26 or more of Iowa's 99 counties are governed as 'sanctuary cities,' don't cooperate with fed. immigration and customs. Iowa meat packing co's hire more foreigners because they accept lower wages-Washington Post, 1/31/16. (Commenter: Desire to exploit illegal immigrant labor drives major political donors)

1/31/16, "The GOP’s condemnation of ‘sanctuary cities’ is surprisingly awkward in Iowa," Washington Post, Robert Samuels, Council Bluffs, Iowa
..........  
"In Iowa, at least 26 of the state’s 99 counties are deemed sanctuaries-including some of the state’s most conservative.
............  
The designation is an informal one, assigned by activists on both sides of the immigration debate. Governments are generally considered sanctuaries if local officials refuse to honor requests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold onto suspected illegal immigrants arrested on minor charges while fed­eral agents figure out their status.
............  
After a federal appeals court ruled in 2014 that these requests-known as “detainers”-were optional, the American Civil Liberties Union alerted local sheriff’s departments that they would be subject to lawsuits if they held a citizen without a proper warrant. Nearly 300 jurisdictions nationwide, conservative and liberal, have opted not to take that risk.
...........  
Typically, the decisions that lead to a community earning sanctuary status are made without fanfare or public debate. Instead, the refusal to cooperate with ICE usually comes from a police chief, a sheriff or a government attorney-not necessarily a politician looking to extend an act of mercy toward illegal ­immigrants.
.............  
Republican presidential contenders on the campaign trail have avoided such details. Others have joined Cruz in demanding that local governments face penalties for not assisting immigration officials. At times, the candidates have blasted sanctuary cities while standing in one.
...........  
“We will finally, finally, finally secure the borders and end sanctuary cities," Cruz said to applause recently in the public library in Onawa, Iowa— in a county that has a sanctuary ­policy.
............  
“If you are a sanctuary city, you will lose your federal funding,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) declared this month to an eager audience at a hotel in Coralville, Iowa, which also has a sanctuary policy.
..........
“Crap” is the word that Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, has used across the state to describe sanctuary cities....
..........
Lynne Branigan, a former Council Bluffs City Council member, expressed shock when a reporter told her that her own community was deemed as having a sanctuary policy.
.........  
“Based on what happened in California, I absolutely don’t agree with sanctuary status,” Branigan said. “I’m not versed in all it means, but believe me, I’m going to find out.”...
...........  
Nearby meat-packaging towns such as Denison have seen significant demographic shifts as companies employed more immigrants who would accept lower wages."...
............
==============
...... 
Commenter to Washington Post notes desire to exploit illegal immigrant labor drives major political donors: 
......
===========
............  
"tacocat 1:54 AM EST  
...........

All of those meat processing plants exploit the illegal immigrant labor market. Why wouldn't local governments cave into their donor base."

==============

"Kiowa100 1:54 AM EST  
..........

You self described intellectuals in the "progressive" press don't get it. This argument is a cheap stunt. Find a few good hearted liberals as implied representatives of the masses, a few "victims" who only want to "chase a dream" and WHAMMO - all those who disagree with your version of utopia are now racist, bigoted, ignorant morons - who for the most part been the benefactors of white privilege according to you and Garp. The fact is the intellectuals, backed by the press, have STOPPED listening to a large segment of the population - the segment who are educated and who are going in debt while funding your brilliant, but massively failing, ideas. The thought that the country is wealthy enough to fund the world, and thus has a duty to do so through uncontrolled immigration can only be thought by a non- math, non- history, non- anthropological, and non-philosophy person. Narratives, regardless of their intention, do not replace facts - they only manipulate people's unattached perception of facts. So, please do the math, learn of the cultures of those you are obviously ignorant of, study Plato, Socrates, etc., and learn from history what your ludicrous ideology will bring when mixed with immigration. Then preach at me if you dare."









.........................

Trump rally in Sioux City, Iowa, Jan. 31, 2016

 

Above, 1/31/16, Trump rally in Sioux City, Iowa, "Daniel Scavino Jr. ‏@DanScavino 3h3 hours ago Sioux City, IA Another unbelievable #TrumpTrain turnout- this evening in Iowa! A view from above! #CaucusForTrump #IowaCaucus," Dan Scavino twitter, Trump campaign 

 

 


Above, 1/31/16, Trump in Sioux City, "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters after a campaign event at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016.  Patrick Semansky/Associated Press," via DMR

























Above, 1/31/16, Trump in Sioux City, "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures as he walks onstage for a campaign event at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016.  Patrick Semansky/Associated Press," via DMR





........................

