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In Bush, Cruz Finds Increasingly Useful Foil
Texas Tribune ^ | 8/12/15 | Patrick Svitek

Posted on 08/14/2015 8:25:54 AM PDT by jimbo123

As Ted Cruz traipses through the South, his mentions of one Republican draw more derision than that of any Democrat, President Obama and presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton included.

Jeb Bush.

During campaign stops Monday and Tuesday in Tennessee and Mississippi, Cruz's references to the former Florida governor, now a staple of the senator's stump speech, often elicited loud booing, sometimes accompanied by scattered shouts of "Establishment!" or "RINO!" (Republican In Name Only).

For months, the Republican Texas senator has been alluding to Bush as the archetypal moderate, insufficiently conservative and guaranteed to shut the GOP out of the White House for another four years if nominated. But in recent weeks, the Tea Party darling has become more explicit, naming Bush in interviews and other public appearances as a prime example of what's ailing the GOP.

"We're tired of losing," Cruz said Tuesday when asked why he thought Bush's name was drawing such strong reactions on the campaign trail.

No episode this summer has given Cruz more fodder against Bush than Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. Cruz has maintained that the agreement would make the United States the "leading financier of radical Islamic terrorism" — the kind of alarm sounding that has been rebuked by more moderate Republicans, including the former Florida governor.

"'Now, now, don't say those sorts of things. Don't be that candid about what can happen here,'" Cruz said Tuesday in Tupelo, Mississippi, impersonating Bush. "Let me give you all a real simple principle: The truth is not rhetoric."

Cruz's more direct shots at Bush have raised some charges that the senator is violating his cardinal rule — not to engage in what he calls "Republican-on-Republican violence." But Cruz and his campaign insist that promise applies more to personal attacks than policy differences.

(Excerpt) Read more at texastribune.org ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Florida; US: Mississippi; US: Tennessee; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 2016election; commoncore; cruz; deportjebbush; election2016; florida; jebbush; mississippi; patricksvitek; tedcruz; tennessee; texas

1 posted on 08/14/2015 8:25:54 AM PDT by jimbo123
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To: jimbo123
"and presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton"

whatever.

2 posted on 08/14/2015 8:28:41 AM PDT by inkfarmer
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To: jimbo123

Gonna be tense at Mackinaw Island next month.


3 posted on 08/14/2015 8:34:30 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Sad fact, most people just want a candidate to tell them what they want to hear)
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To: jimbo123
not to engage in what he calls "Republican-on-Republican violence."???????

Who knew Jeb was a Republican? Hot damn, he makes even Romney look conservative.

4 posted on 08/14/2015 8:37:19 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: jimbo123

To my mind, JOB ONE in this Republican Nomination run up is to squash Jeb Bush’s candidacy like a stink bug. Flat and dead.

These establishment Republicans have to realize there are millions of pissed off Americans out there that are sick and tired of RINO appeasement, cowardice and backstabbing, of which Jeb Bush is the prime example. They have to be SHOWN that we won’t take this anymore, we WON’T hold our noses anymore, and we WON’T accept another milquetoast Bush of any flavor. We have to show them that the election in 2016 is time for THEM to hold their damned noses and vote for a conservative for once.

They will do it and had damned well get behind it with support and RNC money, or they can forget ever getting back into power. Their Hispanics aren’t going to get them in power - ever, not without conservatives.


5 posted on 08/14/2015 8:37:23 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: jimbo123

Cruz and Trump should be able to push Jebbie in the pool. He needs to go and soon.


6 posted on 08/14/2015 8:43:02 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: jimbo123

Trump hit man. Bush is the GOPe. He has the money and organization. He needs to be taken out, but it will be difficult because he has a significant floor of support that will keep him in the race to the bitter end.


