Political developments

Last updated on: February 29, 2016 at 5:30 am by Gene Veith

(1) Former presidential hopeful New Jersey governor Chris Christie endorsed Donald Trump for president. This, after Christie repeatedly said during his campaign that Trump was not qualified to be president. Now Christie is appearing with Trump, mocking Marco Rubio like he did in the recent debate. Think he is jockeying to be Vice President? This may be the beginning of former “establishment” Republicans jumping on the Trump bandwagon, hoping to hitch their ambitions to a winner. (UPDATE: It’s happening: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions has just endorsed Trump.)

(2) Trump chalked up another endorsement from Klansman David Duke. Trump refused to disavow his support, saying he doesn’t know enough about him and other white supremacists to turn down their endorsements.

(3) Trump tweeted a quotation from Mussolini–“It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep”– but claims he didn’t realize who said it, while still defending the quote.

(4) Hillary Clinton won the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday in a landslide. She took 73.5% of the vote (43 delegates), to Bernie Sanders’ 26% (14 delegates).

(5) Black voters in South Carolina overwhelmingly supported Clinton over Sanders, 86% to 14%, a pattern that, if it holds, may doom his chances. In fact, Super Tuesday could finish him off.