SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

SOUTH CAROLINA POLL – GOP – From The State:  Donald Trump still is leading the S.C. Republican presidential race after the weekend’s explosive GOP debate in Greenville.  But the race for second place in Saturday’s primary appears to be narrowing.  Behind Trump, who has 35 percent support in a new poll, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas are tied for second place — at 18 percent each, according to a Public Policy Polling survey released exclusively Monday to The State.  Ohio Gov. John Kasich is in fourth at 10 percent support, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, tied with 7 percent support each.  If those numbers hold it isn't great news for Trump.  He can't get out of the mid-thirties, and is a frontrunner in name only  The numbers mean that 65% of those polled are not for him, not good news for the "frontrunner." 

SOUTH CAROLINA POLL – DEMS – From The State:   In the Democratic race, frontrunner Hillary Clinton still holds a double-digit lead — 55-34 — over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, according to a separate poll of 525 likely Democratic primary voters.  Sanders and Clinton are tied among white S.C. voters, the poll said. But Clinton has a strong lead among African-American voters, expected to make up more than half of Democratic primary voters. Among those voters, 63 percent said they back Clinton compared to 23 percent for Sanders.  Fourteen percent of black Democratic voters said they were undecided.  If the numbers hold, Clinton will have a respectable victory.  But will they hold?  Sanders has made substantial progress against Hillary in every state in which the two have campaigned.  The Dem Nevada caucuses are this weekend.  South Carolina votes a week later.  If Bernie upsets Hillary in Nevada, he could get a bounce in Nevada. 

MADDENING – From Gallup:  PRINCETON, N.J. -- Americans are evenly split when asked if the U.S. is No. 1 in the world militarily, with 49% saying "yes" and 49% saying "no." The current percentage who view the U.S. as No. 1 is, by a small margin, the lowest Gallup has recorded in its 23-year trend. It also marks a significant downturn from last February, when 59% said the U.S. was the world's top military power.  Ah, the effects of one president.  I'm sure he'll be pleased with the poll.  Why be number one in military power?  It's so...so...unprogressive.

February 15, 2016