Ted Cruz taps Matt Schultz to head Iowa campaign (Supported Santorum's winning caucus bid)

CNN Politics ^ | April 29, 2015 | Mark Preston

[dangus]

Thanks for the fact check. But you’ll agree my point still stands.

[dangus]

Bush beat Buchanan in New Hampshire, 53-37. But Buchanan’s strong showing propelled his campaign so much that I bet a lot of other people believe Buchanan won.

You say, “[New Hampshire] picked Reagan twice (so did everyone else).” But Reagan lost Iowa. He started winning after he won New Hampshire, so that one supports my point. In 1976, he almost beat Ford... but he lost New Hampshire.

Harold Stassen won twice as many “primary” votes nationwide as Thomas Dewey, but the primaries were a mere opinion poll, not a real election. Earl Warren won the most votes, but he was from California, and California was one of thew few large states to have a primary at all. (Illinois, Pennsylavia and Massachusetts did.)

Henry Cabot Lodge was an anomaly, because he was from New England.

I have to give you 2000, since McCain did beat Bush, and Bush went on to win. But even in that case, it should be noted that McCain’s entire strategy was win New Hampshire at all costs, with no attention at all paid to Iowa. And it nearly worked, despite being heavily outspent by Bush: it wasn’t until Super Tuesday that Bush pulled away. (Even on Super Tuesday, McCain won VErmont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, but California’s winner-take-all killed him.)