Politics

The photo above is of a reader of this blog, “celebrating” Trump’s South Carolina victory (though I’m pretty sure he did so tongue-in-cheek, because he cannot get over how insane this campaign is). I can’t stop thinking about the semiotics of that image. That’s expensive French Champagne the dude is drinking. The reference on the t-shirt is to this Key & Peele skit. America!

So, what do you think? I think if I were a Republican Party official, I would have to be kept away from sharp objects, and have my belt and shoelaces confiscated for my own safety.

Trump won South Carolina, and was actually running a little bit ahead of his position in the polling average after almost all of votes had been tallied. With 94% of the vote counted, Trump almost had 33%. Cruz and Rubio were jostling for second place, but they are so close to each other that either of them can present the result as a tie. Being passed by Rubio isn’t good for Cruz, but Cruz can take some consolation from the fact that Rubio trails him in almost every contest over the next two weeks. Kasich and Bush did worse than I thought they would, and tied each other at around 8%.

Authored by Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, originally posted at The Week,

Venezuela's economy is collapsing. The country has topped Bloomberg's "Economic Misery Index," which takes into account several economic measures, for two years. Runaway inflation and high unemployment are plaguing the country.

The country's government is taking emergency measures, including increasing the price of gas (which is still among the cheapest in the world) and devaluing the currency to tackle runaway inflation.

With yet another resounding defat under his belt, Jeb Bush has announced his decision to "suspend" his campaign for the Republican Presidentoal nomination.

• *JEB BUSH DROPS OUT OF U.S. PRESIDENTIAL RACE

As The New York Times reports,

Jeb Bush suspended his presidential campaign on Saturday, ending a quest for the White House that started with a war chest of $100 million, a famous name and a promise of political civility, but ended with a humbling recognition: in 2016, none of it mattered.

 

For those who still believe that only the GOP establishment has lost its nerve with its fringe frontrunner of a candidate, here is proof that when it comes to Bernie Sanders' surprisingly strong performance to date, the Democrat party is just as unhinged that Hillary Clinton's primary campaign, which was supposed to be smooth sailing, has been anything but.