Can folks - especially the hardcore Cruz supporters - see the impossibility of all that being equally true.
LOL. Do the math. It's a teachable moment for a hardcore Trump supporter, you.
Posted on 01/12/2016 6:44:53 AM PST by conservativejoy
Two weeks ago I wrote that the GOP establishment fears Ted Cruz more than Donald Trump. What has transpired over the last two weeks has proven that hypothesis. Here's what I wrote then:
Cruz is the larger threat to establishment because, if he wins, they lose all the levers of power. McConnell and his allies would be tossed out of organizations such as the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, etc... If history is any guide, the sitting president of a political party has a large leeway in choosing those in key power positions. That puts the earning potential and power of the current political industrial complex in complete jeopardy.
That is why, come January, the establishment will continue to turn all their guns on Cruz because they would rather Trump win the nomination and lose to Hillary than for Ted Cruz to have a chance of being president. If that happened they would attempt to blame a Trump loss on the Tea Party, and keep their cushy jobs. As Cruz inevitably gains on Trump, the establishment will go after Cruz 110%, even if they are currently waging a rhetorical war on Trump.
Two weeks later and the GOP establishment still fears Ted Cruz more than Donald Trump.
The establishment's deeds are more than backing up their off the record answers.
In fact, the establishment's actions are proving the case.
The National Journal's Josh Kraushaar recently asked senior GOP strategists who they would rather win the Iowa caucuses. Here's what Kraushaar had to say:
It's the $64,000 question for establishment-minded Republicans: Would they rather see Ted Cruz or Donald Trump win the Iowa caucuses, assuming none of the more moderate candidates prevail?
In an informal survey of senior GOP strategists, the clear winner was Trump. Their arguments were reasoned but underscored: a) how they're still underestimating Trump; and b) how much they personally hate Cruz to the point where emotion is trumping strategy.
But conservatives did not need an informal survey of the establishment to learn this. The establishment's deeds are more than backing up their off the record answers to the National Journal.
Lindsey Graham, who unceremoniously just left the presidential campaign trail, took to talking down Cruz's chances against Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton.
"Ted's smart, but I think that Hillary Clinton would do a number on him," Graham told Fox News radio host Brian Kilmeade on Friday.
Graham, who dropped his own presidential bid late last month, has said that challenging Cruz - as well as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) - was one of the main reasons he launched his campaign in the first place. He has called Cruz an extremist for being willing to shut down the federal government, and he has criticized Cruz's foreign policy approach.
Unable to stop Cruz with his own campaign, Graham is now warning that someone else would be able to stop him.
It's not just sitting Senators who are saying that Cruz would have trouble. Some long time staff of Republican congressional leadership go further than that. Take this tweet from John Feehery, who touts "15 years of working for House GOP leaders," in his twitter profile.
To get a sense where Feehery stands in the current fight between the establishment and conservatives, take a look at his opus on the subject. His take on CR's Editor-in-Chief Mark Levin is particularly enlightening, saying: "a former Reagan Administration official, Levin is a dark, malevolent force on the radio." It is helpful to remember that Feehery runs a K-Street public affairs firm, and his earning potential is tied to the establishment staying in power.
It's not just the national establishment that fears Cruz more than Trump; the state level establishments want in on the game as well. Here's what's going on in Iowa.
Governor Terry Branstad's son Eric, runs the pro-Ethanol America's Renewable Future. Branstad is an establishment Republican that often is at odds with conservatives in his state. Branstad the younger has taken to calling Cruz, "dangerous†for Iowa's economy, because Cruz has "sponsored three bills to repeal the RFS." He added that Donald Trump has "sat down" at the table with ethanol leaders. Here's Branstad's latest ad.
Branstad's father piled on just this week when he called into question Cruz's ability to run for the presidency, Politico reported:
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad believes the question of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's eligibility in the presidential race is "fair game."
"When you run for president of the United States, any question is fair game. So let the people decide," Branstad told reporters on Monday during a weekly press briefing, according to The Des Moines Register.
Gov. Branstad joined a chorus of establishment voices saying that the matter of Cruz's citizenship is "fair game." These voices include a frequent Cruz critic, the Panamanian born Arizona Senator John McCain.
The most surprising member of the establishment to give legitimacy to Cruz birtherism is none other than the Chairman of the Republican National Committee - it doesn't get more establishment than that - Reince Priebus. Time magazine reported that when asked about whether or not citizenship claims regarding Ted Cruz were fair game, Priebus said.
Listen, I don't get involved. I'm not going to get in the middle of all these candidate issues. It's a bad place for me to be. I'll let all these folks argue about this stuff, and I'm going to stay out of it.
Leon H. Wolf at Red State explained the absurdity of Priebus' statement best, "This is absolutely inexcusable. I get that Priebus does not want to get in the middle of a discussion over whose tax plan is best, or over whether one candidate is being truthful about another candidate or not. These are all battles that Reince is absolutely right to stay out of."
Wolf continued, "But there is absolutely no excuse not to say, unequivocally and forcefully, that the guy who is in second place right now in the polls is eligible to take the office if elected. Especially for such an open and shut constitutional case like this."
The facts are in. Be it neo-birtherism, a fear of an end to crony-capitalism, or plain fear for their continued employment, the establishment really is more scared of Ted Cruz than Donald Trump. You can tell by their actions.
Cruz has the highest favorability rating of any GOP candidate and beats Hillary in the polls.
They should fear a VP Cruz just as much. Having Cruz in the Executive branch of government for 16 years should be giving the GOPe nightmares!
