Posted on 02/24/2016 8:30:17 PM PST by TigerClaws
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The “southern firewall†Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign has been building for months appears to be crumbling under the weight of Donald Trump’s staying power and Marco Rubio’s resurgence.
The Cruz campaign told Yellowhammer Wednesday night they are pulling out of the Presidential Forum set to be held at Samford University in Birmingham on Saturday, and will not be holding any other events in Alabama ahead of election day. Senator Marco Rubio’s campaign, however, reiterated their commitment to the event.
The move is one of the most open indicators to date that Cruz has failed to pick up steam in the Bible Belt South, once believed to be his geographic stronghold and his most likely path to the nomination.
Numerous southern states and almost a quarter of the Republican delegates are up for grabs in the so called SEC Primary on March 1st.
Yellowhammer CEO Cliff Sims said Cruz’s exit from the state so close to election day is unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected.
“Decisions like this are difficult for any campaign to make, but they have to do what they think is best,†he said. “Once a campaign goes into survival mode, sometimes they have to cut their losses and move resources where they can be most effective. A candidate’s time is the most valuable resource any campaign has.â€
South Carolina Republican strategist Hogan Gidley said Cruz’s lackluster performance in his home state was the first public sign that Cruz’s southern strategy was not coming together.
“It does definitely put a dent into the manufactured reputation that Cruz is coalescing all conservatives,†he told National Review. “I think we can put an end to that myth.â€
A longtime Alabama political consultant who is not working for a presidential campaign but has seen presidential campaign polling numbers through other state-level campaigns told Yellowhammer Cruz’s path to the nomination could be disappearing.
“If Cruz — the Texan, the staunch evangelical, the anti-Washington guy — can’t win in Alabama and across the South, he can’t win,†the consultant said on condition of anonymity so he could speak freely. “I’ve seen polling in the last week that shows Cruz in third in Alabama, far behind Trump and behind Rubio, too. It might become apparent after March 1st that Cruz’s goose is cooked.â€
Senator Rubio is scheduled to be in both Birmingham and Huntsville on Saturday. Donald Trump is scheduled to be in Huntsville on Sunday. No other Republican candidates are currently scheduled to campaign in the state ahead of the March 1st primary.
Your post 251 is what I call a hard zing ..there is no effective response to that ...you nailed them ,good one
Listen ...Beck and Levin started this crap with their dishonest and vile attacks against Trump ...they created this mess and they are operating under the grand delusion that Cruz is the second coming of Reagan ...total insanity
Say it enough times, and low information voters will believe it. You prove that the strategy is working.
+1
Thanks.
You've never bothered to familiarize yourself with the comments sections on many left-leaning news sites and blogs, have you?
Beware of going "reverse Pauline Kael," OK?
a) honesty, even if it hurts
b) posting the raw, unmanaged data.
I’m aware, I just try to stay away from stupid. However, the comment “the hatred toward an evangelical Christian is thick on Free Republic.” definitely would fit there.
This is too bad. I am sorry the only acceptable candidate in this race is going down so hard and fast.
Trump doesn't need anyone to defend him regarding Beck, Levin or anyone else as has been clearly seen and heard, he's doing fine himself. But it's well understood that to even hint at anything regarding Trump regarding his history, his past, and or present for that matter, that isn't favorable will be seen as attacking him.
All people have opinions regarding candidates and that includes pundits, media, and radio/TV hosts. And that can change as the election moves along. The idea that those once respected here are ‘all out’ to get Trump is truly ludicrous.
No he won’t......he’s already said it’s narrowed down to just a thousand miles from what was along the ‘entire’ border. And it’s obvious you haven’t looked at what Cruz has done to stop illegals....so there’s no point carrying this conversation further with someone who doesn’t have the facts to make judgments about.
***How true it is. Defaming one of the most conservative people in the Senate over a liberal hack is unbelievable and personally unforgivable.
FR has been infiltrated by some liberal hacks that have taken FR down a different road then what most believe the Boss intended it to go.***
I don’t know what you mean about defaming. I just don’t trust Cruz and I have a right to like or dislike any candidate I choose.
And you feel it is “personally” unforgivable if someone doesn’t like your candidate? Why? The man is being treated like he’s the 2nd coming! Everything you said is the antithesis of conservatives thought. You’re against personal freedom, freedom to choose which ever candidate they want or they’re deemed unforgivable!
I’ve seen several accusations of ‘liberal infiltrators.” Most of the ones being accused have been on this site for years! So did I start plotting to wreck all the Cruz followers in 2006?
By pulling out of Alabama Cruz may lose by 30 to Trump.
There is a stench here like I have never seen before.
I do not feel at home any more.
Post debate last night Cruz said he would endorse Rubio over Trump.
14:30 into this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX5uCMKk8ko
The deals have been cut apparently...
Besides - I did add the caveat for those who can't afford to pay (which you so slyly left out when you cherry-picked).
Many welfare folks and illegals feel the same way as you do - they will take anything that's "Free" (being paid for by others) and consider it their just due. FR is that kind of "Free" - perhaps you've noticed the constant fund raisers because so few of the whole feel they should help pay for something because they can get it "Free" because others are willing to pay for it.
Go tell someone else your hard-up tales.
Now for a short public service announcement to all on FR:
We need to ensure we don't get another Obama-like America Hater as the next President.
The best way to ensure that is to actively support a candidate (even if he's "rich enough to do it on his own") as the next President.
I donate to the candidate I support and you should too, else, your "support" really doesn't have any meaning.
It's even worse if you use FR and don't donate. If you are one of those who feel it's OK to use FR daily w/o helping pay to keep the lights on, then please don't complain about the welfare leeches because, functionally, you are no different than any other who enjoys the fruits of others' work for your own benefit. Also, don't be surprised if others decide that your opinions are as worthless as your non-donations - hypocrites aren't worth listening to.
PS - If you are one of those unlucky few who cannot afford even a small donation to FR or a candidate, God Bless and happy FReeping!.....
Always an excuse for Ted Loser Cruz.
I mentioned that I was one of those who couldn’t pay, I didn’t slyly leave out anything.
I wrote that 5 years ago. A lot has changed in my life since then, like a diagnosis of ARVD and I am unable to work. But then, you don’t give a damn about other people’s “hard up tales.”
Again, welfare recipients receive money taken from the working and then given to them, no one is taking money from you in order for me to be on this website. You freely donate.
Again no one is forcing Jim to offer this site for free, that’s his choice.
You claimed except for those who can’t pay, then berated me because I can’t pay, so I guess you don’t really mean it when you say it.
You can call me a freeloader all you want, but you can’t “freeload” something that is offered for free.
I think you're on the wrong forum - the Left has millions who would agree with your statement.
Yup. Cruz has fought for our Constitution many times, and fought against the GOP establishment numerous times. But hey, Trump says it like it is - in non-specific generalities like Perot, while his followers go giddy.
Trump is going to get stumped in a one-on-one debate with Hillary. Why? Because Hillary has years of experience spinning, parsing, twisting, avoiding, changing subject to detailed talking points, and actual lying that she gets away with. Plus, Trump has yet to articulate WHY we need to make, "America Great Again", as in restore our Constitutional principles that made the US the envy of the World. He says this is bad, that is bad, and we'll fix it. Sound familiar?
THE only good thing I see about a President Trump is his talent for selecting the best people for the big jobs. If he actually wins the Oval Office and actually makes the changes he claims, I will be the first one to admit I was wrong. Remember, Romney was correct when he said (to paraphrase), "some 47% of the populace lives off others". How will he get the "gimmes" on board without articulating that there lives would be better if they had jobs?
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