Email insights: It’s a big day for Marco Rubio and Tim Scott
Today’s the big day in South Carolina for Tim Scott, one of two African-Americans in the U.S. Senate. Scott is also a recent convert to Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign. A new primary-day email fundraising pitch tells how Scott, with his “friend Trey Gowdy,” spent the past couple weeks crisscrossing the state to campaign for Rubio, whom Scott calls “the man who needs to be the next president of the United States.” South Carolina is only the beginning, Scott says, and the race is far from over. “In fact,” he writes, “it’s really just a minor skirmish compared with what’s to come.” An even bigger day comes March 1, and with more in next couple weeks after that. “Marco’s going to need a huge amount of resources to build up his national campaign — that’s why we’ve set an ambitious goal of raising $300,000 by the time the polls close tonight.” Who can argue with ambition, especially on primary day? Scott adds that not only is Rubio a “good friend and would make an awesome president,” but the stakes “couldn’t be higher” in 2016. “After two terms of President Obama, we need a conservative Republican nominee who has a vision for restoring the American Dream that’s defined my life, and Marco’s,” Scott says. “Will you go here to help make sure Marco gets to be that candidate?” Primary votes may be one thing, but cold hard cash is quite another. Scott’s support is no small feat; he is the first black Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate from the former Confederate States since Reconstruction. Scott’s endorsement, along with that of Gov. Nikki Haley, provides an essential sign of GOP diversity in a state with a large African-American population. “Make no mistake: This is a big endorsement for Rubio. Scott is very popular in South Carolina,” CNN had reported February 1. “Scott held town halls with every candidate in the lead-up to the primaries, and maintained an unbiased position on all of them.” Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Republican 2016 hopefuls get emotional on eve of SC primary
The Republican battle for South Carolina turned deeply personal on the eve of Saturday’s high-stakes presidential primary, as New York businessman Donald Trump eyed a delegate sweep and his Republican rivals fought for a southern surprise. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the son of a pastor, evoked “the body of Christ” in his closing message while fending off allegations of campaign misconduct in a state where most Republicans identify as evangelical Christians. At the same time, Trump allies took subtle shots at Pope Francis for questioning the Republican front-runner’s devotion to Christian principles. Ohio Gov. John Kasich opened up about the death of his parents. And Jeb Bush turned to his mother to help revive his underdog campaign. Friday marked an emotionally charged day in the campaign, with 50 delegates up for grabs in Saturday’s primary contest. Candidates were also trying to stoke some badly needed momentum heading into the next phase of the campaign: March 1’s Super Tuesday. Trump appeared to hold a commanding lead less than 24 hours before voting began in South Carolina. With a big win, the billionaire businessman could take home most, if not all, of the state’s 50 delegates. Such a victory would mark a particularly painful blow to Cruz, whose consistent focus on Christian values and southern roots should have given him a distinct advantage here. As the undisputed Republican front-runner, Trump was a popular target in the final-hours’ scramble for votes. “Trump values are not South Carolina values,” the state’s senior senator, Lindsey Graham, charged during a Charleston rally for Bush. Former first lady Barbara Bush offered a positive contrast with her son’s values: “He’s steady. He’s honest. He is modest. He is kind, and he is good.” Trump’s campaign continued trying to brush off an extraordinary criticism from Pope Francis the day before. When asked about Trump’s call to build a massive wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church said those who seek to build walls instead of bridges are not Christian. “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that,” Francis said aboard the Papal plane. Trump called the Pope’s words “disgraceful” on Thursday, but offered a distinctly softer jab as he courted South Carolina voters on Friday. “Yesterday, the Pope was great,” Trump told an audience in Myrtle Beach. “They had him convinced that illegal immigration was like a wonderful thing. Not wonderful for us. It’s wonderful for Mexico.” Added Trump supporter, pastor Mark Burns: “We respect and honor the Pope. But I don’t know … The walls that are around the Vatican are pretty big walls.” Campaigning in the same city, Cruz tried to take advantage of the spiritual spat by highlighting his own religious devotion. “Every minute that you’re not on the phone calling friends and loved ones, spend beseeching God, praying for this country, that this spirit of revival that is sweeping this country continue and grow, and that we awaken the body of Christ,” the Texas senator said. Cruz also took a veiled shot at Trump’s campaign motto, featured on hats, T-shirts and bumper stickers. “It’s easy to say, ‘Let’s Make America Great Again,’” he said. But, he asked, “Do you understand what made America great in the first place?” While Cruz wanted to be on offense, his campaign faced new questions about a website it created this week attacking Rubio’s record. The site features a photo of Rubio shaking hands with President Barack Obama. After Rubio’s team complained, Cruz’s campaign acknowledged that the photo was manufactured using a computer program. “Every picture in a political campaign is photoshopped,” Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler told FOX News when pressed to explain the tactic. Meanwhile, the lesser-known Kasich continued to highlight his compassionate side. In a television ad broadcast across the state, he spoke of his parents’ deaths at the hands of a drunk driver. “I was transformed. I discovered my purpose by discovering the Lord,” Kasich says in the ad. The day before, the Ohio governor hugged for several moments a teary supporter who opened up about his own personal struggles. Speaking to reporters Friday, Kasich recalled a New Hampshire woman who told him about her child’s fight for sobriety and another in South Carolina who talked about her medical problems. “For some reason people feel safe in telling me stuff,” Kasich said. “There’s a bigger message than about me. Forget me, it’s about all of us having to pay more attention to some other people.” The personal and religious appeals come in a state where religious conservatives typically play an outsized role. In South Carolina’s 2012 Republican primary election, two-thirds of the voters identified themselves as born-again or evangelical Christian. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
NBC Poll: Donald Trump leads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina
With four days before the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump has pulled ahead of Ted Cruz in the Hawkeye State and holds commanding leads in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Among likely GOP caucus-goers, Trump leads Cruz in Iowa, 32 percent to 25 percent, according to NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll. Marco Rubio is in third with 18 percent, followed by Ben Carson at 8 percent. Jeb Bush is at 4 percent in the Iowa poll. The results mark a shift in opinions from just a few weeks ago, when Cruz held a 4-point lead over Trump. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are neck-in-neck in Iowa. Clinton leads Sanders 48 percent to 45 percent, well within the margin of error of 4.7 percent for likely Democratic caucus goers. The Iowa caucuses are Monday. In New Hampshire, the survey found Trump holds a double-digit lead over Cruz. Among likely Republican primary voters, Trump leads Cruz 31 percent to 12 percent. Rubio is tied with John Kasich for third with 11 percent, followed by Bush at 8 percent. Sanders has an overwhelming lead over Clinton in the Granite State, the poll found. Among likely Democratic primary voters, Sanders is at 57 percent, followed by Clinton at 38 percent. The New Hampshire primary is Feb. 9. In South Carolina, where voters head to the polls in late February, Trump leads Cruz, 36 percent to 20 percent. Rubio is in third with 14 percent among likely Republican primary voters, followed by Bush at 9 percent. Carson is at 8 percent. Clinton has a commanding lead over Sanders in South Carolina, where she leads 64 percent to 27 percent. The South Carolina Republican primary is Feb. 20; the Democratic primary is on Feb. 27.
