I’ve run for office before and as a Constitutionalist, I was often confused as a Paulite.
I had this guy heckle me (live and in social media) for weeks that not supporting legalized marijuana made me a bad conservative. “No,” I repeatedly pointed out, “That made me a bad libertarian.”
I agree that if you can get that element of the tea party on your side, they can be fiercely loyal. They can have a place in a coalition of support. It’s a fine line to walk. You absolutely cannot hedge about where you disagree because not being clear about your differences is tantamount to supporting their viewpoint in their book.
It’s a neat trick for a politician to get you to say yes to them while you’re saying no to them.
Often times, both libertarians and even FReepers are accused of being purists. I disagree. The issue isn’t whether we agree on everything. The issue most of us have with politicians is that they SAY they believe what we do to get elected, but really don’t. Every Republican is a severe conservative come Primary Day.
If Cruz can address their concerns where they agree while not caving on the differences, engaging the Liberty Caucus is smart politics.
Referring to Cruz’s time as a student at Harvard Law, Professor Alan Dershowitz said, “Cruz was off-the-charts brilliant.”
If Cruz can address their concerns where they agree while not caving on the differences, engaging the Liberty Caucus is smart politics.
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And Ted Cruz is very smart. Having the foresight to start early in winning over the Liberty Caucus in Iowa is a very smart move. For the GOP Establishment to underestimate him in 2016 would be to their own peril.