Heritage Action's Presidential Plateform Review (Full Report)
Posted on 11/09/2015 5:14:01 PM PST by Isara
An influential political action group in Washington, Heritage Action for America, all but endorsed the presidential candidacy of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday, with the release of an analysis of the platforms of the top 12 candidates for the Republican nomination.
Cruz has been consistently in the middle of the pack in early polling, typically gathering only a fraction of the support currently being lavished on frontrunners Donald Trump and Ben Carson. However, with backing from well-funded Super PACs, the Texas senator has the ability to assert himself in the race in the event that one or both of the frontrunners flame out before primary voters go to the polls.
The Heritage Action analysis renders judgment on candidates' positions across six different areas: growth, opportunity, civil society, limited government, favoritism, and national security. It contains significant criticism of every one of the 12 candidates it considered, except for Cruz.
(While some of the criteria seem self-explanatory, others may not. The civil society assessment, for example, is dependent on whether a candidate is in line with Heritage on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, among other things. Favoritism encompasses subjects as wide as reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and immigration policy.)
This is very good news for the Cruz campaign. Heritage Action is the political arm of the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation think tank. It wields considerable power and influence in Congress, keeping a scorecard of votes meant to embarrass conservatives who stray from what the organization considers the ideal. But Heritage Action's reach extends beyond Washington, feeding into the grassroots conservative support system that any eventual GOP will need to rely on in 2016.
Heritage Action was careful not to give the impression of delivering an explicit endorsement in its 50-page analysis of the individual candidates' positions. In a report that virtually cries out for an overarching graphic presentation of its findings or at least an executive summary, there is nothing beyond a table of contents directing readers to each candidate's results. The candidate sections are equally businesslike, offering no introduction or conclusion, just an assessment of the candidate on the six listed criteria.
However, the results are plain: Ted Cruz is clearly the favorite, earning positive assessments in all categories. "Cruz places a high priority on fighting the expansion of government," the study finds, and "Cruz has been willing to pay a political price for taking on government favoritism."
Other candidates, particularly the current frontrunners, don't fare nearly so well.
The authors of the report were plainly unimpressed by Ben Carson, noting that in several categories like growth and national security he has offered little or nothing in the way of actual proposals.
On other issues, like limited government and favoritism, Carson comes in for criticism. "Carson undermines his limited government rhetoric with his reluctance to tackle entitlement reform," it reads, and adds, "Carson has the advantage of being a Washington outsider but has provided no evidence he will tackle corporate welfare and has expressed openness to amnesty."
If the authors have doubts about Carson, they seem practically contemptuous of the race's other frontrunner, Donald Trump.
On the question of growth, they argue that the "massive tariffs" he would impose would damage the economy. On the question of civil society, they write, "Despite his rhetoric, Trump's history suggests a reluctance to engage in debates over protecting civil society from the imposition of left-wing values."
On national defense, they write, "Trump has suggested that he would project American strength abroad, but his unconventional foreign policy prescriptions raise more questions of significant consequence than they answer."
In a press release accompanying the study, Heritage Action CEO Michael A. Needham said, "Americans are looking for a president who can speak to the real anxieties they're facing, not simply manage the status quo in Washington. They want someone that will fight the well-connected special interests and advance policies that work for everyone. Fortunately, conservatives have a deep and visionary field to choose from in this Opportunity for All, Favoritism to None primary."
Reading the report, though, it's clear that Heritage sees an obvious choice within that "deep and visionary field."
Please click on the pictures at the top of the columns for more details on the ratings of the candidates.
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More at Conservative Review: https://www.conservativereview.com/2016-presidential-candidates
Note: If you don't like the ratings for any reason, please contact Conservative Review's Editor-in-Chief, "The Great One," Mark Levin. But I have to warn you that you may get this response from him: "GET OFF THE PHONE, YOU BIG DOPE!"
Wow! It’s neck and neck between Yeb and Ben as to whose the most liberal!
Jeb’s score.
Smirk
How many times per day do you post that propaganda chart?
