Posted on 11/11/2015 1:47:28 PM PST by conservativejoy
The two candidates appear to be on a 2016 collision course , and at Tuesday’s debate Cruz foreshadowed the attacks his campaign plans to unleash on Rubio.
MILWAUKEE — Search the transcript of Tuesday night's Republican presidential debate and you'll be hard-pressed to find Ted Cruz uttering a single unkind word about his 'good friend' and primary opponent Marco Rubio.
But read between the lines, and you'll find that Cruz foreshadowed some of the attacks his campaign plans to unleash against Rubio this winter.
Without calling out his Senate colleague by name, Cruz twice took subtle digs at Rubio during the Fox Business Network debate. At one point, he warned against Republicans who would turn the GOP into 'the party of amnesty' — without specifically mentioning that Rubio had championed a bill that would have provided undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship.
At another point, while railing against 'corporate welfare,' Cruz singled out subsidies for the sugar industry , a policy Rubio has consistently, and controversially, supported despite objections by free-market critics.
“Sugar farmers farm under roughly 0.2% of the farmland in America, and yet they give 40% of the lobbying money,' Cruz said in the debate. 'That sort of corporate welfare is why we’re bankrupting our kids, and grandkids.'
Rubio, whose home state of Florida contains hundreds of thousands of acres of sugarcane fields, remained silent.
The two candidates are slowly but steadily rising in the 2016 polls, and in recent weeks it has become fashionable for pundits to predict that the nominating contest will ultimately come down Rubio as the establishment standard-bearer and Cruz as the right wing crusader.
Though Rubio's team remains fixated on keeping expectations low and retaining their underdog status ('We're not the frontrunner,' Rubio campaign manager Terry Sullivan repeatedly insisted to a scrum of reporters Tuesday), Cruz’s aides are less coy.
'What did we learn tonight? The two frontrunners on substance weren't as strong as some of the other people below them,' said Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler in the post debate spin room. He argued that Donald Trump and Ben Carson , who are currently in a dead heat for first place,were exposed for their lack of policy know how when they receded into the background of Tuesday's wonkish debate, and he implied that ultimately they would fade in the polls.
Who might replace them? 'Cruz turned in a very solid, substantive debate,' said Tyler. 'You could argue that Rubio did as well. So then [the question] is, What is the substance of those two policies?'
Tyler said Cruz has focused so far this year on introducing himself to voters and articulating his positions on issues. 'But now we’ve been through four debates and so we're moving into a new phase, 'Hey, I'm for this and they’re for that.' In the end, all campaigns are about contrast. So you draw the contrast and let people decide.'
In politico speak, 'contrast' is generally used as a nice-sounding word to justify deploying negative ads and attack lines against an opponent ,and Tyler made clear he wasn’t working from a different definition.
'Our record on amnesty is clear and consistent and [Rubio's] is not as clear and consistent,' Tyler said. 'He was for the Gang of Eight bill, then he said he wasn't. Then he said he was for a step by step approach.' He continued to list the litany of alleged flip flops before concluding of Rubio, 'He essentially has the same position as the president.'
Tyler stressed that the Cruz campaign would keep their 'contrasts' strictly focused on policy issues, not mudslinging.
But when BuzzFeed News asked him what he thought of this week's New York Times report that a pro Jeb Bush super PAC was threatening to unload $20 million of attack ads on Rubio designed to 'damage [his] reputation,' Tyler grinned.
'I don't think it's enough,' he said. 'It should be 40 or 60 [million]. I would double or triple it instantly. Why be cheap?'
Go Ted.
I like Ted but, let’s face it, Rubio is one slick fella. Not sure cross hairs are going to isolate him long enough to matter.
We knew this was going to happen. Team Trump and Cruz will take on the Rubster.
I think Cruz will steamroll The Rube. He better!
Rubio “essentially has the same position as” 0bama on amnesty for lawbreakers.
Ouch.
That’s gonna leave a mark.
If you like Rubio’s debate performance, you should listen to his stump speech. He just pulls excerpts out of his speech whether they address the question or not.
Rubio’s downfall will be his support for amnesty and TPP.
Time for Cruz to slaughter the GOPe child with his own policy substance.
Trump owes Cruz.
Trump can do himself and Cruz a favor by burning a few cycles taking out the GOPe’s Rube.
Trump owes Cruz.
Trump can do himself and Cruz a favor by burning a few cycles taking out the GOPe’s Rube.
Cruz should be able to run lightning speed circles around Gang of Ocho Rubio.
Trump owes Cruz? How so?
For being the GOP frontrunner, for an historic length of time?
Hmmm...some may say it’s just the opposite. Trump is very complimentary of Cruz.
Yes but he showed how easily he was persuaded by mc lame. We don’t forget.
Greg Gutfield just called the repartee between Cruz & Rubio
“A Cuban Sandwich”.
I didn’t hear his comments, but I don’t get the analogy unless he was referring to their positioning on the stage??
Didn’t watch the debates and repartee is my word (not Greg’s) his was funnier.
Sorry for the posting error(s), but Gutfield is so funny my daughter and I laugh out loud when he’s on.
Sounds like Trump takes down Carson (not that Carson isn’t capable of that himself) and Cruz takes out Rubio.
Sounds like a GREAT PLAN to wind up a decent candidate, FOR ONCE.
But when BuzzFeed News asked him (Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler) what he thought of this week’s New York Times report that a pro-Jeb Bush super PAC was threatening to unload $20 million of attack ads on Rubio designed to “damage [his] reputation,†Tyler grinned.
“I don’t think it’s enough,†he said. “It should be 40 or 60 [million]. I would double or triple it instantly. Why be cheap?â€
Wow, I had no idea the Cruz campaign was going to be this cutthroat on RINO Rubio - this is awesome! Finally, a conservative who fights!
.
Rubio has NOT experienced a direct one-on-one exchange with Ted Cruz ...
for that matter, neither has anyone else ...
Rubio better get good ... fast ...
Ted Cruz will eat this guy for breakfast ...
and Ted’s saving that up for the January GOP debate, when there will only be 4-5 folks on stage ...
Hint: Ben Carson won’t be there ...
.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.