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By Britt Nelson
Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff.
Attacks against billionaire Donald Trump mounted during Thursday night’s Republican presidential debate as fellow candidates Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio attempted to derail Trump’s momentum while trying to raise their own standing amongst voters.
At times during the debate sponsored by the Fox News Channel in Detroit — Trump, Cruz and Rubio interrupted each other and talked over each other again and again, thus making it impossible to hear their answers or comments to each other. They drowned each other out looking more like arguing school kids, than presidential candidates vying for the Republican Party’s nomination for president.
Remaining out of the fray, for the most part, was Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who may have scored points with voters due to his cool demeanor and his refusal to participate with tearing Trump apart. Kasich has said — if he loses his home state in the upcoming primary March 15 in Ohio — he will drop out of the race.
Dr. Ben Carson did not attend the debate because he bowed out of the race right after the March 1 Super Tuesday Primary.
Meanwhile, earlier Thursday, 2012 presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney – representing establishment Republicans – delivered a scathing speech about Trump and why he isn’t fit to be president of the United States. However, news agencies across the board were quick to jump on Trump’s endorsement of Romney four years ago in which Romney poured praise on Trump like hot chocolate on a banana split. The contrast between the two events was stunning and may show why voters are turning to Trump over career politicians like Romney that say one thing one year and then later say something so completely different.
The continuous attacks on Trump will continue as the March 15 primary date draws near for such delegate rich states as Ohio, Florida and Illinois, where the winner is awarded all of that state’s delegates.
Polls show Trump is ahead in a majority of the March 5th, 6th, 8th & 15th primaries. So far Trump has won 10 out of 15 Republican primaries and caucuses, and he leads in the delegate count among all the Republican candidates for president.
On March 5th, 6th and 8th Republican and Democratic primaries and caucuses will be held in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Guam, Northern Marianas and the District of Columbia. While on March 15 winner-take-all primaries will be held in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.
Establishment Republicans are running scared because anti-establishment candidate Trump is winning the delegate count needed to grasp the nomination in Cleveland, Ohio — during the Republican National Convention set for July 18-21.
In an amazing and rare show of support, on Super Tuesday in Alabama, Trump carried all 67 counties in that state. Statewide election officials in Alabama could not readily answer if that had ever happened before.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton remains under a FBI investigation into her use of a private email server at her New York home that apparently exposed top secret, classified national security information, according to news reports.
Bryan Pagliano, a former member of Clinton’s staff at the U.S. State Department, who set up the private and unsecured email server in 2009, has already been granted immunity in the case.
A former federal prosecutor said that Clinton might potentially be indicted, resulting in chaos within the Democratic Party’s National Convention set for July 25-28 in Philadelphia, PA.
“There is no way Secretary Clinton and her staff have not violated classified information laws — both misdemeanors and felonies,” according to former U.S. attorney for District of Columbia Joseph E. DiGenova.
DiGenova said he expects an FBI recommendation for an indictment before the end of May 2016.
“It could and should come down by then,” he said on national news last week. “The people deserve to know if the person who may be president of the United States has violated federal law.”
A recommendation for an indictment by the FBI would be the end of the Clinton campaign for president, while an actual indictment issued by the U.S. Department of Justice would put Clinton and possible staff members on trial before the American people.
Political season 2016 is far from over. Anything can and will happen. It’s a shame that during this time Americans become Republicans, Democrats and Independents. All this effort and millions spent aimed at enhancing political positions rather than strengthening the USA.
About the Author
Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.
Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.
