The top two GOP candidates in the Iowa caucuses both were wounded late by their own words and actions, political analyst Dick Morris tells
Newsmax TV.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was harmed by a mailer sent out by his campaign last week that was made to look like an official document that said caucus-goers could have committed an "election violation" by not showing up at the caucuses enough in the past.
Cruz "damaged himself badly with that mailing that he sent out, making like he was the Board of Elections or the police department chasing down voters to get them to go to the caucus," Morris said. "I thought that was a mistake."
Trump, on the other hand, faced more trouble with caucus-goers over his statement in 1999 that he was staunchly pro-choice — even in that case of partial-birth abortion. Trump says he now has changed his position.
Still, a Cruz ad in Iowa has shown the old video from a "Meet the Press" interview.
"I think that that is hurting him badly," Morris said. "I think the reason Trump did not come to the debated is he didn't want to have to answer that question."
Iowa is important to Cruz, Trump and to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Morris said.
"They need it in different ways," he said.
Trump needs Iowa to prove his support isn't a "whim," Morris said, while Cruz needs a first-place finish to prove himself a conservative alternative to Trump and set up a two-way contest.
"Rubio needs at least a second place finish if he can, or a tight, good, strong third place finish in order to make this a three-way race," Morris said.
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