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Two Of The GOP's Top Presidential Prospects Are Engaged In A Very Public Feud
Business Insider ^ | March 10, 2014 | Brett LoGiurato

Posted on 03/10/2014 4:35:26 PM PDT by Mariner

On Saturday, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference by a landslide for the second consecutive year. Conservative firebrand Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in second, but he actually gained the most ground of any candidate year-over-year.

On Sunday, Cruz began making a play to draw foreign policy distinctions between himself and Paul, both of whom are considered two of the GOP's top presidential prospects.

"I'm a big fan of Rand Paul. He and I are good friends," Cruz said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday. "I don't agree with him on foreign policy. I think U.S. leadership is critical in the world. And I agree with him that we should be very reluctant to deploy military force abroad. But I think there is a vital role, just as Ronald Reagan did. ... The United States has a responsibility to defend our values."

Cruz's comments came two days after Paul thrilled the CPAC audience by blasting President Barack Obama's drone policy. However, Paul didn't mention the preeminent ongoing geopolitical conflict — the crisis in Ukraine.

Paul's noninterventionist views on foreign policy have attracted a libertarian-leaning crowd. In the CPAC straw poll, 57 percent of respondents, when asked about the U.S.'s "role in the world," identified with this statement: "N early 70 years after the end of World War II, it's time for our European, Asian and other allies to provide for their own defense."

Only 37 percent, on the other hand, agreed with this statement: " As the world's only superpower, the U.S. needs to continue to bear the responsibility of protecting our allies in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world."

(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Alaska; US: Florida; US: Kentucky; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: alaska; florida; kentucky; marcorubio; randsconcerntrolls; sarahpalin; tedcruz; texas
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To: Mariner

Correct, has to come out of the machine to be another Romney, who had been running a low-level campaign since 2008. That meant in 2012 it was “his turn,” so he was always the assumed leader. To win the shot at the big chair, he only had to not lose.

This season is already different because it isn’t anybody’s “turn.” It’s not Jeb’s or Chris’s or Marco’s seat to lose. GOPe doesn’t have a default win this time. That is the one thing that gives me hope going into ‘16.

Nobody is going to get this Nomination without building a Party to do it.


41 posted on 03/10/2014 5:55:46 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: 12chachacha

At FR that discourse has been going on for quite awhile. Along with the requisite throwing of furniture.


42 posted on 03/10/2014 5:56:35 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat (Guns SAVE Lives! www.VCDL.org)
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To: ansel12
Paul is embracing the GOPe against the Cruz/Palin/Reagan wing of the party.

Yup. That's exactly what he's doing, he's tacking his sails. Like this:


43 posted on 03/10/2014 5:58:37 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: ansel12

Dang ansel. It took you 15 posts to start in with the antilibertarian vitriol. I’d have bet on no more than 10.

You’re slipping.


44 posted on 03/10/2014 6:00:12 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat (Guns SAVE Lives! www.VCDL.org)
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To: ansel12
"Romney was the most hard left radical the GOP has ever nominated"

Hell, the man was a paragon to conservatism compared to McCain in darn near every respect.

Then, look back in the party history to say, oh, Nixon.

Remember wage and price controls?

No, Romney (and I don't like the ba$tard either) has not been the farthest left GOP Presidential candidate...and some of those to the left him won. Amazingly.

George HW Bush anyone?

Hell, even the son, GW, put conservatism on it's back. He and the GOP Congress set spending records that I thought would never be broken until Obama came along. He even sponsored the "TARP" bill to bail out stupid investors.

What kind of conservative does that?

45 posted on 03/10/2014 6:02:50 PM PDT by Mariner (uely)
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To: Mariner
Only 37 percent, on the other hand, agreed with this statement: " As the world's only superpower, the U.S. needs to continue to bear the responsibility of protecting our allies in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world."

Well, I suppose that makes me a part of the 37 percent.

Please note, however, that this does not necessarily require boots on the ground. In fact, I would certainly not support the idea of our placing American military personnel in Crimea now, to oppose the Russians.

But I would support our sending advanced weaponry to the Ukrainian rebels. And not just small arms, either--AK 47s really do not hold up very well against T-90 tanks--but sophisticated warplanes and tanks, with which to oppose the Russian invaders.

46 posted on 03/10/2014 6:05:13 PM PDT by AmericanExceptionalist (Democrats believe in discussing the full spectrum of ideas, all the way from far left to center-left)
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To: old and tired
Me neither. Although I have never heard Rand Paul speak, I have heard he is superior to Cruz.

Did you also here he has his own Amnesty plan?
47 posted on 03/10/2014 6:05:41 PM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: Mariner

You’re wasting your time. There are a few FReepers who live for the opportunity to jump on any mildly pro-libertarian comment. They’re fanatics. They view libertarians as heretics against the True Conservative Faith.

