Cruz in the spotlight as Republicans take the debate stage

The Nov. 13 attacks in Paris left more than 100 dead during a citywide assault while the December 2 attack in San Bernardino, Calif., left many feeling the creep of terrorism into smaller communities. “We are great and we’re going to stay great, and we’re going to get greater”.

In New Hampshire, a larger turnout means the task is somewhat easier, and the most recent polls are more closely aligned with each other. “I don’t think he’s peaking too early”.

One reason he has been able to maintain an overall lead in most national polls since last summer is that, as Ron Brownstein has pointed out, blue-collar workers have flocked towards him, while white-collar workers – with at least a college degree – have split their support among several candidates. So he’s made a decision to go after Cruz here in the way the establishment Republicans go after Cruz, in the way the media goes after Cruz, in the way the Democrats go after Cruz.

On Sunday, Trump dismissed Cruz as a “maniac” without the right temperament for the Oval Office.

The Washington Post pointed out that even though the first voting contest is less than 50 days out, “national polls are not always the reliable predictors of where presidential nominating contests are heading”.

“It has become abundantly clear that Trump is giving his supporters exactly what they want, even if what he says causes the GOP leadership and many Republican voters to cringe”, said Monmouth pollster Patrick Murray. There would be nothing worse for the GOP than the party hanging all its divisive dirty laundry out there for everyone to see on national television. “He’s certainly going to be the focus of attention because of his call to ban all Muslims, which has drawn significant condemnation from both parties”.

The one-time first lady would also beat Sen.

The real-estate mogul’s support was almost triple that of his nearest rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who took 14 percent.

Despite the dominance of Trump and Cruz, it was Rubio who was seen as having the best chance to win the general election, according to 66 percent of those polled by Quinnipiac, while 65 and 54 percent, respectively, said Cruz and Trump have a good chance of winning.

But Cruz is not the sole hunter in what is now open season on Trump, who has recently come under increasing fire from his challengers and will likely face a barrage of attacks regarding his proposal to put a moratorium on Muslims coming to the United States.

Monday on Fox News Channel’s “Your World”, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan said if the reports are true that there is a plan for the so-called Republican Party establishment to stop a Donald Trump nomination with a brokered convention it would be “political suicide”.

Many of these anti-Obama attacks figure to be echoed by Rubio and his Republican opponents at Tuesday night’s debate at a casino on the Las Vegas strip.

More experienced politicians are still struggling to break through in the crowded field.

The sparring began Saturday after the release of the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics poll, showing Cruz with 31 percent of support from likely Republican caucus-goers in the bellwether state. “Rand Paul in the prime-time debate”, the network said, citing a CNN spokeswoman it didn’t name. They air at 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm Eastern. They are former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Lindsey Graham of SC; and former New York Gov. George Pataki.