Cruz takes in almost $20 million in fourth quarter

Despite the fact that Trump’s level of popular support is seemingly remaining reasonably stable (even in spite of his recent aforementioned comments on Muslims), other more electorally viable presidential candidates (notably the young senators, Marco Rubio and most notably Ted Cruz) are seeing their support amongst Republican voters rise significantly.

The endorsement represented a small victory for Rubio’s campaign.

Rubio’s strategy is built on a preference for made-for-TV rallies and cable news appearances rather than the endless handshaking and baby-kissing that tradition suggests paves the way to the White House. It’s possible that the Obama presidency, having reshaped the nomination contests, may be reshaping the general electorate – and not to Democrats’ benefit. Frankly, I think the man is deeply unbalanced. “You’ve got to let people in”. But now Rubio is starting to draw more fire on immigration and missing votes in the Senate. If they do have influence, they might be able to also pick off some votes now headed toward Ben Carson (7.7 percent in HuffPollster’s Iowa estimate), Cruz and perhaps even some of the other candidates.

For Rubio and Bush, as well as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, that likely means lighting the match with a strong finish in Iowa, then igniting their bid with a win in New Hampshire. “Dude, show up to work”, Christie said in front of an Iowa crowd.

Rubio spokesman Alex Conant said the campaign has no plans to “give up on states we can win”. Marco Rubio doesn’t have a problem with it, however. The amount was a 66 percent increase over the previous quarter and has matched Cruz’s slow rise in the polls.

“The race is still fluid”, said Beth Myers, who managed 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign and supports Bush in 2016. Rubio missed 120 votes, more than any other senator, while Graham missed 96, the second-most. Rubio? He said at the time that he opposed an amendment that would do that.

She added: “Today, given the fluid race and the spending decisions by outside groups, we are making strategic adjustments with our resources to ensure we are in the most competitive position possible”. We don’t focus on that, talk about that.

At first glance, it is certainly not unheard of to have notable Republican presidential candidates like Carson, Fiorina, and Trump from very unconventional political backgrounds competing in U.S. presidential primaries (Herman Cain’s 2008 campaign and Steve Forbes’ 2000 campaign both spring to mind).

Carson, buoyed by his appeal to evangelicals and as an outsider candidate, surged to the top of Iowa polls in October. He has ample staff on the ground in the early states. Cruz, by contrast, leans heavily on his long lists of local backers in the early states. And just a month before voting officially starts, the campaign is boasting about its robust team in place in the first four primary and caucus states – Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina. and Nevada.

Cruz’s campaign is aiming for top performances on March 1, when much of the Cruz-friendly South votes and on the single day on the GOP calendar with the most delegates at stake.

On Tuesday, Rubio also fired back against the pro-Bush ad, charging that Bush is getting “increasingly negative in his attacks”. “But I like them nevertheless”. Are they talking to people? Where party leaders erred, however, was in assuming that they could control the passions they stoked. “It doesn’t leave them a lot of wiggle room”.

“They’re all hoping for lightning to strike at the right moment and gain momentum at the final push”, he said.

Soon enough the pundits will make way for you, the voter. “You have to set yourself up for that to happen”.