Boehner's reaction.
Posted on 04/29/2015 8:34:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Sen. Ted Cruz’s month-old presidential campaign has won strong reviews from GOP insiders in key states who say he’s managed to tap into the anti-establishment sentiment of primary voters, and his allies have proved they have the ability to raise tens of millions of dollars to boost his bid.
The Texan’s presidential aspirations hinge on his ability to lay claim to being the chief conservative alternative in the race, which means he’ll have to find a way to expand beyond the tea party and social conservative base that he begins with.
“He is expanding his base, and he is right now hitting on a lot of cylinders and I think the mechanics of the campaign have done well,” said Dave Carney, a GOP operative in New Hampshire. “My advice is: do not underestimate him. He is a serious, serious, guy and the more the nation’s elites make fun of him, the stronger he will be. Everyone ignores him at their own peril.”
Robert Vander Plaats, head of The Family Leader, an Iowa-based Chritstian group, said Mr. Cruz’s rollout has been “exceptional.”
“I am one of these who believes if the caucuses were held today, Cruz would definitely compete for winning it,” Mr. Vander Plaats said. “I think he is really being rewarded for his bold leadership in the Senate, and his willingness to expose both sides of the aisle — not just the Democrats.”(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Boehner's reaction.
Palin already has Cruz in the race, she will do what she can to help him.I can easily accept that Gov. Palin views Ted Cruz as her philosophical stand-in for the 2016 election. It's very understandable judging from the trust she placed in Ted Cruz in his Senate race, and especially because of the character and courage Cruz has shown since his election in opposing unprincipled politicians within both political parties.
Good solid points....too many here seem to be concerned over single points/issues.
McConnel's reaction.
The big mistake politiphiles make is believing General Election voters vote based on ideology. Most don’t. How many don’t? According to polling done by insiders since 1943, that answer is 85% don’t vote based on ideology in the General.
This is why it takes money to win. Name ID wins most elections below POTUS and narrative crafting wins the high profile races. Both take gobs of cash. This is why the Establishment thinks it can safely ignore you once the primaries are over: ideology doesn’t matter in the General.
Moving to the center is flawed thinking. It turns off your committed voters without netting new voters.
Obama won not because of his ideology but because he presented himself as something different and ran a perfect campaign to juxtapose Hillary in the worst light. There was no ideological difference between him and Hillary.
A movement conservative sticking to his guns will light the base on fire. Add to that the genuineness and freshness that you get from not constantly double speaking and you add the independents. Project an underdog story compared to Hillary, and you add in LIVs. That’s how to win.
Besides, Sen Cruz’ entire messaging is that he’ll shoot straight. It’s how he plans to set himself apart from the field. Only Sen Cruz will tell the ethanol producers, “No.” That’s a tune that he cannot change now. Any deviance from his current strategy will be the equivalent of sticking the transmission in reverse at 60mph for his campaign.
The answer is not pandering to the middle. It’s simply showing the middle that their true position is solid conservative. I think that’s what Cruz will do.
Think of it this way—are there any particular issues in his platform that aren’t ultimately mainstream?
You’re the one who doesn’t get it. Have the last few elections opened your eyes to the stupidity of the GOP going to the center for the general election and losing. Romney had President Obama beaten after the first debate by sounding and pounding home conservative principles. Then in the last two debates he went squishy moderate and lost. Four million Republicans stayed home and they made the difference. Centrism doesn’t work. Conservatism, on its own, if projected properly can attract voters from all over the political spectrum. That’s my point. Let’s do it your way and we’ll lose again.
From article....“He is expanding his base, and he is right now hitting on a lot of cylinders and I think the mechanics of the campaign have done well,” said Dave Carney, a GOP operative in New Hampshire. “My advice is: do not underestimate him”....
Don’t you just love it when the news journalists and pundits eventually come around and say what we’ve been saying about Cruz from the get go! LOLOL
Makes ya want to say....”Extra-Extra...But you heard on Free Republic FIRST!
I think Diebold elects presidents.
I think this is exactly right. I also think people are tired of politicians that tack one way during election time only to betray those principles once elected. Cruz's appeal to fence sitters is that he has not wavered on his positions. They understand exactly what they are getting.
If he wants to ensure he loses he abandons his consistent positions and runs to the middle.
Don’t you just love it when the news journalists and pundits eventually come around and say what we’ve been saying about Cruz from the get go! LOLOLThe other part that gave me a hearty laugh was in the closing paragraphs of the article where the GOP operative in NH, Dave Carney, states that voters are surprised when they discover Cruz is not how he is portrayed by the media and establishment wing of the GOP.
Of course, how could anyone have foreseen that a false impression of Ted Cruz could be created by a cabal of unprincipled, elitist politicians, envious of newcomer Cruz's popularity among millions of Americans, together with biased, myopic members of the media in the pocket of the Democrats? /s Har!
Once Cruz stakes out a position, you can take it to the bank he will act accordingly and do what he promised with conviction and zeal for the people he represents. That is the real Ted Cruz.
Romney won Independents votes in 2012 election.
The other part that gave me a hearty laugh was in the closing paragraphs of the article where the GOP operative in NH, Dave Carney, states that voters are surprised when they discover Cruz is not how he is portrayed by the media and establishment wing of the GOP.
I don’t understand why people still subscribe to the Nixon strategy of running to the right during the primaries and going to the center for the general election. That strategy may have worked for Richard Nixon in 1968 and 1972, but it’s a flawed strategy today. Whoever the GOP nominee is needs to remember that but I’m afraid that the three most likely nominees Cruz, Rubio, and Walker are going to push for increasing legal immigration to appeal to the center so as not to appear “extreme” on the issue. Just my opinion.
I think you make a lot of sense. Certainly I agree.
Cruz will close the border.
But, here is what I mean by having to move to the middle that is raising ire. It is that Cruz is not going to ever say he will be able to banish illegals by planes, trains and automobiles out of the country and back into Mexico and South America. Nothing will change on immigration as far as removal and going to the back of the line, which seems to be the ONLY thing acceptable to freepers here.
That would be my example of Cruz moving to the middle. To those on this thread, that would be AMNESTY.
When that occurs, Cruzers around here will freak out, collapse and refuse to vote. That was my point. Cruz will have to make up the loss of that part of his base by attracting larger numbers of moderates in his base, who will not freak out, collapse and refuse to vote for him.
The same will be true of Walker. I happen to believe that basically amnesty is here to stay.
Hi, ziravan. I meant to include you in the reply at #55. Thx.
His views are predictable because he's logical. His actions match his rhetoric. And since he's extremely articulate, he won't commit a Bidenism. He's as close to a perfect candidate as I've seen in my lifetime, and that includes Reagan.
Thank you! I wanted to freepmail you some details, but something has happened and all of a sudden FR mail won’t let me use but 100 characters! It won’t let me send even two lines, actually less than that. I don’t know how to fix it, but wanted you to know.
Thanks, for your patience. I appreciate it. Rita
No worries. We may approach issues differently but we’re all on the same team against a common enemy: the left. Have a good day and remember every day we need to fight the good fight.
Thanks to you, dowcaet.
Rita
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