Mark was pining for the backstabbing cut-throat internecine factionalism of Australian politics after ten minutes behind the Golden EIB Microphone on Monday. Guest-hosting for Rush, Steyn managed to irk Trump fans, Cruz fans, Rubio fans and Kasich fans alike within the first half-hour. You can find a few moments from the show here.
Mark opened and closed the show by paying tribute to Nancy Reagan. Everything in between was somewhat more fractious. On Marco Rubio, Steyn found the symbolism of his landslide Puerto Rico victory almost too poignant:
Territories that can't actually vote in November are where the Republican establishment candidate has the greatest appeal.
Mark added that the GOP establishment are now behaving the way Milton Himmelfarb famously characterized American Jews – as rich as Episcopalians but voting like Puerto Ricans. He thought Rubio was a shoo-in if the party leaders could only rustle up a few more non-voting Spanish-speaking territories for their primaries.
On Donald Trump:
The man who wrote The Art of the Deal has been unable to close the deal.
Re Trump, Winston Tweeted:
I am disappointed in
@MarkSteynOnline. Actively defends Trump who is for restricting free speech rights.
In fact, Mark said on the air:
My two big issues are mass immigration, which is going to destroy the Western World, and free speech, which is being attacked all over the Western World. Trump is horrible for free speech. He wants to change the libel laws to make it easier for rich guys like him to stop people speaking against him. He's not a first-principles guy.
Mark also interviewed Matt Schlapp, the man who reads the CPAC conference, which concluded on Saturday with Ted Cruz topping its annual straw poll. Mr Schlapp had this to say:
I almost see two Donald Trumps. I see the Donald Trump after a big day of victories come to the stage with his handsome family and he's kind to the people he's just vanquished on the field. And then there's the Donald Trump who is whipped up at the rallies. And I think if he continues to win in these states -- and it looks like he's on his way to get the nomination -- I think he has to be much more the former Donald Trump than the latter. At the end of the day the American people love this idea of an outsider, but they also want to see that outsider act in an presidential manner.
Tuesday night will bring us another snapshot of the race, with results from Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii. Rush will be back to preview all that today at 12 noon Eastern.
