GOP Iowa Caucuses: Cruz, Trump and Rubio in a 3-Person Race (Update: Ted Cruz Declared Winner in Iowa)

IOWA CAUCUS 2016: All night long its been nip and tuck between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the GOP Iowa Caucus. Finally, the race has been called by FOX News … Sen. Ted Cruz has been declared the winner in Iowa!!! ABC News is calling the race as well.

Ted Cruz is the winner of the Iowa Republican caucuses, Fox News projects, beating front-runner Donald Trump in a victory that could shake up the primary race.

Trump finishes second, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio finishes a close third.

There was a record turn out tonight in Iowa and many thought had that occurred, Donald Trump would win the Iowa Caucus going away. Guess what, the pundits were incorrect again.

Cruz beats Trump in Iowa; Rubio comes in a strong third.

Supporters of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas delivered a hard-fought upset win over businessman Donald Trump in the Iowa Republican caucuses Monday night, making good on his bet that a methodical campaign organization would eclipse the New Yorker’s media dominance in the first test of GOP voters.

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Cruz was besting Trump by more than 5,100 votes, with fellow senator Marco Rubio of Florida a close third. Cruz appeared to capitalize on deep support from religious and social conservatives and showed that old-fashioned retail politicking could overcome Trump’s massive political rallies in the Hawkeye state.

Fox News Poll: Donald Trump Leads Again in Iowa, Up Big Still in New Hampshire

DONALD TRUMP LOOKS LIKE HE IS SURGING IN THE POLLS AGAIN IN IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE …

According to the most recent FOX News poll, Donald Trump appears to be gaining momentum again and the lead in Iowa. With just one week before the Iowa Caucus Trump now leads by double digits. Once behind by 4 points, Trump now leads in Iowa with 34%, Ted Cruz is second with 23% and Marco Rubio in third at 12%. But what is interesting is the poll also reveals that 20% of respondents state they would refuse to vote for Trump as the GOP candidate against any Democrat.

In New Hampshire the story is much different as Trump continues to dominate in the polls. Trump leads with 31%, Ted Cruz is second with 14% and Marco Rubio third with 13%. Interestingly enough, Cruz is second in New Hampshire and is the highest percent among who is respondents second choice.

• CLICK HERE TO READ THE IOWA POLL RESULTS
• CLICK HERE TO READ THE NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL RESULTS

With just over a week until the first 2016 election contest, Donald Trump takes the lead in Iowa — and maintains his big advantage in New Hampshire.

That’s according to the latest round of Fox News state polls on the Republican presidential nomination contest.

Trump bests Ted Cruz in Iowa and now receives 34 percent support among Republican caucus-goers.  Trump was at 23 percent in the Fox News Poll two weeks ago (January 4-7).

Cruz is second with 23 percent — down a touch from 27 percent.  Marco Rubio comes in third with 12 percent, down from 15 percent.  No others garner double-digit support.

Remarkable results from the candidate that all of the pundits, both Republican and Democrat, thought who’s presidential run was a joke.

Des Moines Register Endorses Marco Rubio and Hillary Clinton Ahead of Iowa Caucuses

Des Moines Register enforces Marco Rubio for the GOP and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats ahead of the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. According to RCP, Rubio is running a distant third to Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Meanwhile for the Democrats, RCP has Hillary ahead of Berniew Sanders but only because of one poll that is way out of whack with the majority of them in Iowa. The last Des Moines Register poll had Clinton only up by 2 on Sanders; however, the momentum is on the side of the self-proclaimed socialist, Sanders.

The Iowa Caucus is scheduled for Monday, February 1, 2016.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received potential boosts to their presidential bids in Iowa by winning the endorsements of the Des Moines Register, the dominant newspaper in the state where the Feb. 1 caucuses will start the 2016 nomination voting.

“Rubio has the potential to chart a new direction for the party, and perhaps the nation, with his message of restoring the American dream,” Iowa’s largest newspaper said in an endorsement of the Florida Republican published on its website Saturday evening. “We endorse him because he represents his party’s best hope.”

On the Democratic side, the newspaper’s editorial said this of Clinton: “No other candidate can match the depth or breadth of her knowledge and experience.”

Hearing about the endorsement on a campaign stop in Davenport, Iowa, Clinton said: “I’m very pleased.”

