At his town halls, Rubio generally answers no more than a handful of questions. Leaders of grass-roots organizations grumble that it is difficult to entice him to speak at their events. And Rubio has limited interaction with the news media who cover him.

“Is his campaign a little more superficial than that of other people in his bracket in New Hampshire? I think the answer is yes,” said former New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen, who is neutral in the race…

“Nobody is going to win this presidential campaign by camping out in New York and D.C. and running a media campaign,” Cruz told reporters recently when asked about Rubio. “There are some races that believe that their path to victory is courting the Washington establishment, is courting the big-money donors all day long, as is hoping that their friends in the media can just push a narrative. Campaigns are about seeking the support of the voters.”

At a candidate forum in Des Moines late last month sponsored by the Family Leader, a Christian conservative organization, Rubio spoke but did not stick around afterward, even though his campaign had rented a reception room. Cruz, on the other hand, was there until nearly midnight.