Politico.com reports on the already struggling first-out-of-the-box presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas).  In an article entitled Insiders Pump the Brakes on Cruz, James Hohman reports that Republicans in Iowa and New Hampshire have serious doubts about the electability of firebrand Cruz.   A survey conducted of the POLITICO Caucus (described as a “bipartisan group of key activists, operatives and thought leaders in New Hampshire and Iowa”) makes it clear that Cruz may have an uphill fight in gaining traction among party movers and shakers.

Not one of the 100 respondents believes that Cruz would win the Iowa caucuses or New Hampshire primary if they took place this week, though there is widespread agreement that he is much better positioned in the Hawkeye State than the Granite State. And nine out of 10 Republican insiders in the early states believe Ted Cruz couldn’t carry their state — both Iowa and New Hampshire are swing states, though relatively small electoral-vote prizes — against Hillary Clinton in the general.