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Goodbye tea party, hello big tent
Washington Post ^ | April 11, 2014 | By Jennifer Rubin

Posted on 04/11/2014 3:01:13 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

Say what you will about Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), but they know a train wreck when they see it. They also know when to separate themselves from the cranks and the losers on the right. Although both supported the shutdown and were heartily supported by tea party groups in their own Senate races, neither one has endorsed Matt Bevin in Kentucky, Milton Wolf in Kansas or Chris McDaniel in Mississippi. In fact, Cruz’s office confirms he hasn’t endorsed anyone in the primaries.

There are a few important lessons here. First, neither one of these guys wants to be associated with, or take responsibility for, any tea party wipeouts if they can possibly avoid it.

Second, this suggests Bevin, McDaniel and Wolf are so far out there not even the two most conservative senators will endorse them.

And finally, this reinforces our point that within Congress and the GOP as a whole there is more unity than the mainstream media portrays as the tea party devolves into a very fringe group backed by D.C. money-making operations.

The big tent is back.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Kansas; US: Kentucky; US: Mississippi; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: bias; chrismcdaniel; gope; jenniferrubin; journalism; kansas; kentucky; mattbevin; media; miltonwolf; mississippi; mitchmcconnell; randnesty; tedcruz; texas; washingtoncompost; washingtonpost
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The ComPost is at it again.
1 posted on 04/11/2014 3:01:13 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

it’s laughable, since they don’t mention the fact that Paul and Lee have endorsed Greg Brannon in North Carolina. Facts are inconvenient for UnwashedPost


2 posted on 04/11/2014 3:03:09 PM PDT by Viennacon
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To: Oldeconomybuyer; All
yeah..like the NYT, they'll decide "what the truth is"
..no free real pre$$ there..just "sluts" for the 'RATS.

3 posted on 04/11/2014 3:07:21 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Incumbents typically do not endorse anyone in primaries
neither Dem nor GOP incumbents
someone needs to ask that stupid bitch to name some Dem incumbents and who they have endorsed in a Fem primary


4 posted on 04/11/2014 3:09:04 PM PDT by RWGinger
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Jennifer Rubin is a ditz...In order to have a big tent, do Republicans not need the tea party? (Jennifer—in case you are reading, that question was rhetorical).


5 posted on 04/11/2014 3:11:15 PM PDT by Tulane
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
, neither one has endorsed Matt Bevin in Kentucky, Milton Wolf in Kansas or Chris McDaniel in Mississippi. In fact, Cruz’s office confirms he hasn’t endorsed anyone in the primaries.

Conversely, neither one has endorsed either of the three longstanding senators being challenged by the three mentioned above. Rubin seems oblivious to the fact that just as much meaning can be attached to their declining to support three Republican fixtures in the Senate.

6 posted on 04/11/2014 3:12:09 PM PDT by Will88
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To: Viennacon

Personally I wish all elected officials would refrain from endorsing anyone till after the primaries.


7 posted on 04/11/2014 3:12:13 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Tulane

The idea of the Big Tent is that you include everyone ... and then push out the non-desirables, which in this case include the stakes and the poles holding up the tent, so in collapses in a heap.


8 posted on 04/11/2014 3:14:23 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Rand Paul and Mike Lee endorsed Brannon against Neocon Tillis.

Ted Cruz can’t endorse because he helps the NRSC committee.

Thomas Massie endorsed Lee Bright.

The open seats are the main way Tea Party candidates get elected.


9 posted on 04/11/2014 3:14:30 PM PDT by ObamahatesPACoal
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To: cripplecreek

I think this is what is happening in SC. No one wants to be blamed for tipping someone into 2nd place. They’d rather endorse once a runoff occurs.


10 posted on 04/11/2014 3:15:56 PM PDT by ObamahatesPACoal
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To: RWGinger
"Incumbents do not endorse anyone in primaries"

Zactly-this is more GOPe trying to stir up feces.

11 posted on 04/11/2014 3:17:01 PM PDT by Pajamajan (Pray for our nation. Thank the Lord for everything you have. Don't wait. Do it today.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Historically, insurgent movements either take over the party and rout the old team or they assimilate into the greater party.

