RUSH: Now, big news out of Indiana that the governor, Mike Pence, is, parentheses, “finally”, close parentheses, going to endorse Ted Cruz. A lot of people, a lot of conservatives, a lot of Republicans in Indiana have been, “Where’s Pence? Why won’t Pence endorse? There’s no question who Pence should endorse, Cruz.” And a lot of people had their noses out of joint earlier when the governor met with Kasich, who has supposedly entered into an accord with Cruz to take himself out of Indiana.
But they’re milking this endorsement for everything they can get out of it. What’s gonna be interesting to me to see — I mean, the endorsement is what it is, and it’s a fait accompli. And it could matter. You know, the polls in Indiana, we don’t know. The latest poll I’ve seen shows that — let me check just to make sure that I have this right. The latest polling data that I have heard, Trump has a two- to three-point lead that is narrowing. It was a bigger lead. It is narrowing.
Some people claim that Cruz has gained some ground with the Fiorina pick in Indiana, and now we have Pence endorsing today. So people are thinking this might help to put Cruz over the top, give him some much needed momentum ’cause the conventional wisdom is that Cruz needs to win Indiana by a significant margin to negate or erase or shift the momentum away from Trump’s massive five-state landslide last week. Well, this week, Tuesday.
So the interesting thing to me will be to see after the endorsement — what do you think, Snerdley? Do you think Pence will campaign with Cruz, actually go out on the campaign trail with him? That will be a big thing to watch. I have no idea. Don’t know if it’s gonna happen or not. It would certainly be helpful. Pence is respected and revered in Indiana. It’s an endorsement, a gubernatorial endorsement, that does carry weight.
Some endorsements, of course, don’t matter anymore. Newspaper endorsements don’t matter much, if at all, and even some political personality endorsements don’t carry the weight that they used to. But Pence could, given his reputation and his success in Indiana.
On the other side you have Trump, who was endorsed by Bobby Knight. And Bobby Knight said that he doesn’t know if Trump is a Republican or Democrat and he doesn’t even know what a conservative is. Bobby Knight: “Is a conservative a guy that goes to bed early? Is a conservative a guy that goes to bed too early or too late and doesn’t get enough sleep? I really don’t know what a conservative is.”
Now he’s out there saying he doesn’t know what one is. He’s not political. I mean, he’s not ideological in the sense that he wears it on his sleeve. But many people just assume by the way he lives his life, the way he coached, the value base that he holds, the individual mandate system he might be — I don’t want to get in trouble. I could be all wet on this. If you people in Indiana know that he’s a whatever — I’m covering my bases here by allowing that I could be all wet.
But remember, I have just a tiny little personal contact with Bob Knight at a golf tournament. (interruption) No, no, I might tell you later on in the program. Doesn’t matter anything now. I might tell you later on in the program. Has he endorsed yet? Yes. Okay, finally he’s endorsed. Sat there waiting for a while, had the TV cameras gathering. Well, you know, there was never certainty until it actually happened. He could have gone in there and endorsed Trump. There were some people thinking that could have happened.
What do you think, by the way, of Mike Tyson? Trump gets endorsed by Tyson, Tyson gets praised by Trump, and people said, “Wait, wait, wait. Tyson was convicted of rape. You sure you want to go there?” It’s not gonna affect the Trumpatriots. Trying out new names for Trumpists here. Wouldn’t believe the number of suggestions.
What else do we have?
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I want to get a couple bites in from Pence, Mike Pence, governor of Indiana, and his endorsement. Sound bites 20 and 30. Here is the first one.
PENCE: I like and respect all three of the Republican candidates in the field. I particularly want to commend Donald Trump, who I think has given voice to the frustration —
RUSH: Wait a minute, what?
PENCE: — of millions of working Americans with a lack of progress —
RUSH: I thought this —
PENCE: — in Washington, DC.
RUSH: It says here —
PENCE: And I’m also particularly grateful that Donald Trump has taken a strong stance for Hoosier jobs when we saw jobs in the Carrier company abruptly announce leaving Indiana not for another state, but for Mexico, I’m grateful, I’m grateful for his voice in the national debate. Let me say I’ve come to my decision about who I’m supporting, and I’m not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary.
RUSH: Wow. Okay. I don’t have time to play, he goes on about Cruz, there’s another 40 seconds. I just don’t have time. I’ll do it right when we get back, top of the next hour. It says right here: “Pence endorses Cruz.” I gotta take a break here. I gotta be very careful on how I characterize — just hit the break, let’s go, Snerdley.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: The cable news networks at this very moment, breaking news. The Indiana governor, Mike Pence, just endorsed Ted Cruz. Cable news networks have assembled panels of experts to discuss what it all means. We never need a panel of experts on the EIB Network because I am the expert that you have come to know, love, and to trust. So here again Mike Pence endorsing Ted Cruz. This is the first half of his remarks. It happened about one hour ago on the radio in Indianapolis.
PENCE: I like and respect all three of the Republican candidates in the field. I particularly want to commend Donald Trump, who I think has given voice to the frustration of – of millions of working Americans with a lack of progress in Washington, DC. And I’m also particularly grateful that Donald Trump has taken a strong stand for Hoosier jobs when we saw jobs in the Carrier company abruptly announce leaving Indiana, not for another state, but for Mexico. I’m grateful, I’m grateful for his voice in the national debate. And let me say I’ve come to my decision about who I’m supporting, and I’m not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary.
RUSH: Okay, that first sound bite was 40 seconds, and then about 35 seconds into it, Ted Cruz was mentioned and mentioned as the candidate that Mike Pence is supporting. Here is what he said next.
PENCE: I see Ted Cruz as a principled conservative who’s dedicated his career to advocating the Reagan agenda. And I’m pleased to support him. I really admire the way Ted Cruz has been willing to stand up for taxpayers in opposing runaway spending, deficits, and debt, calling for and leading on repealing Obamacare. And I also have to tell you I’m very impressed with Ted Cruz’s devotion and knowledge of the Constitution of the United States, of the freedoms that are enshrined there in our Bill of Rights, from our liberties to our Second Amendment. And of course, I appreciate his strong and unwavering stand for the sanctity of life.
RUSH: And so it is being dissected, as I mentioned on cable networks left and right, and I’m sure other places too, the analysis of this endorsement, and you’re gonna hear all kinds of takes on it. I probably imagine you having your own reaction to it in one of a number of different ways.
But, anyway, it was highly anticipated, it was eagerly anticipated, and looked forward to. And now what’s happened next is that Carly Fiorina has demanded that John Kasich get out of the race. Carly Fiorina said, it’s time. Governor Kasich, it’s time, it’s time now to realize that Fantasy Island, the plane never really landed, you’re still circling, and it isn’t gonna land. There’s no Herve VIllechaize down there waiting to greet you with a mimosa. Just return to Ohio.
And of course Kasich will not do this because in Kasich’s mind, I mean, he’s gonna be the nominee. You realize he is playing out a fantasy here, he’s living a fantasy. He’s living the fantasy of him being elected president. I don’t know whether he knows it’s not gonna happen or I don’t know how grounded he is in this.
But, you know, you start firing the confetti gun after an election when you win your own state and you start running around talking the way he is, I think he’s going through the motions. He wants to be able to have pictures, videos, thoughts, a memoir about his presidential campaign and how close he came and so forth. So I doubt that he will accede to Carly Fiorina’s request or admonition to get out, but she has made it.
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