While Donald Trump has continued to dominate the national polls, his eventual standing once real ballots are cast remains in doubt. Addressing supporters in Iowa, the Republican presidential candidate prepared them for the possibility of finishing in second on caucus night. From Politico:
At a campaign rally in Council Bluffs, Trump ran through a list of polls showing him leading the Republican race nationally and also in the Hawkeye State, which holds caucuses on Feb. 1. But he also noted that a handful of polls have shown him “very close” in the state, presumably trailing Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has begun a steady surge there.
“If I come in second by 2 points, they’ll say ‘Ooh, this is a terrible defeat,'” he said, referring to media and pundit pronouncements. “It’s not terrible.”
The possibility of Cruz beating Trump in Iowa adds credence to the scenario feared by many in the bipartisan political establishment. Trump’s eccentricity leaves a candidate like Cruz looking reasonable, which may lead to a Cruz nomination.
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