What kind of man spends millions to elect Ted Cruz? Robert Mercer is one of the wealthiest, most secretive, influential, and reactionary Republicans in the country. Ted Cruz’s howitzer: Equal parts drill sergeant, data junkie, brawler, and entrepreneur, Jeff Roe will do anything to win — just watch. With less than two weeks until the Iowa caucuses, a newly formed outside group has launched with the mission of taking down Ted Cruz. Are Republicans so afraid of Ted Cruz that they’ll let Donald Trump win? Jeet Heer on how Donald Trump’s tribalist brand of Christianity is winning votes but dividing the faithful. Michael Brendan Dougherty on how Sam Francis, an obscure adviser to Pat Buchanan, predicted the wild Trump campaign in 1996.
Being less crazy than Donald Trump does not make Marco Rubio “moderate”. Poor little rich boy runs into real estate trouble: Ken Silverstein on Senator Marco Rubio’s three houses, various lady friends, assorted con artist pals and piles of unexplained income. The travails of Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign can be seen as perhaps the last, wheezing gasp of the WASP power structure. David Leonhardt on why 2016 is different from all other recent elections.
