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Cruz on Trump's heels after victories on Super Saturday
The Hill ^ | March 5, 2016 | Jonathan Easley

Posted on 03/05/2016 10:30:08 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz established himself on Saturday night as the challenger with the best chance to take down Donald Trump, as the Texas senator posted two impressive victories and nearly caught the front-runner in two other states.

Cruz won the caucuses in Kansas and Maine in a runaway. Trump edged him at the caucuses in Kentucky and the primary in Louisiana.

“To see strong wins across the board is very encouraging,” Cruz said. “And I think what it represents is Republicans coalescing, saying it would be a disaster for Donald Trump to be our nominee and we’re going to stand behind the strongest conservative in the race.”

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders won the caucuses in Kansas and Nebraska, while Hillary Clinton won resoundingly in Louisiana.

Even though Sanders won two of the three states, it won’t do much to change the dynamics of that race, as Clinton still holds a big lead in delegates.

But it was Cruz who was the story of the night, as he bolstered his argument that the Republican presidential race is down to a two-man contest between himself and Trump, the long-time front-runner. "I want Ted one-one-one," Trump said, calling for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to drop out.

Earlier in the day, Cruz won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, D.C. That poll is unscientific, but generally considered a worthwhile measure of grassroots conservative support.

“The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C. is utter terror at what we the people are doing together,” Cruz said at a campaign rally in Idaho, which will hold its primary on Tuesday.

“We saw the results on Super Tuesday that were extraordinary and then today on Super Saturday we seem to be seeing a continuation of that very same pattern.”

In Kansas, Cruz will take 24 of the 40 delegates. He took 48 percent of the vote, more than doubling up Trump, who finished in second place, at 23 percent.

Cruz did similarly well in Maine, where he established that he has appeal outside of the Bible Belt. Cruz took 45.8 percent support over the billionaire's 32.5 percent, and will take 12 of the states delegates, compared to nine for Trump.

Trump repelled a late charge by Cruz in Louisiana and Kentucky, but his slimmer-than-expected margins will raise questions about his perceived strength.

After Super Tuesday, Trump appeared to be on a glide path to the nomination. Now, he appears to have a legitimate challenger.

The real estate tycoon may have been damaged by a tough week in the spotlight.

He has been embroiled in controversy for initially refusing to disavow white supremacist David Duke, and for alluding to the size of his manhood at the GOP debate on Thursday in Detroit.

Trump has also been under heavy fire from Mitt Romney, who emerged this week with the singular goal of stopping him, and Rubio, who has relentlessly mocked him with personal insults.

Still, Trump entered Saturday with a lead of nearly 100 delegates over Cruz. He has now won 12 states, compared to only six for Cruz.

The states where Trump won on Saturday, Kentucky and Louisiana, had far more delegates at stake than where Cruz won, in Kansas and Maine. It’s still possible that Trump might grow his lead in delegates by the end of the night as numbers continue to come in.

And the map appears to get more difficult for Cruz going forward. He won’t be favored to win either of the first two winner-take-all contests on March 15 in Florida and Ohio.

There, Rubio and John Kasich could be making their last stands. Both men did poorly on Super Saturday and face must-win primaries in their home states, where they face a stiff challenge from Trump.

But Cruz is not ceding Florida to either Cruz or Trump. This week, he opened 10 offices in the Sunshine State.

It was a particularly terrible night for Rubio, who was once viewed as the last great hope for the GOP establishment.

The Florida senator finished in last place in Maine and fell below the threshold to qualify for delegates there, and in Louisiana.

Rubio finished a distant third place in Kansas, despite campaigning heavily in the state and having the support of Gov. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole.

Rubio sought to downplay his showing at a press conference in Puerto Rico, which holds its primary on Sunday, saying he’s looking ahead to March 15 in Florida.

“We knew this would be the roughest period of the campaign given the make-up of the electoral map,” Rubio said.

Trump and Cruz both called on Rubio to drop out.

On the Democratic side, Sanders posted two impressive victories on Super Saturday, but Clinton remains the prohibitive favorite to win the nomination.

Clinton ran away with Louisiana, where 51 delegates were up for grabs, while there were only 58 delegates at stake total between Nebraska and Kansas, where Sanders won.

Sanders once again performed well in states where the Democratic contests are dominated by white progressives, while Clinton held her dominance in states with large populations of minorities.

Clinton entered the day with a substantial advantage in pledged delegates, leading 610 to 411.

Her campaign noted in an email to reporters that’s a bigger lead than then-Sen. Barack Obama ever held over her in 2008.

She has an even greater lead among superdelegates, the party leaders who can support anyone regardless of the popular vote.

Clinton will end the day with victories in 11 states against seven for Sanders.

Still, the Vermont senator continues to attract thousands of supporters to his rallies, haul in tens of millions of dollars every month, and is vowing to take the fight all the way to the convention.

Former NAACP President Ben Jealous, who is supporting Sanders, tweeted:

"We have won victories tonight in Kansas and Nebraska! We have a path towards victory!"


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cruz; delegates; goodmorrrrningggggcw; gopprimary; timeforbakey; trump; wakeywakey
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To: Psalm 144

[and Stabby the Clown]

rotflol


41 posted on 03/05/2016 11:49:08 PM PST by SaveFerris (Be a blessing to a stranger today for some have entertained angels unaware)
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To: gore_sux

Sure it does. LOL!


