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| Ted Cruz Stays Positive Despite Grim Numbers in Indiana | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It almost resembled Iowa, if you squinted. | LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It almost resembled Iowa, if you squinted. |
| Senator Ted Cruz expressed gratitude for the “common-sense good judgment” of Midwesterners. | Senator Ted Cruz expressed gratitude for the “common-sense good judgment” of Midwesterners. |
| His stump speech had scarcely changed, from a favorite anecdote about a drawling West Texas farmer to a running countdown of the time remaining before the primary. (“Fifty-one hours,” he said sternly.) | His stump speech had scarcely changed, from a favorite anecdote about a drawling West Texas farmer to a running countdown of the time remaining before the primary. (“Fifty-one hours,” he said sternly.) |
| He drew a crowd of several hundred at a faith-based community center here, whose cheers at times coaxed the Texas senator to guttural shouts. | He drew a crowd of several hundred at a faith-based community center here, whose cheers at times coaxed the Texas senator to guttural shouts. |
| One woman held a sign: “Pray’n For Ted.” | One woman held a sign: “Pray’n For Ted.” |
| “The eyes of the entire country,” Mr. Cruz said, “now rest on Indiana.” | “The eyes of the entire country,” Mr. Cruz said, “now rest on Indiana.” |
| Yet two days before what is widely viewed as a must-win primary, Mr. Cruz strained to conceal a grim reality: He is in serious trouble. | Yet two days before what is widely viewed as a must-win primary, Mr. Cruz strained to conceal a grim reality: He is in serious trouble. |
| An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released on Sunday showed Donald J. Trump with a lead of 15 points among likely Republican primary voters, 49 percent to 34 percent. | An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released on Sunday showed Donald J. Trump with a lead of 15 points among likely Republican primary voters, 49 percent to 34 percent. |
| Fifty-eight percent of voters said they disapproved of the agreement struck by Mr. Cruz and Gov. John Kasich, which called for Mr. Kasich to abandon campaigning in Indiana in exchange for Mr. Cruz’s withdrawal from Oregon and New Mexico. Thirty-four percent approved. | Fifty-eight percent of voters said they disapproved of the agreement struck by Mr. Cruz and Gov. John Kasich, which called for Mr. Kasich to abandon campaigning in Indiana in exchange for Mr. Cruz’s withdrawal from Oregon and New Mexico. Thirty-four percent approved. |
| “The mainstream media wants this race to be over,” Mr. Cruz told voters, in one of his feistiest stump speeches in memory, lumping in “New York power brokers” and John Boehner, the former House speaker and frequent Cruz foil, with his usual list of opponents. “They’ve all made their decision, and they now expect the people of Indiana to fall in line.” | “The mainstream media wants this race to be over,” Mr. Cruz told voters, in one of his feistiest stump speeches in memory, lumping in “New York power brokers” and John Boehner, the former House speaker and frequent Cruz foil, with his usual list of opponents. “They’ve all made their decision, and they now expect the people of Indiana to fall in line.” |
| Mr. Cruz, typically one of the most accessible candidates in the field, did not take questions from reporters at his rally here. | Mr. Cruz, typically one of the most accessible candidates in the field, did not take questions from reporters at his rally here. |
| About a two-hour drive away, inside a packed theater in Terre Haute, Mr. Trump reveled in his electoral edge. | About a two-hour drive away, inside a packed theater in Terre Haute, Mr. Trump reveled in his electoral edge. |
| “If we win Indiana, it’s over, O.K.?” he said. “ Then we can focus on crooked Hillary. Please! Let’s focus on Hillary.” | |
| In another flourish, Mr. Trump called Mr. Cruz and Mr. Kasich “two guys that are hanging by their fingernails.” | In another flourish, Mr. Trump called Mr. Cruz and Mr. Kasich “two guys that are hanging by their fingernails.” |
| “Don’t let me fall!” Mr. Trump said, mimicking a climber on the edge of a cliff. “Don’t let me fall!” | “Don’t let me fall!” Mr. Trump said, mimicking a climber on the edge of a cliff. “Don’t let me fall!” |
