He should not have skipped the debate. Now he’s branded as a loser.
http://atr.rollcall.com/what-we-learned-from-the-iowa-caucuses/?dcz=
[snip]
....Damage to the brand: “There is now blood in the water for Donald Trump. He underperformed because of his attempt to sell Iowa voters wholesale with large media events with big crowds without really getting to know them on more of a personal level.”
“Ted Cruz proved he could successfully beat back Trump attacks because he had a great ground game and identified well with evangelical voters. The fact that Trump skipped the Iowa debate gave Marco Rubio an outstanding chance to break through to voters with a positive message and bring more voters to his camp. Trump must now hope that he can still maintain his lead in New Hampshire and hope that his brand of being a winner doesn’t whither away.”
[snip]
A loser who helps of Vets? Really now.