Three-man Republican race emerging from rough-and-tumble South Carolina
EASLEY, S.C. — After more than a week of f evered campaigning, Republicans in South Carolina are on the verge of answering two of the main questions hovering over the GOP presidential race: Will Donald Trump cement his place as the party’s undisputed frontrunner, and will two Cuban-American freshman senators emerge as his chief challengers?
The race has resembled a three-man contest more than ever during the push before voters head to the polls Saturday. Trump is favored to win, and Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida are vying for second.
Below them are Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson — all of whom face increasingly difficult roads ahead if they don’t find a way to get into the top tier.
Trump, Cruz and Rubio have directed most of their fire at each other this week, trading the kind of petty insults and underhanded tactics that have come to define South Carolina’s primary. With each day, the sniping has escalated.
Trading insults
Cruz and Rubio spent much of Thursday attempting to position themselves as the main alternative to Trump. A new round of South Carolina polls showed Cruz and Rubio running neck-andneck but behind Trump.
Rubio and his aides kicked off the day by condemning a doctored photograph Cruz’s campaign posted on an anti-Rubio website designed to tie Rubio to President Barack Obama. Rubio also attacked Cruz’s national security record as “weak.”
Meanwhile, Cruz’s campaign repeated its argument that Rubio supports “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants.
At a Thursday morning campaign stop in Greenville, Rubio strategist Todd Harris handed reporters copies of the photo, which depicts Rubio and Obama shaking hands.
“The picture’s fake. It’s a Photoshop of someone else shaking hands, and it appears that it isn’t even Barack Obama,” Rubio told reporters at a stop in Anderson. “So I think this is now a disturbing pattern, guys. It’s a disturbing pattern. Every day they’re making things up.”
Cruz’s campaign did not dispute the photo was a fake. But Cruz’s spokesman, Rick Tyler, sarcastically thanked Harris on Twitter for directing traffic to the website, which argues Rubio’s record is similar to Obama’s.
Rubio has insisted for weeks Cruz has been dishonest in his tactics and his claims about Rubio’s policy positions.
His argument has gotten a boost in recent days from Trump, who accused Cruz of lying during Saturday’s debate.
At a barbecue restaurant in Easley about 45 minutes north of Anderson, Cruz touted his stand against a comprehensive Senate immigration bill that Rubio co-sponsored. Rubio favors a piecemeal approach to immigration reform but favors a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Trump tees it up
Trump is the biggest attraction of all, dominating the polls and attracting crowds wherever he goes.
Speaking at a luxury Kiawah Island golf clubhouse, Trump declared his love for South Carolina and presented the primary as an urgent moment in the campaign.
“We have a big, big deal on Saturday, so we have to get out there,” he said.
At a Republican Women’s Club lunch in Greenville, Cruz said he understood why someone would support Trump — though he advised against it.
“You’re ticked off,” Cruz said. “You’re ticked off at Washington. Washington’s corrupt. And Trump feels like a way to tell Washington to go jump in a lake.”