Did Ted Cruz Actually Tie Rubio For 2nd Place In South Carolina?

South Carolina

Ted Cruz has spun the post-South Carolina results as a great victory – claiming he “effectively tied” Marco Rubio for second place. Wow, tied for the second place, Mr. Cruz? It would’ve been some accomplishment if that were the case. You were supposed to win South Carolina for all those evangelicals that were supposed vote for their Supreme Leader, but they chose someone else at a record clip.

South Carolina

Sen. Ted Cruz didn’t win a county during the South Carolina primaries, and that’s a fact. Where is the victory in this map below?

South Carolina

Cruz is so disliked that not one Senate colleague has endorsed him. In contrast, Sen. Marco Rubio, another junior senator, has nine Senate endorsements. That speaks volumes, especially when you consider that the President needs to work with the Congress.

From ABC News:

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he “effectively tied” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for second place in South Carolina’s Republican primary, as the two senators were separated by a little more than 1,000 votes, but both finished far behind front-runner Donald Trump.

Despite only winning one of the early voting states so far, Cruz believes his combined results show he is the “only one strong conservative remaining in this race who can win” the Republican presidential nomination.

“Our game plan from day one was do well in the first four states and consolidate conservatives to go forward into Super Tuesday,” Cruz told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos Sunday on “This Week.” “I think we’re positioned ideally to do exactly that.”

“What we’re doing — systematically, nationally — is unifying conservatives,” Cruz added.

Cruz, who finished first in Iowa and third in New Hampshire, said his base remains strong going forward, especially among young Republican voters.

“We won young people in South Carolina,” Cruz said. “We also won young people in Iowa.”

Cruz further used his first place win in Iowa, a state in which he said he had “heavy hitters” behind his campaign, to distance himself from Rubio, who had strong endorsements in South Carolina but failed to win the state.

“All the establishment circled their wagons around Marco and yet he still only came in second after his campaign promised they were gonna win the state,” he said. “We won Iowa with a big margin.”

Cruz is pulling a fast one with his supporters, and they don’t see it. Things are not looking so hot for the senator after losing two state primaries. Winners don’t lose what they are supposed to dominate. With the Nevada caucuses scheduled for Tuesday, and Super Tuesday right around the corner, I am not sure Cruz and even Rubio are prepared to have a footprint in those states to win.

What do you think about Cruz’s declaration? Do you think he tied for second place? Look at the facts and tell us below in our comment section and share this on Twitter and Facebook.

Wayne is a freelance writer who was named the 2015 American Conservative Union Blogger of the Year and awarded... More about Wayne Dupree

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