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Cruz Surges, Trump Shows Vulnerability
National Review ^ | March 5, 2016 | Rich Lowry

Posted on 03/06/2016 4:57:44 AM PST by reaganaut1

It was a great night for Ted Cruz, and an encouraging one for opponents of Trump. The Texan won a smashing victory in Kansas and an unexpected one in Maine. Trump took Kentucky and Louisiana, the bigger states today, but only by narrow margins. The finish in Louisiana was particularly noteworthy. Trump had built up a big lead in the early voting, so big that the networks called it for Trump almost immediately on that basis, but Trump’s margin steadily eroded away as the votes that has been cast today came in. This was a sign that something had hurt Trump over the last several days–there are many things to choose from, but the debate looms particularly large. (The divergence between the early voting and the voting today is also a textbook case of why early voting is a bad idea.) Cruz’s big margins in his states and Trump’s narrow margins in his states mean, importantly, that Cruz gained on him a bit in the delegate count.

The other big story was the collapse of Marco Rubio, who wasn’t a factor anywhere. Something has clearly hurt him, whether the tone of his attacks on Trump, Trump’s constant belittling of him, his lackluster debate performance, or all of the above. Absent a surprise on Tuesday or a fantastic debate next week, Rubio is going to be limping into the political fight of his life in Florida a week from Tuesday.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cruz; trump; yellowjournalism
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To: cuban leaf

I got very excited last night, but then I looked at all of the WTA races ahead with big delegate numbers and trump ahead big.

the difference is, if his lead falls from 22 to 1, he still gets it all.

I will support him, I just think I got faked out last night is all.


41 posted on 03/06/2016 5:58:38 AM PST by dp0622
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To: qman

Well said.


42 posted on 03/06/2016 6:01:36 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Trump to McCain - "Pass the strawberries".)
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To: toddausauras

Caucuses are screwy, which is why I think Cruz does well in them.


43 posted on 03/06/2016 6:04:07 AM PST by jospehm20
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To: cuban leaf

” People who like trump here are similar to Hillary supporters. If you even suggest that there may be reasons to not vote for him they get a little crazy.”

Because that doesn’t sound like Cruz people at all.

They will never call you a “fake Christian”, fake conservative”, say you are in a cult, say you hate the constitution, or question your intelligence.

Nope.....No sir, never a Cruz supporter has ever become “a little crazy” at all.


44 posted on 03/06/2016 6:05:39 AM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: reaganaut1
Cruz Surges...

What one would expect, on Super Cruzday.

45 posted on 03/06/2016 6:09:22 AM PST by C210N (Supporting the Constitutional Conservative in the race. Constitutional Conservative Cruz.)
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To: georgiarat

I don’t understand why Trump would call for Rubio and Kasich to get out, that helps Cruz, I really don’t see many Kasich or Rubio voters going to Trump.
If Cruz were to drop out it would be over!!!!


46 posted on 03/06/2016 6:10:41 AM PST by qman
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To: Mouton

I may be giddily optimistic but I think the polls will be against Rubio in Florida and Kasich in Ohio, causing them both to drop out rather than be embarrassed by a loss in their own states. I think Cruz is well poised to win in Michigan, my state. No way will Kasich do well in Michigan.


47 posted on 03/06/2016 6:12:31 AM PST by MomwithHope (Missing you /johnny (JRandomFreeper).)
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To: Mr Apple

[The way Cruz cheated Carson is unforgivable. Same atrocious qualities as the common thief!]

Complete BS. You do realize this was a meme push by the progressive establishment to damage Cruz after his Iowa win, right?


48 posted on 03/06/2016 6:13:59 AM PST by KansasGirl (I voted for Ted Cruz today!)
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To: reaganaut1
Trump has a vulnerability that hasn't been much discussed, and that is what will happen when he is one on one with Cruz or Hillary on the debate stage.

Trump's atrocious debate behavior is discreditable. He has been able, however, to take advantage of a crowded stage to turn multiple debates into mud wrestling contests. Trump hurls an insult, says something idiotic, tells a lie, changes the subject, interrupts, or talks over everyone else ... and the event flows on, in a degraded kind of way, because there are multiple candidates fighting for time instead of one opponent who can focus on the imbecility of the moment.

To this point, whenever Trump drops a bomb, we get crosstalk, and the moderators move on with new questions. It will be a different game when a single opponent can press the point.

I would not be surprised if Trump refuses to participate in one on one debates, because he is not well enough informed or quick enough on his feet to hold his own in a setting where he can't simply hurl an insult and change the subject. Cruz will utterly destroy him one on one, if we get to that point. But Trumpsters needs to understand that so will Hillary, and even Bernie, who is also a fool but who has better manners, better delivery, and better lines, and who know a lot more than Donald.