Trump has 25 point lead in New Hampshire poll, Jan. 26-30, 2016, Franklin Pierce-Boston Herald. 67% of NH Trump supporters say choice is firm

Trump 38
Cruz 13
Bush 10
Rubio 10
Kasich 8
Christie 5
Fiorina 5
Paul 5
Carson 3
Huckabee 1

Jan. 26-30, 2016 poll dates, 439 likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters, land line and cell phone interviews, 4.7 error margin. Link to poll.

1/31/16, "Franklin Pierce-Herald Poll: Rivals need Iowa win to catch Trump, Sanders in N.H.," Boston Herald, Joe Battenfeld 

"Trump has a massive 25-point advantage over his nearest rival Cruz while Sanders has grown his lead over Clinton to a 57-37 percent margin, according to the poll of likely Granite State primary voters conducted Jan. 26-30....

Trump now gets 38 percent of the vote in New Hampshire — up from 33 percent a week ago
— while Cruz has stalled at 13 percent, according to the poll of 439 likely GOP primary voters.

Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are getting 10 percent, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich has dropped to fifth place at 8 percent, according to the poll. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, businesswoman Carly Fiorina and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul are winning just 5 percent support, the poll shows.

Trump’s popularity has remained steady in the Granite State, with 56 percent of GOP voters saying they hold a favorable view of the billionaire business mogul....

The Franklin Pierce-Herald poll also shows former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s trial balloon of an independent candidacy hasn’t exactly resonated in New Hampshire. Nearly half of all likely Democratic voters say they wouldn’t vote for him in November, while 51 percent haven’t heard of him or have no opinion."

(p. 6) Choice is firm:

Trump 67
Cruz 59
Bush 41
Rubio 24

====================

1/31/16, Real Clear Politics Average of New Hampshire Republican Primary polls

...........................

Council Bluffs, Iowa, rallies for Trump, Jan. 31, 2016. Sarah Palin will join Trump in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Caucus Day, Monday, Feb. 1

Above, 1/31/16, Trump rally at Gerald Kern Middle School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, wowt.com

 
Above, 1/31/16, "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, center left, pauses for a selfie while greeting supporters at a rally Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. AP," via Des Moines Register

1/31/16, "Trump plays to packed house at Council Bluffs school," wowt.com, Lena Tillett, Council Bluffs, Iowa

"A day out from the caucuses, Donald Trump was among the candidates working western Iowa hard on Sunday.

For Trump, Iowa is more than just a race for delegates. It's a test of whether the celebrity businessman and political newcomer will be able to transform his record crowds into caucus-goers willing to brave the cold and the threat of snow on Monday night to cast their votes.

Trump, who appears to have emerged from a dead-heat with rival Ted Cruz to re-capture his position atop state polls, has done little to minimize expectations, predicting again and again that he'll do better than the polls suggest.

Trump played to a packed house at Gerald Kirn Middle School in Council Bluffs over the noon hour, joined by wife Melania and daughter Ivanka. "I backed McCain, it didn't work. I backed Romney, it didn't work. This one I said, let's do it ourselves."

During a question and answer session with Jerry Falwell Jr., Trump spoke on several topics, including the need for safe-zones in the Middle East, which he said will prevent so many migrants from flowing to Europe, and talked about immigration in the U.S....

"A lot of the media has been doing some sensational claiming about him and makes him look a little more brash than he actually is." said supporter Shane Greckel. 

"What I found today was a very calm, cool, collected and educated individual on the issues facing our country."

"I was here last month at his event," said supporter Sandi Palensky. "I just really like his message. I'd be proud to vote for him. I don't agree with everything that he says or everything that he's going to do, but I think he would be a strong leader."...

Trump said the night he skipped last week’s debate, they were able to raise $6 million for veterans. He asked supporters to get out and caucus for him Monday night, despite the weather."

















