Au revoir to Carly and Chris!

The early caucuses and primaries give a good indication of which candidates could win their parties nominations, but they do an even better job of eliminating the aspirants who have no chance.  After Iowa four candidates bid farewell to the campaign trail.  After New Hampshire, two have left the race, Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie.  Ladies first, as CNN reported yesterday Carly Fiorina suspends presidential campaign.

Carly Fiorina announces that she will be suspending her 2016 presidential campaign and included a specific message for female voters.

FiveThirtyEight has a brief post mortem of her campaign: Carly Fiorina Peaked Early And Faded Fast.  I'll also be brief and toast iCarly with a Black Sheep Ale.


Follow over the jump for my good-bye to Chris Christie, at least as a presidential candidate.*

CNN next reported Chris Christie suspends presidential campaign.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plans to suspend his presidential campaign.

FivethirtyEight has a similar analysis to CNN's in its Why Chris Christie Failed.  Both CNN and FiveThirtyEight discounted A Bridge Too Fat as a major reason for Christie's disappointing campaign.**  Instead, both think he was too moderate for the party and he couldn't get enough air (time), as Donald Trump sucked the oxygen out of the room.  I can't help but agree.

Speaking of being too moderate for the current Republican Party, Christie was the last of the Republicans who accepted climate change and liked renewable energy in the campaign.  All of the candidates who got passing grades from me on those issues have since dropped out.  It just shows that being a climate realist does not pay in today's GOP.

As for an appropriate drink to salute Christie on his way back home, I have two, the Snooki Bubble-Up and the Jersey Devil.  Here's Snooki herself drinking the concoction named after her, showing that she has no hard feelings over Christie denying "Jersey Shore" a tax credit.


Bottoms up!

*I'm sure I'll have more to say when he retires as New Jersey Governor.

**That probably would have been a bigger deal in the general election.