Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
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Ted Cruz greets audience members before speaking at a caucus night rally on Feb. 1, 2016, in Des Moines.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images)
Now comes New Hampshire.
A day after Ted Cruz took Iowa, Republican presidential candidates began flocking to New Hampshire as a new race began taking shape.
Donald Trump vowed a comeback and spun his second-place finish in Iowa as a victory;<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Cruz said he was rebuilding the Ronald Reagan coalition; and Marco Rubio said he could bring conservatism to a new generation of voters.
The three were suddenly to focus of attention in New Hampshire, leaving a half dozen other contenders desperately trying to break into the top tier in next Tuesday's first in the nation primary.
Racking up a record vote in a record caucus turnout, Cruz said he has the grass-roots organizations and the money to replicate his Iowa victory in a number of upcoming primaries.
"When was the last time we broke the Washington cartel? 1980," Cruz said at a town hall in Windham, N.H. on Tuesday, a reference to Reagan's comeback victory in the New Hampshire primary after losing Iowa to George H.W. Bush. "Washington<span style="color: Red;">*</span>despised Ronald<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Reagan," said Cruz, who has been criticized for being widely disliked in the U.S. Senate. But New Hampshire vaulted him to first place and changed history. "We won the Cold War, tore the Berlin Wall to the ground... that's what New Hampshire did," Cruz said. he said he is rebuilding the "Reagan coalition" of social conservatives, libertarians and conservative Democrats.
Trump, who led late polls in Iowa but took a loss in his first political race, reminded his supporters that he still has a big lead in New Hampshire polls, and "I<span style="color: Red;">*</span>think we're going to be proclaiming victory" in the state after next Tuesday's primary.
He tweeted Tuesday<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that his second-place finish far exceeded early predictions, but the media was trying to paint it as a loss.
My experience in Iowa was a great one. I started out with all of the experts saying I couldn't do well there and ended up in 2nd place. Nice
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2016
The media has not covered my long-shot great finish in Iowa fairly. Brought in record voters and got second highest vote total in history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2016
Rubio, saying his surprisingly strong third place finish in Iowa gives him momentum, claimed the endorsement of a prominent lawmaker in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in another key state: South Carolina. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., whose state holds a primary Feb. 20, said Rubio is the Republicans' best bet for win in the fall general election.
"We have one shot in 2016 to beat Hillary Clinton and that shot is Marco Rubio," Scott said in a video released by the Rubio<span style="color: Red;">*</span>campaign. "And,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with him as our candidate,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>we win."
Seeking to be the alternative to Trump and Cruz — both of whom are disliked by many Republicans — Rubio told ABC's Good Morning America<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that he can unite<span style="color: Red;">*</span>both the Republican Party and the conservative movement after what has been a divisive campaign.
"We're ready to go in New Hampshire," Rubio said. "I give the country the best chance not just to unify the conservative movement,” he said, “but to grow it.”
The Republicans have a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>debate in the Granite State<span style="color: Red;">*</span>scheduled for Saturday night, which raises another question: Will Trump show up? He boycotted a debate last week<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Des Moines, saying sponsors at Fox News were unfair to him.
Republicans who finished far back in Iowa — including Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and John Kasich — looked to New Hampshire for a chance to get back into the game.
"We're now in a solid second place in this state," Kasich said on CNN.
"New Hampshire has a tendency to reset the race" Bush said Tuesday on Fox News. "In 1980 we were all excited with my dad upsetting Ronald<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Reagan in the Iowa Caucuses and he had 'big mo.' He came here to New Hampshire and it didn't work out. And many other candidates have the same story."
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Christie, campaigning in New Hampshire Tuesday, went directly after Rubio, saying he<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is ducking questions about his record, and describing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Florida senator as "the boy in the bubble."
Ben Carson and his aides accused the Cruz campaign of spreading false rumors that the retired neurosurgeon was planning to exit the race, and "in some cases asking caucus goers to change their votes" as a result.
"For months, my campaign has survived the lies and dirty tricks from opponents who profess to detest the games of the political class, but in reality are masters at it," Carson said in a statement. Carson came in fourth in Iowa but has been polling in low single digits in New Hampshire.
The Republican race also had at least one casualty out of Iowa: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who announced shortly after the vote he is suspending his campaign. Though he won the caucuses in 2008, he could not get a spark this time around.
In his concession speech, Huckabee jokingly cited illness.
"Obviously, the voters are sick of me," he said.
Contributing: Paul Singer
CANDIDATES SUM UP IOWA CAUCUSESTed Cruz declares victory in Iowa | 01:06Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a fiery conservative loathed by his own party's leaders, swept to victory in Iowa's Republican caucuses Monday, overcoming billionaire Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. (Feb. 2) AP
CANDIDATES SUM UP IOWA CAUCUSESClinton speaks to supports during caucuses | 00:58Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were locked in an improbably tight duel in Iowa's leadoff presidential caucuses Monday as the two rivals offered Americans a stark choice between political pragmatism and revolution. (Feb. 1) AP
CANDIDATES SUM UP IOWA CAUCUSESTrump concedes to Cruz in Iowa caucuses | 01:10Donald Trump concedes to Ted Cruz in the Iowa Caucuses, but vows he will go on to get the Republican nomination.
Video provided by AFP Newslook
CANDIDATES SUM UP IOWA CAUCUSESSanders hails 'political revolution' in Iowa | 00:48Vermont senator Bernie Sanders tells his supporters they have started a 'political revolution' after the close of the Iowa caucuses which saw him narrowly lose out to Hillary Clinton
Video provided by AFP Newslook
CANDIDATES SUM UP IOWA CAUCUSESRubio: "I Am Grateful to You, Iowa." | 01:28Republican Presidential candidate, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio delivered a hopeful message and thanked supporters in Iowa, vowing to be back next year as President. Rubio then said he was ready to continue on to New Hampshire. (Feb. 1) AP
CANDIDATES SUM UP IOWA CAUCUSESO'Malley Drops Out of Presidential Race | 00:42Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley dropped out of the Democratic Presidential Race on Monday night. Early results from the Iowa caucuses showed O'Malley far behind both Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders. (Feb. 1) AP
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