How Cruz Wins New Hampshire and the Nomination

American Thinker ^ | 1/4/2016 | Fritz Pettyjohn

[conservativejoy]

It's the ethanol, Sherlock.

Ted Cruz thinks he's going to win Iowa, and will compete for the nomination with whichever of the establishment candidates wins New Hampshire. But he's selling himself short. He should also win New Hampshire, allowing him to wrap up the nomination on March 1st.

For if he wins Iowa, he will have defeated the ethanol lobby. And beating Big Corn on its home turf is what can propel him to a win in New Hampshire.

People in New Hampshire hate ethanol. Ethanol is corrosive, it destroys engines. If ethanol-laced gasoline is more than a couple months old, it can't be used in high performance small engines. It is hydroscopic, attracting water, another problem with performance.

A lot of guys have a personal problem with ethanol. Go to any tavern in New Hampshire and you'll hear an earful. There's nothing worse than getting all rigged out with your chain saw, ready to rip, and your saw won't start. Your ports and jets have been clogged by residue released by the ethanol in your fuel, a solvent. So you haul your saw down to the mechanic, cursing ethanol the whole way.

Ethanol is despised and resented. In 2014 the New Hampshire House overwhelmingly passed HB 1220, which would have reduced the ethanol in New Hampshire gasoline. It was a futile gesture, but a sign of the anger people feel toward this junk.

Ethanol is different than almost any other government boondoggle, in that everyday Americans have to put up with it on a daily basis. Some government handouts, such as those to Rubio's favorite, Big Sugar, are easy to ignore. But a whole lot of people, working class people, actually hate ethanol, in ways that coastal elites don't understand.

[Fantasywriter]

That was a great post!

+1

To be perfectly honest, I do think some component of Trump’s popularity derives from cold, hard fury at DC, and at the GOPe. The DC Cartel has given us the middle finger for years. The worst betrayal of all came around every four years, when they’d give the base candidates we detested, and tell us we had to vote GOPe bc the Dem was worse. We were furious, but had no recourse.

Trump gives us what we’ve needed for so long: an alternative to the hopelessly corrupt Permanent Political Class. I do believe he will shake up the Capital Cronies. I think they believe it too. All this talk of a brokered conventiont—the DC Cartel’s last chance—didn’t come out of nowhere. They are terrified of Trump.

Agree with you—Cruz as VP would be phenomenal. It would unite (much of) the base like few other combos could. The two of them complement each other uncannily well. But we will just have to wait and see what happens. :)

[SharpRightTurn]

“Pure think tank wonkery. I doubt ethanol is in the top twenty issues outside of a few farm states”

Agreed. I would be shocked if anyone could find as many as five voters in NH who will base their votes on the fact that Cruz would have beat the ethanol industry if he takes Iowa.

[HeadOn]

I understand what both of you are saying, but I believe the author may have a very valid point. After all, he does say it boils down, not to ethanol really, but to special interests.

I think if Cruz can win Iowa, and plays up the fact that he beat a serious, well-established special interest group, New Hampshire will sit up and take notice.

I HATE Ethanol, by the way - I’m an engineer, and it’s a stupid use of corn, IMHO... If it’s such a great idea, take the government mandates off, and see if anybody wants to buy it.