  Above, 1/31/16, Council Bluffs, Iowa Trump rally: "Line wraps around building as Trump supporters gather in Council Bluffs," wowt.com
===================

On Feb. 1, 2016, Sarah Palin will be in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with Trump:

 















Above from Jose A. DelReal twitter, 1/31/16. Washington Post reporter


 ..................

Trump rally in Clinton, Iowa, Jan. 30, 2016. Trump has seized the affections of disillusioned conservatives around the country-Washington Post, 1/30/16

Above, 1/30/16, Trump rally in Clinton, Iowa, "Trump takes the stage in Clinton, IA, says it's "crunch time."" Jose DelReal twitter, Washington Post reporter

Above, 1/30/16, Trump rally in Clinton, Iowa: "Trump will soon take the stage here in Clinton, IA, where he'll address a packed gymnasium at a local middle school" Jose DelReal Twitter 

Above, 1/30/16, Trump rally in Clinton, Iowa: "We are in Clinton, Iowa: Another incredible rally! Thank you," Dan Scavino twitter. Trump campaign

===========

"The unlikely candidate, who was written out in the first invisible draft of this election as a celebrity sideshow, has seized the affections of disillusioned conservatives around the country."...

1/30/16, "On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump may have already won," Washington Post, Jose A. DelReal, Clinton, Iowa

"There was a calm around Donald Trump as he took the stage here in Clinton, Iowa; a brief moment when he stared out at the crowd and looked gratified, perhaps even awed.

The unlikely candidate, who was written out in the first invisible draft of this election as a celebrity sideshow, has seized the affections of disillusioned conservatives around the country....

Here in this rural town in eastern Iowa and on stages across the Hawkeye State on Saturday, Trump had the air of a man who knows he has already won. He spoke in sweeping language about the “movement” he has built and the “love” he has found at campaign rallies. His confidence showed in the jokes he told the crowd about his many feuds, interspersed between the darker themes in his stump speech: terrorism, fears about illegal immigrants, economic desolation.

He even seemed dismissive of his poll numbers, which he himself has frequently admitted are among his favorite topics.

"The folks in Iowa have been amazing to me. They've been amazing. I'm even leading in all of the polls in Iowa now,” Trump told a crowded school gymnasium holding 2,000. “Some big ones are coming out I guess — but they don't even matter anymore, to be honest, because we're so close to the end, what difference does it make.”...

But today: "We can't really talk about polls now, we have to just sort of wait and see what happens, right?" Trump said.

That is not exactly the whole truth. The campaign’s voter turn-out effort has whirled to life in recent weeks, with volunteers handing out flyers and voter registration forms to the thousands of would-be voters still attending his events. Many of those who have already participated in rallies have received calls from the campaign reminding them to vote....

It is an old campaign cliché, but the Iowa election will likely come down to how many of Trump’s supporters actually vote, which remains unpredictable. One final Des Moines Register/Bloomberg politics poll released Saturday showed Trump with 28 percent to Cruz's 23 percent....

[Trump leads Cruz, Rubio in respected poll]

Whether he wins the caucuses or not, Trump has already proven his naysayers wrong. And he knows that.

“A lot of people have laughed at me over the years,” Trump said Friday at the end of a speech in New Hampshire, which will host the country’s next nominating contest and where Trump leads by double-digits. “Now they’re not laughing so much, I’ll tell you.”

The billionaire hung back after his speech in Clinton to shake hands with supporters, to sign their signs and their “Make America Great Again” hats.

“You can’t always get what you want,” by the Rolling Stones blasted over the loudspeakers as he posed for pictures. Voters reached out for him, grabbing him, asking for selfies....

Before walking out, he decided to stop for one more picture. Smile. Click. "But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need," played the song as he left."

 

Above, 1/30/16, Trump rally in Dubuque: "Donald J. Trump spoke at a campaign event at the Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa on Saturday. Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times."
 



................

Last chance for US to say we refuse to be Europe, to chose only a candidate who'll commit to killing TPP trade deal rendering US just another European Union nation. EU began with open borders and massive crony trade deals-Sen. Jeff Sessions

"While Europeans are accustomed to being ruled by presumed betters whom they distrust, the American people's realization of being ruled like Europeans shocked this country into well nigh revolutionary attitudes."...Codevilla, 2010, "America’s Ruling Class--And the Perils of Revolution"
................................  

