In Iowa, High Expectations Accompany Cruz's Steady Rise

Texa Tribune ^ | Nov. 22, 2015 | Patrick Svitek

[iowamark]

Ted Cruz's Iowa moment has arrived.

The U.S. senator from Texas, who has worked for months to manage expectations in the first early voting state, is starting to flirt with top-tier status as his campaign zeroes in on this critical presidential proving ground.

He has visited the state five times over the last six weeks. His paid staff in Iowa has quadrupled from what it was just two months ago. His campaign has launched its first major ad buy in Iowa, an initial six-digit purchase on TV and radio. And he's secured a big-name endorsement from U.S. Rep. Steve King, with Bob Vander Plaats, expected to line up behind him soon...

Cruz's slow-but-steady rise in Iowa has not been accidental. While other GOP candidates were competing for oxygen this summer with Walker and then Trump, Cruz's campaign was a little more focused on laying groundwork in states deeper into the primary calendar,

"You know, Scripture talks about building your house on a foundation of rock and not on sand," Cruz said at the time.

Cruz's campaign has at least one county chair in all 99 counties of Iowa as well as congressional district coordinators covering the entire state. It has eight paid staffers — up from two in September and one over the summer,

Cruz's campaign in Iowa received a big boost Monday when he won the support of King, an influential figure in conservative circles who could open doors for Cruz throughout the state. By the end of the week, Cruz had picked up the endorsement of Loras Schulte, who had to give up his membership on the Iowa GOP State Central Committee to back Cruz...

[VanDeKoik]

It’s a rise through the process of elimination. He is going to have to make it stick, as these people are the “not Trumps”, and were not fans of Cruz from the start.

[MtnClimber]

Cruz has the most conservative integrity of the group.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

"You know, Scripture talks about building your house on a foundation of rock and not on sand," Cruz said at the time.

He's smart in more ways than one. It's important that the next president be a good strategist.

[elhombrelibre]

Go Cruz!!! Go!!!!

[elhombrelibre]

He has the most integrity; he has truest commitment to conservative principles; he has the intellect and is the man we need to replace Obama. Accept no substitute. Cruz has to start moving to the top to be the nominee.

[DaveyB]

He is going to have to make it stick, as these people are the “not Trumps”, and were not fans of Cruz from the start.

You are correct that Cruz is not running on name recognition or his celebrity status, he must convert voters with his message and by his conservative principles and character. He is not in front of all the cameras, his tweets are not discussed on the news nightly, he has no TV show and the GOPe is not helping him one bit. In other words the voters have to get to know him, but then to get to know Ted Cruz is to get to know the one Constitutional conservative with a long record of integrity and courage. With Cruz, the more you look - the more you see - and the more you see the more you like - Ted Cruz for president, because liberty matters!

[BlueStateRightist]

Cruz, by far, is the GOP candidate LEAST likely to disappoint after being elected.

[napscoordinator]

Cruz has the most conservative integrity of the group.

Most likely true. But can he get the job done with this Congress? That is a question we need to be asking when deciding on voting for him. And you know what? Some will say troll or whatever, but it is a sensible question.

[Dan in Wichita]

Cruz is my fav, no doubt about it. A true conservative.

What concerns me is that if Cruz wins the nomination, one of the losing GOP candidates with a big ego goes 3rd party.

[deport]

And the race is on and here comes.......

Polling Data

Polling Data

Poll	Date	Trump	Carson	Cruz	Rubio	Bush	Fiorina	Jindal	Huckabee	Christie	Paul	Kasich	Santorum	Graham	Pataki	Spread
RCP Average	10/29 - 11/19	25.7	21.0	15.3	11.3	5.0	4.3	4.0	3.0	2.7	2.0	1.7	1.3	0.7	0.0	Trump +4.7
CBS/YouGovCBS/YouGov	11/15 - 11/19	30	19	21	11	5	4	2	1	2	2	1	2	0	0	Trump +9
CNN/ORCCNN/ORC	10/29 - 11/4	25	23	11	13	5	4	4	2	3	2	2	0	2	0	Trump +2
PPP (D)PPP (D)	10/30 - 11/1	22	21	14	10	5	5	6	6	3	2	2	2	0	0	Trump +1
GravisGravis	10/31 - 10/31	29	22	9	18	6	5	2	1	2	2	3	0	0	--	Trump +7
KBURKBUR	10/29 - 10/31	20	28	15	10	9	4	1	2	2	2	2	1	0	0	Carson +8

[Marcella]

“But can he get the job done with this Congress?”

Cruz can handle congress because he knows the rules of the game - those rules being the constitution and every law he can use to get the job done.

Trump, on the other hand, can yell and scream and complain about people’s hair and looks and call them stupid, but that doesn’t help him get anything done in congress as he has no idea how congress really works using the rules - the constitution and laws.

[brothers4thID]

It is a valid question. I think it is also important to point out that when Cruz talks about his goals for the Presidency, he speaks careful about things which he will do versus what he wants to do.

Compare “I will enforce our existing laws...”
to “I will make (insert activity here) illegal.”

Some will call it parsing his words or “politician speak” but Cruz knows that the President is not supposed to make laws.

Now, again, it is valid to point out that Cruz has made enemies in Congress. But after the tidal wave in 2014, the “shocker” in the KY governors race, and the “Summer of the outsider”, Cruz being elected President would sound the final death knell of politics as usual in DC. Those feeling enmity towards Cruz now might well see that working with him is the only way to be reelected.

[Patton@Bastogne]

[VinL]

Naps, I reply to you and daveyB —because it’s along the same lines.

I was looking at today’s CBS polls NH, SC IA. They asked who was best prepared to be Commander In Chief. In Iowa, 67% said Cruz; in SC 55%- 1st place by a good margin. In NH, it was Trump (48) Cruz (47).

Considering that Cruz isn’t 1st in any of these polls, I thought that finding was remarkable.

and naps, I know you don’t troll.

[MtnClimber]

The GOPe are no different than the socialist democRATS. I hope for a president that will take it to them, not work with them to sell us out.

[Moorings]

Go Cruz Go! The best proven conservative in the race.

[cripplecreek]

But can he get the job done with this Congress?

I think Ted Cruz would be pretty effective for a few reasons. Right off the top is the fact that it will be a very different congress with the coming retirements. Guys like McCain and Graham will want nothing more than to lick the feet of the president and they don't care who it is. I also think Ted Cruz has people in mind to help sidestep the current leadership (Guys like Mike Lee and Louie Gohmert would likely become de facto leaders)

[Colonel_Flagg]

The conservative choice.

[NWHawk]

An endorsement from Steve King makes a lot of difference to a lot of people