Its funny in a way because there are numerous legitimate arguments against libertarian positions that get ignored in the rush to attack.


48 posted on 03/10/2014 6:09:32 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat (Guns SAVE Lives! www.VCDL.org)
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To: Mariner
I am a member of the Republican Party and have been since I cast my first vote for Reagan in the '76 primaries. If you'd like to push me and my kind out, go ahead. Take your shot. I happen to believe the Federal Government should stay out of many of the issues I suspect you disagree with LIBERTARIANS on. That's for the states to decide...and/or when necessary, 3/4 of the states in ratification of Amendments.

That is one way to tell conservatives to shut up and allow gay marriage in the military and for federal employees. and in immigration, and abortion for the military, and to pretend that the libertarian agenda is not a cultural agenda for all levels of government.

49 posted on 03/10/2014 6:14:58 PM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
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To: RKBA Democrat; ansel12; Mariner

If we can’t get people who call themselves “libertarian” to vote for our guy, we’re dead because we don’t have the numbers without them. So no punching or gouging. And let’s try to keep the furniture on the floor.


50 posted on 03/10/2014 6:17:39 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: RKBA Democrat

Well since this is a conservative site, I think we are allowed to challenge libertarianism, but thanks for revealing that you are carrying personal baggage from thread to thread.


51 posted on 03/10/2014 6:17:57 PM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
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To: AmericanExceptionalist
"but sophisticated warplanes and tanks, with which to oppose the Russian invaders. "

How about we give them our surplus F-16s and whatnot while we rebuild our own stock?

The US Military equipment stock is old, worn out and due for a great number of replacements.

Of COURSE I would not be opposed to selling them anything they want to buy short of nukes. Same goes for Poland. Make them part of the F-35 program or sell them equipment rotating out of service.

But few realize how bad off our own military is right now.

Most of the heavy equipment (land and air) is the product of the Reagan surge in the 80s.

Only the Navy has some new stuff to speak of and their numbers are FAR, FAR too low.

52 posted on 03/10/2014 6:18:50 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

The press is nuts. This isn’t a feud. It’s how policy gets made. It’s what adults do which is likely why liberals don’t get it.


53 posted on 03/10/2014 6:19:30 PM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: Cyber Liberty

If libertarians won’t vote for a conservative candidate, you want us to change?

No thanks.

I realize that the best election the libertarians have ever had, was when they were trying to defeat Reagan in 1980, but he won anyway.


54 posted on 03/10/2014 6:20:35 PM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
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To: bigbob

there’s no way to know which candidate “can win” before the election is over. That is nothing more than a lie that the GOPe and the left wing media have sold, to automatically disqualify any candidate that doesn’t pander to their agenda. Not meant as an attack, but that’s the WRONG criteria for selecting a candidate.


55 posted on 03/10/2014 6:23:53 PM PDT by Hugh the Scot
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To: ansel12
I understand your concerns and sympathize with much of it.

Admission: I'd like to see the word "marriage" stricken from every line of the US Code and supporting regulations).

If you don't like homos openly serving in the military and having their fag shows...like me...work to change the law.

And, I believe it will take a Constitutional Amendment to get there.

I yes, I would overturn Roe tomorrow.

Abortion is murder.. Period.

56 posted on 03/10/2014 6:24:33 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: ansel12

Yes, you can challenge anything you want subject to the website owners rules/restrictions/whims. But that sword cuts both ways.

As for baggage, I absolutely carry some. The worst being that I get very bored, very quickly with self righteous zealots who have little to offer in the way of dialogue other than attack.


57 posted on 03/10/2014 6:28:03 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat (Guns SAVE Lives! www.VCDL.org)
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To: ansel12
If libertarians won’t vote for a conservative candidate, you want us to change?

That's not what I said, Ansel. You should know me better than that.

58 posted on 03/10/2014 6:28:52 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: Mariner
Yes Romney was the most left, he doesn't have two presidential terms and decades of holding office to cherry pick, he only won a single election during his 20 years of running for office. Romney lost that Governor's seat, failing in his hopes to run for reelection and leaving office with 34% approval and losing the seat to the democrats, but he did give us gay marriage, Romney/Obama care and the most dedicated, heart felt pro-abortion arguments we have ever seen, along with the early calls to allow gay Scoutmasters and to homosexualize the military, and his legendary anti-gun position.

We have never seen anything like Romney in GOP presidential politics, from his leaving the party over Reagan, to becoming a democrat supporter and voter, and democrat fund raiser, to fund raising for Planned Parenthood.

Even as the GOP nominee he was campaigning against the pro-life platform and running pro-abortion ads, and reaffirming his stance on gay scout leaders and the gay military.

59 posted on 03/10/2014 6:30:00 PM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
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To: RKBA Democrat

Just more of the first, useless personal stuff.


60 posted on 03/10/2014 6:30:56 PM PDT by ansel12 (Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism.)
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