Former GOP presidential candidate Lindsey Graham had sharp words for Ted Cruz on Sunday, saying his fellow senator’s White House bid plays to voters’ fears.
“Vote for me, everybody else is an idiot,” the lawmaker from South Carolina said, summarizing his view of Cruz’s pitch. “You know, this kind of very dark view of America.”
Graham endorsed Jeb Bush after dropping out of the race and is headed to Manchester, New Hampshire to campaign with the former Florida governor Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
A good night for Bush in the February 9 New Hampshire primary would mean beating expectations and finishing in the top tier, Graham said.
“He’s got a good ground game,” Graham said of Bush’s organization in the Granite State. “I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen in his political infrastructure”
But he noted in campaigning, momentum matters.
Graham’s appearances will emphasize national security, an issue he says resonates with New Hampshire voters, and ask them to consider who is best prepared to lead.
The senator said doing well in New Hampshire would be key to fundraising efforts in the states that follow.
“If you don’t beat expectations in New Hampshire, you’re gonna have a hard time” raising money, he said.
Graham also predicted voters in the South Carolina primary, which follows Iowa and New Hampshire, could help shift the tone of the race.
“In South Carolina, we have a reputation for electing the most conservative person who can win,” he said. “The flamethrower doesn’t always do the best in South Carolina. We’re sort of the right the ship state.”
But a candidate’s performance in New Hampshire will matter in the Palmetto State, Graham added.
The senator suggested that when all is said and done, voters will choose a more optimistic candidate to lead the fight to win back the White House.