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Ted Cruz Quietly Seeks Peace With GOP's Big Spenders (Donors, not Politicians)
National Journal ^ | December 15, 2014 | Tim Alberta

Posted on 12/15/2014 6:54:07 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

The Texas Republican has traveled to both coasts in the hopes of winning over skeptical donors.

There's a downside to digging in. Just ask Ted Cruz.

Since being elected to Congress in 2012, the Texas Republican has established himself as a conservative icon. On everything from spending fights to immigration policy and social issues, Cruz has been a powerful and reliable voice of the far right. His push last year to defund Obamacare—which shuttered the government—cemented his image as an uncompromising champion of the tea party.

But now, as he prepares a presidential bid, Cruz needs to round out the rough edges. While his confrontations on Capitol Hill continue to energize the activist class, his reputation as an ideologically driven renegade is scaring off a key set of influentials: the major Republican donors needed to finance a winning presidential campaign.

"I get the impression that Ted Cruz appeals almost exclusively to the far right of the base, and that he has not attempted to really reach out either to his colleagues in the Senate or to donors who are not in that group," said Fred Malek, a top Republican fundraiser who chaired Sen. John McCain's finance operation in 2008.

The foundation of a Cruz presidential campaign looks solid. He has brought in strong organizational talent. His alliances are multiplying in the early nominating states. And his standing among the grassroots has never been better. But one important area remains a source of concern: fundraising.

It's a vulnerability Cruz is working to address. Earlier this month, the senator slipped away to Los Angeles for a series of meetings with top GOP donors, a trip that included a dinner at the California Club with a group of some 20 Republicans who served as bundlers for Mitt Romney in 2012.

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt moderated the event, and said many of the attendees—whom he described as "Steve Forbes Republicans"—came away impressed. "There were blunt electability questions," Hewitt said. By the time Cruz departed the dinner, he added, "they were all very, very pleasantly surprised."

Hewitt declined to repeat Cruz's argument for his own electability, but said: "He's in the process of proving to people that he's more Reagan than Goldwater. Opponents of his want to stick the Goldwater tag on him, so his challenge is proving that he's more Reagan than Goldwater."

The California swing came on the heels of a whirlwind tour through Manhattan in late November, which included a lengthy one-on-one meeting with GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Cruz aimed in both trips to correct what he calls a media-driven "caricature" of himself—one that took hold last year after he spearheaded a strategy to defund the Affordable Care Act that ultimately led to a government shutdown.

Despite the recent coastal visits, Cruz's charm offensive begins in his own backyard, with some of the same Texas donors who shunned him two years ago.

Cruz shocked the political world in 2012 with his primary victory over Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, an establishment favorite who outraised Cruz by a ratio of more than 3-to-1. Conservative outside groups helped drive a flurry of small, out-of-state donations to Cruz, but he was walloped among large-dollar donors. That experience makes for an inspiring David-versus-Goliath tale, but it's not a winning model for a White House campaign. Team Cruz knows that grassroots enthusiasm can only take a candidate so far; to be viable for a party's presidential nomination, major donors must be in play.

"Sen. Cruz's team is more recently—like, within the last few months—reaching out more to the donors and business leaders and community leaders to start building those relationships," said Republican Rep. Kevin Brady, a veteran of the Texas delegation. "His first year was really spent building a national persona and image, and it's my impression that he's now laying the groundwork in Texas."

Brady said it will take time for Cruz to make inroads with these donors, but added that the senator has "a wonderful, not-so-secret weapon" at his disposal: his wife. Heidi Nelson Cruz is a top executive with Goldman Sachs; she also serves on the Greater Houston Partnership Board, an organization full of political contributors. "She's well-respected and has lots of admirers," Brady said. "So that could be part of the reaching out—whether it's Wall Street or Texas."

Brady, himself a master fundraiser with deep connections to the political spenders in Dallas and Houston, said the donor community has taken notice of the freshman senator's newfound interest in their campaign dollars.

Cruz's outreach, however, has not produced an instant conversion among the GOP's donor elite. Adelson found Cruz to be "too right wing," according the New York Observer. (Adelson later disputed that characterization, but it seemed to be a recurring theme during Cruz's swing through New York. At another meeting in Manhattan, he answered a similar assertion by saying: "I don't think I'm all that conservative.")

And the senator's latest confrontation on Capitol Hill—provoking a weekend session of Congress that was aimed at making a point on immigration but resulted in more of President Obama's nominees being confirmed—will only play into the negative stereotype that's scaring off potential financiers of Cruz's presidential campaign.

"His views, as well as his actions," Malek said, "are a lot further to the right than the mainstream of Republican donors."

Cruz's allies acknowledge that he isn't likely to win over most of these donors anyway; his record of intra-party troublemaking is disqualifying for many establishment Republicans looking for a quick, clean primary contest. What Cruz hopes to accomplish, then, is perhaps something less tangible—if not converting neutral players into loyal supporters, at least softening opposition to the point where an "anyone-but-Cruz" campaign never gets off the ground.