49 posted on 03/06/2016 6:15:06 AM PST by sphinx
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To: MomwithHope

Rubio is getting crushed in his home state polls right now. Yesterday they held an event in Jacksonville which was widely publicized and attended by a tepid response.

I would not count Kasich out in Ohio, I think he has a pretty good base of respect there. The real race, albeit it is a winner take all, is whom finishes second between Cruz and Trump as they will split the insurgent outsider vote there. I doubt Kasich gets 50%.


50 posted on 03/06/2016 6:18:06 AM PST by Mouton (The insurrection laws maintain the status quo now.)
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To: cuban leaf
Because Trump’s temperament could lead to WWIII.

That's exactly what the establishment and the left said about Reagan.

Time for some new material, don't you think?

51 posted on 03/06/2016 6:20:28 AM PST by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of Socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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To: patq

I really hope you are right. I’m in Florida, and everyone I know is for Trump. I even know some former Rubio Senate supporters in Jupiter who have crossed over and are major Trump supporters now. Since I still vote in NY I will vote an absentee ballot for Trump. He is carrying upstate NY by a huge margin over Hillary, and her numbers in NYC are way lower than a normal Democrat candidate. I think Trump will carry NY in the primary if Rubio is out by then. Cruz will never win NY.


52 posted on 03/06/2016 6:20:51 AM PST by upstatenyrepublican
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To: jospehm20

In Maine the only difference between a caucus and a primary is the number of voting locations statewide. I live in Maine, there were only 20 +- locations to vote, you didn’t have to stay for any speeches, just walk in and vote and leave. Closed voting only registered republicans.
Paul LePage is governor of Maine, he’s a bit of an embarrassment to the party. He tends to bloviate in ways that suggest racism, or arrogance. He was nearly impeached last year, but the party stood for him and blocked it!
LePage was very fortunate that he had an independent straw in both gubernatorial elections or he would not have won. He only got about 42 percent of the vote both times.
Trump lost here because we know where this kind of blowviating leads, we have experience. His endorsement carries very little weight with the Maine Republican party!
Finally as a Mainer, let me be frank, neither Trump or Cruz will win Maine, we are one of the bluest states in the Nation, sadly!
But it is absolutely beautiful here, that’s why i stay, even as a Texan!


53 posted on 03/06/2016 6:25:52 AM PST by qman
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To: cuban leaf

Of the 6 largest GOPe donors Cruz has 4 supporting him, he has a bunch of ex Bush campaign staff now on his payroll, he voted for the Corker Bill and TPP.

Cruz is a lot things but anti-establishment he is not.

As Trump says, Cruz “is a liar.


54 posted on 03/06/2016 6:26:19 AM PST by stockpirate (We must burn down the republican party, to save it for “We the People” (Palin Trump is the 1st wav)
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To: reaganaut1

Lost in all the fog of punditry is what is happening.

The contest is now between Trump and Cruz.

Cruz is gaining delegates that are in reality bargaining chips to be traded to the Dealmaker for something of value. The question is what will be asked of Trump for the delegates and a unanimous convention

What is unmentioned is the power of the deal


55 posted on 03/06/2016 6:27:46 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump.)
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To: cuban leaf

Why must Cruz dupporters hurl insults at Trump supporters, and don’t say we started it.


56 posted on 03/06/2016 6:31:31 AM PST by stockpirate (We must burn down the republican party, to save it for “We the People” (Palin Trump is the 1st wav)
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To: VanDeKoik

Because that doesn’t sound like Cruz people at all.

They will never call you a “fake Christian”, fake conservative”, say you are in a cult, say you hate the constitution, or question your intelligence.

Nope.....No sir, never a Cruz supporter has ever become “a little crazy” at all.


Straw man.

I was pretty clear. Some will, but it is the Trump supporter MO, just as it is the liberal MO. When I first noticed it, I was flabbergasted. I’ve just come to expect it, as I had, a long time ago with liberals. There are bad actors on all sides, of all issues. But usually one side has the patent on it. ;-)


57 posted on 03/06/2016 6:33:04 AM PST by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
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To: Las Vegas Ron

That’s exactly what the establishment and the left said about Reagan.

Time for some new material, don’t you think?


It’s also what they said about Goldwater.

But I’m not talking about Goldwater. And I’m not talking about Reagan. I’m talking about Trump.


58 posted on 03/06/2016 6:34:41 AM PST by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
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To: stockpirate

You need to look at Cruz’s ENTIRE record, as well as Trump’s.

Jesus is not running for president. Compare the candidates ON THEIR RECORD, and then choose wisely.


59 posted on 03/06/2016 6:35:39 AM PST by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
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To: cuban leaf

“Straw man.”

Nope.

Now tell me which one of those I cited are not true.

I dont want to hear an attempt at going on a tangent because you just got nailed on your hypocrisy.


60 posted on 03/06/2016 6:36:06 AM PST by VanDeKoik
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