This Really is a Masterful, Textbook Campaign Performance by Ted Cruz

[txradioguy]

I do not just observe and write about politics. I got elected to office and prior to that managed and consulted on campaigns. I have read just about every campaign book out there. I have gone to campaign management school. I have interviewed campaign strategists. I have helped shape polling, advertising, opposition research, etc.

What Ted Cruz has just started doing to Donald Trump is a master class campaign performance. It is the model textbook example of when and how to attack.

Cruz, for six months, said nothing but kind words about Donald Trump. Every time Trump even offhandedly suggested something critical of Cruz, Cruz just laughed it off and gave Trump a pass.

For six months, as other candidates attacked Trump, Cruz stood shoulder to shoulder with Trump. It annoyed and pissed off a lot of people, but every poll out there shows it also had the effect of making Cruz the second choice for Trump’s voters and Carson’s voters.

As Carson declined, Cruz began rising further still. He held his fire. He kept laughing off Trump, defending Trump, and blaming the establishment. Cruz never took the bait, never got off message, deflected where he must, and kept building up his ground game while other candidates engaged Trump and spent days going off message squabbling in the press with Trump.

Suddenly Cruz found himself number one in Iowa. He also found himself number one in favorability among Republican voters.

When Donald Trump began attacking Ted Cruz, he was no longer attacking just anybody. Trump suddenly found himself attacking the most popular Republican in the field — a position Trump was holding when former Presidential candidates were attacking him.

When Cruz finally responded, Cruz was responding, not initiating an attack. That plays well in voter psychology. They’re better with a candidate defending himself than starting an attack. More importantly, voters are willing to give the candidate with the highest favorability a pass they will not give others.

This is just a model, textbook attack from Cruz.

There are lots and lots of people who think Cruz cannot win a general election. They should look at his thus far perfect campaign strategy and think again. He has stayed on message, stayed focused, and struck at the perfect time with perfect favorability.

Like him or not, it is impressive — the more so because he is not using a bunch of Washington consultants who get on television as experts to run his campaign and make these plays.

http://theresurgent.com/this-really-is-a-masterful-textbook-campaign-performance-by-ted-cruz/

[libertybele]

Go Ted!  I think he is brilliant and our last glimmer of hope in taking back our country.

[Lacarnut]

I am a Trump supporter and do not like the birther issue. There is zero (0%) chance that Cruz will be disqualified from running or becoming  President. Trump did this to put doubt in the minds of voters. Playing dirty pool is the norm in politics. Both candidates made good points; don't think many minds were changed in the debate. If you were a Cruz supporter, before the debate, you think he won it and vice versa with Trump.   

May the best man win. I will be happy with either one of them. 

[Belle]

Some pundits thought Trump did Cruz a favor by bringing up the birther issue now, instead of later.
Agree, Cruz is running a great campaign, but, in my opinion, so is Trump.
For one thing, he's entering new ground by campaigning cost effectively.

This could absolutely hurt Trump.  Another turncoat that was elected with tea party support.
Dave Brat would be a much better choice. 
 

[Patriot Guard Rider]

I am a Trump supporter and do not like the birther issue. There is zero (0%) chance that Cruz will be disqualified from running or becoming  President. Trump did this to put doubt in the minds of voters. Playing dirty pool is the norm in politics. Both candidates made good points; don't think many minds were changed in the debate. If you were a Cruz supporter, before the debate, you think he won it and vice versa with Trump.   

May the best man win. I will be happy with either one of them.

I started off as a big time Trump supporter primarily because he challenged the establishment in a way they'd never been challenged before. He called a spade a spade.

That said, he needs to calm down the personal stuff, in my opinion. He and Cruz really are on the same team. They need to stay together to get the GOPe hopefuls out of the race, then go toe to toe on ISSUES.

That said, I've slowly been coming around to Cruz. My only concern is he doesn't appear to have the fire in the belly Trump has.

[txradioguy]

My only concern is he doesn't appear to have the fire in the belly Trump has.

Trump yells and is belligerent...but doesn't say a whole lot if you notice.

Cruz is calm...takes measured shots and picks the time and place of his choosing to return fire.

Now ask yourself, which would you rather have the next time Putin decides to annex more of the old USSR or Iran pays for some head choppers to attack the U.S....someone who gets pissed and shoots his mouth off...wildly flailing around and striking out blindly...or a calm and steady hand that responds forcefully to those that make threats or causes harm to America and its citizen?

[thundley4]

Trump yells and is belligerent...but doesn't say a whole lot if you notice.

