Posted on 11/07/2015 12:32:06 PM PST by VinL
To walk into Ted Cruz's holding room at the National Religious Liberties Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday afternoon was to walk into quite the group of happy campers.
With a friendly motion and a quick smile, the Republican Senator from Texas, looking relaxed in short sleeves, his foot up on the coffee table, waves you over to the chair beside him. It's just the tiniest bit unnerving, the notion flashes across your mind, "He knows I'm with NPR, right?"
Yes, everyone knows who you are, and in spite of Cruz's brilliantly recalled denunciations of the liberal media during CNBC's debate, they're just fine with it. This is a political campaign brimming with confidence and a strong sense of momentum. Nobody here's afraid of little ol' me.
During a wide-ranging interview, the freshman senator laid out his vision for America and his presidency if elected:
Abolish the IRS and institute a flat tax
Dispatch the FBI and Justice Dept. lawyers to prosecute Planned Parenthood for fraud
Investigate the Federal Reserve Board and tie the value of the dollar to the gold standard
Deport every undocumented immigrant, including children who grew up in the U.S.
Oppose any legislation on climate change that would raise taxes or fees
Institute term limits for U.S. Supreme Court Justices so turncoats like Justice Anthony Kennedy can be weeded out
Give Iran an ultimatum — dismantle your nuclear program or we will do it for you.
And it almost goes without saying, Obamacare would be consigned to the dustbin.
Cruz's strategy for winning the Republican nomination is sophisticated in its patience and cunning.
Like a football coach intimately familiar with his team's strengths and the other teams' weaknesses, Cruz has been spending his time and money building campaign infrastructure throughout the South and Midwest. That's playing to your strength. Publicly, he stays on message and doesn't attack other Republican candidates. And don't panic, don't always be reacting to what the other guys (and gal) are doing.
Did a New York billionaire unexpectedly jump into the lead? Let the political pundits sneer and joke about the supposedly hapless Cruz picking up Donald Trump's crumbs. The young senator has never felt any threat from the bombastic developer and being friendly to the new guy is smart politics.
Has the quiet doctor suddenly caught the conservative fancy? Not a problem, Cruz defends him from the liberal sharks that are closing in to tear the good doctor apart. You won't hear the Texas senator say a word about grain-filled Egyptian pyramids, scholarship offers from West Point or knife-points and friend's belt buckles, why should he? He's amused that this go-round, it's the Republican moderates at each other's throats, Jeb and Marco can have at it, let The Donald referee.
Meanwhile, Cruz has quietly amassed a campaign war chest that's second to none. Three separate Cruz superPACS with tens of millions more waiting in reserve to attack when the time comes, and it's not just Texas billionaires like technology mogul Darwin Deason, although he has them, too. Cruz takes in millions from a grass roots network of Tea Party and other insurgent Republicans in small amounts. Not unlike another freshman Senator who ran and won on a wave of Internet-driven contributions.
To switch sports metaphors from football to track, Ted Cruz reports he's just fine running in 4th or 5th place after the first lap around the track. He's trained well, feels strong and looks good, there's plenty left in the bank as it were. The two guys ahead of him appear to be straining just a bit, already. With three more laps to go, the son of a Cuban immigrant looks hungry and sharp, waiting.
On Friday night, after his speech to the National Religious Liberties Conference in Des Moines, I was surprised to see Cruz and his staff boarding the same small regional jet back to Dallas as me. Didn't he have a private plane, I thought the Koch brothers took care of this stuff? I'd planned to write about our interview and the day on the flight back, but as we took our seats, I was dumbfounded to see Cruz and I were seated across the aisle from one another in coach. I jokingly asked if he wanted to edit the piece as I wrote it next to him and the talented orator and Supreme Court lawyer said he'd be happy to.
I bagged it. I knew the senator wouldn't look over my shoulder, but it was just too inhibiting, and anyway, I was tired. It was late, we'd been delayed and as we taxied to takeoff, I leaned back and closed my eyes. Next to me, I could hear Cruz and the soldier he'd been seated next to, a private in battle fatigues, quietly talking Texas football.
bfl
Meanwhile the Trumpettes are doing a great job of alienating the very voters Trummwill need to win.
No kidding.
Man, that made me feel good. Ted’s the best. Why settle for less?
Cruz already did something more important than any f that. He proposed a bill to have the Muslim Brotherhood declared a terrorist organization.
Yep...just as my tagline says.
Maybe. Maybe not.
Cruz will definitely need them. Every last one.
Cruz can’t win without those “Trump 3rd graders†votes.
Just so you know.
*************
Just so you know-I’ve never flamed Donald Trump- I like him. Nor, do I intrude on Trump threads and attempt to belittle him for the purpose of elevating my candidate.
I distinguish between savvy and reasoned Trump supporters, and those who troll Cruz threads (3rd graders).
And finally, in passing, it would be a sad debasement of one’s franchise, if that person based a presidential vote on comments made here.
So you’ don’t think Teump is going to need the Carson voters?
I’m the same way. I’m a cruz girl through and through but I would never disparage Trump or his supporters. I am glad he’s taking a sickle to the path and I don’t feel threatened by him one iota.
It’s a real bummer when I see the opposite happening; and for what??
“And finally, in passing, it would be a sad debasement of one’s franchise, if that person based a presidential vote on comments made here.”
Yes, I agree, but it is very possible that such could occur.
I view people who support Trump as those who are tired of the usual BS party politics and want someone who loves America, and they believe he is such a person. I believe he is such a person, but it is also clear to me that Trump is flawed just as we all are.
I also support Ted Cruz, despite his flaws, I think he is a good man who loves America.
Currently my primary support lies with Trump, but that could change. I’m not pleased with his jumping on the Politico smear Carson train the other day, but I can forgive him.
But I also think that Ted is doing a fine job. He was masterful in the last debate. He is also runnig his campaign very smartly. My main beef with Ted was his voting for the Corker bill. That infuriated me TBH.
But I can forgive him. It’s not a disqualifier for me.
I just don’t think it is wise to characterize in a negative way groups of people as if they are one with respect to trump and Cruz supporters.
There is a very good chance that we will need to come together one way or the other in the end, so best not to burn bridges.
I always assumed he would follow the immigration laws that have been passed by congress. If the law is to deport someone who came here illegally then that is what a President Cruz would do judging from his actions.
If he starts talking about changing the law to reward illegals with citizenship then I’ll start to worry.
Once everyone knows that we are cracking down and sticking to the law a lot of the problems will take care of themselves.
I disagree with him offering more work visas however and would like to hear him talk more about that. When it comes down to the nitty gritty there is very little that I can quibble with when it comes to Cruz. He still has the most positives for me versus negatives.
Yes, I do, but it is possible that he may not, because he seems to appeal to a broader group of people. There are apparently many democrats who support him, for example.
I think that Cruz’s appeal is narrower than Trump’s is.
Maybe I am wrong, I don’t know, but that is what I think.
Ping
Thought you might like to see this article.
Fair enough.
Whoops, I misread your post. Thought you said Cruz, not Carson.
I don’t know what to make of Carson support. I don’t know if it’s real or not.
I will say this. It was a mistake for Trump to attack Carson yesterday.
Not a good move.
Got it.
Oh my.
YYYYYyyyyes!!!
I’m for Cruz anyway..
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