Cruz: I'm the only one who has beaten Trump

CNN ^ | February 21, 2016 | Byron Wolf

[unlearner]

“I’m referring to this presidential campaign.”

You still don’t make sense. This presidential campaign is THE election which takes place in November. So none of the candidates have won an “election” lately. So maybe you meant to ask if he has won any caucuses or primaries lately.

Either way, things are just getting started. They will become very, very clear in just a few weeks.

[WVKayaker]

We all knew Trump was going to win SC.

Actually, we didn't all know that. I have been a Trump supporter for a while now. But, I began as a Teddy Bare. I even donated to his campaign when he was just starting. Then, I began to be troubled at some of the tactics and words coming from too many of his supporters. I started looking harder at the MAN, and did not like many of the things I found.

I finally realized that he is just another lawyer, and quite an opportunist. His run for Senator was won with Sarah Palin's endorsement (Hmmm, didn't she endorse DJT for POTUS this time?). We didn't know until recently that he had to borrow BIG money so he could continue it. He failed to report that to the FEC, where most of us go for info about a candidate's campaigns. Sure, he reported it in his Senate filings, but as a lawyer, he surely knew about the FEC. That is quite troubling to me. BTW, how did he pay it back? It was a personal loan, wasn't it?

Again, we see some things hidden, when it is discovered that this "brilliant" Lawyer only discover his dual citizenship when he runs for POTUS. I don't have a side in the NBC stuff, but I do have a bit of trouble with his secrecy about his birth circumstances and legal status.

Then, after I was already aboard the Trump Train, I have been unable to stop the incessant appeals for money. Donald Trump has asked for my vote. As the plot has thickened, I see his alleged use of dirty tricks and several "independent" PACs which curiously are run by some shady folks. His association with Genn Beck? Wow? That tells me more about his wisdom and political acumen.

Trump will likely be the Republican nominee, despite all the wailing and gnashing of teeth. When/if he confronts the Dimocrap Bernie or Shriallry, he will roll over them with overwhelming force. They will never recover. He is a smart man. No, he has't won an election YET, but all signs point to his ability to dominate the press and get people to the polls. That is how he can win.

I have seen the "crossover voters" meme repeated on many of the Teddy Bares' posts post SC (though none seem to back it up with facts!). In the general election, if that is indeed true, you ain't seen nothing yet! There are lots of Dims waiting for a job... and Donald has promised a way to get them back and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.

I stand with Trump! Neither Cruz, nor Rubio, will be VP picks. I think he will find a much better person for the job. Those Senators are just more of the Washington Cabal.

[sargon]

This is purported to be a Conservative forum but it's been taken over by yahoos not the least bit concerned with those principles.

Nonsense. Many of these Trump-loving "yahoos" you decry have been around since the Clinton impeachment. Including the site founder himself. He's a bona fide conservative. And he understands what's happening with Trump.

What's the daily FR caucus breakdown been lately? 75% Trump, 25% Cruz? A caucus which ALL FR members can vote in?

Yeah, FR has suddenly been taken over by "Yahoos": 3/4ths of all site members, old a new, and, at least marginally, the site owner himself.

I'm afraid you'll find many, many Trump supporters on this forum who are just as concerned about Conservative principles as you are, if not moreso...

[free_life]

Cruz could have run an honorable campaign, he chose not to, and now he is reaping what he has sown.

[browniexyz]

You seem so competent at seeing the future, i.e. Who Trump will pick for the Court. That’s amazing.

[whistleduck]

I believe you are largely correct. I have found no info that Cruz was involved, or knew of it at the time. I do fault him for not being a proper manager of his campaign staff. That does not surprise me and points to his one big weakness—he has no large organization expertise. He has no civilian or military management experience and that alone can lead to false steps in deep swamps, sometimes by staff with other agendas, sometimes not.

The man is brilliant, is focused, and keen to become POTUS. His feet though are of clay, he has no military or large corporate acquired wisdom or skills. Should he find his way forward to his goal, he best have the best chief of staff in the free world at his side.

I wish him the best in his efforts. Fight the fight, always with honor and as if Christ is in the room just beyond the bright lights and mics.

[gbscott1954]

“ROFLMAO: by ONE delegate did he win in Iowa....ROFLMAO!!!”

Let me be the first one to burst your bubble HarleyLady.

First, 67% of the voters in SC voted AGAINST TRUMP! He won by a grand total of 33%! Wow! The great unstoppable Trump convinced 33% of the voters in SC that he was fit to be President. And that by getting Dems to come over to vote for him. You are just “whistling in the graveyard if you think they will be there for Trump in the general.”