Rubin is delusional and has set up straw man after straw man so she can direct her venom at an imaginary insurgent movement. Tea Party was a term used to identify a group of conservative voters with similar concerns. It has never become an "insurgent movement", though the possibility has, and still does exist. Backing a few conservative candidates rather than RINO incumbents does not equal an insurgency.

Her little rant is more about her personal hatred for voters with views not completely in line with her own than it's about any actual reality. Just another Beltway Republican elitist snob looking down her nose.

12 posted on 04/11/2014 3:24:15 PM PDT by Will88
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Rand Paul On Shutdown: “Even Though It Appeared I Was Participating In It, It Was A Dumb Idea”
RCP | November 18th, 2013 | Fox News Special Report
Posted on 11/19/2013 12:16:51 PM by Third Person
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3093108/posts

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Senator, when Obamacare was at issue, a month ago, when it came to a continuing resolution to funding the government you supported a filibuster of other Senators, who demanded that you had to have a change or the abolition of Obamacare as a condition for funding the government. In retrospect do you think that was a good strategy? But even more importantly —looking ahead, the deadlines are coming up, the resolution’s going to run out, we’re going to hit the debt ceiling soon — would you be prepared to use same tactic as we approach the new deadlines? SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): Well, I said throughout the whole battle that shutting down the government was a dumb idea. Even though it did appear as if I was participating in it, I said it was a dumb idea. And the reason I voted for it, though, is that it’s a conundrum. Here’s the conundrum. We have a $17 trillion debt and people at home tell me you can’t give the president a blank check. We just can’t keep raising the debt ceiling without conditions. So unconditionally raising the debt ceiling, nobody at home wants me to vote for that and I can’t vote for that. But the conundrum is if I don’t we do approach these deadlines. So there is an impasse. In 2011, though, we had this impasse and the president did negotiate. We got the sequester. If we were to extend the sequester from discretionary spending to all the entitlements we would actually fix our problem within a few years.


13 posted on 04/11/2014 3:26:17 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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Rand Slams Congress for Funding Egypt's Generals: 'How Does Your Conscience Feel Now?'
Sen. Rand Paul is hammering his fellow senators for keeping billions in financial aid flowing to Egypt's military -- even as Cairo's security forces massacre anti-government activists. [by "anti-government activists" is meant church-burning Christian-murdering jihadists]
[Posted on 08/15/2013 5:44:10 PM PDT by Hoodat]

14 posted on 04/11/2014 3:26:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften war stance
...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said.
[Posted on 01/31/2013 5:08:50 PM PST by xzins]

15 posted on 04/11/2014 3:26:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Pajamajan

is Jennifer Rubin a Republican?
She is the one who wrote the article for WaPo


16 posted on 04/11/2014 3:27:18 PM PDT by RWGinger
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Rand Paul's immigration speech
...The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.

Unfortunately, like many of the major debates in Washington, immigration has become a stalemate-where both sides are imprisoned by their own rhetoric or attachment to sacred cows that prevent the possibility of a balanced solution.

Immigration Reform will not occur until Conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution. I am here today to begin that conversation.

Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.

If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you...

This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society.

Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.
[Posted on 03/19/2013 7:04:07 AM PDT by Perdogg]
Rand Paul calls on conservatives to embrace immigration reform
Latinos, should be a natural constituency for the party, Paul argued, but "Republicans have pushed them away with harsh rhetoric over immigration." ...he would create a bipartisan panel to determine how many visas should be granted for workers already in the United States and those who might follow... [and the buried lead] "Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers...
[Posted on 04/21/2013 1:52:42 PM PDT by SoConPubbie]
[but he's not in favor of amnesty, snicker, definition of is is]
17 posted on 04/11/2014 3:27:34 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Tulane
Her audience is DEM and GOPe, and she is telling them what they want to hear. Tea Party is dead, says she.

Not the first, and won't be the last mistake she makes.

18 posted on 04/11/2014 3:28:43 PM PDT by Cboldt
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Show me federalism and I can buy big tent. Federalism has been dead for over a century.


19 posted on 04/11/2014 3:34:03 PM PDT by Psalm 144 (FIGHT! FIGHT! SEVERE CONSERVATIVE AND THE WILD RIGHT!)
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To: Psalm 144

Actually, federalism died at Appamattox.


20 posted on 04/11/2014 3:35:59 PM PDT by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius now available at Amazon.)
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