Cruz: Marco Rubio Is the Media’s "Chosen One"
Texas senator casts doubt on rival's electability argument
By:
Reid J. Epstein, The Wall Street Journal
Feb 4, 2016 7:20 pm ET
WEARE, N.H. – Ted Cruz’s case against the fast-rising Marco Rubio is that he is “the chosen one,” anointed by the media as the GOP’s establishment candidate.
Both during remarks to voters at a sports bar here and while responding to reporters outside, Mr. Cruz delivered unprompted shots at his Florida rival, tethering him to past nominees who have lost general elections.
“I understand that in the media newsrooms and in the Washington establishment circles, Marco is the chosen one,” Mr. Cruz said outside a sports bar here. He went on to dismiss Mr. Rubio’s third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, which Mr. Cruz won. “In the media’s telling, bronze is the new gold.”
Mr. Rubio’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The goal of Mr. Cruz’s attack is to stop Mr. Rubio from emerging from New Hampshire as the consensus establishment-wing candidate heading to South Carolina, Nevada and the March 1 Southern states. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are engaged in the same trash-Rubio effort, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich is fighting for the same voters while claiming the high road for not attacking Mr. Rubio by name.
Mr. Rubio is in second place in CNN’s poll of New Hampshire Republicans released Thursday afternoon. Donald Trump is first with 29% support. Mr. Rubio is second at 18%, with Mr. Cruz third at 13%. John Kasich is fourth at 12%.
Later, inside the packed bar while a repeat of Wednesday night’s hockey games played on the flat-screen TVs, Mr. Cruz launched into another tirade against Mr. Rubio, seeking to cast doubt on the Florida senator’s argument he’s the most electable in the GOP field.
“The media adores him,” Mr. Cruz said. “These are the same people who told us Bob Dole was the electable one, that told us John McCain was the electable one, that told us Mitt Romney was the electable one. You’re always the electable one until you win the nomination, and then you cannot possibly win the election.”
Mr. Cruz said declarations of Mr. Rubio’s momentum lie in a coordinated effort to nominate a candidate more likely to side with Democratic priorities.
“He’s the one who has agreed with the Democrats the most,” he said of Mr. Rubio. “That was their reasoning with Bob Dole and John McCain and Mitt Romney.”
Texas senator casts doubt on rival's electability argument
By:
Reid J. Epstein, The Wall Street Journal
Feb 4, 2016 7:20 pm ET
WEARE, N.H. – Ted Cruz’s case against the fast-rising Marco Rubio is that he is “the chosen one,” anointed by the media as the GOP’s establishment candidate.
Both during remarks to voters at a sports bar here and while responding to reporters outside, Mr. Cruz delivered unprompted shots at his Florida rival, tethering him to past nominees who have lost general elections.
“I understand that in the media newsrooms and in the Washington establishment circles, Marco is the chosen one,” Mr. Cruz said outside a sports bar here. He went on to dismiss Mr. Rubio’s third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, which Mr. Cruz won. “In the media’s telling, bronze is the new gold.”
Mr. Rubio’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The goal of Mr. Cruz’s attack is to stop Mr. Rubio from emerging from New Hampshire as the consensus establishment-wing candidate heading to South Carolina, Nevada and the March 1 Southern states. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are engaged in the same trash-Rubio effort, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich is fighting for the same voters while claiming the high road for not attacking Mr. Rubio by name.
Mr. Rubio is in second place in CNN’s poll of New Hampshire Republicans released Thursday afternoon. Donald Trump is first with 29% support. Mr. Rubio is second at 18%, with Mr. Cruz third at 13%. John Kasich is fourth at 12%.
Later, inside the packed bar while a repeat of Wednesday night’s hockey games played on the flat-screen TVs, Mr. Cruz launched into another tirade against Mr. Rubio, seeking to cast doubt on the Florida senator’s argument he’s the most electable in the GOP field.
“The media adores him,” Mr. Cruz said. “These are the same people who told us Bob Dole was the electable one, that told us John McCain was the electable one, that told us Mitt Romney was the electable one. You’re always the electable one until you win the nomination, and then you cannot possibly win the election.”
Mr. Cruz said declarations of Mr. Rubio’s momentum lie in a coordinated effort to nominate a candidate more likely to side with Democratic priorities.
“He’s the one who has agreed with the Democrats the most,” he said of Mr. Rubio. “That was their reasoning with Bob Dole and John McCain and Mitt Romney.”
