Posted on 11/24/2015 7:00:01 AM PST by Isara
With less than 70 days to the Iowa Caucus, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is seeing larger numbers at his events, increased fundraising, and a momentum that has propelled him to second place in Tuesday's Quinnipiac University poll of Iowa Republican Caucus-goers. Cruz's support has doubled since the last Quinnipiac poll four weeks ago and he finds himself in a dead heat with Donald Trump for the top spot.
"The difference over the last two or three months each time he comes to the state, it just seems like there's more excitement and people seem to be starting to understand that they have their champion in this election cycle," Cruz's Iowa State Director Bryan English told ABC News.
There's a growing consensus among Iowa's conservatives that they must elect someone this time around who can get past the early states as Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum struggled to do.
"There is a great deal of frustration that the last two times, those candidates weren't able to take that caucus win and turn it into a nomination," said English.
Loras Schulte is so excited about Cruz that he resigned last week from the state's central committee with the Iowa Republican Party, a position that requires its members to remain neutral.
"Here's a man that's willing to stand-up on the floor of the Senate and call out the leadership, the Republican leadership in the Senate," Schulte told ABC. "It's not someone I would look at as a quintessential insider. It can't just be about making it to South Carolina. It's about going the distance."
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Cruz's Iowa team said one of the reasons why Cruz is starting to catch on is that he doesn't just appeal to evangelicals, but also to libertarians, moderate Republicans, and even some Democrats.
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(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Cruz is indeed catching fire. As more people pay attention, more are seeing what they’re looking for in their next president in Senator Ted Cruz.
Latest “surge” candidate...think Kasich (before 1st debate), Fiorina (after first debate), Rubio (after 2nd debate), Carson (between debates),Christie (after third debate), now Cruz because Carson is sinking and the media/GOPe train need somebody to take out Trump. Yes, the GOPe would even support Conservative Ted to try to usurp Trump, then turn on Ted in a NY second to prop up Bush/Rubio (now there’s the dream GOPe ticket) once the dust settles.
Cruz is not a “surge candidate.” He’s been on the scene since the beginning and steadily has won people over with good organization and consistent and articulate messaging. The more people hear him speak the more they like him.
As the article says further on, it's not only Republican evangelicals who see this difference, it's also "libertarians, moderate Republicans, and even some Democrats."
Cruz isn't the insider which is the reason he's catching fire the way he is. Cruz has had to overcome initial bad press, but once he does this and the electorate see that the impression was cultivated by the press and GOPe, their eyes are opened.
Catching fire is the absolute perfect phrase. Smart. Which is, of course, typical for Ted Cruz.
Predicted this 6 weeks ago. One only has to STRONG ground game in Iowa.
His exceptional debate performances coupled with the Steve King endorsement certainly did not hurt.
If true and lasting that Cruz is catching on, I personally would renew my initial, enthusiastic support for him IF he pledges to support reduced legal immigration and reduced and restricted H1b visas and withdraws support for the destructive trade agreements.
He sounds good, until it slowly dawns on used to be middle classers that they are not his concern.
Jonah Goldberg was on Fox discussing the Iowa situation. He said, “Trump may be hesitant to attack Cruz. Cruz is the kind of guy to swim across a moat in the middle of the night with a knife in his teeth and fight back.” LOL!
Add Carson’s numbers to Cruz and Trump is in big trouble.
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How’s that industrial tinfoil hat working out for you?
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Cruz is easily capable of demolishing Trump with a few careful sentences when the time comes. There is no rush, patience is a virtue.
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