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Column: Cruz's Outspoken Tea Party Stances Alienate GOP Base
The Daily Gamecock ^ | May 31, 2015 | Griffin Hobson

Posted on 05/31/2015 6:52:17 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Senator Ted Cruz represents, in many ways, the extremes of the current field. He was the first candidate to enter the race. According to 538 he is also more conservative than any other major candidate this cycle as well as every post-Eisenhower Republican nominee. He even makes Ronald Reagan look downright moderate when you start comparing stances. Unlike Dr. Ben Carson there isn’t much of interest in Cruz’s early life. He was born to an American mother and Cuban father in Canada, which can be off-putting for Tea Partiers who spent the last decade arguing about President Obama’s citizenship. Cruz went to Princeton University and became a top-tier debater there. At Harvard Law School he came very close to winning the global debating championships.

He eventually served as an adviser to George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign where he worked on Bush v. Gore. However, he had proven to have an abrasive personality and was passed over for a major job in the administration. Instead he ended up as Solicitor General of Texas where he argued before the Supreme Court nine times.

In 2012 Cruz ran for an open senate seat in Texas, winning the nomination with endorsements from Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Mark Levin and many other Tea Party-aligned figures and groups. He won election and almost immediately started grating against Republican leadership. Less than three months into his term Foreign Policy deemed him “the most hated man in the Senate.”

He went on to gain more fame and infamy for circumventing party leadership and force a government shutdown in 2013 in order to defund the Affordable Care Act in a gambit that ultimately failed, cost billions and enshrined him as a grassroots hero and establishment villain.

Cruz is outspoken. That’s just the best way to put it. Ontheissues.org, one of the most commonly referenced sites for positions, lists most of his stances as “strongly supports/opposes.” He is unabashedly pro-life, pro-Israel, anti-Iran and anti-gun control. He supports a flat tax that could be worked out “on the back of a postcard” and he wants to abolish the IRS. He does not believe in climate change and, as chairman of the subcommittee overseeing NASA, tried to prohibit the agency from researching Earth science entirely.

Not much of that breaks from the center of the modern GOP in theory. His differences in policy are generally on relatively minor issues or the extent to which he publicly opposes or supports measures. But his main disconnects from the center lie in rhetoric and methodology. The government shutdown is a good example. Almost all major Republicans publicly want to repeal Obamacare, so his opposition to the bill isn’t particularly distinguishing. It was his willingness to risk tremendous political capital to potentially delay some parts of the bill, defying party leadership in the process, that makes him extremely conservative.

Rather than simply being opposed to same sex marriage, Cruz made a series of remarks that implied he opposed gay pride parades and possibly the gay community itself. But Cruz saves some of his most extreme rhetoric for trolling liberals and inciting fear among evangelicals. He’s stated that there is a “liberal fascism” out to get Christians. He frequently talks about the “hard-core left” and the “radical left” and finds no irony whatsoever in accusing them of “anti-science zealotry.”

Cruz also has a penchant for ignoring facts; the relatively nonpartisan PolitiFact has ranked more than two-thirds of his statements "Mostly False" or worse. But that’s not really relevant to him since most people calling their opponents Nazis aren’t appealing to logic. It also more or less defines the electoral strengths and weaknesses of Cruz. He can’t win moderates; he’s way too far to the right for that. His only chance is that he can use his mastery of demagoguery to gain a solid hold on the Tea Party and evangelicals during the debate phases and then take several winner-take-all states before a single establishment Republican gains enough support to start beating him.

After that he would probably be doomed against Hillary Clinton. But, he would be relying upon the Tea Party theory that a Republican candidate could win if they rally the base to vote. He would be relying upon the left having lost enthusiasm for Clinton and staying home while the right comes out in droves to elect the best thing they’ve seen since Barry Goldwater and establishment Republicans still show up to vote against another Clinton. Even then it’s possible that so many liberals fear Cruz that they would vote in droves just to keep him out of the White House.

Regardless, he could still have an impact by forcing more mainstream candidates to either try and compete with Cruz among the Tea Party and shift far, far right in the process or just ignore the Tea Party altogether, potentially destroying the far right’s national clout in the process. It’s all a gamble, but Cruz is no stranger to that.


TOPICS: Texas; Campaign News; Issues; Parties; U.S. Senate
KEYWORDS: 2016election; dailygamecock; demagogicparty; election2016; griffinhobson; memebuilding; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; paultardation; paultardnoisemachine; randpaulnoisemachine; randsconcerntrolls; tedcruz; texas
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To: dp0622
Notice the gop-e and the left never defines extreme policies. Prolife? Pro traditional marriage?....the Rinos use the left tactics on conservatives and are no different than the left. Liars, deceivers, power hungry......
21 posted on 05/31/2015 7:24:00 PM PDT by Linda Frances (Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If we can get Cruz nominated, the reverse of what the RINO Establishment has been trying to force down our throats will happen... The RINOs will have to eat their own words. With a Cruz nomination.. ‘who else are the RINOs going to vote for?’... Hillary.... And general - moderate Republicans will never vote for a Hillary or any extreme liberal. The best the RINOs could hope for when Cruz gets nominated is for Jeb Bush to get nominated as the Democrat candidate. :)


22 posted on 05/31/2015 7:27:00 PM PDT by ICCtheWay
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To: Linda Frances

it’s a shame. one problem is the media, which keeps inundating this generation with left wing insanity. We need to get back the under 34 vote


23 posted on 05/31/2015 7:32:08 PM PDT by dp0622
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It’s so obvious the gop has no idea who the base is.


