That Trump did so well with his unconventional campaign, which included holding huge rallies, says a lot. It also say much about him. For one who did not participate in the last debate, I think he put one hand behind his back. What The Donald learns from Iowa will help him in the months ahead.
Cruz had a well organized ground game with 12,000 volunteers averaging 2,000 door-knocks a day, and 20,000 calls per day. Cruz’s team has been working Iowa for months. His team was very effective in the full use of data-driven techniques. Technology was not only being used to identify Cruz supporters, it was also helping staff and volunteers learn how to make the most effective argument to persuadable voters. Cruz had one more advantage: He had evangelicals and other conservative Christians which formed a bedrock of his support. Traditionally, they are among the most reliable of all GOP caucus-goers.
Trump kept his ground game secret. Insiders say it was a good one but it was no match for Cruz’s. I congratulate Cruz for his well run campaign.
Good Lord! Can that be sustained on a national level?
Not to disparage the effort at all, but Cruz got 4.3041 votes per Cruz team volunteer. The ratio would be lower if paid Cruz campaign workers are included, making the denominator “Cruz team member”.
I’ve not seen an exact number for what Cruz and Cruz supporters spent in Iowa: It’d be interesting to know how much each vote cost.