Report: Ted Cruz could ride Tea Party support to White House [birther trolls stay out! JimRob]

Washington Examiner ^ | NOVEMBER 1, 2013 AT 11:21 AM | PAUL BEDARD

[SoConPubbie]

The friendly fire directed at Sen. Ted Cruz from establishment Republicans is giving the Texan first-in-line status among Tea Party supporters and building a base for him to run for president, according to a new analysis from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

“To the establishment, Cruz is the embodiment of all the forces conspiring to threaten the GOP's long-term viability. And, on a personal level, they also just can't stand Cruz: He drives them crazy,” wrote Kyle Kondik in Center Director Larry Sabato's popular Crystal Ball.

But, added Kondik, the “venom” directed at Cruz, whose effort to defund Obamacare led to a 16-day government shutdown, makes him an oversized hero to Tea Party supporters.

“Not pleasing the establishment is music to the ears of Tea Party activists, and if anything the shutdown has endeared Cruz even more to them. Assuming Cruz mounts a presidential bid in 2016 — he’s headed to South Carolina next week after his Iowa appearance last Friday (hint, hint) — the Tea Party could be a potent base,” he said.

Kondik took note of the Twitter sneers GOP old bulls fired off as Cruz spoke to Iowa Republicans a week ago. “[Mike] Murphy (@murphymike), an alum from John McCain’s rogue 2000 presidential campaign and a "Meet the Press" regular, was one of the establishment Republicans tweeting snark about Cruz during his speech,” he noted.

Murphy tweeted: “Sounds like we got trouble in River City… Good citizens, make your check payable to Cruz Against Soviet Healthcare. Or just ‘CASH’”

And that’s nothing new, said Kondik: “Ever since he’s been elected, we here at the Crystal Ball have heard groaning from Democrats and Republicans alike about how much they dislike Cruz.”

But could Cruz win the nomination in what’s expected to be a crowded field? A big hurdle might be GOP endorsements, typically from the establishment and to establishment candidates like Mitt Romney.

“At this point, it’s hard to imagine Cruz winning much support from party elites, so he’d have to depend on the Tea Party grassroots,” said Kondik, who noted that both parties have detoured with non-establishment candidates in the past and lost — the Republicans in 1964 with Barry Goldwater and Democrats in 1972 with George McGovern.

His bottom line: “Ted Cruz is riding high in some Republican/Tea Party circles precisely because he aggravates many high-ranking members of his own party. But his icy relationship with those party leaders might cause him problems if and when he decides to run for president.”Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz Ping!

If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.

Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

[rktman]

Works for me.

[b4its2late]

A Tea Party Tsunami! ATPT!

[P-Marlowe]

IBTTCBT

[rbmillerjr]

It would be so surreal to have a real conservative as President again....1988.....Reagan’s last year...

...

...

a 28 year drought.

[BlueStateRightist]

“...Kondik, who noted that both parties have detoured with non-establishment candidates in the past and lost — the Republicans in 1964 with Barry Goldwater and Democrats in 1972 with George McGovern.”

And Obama was not an extreme candidate who greatly appealed to the extreme leftist base? How is Obama different than Cruz in this specific regard?

[C210N]

who noted that both parties have detoured with non-establishment candidates in the past and lost...

What, no mention of Reagan and when this path won? Ah, yes, he was only the most successful presidency of the past 80 years, bar none, with two landslide victories.

[EXCH54FE]

I would vote for Ted Cruz in a New York Minute.

[MrB]

Any leftist that questions his “natural born” qualifications needs to be answered with a simple

punch in the mouth.

[GeronL]

bump

[Jim Robinson]

Run, Ted, Run!!

[Pride in the USA]

If all of our conservative groups, and individuals with media access like Rush, Levin, Beck and Hannity, mount a united effort to get Cruz into the White House, his could be a formidable campaign.

[clamper1797]

I think its a given that Ted Cruz is the best conservative candidate ... now who should run with him on the ticket? Mike Lee?

[al baby]

The color of his skin?

[American Constitutionalist]

Float Ted Cruz’s Tea Party boat to send the Kenyan back to Kenya in 2016.

[ConservativeDude]

that would be the jaw-dropping conservative ticket!!!!

[stanne]

“both parties have detoured with non-establishment candidates in the past and lost — the Republicans in 1964 with Barry Goldwater and Democrats in 1972 with George McGovern.”

Vapid.

Bush, Dole, McCain, W (compare his victories with all the Bush backing to Reagan, who even won NY)

The establishment candidates are not working for the GOP, unless the writer’s point is that the GOP should stick to what they’re used to, which is what they’ve been doing. They might enjoy being in the minority and not having a GoP prez.

Cruz will be running against the, as well. But nothing will surprise him.

As if BO was not obviously a lying leftist.

[RedStateRocker]

Cain

[First_Salute]

RINO’s see themselves as kinder, gentler, Dons, and we are the peons.

Bush did not use “peon,” rather, he disguised that with “Americans who won’t do certain jobs;” though there were his occasional bashing of Americans who try to protect their property from border incursions - where he called us “vigilantes.”

Bush is not a conservative and is certainly a RINO. He chose RINO Richard Riordan to support in the 2002 race for governor of California, and as to be expected, when Riordan lost the primary to conservative Bill Simon, Bush & Cronies, Inc. (read: “the RNC”) dropped some support that Bill Simon could have used.

Bashing and abandoning conservatives, is the way of the RINO clique that mostly wants certain lower costs, such as labor and taxes, but otherwise glad-handed-ly swoons for compromising nationalizing socialism under the controls of “bi-partisan central planners.”

The property rights of those most high, now that is important for them, but our many Constitutional rights and former opportunities *because we had rights* ... those matters do not register with the most high whose cash flows insulate them, but not thee.

Bash for Cash

I miss conservatives, but not Bush, and I do not long for The Return of The Dons - while various (and millions) of illegal aliens apparently care less.