Fox News, for whatever reason, has given Trump's speeches a lot of airtime.  I've heard more of his crap than any other candidate.

His speeches are not much more than "Hope & Change" modified to "Make America Great Again" without any details given.

Also he spends an inordinate amount of time talking about how well he is doing in the polls, but if he drops in a poll then he talks down those poll takers.

[wasp69]

...our last glimmer of hope in taking back our country.

BS.

There is no one politician that is running for President that is "our last glimmer" of anything.  To assume one man has that much power is to assume he will be coronated instead of sworn in.  Any "last glimmer of hope" for this country will come from an informed electorate, not a politician.

[J P Sousa]

As obvious as it sounds, Trump's rhetoric is what we often hope to hear from a politician. The difference between the two became quite clear to me when Cruz said this;

"If you didn't stand up and fight amnesty, when the stakes were live or die, do we lose this permanently or do we win, I would suggest as voters you have reasons to doubt the credibility of the promises of a political candidate who discovers the issue after he announces for president," the Texas senator said at a town hall meeting in Whitefield.

The difference between another republican who makes promises and one who tried to keep a promise despite pressure from republican leaders.

[Lacarnut]

Trump yells and is belligerent...but doesn't say a whole lot if you notice.

Cruz is calm...takes measured shots and picks the time and place of his choosing to return fire.

Now ask yourself, which would you rather have the next time Putin decides to annex more of the old USSR or Iran pays for some head choppers to attack the U.S....someone who gets pissed and shoots his mouth off...wildly flailing around and striking out blindly...or a calm and steady hand that responds forcefully to those that make threats or causes harm to America and its citizen?

Horsecrap:

Who was the first one to talk about building a  wall, sending illegals back, putting tariffs on China, Japan and Mexico if they do not let their currency rise, inversion/bring jobs back to America. BTW, Cruz said he did not agree with Trump on the rag heads refugees.

Secondly, anyone that shoots his mouth off, wildly flailing around and striking out blindly could never become a businessman worth billions. It would never happen.

Thirdly, I am tired of politicians that say one thing and do another. 

Trump as a businessman is one thousand times (1,000) better than any politician in reducing our debt. If we as a country do not start reducing it, we will go bankrupt. Taxes will go up and services will be cut including the military. Now, ask yourself, would rather have a politician handle your finances or a brilliant businessman.   

[txradioguy]

Horsecrap:

Who was the first one to talk about building a  wall, sending illegals back,

Ted Cruz...in 2013.

A Senate committee rejected an immigration-legislation amendment offered by Sen. Ted Cruz today that would have added significant security resources along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The amendment proposed tripling the number of Border Patrol agents stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border and quadrupling equipment, “including cameras, sensors, drones and helicopters,” within three years. And the 700 miles of border fence required by a 2006 law would need to be finished.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/01/did_donald_trump_get_the_idea_for_a_border_fence_from_ted_cruz.html

Trump thought Romney's idea of self deportation" was "mean spirited"

"The GOP has to develop a comprehensive policy “to take care of this incredible problem that we have with respect to immigration, with respect to people wanting to be wonderful productive citizens of this country,” Trump says. "

Want something more current.  Ok...how about from June 2015 when Trump said this about immigration.

"You have to give them a path, and you have to make it possible for them to succeed. You have to do that. But the bad ones, and there are bad ones, you have to get out, and you have to get them out fast."

That's "path" as in "path to citizenship," not a path to exit the country via our southern border. And it's clear he was referring to the bulk of the millions of aliens. The "bad ones" he would deport he depicts as a minority of the illegals. How small a minority is wide open to speculation

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/01/did_donald_trump_get_the_idea_for_a_border_fence_from_ted_cruz.html

Hmmm...no mention of a wall or "deport them all" in any of that.  In fact he sounds like he could be a member of the Gang of 8.

putting tariffs on China, Japan and Mexico if they do not let their currency rise, inversion/bring jobs back to America.

You really want to get into a Tariff war with other countries?  You DO know that works both ways right?

Last time someone proposed massive tariffs on other countries like that...we eneded up with The Great Depression and FDR as president.

BTW, Cruz said he did not agree with Trump on the rag heads refugees.

Link?

Secondly, anyone that shoots his mouth off, wildly flailing around and striking out blindly could never become a businessman worth billions. It would never happen.

And yet there is Trump.  Doing exactly that.  Lots of people woirth lots of money shoot their mouth off and thin it gives them carte blanche to go after anyone that doesn't agree with them.

Thirdly, I am tired of politicians that say one thing and do another.

