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Cruz Doubles Down - Proselytizing As An Electoral Strategy
The Conservative Treehouse ^
| 12-31-2015
| sundance
Posted on 01/01/2016 12:51:29 PM PST by smoothsailing
December 31, 2015
Cruz Doubles Down - Proselytizing As An Electoral Strategy
by sundance
TODAY – Sen. Ted Cruz Tells Volunteers: We Can Win 'If We Awaken And Energize The Body Of Christ' (link)
“PROSELYTIZE”: using faith to recruit someone to join one’s party, institution, or cause…
There is a strategy, albeit a rather divisive strategy, which can be deployed politically by those intentionally selecting a very specific gathering of supporters.

In a highly fractured presidential bid, this proselytizing strategy may even garner enough of a base to mount a bid amid a larger field of candidates. However, it is exceptionally narrow -hence works only amid large numbers of possible options- and can ultimately only gain the advocate a small percentage of the overall audience.
The strategy can NEVER win a general election.
Current evidence reflects this approach is the preferred direction of Team Ted Cruz and the presidential campaign therein.
When such a strategy is deployed amid the reality of an increasingly toxic and divisive anti-religious populist leftism – the approach is strengthened. Indeed, the narrow appeal, when contrast against examples of football coaches unable to bow their heads in prayer, actually broadens the base of sympathy from an objective audience.
There is a market for the approach; religion can be quite an effective business model as evidenced by the scope of many evangelical organizations.
However, in the larger political deployment the polarization becomes self-defeating and presents with risks that should be consequentially avoided.
The alignment of Ted Cruz with Glenn Beck and David Barton speaks to both a profitable business branding/marketing approach, and simultaneously affords candidate Cruz an almost captive audience.
The intersection of religion as a business (2015 Beck Media) and presidential politics (2015 Cruz campaign) is a road that narrows with each mile traveled. It would serve all non-Cruz candidates, and specifically Donald Trump, to avoid the pitfalls within it.
Ceding ground to an opponent willing to stake their campaign almost exclusively on religious based affiliations is not only prudent, it is wise.
Candidate Cruz has isolated himself from effectiveness within the very institution he holds membership, the Senate. In essence, for the sake of a nail -which may or may not be- based upon purity, he has diminished his influence. Senator Cruz, by his chosen approach, is now relegated to the echo-chamber of his own inconsequential staff.
Unfortunately, Cruz’s constituents are now the victims of this decision-making; and if history serves any predictive sense, he will be challenged and defeated based on an ineffectual record. How can candidate Ted Cruz attack Marco Rubio on his ability to be effective, when Cruz’s approach to legislation has made him the most ineffective Senator in DC.
Thus we fully understand both the praise and admonition from former Harvard Law Professor Alan Derschowitz who cast Cruz as a brilliant mind, but warned of an inability to accept, or move toward, counter positions. Put another, more familiar, way: “at what cost do you desire to be right“?
There is no doubt that 5 to 8% of the “conservative” electorate will support a Cruz campaign. It is also entirely possible for that figure to grow to around 15% when you add those willing to provide a faith-based opportunity.
However, beyond that element – you hit a dead end where the crowd evaporates, and expenditures to garner additional support are weighed amid the law of diminishing returns. We are not selecting a Preacher-in-Chief, we are nominating a candidate for the Executive Office.
Glenn Beck has carved out a business model, a media-market, where an audience is willing to accept a soccer ball and teddy bear, illegal alien compassion tour/campaign almost entirely on faith alone. The religious community is very generous and provides Glenn Beck, Ted Cruz and Benny Hinn with great wealth, affluence.
Candidate Cruz is following a business model, which can provide affluence, but cannot provide presidential influence – there is absolutely no winning presidential road map there; nor is there a reason to chase it.
Stick with what works 100% of the time….
…. broaden the base!

