Cruz Fighting For His Life in Iowa

“I believe this night is historic," Ted Cruz pronounced, more than once.

More than an hour and a half after Cruz's campaign rally Saturday night began, the Texas senator was celebrating the endorsement he'd received from a group called the Tea Party Patriots. In the preceding 90 minutes, the audience at Western Iowa Tech Community College was graced with appearances from Glenn Beck and Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty. Donald Trump, whom Cruz had challenged to a one-on-one debate after the Iowa frontrunner bailed on Thursday's Fox News debate, was nowhere to be seen.Advertisement"I recognize that those who are ducking debates might be nervous about being near the Robertson clan," Cruz cracked. Several members of the crowd blew their complimentary duck calls.

Is this how Cruz imagined he would be heading into the Iowa caucuses? Surely not. The Republican is fighting for his political life in the Hawkeye State. Hours earlier, the Des Moines Register released its definitive Iowa Poll. A previous Register poll, released in December, gave Cruz a 10-point lead over Trump. But now, days before the caucuses, the Register confirmed what others have found: Cruz is now trailing Trump, not by a lot (5 points, 23 percent to Trump's 28 percent), but not by a little, either.

Cruz has spent the last several days defending himself on all sides, from Trump and Marco Rubio to the pro-ethanol lobby and GOP governor Terry Branstad. He's found himself looking for support in small, rural corners of the state that ought to be already solidly in his corner. He's been forced to defend a shady last-minute get-out-the-vote effort. And in the Iowa Poll, he's seen his favorability dip by 11 points since the beginning of January.