‘Given the way Cruz was marketed to the GOP masses, and the way his background was kept hidden, I think the GOPe was trying to copy the Dem’s 2008 Obama strategy by the book.
It probably would have worked, too, except for three things: 1) Trump, 2) the fact that Cruz is such an awful campaigner on the national stage; and 3) Cruz’s nasty personality bubbled up as the campaign grind wore on, and people (except for his die-hard supporters) saw past the Potemkin Village that was his campaign persona, and recoiled in horror.’
It was Cruz himself who tried to copy Obama’s playbook. Cruz bought The Audacity to Win—Plouffe’s paean to Obama’s ‘08, Hope and Change campaign—in bulk, and gave a copy to every one of his staffers. It was to be his blueprint for winning the electi
[Recall thatl Obama cheated massively at the caucuses. There is an online documentary about it. Hillary’s supporters had ample proof, but the MSM was Obama’s palace guard; they wouldn’t give a negative story about him the time of day.]
Agree with you re why it didn’t work. I’ll add this: the MSM didn’t follow Cruz around on their knees, wearing heavy-duty kneepads.
Cruz couldn’t stick with vague, ‘soaring rhetoric’ because Trump jumped in with specifics, such as the wall and deportation.
Republicans are not as easy to satisfy as Dems. The latter wanted a’messianic’ “light-worker,” and were only too happy to believe Obama’s hype. Republicans for the most part are skeptical of ‘anointed kings,’ and wanted reliable indicators that Cruz’ accomplishments in office would match his hype.
[For those who will respond, but Trump! consider this. Trumps’s reputation as a businessman is that he gets things done. Plus he’s not a career politician, which people have come to associate with lies and corruption.]
The early caucus states are the easiest ones to cheat and get the foot in the door.
Hell freezes over when Maine is legitimately won by Ted Cruz.
Cruz was down to number 3 or 4 going in the door in Maine, and exited #1.
There is no way Cruz won Maine. Maine has a long history of cheating at the in the past primary elections.