Jeb plays checkers, Trump, Cruz, and Rubio play chess

Jeb plays checkers, Trump, Cruz, and Rubio play chess

I’ve been ill the past couple of day with a bad stomach flu, so I had a chance to vegitate in front of the TV.

At least on Fox News in Scottsdale, where I am now, it’s been nearly non-stop Jeb attack ads on Trump.

Not technically Jeb, but the SuperPAC supporting Jeb:

This ad epitomizes the inability of Jeb or his supporters to deal with Trump. The overwhelming image in my mind from the ad is of Trump mocking Jeb. See the featured image.

Jeb never wins these fights, visually or emotionally. As I have pointed out before, the encounters make Jeb look small.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/681847012304797696

Jeb’s SuperPAC also is attacking Marco Rubio.

Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post lists several reasons why the anti-Rubio ad fails:

My strong sense is that the ad won’t accomplish its goal: to peel establishment/business conservatives off of Rubio and push them to Bush. Here’s why:

1. It looks a lot like every other political ad you have ever seen. Ominous music. Unflattering picture of Rubio. Allegations that he isn’t doing his job backed up by cherry-picked facts. (The briefing on the Paris attacks that Rubio missed came a day after he took part in a very similar briefing.)…

2. There’s almost no evidence that the “[fill in the blank senator] misses lots and lots of votes” attack actually works….

3. The mood of the Republican electorate — up to and including the party establishment — is anger at Washington and all that goes on there. The idea that missing a briefing in Washington, which translates to average people as a bunch of windbag politicians opining while doing nothing to solve the problem is some sort of disqualifying offense seems off to me….

Cillizza also points out how easy the comeback is to Jeb’s jabs at Rubio:

It’s sad what happened to Jeb Bush. Politics changes some people. Watch now.https://t.co/7Yaswe2W0F

— ConservativeSolution (@cspac) December 29, 2015

I haven’t seen an ad by Jeb’s SuperPAC attacking Cruz. Perhaps Jeb lumps Cruz in with Trump as a wacko-bird, and Jeb’s strategy is to be the last establishment candidate standing. And feels his SuperPACs have the money to keep things going to Nevada and beyond:

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson says Jeb Bush doesn’t need to notch a win until the Feb. 23 Nevada caucuses in order to remain in the 2016 fight for the Republican presidential nomination.

Thompson, who endorsed Bush in early October shortly after his home state governor Scott Walker ended his campaign, argued to U.S. News in an interview that Bush has the organizational muster to sustain losses in the first three nominating states and soldier on.

“He doesn’t have to win until he gets to Nevada and Super Tuesday. He’s the one person with the ties to the establishment and the organization in every state. There are Bush people in every state, whether it be for the father Bush, the younger Bush or Jeb,” Thompson says. “Other candidates have to start showing victories in Iowa and New Hampshire. Bush doesn’t have to have that. He’s got the luxury he’s got enough money to continue advertising. Jeb doesn’t have to win the first three states.”

Meanwhile, Jeb is not generating any excitement, any momentum, any anything. Every move he makes seems not to see beyond the present.

Trump turns everything upside down. Cruz is patiently waiting while building support. Even Rubio, though stuck in the 10% range, makes a more credible case as the non-Trump, non-Cruz establishment candidate than Jeb.

I think it’s fair to say Jeb plays checkers, Trump, Cruz, and Rubio play chess.

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