Trump will win...New Hampshire?

[audiophile]

What about those that lost their insurance because the rates doubled after their old, affordable, policies were cancelled?

[Deleted User 8570]

What about those that lost their insurance because the rates doubled after their old, affordable, policies were cancelled?

Granted there was a gap in there... but the state exchanges filled it in states that elected to open an exchange. Most Republican controlled states (not Michigan) decided to give the finger to the idea and their citizens are suffering the consequences of being caught in the middle income area where they are too poor to qualify one way and too rich to qualify another.

[bmw]

Cruz stumbled twice in recent days, one of which at an event where he failed to have sympathy or compassion for a guy whose brother was saved from cancer thanks to coverage he got from Obamacare looked incredibly bad...

He also completely dodged a question during the debate from I believe it was Bret Baier about what would happen to the millions people covered/paid for by ObamaCare if Cruz repealed it - Cruz didn't answer the question and I was disappointed Baier didn't push him on it.

EDIT - Ah.....here is the transcript:

And, Governor, I realize everyone on this stage opposes Obamacare and you're not alone. Google Data shows that in the last month when people searched "policy repeals," that there were a lot of them. Obamacare took the top two spots. But today there are millions of people who gained health insurance from Obamacare and they now rely on it.

So the question, Senator Cruz, if you repeal Obamacare, as you say you will, will you be fine if millions of those people don't have health insurance? And what is your specific plan for covering the uninsured?

Sure. Well, let's take it one at a time. First of all, we have seen now in six years of Obamacare that it has been a disaster. It is the biggest job-killer in this country. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, have been forced into part-time work, have lost their health insurance, have lost their doctors, have seen their premiums skyrocket.

If I'm elected president, we will repeal every word of Obamacare. Now, once that is done, everyone agrees we need healthcare reform. It should follow the principles of expanding competition, empowering patients, and keeping government from getting in between us and our doctors.

Three specific reforms that reflect those principles. Number one, we should allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines. That will create a true 50-state national marketplace which will drive down the cost of low-cost, catastrophic health insurance.

Number two, we should expand health savings accounts so people can save in a tax-advantaged way for more routine healthcare needs. And number three, we should work to de-link health insurance from employment so if you lose your job, your health insurance goes with you and it is personal, portable and affordable. And I'll tell you, Bret, I think that's a much more attractive vision for healthcare than the Washington-drive, top-down Obamacare that is causing so many millions of people to hurt.

Senator Cruz, thank you.

So there you have it - a total non-answer and Baier lets it go.

[audiophile]

Health savings expansion account is a good idea. Only those with health insurance can have them - which sounds like an insurance lobby restriction.

[Deleted User 8570]

Cruz stumbled twice in recent days, one of which at an event where he failed to have sympathy or compassion for a guy whose brother was saved from cancer thanks to coverage he got from Obamacare looked incredibly bad...

He also completely dodged a question during the debate from I believe it was Bret Baier about what would happen to the millions people covered/paid for by ObamaCare if Cruz repealed it - Cruz didn't answer the question and I was disappointed Baier didn't push him on it.

EDIT - Ah.....here is the transcript:

And, Governor, I realize everyone on this stage opposes Obamacare and you're not alone. Google Data shows that in the last month when people searched "policy repeals," that there were a lot of them. Obamacare took the top two spots. But today there are millions of people who gained health insurance from Obamacare and they now rely on it.

So the question, Senator Cruz, if you repeal Obamacare, as you say you will, will you be fine if millions of those people don't have health insurance? And what is your specific plan for covering the uninsured?

Sure. Well, let's take it one at a time. First of all, we have seen now in six years of Obamacare that it has been a disaster. It is the biggest job-killer in this country. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, have been forced into part-time work, have lost their health insurance, have lost their doctors, have seen their premiums skyrocket.

If I'm elected president, we will repeal every word of Obamacare. Now, once that is done, everyone agrees we need healthcare reform. It should follow the principles of expanding competition, empowering patients, and keeping government from getting in between us and our doctors.

Three specific reforms that reflect those principles. Number one, we should allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines. That will create a true 50-state national marketplace which will drive down the cost of low-cost, catastrophic health insurance.

Number two, we should expand health savings accounts so people can save in a tax-advantaged way for more routine healthcare needs. And number three, we should work to de-link health insurance from employment so if you lose your job, your health insurance goes with you and it is personal, portable and affordable. And I'll tell you, Bret, I think that's a much more attractive vision for healthcare than the Washington-drive, top-down Obamacare that is causing so many millions of people to hurt.