42 posted on 03/05/2016 11:51:19 PM PST by RitaOK ( VIVA CRISTO REY / Public education is the farm team for more Marxists coming)
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To: ObamahatesPACoal

Yep we here in time little Texas we’re so glad that Rhode Island still hasn’t called yet and population.


43 posted on 03/06/2016 1:25:56 AM PST by Bidimus1
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The paragraph that a Trump refused to disavow David Duke tells you all you need to know about the writer and his persoective


44 posted on 03/06/2016 1:28:52 AM PST by wardaddy (Ted Cruz endorser of Rubio is off my Christmas list......both beloved by donor class unlike Trump)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Santorum was well on his way to toppling Romney. Then he started talking about the “need to compromise”. Constitutional Conservatives no longer trust their own who compromise. Trump has got to do a better job telling us what issues he won’t compromise. He also has to get factual and tell us issues where his foes did compromise their issues and our future away.


45 posted on 03/06/2016 2:26:38 AM PST by grania
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To: ObamahatesPACoal

W didn’t win Texas? I find that hard to believe.


46 posted on 03/06/2016 2:31:37 AM PST by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Not voting for the amnesty Cuban either of them, try again


47 posted on 03/06/2016 2:50:06 AM PST by MARKUSPRIME
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To: ObamahatesPACoal

So you are saying Trump is a liberal and will win the liberal states?


48 posted on 03/06/2016 3:16:22 AM PST by pas
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To: wardaddy

Trump did refuse on a Sunday Show before a vote and then disavowed - he winks and nods and wants it both ways - same as orders to the military, H-1B, touch-back, healthcare mandate, etc.


49 posted on 03/06/2016 4:04:47 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: kik5150

Is that some sort of Cruzian wet dream fantasy?


50 posted on 03/06/2016 5:11:28 AM PST by j.argese (/s tags: If you have a mind unnecessary. If you're a cretin it really doesn't matter, does it?)
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To: fortheDeclaration

Absolutely true. Especially since most of the attacks have been dead on accurate.


51 posted on 03/06/2016 5:37:04 AM PST by Norseman (Defund the Left....completely!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

He doesn’t “want it both ways.” When he’s first asked, he hasn’t a clue, spouts something, and then comes back later to clean it up. That’s why it looks like he’s on both sides of every issue; he starts on the wrong side (his real side) and corrects to the other side (conservative voters’ side).

Voters are figuring him out though. That’s why the vote yesterday in LA shifted to Cruz from the early Louisiana voters who favored Trump more heavily. Had the Louisiana election been a one-day event (something most conservatives usually favor), Cruz probably would have won Louisiana.


52 posted on 03/06/2016 5:44:40 AM PST by Norseman (Defund the Left....completely!)
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To: map

It would be a disaster for Cruz and the rest of the DC Uni-Party.


53 posted on 03/06/2016 6:10:19 AM PST by Redleg Duke (Remember...after the primaries, we better still be on the same team!)
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To: Norseman
If they were accurate Trump wouldn't be in the lead.

People can see through the lies.

54 posted on 03/06/2016 8:37:39 AM PST by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; All

Go back to Canada, Cruz. We need an American who loves his country.


55 posted on 03/06/2016 9:52:22 AM PST by patriot08 (5th generation Texan ...(girl type))
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To: kik5150
LOL...as someone else pointed out to you....that must be your fantasy vision of doughboy CRuz. Have you seen the buttons on his plaid shirts, lately? He and Beck both need to fast....real fast.

To heck with your (repeatedly posted) fantasy pic. Trump supporters live in Realville. Where real leaders own real businesses and create real jobs....not just cash in on govt paychecks....

Here....take a look at what a REAL leader accomplishes...


56 posted on 03/06/2016 11:32:25 AM PST by Jane Long (Go Trump, go! Make America Safe Again :)
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To: All


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57 posted on 03/06/2016 11:33:01 AM PST by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: patriot08

Go back to Canada, Cruz. We need an American who loves his country.

*********************

Naw that was papa Cruz that apprently didn’t have a lot of love for the USA. He came in 1957,
got married and had a couple of daughters, divorced and rambled some into Canada, had another
child up there then came back to the USA and finally got his citizenship papers in 2005.


58 posted on 03/06/2016 11:47:31 AM PST by deport
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

"Super Saturday results show Rubio collapsing, Trump stoppable and Cruz gaining momentum"

59 posted on 03/06/2016 12:42:12 PM PST by anymouse (God didn't write this sitcom we call life, he's just the critic.)
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To: deport
Naw that was papa Cruz that apprently didn’t have a lot of love for the USA. He came in 1957, got married and had a couple of daughters, divorced and rambled some into Canada, had another child up there then came back to the USA and finally got his citizenship papers in 2005.

_________________________________________

Papa Cruz also fought along side Fidel Castro.

And with all due respect, Deport, Ted Cruz WAS BORN IN CANADA. There's no getting around that. I don't want a guy from a Canadian Cuban family born in Canada to be our president.

I want an American who loves his country, such as Donald.

We've all been saying we need another American Revolution. WELL, IT'S HERE.- and Donald started it and is leading it.

He was the ONLY one tough enough to forego the PC BS that has crippled our country. He stood up to the establishment and told them what we the people have been so angry and screaming about- but were ignored by the establishment.

Donald is a brilliant businessman, CEO who knows how to run things and get things done. He will surround himself with the most brilliant, talented America has to offer via his cabinet and advisers

He's not owned by anybody. He's financing his own campaign.

HE IS OUR VOICE

60 posted on 03/06/2016 5:32:39 PM PST by patriot08 (5th generation Texan ...(girl type))
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