7 posted on 08/14/2015 8:43:20 AM PDT by kabar
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To: jimbo123

I hope that one of more candidates can pile on jebbush. jebbush probably won’t respond because he will need support of the others in the GOP field when the weaker candidates begin to drop out (probably because of money). If jebbush attacks other GOP contenders, he will alienate potential supporters. jebbush will be there until the end because he has the biggest pile of money. OTOH, if candidates attack jebbush, there’s not a lot of downside because jebbush doesn’t have any real committed grassroots support; only paid astroturf. Have you ever seen a real life follower that believes in jebbush because of his stand on the issues?

However, if jebbush strongly speaks out against a candidate he will only gain an enemy. Let’s hope he messes up.


8 posted on 08/14/2015 8:48:39 AM PDT by grumpygresh (We don't have Democrats and Republicans, we have the Faustian uni-party)
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To: Vigilanteman

...I think what Cruz isn’t going to do is engage in “conservative on conservative” violence.....of course making Jeb fair game.

And to be fair, Cruz has been fighting the GOP E since his Senate PRIMARY election.


9 posted on 08/14/2015 8:51:06 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again)
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To: jimbo123

In Bush Cruz finds increasingly useful fool.

there fixed it


10 posted on 08/14/2015 8:52:29 AM PDT by stockpirate (A corrupt government is the real enemy of the people.and media)
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To: Gaffer
To my mind, JOB ONE in this Republican Nomination run up is to squash Jeb Bush’s candidacy like a stink bug. Flat and dead.

Then stomp on it several times more just to be sure, wipe it up with toilet paper and flush it down.

11 posted on 08/14/2015 8:53:56 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Vigilanteman

When I squash a stink bug, I go back over it with a propane weed fogger.


12 posted on 08/14/2015 8:55:35 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: jimbo123

Another interesting strategy that Cruz is following is not criticizing Trump, nor his supporters for falling for his line. I think he sees himself as the logical beneficiary of all the anti-establishment, and anti-liberal-government, rage that Trump has turned into a temporary candidacy.

I say “temporary candidacy” because Trump, in my opinion anyway, is not a viable GOP candidate. He’s got too many policy differences to remain viable, Planned Parenthood being only the most recent one. But he touched a raw nerve in the public (and not just in the Republican-voting public either) and Cruz is well positioned to attach his candidacy to that nerve as it gradually detaches from Trump.


13 posted on 08/14/2015 8:55:49 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left....completely!)
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To: Gaffer

Conservatives’ #1 target must be RINOs / GOPe / Rove / McTurtle / Boner.

They are who actually block conservatism.

Attack!


14 posted on 08/14/2015 9:13:17 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (#BlackLivesMatter ??? #StopKillingEachother !!!)
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To: cripplecreek

If Trump shows up, the damn thing might sink. lol


15 posted on 08/14/2015 9:13:21 AM PDT by ballearthout
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To: Uncle Miltie

The first volley is that we should never under any circumstances vote for them, regardless of their bleats about second most evil.


16 posted on 08/14/2015 9:19:06 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Jeb also did an unchallenged semantic dodge, claiming that the term "Common Core" (it's not a term, it's a system and an agenda) was "poisonous" and that golly gee, he's just in favor of better education. And health care? Gun control? Gay marriage? Amnesty for millions of illegals? Well, shucks...

17 posted on 08/14/2015 12:25:30 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: jimbo123

Beyond a shadow of a doubt I believe Ted Cruz has his campaign people lurking here listening to what we say, and get wonderful ideas of what conservatives are thinking.

Here is a shout out to Ted Cruz and the Ted Cruz people.


18 posted on 08/14/2015 6:38:09 PM PDT by American Constitutionalist (Truth is a priceless commodity worth more it's weight than Gold, GOP plays with fools gold)
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To: cripplecreek

Gonna be tense at Mackinaw Island next month.


Its Mackinac.


19 posted on 08/14/2015 6:41:37 PM PDT by anton
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To: anton

In Michigan its whatever we happen to call it and consider ourselves lucky its not Michilimackinac.


20 posted on 08/14/2015 6:48:13 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Sad fact, most people just want a candidate to tell them what they want to hear)
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