Senator Cruz, thank you.

So there you have it - a total non-answer and Baier lets it go.

What a lousy answer and non-follow up

Cruz is such a slimeball...

[bmw]

What a lousy answer and non-follow up

Cruz is such a slimeball...

And it was a legitimate question. I'm no fan of Obamacare but the reality is there are millions now who depend on it and whoever the republican candidate is better have an answer for that question in the main debates.

I used to like Cruz but the more I see of him the more he does strike me as a .....I'm not sure slimeball is the right word, but he doesn't come across as being very likeable.

[MWmetalhead]

I don't view Cruz's response as a non-answer. It was a legitimate answer. Some folks just feel his position doesn't go far enough to reform health care, control its cost, and make it more accessible.

I am *very* surprised Cruz's conscientious decision to enroll in Obamacare last year hasn't come up more often in the campaign cycle. I am shocked Trump hasn't mentioned it on a frequent basis by now.

[audiophile]

Isn't by law he required to sign up? I think he said everyone in Congress should be on it if it requires the public to be on it (IE what's good for the goose is good for the gander...)

I'm with MW - he did answer it with the limited time given.

Now Donald Trump's plan sounds like telling someone what you want to hear:

Scott Pelley: What's your plan for Obamacare?

Donald Trump: Obamacare's going to be repealed and replaced. Obamacare is a disaster if you look at what's going on with premiums where they're up 45, 50, 55 percent.

Scott Pelley: How do you fix it?

Donald Trump: There's many different ways, by the way. Everybody's got to be covered. This is an un-Republican thing for me to say because a lot of times they say, "No, no, the lower 25 percent that can't afford private." But--

Scott Pelley: Universal health care?

Donald Trump: I am going to take care of everybody. I don't care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody's going to be taken care of much better than they're taken care of now.

Scott Pelley: The uninsured person is going to be taken care of how?

Donald Trump: They're going to be taken care of. I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people. And, you know what, if this is probably--

Scott Pelley: Make a deal? Who pays for it?

Donald Trump: --the government's gonna pay for it. But we're going to save so much money on the other side. But for the most it's going to be a private plan and people are going to be able to go out and negotiate great plans with lots of different competition with lots of competitors with great companies and they can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trum ... tt-pelley/

[Deleted User 8570]

I don't view Cruz's response as a non-answer. It was a legitimate answer. Some folks just feel his position doesn't go far enough to reform health care, control its cost, and make it more accessible.

I am *very* surprised Cruz's conscientious decision to enroll in Obamacare last year hasn't come up more often in the campaign cycle. I am shocked Trump hasn't mentioned it on a frequent basis by now.

He didn't really give even one specific... Just the same generic ideas the GOP has spouted for 20+ years...

[audiophile]

Cruz is smart enough not to say too much. Besides, that pesky buzzer was haunting him, and might have left a hanging chad, or worse a participle.

Donald opens mouth and removes all doubt. Wait...he didn't even show up.

[Deleted User 8570]

Cruz is smart enough not to say too much. Besides, that pesky buzzer was haunting him, and might have left a hanging chad, or worse a participle.

Donald opens mouth and removes all doubt. Wait...he didn't even show up.

And he still faired better than Cruz... By almost all accounts he had a horrid debate and is in trouble...

[bmw]

Here's my predictions (as of 8:30)

Trump 26
Cruz 23
Rubio 19
Carson 8
Paul 6
Bush 5
Huckabee 4
Kasich 3
Fiorina 2
Christie 2
Santorum 1

[Deleted User 8570]

Here's my predictions (as of 8:30)

Trump 26
Cruz 23
Rubio 19
Carson 8
Paul 6
Bush 5
Huckabee 4
Kasich 3
Fiorina 2
Christie 2
Santorum 1

I'll piggyback on that and comment that turnout, especially Republican has been higher than normal.. That would bode well on paper for Trump and Sanders...

[bmw]

Cruz is doing quite a bit better than I expected. Looks like if anything hurt Trump it was his lack of a ground game.

Rubio doing slightly better than expected, though I'm not surprised since he's been surging as of late.

[Deleted User 8570]

FOX, NBC, ABC and CNN have all called Cruz the winner followed by Trump and Rubio... Very very close race.