{"id":32175,"date":"2016-02-24T09:09:45","date_gmt":"2016-02-24T13:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=32175"},"modified":"2016-02-24T09:10:14","modified_gmt":"2016-02-24T13:10:14","slug":"trump-brings-down-the-house-vega","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=32175","title":{"rendered":"Trump Brings Down The House In Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nevada caucus: Donald Trump triumphs with 45 per cent of the vote – latest<\/h1>\n

Republican frontrunner extends lead in Nevada as Marco Rubio comes in second and Ted Cruz trails in third<\/h2>\n

By Rob Crilly, David Lawler and Nick Allen in Las Vegas
\nThe Telegragh<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Donald Trump ecstatic after stunning win in Nevada<\/h3>\n
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Good morning. Donald Trump has trounced his Republican rivals with a decisive victory in Nevada which has sent shockwaves across the Grand Old Party.<\/p>\n

The Republican frontrunner picked up 45 per cent of the vote, with senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas trailing some 20 points behind.<\/p>\n

“We will be celebrating for a long time tonight,” Trump told cheering supporters in a victory speech.<\/p>\n

\"DonaldDonald Trump celebrates victory with his sons Donald Trump Jr, left, and Eric Trump in Las Vegas, Nevada<\/span>\u00a0 Photo: Bloomberg<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The lopsided result underscored the enormous challenge Trump’s rivals face<\/a> as the candidates head into next week’s all important “Super Tuesday” contests involving 11 states.<\/p>\n

Turnout was high, exceeding all expectations, with some caucus sites running low on ballots.<\/p>\n

A triumphant Trump, who has alienated many Hispanic voters with his persistent anti-immigrant rhetoric, told supporters after his win that he was especially proud to have fared well with the Latino Republican voters in Nevada who overwhelmingly backed him.<\/p>\n

And he told of how a wealthy friend wanted to donate $10 million dollars to his campaign but Trump said no because he is financing it himself.<\/p>\n

\"DonaldDonald Trump and some of his supporters<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Every time I see him it’s hard for me to turn down money because that’s not what I’ve done my whole life,” Trump said.<\/p>\n

“I grab and grab and I get greedy. Now we’re going to get greedy for the United States and grab and grab and grab,” he added.<\/p>\n

The real estate mogul had been all but certain to triumph in Nevada, with the big question being whether Rubio – who is favoured by mainstream Republicans – could clinch second place.<\/p>\n

Not long after Trump’s win was certified in Nevada, Cruz’s campaign released a statement criticizing Rubio for not winning the state, but did not mention Trump at all.<\/p>\n

\"AA vote is cast for Marco Rubio<\/span>\u00a0 Photo: Bloomberg<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rubio, who has emerged as the Republican establishment’s favorite to derail Trump’s progress, can take some solace in finishing second. But that also has to be viewed as somewhat of a setback considering that he had frequently campaigned in Nevada, having lived there for years as a child. A Cuban-American, he had attempted to rally the support of the state’s large Latino population.<\/p>\n

Rubio had also benefitted from the departure Saturday of Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, from the race. That brought an influx of new funds, a bevy of endorsements, and a wealth of media attention. But none of it was enough to overtake Trump.<\/p>\n

As for Cruz, he is facing mounting questions about the viability of his campaign. After Cruz’s Iowa win, Trump has made serious inroads among his core base of conservative supporters, draining anti-government hardliners and evangelicals.<\/p>\n

\"TedTed Cruz is facing questions about the viability of his campaign<\/span>\u00a0 Photo: Bloomberg<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Cruz attempted to appeal to Nevada’s fierce libertarian wing, appealing directly to those who supported local rancher Cliven Bundy’s armed protest against the federal government in 2014 and a similar more recent one staged by Bundy’s sons at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon. But that, too, was not enough.<\/p>\n

The upcoming March 1 primary in his home state of Texas is looming as a make-or-break moment for him.<\/p>\n

Despite early reports on social media of procedural irregularities at many Nevada caucus sites, the Republican National Committee and the party’s state chapter said voting ran smoothly. Higher-than-normal turnout was reported, although historically, few of the state’s citizens participate in the Republican caucus.<\/p>\n

Nevada’s contest had been viewed as a test of whether Trump had organisational might to match his star power. Unlike primaries, caucuses are more dependent on the abilities of campaigns to motivate supporters to participate. Trump’s failure to do that in Iowa was viewed as contributing to his defeat there.<\/p>\n

He had no such problems in Nevada. And he is expected to win the bulk of Nevada’s 30 delegates. That would give him more than 80 before February ends, dwarfing the tallies of Cruz and Rubio.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Percentage of the voteNevada primary resultsUS Election 2016Series 1Donald TrumpMarco RubioTed CruzBen CarsonJohn Kasich01020304050<\/p>\n

