Cruz and Rubio engage in battle for Nevada Mormons

Deseret News ^ | Saturday, Jan. 2 2016 | Kurtis Lee

[Isara]

...Deep divisions among Nevada Republicans over a $1 billion tax increase pushed by the state’s Republican governor are helping to shape the battle between Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas to win this state’s presidential caucuses — the first nominating contest in the West.

Rubio’s backers are eagerly eyeing Nevada as they look for an early-voting state the candidate could win. Although Rubio is widely seen as one of the leading contenders for the GOP nomination, the early primary states mostly look unpromising for him.

Cruz, by contrast, leads the polls in Iowa, which holds the first contest of the season on Feb. 1, and is well-positioned in several other conservative states that hold early contests.

...

Rubio’s side includes prominent backers of the tax increase, aimed at expanding the state’s budget for schools, which Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval pushed through the GOP-controlled Legislature in May and June. The tax hike, the largest in state history, was strongly opposed by a large portion of the Republicans in the Legislature.

...

Among the leaders of the opposition to the tax increase was Assemblyman Ira Hansen, a Republican who represents Sparks,... Hansen, also a Mormon church member, is now part of Cruz’s state leadership team.

“You see it at the national level and here: Cruz folks are much more conservative than Rubio’s,” said Hansen. “When it comes to social issues, when it comes to tax increases, if you’re a conservative — a true conservative — then Ted Cruz is your candidate.

...

Hansen says Rubio’s past support of bipartisan immigration reform, which included a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally, is also a negative for him in the state’s caucuses. It’s an issue on which Cruz has repeatedly assailed Rubio, saying that the Florida senator supports “amnesty” for those who have violated immigration laws.

...

[Isara]

Presidential Candidates Comparison (Cruz vs. Rubio vs. Trump)

Please click on the pictures at the top of the columns for more details on the ratings of the candidates.

Budget, Spending & Debt
Civil Liberties
Education
Energy & Environment
Foreign Policy & Defense
Free Market
Health Care & Entitlements
Immigration
Moral Issues
Second Amendment
Taxes, Economy & Trade

More at Conservative Review: https://www.conservativereview.com/2016-presidential-candidates

[Jack Hydrazine]

[House Atreides]

Rubio’s side includes prominent backers of the tax increase, aimed at expanding the state’s budget ...The tax hike, the largest in state history, was strongly opposed by a large portion of the Republicans in the Legislature....

... among Rubio’s backers is Bruce Woodbury,...
Four years ago, Woodbury appeared in radio advertisements urging supporters to vote for Romney. He plans a similar effort this cycle for Rubio
********************************************************************************
So Mr GOPe “great white hope” Marco Rubio has backers from the New Mexico tax raisers and the Romney backers. Yep...he’s GOPe...through and through.

[Iron Munro]

If you like hordes of criminals, dopers and terrorists streaming across the open US borders, stealing, killing and raping while stupid government officials use your tax money to provide them with free medical care, food housing and a free and easy existence you absolutely must vote for Rubio.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

More at Conservative Review

I like how you bold the word "conservative," as if it's some kind of objective, gold standard group for conservatism, even though CR employs people who are either associated with or work with Cruz's campaign.

[Farmer Dean]

So Trump isn’t running in Nevada?

[DesertRhino]

Rubio was a Mormon for a while wasn’t he?

[FerociousRabbit]

I like how you bold the word “conservative,” as if it’s some kind of objective, gold standard group for conservatism, even though CR employs people who are either associated with or work with Cruz’s campaign.

---

Well, it makes sense. Cruz is conservative. Conservative Review is conservative. Therefore, there is overlapping conservative interests and personnel.

Trump is a big government progressive so finding support at CR is... unlikely.

[JSDude1]

Sounds like big government GOPe tax and spenders are on Rubio’s side. I wonder if any Nevada freepers can shed any light on if there has been a backlash against the NV Gov and his big spender palls on the ground?

[FatherofFive]

Rubio's side includes prominent backers of the tax increase, aimed at expanding the state's budget for schools

Your chart appears to be inaccurate and misleading.

[heshtesh]

Your chart appears to be inaccurate and misleading.

I don’t think anyone will prevent you from posting a chart that you feel is more accurate and truthful....show us what you got!

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Therefore, there is overlapping conservative interests and personnel.

It's the incestuous nature of "conservative" groups like CR, pretending to give objective reviews of people for whom their wallets are connected to, that allows people like Ted Cruz to get away with lying to their supporters, and evidently producing imbeciles who think Trump is a "progressive."

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I think your repeatedly posted chart misses the whole point. I’m not looking for my twin.

I’m looking for someone with very, very thick skin, who will not give a da&m what they say or write about him when he reverses Obama’s executive orders, cancels common core, sends Syrians home, etc.

I’m looking for someone who knows how to put our national interest first.

I’m looking for someone who can step in and deal with competing interests to set our nation back on the right economic path.

I’m looking for someone with the heart of a lion.

Someone who has spent a lifetime getting people to agree to get things done.

Someone who has had to deal with the serfdom of the tax code and written huge checks that went to die in DC.

Someone who has balanced a budget.

Someone who knows how to subvert the good old boy crony network.

Not a scholar.
Not a slick politician.

In this race, that man is Trump.

I am ready to set him free, like a wrecking ball.

I have no illusions that he is anything other than I wrote. In addition, I know I will hate many of his decisions. I hope the average of all he does will right the ship.

I also know there isn’t a single elected official I like 100%. Most less than half. Trump will share that. No illusions there.

Best.

[The Iceman Cometh]

Cruz is conservative.

Then why would he have co-sponsored a bill to help 'fix' Head Start? That's pure big government crap right there.

[GeaugaRepublican]

I worked the Nevada Mormons in the Romney Campaign-Las Vegas, Bunkerville and Mesquite-personally knocked hundreds of doors. They went with Wayne Root’s choice. Many of them DID NOT go Romney, they went 3rd party. Wayne Root is stumping for Trump.

[patq]

LOL, that chart cracks me up every time. And couldn’t you please use a better picture of Cruz? He looks like Grandpa Munster. I am waiting for him to turn in to a bat and fly away.

I do appreciate the green, yellow and red circles because I am too stupid to figure out their stances on my own. Do you work in Central Planning?

[katiedidit1]

When Trump was asked about what conservatism meant to him, his response was bumbling, yet his devoted trumplings PRETEND he will “make America great again.” He never mentions the Constitution, yet his mindless minions PRETEND he is the great defender of it. He says he never asked God for forgiveness and supported baby murder most of his life, yet his foolish lemmings PRETEND he champions Christianity. As a crony capitalist, he bought political favors for personal gain, yet his dopey trumptards PRETEND he will put an end to Washington corruption. He thrived on political favors, yet his mental midgets PRETEND “he can not be bought.” He supported and funded the Establishments of BOTH political parties (mainly DEMOCRATS), yet his celebrity worshiping dolts PRETEND he is anti-Establishment. For political expediency, he has recent flip flops on many populous issues (for Amnesty before he was for mass deportation, for Syrian refugees before he was against them, loves Muslims before he was against them entering the country), yet his gullible simpletons PRETEND he is above scrutiny and should be unequivocally trusted. He supports a Socialist single payer system that is to the left of Obamacare, yet his brainwashed flunkies PRETEND he doesn’t.

[Duchess47]

You know you are really quite offensive.

[longtermmemmory]

why don’t citizens pass constitutional amendment referenda which BAN state income taxes in their respective states?

If it is state constitutionally banned then every increase becomes a political nightmare.