Posted on 01/29/2016 5:25:37 AM PST by 20yearsofinternet
In the final debate before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses, Ted Cruz had the worst night of the seven GOP presidential candidates on stage Thursday.
That's according to a plurality of the Republican members of The POLITICO Caucus - a panel of strategists, operatives and activists in Iowa and the other three February-voting states: New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. The insiders participated in the survey immediately following the debate in Des Moines, an event more notable for the absence of Iowa and national poll-leader Donald Trump than anything else.
More than 4-in-10 GOP insiders - given the choice of the seven GOP candidates on the stage, plus Trump - rated Cruz as the loser of Thursday night's debate, citing his defensive posture on his past immigration stances and opposition to ethanol subsidies.
"He seemed plastic and insincere," said one Iowa Republican, who, like all respondents, completed the post-debate survey anonymously. "The crowd clearly liked Gov. [Terry] Branstad a lot more than they like Ted Cruz."
*SNIP*
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
If DT really wanted to dismember the DC cartel he’d hold Ted close to him. He’s jealous.
No matter the ratings, the Media/Uni-Party Complex is massing this morning to destroy Ted Cruz by any means necessary. They want Cruz rendered irrelevant before he leaves Iowa for New Hampshire.
The fix is in for Jeb.
You are right, that is not leadership. That puts a single press outlet as superior over the command decision of a leader.
And it's not as though Trump has cut FoxNews out altogether. The stakes were only one debate.
I disagree that Cruz was plastic and insincere. I think Cruz overall did a good job in a debate where he was often the target of attacks.
Nevertheless, he did lose badly and not to anyone on stage with him but to Trump, who had Cruz stuck way downfield before the debate even began. With Cruz behind in Iowa and Trump running out the clock, Cruz had to move the ball forward, and he didnt. Major failure.
There is still time on the clock but Cruz is in the same bad position today, after a debate before millions, that he was in yesterday. What is he going to do with his remaining time? Its not clear he even has the ball anymore. He had it last night, in front of an audience of millions, and didnt move it forward a single yard.
What did he have to do last night to move the ball forward? He had to press Trump on the one-on-one debate. That was his only winning play. That opening high school standup comedy routine (dont quit your day job, Ted) was a clear fumble.
He needed to go deep, with an angry and repeated call for a one-on-one debate with Trump. He did not do that. Why not?
Two reasons, I believe, one minor, one major.
The minor reason is he would have offended his hosts Fox News, implying that their Trumpless debate was a failure.
But the major reason is that Trump had already intercepted that pass earlier in the day, by saying a one-on-one debate must be proceeded by a judges ruling that Cruz is eligible for the office of president.
So Cruz was stuck deep in his own territory, arguing strategy with the likes of Rubio and Yeb.
Major, major, fail.
In the meantime, Trump recovered possession by appearing on stage and in concert with Huckabee and Santorum, the two previous Iowa primary winners.
Trump will win Iowa by at least 7 points.
Thats a touchdown.
I started out as an enthusiastic Cruz supporter. Then his H1B visa stance and his support of TPA had me wondering. Then I began to see that “something” about the way he talks at people. You might be starting that road, now that you’ve seen that his “humor” isn’t really funny and it isn’t satire.
And we needed another debate like we need...whatever...
It was all about Fox and their money tree.
Well, the Canadian and the Cuban anchor baby aren't eligible, elitist JEB just plain sucks out loud, everybody hates Kung-fu Kasich, and Ben "the man" Carson zzzzzzzzz...
Who does that leave?
How did the “debate” ratings compare to the Trump event?
“Ted Cruz had the worst night of the seven GOP presidential candidates on stage Thursday.
He’s been debating in Trump’s shadow and largely the fire has been at trump.
If you had any doubts before, then realize that Donald Trump has at least revealed that the GOP-E long knives are out for Cruz any chance they get.
Especially if they can get Trump out of the way
Before Trump entered the race, Cruz was alternately attacked and frozen out by the press and fellow Repubs. Trump entering actually helped him, in a way, by drawing all the fire onto himself. Without Trump there, Cruz goes back to being the one to beat and the one who has to be beaten. So he again drew all the fire last night.
That said, he acquitted himself pretty well.
And, that said, the Fox press monkeys proved that Trump was right about them. It was not as bad a debate as it might have been, mainly since most of the candidates ignore the questions and talk about what they want to talk about. But really, the Fox moderators are the worst and seem to think the debate is, not between the candidates, but between Fox versus the candidates.
That would have been a classy and awesome response...hat tip to you.
The more I see of Trump the less I like him. I know I’m not alone.
What he accomplished last night was literally an attempt to shut down debate. He could have held the fundraiser tonight, but it wasn’t about the Vets, it was about him.
Megalomaniacs make lousy leaders. Obama is a case in point.
... lol ... or third ...
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Cruz should have realized his time was not this time - Trump is a tsunami - Cruz should have kept to his earlier strategy of deference for Trump and set himself up for the next race.
It’s what we’ve been saying all along, Cruz is doing well because Trump is taking all the flak. Trump flew a different route last night and Cruz was the target.
It has to be Trump/Cruz if we are going to defeat the Progressive Media Establishment.
It was about a disagreement with Fox.
How could he have shut down debate? Everyone else was there and Cruz got hammered.
I prefer Cruz to Trump, and I thought he did alright as well. However, I do not think he comes off as charismatic. He seems intelligent and sincere, but he does not use the sort of rhetoric that stirs men's souls. Trump has the rhetoric, but IMO less substance. Rubio and Christie both present well, but they are open borders RINOs, so no sale.
I actually enjoyed the debate. It was educational rather than entertaining. I wish Trump had boycotted all of them.
I thought Cruz laid back a little, just like Trump did the debate before. Its what the leaders do. But your right he did fine. The media sees their chance and is in full narrative mode this AM.
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