primary contest

Americans have become accustomed to watching presidential debates, or at least seeing excerpts of them or reports on them, as part of the process of deciding who to vote for. These debates have become a routine, expected part of the election process. But, there is no requirement for successful candidates to participate in debates. This year looks like it could be the first time in a long time in which an American president is elected who has participated in zero debates, either in the primary contest or the general election.

Following Roy Moore's decisive win in Alabama earlier this week (something we covered here), Steve Bannon has predictably seized on the momentum vowing that it is only the beginning of his "war" against the Republican establishment.  Per McClatchy:

“There’s a time and season for everything under heaven. And sometimes there’s a time for peace. And sometimes there’s a time for war,” he told a raucous, religious revival-style crowd packed into a barn.

 

“Yeah!” a woman yelled back.

 

"It's been unusual," is the subtle jab that former Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore took at the angst between Hillary and Bernie. As CNN reports, the inconvenient truth-seeker declined to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, decrying the tone of the 2016 campaign but alluding only to "signals" that he's received soliciting his support.

It was a primary "Super Saturday" of surprises for the presidential candidates after Bernie Sanders took two of three contested states in the Democratic race, winning the caucuses of Nebraska and Kansas leaving Hillary the only Democratic primary of the night in Louisiana, while in the Republican race Ted Cruz unexpectedly tied with Donald Trump, winning the smaller half of the night's four nominating contests, in Kansas - where Trump had been leading in the polls - and Maine, while the Donald won the bigger states of Louisiana and Kentucky, holding onto his lead in the presidential race ev