Ted Cruz’s Polling Numbers Are Terrible

[DonViejo]

In presidential primaries, it’s a truism that early polling isn’t destiny. This particular truism ought to be especially comforting for Sen. Ted Cruz, whose numbers thus far have been unequivocally miserable.

Let’s have a look. The RedState presidential power rankings, which ought to be required reading for those interested in how conservatives see the current state of the 2016 horse race, put the outspoken Texan in seventh place this week, tailing fellow Sens. Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, as well as former Fox News host and female-swearing-disapprover Mike Huckabee. Leon Wolf, who writes the rankings, called Cruz's numbers “especially disappointing” in Virginia and South Carolina—states with particularly conservative primary voters where the firebrand would need to perform smashingly to nab the nomination.

Dubbing those numbers “disappointing” seems generous. In the Christopher Newport University poll of Virginia Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters, the Texan got a measly 3 percent, losing to Rep. Paul Ryan, who more than two weeks before the CNU poll specifically said he wouldn’t run. On top of that, only 1 percent of South Carolina voters chose Cruz in a recent NBC News/Marist poll. Newsmax reported that Cruz got a “rock star reception” at a South Carolina Tea Party event this January. Maybe South Carolinians don't like rock stars.

Other polling numbers offer the senator cold comfort. The NBC News/Marist polls of Iowa and New Hampshire give him 2 and 6 percent, respectively. When 6 percent is your happy place, things are bleak.

That doesn’t mean they’ll be bleak forever. Cruz has oodles of time to court Republican primary voters, and he’s won a national fundraising base thanks to his vocal opposition of the Affordable Care Act and comprehensive immigration reform. He’s also shown an ability to work across the aisle, supporting Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on legislation that would change how the military handles sexual assault cases. Still, it’s surprising that such a demonstratively conservative senator would be lagging behind presidential-politick nonentities like Rick Santorum and Paul Ryan.

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http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/02/18/ted_cruz_polling_numbers_not_a_lot_of_republicans_want_the_texas_senator.html?

[liberal N proud]

1. This guy?

?list=PL1wUdpvOZzIixCCRO-htj3Q50QXlgcyU3

[Politicalboi]

3. I love Mr. Haney

He's always got the solution to all your problems, for a small fee of course. That'll be $10.00

[blkmusclmachine]

7. ;-)

[randys1]

2. We should do a recap of each of the clown car occupants...I mean think about the

pure hell and hate and dysfunction these people represent.

Whether it be Huckabee's deep hatred of all non white protestants, or Cruz's deep hatred of all non white protestants, wait.

We have a common thread I think.




You have to laugh, sometimes.

Who distinguishes his or herself in the clown car?

Rand Paul tries to, which is why he worries me.

Jeb Bush is the least racist of the bunch, probably, but his FIRST campaign hire was a TEAPARTIER who is on record as a typical teapartier, racist, etc. So maybe Jeb is a so so guy socially, but he is obviously willing to throw all that in the trash can to get elected.

I would like to see a thread, ongoing, dedicated to each clown car occupant, highlighting their positions, their hate, etc.

[tanyev]

4. They do not like him here or there. They do not like him anywhere.

[FSogol]

5. Maybe Cruz will get lucky and shutdown the govt again. That should do wonders for his popularity!

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. Cruz was never a threat, and I'm willing to bet the same re: Rand Paul. n/t

[LynneSin]

8. Why Cruz is even attempting to run is a joke since his supporters were all 'Obama birthers'

His supporters aren't exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer with many of them still claiming that Obama is not qualified because he was born in Kenya. Now these idiots are supporting someone who was actually born in another country and it's a joke of how they try to justify their change of mind.

Personally I think because one parent is an American born citizen, both Obama and Cruz are qualified to be president (both had American born mothers). I just love the hypocrisy of watching these people and their craziness explain how a man born in Hawaii to an American mother and Kenya father is disqualified yet a man born in Canada to an American Mother and Cuba father isn't.

[Jim Lane]

11. Whatever their other failings (!), they're not being hypocrites on the "birther" issue, anyway.

You write:

Personally I think because one parent is an American born citizen, both Obama and Cruz are qualified to be president (both had American born mothers).

That's the law now. It wasn't the law when Obama and Cruz were born. In Cruz's case (child born abroad to one American citizen parent and one noncitizen parent), the child was an American citizen at birth only if the citizen parent had lived in the United States for at least five years after reaching age 14. Cruz's mother met that test so he was a natural-born citizen.

At the time of Obama's birth, however, his mother was only 18, so she couldn't meet that test. Obama derives his citizenship (and eligibility to be President) from a different provision. Under the Fourteenth Amendment, almost all children born in the United States are automatically citizens. If Obama had been born in Kenya in August of 1961, however, he would not have been a U.S. citizen.

Caveat re Cruz: There's absolutely no reason to believe that his mother had lived anywhere but the U.S. from age 14 through 19, thus meeting the five-year requirement. Some of the birthers might be open to charges of hypocrisy on the question of proving that point, though. Who has the burden of proof? Did Mrs. Cruz, who is still alive, keep her old utility bills, or something else to prove that she lived considerably more than five years in the U.S. before moving to Canada? Would her sworn testimony be enough? The Constitution is silent on these points. Birthers who rejected documentary evidence from the State of Hawaii concerning Obama's birth might have to explain themselves on this point.

[Myrina]

9. They're all running for VP at this point ...

... it's either going to be Jeb or Snot Walker atop the ticket. The Kochs have spoken.

[libdem4life]

10. They are running as cameos for appointments...to recruit fringe voters. I'm for

Walker. He's never been on the national stage, and his Stupid will out itself. Like Palin, he's a quitter...shown by the lack of finishing college. Cruz is just plain offensive and whiny. Paul is a Libertarian. Christie a loud mouth bully. Huckabee sounds daffy. Rubio, the one that comes off as somewhat sane, evidently has some major state skeletons.

It all adds up to Jeb with his Mexican wife and kids. He has scandals that will come out, too, as he's never gone national, but he'll survive, IMO. The Bush name will help him with the Rs Primary, in the General, maybe not.

One good thing about Clinton that I can think of, is that her dirt has pretty much been hashed out over the years. Ho hum...for many. Her negatives on DU may actually help her with the Undecided voter... who tend to be Centrists and Pragmatists, approving of her being able to raise the billion dollars necessary. You can't be anti-corporatist and get that kind of money. Part of why I think Warren will settle for an appointment maybe, or stay on the Finance Committee.

[kairos12]

12. Proves the only thing you get on Carnival Cruz is norovirus. Maybe, moronvirus.

[Amishman]

13. he is the decoy

He is the far far right crazy who is intended to soak up the abuse and make the actual rightwinger who takes the nomination appear to be a 'moderate'.