Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rand Paul wins 2014 CPAC straw poll, Ted Cruz finishes a distant second
The Associated Press ^ | 03-08-2014 | Stephen Dinan

Posted on 03/08/2014 2:52:54 PM PST by PaulCruz2016

Sen. Rand Paul demolished his competition in the 2014 Washington Times/CPAC presidential preference straw poll on Saturday, winning 31 percent of the vote -- nearly three times the total of second-place Sen. Ted Cruz.

Mr. Cruz's 11 percent was still a big improvement for the freshman senator, who won just 4 percent in last year's straw poll. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson was third with 9 percent and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was fourth with 8 percent in results that signal growing discontent with the GOP establishment in Washington.

Indeed, CPAC voters now have an unfavorable view of Republicans in Congress, with 51 percent saying they disapprove of the job the GOP is doing on Capitol Hill. Just last year the GOP had a 54 percent approval rating, and in 2012 they held a 70 percent approval rating.

(Excerpt) Read more at m.apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Politics/Elections; US: Alaska; US: Kentucky; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 2016gopprimary; 2016strawpolls; alaska; apbesacredofcruz; cpac; cpac2014; cpacisirrelevant; cruz2016; kentucky; paul2016; paulistinians; pollistinians; randpaul; randsconcerntrolls; ronpaulredux; sarahpalin; tedcruz; texas
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 201-220221-240241-260 ... 321-338 next last
To: trebb

Paul is all over the place on immigration, the thing he concentrates on is avoiding the words, while pushing the pro-immigration stance.

I did some searching on him and found lots, from his strong anti-immigration statements, to his pandering and insulting grovelling and rejection of his past anti-immigration positions.

Paul is desperate to win what his dad couldn’t, and only then will people see his true politics.


221 posted on 03/09/2014 9:27:21 AM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 207 | View Replies]

To: Gefn; JoeProBono

If you read the zot post, you will see a thank you to JoeProBono for sending me that graphic.

It looks a lot like a righteous Ceiling Cat to me.

Thanks again, Joe! You’re a treasure.


222 posted on 03/09/2014 9:47:44 AM PDT by TheOldLady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 215 | View Replies]

To: Col Freeper

LOLOLOL!


223 posted on 03/09/2014 9:52:08 AM PDT by TheOldLady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 214 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

Typical stereotyping and cherry picking unrelated extreme ideas and attributing them..... I never mentioned him. We are all unique and everyone has their own ideas & opinions. Its his house and he can do as he pleases with it. I commend him for providing a place for conservatives to gather and let their voices be heard.

That being said, the growth of the tea party, libertarian leaning people and smaller government people cannot be ignored. They are growing in number and the GOP can never prevail without them. Just look at the last few elections where they got disgusted by GOPe actions and sat out. The GOP can either accept them and their ideas into Reagan’s big tent or fade away and usher in a generation of DNC control. Is that what you want for America? What about FR because those themes apply here too? Sure, you can Zot away anyone who offers an opinion different with yours. But what would you end up with?


224 posted on 03/09/2014 9:56:13 AM PDT by FreeInWV (Have you had enough change yet?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 220 | View Replies]

To: Slings and Arrows

Looks like Ceiling Cat taking matters into His own hands to me. ;-)


225 posted on 03/09/2014 9:56:57 AM PDT by TheOldLady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 213 | View Replies]

To: FreeInWV

You carefully didn’t name Jim Robinson, but you described him.

JR doesn’t like Paul, and I think that JR is more tea party than you.

By the way, the tea party is mostly social conservatives, not “libertarians”.

The conservatives here fighting the anti-conservatives trying to move America and the tea party left, are not “paid shills”.

You are the one fighting conservatism, not JR.


226 posted on 03/09/2014 10:05:24 AM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 224 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

I don’t know. Every time someone raises a particular issue about Senator Paul and provides a link to a presentation of his I end up being more and more impressed with both his principles and his delivery.

He’s getting better and better at finding the most effective way to present the principles that I suspect most conservatives will find they can easily support.

The Drudge poll now has over 200K votes and he’s got 30% of them, with Cruz nipping at his heels. I’m beginning to think he’s a serious contender in 2016.


227 posted on 03/09/2014 10:05:31 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 221 | View Replies]

To: FreeInWV

Well put.


228 posted on 03/09/2014 10:06:30 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 224 | View Replies]

To: Norseman

The Paulites do this every election.

Please don’t waste our time with Pauls and internet polls and the routine CPAC stuff.

Our anti-conservative freepers are hearing a dog whistle from Paul, and most of them are coming out against Cruz, that should tell you something.