Second, the less candidates are in the contest the greater the chance there is on the opposition to coalesce against him. If the 67% could be convinced they would have by now. In fact, in a two person race Cruz whips Trump's butt! Don't take my word for it. Go toe realclearpolitics.com and look for yourself. Even gutless Rubio beats Trump.

Trump's only hope is that Cruz and Rubio tear at each other and leave him alone.

One other thing. Trump's lead was sliced in half in the week before the SC primary. The more it comes out that Trump is really a lib, the more conservatives will abandon him.

Keep pounding away Ted! Is Trump the front runner? Yes? Is he to have credit for having done well in SC? Yes. But if we get it down to a one on one Trump is done. Then you will see him getting mad (he does anytime things don't go his way) and go third party? You ready to drink the Kool-Aid with him HarleyLady? You ready to roll on the floor for him as he gets Hillary elected?

AS for the delegate count today, it means absolutely nothing and you know it. Go Ted Go!

[gbscott1954]

And your guy isn’t??

[HamiltonJay]

Not true, Cruz will probably win his home state of Texas.. Even Rubio is losing Florida... but that’s not going to be enough to save his candidacy.

It’s just not Cruz’s year. Without Trump, Cruz might have had a shot, though realistically without Trump, Jeb likely would be cakewalking the election. But this year has Trump and Cruz’s strategy just isn’t working.

Not sure who is giving him advice, but the “I’m the real conservative” in and of itself never wins national elections.... it can win state and district elections depending on the state and/or district one is in, but it has never won a national nomination or the presidency.

[gbscott1954]

I am really tired of this nonsense about “dirty tricks” or “cheating”

There was nothing about what the Cruz campaign did that could even remotely be considered a dirty trick or cheating. It was smart politics, pure and simple. They used a report by CNN that made sense. Carson had done a nose dive (partly because of crap used by Trump against him) and a big part of his staff had already resigned and gone over to Cruz. And I will tell you that if Trump’s team had done it, you guys would be standing up and applauding because the Great One, blessed by his holy name, had done it.

[HamiltonJay]

“Trump’s only hope is that Cruz and Rubio tear at each other and leave him alone.”

I hate to break this to you, but you really needs to change the pundits you read. This idea that Trump has some ceiling at the mid 30s is laughable. In a 6 way race, Trump won 1/3 of the vote... Nearly a full 50% more than his next closest rival.

Neither Cruz nor Rubio outperformed, Kasich, Bush and Carson combined. That means more folks voted against Cruz or Rubio than for them, without even adding Trump to the mix. Does that mean Rubio or Cruz can’t win? Using your logic it does, since a full 77% of the voters voted for someone other than Rubio... and a full 77% of voters voted for someone other than Cruz. That’s a silly rediculous argument to make... Well you won by 50% more than your closest competitor, but it wasn’t by over 51% of the vote so you lost.

The idea that EVERY Bush supporter is going to go to Rubio or Cruz is silly, or every Carson supporter is going to go here, or every Kasich supporter will go there... its just silly nonsense.

The notion that Trump is at some peak and can go no higher is a stupid stupid argument made by honestly stupid people. As the field winnows, folks will move to different candidates. As the primaries proceed support will change. The idea that Trump is stuck at some max is just silly... just as silly as saying SC results are where every other state will land... its silly.

Its also just as silly to assume Trump can’t take down Rubio or Cruz one on one... Christie took out Rubio... I mean Rubio literally pulled a Bud Dwyer in that debate... sadly not enough primary voters across the country seem to have watched, but that’s just how brittle Rubio is.. He’s a glass Jaw, and don’t think for one minute Trump can’t and won’t take him down... He took out Bush who was supposed to be the anointed one before he even got out of the gate.

Trump sets his sights on Cruz or Rubio, don’t think for one minute it won’t have any impact.

Cruz is probably odds on Favorite at the moment to win Texas, but does that mean if he wins Texas by 5 points that he’s going to win everywhere else by that margin? No.

I will agree that to be safe from a possible loss, Trump ideally would need to get up in the mid 40s at least in a 3 way race to ensure that another candidate doesn’t sneak in and start winning, that doesn’t mean he can’t win if he doesn’t get there, and its beyond foolish to think that Trump can’t grow his support.

Nearly ever single pundit prediction about Trump has been shown to be 100% wrong, yet folks still keep parroting their “analysis” as gospel.

The notion that Trump will play the same numbers as the field changes is silly, and the notion he can’t win over voters from other candidates is also silly.

Elections are not static, We’ll see how things go.

