Posted on 07/29/2012 6:27:57 PM PDT by mandaladon
HOUSTON — Ted Cruz is on the cusp of a win in the Texas Republican Senate runoff that would shatter conventional campaign wisdom and elevate him as one of the brightest stars of the tea party generation.
Even some of his aides concede privately they never thought it could happen.
Yet in the closing days of this dead-of-summer contest in a sprawling superstate, Cruz’s flinty campaign had all the trappings of a celebration, with the 41-year-old constitutional lawyer being feted by the country’s most prominent conservatives, including Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum and Sens. Jim DeMint and Rand Paul.
“We’re on the 2-yard line. We have marched the entire length of the field. We started out up in the hot dog stands,” Cruz joked Friday evening in a suburban park where hundreds flocked to see Palin. “But we are facing a battle to push it those final two yards. Do the grass roots matter? This race is the test for that proposition.”
Despite being outspent more than 3-to-1, having never run for office and being tasked with penetrating the Lone Star State’s 20 media markets with virtually zero name recognition, Cruz is well positioned to upset Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst Tuesday. It’s a scenario that would send shockwaves through the political elite and embolden the thousands of conservatives from across the country who have descended here to help push him over the finish line.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
It’s one thing for a tea party candidate to swipe away an individual House seat or dominate a party convention in a small state, but a statewide win in supersize Texas would be a new high-water mark..................But I thought the Tea Party was dead.
I think the mudslinging by Dewcrist helped Ted Cruz a lot.
I’m praying.
Wish I could vote for him.
Go Cruz! I hope he pulls it off. Send the GOP-e a message.
A Cruz victory would be another bit of evidence showing that sometimes the grass-roots can beat the Establishment.
And I believe that Mitt Romney could never have defeated a Tea Party insurgency had the Tea Party been able to unite behind a single candidate.
If the votes of my clan matter Ted Cruz will win!
I see few Dewhurst signs and MANY Cruz signs if that is an indicator of anything.
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I want him OUT of Texas politics.
/johnny
Our family will be voing for Cruz on Tuesday....
Well, I voted for him last week, during early voting. And, I got eleven other folks, who generally weren’t even going to bother going to the polls, to vote for Cruz too. The Palin endorsement was a big selling point. Like a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.” Cruz better live up to it.
Palin? I thought Palin was supposed to be a big mistake. Didn’t somebody once-famous as a “conservative” say that just recently?
Up America.
Let's just call it Cruzday.
Went on a trip to east Texas this weekend and saw LOTS of Cruz signs on properties, cars, etc!!
Don’t think for one second that Palin’s courage and popularity doesn’t give conservatives the cover they need to stand against the establishment. When the book is written years from now it will be obvious to all that Palin was a force of nature that ultimately could not be ignored by the RINO weasels that infect the Republican Party. Not letting her in the tent in Tampa is impossible, and they know it. If she picks up her marbles and walks the Republicans will lose.
Thanks very much for your support and outstanding effort to GOTV for Ted Cruz!
In my long history of voting in every election, I've rarely been so confident that we made the right choice of candidate this time. Cruz is best for Texas and the U.S. Senate.
I expect Ted Cruz will be a reliable, conservative ally standing with Senator DeMint (R-SC), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to reduce the power and scope of federal government.
FreedomWorks and Glenn Beck are not mentioned, why?
Voted for Dewhurst first time. Voted for Cruz in run off! Dewhurst made a run to my. Ity this weekend but we all vote early in my neck of the woods. Dewhurst negative ads have driven people crazy!
The two most recent public polls have shown Cruz ahead. And a Dewhurst ally with knowledge of an internal survey separate from the campaigns told POLITICO his preferred candidate was trailing by high single digits heading into the weekend.
“I think [Dewhurst’s] done,” said the Republican who shared the information in exchange for anonymity. “It’s Nebraska, Indiana. You just smell it. He’s toast.”
I also voted for Cruz in early voting.
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