1/29/16, "Sessions: Choose carefully America, 2016 is 'THE LAST CHANCE'," Washington Examiner, Paul Bedard

"Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, a leading voice on trade, immigration and executive powers, is urging Americans to choose their next president carefully because 2016 "is the last chance for the American people to take back control of their government."

In a sober interview with Secrets, the Republican warned that liberal special interests, Wall Street moguls, and international media conglomerates are fast turning the United States into just another member of the European Union and that the effort is being led by a Democratic president eager to go his own way with executive orders.

"This election is different because we have pell mell erosion of law, the constitutional order, where President Obama has pushed an agenda that eviscerates the immigration legal system, and pushed this trade agreement that will commence decades of transferring American economic power to an ever-expanding international commission. It's just not going to stop" unless voters take action, he warned.

"This is the way the European Union began," he added.

Highlighting immigration and trade, Sessions urged voters to choose a candidate who will commit to killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with nearly a dozen Asian nations which is slated to cost 448,000 U.S. jobs, and finally make good on 30 years of promises to put an end to illegal immigration, which is costing the nation billions in welfare and undermining U.S. wages.

"This election will be the last chance for Americans to get control of their government," said Sessions, repeatedly making that point. "I think this election is the big one. To win, Republicans need to demonstrate that they care about the average person who goes to work every day," he added....

Sessions said that if candidates don't promise to end TPP and close the border, voters should move on. "People should have total confidence and a clear commitment on those issues. If they don't, then they don't have my vote," he said.

The influence of Sessions on key issues in the presidential race, especially TPP and immigration, can't be underestimated. He was the loudest voice against TPP, which the president plans to sign in the coming weeks, and helped Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz on immigration issues.

He warned that if the next president OK's TPP, it would erode U.S. economic power and put trade under a powerful commission on which America would have just one vote.

On immigration, he slammed decades of failed promises.

"It's been a sham, decade after decade, and the voters need to know that this might be the last chance to elect a president who can reduce this tide and to end the illegality and serve the interests of working Americans. Their jobs, their wages, their hospitals, their schools the public safety, have to be put first," Sessions urged.

"We need a president with the credibility to tell the world that the time of illegality is over, not come to this country unlawfully," he said."

==============

July-August 2010, "America’s Ruling Class--And the Perils of Revolution," Angelo M. Codevilla, American Spectator 

US Ruling Class

"The Political Divide"... (1st subhead)

"While Europeans are accustomed to being ruled by presumed betters whom they distrust, the American people's realization of being ruled like Europeans shocked this country into well nigh revolutionary attitudes. 
 
But only the realization was new. The ruling class had sunk deep roots in America over decades before 2008."...(begins 3rd parag. in subhead). 

"The Country Class"...(9th subhead)

"Nothing has set the country class apart, defined it...so much as the ruling class's insistence that people other than themselves are intellectually and hence otherwise humanly inferior. Persons who were brought up to believe themselves as worthy as anyone, who manage their own lives to their own satisfaction, naturally resent politicians of both parties who say that the issues of modern life are too complex for any but themselves. Most are insulted by the ruling class's dismissal of opposition as mere "anger and frustration"--an imputation of stupidity--while others just scoff at the claim that the ruling class's bureaucratic language demonstrates superior intelligence....If the politicians are so smart, why have they made life worse?" (5th parag. of subhead).

Above image of US Ruling Class from American Spectator

===============

11/9/2015, Trump in Springfield, Illinois

Image, 11/9/2015, Trump rallies 10,200 in Springfield, Illinois 

11/9/2015, "Donald Trump Makes Stop in Springfield," WMBD, CentralIllinoisproud.com, Springfield, Ill.

"Republican Presidential front-runner Donald Trump took his campaign to Illinois in front of a record crowd Monday, 10,200 people packed the convention center."....

Image above via 1/22/16, "National Review just handed Donald Trump the Election," Republican Newswatch, by Doug Ibendahl, "a Chicago Attorney and a former General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party." 

