It’s a lesson most of us learn in the schoolyard, but one that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during the Sunshine Summit conference being held at the Rosen Shingle Creek on November 13, 2015 in Orlando, Florida.
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Now, here comes the knuckle sandwich. Without a breakout performance by one of those alternatives to Trump in New Hampshire along the lines of Cruz’s in Iowa, Trump could win there and seize a “comeback narrative”-a possibility likely keeping Republican party leaders up at night”.
Trump has been ramping up his attacks against Cruz in recent days, coming out with digs about the Texas Republican’s religion and his loyalty to the oil industry.
“You look at Paris, you look at San Bernardino, it’s given a seriousness to this race”, Cruz said.
Late last week though, the mask slipped ever so slightly.
A also showed Cruz surging in Iowa’s GOP caucus-goers, but without the clear lead over Trump.
Trump also praised his “strong temperament”.
Mr Trump took aim at Mr Cruz for the first time on Friday, criticising his opposition to ethanol subsidies, CNN reports.
According to the New York Times, the arch-conservative Mr Cruz could emerge as the preferred nominee of far-right Republicans, competing against Mr Trump – cast as an anti-establishment candidate – and against a possible third candidate representing the centre-right of the party.
And, in keeping with the schoolyard bully metaphor, it boils down to: “Nobody likes you!”
Cruz had told donors in the leaked audio that he believes “gravity will bring both of those campaigns down”. But, as with a lot of the attacks Trump has leveled on his opponents in the past, there’s a grain of truth in his criticisms that he will, by constant repetition, try to force into the minds of Cruz supporters.
It’s not an uncommon assessment of Cruz and his relationships in the Capitol.
“No, I don’t think he does, and I like him”, he said. Now Trump appears to have made the decision that Cruz’s inability to make people like him is his biggest vulnerability. “I mean, I can say anything, and he said, ‘I agree, I agree, ‘” Trump said.
“I’m more capable. Because I have a much better temperament. Because I actually get along with people much better than he does”. I have great judgment. “In fact, I was criticized in the beginning because I get along with Democrats and liberals and Republicans, and conservatives – I get along with everybody”. “I get along with everybody…” “I don’t see his numbers going down, I see them going up”.
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“Do you notice he said it behind my back?” In an interview with EWTN News last week, Cruz said he is convinced that 2016 is going to be a religious liberty election, and that he will push for legislation to protect people’s rights against any possible discrimination or persecution from the federal government. “And I think that is a question that is a challenging question for voters”.
