Posted on 02/24/2016 8:30:17 PM PST by TigerClaws
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. â The âsouthern firewallâ Ted Cruzâs presidential campaign has been building for months appears to be crumbling under the weight of Donald Trumpâs staying power and Marco Rubioâs resurgence.
The Cruz campaign told Yellowhammer Wednesday night they are pulling out of the Presidential Forum set to be held at Samford University in Birmingham on Saturday, and will not be holding any other events in Alabama ahead of election day. Senator Marco Rubioâs campaign, however, reiterated their commitment to the event.
The move is one of the most open indicators to date that Cruz has failed to pick up steam in the Bible Belt South, once believed to be his geographic stronghold and his most likely path to the nomination.
Numerous southern states and almost a quarter of the Republican delegates are up for grabs in the so called SEC Primary on March 1st.
Yellowhammer CEO Cliff Sims said Cruzâs exit from the state so close to election day is unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected.
âDecisions like this are difficult for any campaign to make, but they have to do what they think is best,â he said. âOnce a campaign goes into survival mode, sometimes they have to cut their losses and move resources where they can be most effective. A candidateâs time is the most valuable resource any campaign has.â
South Carolina Republican strategist Hogan Gidley said Cruzâs lackluster performance in his home state was the first public sign that Cruzâs southern strategy was not coming together.
âIt does definitely put a dent into the manufactured reputation that Cruz is coalescing all conservatives,â he told National Review. âI think we can put an end to that myth.â
A longtime Alabama political consultant who is not working for a presidential campaign but has seen presidential campaign polling numbers through other state-level campaigns told Yellowhammer Cruzâs path to the nomination could be disappearing.
âIf Cruz â the Texan, the staunch evangelical, the anti-Washington guy â canât win in Alabama and across the South, he canât win,â the consultant said on condition of anonymity so he could speak freely. âIâve seen polling in the last week that shows Cruz in third in Alabama, far behind Trump and behind Rubio, too. It might become apparent after March 1st that Cruzâs goose is cooked.â
Senator Rubio is scheduled to be in both Birmingham and Huntsville on Saturday. Donald Trump is scheduled to be in Huntsville on Sunday. No other Republican candidates are currently scheduled to campaign in the state ahead of the March 1st primary.
“Do you or he have any ACTUAL experience of the Senators and their feelings toward each other or is that just blowin smoke?”
Where’s a Cruz endorsement by even one of them, hmmmmm? There’s your proof.
I have voted twice for Cruz.
but I won’t on March1
Vote Trump
why not one New York poll?
I agree, and the name calling is infantile.
Very little intellectual debate?
You apparently haven't looked at any of the eligibility threads. There have been quite a few with, unfortunately, no consensus.
Frankly, it has seemed to me that the viciousness, petty sarcasm, etc. is weighted heavily on the Trump side.
Well, you are wrong about that. Short of combing through the threads counting the numbers of "violations" on either side (as a certain advocate of a particular brand of computers used to do), I would say the levels of misbehavior on each side are about equal, but you are typical of many Cruz supporters in not being able to see how obnoxious the people on your side are and have been, as are many Trump people for not being able to see the same thing on their side.
It does no good to decry the vitriol while pointing your finger at the other side, while denying the vitriol coming from your own side.
Free Republic is a very small part of a very large country. In spite of what some people here might think, and in spite of their imagined importance, what happens on this site will have absolutely no impact on the outcome of the election.
The sooner people realize that, the sooner things here will simmer down.
“Actually, Cruz would be the best VP choice for Trump.”
Ted Cruz is not eligible to be Vice President or President, since he was born abroad with Canadian citizenship.
Actions have consequences. Ted's now paying for his actions.
Trump Old Post Office hotel in DC will have been completed befor the general election.
Thank goodness they didn’t tear down that wonderful old building!
wow thats some pedestal you’ve seated yourself on, watch out for the swivel.
what do you think of the ted messiah cult ...
Liar. Liar. Pants on fire....
>>So does this mean that when god was talking to Tedâs wife and dad about Ted being anointed or the guy who was going to show the face god, god was lying?
If God is involved in American politics, then the handwriting is on the wall. He knows that America needs a David before we can have a Solomon. (But I don’t really think that God cares too much about our elections, or the Super Bowl, or anything where we pray for a win.)
I’ve been saying it from the start, that Cruz is the right man for the job, after Trump has broken the UniParty and slowed the Cheap Labor Express.
Cruz needs to be Trumps VP, or he needs to be his best friend in the Senate.
Are these polls before or after the Glenn Beck fast?
Yellow hammer news? What the heck is yellow hammer news? When I read this elsewhere I might believe it.Is this something Trump put out? Maybe Cruz is treating it like he did New Hampshire. Many possibilities.
Its strange watching the joy on FR when a true conservative, and someone who has for the most part been a champion of ours against some real slime balls, stumbles.
People are choosing Trump because they honestly believe he is our only shot for taking down The Media, The Establishment and the Clinton Crime Syndicate.
Get over yourself, and get over your hurt feelings. This isnt a Safe Space. This is a political campaign.
Isn’t it? And doesn’t seem like the type of behavior that was tolerated in past presidential election years and then on behalf of folks with very similar concerning issues as the current front runner.
Can’t you give Trump, as smart as he is, credit that he will select the best person for VP
The field is not narrowed to Ted Cruz....
There is plenty of VP material out there.
Duncan Hunter ( the son) comes to mind....for instance
LOL no. He is going to get trounced in my home state of Tennessee, just wait
I don’t think it’s animosity against Cruz here but a reaction against many of his followers who have been so insufferable in this forum. Yapping about “ground game” and how Trump will get his comeuppance. Well the much ballyhooed ground game never materialized and Trump is crushing Cruz even among conservatives and the evangelicals.
Cruz is an okay guy but this is Trump’s year.
I dont think its animosity against Cruz here but a reaction against many of his followers who have been so insufferable in this forum. Yapping about ground game and how Trump will get his comeuppance. Well the much ballyhooed ground game never materialized and Trump is crushing Cruz even among conservatives and the evangelicals.
It does get old.
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