Clinton ally: Trump, not Cruz likely GOP nominee

In what began as a typical Trump speech, the presidential candidate – who made headlines in December for saying he would ban Muslims from entering the U.S. – said the reason for his tough rhetoric is twofold. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has an edge in the Hawkeye State.

Jim Roddey, the Allegheny County GOP chairman, contended that neither Trump nor Cruz will inspire voters exhausted of acrimony and divisiveness in politics, and that will trickle down to hurt Toomey and every other Republican candidate down the ballot. Mr. Casey said the primary would make her stronger: “You’re usually better if you’ve had a sparring partner”.

In the last few months, before Trump takes the stage an announcement is read telling Trump’s supporters to “not harm a protester” but instead to chant “Trump, Trump, Trump”, as an alert to security that a protester has been spotted. The now rising theory is that Trump will prevail. But with the Iowa presidential primary only about a week away and New Hampshire close behind, just one misstep by Palin could prove a serious liability to the “mouth that roared”.

But as for engaging in the brutal personal counterpunching that Trump is known for, Cruz was not taking the bait.

“There has not been a sustained message challenging Trump on the core conservative issues that have defined the Republican Party for decades”, Packer said in an e-mail.

Cruz, though, says policy differences are fair game. Maybe so. But Trump could also do worse among college- educated whites and among nonwhites.

Mr. Ridge’s worries were echoed in interviews in recent days with more than a dozen elected officials, insiders and operatives in both parties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, who also offered their takes on the Hillary Clinton-Bernie Sanders Democratic contest and one of the most unpredictable presidential races in memory.

According to a new CBS News poll Trump has retaken the lead in Iowa and is way ahead in New Hampshire and SC. Dream on. Any nominee will be the de facto leader of the party. Trump will be holding a rally at Muscatine High School in the af… Cruz’s Senate colleagues think he has been selfish rather than principled when he has picked fights with them.

But, in a state where Democrats hold a four-to-three registration edge over Republicans, political analysts and strategists say Toomey can not win in a presidential election year without attracting support from conservative Democrats or independent voters. Trump would be much less predictable.

There is another possibility, though: Trump may just be impervious to attacks of all kinds.

Considering all of the invective toward women, minorities, immigrants, and others that has come out of Trump’s mouth during his campaign, his assessment of his base is probably dead on. So some Iowa Republicans, including Gov, Terry Branstad, are trashing Cruz. “You persuade people that he’s a con artist, and they’re his marks”.