Cruz: I can win some blue states in the general election

Politico ^ | 01/14/16 | Nolan D. McCaskill

[Isara]

Ted Cruz believes he can win some blue states in a general election, specifically Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and New Hampshire - all states the Republican nominee lost to Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections.

Cruz said Mitt Romney and John McCain, the past two Republican nominees for president, lost those states because millions of conservatives didn't vote.

"We haven't been bringing out the Reagan Democrats. I believe our campaign will do that," Cruz said in an interview with U.S. News & World Report published Thursday. "And I'll point out, what we do know doesn't work is following the Bob Dole-John McCain-Mitt Romney plan - that, we know, produces double-digit losses. So, the Washington conventional wisdom is that we need to keep moving further and further left and sounding more and more like the Democrats. And every time we do that we lose by bigger and bigger margins."

In New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state, Cruz polls fourth in a RealClearPolitics average of state polls at 10.8 percent. Donald Trump dominates the field at 30 percent, but Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are in striking distance at 13 and 11 percent, respectively. Cruz maintains that his campaign is "underestimated" there but that his message is resonating with voters.

"Again looking at the informed voters, when we're there in front of a rally, early on, our rallies had two and three times the number of people that the Jeb Bush and Scott Walker rallies had, back when they were the expected dominant players," he said. "So I believe the message resonates well there."

"We have not put the resources into TV yet; we just went up on air, so we will be," Cruz continued. "Many of the people statewide haven't heard our message and have heard everybody else's. So I think we have a lot of upside. It's fairly remarkable, given that the rest of the field has spent $50 million, we've spent zero, that we are, in a variety of polls, essentially in a three-way tie for second."

[SubMareener]

Free Stuff for All!! Yeh!! Now we know that Donald Trump is just a stalking horse for Bernie! But at least the Witch is Dead!

[lone star annie]

Yes I am sure when the Dems tie you to Goldman Sachs and Citibank the Blue States will all go for you big time. Dream on Teddy.

His wife’s working for GS is the reason I decided to not support him. Now looks like Ted was just fine with her employment.

PFFFT!!

[FourPeas]

It's fairly remarkable, given that the rest of the field has spent $50 million, we've spent zero, that we are, in a variety of polls, essentially in a three-way tie for second."

This is the point. The establishment line is that the only name recognition Cruz has is bad thanks to the MSM and theor GOP allies. Even so, the GOPe candidates don't poll much better. When voters take the time to learn more about Ted Cruz, they discover they like what they see.