The best hope of the Republican establishment just a week ago, Marco Rubio suddenly faces a path to his party’s presidential nomination that could require a brokered national convention. He has been endorsed by the state’s other senator, Republican Tim Scott, along Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Republican popular with Tea Party voters.
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Donors supporting Jeb Bush exulted Wednesday at his fourth-place finish in New Hampshire, saying the former Florida governor has found his footing at last in a chaotic Republican presidential race. The Ohio governor conducted over 100 town hall meetings in the state and maybe that paid off in rural communities.
Former Gov. Martin O’Malley has officially suspended his campaign, making it a two-person race between Democrats Larry David, Bernie Sanders that is, and Hillary Clinton. In South Carolina, he has less than 10 days. “We have a very diverse electorate here, the state is diverse geographically and diverse in terms of issues people care about”, said South Carolina GOP chairman Matt Moore.
Republican candidates participate in the final debate before voting begins in New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday. Clinton did manage to win 56 percent of the vote from women ages 45 and older, revealing a sharp generational divide among the voters. The senator ate a stack of blueberry pancakes – soft food, he said, because he cracked a molar the night before on a flight back to Washington, D.C. Voters have not seen him on the trail in years. One of the key “arguments” against Trump for some undecideds, I think, is “c’mon, we’re not gonna nominate Trump”.
In New Hampshire, Trump, at least for the moment, put to rest questions over whether his strong showing in polls was illusory, after he underperformed them last week in Iowa.
The news wasn’t as good for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who had been polling at 13 percent in January after receiving the endorsement of South Carolina Sen. “I’m surprised he didn’t do better”. For Republican voters, the real contenders are coming into focus from a wide field of candidates.
It’s by no means assured that Rubio’s candidacy will survive that long.
Despite his popularity among many Republican leaders, he will ultimately need to start winning primary contests to remain competitive – especially as Trump and Cruz perform well.
Bush and Kasich, meanwhile, are concentrating their early efforts along the SC coast, which includes many transplants, veterans and active military – and which has trended in the past to more moderate candidates like Mitt Romney, the GOP’s 2012 nominee, and John McCain, the 2008 nominee.
Donald Trump says he will release his tax returns “over the next few months”, attributing the delay to the size and complex nature of his taxes.
A more aggressive Rubio showed up Thursday in Okatie.
Jeb Bush: Former president George W. Bush will join his brother Jeb to campaign.
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“The Sunday morning before the race you’re going to have a flyer on your church window with something negative about one of these guys – all of them”, said Sellers, who is also a CNN contributor.