229 posted on 03/09/2014 10:12:10 AM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 227 | View Replies]

To: Plummz

On Tuesday, Senator Rand Paul threw his support behind legalizing the millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., signaling his determination to expand his following beyond the tea party movement as he positions himself for a 2016 presidential campaign. Just two years ago, Paul was pushing to end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/03/what-exactly-is-rand-pauls-position-on-immigration-reform/274195/


230 posted on 03/09/2014 10:13:06 AM PDT by old curmudgeon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 205 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

>>By the way, the tea party is mostly social conservatives, not “libertarians”.<<

Oh, and your proof of that is?

And someone can be “more tea party” than someone else? Interesting. Show me the formal statement of tea party principles that’s carved in stone somewhere.

Will I be zotted (censored) for disagreeing with you now so that you can add another scalp to your belt? Is that the sort of liberty you advocate in your set of tea party principles?

Senator Paul speaks to individual liberty, not libertarianism, but liberty, better than any candidate I’ve heard thus far, and he’s been improving that message over time. He’s actually trying to figure out how to get the Tea Party message out there in a way that resonates with both the young and old, and regardless of the color of their skin.

I’ll no doubt disagree with his take on many things, but there’s little doubt in my mind that he would lead the country in a good direction domestically. I remain concerned how he would handle foreign policy, although it’s hard to believe he could do worse in that area than the present administration.


231 posted on 03/09/2014 10:16:04 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 226 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

Please explain exactly what you mean by the phrase “hearing a dog whistle from Paul” in your post.


232 posted on 03/09/2014 10:17:41 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 229 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

>>Please don’t waste our time with Pauls and internet polls ...<<

You don’t find an “internet poll” of over 200,000 people over a 24 hour period, generated (probably) by mostly right-leaning readers of Drudge the least bit relevant? Interesting.

Cruz is doing very well, by the way, especially when you consider that the Paul supporters are usually quite active when a poll like this surfaces.


233 posted on 03/09/2014 10:23:59 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 229 | View Replies]

To: Norseman

It sure didn’t take long before you got goofy and started talking about scalps.

Evidently you have manged to avoid looking at all the data on who makes up the tea party even though they have been around for 5 years.

The tea party is more religious and social conservative than the GOP.


234 posted on 03/09/2014 10:24:56 AM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 231 | View Replies]

To: Norseman
especially when you consider that the Paul supporters are usually quite active when a poll like this surfaces.

No kidding, I just pointed that out.

Libbers hear the dog whistle of Paul and are counting on him to be a fake, they reject Cruz, because they believe that he really is what he looks like, a conservative.

235 posted on 03/09/2014 10:28:38 AM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 233 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

>>It sure didn’t take long before you got goofy and started talking about scalps.<<

See, that’s the thing. You actually don’t comprehend how the censorship you seem to advocate so effectively affects people who have a simple disagreement with you. For the last several posts, I’ve wondered if I was approaching some weird, invisible, line that, if crossed, would earn the zot, or at least would encourage you to end the argument by appealing to authority and suggesting a zot.

This is the opposite of liberty, in my opinion. I am as conservative as you, but if we disagree at any point, I’m suddenly GOPe, or worse, a liberal troll. I’ve little doubt that you’ve already pulled my past posts digging for evidence of a troll. You might even find some, as I post primarily when I have an issue. You won’t find many of the sort like my recent “well put” which I posted because people protesting censorship need support.

The Tea Party is diverse, but among it are the people like me who want to see government reined in severely so that people can get on with making this country again what it is capable of being, and has been in the past, an example for every other country in the world. What Washington DC is doing to this country, and ALL of its people today, sickens me.

I’m pro-life, strongly support the 2nd Amendment, and think affirmative action belongs in the circular file, but all of these will take care of themselves if we elect a President who puts individual liberty (including the freedom to disagree with you without being accused of going to the dark side) first, as the Founders intended.


236 posted on 03/09/2014 10:36:38 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 234 | View Replies]

To: TheOldLady

Excellent.


237 posted on 03/09/2014 10:39:12 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 211 | View Replies]

To: ansel12

Again, please explain exactly what you mean by the statement “Our anti-conservative freepers are hearing a dog whistle from Paul...” in your earlier post.

It sound like you were directing it to not just liberals, but to people like me who disagree with you in some way, and I would like you to cut through the “dog whistle” and explain what you really mean.

You don’t have to, and I can Google “dog whistle”, but I’d like to hear it in plain English if you’d care to explain.


238 posted on 03/09/2014 10:40:09 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 235 | View Replies]

To: Norseman

You are rambling about nonsense, now it is censorship and your idiotic lying about me getting someone banned.

Gibberish and weird nonsense. Your posts are getting goofier.


239 posted on 03/09/2014 10:42:19 AM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 236 | View Replies]

To: trisham

Thank you, my friend. It’s thanks to Joe, as usual.


240 posted on 03/09/2014 10:44:53 AM PDT by TheOldLady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 237 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 201-220221-240241-260 ... 321-338 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson