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Surprise: Trump goes positive, yanks ad attacking Cruz in South Carolina
Hot Air.com ^ | February 11, 2016 | ALLAHPUNDIT

Posted on 02/11/2016 6:37:09 PM PST by Kaslin

From now on, if you want to hear how Cruz is an unlikable illegal immigrant from Canada with a nasty disposition who cheated Ben Carson, has run wild like a “maniac” in the Senate, is on the take from Goldman Sachs, and, by the way, is a “pussy,” you’ll have to settle for watching Trump’s rallies or one of his 35 interviews a day on cable news.

When it comes to ads, he’s all about positivity.

On Tuesday, Donald J. Trump's campaign started running a negative ad in South Carolina against Senator Ted Cruz that was searing, describing the winner of the Iowa Republican caucuses as a fake and a "Washington insider."

The spot also scolded Mr. Cruz for his campaign's role in spreading claims that Ben Carson had suspended his campaign while the caucuses were taking place; Mr. Carson, in fact, had not ended his candidacy, and Mr. Cruz later apologized to him.

But on Wednesday the spot was abruptly pulled down by the campaign. The Wall Street Journal reported on the strategic shift, saying that Mr. Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, had made the decision to go with all positive spots beginning on Thursday. Mr. Lewandowski made the decision after seeing that Mr. Trump's more positive-focused tone in New Hampshire appeared to help him at the end, according to The Journal.

That’s one possibility. Trump fans may like mean Trump but undecideds who are worried about his temperament surely prefer nice Trump. Another possibility per Sean Davis is that this is just another case of Trump demonstrating his mastery of the media, knowing that his ad will get plenty of free hype now from cable news as The Ad That Even Trump Thought Was Too Negative. I think there’s probably an element too of Trump wanting to play the victim next week, knowing that Cruz has little choice but to attack him as a fake conservative, a Christian in name only, and a loose cannon. Trump likes to be seen as a counterpuncher so that he can claim self-defense when he’s accused of being a bully. He’ll probably get more mileage out of telling people “look how statesmanlike I’m being as Ted Cruz throws the kitchen sink at me” than he will from running one ad a few times on South Carolina TV. Attack ads, after all, are what politicians do, and Trump’s not supposed to be a politician. So long as he sticks to ripping Cruz to shreds in earned media rather than paid media, he’s still an “outsider,” I guess.

Speaking of ads, here’s a new one from Cruz that dropped this afternoon targeting … Marco Rubio. You can see the strategy here: To beat Trump, Cruz needs to consolidate conservatives, and plenty of conservatives are still behind Rubio. I don’t know if goofing on Rubio voters for having been naive is the best approach to conversion, though. I also don’t know how long Cruz and Rubio are planning to wait on attacking Trump in earnest while each tries to eliminate the other. Righties have been screaming at them and (especially) Jeb Bush for months to stop waging this dangerous war to become the one true Anti-Trump while Trump advances through the primaries unhindered on the assumption that there might be time to stop him later, but it looks like that’ll have to wait until Nevada, and maybe even the southern primaries, at the earliest.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: ad; attack; cruz; negative; positive; trump
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To: 20yearsofinternet

curious of your name. are you only 20 years on the internet?


81 posted on 02/11/2016 8:18:13 PM PST by kvanbrunt2
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To: mylife
Hey Babe!

NOTHING amiss with YOUR hair!

And BTW, NOTHING amiss with HIS hair either in person, and the same goes with his face and complexion!

He has wonderful facial skin and it's NOT orange! It's WAS NOT TANNED BY ANY ARTIFICIAL MEANS on the evening I met him and he was closely shaved.

Were I in charge of his TV appearances, I would first check the studio lighting! I would dispense of ALL yellow and red lighting!!! I am certain this lighting is done on purpose!



82 posted on 02/11/2016 8:19:17 PM PST by onyx (IF YOU'RE POSTING HERE, HOPE YOU'RE A DONOR! FReepLoaders are RUDE.)
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To: JBW1949

Maybe he’s not, but he IS PRO America...That’s what I want in office.

Me too!

Country BEFORE ‘party’!


83 posted on 02/11/2016 8:21:15 PM PST by austinaero
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To: kvanbrunt2

How old do you think the internet is?

remember the binary groups?? it was a wasteland 25 years ago but smart men rallied together and now there is a ring in everyones nose.


84 posted on 02/11/2016 8:22:16 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: onyx

You are forgiving LOL!


85 posted on 02/11/2016 8:23:32 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: onyx

You are forgiving LOL!


86 posted on 02/11/2016 8:23:32 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: Theophilus

That is an awesome and a very true quote.

My first cousin married General Patton’s granddaughter.

I love talking to her.


87 posted on 02/11/2016 8:23:51 PM PST by onyx (IF YOU'RE POSTING HERE, HOPE YOU'RE A DONOR! FReepLoaders are RUDE.)
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To: mylife

ILY


88 posted on 02/11/2016 8:24:35 PM PST by onyx (IF YOU'RE POSTING HERE, HOPE YOU'RE A DONOR! FReepLoaders are RUDE.)
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To: kvanbrunt2

Yep, 1995 was my inaugural year on the web.


89 posted on 02/11/2016 8:26:50 PM PST by 20yearsofinternet
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To: Patriot Babe

Let’s not use “yanking” and “porn” in the same sentence. :-O


90 posted on 02/11/2016 8:31:00 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: Kaslin

Smart move, I don’t think the people of SC want to hear a bunch of stupid dirty lies about Cruz.


91 posted on 02/11/2016 8:31:03 PM PST by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: JBW1949
Americans want a leader. Trump is leading.
92 posted on 02/11/2016 8:33:27 PM PST by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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To: TornadoAlley3

99% of it is selling the ground game.

Trump is hearing from the COB right now and pulling back.. and he aint dumb he has OVERSOLD the populism wave that he is riding with Bernie.

Time to lose masks and pick a team


93 posted on 02/11/2016 8:42:03 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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That makes me 1 %


94 posted on 02/11/2016 8:46:30 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_the_Boat


95 posted on 02/11/2016 8:50:28 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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Jeez the COB as a shes in that explanation, I do not think that has ever occurred in history. the COB is the liaison between 100 pissed off men and 14 officers in the middle of nowhere.


96 posted on 02/11/2016 8:59:14 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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http://goatlocker.org/resources/cpo/allhands_cob.htm


97 posted on 02/11/2016 9:03:13 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: PastorBooks

I think Cruz has lost any hope of a VP slot under Trump with his lies and dirty tricks.

Trump hires better than that.


98 posted on 02/11/2016 9:12:46 PM PST by over3Owithabrain
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To: over3Owithabrain

Hire this..
some of us took an oath on the Constitution.


99 posted on 02/11/2016 9:17:40 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: over3Owithabrain

We have enemys off the bow and Trump had a knife to Cruzes throat, and he just dropped it


100 posted on 02/11/2016 9:20:23 PM PST by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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