Replies

‘”was that he knew more about the constituencies of most of the Senators than those senators did. So he would study and figure out what it is exactly that each senator would need in order to sign onto the plans that Lyndon Johnson had in the Senate.”’

Ted Cruz had a strategy from the beginning and although he probably knew in the end, the establishment had just enough weight to defeat him, he was doing three things.

A) Showing the base he stands on principle
B) Flexing his influence and testing it
C) Backing the establishment into a corner

Cruz knew the votes were not there on his side in the senate. Way too many ancient bulls, opportunistic former governors, and spineless mush from liberal states. He could lock down a little over 15. Most of the senators who ran on the Tea Party platform, the conservative elder statesmen who are not represented by the leadership, and one or two political operators willing to tack right in order to fend off primary challengers.
But that coalition is not the majority of the senate GOP.... yet.
It was Cruz’ maneuvers in the House that were a stroke of brilliance. The House breaks down roughly into 3 groups. About 80 hardcore RINO establishmentarians led by Boehner, about 45 solid conservatives, and the rest are floating populists who go where the wind blows. You lock up the third category, you control the majority, and have some power over the leadership as we saw.
Cruz lionized himself and immediately got the conservatives behind him. With the threat of potential primary challenges (Cruz can give thanks to outside PACS and talk radio for that one), most of the populist Republicans rallied with Cruz too. He controlled more of the House than Boehner, and the final vote tally shows it.

Ted Cruz is a shrewd politician, so I guess you could compare him to Johnson in those years. However, Johnson was a socialist, and Ted is a patriot.

Going forward, what are Ted’s plans running up to 2016? Very simple.

‘But even if Cruz were to win the presidential nomination, it’s possible his run would be torpedoed by the GOP establishment’

THERE WON’T BE A GOP ESTABLISHMENT! This was the political purpose of the entire debacle. Cruz plans to sunset Karl Rove’s munchkins in many of the House and Senate seats, and he has done it all as a gentleman, with a smile.
Because of this vote, Thad Cochran is likely to hit the retirement home. Mitch McConnell, our very own Judas, is going to be fighting for his political life against SCF endorsed Matt Bevin. Lamar Alexander and Linda Gayham, two of the most noxious lib RINOS around are facing bitter primary battles. Couple all that with the retirements of Saxby Chambliss and Mike Johanns, and you have opportunity for a mass takeover by Cruz acolytes.
In the House, its a similar story, with Mike Simpson and Ken Kinzinger already looking toast from the heat of Tea Party primary battles.
And this is not even going into conservatives victories against rat incumbents like senator Kay Hagan in North Carolina who will face off against Tea Partier Greg Brannon.

Cruz will be the death of the establishment, the consultant class, the GOP of cronyism and bipartisan chicanery. And once he has the Senate and House GOP behind him, with the last remnants of the McShame caucus bruised and subservient, there’s only one place left for Senator Cruz to go.

The Oval Office.