================

1/13/16, 11,000 rally for Trump in Pensacola, Florida: 

1/13/16, "Thousands packed into the Pensacola Bay Center to see Donald Trump tonight...," Jenna Johnson twitter, Washington Post reporter




 








Above, 1/13/16, Jenna Johnson twitter, Washington Post reporter

  
1/13/16, Trump Pensacola rally, "Daniel Scavino Jr. ‏@DanScavino 9m9 minutes ago The Mar-a-lago Club @realDonaldTrump Presidential Rally!" Dan Scavino twitter

Above, 1/13/16, Trump rally in Pensacola, Fla., "Daniel Scavino Jr. ‏@DanScavino 3h3 hours ago Pensacola, FL.@realDonaldTrump Presidential Rally in Pensacola, Florida," Dan Scavino twitter

1/13/16, "GOP frontrunner Donald Trump rallies thousands of supporters in Pensacola," Miami Herald, by Michael Auslen, Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau, Pensacola 
 



.....................

In Dubuque, Iowa, Trump invites kids to tour his plane after rally-CNN, Jan. 30, 2016

 Above images, 1/30/16, Trump rally in Dubuque, Iowa by CNN reporter:  "@realDonaldTrump invited children at Dubuque rally to tour his plane, and after event, 1-2 dozen kids did just that," Noah Gray, CNN















1/30/16, Above, parent says his kids were thrilled, via Noah Gray CNN twitter.

 

Above, 1/30/16, Trump rally in Dubuque, Iowa, "Crowd in Dubuque: "Make America great! Make America great!" And Donald Trump appears." Jenna Johnson twitter, Washington Post reporter

 

Above, 1/30/16, "Donald J. Trump spoke at a campaign event at the Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa on Saturday. Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times."




 ...............

Crowd in Dubuque, Iowa rallies for Trump, Jan. 30, 2016

Above, 1/30/16, Trump plane as it approaches Dubuque, Iowa for rally: "Trump Force One just flew by the hangar in Dubuque Iowa. The crowd loved it." Jenna Johnson twitter, Washington Post reporter

 

Above, 1/30/16, Trump rally in Dubuque: "Donald J. Trump spoke at a campaign event at the Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa on Saturday. Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times."

=============== 

1/30/16, Trump leads final Iowa poll before caucus:

Trump 28
Cruz 23
Rubio 15
Carson 10
Paul 5
Christie 3
Bush 2
Fiorina 2
Huckabee 2
Kasich 2
Santorum 2
 
Trump leads Cruz by 5 points in final Iowa poll before caucuses, Jan. 26-29, 2016, (Wed-Sat), Des Moines Register, Bloomberg. 'Trump inspiring new interest in Republican caucuses.' 602 likely Iowa Republican caucus participants. 4% error margin. "Supporters of Trump are the most decided," 71% say their decision is final. Telephone interviews. Link to poll.

1/30/16, "Trump Overtakes Cruz in Final Iowa Poll Before Caucuses," Bloomberg, John McCormick

"Donald Trump has overtaken Ted Cruz in the final days before Iowa's caucuses, with the fate of the race closely tied to the size of Monday evening's turnout, especially among evangelical voters and those attending for the first time, a Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows.

The findings before the first ballots are cast in the 2016 presidential nomination race shows Trump with the support of 28 percent of likely caucus-goers, followed by 23 percent for the Texas senator and 15 percent for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

The billionaire real estate mogul leads Cruz among those who say they definitely plan to attend, 30 percent to 26 percent. With the less committed—those who say they'll probably attend—Trump also beats Cruz, 27 percent to 21 percent.

“Trump is leading with both the inner core of the caucus universe and the fringe—that’s what any candidate would want," said longtime Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, who oversaw the survey for the news organizations.

Read the poll questions and methodology here.

The poll's findings are based on 47 percent of those likely to attend considering themselves evangelical or born again Christians. When re-weighted as a scenario test for the higher evangelical turnout seen in 2012 entrance polls, the race is closer, with 26 percent for Trump and 25 percent for Cruz.

A Trump victory could significantly boost his chances of winning his party's nomination, while a second-place finish for Cruz would be a major setback for a candidate who has invested heavily in Iowa and enjoyed strong support from evangelical Christians who form a large part of the state’s electorate. Trump is dominating in polling in New Hampshire and South Carolina, the two states that follow Iowa in the nomination calendar.

