of these conservatives are utterly opposed to these things their entire lives, but when it can directly help their own then suddenly they become converts...

Bruce Forsyth and Nicholas Parsons come to mind...

Kasich wins Michigan (rumours are he's closing in)....he sets up nicely as a VP candidate for one of these bozos cuz he can deliver Michigan and Ohio, not exactly Republican strongholds. SC Kasich would make a great VP choice. Only problem is...is he really prepared to be VP to Trump or Cruz? I mean, you know, he seems...like...sane...?

In other news, everyone can calm down with the thoughts of a 3-way match-up in November, as Michael Bloomberg has announced he will not run for President.

Just to update on the latest round of voting over the weekend: The Democrats had 4 contests. In Kansas, Bernie beat Hillary 68-32, in Nebraska, Bernie beat Hillary 57-43, in Maine, Bernie beat Hillary 64-36. That might look like a resurgence for Sanders, but those were all caucuses (which he generally does better at anyway) and also, in Louisiana, Hillary beat Bernie 71-23, once again emphasising her popularity among blacks and minorities. Overall, in the 4 contests, Bernie earned 53 delegates and Hillary 41, as all states are proportional, so Clinton's lead remains about the same. On Tuesday they face off in Michigan and Mississippi. Based on the rest of the South, Hillary should win Mississippi, and is leading in Michigan, which is a big state. The Republicans had 5 contests. in Kentucky, Trump beat Cruz 36-32, in Louisiana, Trump beat Cruz 41-38, in Maine, Cruz beat Trump 46-33, in Kansas, Cruz beat Trump 48-23. Oh, and in Puerto Rico, Rubio beat Trump 74-13 (yes, those numbers are right). So story of the weekend? Trump and Cruz split the big prizes but Cruz was closer than he has been and the margins were closer. Rubio only managed 3rd in 3 of the states and finished 4th, behind Kasich in Maine. Both Cruz and Trump want the others to drop out and make it a 2-man race, both thinking it will benefit them. But the Republican establishment don't want either of them so no chance. Rubio will stay in until Florida and Kasich until Ohio, both on March 15th (and also both their home states). If either fails to win their home state, they are done. They may well still be done, but it's worth noting that Rubio is currently losing in his home state to Trump and faces a huge battle. As for their Tuesday night programme, there are 4 Republican primaries scheduled: in Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan and Mississippi. As with the Democrats, Michigan is the big prize, which Trump is currently expected to win. Cruz will be hoping his recent improvements will win him Mississippi, which has thus far been a solidly Trump area of the country. Idaho and Hawaii are relatively small states and who knows who'll get them, but they are unlikely to change the overall story of the night.

Jimmy Carter currently 'no longer needs to receive treatment for cancer'.

Kasich is undoubtedly the most moderate conservative and the only one who could work with Democrats to get something done. As a result, while he could get elected in November, he won't be the nominee because the Republican grassroots don't want someone who'll deal with the other side. Trump's calm 'statesman' persona didn't last long. He soon got flustered in the debate. Megyn Kelly's dissection of Trump University was almost too delicious to watch.

There no question that he's a shadow of his former self, but I think we're just shocked by the transformation. He's still very active on Hillary's campaign, in fact he got into a proper row with a guy at one of her events over Benghazi. Still seemed to have some fire in his belly. I'd not expect him to go before Bush Snr and Carter. Think there's a decent chance he'd see out Hillary's 2 terms should she get them too. Not buying all this 'he's doomed'.

Damn, thought he was a sure hit on Magere's multi-lingual deadpool. All those cricketing nations, with their variety of languages and dialects (India, SA...) I felt double figures were easily achievable. Can't say I know him very well, he's not one of the 'older' cricketers I've heard/read much about. Clearly very respected though, and he's done quite well for a man with a terminal disease. RIP.

Well the theory on the Republican side is that if everyone else gets out, one of the non-Trumps might beat him, but I think that's wishful thinking. Cruz is best placed but has screwed up his best chance, which was the evangelical South (most of which went to Trump on Super Tuesday). Rubio is banking on doing well in big states like Illinois but if he loses to Trump in his home state of Florida in 2 weeks (he's currently down 44%-28% in one poll I read) then it will be almost impossible for him to continue. Kasich is banking on big wins in Ohio and Michigan, which vote in the next couple of weeks (he's Governor of Ohio) but if they don't materialise then he's done. The only one who can realistically win outright now is Trump, the others main aim is to just stop him reaching the required number of delegates and take it to a brokered convention. Think that's probably pie in the sky though. Nobody knows what's happening with Carson. His top aides say he has no path open to the nomination. The latest hilarious development is that the Republican Establishment are going to offer him the Republican nomination for the vacant Senate seat in Florida in November to encourage him to stop out of the race...

