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The GOP presidential field got through its bruising South Carolina primary with only one casualty: Jeb Bush. The South Carolina primary is a backstabbing political free-for-all combined with manslaughter.
Jeb has one of the most recognizable names in politics - and he couldn't overcome it. He was too classy and patrician for the new bare-knuckle electoral battleground. Donald Trump all but bullied him on the playground, took his lunch money and sent him crying to his parents. Which, America seemed to like.
After quoting "Corinthians 2," Trump won the inevitable battle among Republicans over who loves Jesus the most. He actually did read the Bible once, but when he didn't see his name anywhere, he lost interest.
However, Trump cut into Ted Cruz's evangelical vote after Cruz inadvertently hired a porn star to do one of his commercials. How could a woman like her get caught up in something as sleazy as that? She said she didn't know it was a political commercial but, to be fair, she has taken more positions while being recorded than Cruz himself has.
What was interesting about the actress getting busted was that had she simply taken second-rate roles in mainstream movies, no one in the Bible Belt would have recognized her. But if you do "Beverly Hills Bordello" and "Carnal Wishes," you are recognized immediately. I just hope the porn industry takes her back and doesn't hold it against her for getting caught up in the seedy business of political attack ads.
After the pope picked a fight with him, Trump won South Carolina. The state, like the rest of the South, is only about 7 percent Catholic. So a feud with the pope is as helpful in winning in the South as an Elvis endorsement or Debbie Wasserman-Schultz campaigning for your opponent.
Now that they sense Trump will win the nomination, Northern liberal newspapers, encouraged by DNC operatives, have begun comparing Trump's rhetorical style to that of Adolf Hitler. Trump will probably retaliate by comparing the oratorical styles of Obama and Adolf Hitler. Both claim credit for everything from socializing medicine to war efforts, and each blamed the country's problems on his predecessor. Bad mouth Hitler all you want, but you have to admit that he killed Hitler.
On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders is making Hillary sound like she is Saul Alinsky. The 74-year-old Sanders has been beating Hillary way more than a socialist should. 68-year-old Hillary seems to be struggling to keep up in their debates on CNN, CBS and PBS (which calls their barnstorming debates "Antiques Roadshow").
Hillary and Bernie keep repeating the Democratic mantra: The U.S. is racist, sexist, hates immigrants and incarcerates African-Americans for no reason. Republicans debate over who among them loves the Lord Jesus the most, while Democrats argue over who hates America the most.
Hillary needs Bill to help her with blacks in South Carolina, since he was "the first black president." They love Bill so much in South Carolina they named their state university mascot after him.
Bill can even help Hillary with women. Never mind Gennifer, Paula, Juanita and Monica; chicks still dig him. It would seem that sending Bill out to court the women's vote would be like sending Robert Downey Jr. on a beer run: it's still too soon. But Hillary's campaign is in a tailspin, and nobody is better at tail than Slick Willie.
She cannot even get her former boss, President Obama, to endorse her. He met with Bernie Sanders, but demurs when asked whom he supports. Obama will spend the rest of his presidency making sure he does not get involved in any shooting wars.
With all this political rancor, we are no safer from a terrorist attack, as CIA Director John Brennan confirmed on "60 Minutes" last week. A Middle Eastern man with a record of firebombing churches and businesses overseas recently crossed our border illegally, dressed as a woman. The CIA wants to apprehend him; Obama wants to nominate him to the Supreme Court.
Contact Ron Hart at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.