The editorial made note of Clinton’s top rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and the emotional appeal he’s generated in the party: “In the final analysis, Iowa Democrats will have to choose between the lofty idealism of Bernie Sanders and the down-to-earth pragmatism of Hillary Clinton. For some, this will be a choice of whether to vote with their hearts or their heads.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Says Barack Obama has ‘Deliberately Weakened America’ … Calls Hillary Clinton a “Liar”

RUBIO BLAST OBAMA, SAYS HE DELIBERATELY WEAKENED AMERICA …

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and 2016 GOP presidential candidate stated at a speak on Monday on national security at the American Legion in Hooksett, N.H. that Barack Obama has intentionally and deliberately weakened America both home and abroad. No kidding, really? Just curious, what has the establishment GOP done to prevent or stand in the way of Obama’s actions? Obama stated he was going to fundamentally change America, and sadly he has while Republicans in the House and Senate have done nothing. Rubio also called Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton a “liar” on foreign policy. Tell us something we don’t know. She is pretty much a liar in general. Red State opines, Marco Rubio Is More Right Than Donald Trump On Obama’s Foreign Policy. That may be, but he scared the GOP base on immigration.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is accusing President Obama of intentionally weakening America at home and abroad.

“It’s now abundantly clear: Barack Obama has deliberately weakened America,” Rubio said early Monday during a speech on national security at the American Legion in Hooksett, N.H.

“He has made an intentional effort to humble us back to size,” the GOP presidential hopeful said. “As if to say: We no longer need to be so powerful because our power has done more harm than good.”

“Happiest of all have been America’s enemies,” he added. “Because when America steps back, it gives darker forces the space they need to rise. And rise they have.”

He also criticized Obama for ignoring international challenges and eroding safety at home.

“America is in far greater danger today than it was eight years ago,” Rubio said. “Our president thought he could make America like Luxembourg or Switzerland. But he can’t.

“We are the United States of America — the highest-profile, most important, most powerful country in the world. And while we may ignore problems that exist far away, those problems do not ignore us.”

Rubio cited China, Iran, Russia, Syria and North Korea as some of the global hotspots that have deteriorated on Obama’s watch.

He also argued that Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton is no better on foreign policy, again calling her a “liar.”

Donald Trump Reacts to Barack Obama’s Prime Time Speech on Terrorism and Defeating ISIS … “We Need a New President Fast”

“We Need a New President Fast” …

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was live tweeting Barack Obama’s prime time speech to America last night on terrorism and how we are going to defeat ISIS. It would appear that Trump was just tweeting what many Americans were thinking after watching the failed and tired same old, same old speech.

GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump said late Sunday that a new leader is needed to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“Is that all there is?” Trump asked after President Obama addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday night. “We need a new president – fast!”

“Well, Obama refused to say (he just can’t say it) that we are at war with radical Islamic terrorists,” Trump continued.

“Wish Obama would say ISIS, like almost everyone else, rather than ISIL,” he added, citing Obama’s use of the administration’s preferred acronym for the terrorist group.

@realDonald Trump

And there was more …

@realDonaldTrump

UPDATE I: GOP Candidates Bash Obama Speech.

• Carly Fiorina also posted on Twitter after Obama’s speech: “Vintage Obama: No strategy, no leadership. Politics as usual.” She also included a video discussing her plan to defeat ISIS.
• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Fox News following Obama’s address and told host Bret Baier, “This is a president that called [ISIS] the JV when they first emerged.”

  He said Obama “called the attacks in Paris a ‘setback,’” adding that after the Paris attack, Obama only showed emotion toward attacking the GOP candidates pushing to stop the Syrian refugee resettlement program.

  “We continue to conduct very limited air assaults,” Rubio added, saying ISIS won’t be defeated only with air assaults.

  Rubio also said gun control wouldn’t have prevented the attack in San Bernardino, California

• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) released a statement prior to Obama’s address this evening.

  The reality is that what President Obama, Secretary Kerry and Hillary Clinton have done has not worked. Their policies have in fact made the world more dangerous. It is time for a dramatic shift in both foreign and national security policy. Tonight when President Obama addresses the nation, I hope that he will acknowledge and take responsibility for the failed policies of his administration and will take concrete steps to reverse the damage done.