Shows what I know. Alaska called for Cruz. 3 states for him, 7 for the Donald and 1 for Rubio.

So...Super Tuesday is all but done. 11 Democratic Primaries/Caucuses, 11 Republican Primaries/Caucuses. It's all shaping up like this: Democrats Hillary - 7 states - Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia (plus American Samoa) Bernie - 4 states - Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Vermont (his home state) Republicans Trump - 8 states - Alabama, Alaska (not quite confirmed but fairly certain), Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia Cruz - 2 states - Oklahoma and Texas (his home state) Rubio - 1 state - Minnesota Kasich - 0 states - Very close 2nd to Trump in Vermont Carson - 0 states - 5th in every contest Basically, as expected, Trump and Clinton tighten their grips. Cruz made a speech advocating everyone to leave the race and let him duke it out with Trump, Rubio says he has no intention of doing that, still thinks he can win, etc. Kasich is holding out for Ohio in 2 weeks time. Carson has released a statement saying he's staying in too (course he has).

Was going to post the exact same thing. Here's the photographic proof. Don't think he's got long left... http://s9.postimg.org/3r3h6ft0f/Cc_Gq_Vnt_VIAAoj7s.jpg He was thinking "With Jeb out of the race which one of these guys do I want presiding over my state funeral?" Actually it is still quite likely that Obama will preside over his state funeral! Jimmy Carter recently liked cancer for now and is still teaching Sunday school and looking good for his age, he still has a decent shot of living another two years and beating Gerald Ford's record to become the longest lived US President in history. George HW Bush on the other hand at that GOP debate looked like something out of Weekend At Bernie's! Surely there's some kind of poetic irony in Hillary physically burying him 25 years after her husband buried him politically? I concur with you in the Jimmy v George HW debate. Jimmy's going nowhere soon, if suggestions of the cancer remission are solid.

Huge win for Hillary in South Carolina. Maybe as much as 3-1 in her favour over Bernie. Sets her up for big wins on Super Tuesday (which is in 3 days time). Looking more and more like these terribly complicated primaries might end up in two very straightforward outcomes on both sides.

She can say what she wants, it ain't going to happen. The third party with the Taoiseach? With what mandate? Interesting set of results, although it seems ridiculously complicated to calculate who's won. Looks likely to be a messy aftermath. Fine Gael still the largest party but Labour far too weak for coalition. Fianna Fail say no deal with Sinn Fein, but even if they did it wouldn't be enough. There's been talk of a 'grand coalition' between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail but neither seems keen on that. Another election looks likely in the near future, best estimates I can see say no longer than 2 years could a new government last (whatever its make-up is). Ireland joins Spain in the 'messy general election aftermath' stakes...

Nah, he's after the VP slot. A shrewd move, as Trump will be assassinated and the fat man takes power. An obese US President would be extremely apt... Might finally give William Howard Taft a run for his money: "Taft is remembered as the heaviest president; he was 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and his weight peaked at 335–340 pounds (152–154 kg) toward the end of his presidency, though he reduced this after his presidency, and weighed by 1929 just 244 pounds (111 kg)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft Christie weighed in at around 400 pounds before 'lap band surgery' to reduce his stomach.Can't find a definitive current weight. Hell of a pic from the 'before' though. You think he's big now... http://s12.postimg.org/5a11pa4y5/chris_christie_december_7_1.jpg

Exit polls suggest ruling coalition will be unlikely to be able to continue with a majority. Deal-making ahead! http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2016-irish-times-exit-poll-shows-coalition-well-short-of-overall-majority-1.2550489#.VtDYmWq7Adk.facebook

Great to see a future American President carrying on that great tradition of taking a keen interest in Irish politics... http://s14.postimg.org/akrk9hl4h/Cc_Jr_WEHXIAACVom.jpg

