There is no doubt that the 2016 campaign season began far too early. After Ted Cruz declared his candidacy, others scrambled for financial support, and to build an effective team. Republican hierarchy were confident that Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio would move to the front quickly and remain there throughout the primary season until the GOP Convention in July.

Not so fast. Enter Donald Trump. Disgruntled GOP voters quickly moved to the real estate mogul’s camp, defying conventional thought. A failed Congress did not go unnoticed by the voting public, and Trump’s tactics of speaking or attacking the issues appealed to his growing number of followers. Trump’s support was obviously a message to Republican leadership which has failed its party for over seven years.

The first faux-debate was conducted by the fake news network, FOX Noise. From the very first question, it was obvious that Reince Priebus and Roger Ailes had conspired in an attempt to derail Trump. Polls on the following day revealed that Trump’s poll numbers had risen, and his separation from the others was frightening for old-guard Republicans.

The real Jeb Bush was quickly revealed, and although he had received the largest amount of campaign contributions, he began to slide in the polls. He proved to lack charisma, and when he declared that he supported his brother’s failed presidency, and would institute similar policies, his popularity began to fade. Bush is now polling at just 4.8 percent.

Marco Rubio entered the contest with only one difficulty; his age and inexperience. But leaders in the party believed that he could become the charismatic leader they needed to derail ‘the Donald.’ Wrong again. He failed to speak to the issues, and failed to perform the job for which he was elected in the Senate; missing 40 percent of votes. Then it was revealed that his failure regarding his personal finances caused voters to question his ability to manage our nation’s fiscal policy. He has frequently been accused of lacking a work ethic. He is not a hard worker, and is a weak campaigner.

The recent consensus of national polls reveals that the race for the nomination is now between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Trump’s numbers are at 34.5 percent; Cruz is second at 19.3 percent. Rubio is a distant third at 11.8 percent; nearly eight points behind Cruz, and 23 percent behind Trump.

But Cruz isn’t taking any chances; he has focused his efforts on Rubio. GOP leadership in New Hampshire is forecasting a serious blow to Rubio’s campaign. Not only will he finish behind Trump and Cruz, he will also lose to Kasich and Christie. At one time GOP hierarchy believed that Rubio could weather early primary defeats, and eventually become the party’s nominee; this is no longer true.

“I don’t know where anywhere else Kasich is going to do well. I think Christie has a short half-life,” said former New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O’Brien, a Cruz co-chairman here. “Rubio, on the other hand, could stay around for a while — but I don’t think he’s going to.”

Obviously Cruz’ team sees and opportunity to make Republican voters forget about the junior Senator from Florida; and they will move in for the kill.

Monday night, Cruz touted the two-man race theory. “There are many people that are observing this race nationally is coming more and more down to a two-man race between me and Donald Trump,” Cruz said.

One final note; Ted Cruz recently said that; “Donald Trump is no Ronald Reagan.” The truth is that none of the candidates can be called Republicans as demonstrated by the party’s history. Even Ronald Reagan’s daughter, Patti, recently stated that her father would be ashamed of the candidates today; they have moved too far to the right.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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Photo Courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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