“I don’t regret jumping in. I think some people drained the water from the pool after we jumped in.”
— Mike Huckabee, quoted by National Review.
Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.
Why New Hampshire May Be Different This Time
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
Stephen Colbert Speaks ‘Palin-ese’
After tasing the part of his brain that understands sentence structure, Stephen Colbert delivered his own presidential endorsement speech in “Palin-ese.”
Christie Hints at Attacking Trump
Gov. Chris Christie told a New Hampshire town hall that when it comes to “smacking” Donald Trump around, Christie said he has “a plan,” the Newark Star Ledger reports.
Said Christie: “Listen, you know when I will? When I think it makes sense to, OK… I have a plan, I’m going to execute my plan.”
Quote of the Day
“The reason why he attacks me is he’s scared of me. He’s insecure. He doesn’t believe that he can take me on.”
— Jeb Bush, quoted by Politico, on Donald Trump.
Trump Says Cruz Is Getting Nervous
Donald Trump says rival Ted Cruz is worried the election is slipping away from him, The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “He’s very concerned because his poll numbers are going down and he looks very, very nervous.”
He also questioned whether Cruz would be able to perform as president: “Everybody dislikes him. I mean, he’s a nasty guy that everybody dislikes.”
Cruz Says GOP Establishment Is Now Backing Trump
Sen. Ted Cruz charged that the GOP establishment is “abandoning” Sen. Marco Rubio and coalescing around Donald Trump, Politico reports.
Said Cruz: “Right now the Washington establishment is abandoning Marco Rubio, they made an assessment that Marco can’t win this race, and the Washington establishment is rushing over to support Donald Trump. We’re seeing that happen every day and Mr. Trump is welcoming the support of the Washington establishment.”
New York Times: “For days, Mr. Cruz — convinced, at last, that Mr. Trump will not tire from throwing punches — has been testing several strategies in succession. True to form, when dealing with Mr. Trump, the path has been complicated.”
Bill Clinton Questions Hillary’s Strategy
Politico: “Bill Clinton, according to a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation, has been phoning campaign manager Robby Mook almost daily to express concerns about the campaign’s organization in the March voting states, which includes delegate bonanzas in Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Texas.”
“Many Clinton allies share the president’s desire for more organization on the ground; they see enthusiasm that’s ready to be channeled, but no channel yet in place.”
Bloomberg: “Bill Clinton, campaigning for his wife in New Hampshire Wednesday, bluntly admitted how much more difficult than expected Hillary Clinton’s race for the Democratic presidential nomination has become.”
Bush Blame Game Begins
“The big-money supporters fueling Jeb Bush’s super PAC have found their boogey man: Mike Murphy, a sharp-witted, Twitter-obsessed veteran GOP ad man who runs Right to Rise,” according to Politico.
“If Bush’s campaign ends with anything other than the GOP nomination, blame is certain to be widespread. But that donors and GOP operatives are already sniping at Murphy before the first votes are cast demonstrates the depth of frustration and displeasure with the Bush-world loyalist.”
GOP Grapples with Prospect of Trump as Nominee
“When it comes to Donald Trump, two strands of thought appear to be strengthening simultaneously in different camps of the Republican Party: He can’t possibly end up as the presidential nominee, and it looks increasingly likely that he may do just that,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“On the first front, a series of prominent GOP pundits and strategists in recent days have issued barbed denunciations of the real-estate mogul… At the same time, if you trust the polls, Mr. Trump is gaining strength in the early states, and lags behind only in Iowa, where voters are set to kick things off in all of 11 days.”
Huffington Post: “The reason that Republican leaders are moving toward Trump has nothing to do with him. They viscerally, unashamedly loathe Cruz.”
Party Elders Not Rallying Around Rubio
“Republican Party elders in Congress have nothing but nice things to say about Marco Rubio, but the Florida senator is encountering a nagging problem — they’re not ready to coalesce around him as the man to stop Donald Trump or Ted Cruz from marching to the nomination,” Politico reports.
“The reticence around Rubio was punctuated by Sen. Lindsey Graham’s surprise move into Jeb Bush’s camp last week. The South Carolina senator, seen as one of the few congressional endorsements that could move the needle after he dropped out of the presidential race last month, went on to imply that Rubio is too green to be president.”
GOP Establishment Losing at It’s Own Game
Nate Cohn: “The GOP establishment is at a disadvantage against outsiders across nearly every dimension of primary strength, even on the matters where the establishment usually has an edge, like fund-raising, media coverage and support from moderate voters in blue states.”
“What’s even more remarkable is that the party’s weakness comes when it would seem to have tremendous incentives to coalesce behind a single mainstream option. Rarely, if ever, has a party faced such a credible threat from true outsiders, and yet the Republican establishment is both split and on the sidelines.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“Jeffrey would ask that in lieu of flowers, please do not vote for Donald Trump.”
— Jeffrey Cohen’s obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Trump Leads By 20 Points in New Hampshire
A new CNN/WMUR poll in New Hampshire finds Donald Trump way ahead of the GOP presidential field with 34%, followed by Ted Cruz at 14%, Jeb Bush at 10%, Marco Rubio at 10%, Chris Christie at 6%, John Kasich at 6% and Rand Paul at 6%.
A new Gravis Marketing survey finds Trump leading at 35%, followed by Kasich at 15%, Cruz at 10%, Rubio at 9%, Christie at 8% and Bush at 7%.
Establishment Money Isn’t Helping
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
McCain Says He Respects Palin’s Decision
Sen. John McCain declined to criticize Sarah Palin, his former running mate, for endorsing Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, The Hill reports.
Said McCain: “I respect her view. I have great affection and appreciation for her. I respect what she does.”
Palin Blames Son’s Arrest on Obama
Sarah Palin linked her son’s domestic violence arrest to President Obama’s treatment of veterans, the Huffington Post reports.
Said Palin: “My son, like so many others, they come back a bit different. They come back hardened, they come back wondering if there’s that respect for what it is their fellow soldiers and airmen and every other member of the military have so sacrificially given to this country.”
She added that she can “relate with other families who can feel these ramifications of PTSD and some of the woundedness our soldiers do return with.”
Dole Says Cruz Would Lead to ‘Cataclysmic’ Losses
Former Sen. Bob Dole said that the Republican party would suffer “cataclysmic” and “wholesale losses” if Ted Cruz was the nominee and that Donald Trump would fare better, the New York Times reports.
Said Dole: “I question his allegiance to the party. I don’t know how often you’ve heard him say the word ‘Republican’ — not very often.”
Dole added that while Cruz calls himself “conservative,” he preferred a different word for Cruz: “extremist.”
