Ted Cruz hopes his Texas charm hits home across the South

With his down home values and penchant for cowboy boots, Cruz is laying the southern charm on thick, hoping to convince voters across the land of sweet tea and fried okra that he’s one of them – and that it’ll be enough to buoy him against front-runner Donald Trump and the rest of the Republican field.

After a week of bitter attacks, Republicans face off in South Carolina’s presidential primary, a contest that could determine Donald Trump’s strength as a frontrunner.

“We’ve been through a wild and wooly election season”, Cruz said, referring to the millions of dollars in candidate attack ads.

Tuesday is traditionally the biggest day of the week for politics in the United States, but Saturday could be a turning point in the race for both parties’ presidential nomination contests.

The billionaire’s been consistently out front in SC.

“They agreed to disagree on the facts of what happened in Iowa”, said Ryan Rhodes, an adviser to Carson who was outside of the meeting.

This poll gives Team Rubio a gift, though, in offering the tantalizing hope of a shocking upset victory in SC.

Delegates: Republicans have 50 delegates at stake while Democrats have 59 of them.

Joan Brewer, a 70-year-old retiree from Garden City, South Carolina, is an evangelical Christian voter leaning toward casting her ballot on Saturday for Trump.

TRUMP: Right? Not going to happen with me.

Trump said, “This Ted Cruz”. In South Carolina, Republicans will vote in a primary, while in Nevada, Democrats will caucus – grouping themselves together by candidate to voice their support.

The pope, Duck Dynasty, Howard Stern from 2002: You just never know what’s coming next to a Republican presidential campaign gripped by Trumpism.

Rubio secured the endorsement of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the son of a pastor, evoked “the body of Christ” in his closing message while fending off allegations of campaign misconduct in a state where most Republicans identify as evangelical Christians.

Trump has managed to improve his ranking within the youngest demographic, and he maintains the highest commitment from voters: 97% of Trump supporters indicated that they do not foresee changing their vote. Candidates like Ben Carson and John Kasich will be under a close monitoring. Marco Rubio wants to impress the state’s veterans with his foreign policy chops. Bush could find his candidacy in jeopardy if he finishes poorly Saturday, as some polls suggest. Should he win the Republican primary in SC, after carrying New Hampshire, he’d have history on his side: No modern candidate has ever lost the nomination after taking those two early states.

The Nevada caucuses open their doors starting at 2 p.m. EST and each one should take a few hours.

“The new conservative movement looks like a Benetton commercial”, Haley shouted to the crowd as she beckoned them all to join her and Rubio on the stage. Thank you, darling. It’s a lot of people.

In Myrtle Beach, Trump cited polls that showed him having the most support on the economy, national security and immigration.

On the plus side: his strongest debate performance and a lively show of support from his brother, George W. Bush, in a state where people think fondly of the ex-president.

Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliner assembly plant came on line in 2011 in North Charleston and employs about 8000 people in the region, part of a manufacturing renaissance the state has enjoyed – in part because of its mostly non-unionised workforce.

South Carolina residents are getting ready to hit the polls in the much anticipated South Carolina Republican primary.

Senator Cruz says he’s feeling good about his chances, but that the results are going to depend on a strong conservative turnout.