Posted on 11/24/2015 9:08:03 AM PST by Isara
Today's Ted Cruz news: Ted Cruz acknowledged in an early GOP debate that he might not be the candidate you want to have a beer with. "But if you want someone to drive you home," he said, "I will get the job done and I will get you home."
But beer-buddy populism is old school. New question: Would you want him at your table for Thanksgiving dinner?
CBS News and YouGov posed the question -- about Cruz and other leading presidential candidates -- to primary voters in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina.
From the Dallas Morning News: "South Carolinians were most receptive to hosting Cruz, with 46 percent saying they'd save him a seat at the table. Ben Carson was the state's favorite with 60 percent.
"Iowans were less enthusiastic, with 40 percent willing to offer Cruz an invite. Carson was also Iowa's favorite, but Cruz did finish above Republicans Donald Trump (36 percent) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (33 percent).
"The situation is bleaker in New Hampshire for Cruz, where he was the least appealing of the seven candidates floated as dinner guests. Only 32 percent said they'd host Cruz, while Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders from neighboring Vermont won with 55 percent."
Separately, Public Policy Polling asked the question nationally, and found that 8 percent of likely voters said they'd host Cruz over six other leading 2016 candidates. "That's better than Marco Rubio, and Bush, who tied with 6 percent. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton topped the field with 24 percent.
"And, only 4 percent of voters polled said Cruz would be the most likely to say something inappropriate and ruin Thanksgiving Dinner, second only Rubio (1 percent).
"The leader? Donald Trump with 46 percent": Dallas Morning News.
It's not that Iowans are extraordinarily fickle. But the Thanksgiving poll question there included the opinions of Democrats as well as Republicans. Remove the Democrats and ask Iowa Republicans which candidate they'd vote for as a presidential nominee if their caucuses were held today, and the men flip positions, or so a new -- and widely watched -- poll shows.
That's right: Cruz now leads Carson in the Iowa horse race, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. And Cruz is so close behind frontrunner Donald Trump that the top position is essentially a statistical tie.
"Ted Cruz's long-anticipated Iowa surge came a step closer on Tuesday with a new poll showing him just behind Donald J. Trump and leaping ahead of Ben Carson, as terrorism and foreign policy now drive the 2016 nominating race," reports the New York Times.
"Mr. Cruz, the Republican Texas senator, was the choice of 23 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers in the new poll, from Quinnipiac University, following Mr. Trump at 25 percent and ahead of Mr. Carson at 18 percent. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida was in fourth with 13 percent. The margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points": New York Times.
ABC News has this perspective: "With less than 70 days to the Iowa Caucus, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is seeing larger numbers at his events, increased fundraising, and a momentum that has propelled him to second place in Tuesday's Quinnipiac University poll of Iowa Republican caucus-goers. Cruz's support has doubled since the last Quinnipiac poll four weeks ago and he finds himself in a dead heat with Donald Trump for the top spot.
"'The difference over the last two or three months each time he comes to the state, it just seems like there's more excitement and people seem to be starting to understand that they have their champion in this election cycle,' Cruz's Iowa State Director Bryan English told ABC News": ABC News.
What happens when a candidate surges?
The attacks pile on.
CNN says that Cruz, a "Texas firebrand," is now "squarely in the crosshairs, dealing daily with attacks from Republicans and Democrats in a way that he shied from for much of the race. And he's punching back."
CNN offers examples, with Cruz-focused criticisms from the Democratic National Committee, a Hillary Clinton super PAC, and Republicans including Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal (who has now left the Republican nominating race) and Jeb Bush: CNN.
Absolutely!
“It’s not that Iowans are extraordinarily fickle. But the Thanksgiving poll question there included the opinions of Democrats as well as Republicans.”
Sure, just so long as we don’t talk politics. :)
It would be interesting to have any of them over for dinner, but he’d by far be my first choice.
Yes I would, he is welcome in my place any time.
What stupid crap this is.
I wouldn’t invite the fifth-column media to bathe in a cesspool, lest they clog it with their filth.
“Ted Cruz is surging in Iowa, but would you invite him to Thanksgiving dinner?”
Without hesitation... yes.
Stephen Koff’s a liberal ... he probably hates all of our guys.
Damn straight. I wouldn't want Bernie because he'd just decide the turkey needed to be redistributed to some gibsmedats, and Hill! would just sit there and bitch about the War on Cranberries and how she planned to end it.
Unlike most of the candidates, I doubt Cruz would try to steal anything from my house. So not only is he one of the few candidates who would be welcome at my house, he is one of the few who would leave my property alive if he entered it.
I certainly would, but my family’s Thanksgivings have an unspoken “no politics” rule. Without it, there would be a lack of harmony, to put it mildly.
Absolutely. It would be especially enjoyable if his wife and two adorable little girls where there. Hopefully they'd add a leaf or two to our Thankfulness Tree.
YES! He’d be fun as heck! Does jokes, smart, friendly, family guy—Yes!
YES! He’d be fun as heck! Does jokes, smart, friendly, family guy—Yes!
Yes, way ahead of some of my relatives.:)
55% of people in NH would prefer to invite Bernie Sanders to Thanksgiving Day dinner... just imagine it ... Sanders: “Hey!! You’re not sharing that dark meat equally!!”
I wouldn’t invite any politician to Thanksgiving dinner. Seriously. How ridiculous of a question. Thanksgiving is for family and friends. They have their own family and friends to deal with at Thanksgiving. I think it is selfish to take that away from them.
Most assuredly!
I can trust him around the Gran-Kids, my Wallet, my Wife, my Constitutional Rights, my Guns and my Country,
I hereby officially invite Cruz, Trump, or both to my Thanksgiving dinner in Dallas, TX.
Not a chance in the world they’d accept — I’m a nobody — but if they do, that would be a hoot!
/Just on the off chance, PM me to accept. LOL.
Brother, that’s all I would want to talk about!
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