Just two days before the first-in-the-nation caucuses, the race remains fluid, even after hundreds of campaign stops in Iowa, tens of millions of dollars of advertising and seven nationally televised debates....

At the time of his departure from the race in September, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker called on other candidates to also drop out, so that an establishment candidate could emerge with enough support to challenge Trump. Yet the combined support of candidates in that lane—Rubio, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Ohio Governor John Kasich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie—is still less than Trump or Cruz.

Support for Rubio, who has emerged as the leading establishment candidate, remained flat as the caucuses near. In fact, over the four days of the survey, his support dropped the last two days.

Supporters of Trump are the most decided among the top three candidates, with 71 percent saying their mind is made up, compared to 61 percent for Cruz and 47 percent for Rubio. Trump also leads with most demographic groups measured by the poll, including those without college degrees, moderates and Catholics.

The poll's findings suggest Trump is inspiring new interest in the Republican caucuses: 40 percent of those in the survey say they'll be attending for the first time, the highest number recorded by the survey this election cycle. The last Iowa Poll before the 2012 caucuses showed 27 percent first-time caucus-goers.

Nearly one-third of Cruz’s supporters say they’d be attending for the first time, compared to half of Trump's supporters who say they'll be going for the first time, suggesting he has a greater challenge in turning out his supporters because veteran caucus-goers tend to be more reliable....

On candidate traits tested, Trump won on almost every question. He beats Cruz on being 

most feared by U.S. enemies (50 percent to 21 percent),

potential to bring about needed change (37 percent to 21 percent),

being a strong leader (32 percent to 23 percent),

prospects for winning a general election (35 percent to 24 percent) and

keeping "your family safest" (28 percent to 24 percent).

Cruz beats Trump on having the "greatest depth of knowledge and experience" (26 percent to 17 percent), as well as being respected by leaders of friendly countries (20 percent to 16 percent).

Two dramatic moves in the final weeks of the Iowa race appeared to make little difference. A plurality—46 percent—say they didn't care that Trump skipped the debate in Des Moines this week, while Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s plea to defeat Cruz failed to sway 77 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers....

The survey, conducted Jan. 26-29 by Selzer and Co. of West Des Moines, Iowa, included 602 likely Republican caucus participants and 602 likely Democratic caucus participants. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points."... 

==================

"Methodology," Bloomberg Politics and The Des Moines Register Poll: Telephone interviews. (No mention which kind of telephone, ie land line v cell phone)

======

"Jan. 30 (Bloomberg)—The Iowa Poll, conducted January 26-29 for Bloomberg Politics and The Des Moines Register by Selzer and Co. of  Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 602 registered Iowa voters who say they definitely or probably will attend the 2016 Republican caucuses and 602 registered voters who say they definitely or probably will attend the 2016 Democratic caucuses.

Interviewers contacted 3,019 randomly selected active voters from the Iowa secretary of state’s voter registration list by telephone. Responses were adjusted by age, sex, and congressional district to reflect all active voters in the voter registration list."...








....................

Republican Establishment insider Judd Gregg tells Fox News that GOP nominee can only be selected at 2016 brokered convention 'because of the way the primary votes come on the 1st of March and March 15th.' Neil Cavuto agreed with him-1/29/16 Fox News video

1/29/16, "N.H. Republican Power Broker Says NO Trump, NO Cruz – Promises Brokered Convention," DC Whispers

Judd Gregg, longtime Republican Establishment insider, former Republican Senator, and  2009 Obama Commerce Sec. nominee, praised by Obama for being a "master at reaching across the aisle," was interviewed on Fox Business Network Friday, Jan. 29, 2016 by Neil Cavuto. Gregg said in effect that outcomes of Iowa Republican caucuses and Republican state primaries will have nothing to do with who becomes the 2016 Republican nominee for president. He said it will be decided at the July 2016 RNC convention:

Jan. 29, 2016: At 2 min. 48 sec:

'Republican' Judd Gregg: "I think we're going to a brokered convention under any scenario because of the way the primary votes come on the first of March and March 15th."

Fox News' Neil Cavuto agrees: "I agree with you on that. Should have...be running the other way."...

