Posted on 01/02/2016 9:24:11 PM PST by VinL
Ted Cruz has to win the Iowa caucuses.
Not because there's something magical about Iowa or its predictive powers.
No, Cruz can't afford to lose in Iowa because he's already predicted, unequivocally and without reservation, that he will win Iowa. And while Cruz is in so many ways an unconventional politician, there are certain immutable rules in politics.
One is that falling short of expectations in Iowa or New Hampshire is bad.
"He will win Iowa. We're very confident he will win Iowa," Cruz campaign co chairman Chad Sweet declared last month.
It's a bold prediction, though not outside the realm of possibility.
By mid December, Cruz had already overtaken billionaire Donald Trump in Iowa.
And to cement his lead, he embarks Monday on a six day barnstorming tour that includes stops in 28 of Iowa's 99 counties. That will bring him close to a "full Grassley", a feat he vowed last June to complete. It's named for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican who makes it a point to visit every county in the state each year.
Lots of these counties have more livestock than voters, and that's not just a saying. The last U.S. census counted 6,462 people in Osceola County, the least populous on Cruzâs itinerary this week, and the last U.S. Agriculture Department report showed 38,500 head of cattle.
Turnout in the big cities of Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport will overshadow even a landslide in such a tiny pocket. But from Muscatine to Spirit Lake, it warms an Iowan's heart to know that a potential president cares enough to try.
Cruz certainly has put more effort into the state than most. He has volunteers in every county. He's rented a college dorm outside Des Moines for Texas supporters to live in when...
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
I can't see Cruz winning by less than 10%.
Rita is among the formerly coherent posters who have been brainwashed by the kool aid. Are we screwed as a country? yes, for so many reasons....but the biggest is that the smartest half of the electorate has now gone bat shit crazy.
When I hear the phrase “Iowa caucuses” a vision of pandering GOPe supporters comes to mind.
Trump “is not one of them” and of course, he will not win.
It is a long shot but Ted Cruz may win and if he does, at least, we will have a “non establishment” candidate selected over the slimy pool of “yes men” pre-selected by the GOPe.
We’re watching people become national socialists (democrats).
They openly declare they don’t care about the constitution. They openly declare they want a dictator. They apparently don’t want closed primaries because they want democrats voting for Rump (We’re talking about hard left ideological democrats). They apparently only want the super rich aristocracy to run. They’re fine with subsidies as long as they’re paid out here in America.
Cruz has caucus participants. Trump has fans. We’ll see which turn out in February.
Yep, this is secular nationalism.....not true liberty focused patriotism. They just want their odor of dictator using the powerful levers of government....
Isn't that what we want in a president? What's Trump's fallback position?
There's never that follow-up question, at least that I can remember.
Nor is there with Trump. Trump says he want's to keep every Muslim in the world from entering the U.S.? The followup question is "how"? No word on that. Trump wants to establish a big, beautiful safe zone in Syria? The followup to that is, again, "how"? Again no word on that. Trump is promising the moon and nobody is asking the followup question. Or when they do the candidate says nothing.
“We will win.”
LOL!
What else is a campaign manager to say?
But no, he just has to do well there and in the other early primaries.
There are ‘professional Iowa primary candidates’ who distort the Iowa vote. Carson too this time.
I wonder how many of us they would be willing to kill to get their way. I’ve already been threatened with deportation by one of these clowns and my family has been here since the mid 1600s but I expressed some un-trumpsman like thoughts.
I will continue to resist fascism no matter what color flag it flies.
Then there are the constant 180 degree turns Rump makes sometimes within hours.
One day on O’Reilly’s show Rump says we have a humanitarian responsibility to bring in refugees from the mideast. The very next day he starts his ‘Ban all muslim immigration’ line.
Back in the spring he said Hillary was doing good against the partisan Benghazi questioning. By July he was saying that he would make Trey Gowdy his attorney general pick and now he’s declaring Gowdy a failure and the investigation over with Hillary walking free. (He’s apparently not bright enough to figure out that its still ongoing)
In November he declared that wages are too high, on December 28th he declared that wages are too low.
He flaps his gums about how bad congress is then questions Ted Cruz’s judgement and calls him a maniac for opposing them. If I question the judgement of anyone its the guy with a history of voting for and funding democrats.
When I hear the phrase “Iowa caucuses” a vision of pandering GOPe supporters comes to mind.
Trump “is not one of them” and of course, he will not win.
Also do a little research to see which candidate was in Iowa and proclaimed he was for ethanol subsidies...AND pointed out to the Iowan voters that Cruz was against ethanol subsidies!!
I’ll save you some trouble because you obviously don’t care...you are just on this thread to trash Cruz.
The answer to the above pandering questions is Donald Trump!!
Hmmm, not sure bout that. Pretty sure Trumps prideful, egocentric, narcissism would kinda get on God's nerves.
I watched a live stream of Trump in Buloxi, MS last evening. Gotta say, the guyz entertaining. What I notice though is his mannerisms are pretty sophomoric, he throws insult after insult and speaks with very little substance. Catchy cute lil phrases.
He has repeated the same lines over and over for months. Very little policy initiative goals, solutions and fabric to grasp hold of.
I I I, Me Me Me, Look what I've done, what I've accomplished, I'm good I'm great, you're stupid, you're a loser, I'm gonna this, I'm gonna that. I'm filthy rich, you're a sad sad man. I'm on top, you're falling apart.
So, I listened throughout the rally and I STILL today wonder if I can trust a man that really seems little more than a squeaky wheel. Just my take. Don't dislike what he is saying, just dislike the arrogance.
This evangelical is voting Cruz. All I hear out of Trump is what tickles the ear and we are warned in 2ND Timothy of that; 2 Timothy 4:3 KJV
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Trumps record speaks for itself, changed parties 5 times, donates big time to Dems. His latest while running for GOP President is to the DEM GUN GRABBING VA Governor. Supported Carter, Clinton. &h=1AQFHeruC
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-donations-democrats-hillary-clinton-119071
Trump defends Planned Parenthood
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/250936-trump-defends-planned-parenthood
I’m going. Anyone else?
Trump is acting like the president and looks like the president.
He is going out of his way right now not to focus or talk about Iowa. He is the cream of the cream as an executive and he is letting his lieutenants do what is necessary to win Iowa.
He will take Iowa by shocking numbers and crush the competition.
The Trump brand is second to none and Trump has the magic touch. Whoever opposes him gets trounced.
Trump win run the tables and shock the world.
I had forgotten about the wind energy subsidies.
You seem to have a real serious reading comprehension defect. I stated the following: It is a long shot but Ted Cruz may win and if he does, at least, we will have a ânon establishmentâ candidate selected over the slimy pool of âyes menâ pre-selected by the GOPe.
Where did I trash Ted Cruz. As a matter of fact do a little research before you spew your blather by going over all of my posts since this election cycle began and find a single word in which I ever trashed Ted Cruz.
I rank both Trump and Cruz at the same level.
The statement you made about Trump was
When I hear the phrase âIowa caucusesâ a vision of pandering GOPe supporters comes to mind.
Trump âis not one of themâ and of course, he will not win.
I took it to mean that you were saying Trump did not pander...and therefore he will not win.
And since we were on a thread talking about Cruz needing to win Iowa, I assumed you were implying Cruz was pandering to win Iowa.
It seems to be a sure thing that Cruz or Trump will win Iowa.
Trump although he is not GOPe has pandered there to get votes.
And it seemed that you were saying only a GOPe candidate will win Iowa.
Cruz is not GOPe.
It seemed like you were taking a swipe at Cruz while defending Trump.
My apologies for not looking at your posting history.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.