Then given the fact that Trump is out there supporting Crony Capitalism in the form of Ethanol subsidies and bragging about how he's got D.C. establishment types begging to join his campaign...coupled with the fact he's talking about cutting deals with Congress when he gets there...sounds like you should be tired of Trump too.

Trump as a businessman is one thousand times (1,000) better than any politician in reducing our debt. If we as a country do not start reducing it, we will go bankrupt. Taxes will go up and services will be cut including the military. Now, ask yourself, would rather have a politician handle your finances or a brilliant businessman.

I want a responsible...principled Constitutional Conservative.  I want people that will follow the law...defending our freedoms and upholding the separation of powers.

[Lacarnut]

Txradioguy

Your vile hatred of Trump is noted. Comparing his tactics to a Commie is ludicrous. Keep on hating if it makes you feel better.

Like I said, I am for Trump but Cruz is my second choice. You are the one that sounds like a cult follower because most of us that support Trump would support Cruz in a heartbeat if he got the nomination.
That is a FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[txradioguy]

Txradioguy

Your vile hatred of Trump is noted.

I don't hate Trump.  He's got some admirable parts of his campaign...and he's got some I and other Conservatives detest.

In fact I've defended Trump on this very website.

So your ignorance of what I've actually posted on this subject prior to this article is noted as well.

Comparing his tactics to a Commie is ludicrous. Keep on hating if it makes you feel better.

It's exactly what he's doing.  He's not engaging on topics...he's not going after Cruz for legitimate things...he's attack Cruz like a Democrat.  Like the current crop of D.C. Liberals do.  And they take their tactics straight from "Rules for Radicals"

I can even point to the specific rules he's using if you'd like.

Like I said, I am for Trump but Cruz is my second choice. You are the one that sounds like a cult follower because most of us that support Trump would support Cruz in a heartbeat if he got the nomination.

I'm not a follower of any kind of cult...I leave that to the current Trump Drones who defend hiom no matter what and the Ronulans.

What I am is a Conservative.  Who believes in Conservative values and principals and I don't believe in running off and chasing every shiny object that comes along.

And I certainly...as does EVERY Conservative...have the right to question and challenge the bona fides of someone who just discovered they were a Republican in the last 3 years.

If to you that makes the people who question Trumps motives and qualifications 'cult followers"...then you need a new dictionary because your definition of a cultist is wayyyyy off base.

That is a FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No that's just you talking out your ass.

[Lacarnut]

No that's just you talking out your ass.

I know another nigga named Moses

[txradioguy]

I know another nigga named Moses

Dropping the N bomb...classy.

 

[wasp69]

I know another nigga named Moses

What the **** is that?

[FiddyBeowulf]

Then given the fact that Cruz is out there supporting Crony Capitalism in the form of Ethanol subsidies and bragging about how he's got D.C. establishment types begging to join his campaign...coupled with the fact he's talking about cutting deals with Congress when he gets there...sounds like you should be tired of Trump too.

You mean Trump, right?

This is a big reason I support Cruz over Trump, Cruz has got the balls to call for a phase out of the ethanol mandate within 5 years. Trump called for increasing the amount of ethanol blended into our gas supply.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/430018/donald-trump-ethanol-mandate-attack-ted-cruz

[txradioguy]

You mean Trump, right?

This is a big reason I support Cruz over Trump, Cruz has got the balls to call for a phase out of the ethanol mandate within 5 years. Trump called for increasing the amount of ethanol blended into our gas supply.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/430018/donald-trump-ethanol-mandate-attack-ted-cruz

You are correct sir I corrected my mistake in my post.

[Eupher]

And I certainly...as does EVERY Conservative...have the right to question and challenge the bona fides of someone who just discovered they were a Republican in the last 3 years.

Steel on target. Entire post outstanding.

h5

Trump has been so busy trying to be the business mogul, the reality TV star, the creme de la creme, that he's forgotten that his words have meaning.

Even words that he's said in the past.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- anyone who takes Trump seriously really isn't thinking very clearly.

You gotta dig deep to find dirt on Cruz -- and the fact he got a loan from Goldman Sachs doesn't bother me nearly as much as Trump's stance on 2A and how it's "evolved."

Bullshit -- Trump is a ****ing liberal and the fact he's got so many people hoodwinked into thinking he's something other than a narcissistic tool in the same light as Barry (better hair, though) is really disappointing.

The only thing that's somewhat attractive about Trump is that he's got the money to spew his brand of bullshit, without regard to the Republican Power Structure. Cruz has to dance that dance, which makes it doubly hard for him.