Gregg says the brokered GOP convention will get lots of media coverage. As a result of so much media coverage, Gregg anticipates Republicans across the country will unite behind the convention's choice.


1/29/16 Fox News Neil Cavuto video via DC Whispers


=====================

Comment: Voter nullification. They told you they'd do it. Trillions of dollars are at stake. "Lose the primary to win the general:"

Dec. 2014 article:

12/2/2014: "Jeb Bush on 2016: GOP needs to ‘lose the primary to win the general’," msnbc.com, Kasie Hunt

"Former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday said that for a GOP candidate to win a presidential election, the 2016 nominee has to be willing to “lose the primary to win the general.”...

The comments came in wide-ranging conversation with Gerald Seib, the (Wall St.) Journal’s Washington bureau chief, who followed up, asking: “Are the things that you need to do to win a Republican nomination contrary to the things you need to do to win a general election?”"...

==========
==========

Feb. 2009: 'Republican' Judd Gregg in line to be third 'Republican' to join Obama's cabinet:

Obama praised 'Republican' Judd Gregg as "a master at reaching across the aisle to get things done." "If confirmed, he will be the third Republican to join Obama's Cabinet, following Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood."...

2/2/2009, "GOP's Gregg accepts commerce secretary post," CNN
 
 "Gregg will be an "able, persuasive ambassador for industry" because he is a skillful negotiator and a "master of reaching across the aisle to get things done," Obama said.

"We are...in the middle of a very difficult economic time," replied Gregg, who has chaired a key Senate commerce subcommittee.

Gregg, a third-term Republican known for being fiscally conservative, thanked Obama for taking the "rather extraordinary step of asking me to join your administration." He lauded Obama's "bold and aggressive, effective and comprehensive plan for how we can get this country moving."...
 





......................

Trump takes 6.2 lead in Iowa, Real Clear Politics average of polls, Jan. 29, 2016, three days before Iowa caucuses

1/29/16, "Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus," Real Clear Politics

Five Jan. 2016 polls included in RCP Iowa poll average:

NBC WSJ Marist, Trump +7

PPP, Trump +8

Monmouth, Trump +7

ARG, Trump +7

Quinnipiac, Trump +2


====================

Added re: Rubio: On Jan. 19, 2016, The Des Moines Register endorsed Rubio for the GOP nomination (and Clinton for the democrat). The newspaper hopes it can "move the needle" for Rubio and the entire GOP, noting "the race’s potential to redefine the GOP's future."...

1/23/16, "Marco Rubio 'pleased' with Des Moines Register endorsement," Des Moines Register, Mackenzie Ryan

"Marco Rubio credited his “issues-based, ideas-based, solutions-based” campaign for cinching an endorsement Saturday [1/19] by The Des Moines Register, whose editorial board called him the Republican Party’s “best hope.”

Just 10 days before the Feb.1 Iowa caucuses, the editorial called attention to the Florida senator’s policies....

“Sen. Marco Rubio has the potential to chart a new direction for the party, and perhaps the nation....

But it’s unclear if the Register’s nod will move the needle here. Rubio is in third place in Iowa, at 11 percent, behind rivals Donald Trump at nearly 29 percent and Ted Cruz at nearly 27 percent, according to a rolling poll average....

The endorsement could also help Rubio in New Hampshire’s primary on Feb. 9, said Chris Larimer, a political science professor at the University of Northern Iowa.

Rubio is polling fourth in New Hampshire, with 10 percent, behind Trump at 32 percent, John Kasich at 13 percent and Ted Cruz at 11 percent, according to the Real Clear Politics rolling poll average.

The endorsement also focused on the race’s potential to redefine the GOP's future."...  
=================
=================

Added #2: In 2013, the Establishment hoped to make its guy Rubio a star, so selected him to recite the GOP "response" to the 2013 State of the Union. During which Rubio famously took a drink of water:




===================

Added #3: from Real Clear Politics reporter:

1/29/16, "How Demographics Could Affect Iowa GOP Outcome," Real Clear Politics, David Byler 

"Trump looks like the most successful economic-populist/secular-but-socially-conservative candidate in decades. Looking at the areas where Trump does best will help us figure out who his constituents are, where they live and where he might perform best in future contests."...






...................