Posted on 01/03/2016 12:40:49 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
It's 2016 (finally)! Iowa voters will head to their caucuses in four weeks. The country will pick a new president in about 10 months. It's all happening, people.
Given all of that, it's time to revisit my rankings of the candidates who could be the Republican presidential nominee in November. It's a shrinking list but still far longer than that of the Democrats' side, where it's Hillary Clinton's race to lose (still).
The candidate ranked No. 1 below is the most likely, as of now, to be the GOP nominee. And, for the record, I think it's possible (if not probable) that we go into Cleveland for the Republican National Convention in July with no candidate with enough delegates to be the nominee.
1. Ted Cruz: The senator from Texas has been underestimated and underrated at every step of the primary process. No longer. Cruz is now solidly in first place in Iowa and, barring some sort of unforeseen collapse, will win the first-in-the-nation caucuses. He also should run well in South Carolina on Feb. 20 and in the "SEC primary" on March 1. Cruz, thanks to Donald Trump, is now being seen in some GOP circles as a conservative, non-disastrous alternative to the real estate mogul. And, unlike other conservative insurgents of the past, Cruz has the money -- both in his campaign committee and in a constellation of super PACs backing him -- to last for the duration of the race....
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
There is a prospect of an open convention. It’s more possible than in recent years that nobody gets a majority of delegates going to the convention.
If that happens, the Establishment will try hard to control it, but if they can take down Trump, the most likely beneficiary is Cruz.
Taht should drive the GOPe crazy!
Ha, ha. In your dreams.
Piss Poor reasoning. Obvious minithinker.
no
Go Cruz!
Trump 80 percent
Cruz 15 percent
Rubio 5 percent
No other candidate will be considered.
Convenient math if the author ignores that pesky NH...
The fact is, Cruz isn’t even leading in Texas. As the past 8 years have shown, Iowa is no longer the “trendsetter” for the nation.
The Iowa Caucuses will shed light on the rest of the primaries. If TED CRUZ prevails in Iowa, than it’s Katie bar the door.
Why doesn’t the WaPo write a story about the chances of Hillary being indicted?
You think Cruz won’t win Texas? That’s not what things look like where I’m at.
He’s got Rubio losing Iowa, NH, and SC, yet ranks him #2, ahead of Trump at #3, because Rubio “has emerged as the establishment favorite.”
Being GOPe favorite and some change will get you a cup of coffee.
Notice that all the Dem libs and the GOP establishmentarians are rooting for Cruz.
As far as they are concerned, it’s anything but Trump, even though Trump has continued to lead by wide margins.
Also, if Trump loses Iowa, it’s not fatal for him. He’s leveraged so many states that he still comes out ahead.
If Cruz loses Iowa, it’s fatal because he doesn’t have a prayer of winning NH a week later. This one-two punch will put Cruz in a worse spot than he already is.
Yeah, but which "GOP circles"? THE GOP country club set? The big, multi-national businessmen?
Because from what I can tell, the average American is not looking for some "non-disastrous" alternative to Trump. They're looking for someone exactly like Trump.
The polls on RCP have Trump beating Cruz in TX for many months. Trump’s rally in Beaumont drew 8,000.
Trump’s lead pretty much every poll for the last 6 months and The Washington Post cannot get its around this fact. The idea that, at this point, he’s not the most likely nominee is just ridiculous.
Ted Cruz: The senator from Texas has been underestimated and underrated at every step of the primary process. No longer. Cruz is now solidly in first place in Iowa and, barring some sort of unforeseen collapse, will win the first-in-the-nation caucuses. He also should run well in South Carolina on Feb. 20 and in the “SEC primary” on March 1. Cruz, thanks to Donald Trump, is now being seen in some GOP circles as a conservative, non-disastrous alternative to the real estate mogul.
TRUMP AND TRUMPEES IN DENIAL - BUT HEY, THAT IS NOTHING NEW. LIE, BURP, LIE, BURP. Pretend you are greatest and suckups believe you despite your long detailed history.
NOTE: The general public is not deluded like you. Ain’t gonna happen for you.
Going back 40 or so years shows that Iowa is barely 50-50 as a “predictor” of who will win the nomination.
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