Highcharts<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ted Cruz can’t wait to get home<\/h3>\n
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And you can’t blame him. But what about the fella in the shirt?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Another third place for Ted Cruz<\/h3>\n
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\"AA suporter of Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz at a caucus night gathering in Las Vegas, Nevada<\/span>\u00a0 Photo: Getty Images<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rather more somber mood among Ted Cruz supporters. We are waiting to hear from him. Rather lengthy introduction from Glenn Beck, the conservative TV talk show host, holding things up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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State of the count<\/h3>\n
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Still only 10% of votes counted, but what a stunning result this is looking to be:<\/p>\n

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  1. Donald Trump 45.03% <\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Marco Rubio 24.32%<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Ted Cruz 20.38%<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Ben Carson 5.93%<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. John Kasich 4.04% <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    ‘I love the poorly educated’<\/h3>\n
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    ‘This is serious rifle’<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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    This might not be a long race<\/h3>\n
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    \"DonaldDonald Trump supporters react as a television network projects Trump the winner during a Nevada caucus night watch party<\/span>\u00a0 Photo: Getty Images<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    “It\u2019s going to be an amazing two months,” continues Mr Trump. “We might not even need the two months, folks.”<\/p>\n

    Which is what many in the party fear. And then he had a dig at all the pundits who will begin wondering whether the rest of the establishment candidates can club together to stop him.<\/p>\n

    \"Quote\"<\/span> Tomorrow you\u2019re going to be hearing, if you could just take the other candidates and add them up… <\/i><\/p>\n

    They keep forgetting that when people drop out, we\u2019re going to get a lot of votes<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Beating the governor of Ohio<\/h3>\n
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    OK. I’m going to say it. Whatever you think of the guy, he has a great sense of humour. Listing all the next states that are coming up – Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Florida – he describes the great numbers he has in the polls before a gentle dig at John Kasich, governor of Ohio, where Mr Trump is well ahead.<\/p>\n

    \"Quote\"<\/span> It’s always nice to be beating the governor.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Donald Trump’s victory speech<\/h3>\n
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    Donald Trump is speaking now<\/p>\n

    \"Quote\"<\/span> We will be celebrating for a long time tonight… We weren’t expected to win this won, you know that right? <\/i><\/p>\n

    If you listened to the pundits we were not expected to win anything and now we\u2019re winning, winning winning. And soon America will be winning, winning, winning.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Viva Las Vegas<\/h3>\n
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    Nick Allen<\/strong> has been speaking to Elvis impersonator Paige Poole<\/strong>, 54, who has met Mr Trump and hopes to sing at his inauguration.<\/p>\n

    \"Quote\"<\/span> I met Donald last night. He calls me his Las Vegas Elvis. I asked if I could sing at his inauguration. <\/i><\/p>\n

    I like him because he speaks his mind. He’s like me. This is America and you should be able to speak your mind. <\/i><\/p>\n

    I’ve lost friends because I’m supporting Trump, I’ve had people tell me I’ll lose gigs over it but I don’t care.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Drudge calls… the whole race<\/h3>\n
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    Leading Right-wing website thinks it can see where this ends. And it is hard to dispute that now, with Donald Trump looking at a win by 17 percentage points (although no doubt that number changes as the votes are counted).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Bad news for anyone whose name doesn’t end in Trump<\/h3>\n
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    \"MarcoMarco Rubio supporter Mike Richardson outside Durango High School where voters were caucusing in Las Vegas, Nevada <\/span>\u00a0 Photo: AFP<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Whatever way they spin this, the result is bad, bad news for Marco Rubio<\/strong> and Ted Cruz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Mr Cruz, in particular, needed a good result after a poor third place in South Carolina. A Cuban-American, it looks as if he lost Latino voters to Donald Trump and couldn’t even poll well among his core evangelical support.<\/p>\n

    Mr Rubio was in better shape coming into Nevada<\/a>. He will be hoping to mop up support now that Jeb Bush is out of race. But unlike Mr Cruz, who won Iowa, he has managed a first place yet. How long can he maintain a credible challenge without a win?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    It’s all going off at the Treasure Island hotel<\/h3>\n
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    Nick Allen<\/strong> has reaction from the Trump victory rally in the Treasure Island hotel:<\/p>\n

    \"Nick<\/span> There was a huge queue to get into Mr Trump’s viewing party in a hotel ballroom. “This is soooo exciting,” screamed one teenage girl. <\/i><\/p>\n

    Most supporters hadn’t made it inside by 9pm when the caucuses officially closed. CNN called the result or Mr Trump seconds later. A big roar went up from those who had made it into the ballroom. <\/i><\/p>\n

    The man next to me, wearing a camouflage Make America Great Again hat, began shouting “Trump, Trump, Trump” for so long I thought he was never going to stop. <\/i><\/p>\n

    There were big boos when Ted Cruz’s name was mentioned on a big screen showing CNN. The Trump supporters hate Mr Cruz almost as much as they love their man. When Marco Rubio appeared to be pulling away from Mr Cruz in second place they cheered. <\/i><\/p>\n

