It Ain't Over, But The Map Looks Bleak for Trump

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

"Trump can say all the crazy things he wants, and he won't lose any votes!"

That's a line I hear all the time, and up until about two weeks ago, I believed it.

But the Republican Presidential nominee has gone off the rails lately, most recently implying that 2nd Amendment enthusiasts should shoot Hillary Clinton. That coming after a week-long feud with the Gold Star family of a fallen soldier, a rally where he kicked out a baby, an interview where he showed he didn't know Russia was already in Ukraine, and a different interview where he said women who are victims of sexual harassment should just find other jobs.

Oh, and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough said on his MSNBC show "Morning Joe" that a national security expert he knew met with Trump, and that Trump asked three times why we don't use nuclear weapons.

So, is Trump still Teflon? And, is he bringing new voters into the fold for Republicans?

Welp, the latest polling map says no.

The Lesser of Two Evils

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We hear it during every Presidential election.

Average voters bemoan the two choices placed in front of them, and grit their teeth as they select the "lesser of two evils." It's a tired cliché, usually followed by America electing another President, similar to the last, and our lives go on as usual.

But this election feels a little different, doesn't it?

SuiteSports Endorses Donald Trump

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

SuiteSports is thrilled to announce that, on this, the 1st day of April, 2016, we are officially throwing our support behind Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump.

In this time of great danger, America is at a crossroads. What this country needs is a uniter, someone that can bring us all together and keep us safe from those who want to harm us, domestically and abroad.

Furthermore, we can no longer afford to hide behind the cowardly shield of political correctness. Americans must be frank with each other, and tell it like it is with regards to terrorism, trade, race relations and gender equality.

Donald Trump is Going to Win the Presidency, and It's All Your Fault

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Following another cluster of a debate, billionaire business mogul, reality television star, awful wig enthusiast, and sudden voice of middle America, Donald Trump is sitting pretty heading into next week's Super Tuesday collection of primary elections.

Sure, every pundit says Florida Senator Marco Rubio won last night's debate, after he and Texas Senator Ted Cruz came out on the offensive, finally pointing out that Trump has no actual health care policy other than "allow competition over state lines," and no foreign policy other than "be tough and make deals."

But guess what guys? We already knew that, and he's still killing you both in national polls! RealClearPolitics, an organization that weighs and averages most national polls to give a "true" poll, has Trump holding 33.2 percent of Republican voters nationally, well ahead of Cruz (20.3), Rubio (16.7), Ohio Governor John Kasich (9.3) and surgeon/guy who just woke up from a nap Ben Carson (7.5).

Making matters even more hopeless for this clueless Republican field is that, heading into Super Tuesday, polls show Trump leading in nine of the 12 states holding primaries that day. Only Cruz' home state of Texas, Arkansas (though Cruz' lead is a measly four points there) and Colorado (where Ben Carson is leading, because he looks like a guy about to make a 2 am Taco Bell run) stand in Trump's way of a complete sweep.

While Trump has under-performed his polling a bit (see Iowa), it's hard to believe he won't capture at least half the states on Super Tuesday, especially when he's leading by 27.5 points in Massachusetts, 21 points in Alabama, 15.7 points in Georgia, 15 points in Vermont and 10 points in Virginia. Those leads all seem pretty insurmountable at this point.

So, how the hell did we get here? How did a man totally devoid of policy ideas, with ever-changing opinions on social issues, who has lied repeatedly, and spewed hate and vitriol become an inevitability for one of America's two major political parties?

I'm glad you asked. It's all your fault America, but more specifically, it's these people's fault.

Your GOP Primary Power Rankings: Debate Number 4

Marco Rubio (left) and Rand Paul (right) had a heated exchange in Tuesday night's fourth GOP Primary debate.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Mercifully, the Republican primary field is thinning, though not by the choice of any candidates. No, Mike Huckabee and Chris Christie have not dropped out of the race, they have simply been relegated to the kids table as the main event debate stage has been trimmed from 10 to eight participants.

Among the eight candidates left standing, outsiders Ben Carson and Donald Trump looked to extend their lead, while "establishment" front runners Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz hoped to position themselves for a serious run at the nomination. The rest of the field was in flux, but one seemingly lost candidate found his way Tuesday.

Find out who, and check out our Power Rankings below.

Your GOP Primary Power Rankings: Debate Number 3

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The first GOP Debate was great television, the second was a marathon, and the third one left us all pondering one question: Why are ALL of these people still running?

Since we last left our heroes, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker has left the fray, but there are still 10 Republican hopefuls fighting it out on the big stage for the party's nomination (plus a few more polling at under 1 percent who were not invited to the big kid debate).

At the top of the polls sit a megalomaniacal billionaire who may actually be Lex Luthor, and our new leader, a brain surgeon who speaks like he has just been put under general anesthesia.

Basically, 48% of likely Republican voters are currently throwing in with two guys that have zero political experience, and have said some zany things these past few months, and that's in a poll where 13% of respondents said "nobody" or that they were undecided.

Maybe that's why every candidate is thinking, "if I can just hang around long enough until a few more people drop out, I'll have the chance to be heard, and then they'll realize I'm a better choice."

Unfortunately, everyone thinks that, and we still have an overly crowded field, where many candidates are parroting each other on most issues, then spending the rest of the debates engaging in sophomoric personal attacks. That's a problem.

Did I say problem? Sorry, I actually meant to say "amazing TV that simultaneously cracks me up and terrifies me."

Your Post-Debate GOP Power Rankings

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Last night was the highly anticipated first Republican primary debate of the 2016 election cycle, and boy did it not disappoint. Donald Trump was in full-on "F-you" mode, Rand Paul pissed everybody off, Jeb Bush went back and forth between relatable and robotic, Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz appealed to their ultra-conservative bases and, somewhere in there, political points were made/earned.

I won't waste any more time with introductions. Here is where I rank the Republican presidential hopefuls after one debate.

Note that all poll numbers come from a CBS News poll of likely Republican voters conducted earlier this week. I have also specified which candidates took part in the 5 pm forum, rather than the actual 9 pm debate.