Ted Cruz rides momentum into Iowa

The Hill ^ | 08/02/14 06:04 AM EDT | Alexander Bolton

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz Ping!

If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.

Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

[Timber Rattler]

One of the persistent knocks on Cruz from GOP strategists is that he would not be electable in a general election against Hillary Clinton, the Democrats’ expected nominee.

But Romney was electable, right?

[jjotto]

Cruz, a Republican from Texas, is emerging as a favorite of conservative activists, who every four years play an outsized role during the Iowa caucus...

I was pretty sure from reading FR that Iowa caucuses are a tool of the GOP-E. It's so hard to keep up with the memes these days!

[samtheman]

Anyone who votes for Romney this time around should just be honest and wear an Sh*t For Brains T-shirt.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[SunkenCiv]

As good as November 2014 will probably be, November 2016 is shaping up as even better.

[duffee]

I’m not surprised the gop-e wants to kick off the presidential campaign in a state that kept sending Tom Harkin to the Senate.

[trisham]

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We believe in the founding principles with all our hearts and mean to defend them to our dying breath..."

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[jjotto]

So much for an “outsized role” for conservative activists, eh?

[Lake Living]

“So there’s value for Cruz not just standing up against President Obama, which every Republican is doing, but there’s value at times in standing up to the party itself,” said Matt Mackowiak, a GOP strategist.

IF every Republican WAS opposing Obama we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in right now Matt Mackowiak! You seems grossly misinformed to say the least!

God bless Sen. Cruz and may his tribe increase!

[duffee]

I’ve always been surprised at Harkin’s strength in Iowa. I don’t really understand why it’s not more Conservative. I’ve also questioned the caucus system that’s used in the presidential nomination process but what can I say after our recent Mississippi Republican primary.

[jjotto]

Harkin’s strength comes from industrialized and Catholic eastern Iowa.

The Republican Party at its founding was not conservative. Neither was the Republican Party that was part of the Progressive Movement. The Iowa GOP has mostly been home to ‘moderates’, with a few exceptions like H.R. Gross and Steve King.

Iowa caucuses do NOT pick pledged delegates to the national convention. They are local organizational meetings. (How do parties in other states pick local party officials?) All the attention is for a casual, non-binding presidential preference poll.

[Theodore R.]

Yes, but the GOP-e never started the IA caucuses. It just works to their Dole-like benefit.

[Theodore R.]

There was a Senator Jack Miller who was conservative too, but he got booted out with Nixon’s big win in 1972.

[Graewoulf]

Progressives believe that there is “No Progress without taxation.”

Unlimited taxation was an early goal of ambitious politicians in “both” political parties in a various pockets of Socialist Movements in America.

Minnesota was a hot-bed originating State for the “tax ‘em until they die” Progressives back in Progressive Teddy Roosevelt’s day.

Iowa is just downstream from Minnesota - - - .

The first, (in a National Election cycle), true American Primary State is South Carolina.

Unfortunately, TEXAS is one of the last.

[jjotto]

Yes. Democrats reformed the Iowa caucuses starting in 1972 in order to blunt the influence of THEIR establishment-types, yielding McGovern and Carter.

“You can’t cheat an honest electorate.” Reform all you want. As long as enough people want to ‘legally’ steal from and coerce others, no nominating system is going to make a difference.

[Free Vulcan]

Coming from the state that’s home to Senator Thad Cochran, GOP-E Grand Wizard Emeritus, that’s rich.

[Free Vulcan]

How do you figure? Santorum won the caucus, Romney came in second, and Ron Paul got all the delegates? Huckabee won in ‘08.

[Theodore R.]

As I recall, Romney claimed victory with a false lead for the first few days. Most never knew Santorum led, and he did nothing in NH and didn’t even get on his own VA ballot. I could support Santorum again if he ran though.