This Donald Trump rally -pictured above- was in Michigan a week ago with approximately 6,000+ supporters. The MSM would like to advance a narrative that women, or minorities, or ( ___ fill in the blank ___) don’t support Trump. However, if you want a good idea of how broad candidate Trump’s base of support is….


TOPICS: Politics; Religion
KEYWORDS: 2016election; cnsrvtvtreehouse; election2016; glennbeck; newyork; sundance; tedcruz; texas; trump
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To: smoothsailing
This from the poster who attacked Cruz with the dominionist label!
Follow your own advice. If you want Cruz supporters to support Trump stop derogatory threads like this which attack Cruz for using scripture to inspire.his base.
101
posted on
01/02/2016 10:39:11 AM PST
by
RginTN
To: RginTN
I didn’t label Cruz as a dominionist, and I havn’t attacked him. On the contrary, I’ve been very supportive of him.
Cruz professes to be a Baptist. I believe him. It’s his father, Beck, and Barton that concern me. Their influence could hurt Cruz, whom I support
When you start making crap up and attributing it to me, you’ve lost the argument. You become unworthy of engaging in honest discourse. Your opinion becomes meaningless. So be it.
To: smoothsailing
Really and yet you use the word dominionist in a thread about Cruz.
To my knowledge Cruz hasn’t criticized Trump for getting black preachers & phyllis schafleys support. That Trump supporters are doubling down on criticism of Cruz mentioning scripture looks badly for them.
103
posted on
01/02/2016 10:59:55 AM PST
by
RginTN
To: RginTN
To my knowledge Cruz hasn't criticized Trump for getting black preachers & phyllis schafleys support.Why would he?
That Trump supporters are doubling down on criticism of Cruz mentioning scripture looks badly for them.
To: Jane Long; Carry_Okie
Stolen from Conservative Treehouse
Solo Tester says:
January 1, 2016 at 9:34 pm
Okay, once and for all, let’s debunk all of this nonsense about Donald Trump not being a REAL CONSERVATIVE. If anything, the Don is MORE of a conservative than these other pretenders combined.
And just what it is it that makes a conservative to begin with? Well, according to those of us connected to the Tea Party, it’s:
Fiscal Responsibility
Free Markets
Constitutionally Limited Government
Individual freedom
Personal responsibility
Strict Constitutional interpretation
As pertaining to FREE MARKETS and FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, youâd have to not have a nose on your face to see that Trump has made his fortune in the free market place and provided job opportunities for tens of thousands of people over the years. FISCAL REAPONSIBILITY? He has consistently set off warning signals about the huge, out of control national debt burying us, ad nauseum. Not to mention his scalding criticism of the American people recently being hijacked by the GOPe during the last budget thievery.
As for LIMITED GOVERNMENT, Trump has consistently called for trimming government waste in Medicare and Medicaid funding, as well as completely eliminating a number of bloated federal departments like Education and EPA. Trump’s a smart man. He knows that running a government in a business-like manner means cutting as much fat as possible to gather more revenue while shrinking taxes.
If you are genuinely for FREE MARKETS then you support INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. How many more women and minorities does Donald Trump have to hire for his detractors to understand that he’s for opportunity for all? How many more episodes of THE APPRENTICE do they have to watch before comprehending that the man is a rock-ribbed FREE MARKET capitalist?
Certainly, Trump has demonstrated his support for PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY through his disdain for PC speech. He has never played the victim card, but has only encouraged others to reach their full potential in life. Donald Trump is so bold in his language and bearing that he reeks PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, accepting the consequences for his actions whether favorable or not.
When it comes to INTERPRETING THE CONSTITUTION with strict adherence to what the Founders intended, Donald Trump has cited his love for the second amendment, his love of free speech through the abolishment of politically correct bigotry, as well as his fight for freedom of the press by continually exposing their “dishonesty”.
Donald Trump isn’t just a “real” conservative, he’s a grassroots, populist conservative without textbook answers or lawyerly talk to prove he is one. It appears that Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt were of the same stripe - of the people, by the people and for the people with plain talk and common sense justice for all.