24 posted on 05/31/2015 7:33:00 PM PDT by VerySadAmerican (I'm very sad for my country. Personally, I've never been happier.)
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To: dp0622

“I cant think of one of his positions that are extreme.”

Me neither. Cruz voted for the Iran Nuclear Bill, he’s voting for the Trade bill and I guess he’s voting for this BS US Freedom Act Mike Lee has cobbled together. Its all pretty GOPe. I have not seen Ted Cruz take an extreme position yet. Frankly I’m wishing he would.


25 posted on 05/31/2015 7:35:21 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They are afraid of Cruz.


26 posted on 05/31/2015 7:45:06 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Barack Obama is not inarguably sane.)
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To: ICCtheWay

Why not? Hillary is not as far away from Jeb as Cruz is on most stuff.


27 posted on 05/31/2015 7:57:41 PM PDT by jospehm20
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To: dp0622

[Column: Cruz’s Outspoken Tea Party Stances Alienate GOP Base]

The GOP Base could not win a race for dog catcher without the Conservative/Tea Party Republicans. Hopefully this year we will not secumb to the ploys of “Vote for the lesser of two evils” or the “Fiscal Conservative” Candidate, who is usually more socially liberal than the Democrats.

Conservatives, stick to your convictions and not vote for the almighty dollar. This election is not about the economy. It is a fight for the soul of this land. We are on the brink of losing America “In God We Trust.” 2016 is the last chance to keep our Republic.


28 posted on 05/31/2015 8:06:32 PM PDT by stars & stripes forever ( Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12)
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To: stars & stripes forever

then we’d better all get behind one conservative candidate sooner rather than later. i agree. 2016 may decide if this country survives as a republic.


29 posted on 05/31/2015 8:21:40 PM PDT by dp0622
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To: dp0622

[Then we’d better all get behind one conservative candidate sooner rather than later.]

Sign up ASAP

TED CRUZ 2016
https://www.tedcruz.org/


30 posted on 05/31/2015 8:24:21 PM PDT by stars & stripes forever ( Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12)
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Extreme for liberals is a reduction in the rate of annual growth by 1% of a program that delivers iPhones to crack whores squirting about babies


31 posted on 05/31/2015 8:30:35 PM PDT by dsrtsage (One half of all people have below average IQ. In the US the number is 54%)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Extreme?? Now I guess the Daily Gamecock must be the paper of University of Spoiled Children - South (aka U of South Carolina). This journalist student is writing a piece of garbage so he can either be a gofer at the NY Times of the HuffPo.

Mostly, the kid will end up in his mom's basement...

32 posted on 05/31/2015 8:41:26 PM PDT by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The base loves him, the elites hate him. The party bosses can’t control him and that isn’t acceptable to them.

That’s why we love him.


33 posted on 05/31/2015 8:46:03 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

PolitFacts is mostly Liberal.. The Tampa Bay Times loves to do PolitFacts...i hate it...


34 posted on 05/31/2015 8:46:20 PM PDT by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; Kale; Jarhead9297; COUNTrecount; notaliberal; DoughtyOne; MountainDad; ...
    Ted Cruz Ping!

    If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.
    Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

    CRUZ or LOSE!

35 posted on 05/31/2015 9:16:43 PM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: A CA Guy

Right, well these days staying in a budget and not bankrupting the USA is considered radical.

The only one who should be trusted with our budget is Governor Walker. Sorry but after the begging Cruz did for President Obama to help him turned me off. Governor Walker is a budget slasher. Senator Cruz will keep the status quo....maybe doing something small to make it look like his is doing something which of course everyone will send accolades to him. We need a worker bee in the office this round because we have some tough choices to make as a country and Governor Walker is the only one who has proved tough enough for the job.


36 posted on 05/31/2015 10:03:17 PM PDT by napscoordinator (Walker for President 2016. The only candidate with actual real RESULTS!!!!! The rest...talkers!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; All

I stand with Ted.

Don’t know who this yob is but what a joke


37 posted on 05/31/2015 10:20:37 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Cruz's Outspoken Tea Party Stances Alienate GOP Base


WHICH or WHAT GOP BASE WOULD THAT BE?

ROTFLOL.
38 posted on 05/31/2015 10:34:33 PM PDT by onyx (PLEASE SUPPORT FR. Donate Monthly or Join Club 300! God bless you all.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Griffin is a first-year economics student from Fishers, I.N. When not searching articles for grammatical errors, he enjoys politics and cats.”

Only the best analysis.


39 posted on 06/01/2015 1:20:38 AM PDT by DaxtonBrown (http://www.futurnamics.com/reid.php)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Cruz also has a penchant for ignoring facts; the relatively nonpartisan PolitiFact has ranked more than two-thirds of his statements "Mostly False" or worse.

"Relatively nonpartisan"...hahahahahahahhhahahahaha...BULLSHIP.

40 posted on 06/01/2015 3:50:34 AM PDT by USS Alaska (Exterminate the terrorist savages, everywhere.)
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