JEB! Bush, an Also-Ran in Iowa, May Be Pivotal in New Hampshire

You let me down, boy! Let the whole family down!
You couldn't even buy our own party's nomination! Don't we
own the Republican Party? I hope that little brown
George P. turns out to be more of a Bush than you are! 

(New York Times) - In the crowded New Hampshire primary, no candidate may shape the direction of the Republican presidential campaign more than the man who finished sixth in Iowa: Jeb Bush.

With Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Donald J. Trump and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida each finishing more than 20 percentage points higher than Mr. Bush in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, the former Florida governor is facing growing pressure to either demonstrate his appeal to voters or leave the race.

Specifically, many Republicans — including some of his supporters and donors — said that Mr. Bush must finish ahead of Mr. Rubio in the primary here next Tuesday to justify continuing his campaign into South Carolina.

“If Rubio beats him badly in New Hampshire, Jeb is toast,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, a Bush backer who spent most of Tuesday traveling the state with him. Mr. Graham added that Mr. Bush must either “tie Rubio or beat him” in this state.

The burden falls so heavily on Mr. Bush, who won just 2.8 percent of the vote in Iowa, because of Republican anxieties about the top two finishers there, Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump: Many party leaders fear that the nomination of Mr. Trump or Mr. Cruz would lead to an electoral rout this fall. Read more.