    When a pundit on CNN described Trump supporters as “angry” they also cheered loudly. One of the biggest cheers came when it emerged Mr Trump had easily won the Latino vote over Mr Rubio and Mr Cruz, both of whom are Cuban-Americans.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    It could be YUGE<\/h3>\n
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    Early days with less than 4% of the votes counted so far:<\/p>\n

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    1. Donald Trump: 42.92%<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Marco Rubio: 25.22% <\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Ted Cruz: 20.40% <\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Ben Carson: 7.23%<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. John Kasich: 3.98% <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      (I’m starting to understand why Mr Kasich is long gone and Mr Rubio was in Michigan today)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      Poll shows Trump won Latino vote<\/h3>\n
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      So this is part of the reason why he won – if the entrance poll is correct. And bodes badly for Messrs Cruz and Rubio as we carry on into Super Tuesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      Who stops him now?<\/h3>\n
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      \"RepublicanCan anyone stop him now?<\/span>\u00a0 Photo: AFP <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      TV networks and the Associated Press say Donald Trump<\/strong> has won Nevada caucus. This is now his third victory in a row – after losing Iowa – and he has shredded all the conventional thinking. His record of wins in Iowa, South Carolina and now Nevada puts him right up there with candidates like Mitt Romney who won the nomination and Ronald Reagan, who went all the way to the White House.<\/p>\n

      Although tonight won’t yield a lot of delegates, it gives him all the headlines and all the momentum The next big date is March 1 – Super Tuesday<\/strong>. After that it might be all over. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      MSNBC calls it for Donald Trump<\/h3>\n
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      With caucuses now closed, network says Marco Rubio is leading Ted Cruz in the race for second.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      First result<\/h3>\n
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      This from CNN, which has the results from Centennial High School in Las Vegas, where 40 precincts caucused:<\/p>\n

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      1. Donald Trump: 44%<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Ted Cruz: 31%<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. Marco Rubio: 14%<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. John Kasich: 7%<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        But still a long, long way to go<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        Couting begins<\/h3>\n
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        This is in Clark county, where caucusing finished half an hour before the rest of the state. Twelve minutes or so to go elsewhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        In the absence of actual results<\/h3>\n
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        Remember when this was useful in forecasting Ted Cruz’s<\/strong> win in Iowa? Suggests things might be looking good for the caucus neophytes that are supporting Donald Trump.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        ‘Trump – victory night’<\/h3>\n
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        Nick Allen<\/strong> has been speaking to more Trump-supporting election volunteers:<\/p>\n

        \"Nick<\/span> At Bonanza High School several of the volunteers collecting the votes were wearing Trump regalia. One had on a badge which said: “Trump – Victory Night”. The volunteers had been to Mr Trump’s rally last night. I’m sure it won’t affect their counting of the votes but it doesn’t look great if you’re Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz. The volunteers said they’d had “thousands” of people coming through. Looks like a big turn out, which is good for Mr Trump.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        Not sure this happens at Ted Cruz events<\/h3>\n
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        It’s like groupies trying to get backstage after a Motley Crue gig.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        Voters are angry at government, says entrance poll<\/h3>\n
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        Among early arrivals at Nevada’s Republican caucuses, nearly 6 in 10 say they are angry at the way the government is working. Entrance polls conducted as people arrived at caucus locations in Nevada show another third saying they are dissatisfied with the government.<\/p>\n

        Those early arrivals are most likely to say the top issues facing the country are the economy or government spending, each listed by about 3 in 10. Immigration and terrorism were each chosen by slightly fewer – about 2 in 10.<\/p>\n

        The survey was being conducted for The Associated Press<\/strong> and the television networks by Edison Research as Republican voters arrive at 25 randomly selected caucus sites in Nevada. The preliminary results include interviews with 925 Republican caucus-goers and have a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        The Instagram caucus<\/h3>\n
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        \"VotersVoters line up for a Republican caucus at Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada<\/span>\u00a0 Photo: Getty Images<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        So this has to be the most bizarre way of collating results. Could any tech experts tell me if this is more tamper proof than other methods?<\/p>\n

        Esssentially, volunteers at tonight’s 36 caucus sites will tally the votes by hand. Then – get this – write the totals on an envelope before taking a photograph of said envelope and texting it to state party officials. For clarification, this is what Ed Williams<\/strong>, Clark County Republican Party chairman, told The Wall Street Journal:<\/p>\n

        \"Quote\"<\/span> The official number will be whatever is photographed.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        An hour to go<\/h3>\n
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        Until caucusing ends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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        Pistols on Fifth<\/h3>\n
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        Nick Allen writes:<\/p>\n

        At a caucus site, Norman Johnson, 59, an anti-Trump protester, says he’d like to challenge the billionaire to a duel on Fifth Avenue.<\/a><\/p>\n

        He says: “I don’t like him. Who wants a president whose going to play games with your Constitution?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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