Posted on 05/26/2015 11:56:42 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
If you look at early polls, fundraising, campaign staffing and media acumen, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) appear to be the two strongest opponents to take on Jeb Bush. What are Walker and Rubio doing right, and why have they separated themselves from the rest of the pack?
Certainly, their newness is part of their appeal. They are a generation (at least) behind Hillary Clinton and congressional leaders of both parties. They are relatively new to the national stage for many voters. They can credibly claim to be outside the permanent political class. Perhaps because Clinton is so very stale, Republicans seem to relish having young, fresh contenders. They each have a success story — Rubio’s is based on the immigrant experience, and Walker’s is rooted in a modest Midwestern upbringing. They are personally religious, but they do not come across as scolds. Neither has gotten rich off politics, and in fact, both (like a lot of Americans) carry some household debt.
Neither of these candidates relies on shopworn excuses or bogeymen. They don’t spend time railing at the mainstream media. They don’t claim that Christians are imperiled (although they defend “religious liberty”) or that our government is on the verge of a dictatorship. They don’t make absurd proposals (Abolish the IRS! Ignore the Supreme Court!), nor do they subscribe to the anti-government rhetoric we hear from some candidates.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Someone here described the race between Rubio and Walker in NASCR terms as “changing paint”.
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
I want FR off the Jennifer Rubin list, permanently.
She hates conservatives.
Jeb Bush strikes me as Hillary dressed in better clothes.
I don’t know. I honestly think Bush doesn’t have much of a chance, and while both Walker and Rubio have their good points, I don’t think either one of them is ruthless enough to take on the Dems. Walker may be more aggressive than Rubio, but Walker has been sounding pretty conciliatory lately too.
I liked Rick Snyder (who I don’t think is even running) and I’m liking Carly Fiorina more and more. I don’t agree with her on everything, but she’s aggressive, and we’ve got to have somebody who will stop going along to get along. I think Rubio is turning out to be that type of guy, and I’m afraid Walker isn’t far behind.
Sure. Rubio interned for a member of Congress in law school and went straight into politics. His only real world jobs were after leaving as FL Speaker, when he started his own law firm, and got a teaching job that was endowed by a billionaire buddy. Within a year he was running for Senate. So how is that not a member of the permanent political class?
Why are people underselling Cruz? He has raised more money than both of these guys I think. His grassroots organization is strong. While straw polls mean little, he has done well in most of them. I think Cruz would sit at or near the top of this article.
Rubin hates conservatives. A good rule of thumb...if she likes a “Republican”.... you probably shouldn’t.
I like Walker. His stands on the issues are Conservative stands and I appreciate how he took on the Unions and DemocRATS in a Blue State. But, he doesn’t seem to have a lot of fire in his belly.....his DNA make-up seems to be kind of mild-mannered and “gentle”. We need a fire-breather who would never have let Candy “Hog jowls” Croley get away, in a Debate, with what Romney let her get away with. We need someone who will not be intimidated by Hillary or her political machine; someone who will bitch-slap her, in a classy way, while having fire in his eyes.
Im thinking it will be a Walker/Rubio or Rubio/Walker ticket.
I agree. This seems like another one of those “anybody but Cruz” articles by another left wing press that always wants to choose our candidate. We need a fighter and Cruz has it. I like Walker as well, but how many times can you change your mind about immigration and still have people know what you believe with confidence?
“Jeb Bush strikes me as Hillary dressed in better clothes.”
Just without the personality.
“Im thinking it will be a Walker/Rubio or Rubio/Walker ticket.”
Either ticket comes down to one thing. Will we go to the polls and pull the lever?
Of course I would pull the lever for Walker/Rubio or Rubio/Walker. I would feel the same way if the name was Cruz and either of them.
I intend to vote against any traitorous, selfish, Democrat who runs next year. We have a good bench and we ought not to lose this next election because of some so-called purity test. Cruz, Walker and Rubio are all top notch candidates as far as I can determine.
“Why are people underselling Cruz? He has raised more money than both of these guys I think. His grassroots organization is strong. While straw polls mean little, he has done well in most of them. I think Cruz would sit at or near the top of this article.”
This article is written by Jennifer Rubin who was a Romney hack last time around and is a well-known mouthpiece for the GOPe. Given that, it’s no surprise she would not mention Cruz.
Overall, I think the strategy right now among most conservative media is to ignore Cruz, because when they do interview him, he always comes out looking much better despite the questions they throw at him.
I wholeheartedly agree he is being undersold (on purpose) and I expect he will be highly competitive in Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada for sure and with his large slate of endorsements from conservatives in New Hampshire, it looks like he’ll make a play there too.
Thank you for the response. I agree.
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