Trump has a big lead. I thought the silly ad actually helped Trump look tough and like an action hero knocking down the house (which never happened).
Cruz has hardcore fans here (he’s my 2 and a SCOTUS pick).
But Trump has the momentum and the lead. A 1/2 finish would be great. Need to keep the Rubo/Bush votes well below Trump and Cruz.
You should read Dick Morris’ article on why it will be just Trump Cruz by March 15.
http://www.dickmorris.com/a-two-way-race-by-march/
The Cruz people are in denial at the moment. They thought that the Iowa Caucus allowed the Cruz team of manipulators to change the outcome by several percentage points from what the exit polls showed voters thought they had done. These slick tactics earned him a bounce that lasted about two days. Then a week later Trump trounced him by 3 to 1 in New Hampshire.
South Carolina is a loser for him and Cruz’s team knows it. They will try to do a salvage operation in the Nevada Caucus a couple of days later. They know that they can’t win, but by manipulating the process as they did in Iowa, Cruz’s team will hope to make it look like Trump has underperformed. Their slick maneuvering will not go unnoticed however and will add to the perception that Cruz is a cheater.