Rubio under pressure as Republicans debate in South Carolina

Cruz highlighted the “significant glaring differences” between the two on health care, stressing that Trump was keen on “adopting Bernie Sanders-style socialized medicine”, a reference to the independent senator challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

The consolation the losers in New Hampshire can take is from history.

A second poll, released later Friday by the S.C. House Republican Caucus, had Trump with a slightly larger 19-percentage-point lead over Cruz after the New Hampshire primary. But Cruz likely sees it as a necessity.

The governor also appears to have knocked Rubio from the slot of establishment favorite, after his withering criticism of the senator during Saturday night’s Republican debate.

“We won conservatives”, Cruz said. On MSNBC Wednesday morning, first-place New Hampshire finisher Donald Trump said he had a “long talk” with Christie Tuesday night but did not go into detail about what was said. [My family and I] will make a decision on our next step forward based on the results that come in here in New Hampshire.

Christie was unable to gain traction in New Hampshire despite holding more than 70 town halls there and viewing the state as having a more favorable early primary climate to him than Iowa, where the governor finished in 10th place, without a single delegate. He dominated in every demographic and GOP faction: young and old, men and women, rich and poor, very conservative to moderate. He was poised to emerge from his third-place finish in Iowa as the mainstream GOP choice.

Kasich now survives to enter a SC primary that’s expected to get as bloody as a cockfight. If that holds, he’ll knock both Bush and Kasich out soon, and he remains the logical destination for most of their voters.

It’s the last debate before next Saturday’s pivotal SC, a first-in-the-South contest that could well end some Republican campaigns.

Kasich, however, said he is confident he will perform well across the South. And he also said he was confident he can compete against Trump for the nomination, but it will take time.

Jeb came in sixth in the Iowa caucus on February 1.

Marco Rubio praised the “talented” Chris Christie Wednesday, but said the New Jersey governor’s debate attack on him did little to help his own chances. All campaigns aren’t created equal, of course, and differences in funding and organization will become more apparent going forward.Kasich, for instance, focused nearly all of his energies on New Hampshire. After faring poorly in both states, Christie ended his campaign.

Rubio managed to snatch defeat from what looked like a possibly strong showing in New Hampshire. However, Trump won the evangelical vote in New Hampshire, with 27 percent to Cruz’s 23 percent and Rubio’s 13 percent.