Posted on 10/27/2014 6:57:57 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The article, basically, ignores the concept of actually changing the perspective of voters, not on candidates & parties, but on the issues on which we now are in the minority. Ted Cruz is very skilled at that.
Moreover, a logical consistency--as opposed to temporizing for the sake of popularity--has a great appeal to many. There are more voters out there, to whom integrity to principle appeals as a concept, than there are to whom moderation, for the sake of moderation, appeals. Reagan's biggest advantage over Goldwater had more to do with his ability to smile at the right time, than any departure from their common beliefs.
Of course, the key to any debate--any contest which calls for viewers or listeners to exercise the ability to discriminate intelligently between positions--is in the ability to focus those viewers or listeners on the most appealing concepts. We should never overlook the importance of Perspective & Focus.
I would take the NR article with more than a grain of salt, but certainly not as a reason not to enthusiastically support Ted Cruz.
William Flax
Amazing what 30 years of anti God cultural Marxism can do. There is now no national culture or identity. There has been no assimilation. Rather, ideological anti assimilation. Thus we are a divided nation, and the majority have little in common. Membership in interest or grievance groups trumps all.
It is not 1980.
Todays Democrat party is like the Weather Underground in 1980. Indeed, education ideology is informed by Bill Ayers.
Todays GOPe leadership is like the Democrat party of 1980.
National Review and the Weekly Standard staff & management are part of the RINO cocktail circuit in the Beltway. They know j@ck$h1t about what real conservatives think.
This Olsen guy is a Yankee educated at the University of Chicago, that famous bastion of Yankee conservatism/sarc.
His comment “The Alamo defenders did die, and needlessly, as their position was neither strategic nor defensible” shows he obviously didn’t study history. Both the Alamo and Goliad “strategically” delayed Santa Anna’s pursuit of Sam Houston allowing him to pick and choose when he would kick the Mexican general’s derriere.
All that being said, I tend to agree that Cruz’s path to the nomination and victory will be extremely difficult. I voted for him and believe he is 99-44/100’s % right on issues but unfortunately the country is in the toilet.
Every indication so far is Cruz will not be put in a box, what I find amazing is so many freepers buy this national review crap, don't shoot the messenger they say...I say damn the messenger and damn you too.
Cruz if he enters the race he will win so long as he resists the foolish advise of such as national review, I'm confident he has the wisdom to do so.
Conservatives have never constituted a majority of Americans and they live in a liberal culture.
To expect the rest of the country to agree with us on every point, is looking to be consigned to eternal opposition in the wilderness.
If we look overly ideological, we will lose. We win when we persuade other Americans there are things we both find necessary to preserve without agreeing with each other on every last item.
That’s the way it is in a free country. The Republican Party is a coalition after all. A purely conservative party has zero chance of winning anywhere in this country.
Ronald Reagan didn't abandon his principles; he was a master of picking the important battles. He did not back down on the issues that he saw as the greatest threat to America such as defeating the USSR.
The greatest threat to America is our big government policies such as Obamacare, spending that will destroy our economy, and illegal immigration. There is not point becoming America's enemy by backing policies that will ultimately lead to the destruction of this country to try win an election.
We need Republicans smart enough to pick their battles without backing down. That's why instead of waffling on every issues as it come along; I hope the leadership can begin to decide which battles to fight and actually fight. Like Davy Crockett said “Make sure you are right, then go ahead.”
So 0bama was moderate.
In your opinion. 0bama was a moderate.
Huh. Coulda sworn he was the most unabashed leftist ever to win the presidency.
“He claims that beginning with Richard Nixon, every Republican nominee who was elected ran as a “strong conservative,” while every loser ran as a moderate.”
He should clarify that. Every Republican nominee who was elected ran as a “strong conservative”, *and* was believed by the public to actually *be* a strong conservative. Conversely, losers ran as mealy mouthed moderates *pretending* to be conservatives, but who actually were either liberals or “internationalist corporationists”.
I’m constantly amused by the number of people who feel the need to proclaim that they are smarter than Ted.
I stand with Ted.
“Obama disproved your theory by winning 100% of leftists”
Correction. 102%.
Yeh National Review who will likely be touting Jeb Bush as the new Reagan in a few months.
I think Ted Cruz knows exactly what he is doing. I’m not worried about his compass it points due right. He will not fail to draw a sharp contrast between himself and any Dem running in 2016. If you offer the masses a clear choice you will likely do a lot better.
I was agreeing with your post. It was a good post, and pointed out how the original article really missed the point.
From your viewpoint, the only thing that can save really this country is another civil war, which might be true. Of course, I would rather Cruz win.
Okay, fine, whatever..... I’ll continue to stand with Cruz.
We are not looking for purity, but we are looking for a party which shares at least 50% or 60% of our views and earns our votes through deeds and not yet another consultant orchestrated pack of lies. Right now we are treated like dirt by the big tent party.
Some things are deal breakers though for me: 2nd Amendment, abortion...
This shows what a lot of FR conservatives already know, conservative votes are wanted by the GOP but they are certainly not going to or be expected to accept conservatives or their ideas of governance. No conservative candidate will be supported by the other parts of the GOPE even if they manage to some how win the nomination.
What you are saying is the game is already rigged against conservatives in the GOP, right.
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