TOPICS: Campaign News; Parties; State and Local; U.S. Senate
KEYWORDS: 2016; cruz; gop; tedcruz
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1 posted on 12/15/2014 6:54:07 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

All Ted did was get us more liberal nominees in a dead Senate. Thanks Ted. It’s all about you.


2 posted on 12/15/2014 6:55:59 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Those big money donors need to wise-up, then pony-up!


3 posted on 12/15/2014 6:56:50 PM PST by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: SkyPilot

Are you really that obtuse?


4 posted on 12/15/2014 6:57:04 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: SkyPilot

BS


5 posted on 12/15/2014 6:57:27 PM PST by ilgipper
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To: SkyPilot

Ditch Mitch thanks you. You’re a real independent LIV.


6 posted on 12/15/2014 7:03:34 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: SkyPilot
Thanks Ted. It’s all about you

No, for Ted it's all about the Constitution.

The contrasting strategy is brother Bohner and brother Mitch - it's all good man, they have an (R). That's what is important. <\sarc>

7 posted on 12/15/2014 7:04:12 PM PST by Damifino (The true measure of a man is found in what he would do if he knew no one would ever find out.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
What did Ted give us? Nothing.

He gave aid to the enemy, and Harry Reid is laughing. Had this not happened, the GOP controlled Senate in January would have been able to STOP these liberal nominees who will do (have no doubt about this) lasting DAMAGE to our nation.

Who is being obtuse?

8 posted on 12/15/2014 7:05:15 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: SkyPilot

There are enough Ted haters all over the internet. We do not need Ted hatred at FR.

Ted Cruz is the only Republican who can be elected president in 2016. Why supposedly conservative people try to crucify him is beyond me.


9 posted on 12/15/2014 7:06:41 PM PST by Menthops (If you are reading this..... the GOPe hates you!)
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To: Damifino
No, for Ted it's all about the Constitution.

And how is that doing in the wake of Ted's delay?

No better, but much worse. Now we have 12 or so liberal nominees that sailed through. Totally unqualified, and anti-American. Ted KNEW, (how can I say it more forcefully?), KNEW that his delay would do NOTHING to stop amnesty and the Budget bill, but he did it anyway.

Nice.

10 posted on 12/15/2014 7:08:18 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: SkyPilot
All Ted did was get us more liberal nominees in a dead Senate. Thanks Ted. It’s all about you.

Like Harry Reid would have let a Democrat Senate recess without voting anyway.

11 posted on 12/15/2014 7:09:25 PM PST by Colonel_Flagg ("Compromise" means you've already decided you lost.)
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To: SkyPilot

Yeah, Harry Reid would’ve just given up and let the GOP block them, which, by-the-way, is a huge assumption. Have you ever heard of Mitch McConnell? John McCain? Lindsey Graham? And on and on....


12 posted on 12/15/2014 7:09:59 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: Menthops
Because his cause is not Conservatism, but Ted Cruz' Political Career.

And if you can't see that God help you.


13 posted on 12/15/2014 7:11:26 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: SkyPilot

The only way to stop Obama amnesty is to shut down the government until Obama caves. Obamacare would be dead and buried by now if the GOPe had not sabotaged Ted and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory during last year’s government shutdown.

The hatred of Ted Cruz is truly beyond the pale.


14 posted on 12/15/2014 7:11:30 PM PST by Menthops (If you are reading this..... the GOPe hates you!)
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To: SkyPilot

John McCain’s talking point, but Harry intended to do it this week anyway.

How many will Mitch and McCain wave through once they are in the majority?????


15 posted on 12/15/2014 7:14:27 PM PST by Nextrush (OBAMACARE IS A BAILOUT FOR THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY)
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To: SkyPilot
That a Flat out LIE Troll.

Reid killed any Ability for the Gop to stop any Obama radical nominees in Senate.

Who are you Bold Face lying for here !

Troll.

16 posted on 12/15/2014 7:17:46 PM PST by ncalburt ( Amnesty-media out in full force)
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To: SkyPilot

You Liar !

Reid killed the Gop ability to Stopany Radical Nominee so he could ram thru these radicals !

So who are trying to Fool here ,


17 posted on 12/15/2014 7:20:09 PM PST by ncalburt ( Amnesty-media out in full force)
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To: SkyPilot

18 posted on 12/15/2014 7:21:25 PM PST by Manic_Episode (GOP = The Whig Party)
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To: SkyPilot

Let me guess? Huckabee? Rand Paul?


19 posted on 12/15/2014 7:21:33 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.)
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To: SkyPilot

There needs to be a wholesale purge of RINOs and GOPe types out of the Republican party. If it means a political civil war to obtain the destruction of the rotted, corrupt GOP and the establishment of an authentic, Constitutional Conservative party, so be it.


20 posted on 12/15/2014 7:22:33 PM PST by Menthops (If you are reading this..... the GOPe hates you!)
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