“Conservative Review” = A wing of the Ted Cruz campaign, and they barely even bother to hide it anymore.
Cruz is the larger threat to establishment because, if he wins, they lose all the levers of power. McConnell and his allies would be tossed out of organizations such as the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, etc... If history is any guide, the sitting president of a political party has a large leeway in choosing those in key power positions. That puts the earning potential and power of the current political industrial complex in complete jeopardy.
That is why, come January, the establishment will continue to turn all their guns on Cruz because they would rather Trump win the nomination and lose to Hillary than for Ted Cruz to have a chance of being president. If that happened they would attempt to blame a Trump loss on the Tea Party, and keep their cushy jobs. As Cruz inevitably gains on Trump, the establishment will go after Cruz 110%, even if they are currently waging a rhetorical war on Trump.
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I absolutely believe that if Ted Cruz wins and becomes President, the Revolution overthrowing the Corruptacrats currently running the GOP will be purged and replaced by TRUE CONSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATIVES.
On the other hand, I also believe that if Trump wins, THE DEAL MEISTER will work deals with the RINOs within the party as he also will with the progressive ‘RATS to “GET THINGS DONE”. The conservative revolution, within the Republican Party, will be diluted and will fail utterly in this case — wasting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Two weeks later and the GOP establishment still fears Ted Cruz
Ultimately Cruz does not endanger them at all. Cruz is still all in on the "Free Trade" scam that enriches international corporations at the expense of the American worker, and still opens up our borders to unlimited migrant-- that is cheap-- labor.
When it comes down to it, Cruz is still a member of that same brand of corrupt "conservatism" as GWB or any of the other RINOs. At best, Cruz will make minor reforms, but will never endanger the pocket books of his biggest donors.
“That is why, come January, the establishment will continue to turn all their guns on Cruz because they would rather Trump win the nomination and lose to Hillary than for Ted Cruz to have a chance of being president.”
Lost me right there.
I couldn’t agree more. Trump would be so in bed with McConnell (or Schumer) and Ryan it will be X-rated.
If you line up all of these posts from some of these bloggers, not only has Cruz won every primary in a blowout, won the nomination, beat Hillary by 49 states (he gave her Delaware), but is already sworn in, fired everyone at the RNC, defeated the Democrats in congress, “restored the constitution”, obliterated ISIS, beat back Russia, fixed the economy and the border, won a second term UNANIMOUSLY and his face is already on the 1 dollar bill.
Because....reasons.
They had better factor in what they would do if a nominated Trump defeated the Hildebeest, as recent polls indicate he would have a good chance of doing.
[They had better factor in what they would do if a nominated Trump defeated the Hildebeest, as recent polls indicate he would have a good chance of doing.]
So far, their plan is to wet their diapers....
This should be a teachable moment, but as usual it will not. On the one hand Cruz has supposedly has 'room to grow' because he is not well known, but on the other hand he is favored by most Republicans and can beat Hillary in a national election.
Can folks - especially the hardcore Cruz supporters - see the impossibility of all that being equally true.
Bottom line: either you are well known enough to win the general election or you are not well known and have room to grow. Here's another bottom line: some folks will glum on to anything positive they can tout in a forum regardless of how irrational the reasoning.
Leon Wolf is the Cruzers version of Robert Gibbs.
Talking points from a month ago. Latest numbers show many, if not all, including Trump, R candidates beat Hillary.
Can folks - especially the hardcore Cruz supporters - see the impossibility of all that being equally true.
LOL. Do the math. It's a teachable moment for a hardcore Trump supporter, you.
I would ask you to do the math, but that would be a waste of time because you cannot comprehend what the chart already tells you.
First of all the chart is for Republicans/leaning Independents. Even in that category Cruz has only a 77% familiarity. In no way can you project a national election when you are not well known, period. And, of course, you are going to have a low unfavorable rating being a social conservative - but even those folks do not claim they will vote for him or he would be leading the party in the national Gallup poll: meaning, we like the guy but he is not our choice.
No not at all.
First of all the chart ...
Stop, you're changing your argument. I was addressing the three points that you said in your first post. From your first post...
On the one hand Cruz has supposedly has 'room to grow' because he is not well known
The poll I showed you says that this is TRUE.
...but on the other hand he is favored by most Republicans
The same data shows this to be TRUE.
... and can beat Hillary in a national election.
This statement in many polls shows to be TRUE.
All three statements can be true and according to some data, is true. Yet you think it's an "impossibility".
an folks - especially the hardcore Cruz supporters - see the impossibility of all that being equally true.
LOL!
And then you start ironically lecturing Cruz supporters.
You're a "hardcore", "unteachable", "irrational", "waste of time".
I can't recall disagreeing with the aforementioned statement. After all, you "can" win the lottery if you buy a ticket and it's true some people "win."
All I've suggested is that the national projections from an unknown candidate is talking-head fodder and is otherwise meaningless. And, I've added that if Cruz is so 'favorable'- as to translate to votes - he would be already leading the polls by 10 points.
Your tagline may be VERY appropriate....to Trump should he be elected and deliver things that you do not expect based upon his CURRENT promises.
The GOP Establishment doesn't think Ted Cruz is going to win or change anything, so -- as much as they dislike him -- they don't fear him all that much. I think they fear Trump more. Win or lose Trump is going to shake things up, maybe disastrously so.
Cruz is a politician they don't like, but someone who's recognizably part of the club with similar qualities and abilities to other politicians. Trump is a real unpredictable wild card, and that's what they fear most.
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