Nah, he's after the VP slot. Not sure I'd want to be too closely associated with Trump, especially if he loses. Think it's mostly that he really hates Rubio and Rubio had a good night last night. Not sure what Christie adds to a ticket: he's from the state next door and if you believe in Trump: the big cheese in business then you're not looking for any extra executive experience that Christie brings as a governor. He's not even the most conservative of Republicans, which would be another plus from Trump's point-of-view. Whatever his motives, it scuppers any hopes Cruz and Rubio had of slowing the Trump juggernaut. Name one way in which he will be better. He isn't part of the political establishment of Washington, that alone makes him a better choice. Anyone who is likely to shake up the current status quo of american politics has to be a good thing. I hope the same thing happens in the UK and we get away from the first past the post, two party stitch up we currently endure. Like the pronouncements of Trump, you haven't actually said anything. What will he do that is better than what has gone before? As an example, Obamacare. Obamacare is a fucking joke, that useless pile of shite is worth fuck all. Obama has been the worst President in decades. If Trump keeps out the illegals then he's doing great. We need to do the same in the UK, leave the EU and eject all those eastern european opportunists out of our country. Control our borders and keep out any more Africans/Halibuts. The UK is full, fuck off foreigners. I thought the 'status quo' in American politics was gridlock where the moderate Republican establishment are beholden to the extreme Tea Party wing of their party. Not sure how Donald Trump helps with that in the slightest. I'm particularly looking forward to his mythical plan to get Mexico to pay for his wall. It's impressive how much he has to say and yet how little he actually says. On Obamacare: "We're gonna have many different plans...no there's no more to add on that." On the illegals (you know, the ones who already live in the US, not the ones on the other side of the wall trying to get in): "You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely." On ISIS: "I would bomb the sh*t out of them." On whether he could be trusted to appoint a conservative Supreme Court justice: "Yes I would, and I've been there very strongly." On his refusal to release his tax returns: "You don't learn anything from a tax return, you learn it from statements I filed, which show I'm worth over $10bn. I built a great company, with very little debt. People were very shocked...As far as my return - I wanna file it - except, for many years, I've been audited - every year. 12 years - or something like that - every year, they audit me. Audit me. Audit me. Nobody gets audited - I have friends who are very wealthy people, they never get audited, I get audited every year - I will absolutely give my return but I'm being audited right now, for two or three years so I can't do it until the audit is finished, obviously. And I'm sure the people would understand that." How any of those statements tell us anything about what he would do as President, I'm unclear. I'm looking forward to the post-Trump era, when President Lisa Simpson takes office. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h45bAiu_tzg I'd love to discuss the fullness of Britain, but unfortunately, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to type due to the increasingly large number of Eastern Europeans pressing against me.

Chris Christie endorses Donald Trump. A sentence I never thought I'd write. Is this the first sign of the Republican Establishment coalescing behind the Donald? http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/26/politics/chris-christie-endorses-donald-trump/index.html

I personally have no issue with Sophia Loren having her own thread, though I am far too young to remember her as a sex symbol. Just to play devil's advocate, if we're talking about ageing sex symbols deserving of their own thread, what about Gina Lollobrigida? She's got nearly 10 years on Sophia but is still going strong...

I was wondering where we were standing on this as it hadn't been mentioned for a couple of weeks. I like the new multiplier logarithm. Think it rewards those who can find obscure obits but doesn't unfairly penalise those who can't be bothered scouring the web for them. Good compromise. Not sure picking this for my first general deadpool is a great idea though. The fine arts of picking winners who score lots of obits might not be my forte.

We're not there yet, I mean primaries aren't the presidential elections, but should Mr. T. be elected, we (i.e. Western Europe) should reconsider the alliance. Fair enough, I agree the primaries aren't the presidential, but 2 months ago, no one thought he'd be the nominee. The point I was making is that he will be the nominee. I can't see who's going to beat him or how they'll do so. That then means he's in a 50:50 toss-up, probably with Hillary, for the presidential election. I'm not saying she can't win, and think she has a good chance, but 50:50 are odds I'm not that comfortable with...

Are you having an election then? Are you old enough to vote? My comment may have been meant in jest but it was not until today that I saw any reference in the UK social media about the Irish Election which is disgraceful. If the vote was in France then half of the BBC news team would have been dispatched. A distinct lack of respect here for our closest European neighbors. I agree. Read an article in one of the nationals today talking about Sinn Fein's diminishing chances (down from 20-odd% to 15% in the past 2 weeks) and noted that it's hurting their chances of being in government on both sides of the border. I'd forgotten there are, of course, Northern Ireland Assembly elections in the next 4 months too. If Sinn Fein were to end up in government on both sides of the border then the case for a united Ireland becomes somewhat stronger. Not that I'm suggesting even for a moment that this is a viable possibility in the next 10 years or anything, but it does seem odd that we apparently have zero interest in the political machinations of a country which shares an island with part of our own nation. It's baffling.

Oh don't get me wrong, I agree with you about Barbara. She was quite active campaigning for Jeb(!) in the last month or so, quite sprightly for a 90-year-old. But Bush Snr on the other hand looks far more likely to shuffle on in the near future. He was certainly nowhere near standing up to acknowledge the applause, stayed slumped in his seat and just waved a hand in the air.