Cruz Outshines Trump on the Trail

Cruz knows how to connect with an audience; to soften it with laugh lines and a smattering of scripture; to deliver his message with digestible details and a warning that aims at Trump without, for the most part, explicitly naming him: Judge candidates based on what they've actually done, not what they promise.

In one telling moment in Washington, N.H., a young mother of four challenged Cruz about whether he would provide paid family leave. His eventual answer boiled down to nothing: "Politicians love to campaign on giving away free stuff," but, as with the minimum wage, market forces mean such intervention would hurt workers, not help them.

But he leavened this response with personal questions (How old? Boys or girls?) and, believe it or not, empathy: He knows about being the "baby brother of two older sisters"; he understands the "hard challenge" of juggling work and family. The voter left unconvinced, but Cruz's deft response revealed a politician both skillful and relatable. The crowd applauded.

Because Trump and Cruz seem to be competing for the angry outsider lane, I expected voters at Cruz events here to be torn between the two. Instead, I was struck by the still-undecided voters I met who had rejected Trump, using words like "antics" and "volatile" to describe him.

"The more I look at his record, the more I listen to what he's saying, the less I'm likely to vote for him," said Charles Wood, 45, a small-business owner from Weare. Added Gayle Terani, 71, of Washington, "When it comes to sitting across the table from global leaders, I don't know if he has the patience or the demeanor."

State polls have Trump firmly in the lead; New Hampshire, unlike Iowa, is not evident Cruz territory. But the Texan's skill on the stump is undeniable. That he manages not to come off as a nasty guy makes him all the more dangerous.

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Ruth Marcus' email address is ruthmarcus@washpost.com.