Ted Cruz won high praise yesterday from Rush Limbaugh. Here’s what Rush said:

If conservatism is the dominating factor in how you vote, there is no other choice for you in this campaign than Ted Cruz. . . This is the closest in our lifetimes we have ever been to Ronald Reagan. In terms of doctrinaire, understandable, articulated, implementable conservatism, there’s nobody closer [than Cruz to Reagan].

Of course, I think Rush is right, and that is why I ultimately chose to endorse Senator Cruz. I also think one can certainly make the case, as Rush has, that on most issues Marco Rubio is a solid conservative, especially when it comes to values issues, foreign policy and the size of government.

On Hugh Hewitt’s show yesterday, Senator Cruz said the race is essentially a two-man contest now: “What Iowa and New Hampshire demonstrate is that the only person in this field who can beat Donald Trump is me.”

I think Senator Cruz is right too. He comes from the Tea Party wing of the GOP. He understands Middle America’s frustration with Washington and, unlike Trump, he has a clear record that conservative voters can trust. Just as important, polling indicates that Cruz would be the stronger candidate to take on and defeat Hillary Clinton.

Here’s some breaking news from my friend Bill Kristol: A trusted source tells him that new polling shows the race between Trump and Cruz in South Carolina is much closer than expected.

Gary L. Bauer served in President Ronald Reagan’s administration for eight years, as Under Secretary of Education and as President Reagan’s Chief Domestic Policy Advisor.