Posted on 12/30/2015 9:41:44 AM PST by JSDude1
Some who mistrust the Texas senator may tactically support Rubio over their first-choice candidates.
To a concerned and angry bunch of Iowa Republicans, their mission heading into next month’s caucuses is as simple as ABC: Anybody But Cruz.
As the Texas senator solidifies his front-runner status with just over a month to go before the February 1 caucuses, a loose network of social-conservative activists has undertaken a quiet effort to defeat him by any means necessary — even if that means rallying together behind a more electable rival to their own preferred candidates.
Many supporters of Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, the last two winners of Iowa’s Republican presidential contests, are grappling with a pair of grim realities as the 2016 caucuses approach. Not only have their candidates been stuck in the low single digits for months in Iowa, but they also view Cruz, the new front-runner, as a phony opportunist who has pandered to Evangelicals for political gain, particularly in Iowa. And they fear that if Cruz notches a win in the Hawkeye State — especially if he does so by a wide margin, which many Republicans now view as a distinct possibility — he will emerge as the overwhelming favorite to capture the nomination.
These assumptions have led to a pair of common conclusions: First, that preventing Cruz from winning Iowa is more important than promoting their own preferred candidates. And second, that if the only way to accomplish that is by throwing their support to another candidate, it should be Marco Rubio.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429110/huckabee-santorum-cruz-rubio-iowa
Idiots..
GOPe = ANGRY.
They should see a counselor and practice Zen.
So basically a large number of Iowa’s “Social Conservatives” are more worried about continuing their Ethanol subsidies then voting for their supposed “Christian Conservative” principals.
On Feb 1, when the Trump steamroller starts to roll, they will continue to write about his demise because they just cant face the fact that WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT! ANY MORE!
So Santorum and Huckabee social conservatives will go to Rubio en masse?
Both of them?
To Rubio?
Because Rubio is more like Santorum and Huckabee than is Cruz?
Really?
The effects of Pot Legalization has taken hold way out in Iowa, apparently.
That is BS.
About the DUMBEST thing the insiders can do is split the Anti-Trump vote, because that would allow Trump to slip-in to victory in Iowa, where he may otherwise be defeated by Cruz - given the Evangelical make up of the caucus-goers.
...since I want Trump to take the nomination, I’m all for this (stupid) strategy.
Bull. They may be Jebusites or Huckster fans. But no So-Con would ever betray Ted.
This article has nothing to do with Trump, directly.
“..GOPe = ANGRY...”
GOPe = traitors and liars to the Republican voting base that put them in Washington, DC. They are so power and money hungry, that they are making suicidal decisions.
wow
with the Hucksters 2.3% and Old Frothy’s .5 percent...
Rubio might only lose to Trump and Cruz by a 2 to 1 margin instead of by a 3 to 1 margin!
LOL
For the record, I don’t thing it’s going to work, you can rarely convince voters to do what you want out of personal vendettas. Just sayin..
They are all about Trump! ;-)
I do find it odd that Huckabee, Santorum, and Rubio have all been attacking Cruz, as of late. I agree with you that this is a bad move on their part. It won’t help them one bit.
In Canaan the Jebusites ultimately lost their City.
As I've been saying NRO hates Cruz. They hate him almost as much as they hate Trump, but I believe (just me, no evidence) that they think they can knock out Cruz easier than Trump and bait-and-switch Rubio. That is their real goal.
Name names. Cruz is an opportunist so you go with Rubio? How does that help a Santorum or a Huckabee supporter? This story cites TWO whole names,a guy from a Huckabee SuperPAC, and a guy who was with Perry this time around.
I understand that Perry and Santorum and Huckabee supporters do not have Cruz as their #1 choice, but Rubio as a proxy makes no sense at all, unless it’s personal. It might be personal for SuperPAC guy, and for an unemployed Perry guy, but once these folks get herded into caucuses, they are going to have a hard time persuading the Cruz folks there that Rubio is a better choice for advocates of life and marriage.
The article also questions Cruz’ lack of national experience. The man was in an important post in te FTC, working to eliminate barriers against the free market. He was also Solicitor General for Texas, aguing and winning cases at the U.S. Supreme Court level. While he was doing that, Rubio was serving in the Florida state legislature trying to pass bills that John Ellis Bush and Charle “Twinkles” Crist would sign. Cruz EASILY has more federal experience (without being co-opted by the machine) than any other candidate in the top two tiers.
The Free Republic Cruz/Trump Perpetual Smackdown hides this truth in plain sight: the arguments here are nasty, but if the GOPe manages to dismantle one or the other's campaign, the dismantled-one's followers will switch to the other camp rather than support ANYONE ELSE, because the contempt and disregard for the GOPe is greater than any Cruz-follower worries about Trump and vice versa.
Ted Cruz is making all the right (make that left) enemies, he is flushing the big-government socialist out from their cover. Huck and Rick are having a difficult time hiding behind their faith as they advocate for more and more big-brother, just one wearing a cross. Huck and Rick should be asked directly and publicly if he would rather see Rubio with the nomination or Cruz just to see where their loyalties really lie.
I doubt the social conservatives will move to Trump.
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