What is a win in a debate? A win might be getting high marks in the hard science that is a dial group. A win might also be bullying the candidate that was so nervous he blew his opening statement and resting on your lead in the polls. For Ted Cruz, a win is a trifecta consisting of Donald Trump stating, “I just think he didn’t say anything that I particularly disagreed with”, being able to make the distinction that he ONLY wanted to ban Syrian refugees, and in an evening filled with nonsense spouted about everything, the possible revelation that Cruz channeled his inner guy-with-a-security-clearance-at a-bar and potentially revealed too much about the new phone tracking program authorized by the USA Freedom Act.

Fresh off of this performance and coupled with his unsurprising rise in the Iowa polls, the former Canadian and current Senator from Texas comes to town as part of a tour of the Super Tuesday states for a public rally and to shake the Stanley Hubbard money tree. It stands to reason that he might restate in some form or another his current stance on immigration policy; “I have never supported legalization, and I do not intend to support legalization”. Which, red meat for the audience it may be, is a lie. Additionally, with Minnesota having been welcoming to refugees over the years, it’s easy to predict that the attempts to ramp up a climate of fear that were so pervasive throughout Tuesday’s debate will take front and center at the Harriet Island Pavilion.

With the presidential primary season just on the other side of the new year, it stands to wonder where, with Cruz standing cheek to jowl with Trump on so many issues, is the outrage from common sense Minnesotans who rightfully reject Trump’s hateful and ignorant rhetoric?