As many times a day that the TRUMP supporters whine and harp on about Ted Cruz’s supposed phantom H-1B legislation and TPP and TPA.
Ultra conservative Heritage likes Cruz.
Understandable that it bugs you.
A great question!
Looking at that chart it is a sick joke.
I have assumed all along that Debbie Wasserman Schmuck put it together.
Trump's Record on Free-market Issue: (from the Conservative Review)
Trump has a terrible record on free market issues. The only bright spot is the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing, but this glimmer is countermanded by his repeated support for bailing out Wall Street and the auto industry, and increased stimulus spending. Of particular concern is Trump's belief that the government can use eminent domain powers to seize private property in the name of private economic development. This comes as no surprise, given his support for using eminent domain to profit his own company.
Trump supported the Supreme Court’s 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of London, allowing public authorities to seize private land for economic development by private investors; Trump said, “I happen to agree with [the decision] 100 percent.” (National Review) This is no surprise given Trump’s attempt to use eminent domain in his own line of work. (Institute for Justice)
Trump supported President Obama’s 2009 stimulus, saying: “The word stimulus is probably not used in its fullest…you know, certain of the things that were given weren't really stimulus. They were pork, as we call it, or they were gifts to certain people. But overall, I think he's [President Obama] doing very well. You do need stimulus and you do have to keep the banks alive.” (CNN)
Trump supported TARP, saying, "You had to do something to shore up the banks, because ... you would have had a run on every bank." (CNN)
Trump supported the 2008 auto bailout, saying, “I think the government should stand behind them 100 percent. You cannot lose the auto companies. They’re great. They make wonderful products.” He also said that the federal government could “easily save the companies.” (Daily Caller)
Trump criticized the Federal Reserve’s intervention in the debt market, saying quantitative easing creates “phony numbers” that mislead the marketplace and “will not ultimately benefit the economy. The dollar will go down in value and inflation will start rearing its ugly head.” (CNBC)
Donald Trump has a history of using eminent domain to complete business deals. Multiple times Trump has supported the use of government agencies to take possession of homes and businesses for use in his private business plans. Eminent domain seizures are reserved only for public use of property rather than abuse by the government taking property from one individual and giving to another. (Washington Post)
Donald Trump has sought and received crony capitalist tax breaks for his commercial properties in New York. These tax breaks, and even an abatement, force the property taxes of other property owners to rise at the expense of the connected. Special treatment for one business or industry over another with the tax code conflicts with free market principles. (National Review)
In 2009, Trump supported Barack Obama's call for limits on the pay of executives. (CNN)
Ping
Cruz on fire. The man may, indeed, surprise us as to his ability to be elected.
GO TRUMP! GO CRUZ!
PING
CRUZ on fire!
As many times a day that the TRUMP supporters whine and harp on about Ted Cruz's supposed phantom H-1B legislation
In 2013, Sen. Cruz proposed amendments to the "Gang of 8" bill that would strengthen border security, expand green card opportunities, increase high-skilled "H1B" visas,...
Probably as many times as dollars that Trump has sent to Hilary for her campaign and to the Clinton Foundation
Ted Cruz, the phony constitutionalist conservative will never be elected President.
He should be tried for treason after his Corker vote in favor of yielding his constitutional right to an anti-American president.
His vote allowed a known ("death to America") America and ("death to Israel") Israeli hating terrorist country to get nuclear capabilities as well as giving them $150 billion US Taxpayer dollars.
As a result of that vote he may someday have Israeli and or American blood on his hands. In case you think Cruz's vote for Iran is insignificant, Netanyahu is in DC today to try and get increased security because of the deal Ted Cruz had a part of.
Of all the opportunities he had for doing the right thing the big talker decided to vote in favor of the worst possible one instead.
Thank you for losing the last ounce of credibility that you had here at FR.
Yes. However, I think it's debatable that the fool ever had any.
When someone has to carry a drool rag in his pocket so he can mop up at the very mention of Ted Cruz's name, well...you know he's insane and a leftist.
But that's redundant.
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