Next time you hear that Donald Trump isn’t a real conservative from someone, run this up their flag pole.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/01/01/donald-j-trump-the-american-return-to-greatness/#comment-1879045
To: smoothsailing
This thread is proof. Continue doubling down attacking Cruz for mentioning Faith and it will alienate Christian voters unless Trump supporters want that.
106
posted on
01/02/2016 12:13:38 PM PST
by
RginTN
To: RginTN
To: smoothsailing
You're delusional. After what you said to me, that comment renders you a total hypocrite.
108
posted on
01/02/2016 12:54:09 PM PST
by
Carry_Okie
(Despotism to liberalism: from Tiberius to Torquemada, and back again.)
To: Carry_Okie
And what did I say to you other than offer friendly advice and constructive criticism? Are you just thin-skinned, is that it?
To: smoothsailing
And what did I say to you other than offer friendly advice and constructive criticism? Are you just thin-skinned, is that it? Calling someone "delusional" is worse than calling someone a "dupe."
110
posted on
01/02/2016 1:05:53 PM PST
by
Carry_Okie
(Despotism to liberalism: from Tiberius to Torquemada, and back again.)
To: Carry_Okie
It’s all a matter of context. You’re a writer, you should know that.
To: skeeter
‘Happy new year to you as well.’
Thank you!
‘May we both have it our way in 2016...’
May it be God’s way, now and forever.
112
posted on
01/02/2016 1:56:41 PM PST
by
Fantasywriter
(Any attempt to do forensic work using Internet artifacts is fraught with pitfalls. JoeProbono)
To: Fantasywriter
May we accept it with grace.
113
posted on
01/02/2016 2:37:44 PM PST
by
skeeter
To: smoothsailing
Awesome, awesome!!
Love the entire, great Trump overview....and, this doesn’t even include his deep love for, and promise to upgrade care for, our dear vets and building the Trump wall....things we conservatives have been clamoring for....for YEARS!!
Thanks for posting :)
114
posted on
01/02/2016 2:56:29 PM PST
by
Jane Long
(Go Trump, go! Make America Safe Again :)
To: smoothsailing
Projection.
You used the word dominionist towards Cruz. Thats delusional.
May Trump never mention Christianity it may narrow his base according to the author of the thread in his warnig to Cruz.
115
posted on
01/02/2016 3:57:42 PM PST
by
RginTN
To: Balding_Eagle
that was out of anger.
I wouldn’t let Clinton win because of such a reason.
I stand by Cruz is a good man.
I think trump is a good man.
very different men but with a lot of common beliefs.
Trump would be wise to pick Cruz. a blizzard couldn’t keep me from getting out to vote for that pair.
would be one of the best P/VP combinations in American history.
116
posted on
01/02/2016 4:14:20 PM PST
by
dp0622
(i)
To: RginTN
Continue doubling down attacking Cruz for mentioning Faith and it will alienate Christian votersCruz's remarks that are being discussed here are hardly "mentioning faith".
As far as "alienating Christian voters", I'm much, much more concerned about alienating the 85% of voters who are repelled by gospel armor talk.
117
posted on
01/02/2016 4:15:40 PM PST
by
Jim Noble
(Diseases desperate grown Are by desperate appliance relieved Or not at al)
To: RginTN
Keep making crap up so everyone can see what a fool you are.
To: dp0622
Funny you say that but I agree. Cruz supporters here at FR were so crudely anti Rand Paul that it turned me away from him.
Since then I’ve gotten over it, but it is easy to alienate people. Whichever candidate gets to the top needs to bring as much of the GOP along as possible.
119
posted on
01/02/2016 4:52:56 PM PST
by
Jack Black
( "Disarmament of a targeted group is one of the surest early warning signs of future genocide")
To: dp0622
Thanks for setting me straight.
120
posted on
01/02/2016 4:58:43 PM PST
by
Balding_Eagle
( (The Great Wall of Trump ---- 100% sealing of the border. Coming soon.))
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