By March 1, Trump is going to have 3 solid victories in a row, and success breeds success. March 1 is the big day, at the end of that 25% of all delegates will be awarded. Will Trump win every state on March 1? Who knows... I haven’t looked at the individual state polls, but I would guess if I were a gambling man, he’s going to win the vast majority of them.

I will say this, if Cruz somehow doesn’t win Texas outright, at that point he’s just sticking around to play spoiler. If he can’t win Texas, he can’t win.

[kabar]

Not true, Cruz will probably win his home state of Texas.

Cruz is not saying he will win TX outright. He has been cautious making that prediction. Right now the latest RCP Tecas polls (CBS 1/26/2013) show Cruz leading Trump 30-25. It is close. If Cruz loses TX, he is finished.

It’s just not Cruz’s year. Without Trump, Cruz might have had a shot, though realistically without Trump, Jeb likely would be cakewalking the election. But this year has Trump and Cruz’s strategy just isn’t working.

Cruz may be the smartest, most articulate candidate of either party, but he cannot connect to the average voter like Trump can. Real or not, the public perception of him is of an extremist, right wing zealot and ideologue. The fact that no senator has endorsed him is more damaging than his supporters want to admit. Surely, even in the Washington Cartel, there is at least one of his senate colleagues who will endorse him for President. And wearing your religion on your sleeve may help in a few Rep primaries, but it is not the stuff of a winning Presidential candidate.

It’s just not Cruz’s year. Without Trump, Cruz might have had a shot, though realistically without Trump, Jeb likely would be cakewalking the election. But this year has Trump and Cruz’s strategy just isn’t working.

Without Trump, Cruz would have been destroyed easily by the GOPe and the MSM. And Cruz has moved his positions on issues like immigration and trade belatedly as he has seen how they have resonated with the public when Trump used them.

Cruz is a sitting senator who has spent most of adult working life in government. He can claim to be an outsider, but he really isn't. He is part of the system, albeit an unhappy one. And do we really need another first term senator in the WH who has had very little success in the private sector? Cruz and Rubio are in the same boat in that regard.

Not sure who is giving him advice, but the “I’m the real conservative” in and of itself never wins national elections.... it can win state and district elections depending on the state and/or district one is in, but it has never won a national nomination or the presidency.

Reagan did campaign as a conservative, but labels no longer matter. Almost every Rep calls himself a conservative. The term has become meaningless. For that matter, issues have become less important as we enter the era of tribal politics. Ethnicity, race, and party allegiance have eclipsed issues.

Instinctively, Trump has felt the pulse of the people and developed a populist, nationalistic message. Make America Great Again sums up what has become a movement. The people blame the political class and their corporate paymasters and special interests for getting us into this mess. Immigration represents the greatest disconnect between the politicians and the people.

[HamiltonJay]

Reagan never ran his campaign, not once, as “I’m the real conservative”. You can argue you are conservative but if that is all your message is you lose.. Reagan’s message was never ever singularly I’m the real conservative.

[gbscott1954]

Thank you for at least calling me honestly stupid. I will tell you that this election shapes up much like 1972 when a radical rode discontent (George McGovern) and won a nomination because no one could coalese around a single. I guess you didn’t look at the poll numbers. Let me tell you again. Cruz beats Trump like 16 points in a one on one. It is simply the truth. Trump is a polarizing candidate. He does not have a massive wave among the population as a whole. He will get crushed by the Dems!

[kabar]

No, not the real conservative, but a conservative who was proud of it. Saint Ted has portrayed himself as the only conservative in the race and in the senate for that matter.

[HamiltonJay]

Sigh.

I am not going to argue a poll, a poll is a poll. What I am arguing is the relevance of a poll 9 months out.

Let me ask you this, very simply. If I took a poll from the day after Trump announced, would he have gotten 30%? Nope.

Let me ask you this as well:

If you put Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on a stage together for 2 hours in front of a national audience live do you think Hillary will come out the winner?

When the race is down to Hillary and Trump and they are actually battling head to head, then and only then do you remotely have a poll with any meaning behind it.

Right now a Hillary Vs Trump question is meaningless. No one in Jukly would have told you Trump will not only be the front runner but Jeb will be gone after SC.

You can ask a question a million times about hypotheticals but until you have the reality of the decision and the sides battling it out directly the poll means nothing.

[HamiltonJay]

Again, being a conservative is fine, saying you’re a conservative is fine but if the only argument you make is I am the most conservative or the other guys aren’t real conservatives, you can’t and won’t win a national campaign.

It that’s you major argument you lose a national campaign every single time.

[kabar]

I thought my post #192 made it quite clear what I thought about the label of conservatism. We don’t disagree. What’s the problem?