| Seeking to break through, Mr. Cruz has in recent days pursued several strategies, tying Mr. Trump to Mrs. Clinton, naming Carly Fiorina as a would-be running mate and drawing attention to some of Mr. Trump’s more controversial supporters. | Seeking to break through, Mr. Cruz has in recent days pursued several strategies, tying Mr. Trump to Mrs. Clinton, naming Carly Fiorina as a would-be running mate and drawing attention to some of Mr. Trump’s more controversial supporters. |
| The senator noted that he and Mr. Trump had each received the endorsement of a well-known “Mike.” In Mr. Cruz’s case, it was Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, who came aboard on Friday. | The senator noted that he and Mr. Trump had each received the endorsement of a well-known “Mike.” In Mr. Cruz’s case, it was Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, who came aboard on Friday. |
| “Or do we stand instead with the convicted rapist Mike Tyson?” Mr. Cruz asked supporters here. “That’s a choice. It’s a choice we can make.” | “Or do we stand instead with the convicted rapist Mike Tyson?” Mr. Cruz asked supporters here. “That’s a choice. It’s a choice we can make.” |
| But Mr. Pence, who praised Mr. Trump effusively before endorsing Mr. Cruz, has not embraced Mr. Cruz’s central message in the state: that Mr. Trump is essentially identical to Mrs. Clinton on policy. | But Mr. Pence, who praised Mr. Trump effusively before endorsing Mr. Cruz, has not embraced Mr. Cruz’s central message in the state: that Mr. Trump is essentially identical to Mrs. Clinton on policy. |
| The tap dance speaks to the dilemma facing many Republicans who view Mr. Trump as anathema to conservatism but fear alienating his voters. Even Mr. Cruz has been reluctant to make his rejection of Mr. Trump complete. | The tap dance speaks to the dilemma facing many Republicans who view Mr. Trump as anathema to conservatism but fear alienating his voters. Even Mr. Cruz has been reluctant to make his rejection of Mr. Trump complete. |
| In an interview on Sunday on “Meet the Press,” Mr. Cruz grew defensive when pressed on whether he would support Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee. | |
| “You’re welcome to lobby for support for Trump as much as possible,” Mr. Cruz told the host, Chuck Todd, who tried more than a half-dozen times to extract an answer, in vain. | “You’re welcome to lobby for support for Trump as much as possible,” Mr. Cruz told the host, Chuck Todd, who tried more than a half-dozen times to extract an answer, in vain. |
| Mr. Trump has himself played down the significance of unifying the party at times, suggesting he could win regardless. | Mr. Trump has himself played down the significance of unifying the party at times, suggesting he could win regardless. |
| On Sunday, he urged Indianans to turn out in two days to supply “a really important mandate.” | On Sunday, he urged Indianans to turn out in two days to supply “a really important mandate.” |
| “It’s a mandate for change — but not Obama change, real change,” he said. “It’s a mandate for genius.” | “It’s a mandate for change — but not Obama change, real change,” he said. “It’s a mandate for genius.” |
| Though Mr. Cruz has effectively staked his candidacy on Indiana, he has left himself wiggle room. | Though Mr. Cruz has effectively staked his candidacy on Indiana, he has left himself wiggle room. |
| On Thursday, Mr. Cruz called Indiana “the one thing that stands between us and plunging over the cliff.” On Sunday, there was no such pronouncement. | On Thursday, Mr. Cruz called Indiana “the one thing that stands between us and plunging over the cliff.” On Sunday, there was no such pronouncement. |
| Mr. Cruz’s own polling has likewise shown him trailing Mr. Trump, compelling the campaign to look beyond the state, if at least for a moment. Top surrogates have described the extended primary season as a product of divine will, arguing the entire country deserves a chance to speak. | Mr. Cruz’s own polling has likewise shown him trailing Mr. Trump, compelling the campaign to look beyond the state, if at least for a moment. Top surrogates have described the extended primary season as a product of divine will, arguing the entire country deserves a chance to speak. |
| “God wants every state to be on record,” Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas told voters here. | “God wants every state to be on record,” Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas told voters here. |
| And on Saturday, Mr. Cruz surrendered a full day of Indiana politicking to speak at California’s Republican convention, with an eye on the state’s June 7 election. | |
| “California,” he said there, a bit hopefully, “is going to decide this Republican primary.” | “California,” he said there, a bit hopefully, “is going to decide this Republican primary.” |