Posted on 10/01/2015 10:28:38 AM PDT by Isara
HOUSTON, Texas – Presidential candidate Ted Cruz today announced the endorsement of former Scott Walker supporter, Iowa State Senator Randy Feenstra. The endorsement follows Cruz’s earlier announcement that all three of Walker’s former grassroots co-chairs in Georgia are also now organizing for the Cruz campaign.
“It is an honor to earn Randy’s support and I look forward to working with him as we compete to win Iowa and the entire GOP primary,” Sen. Cruz said. “I am very proud of the network of courageous conservatives we’ve built across Iowa. Their hard work will be crucial to restore jobs, growth and security and reignite the promise of America.”
“Sen. Cruz is an inspirational leader that has the ability to bring people together around a bold vision,” Sen. Feenstra said. “I believe he is the leader this country needs as we work together to address the pressing social, economic, and foreign policy issues facing our nation. Today, I am committing to do everything I can to help Ted Cruz become the next President of the United States.”
Sen. Feenstra is a life-long Iowan, who was recently re-elected to a second term in the Iowa Senate. He currently serves as the chairman of the Sioux County Foundation and serves on several other boards including Sioux Center Executive Hospital board and the Lewis & Clark Regional Water executive board. He spent 14 years as an EMT for the City of Hull, seven years as the Hull City Administrator, and was elected Sioux County Treasurer in 2006 where he served until his election to the Iowa Senate in 2009. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Dordt College and Master’s degree in Public Administration from Iowa State University. Feenstra and his wife, Lynette, have four children and reside in Hull.
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I am puzzled. Here Scott Walker was supposed to be a “place-holder” for Establishment Republicans, and Ted Cruz is - anything BUT Establishment.
Didn’t all the “smart money” say that the support from Scott Walker would transfer to Jeb Bush?
What happened?
(I am playing Devil’s Advocate here. Give a good answer, and it will help to propel a LOT of clarification.)
I'll give it a stab: First, I think you might have been over sold that Walker as a place holder for the establishment meme. Walker won tea party elections, and kind of had one foot in the estab camp but still one foot in the conservative camp. And his anti union actions in Wisconsin were NOT liked by the estabs in Washington.
Which leads me to the next point, which is that a lot of Walker supporters are not part of the establishment at all. And many Walker supporters liked Cruz as their second choice anyway. Thus it makes sense that Walker's withdrawal would help Cruz. Might help Rubio some too. Like I said, one foot in each camp.
Hope Jim Robinson with a full page thread endorses Ted Cruz for President.
Ohhh please God don’t say those words here, Marco Rubio...
Well it won’t help Rubio HERE for sure.....but I think he will pick up some Walker support. Not as much as Cruz, but some.
Politics is usually far more pragmatic than ideological purists want it to be. Political endorsements are frequently made strategically or on the basis of personal relationships.
Walker is a governor (executive experience) and proven fighter. Those are very attractive qualities, at least initially.
Jeb isn’t all that popular with other Republican officeholders because he hasn’t done much general fundraising for them, while Chris Christie holds a lot of IOUs from being head of the Republican Governors Association.
Ted Cruz has been much more active than Rubio at supporting other GOP candidates.
Not everything is about ideology, but ideology does play a role.
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