Posted on 04/01/2016 9:46:55 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
MILWAUKEE — In her Wisconsin debut as a Donald Trump surrogate, Sarah Palin was met with tepid applause and stone-faced silence Friday night at a Milwaukee County Republican gathering.
In contrast, the 750 Republicans at American Serb Hall cheered enthusiastically for Sen. Ted Cruz, who was introduced by Gov. Scott Walker and talk radio host Vicki McKenna.
The contrasting receptions illustrated why the Texas senator has surged past the real estate mogul and reality TV celebrity in the latest polls, especially in southeastern Wisconsin.
Palin opened with a call for unity among the candidates in supporting former Green Bay Packer offensive lineman Jerry Kramer’s induction into the NFL hall of fame, a joke that mostly fell flat. Her free-flowing, seemingly stream-of-consciousness speech from prepared notes criticized crony capitalists on Wall Street for profiting from open borders, free trade and military intervention while regular people suffer.
“The establishment’s interest runs counter to the interests of the people,” Palin said. “Common sense is an endangered species in Washington.”
Palin said Trump is the only candidate who creates jobs, balances budgets, builds “big things” and “understands this reality.”
After Palin, McKenna, who Trump hung up on during an intense interview earlier in the week, fired up the crowd by slamming Trump’s criticisms of Walker and the Wisconsin economy.
“Governor Walker is the single most substantive governor in the history of this state,” McKenna said. “I am tired of people coming into my state and telling me how bad it is.”
Walker then introduced Cruz as a candidate who would bring to Washington the same “common sense conservative leadership” that Walker brought to Wisconsin.
Palin was the second featured speaker after Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who had a small contingent of supporters in the crowd and was introduced by former Gov. Tommy Thompson.
Kasich noted that recent polls have shown 38 percent of voters in the state don’t know enough about him to form an opinion.
“I guess that’s what happens when you’re positive all the time and don’t enter a demolition derby,” Kasich said.
Palin is also scheduled to join Trump at town hall events in Racine and Rothschild on Saturday. Palin will also participate in a solo meet-and-greet event in Marathon City on Sunday afternoon.
The former Alaska governor’s past visits to Wisconsin include a 2013 book signing at a Wausau Wal-Mart and a 2011 tax day rally in Madison, where she defended Walker’s controversial changes to public sector collective bargaining.
“Your governor did the right thing, and you won,” Palin said in 2011. “Your beautiful state won.”
This week, after Walker endorsed Cruz, Trump laid into Walker for the performance of Wisconsin’s economy, telling hundreds of supporters in Janesville “he’s not doing a great job.”
Milwaukee County has become Cruz country as conservative talk radio has aligned against the real estate mogul and reality TV celebrity and behind the first-term senator. The latest Marquette Law School Poll found Cruz leading Trump 53-15 in Milwaukee County. Kasich came in second with 22 percent support.
Attendees at Friday night’s event said the vast majority of the crowd were Cruz supporters, which was borne out by the response to the speakers.
Among the Cruz supporters was Christina Bauman, 53, a registered nurse from Waukesha who said Republicans in Wisconsin are supporting Cruz because “we are ground zero for conservatism.”
“People are just fed up,” Bauman said. “We want results.”
Warren Matson, 57, a Realtor from West Allis, said he is undecided, but has been leaning toward Trump after Ben Carson dropped out of the race. However, Trump’s gaffes over the past week, such as reversing a statement that women who receive abortions should be punished if abortion were to become illegal, have raised doubts about Trump. Matson’s wife Maggie is supporting Cruz.
“We may need marriage counseling after this if I vote for Trump, and I almost want to do it,” Matson said, adding the way the Republican establishment has moved to stop Trump illustrates how “he isn’t beholden to anyone.”
Michael Willner, a cable CEO from New York, traveled to Wisconsin Friday to volunteer for Kasich.
“He has a fabulous record,” Willner said. “He really was the Republican architect of the last balanced budget this country has had.”
His assessment for why Kasich hasn’t caught fire in Wisconsin, a purple state, is because it is less moderate than states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania and more divided between conservatives and liberals.
Thomas Kroon, 50, a truck driver from Oak Creek, said he supported Walker for president, then Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and now Cruz. He said the antipathy toward Trump among many Wisconsin voters is driven by how he distorted Walker’s record during last August’s Republican debate.
“There’s nothing about Trump that’s conservative,” Kroon said.
Kroon also knocked Kasich for taking federal money as part of a Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, something Walker has resisted.
“Kasich wants to keep everything the way it is,” Kroon said. “We need bold changes at this point.”
“... we want results...” and she turns to Cruz, hilarious stuff. Talk about clueless.
If you mean he’s appealing to the libtards here you’re right. At his rally in Janesville where I lived for 28 years when he first mentioned Walker’s name the crowd booed. Who do you think made up that crowd?
title of thread don’t match content of article
I’m a long time Bears season ticket holder and hate to admit another damn Packer to the HoF but have to agree that this was long overdue.
I hear Mr. Palin, her husband, is doing well enough to leave the hospital. They probably will still have a nurse or physical therapist visit the home for a year or two.
I wish him luck. One day, we will find out what happened. Maybe Todd just hit a tree or hit something that fell down on him.
Paul Ryan country. No big surprise
Not only Paul Ryan country...
It is Governor Walker Country and as we know, Governor walker got money from Ted Cruz supporters for his attack on Trump when he suspended and his future endorsement.
Also RNC Chairman Reince Preibus is from Kenosha, WI, and is very tight with Ryan and Walker.
Voters made up that crowd.... Remember Romney and Ryan started this 'stop-trump' vendetta. Walker is part of Romney/Ryan/and the 'prince' of the GOPe... When the Romney/Cruz packs decided to abuse Trump's wife for votes the gloves have come off. Whether you like it or not Wisconsin is the heart of the GOPe of the Romney/Ryan/'prince' cabal.
I knew it.
I guess you are going to pretend that the Reuters rolling average showing Trump increasing and Cruz decreasing is invalid.
The real downfall came on Super Tuesday when the full dimension of Cruz’s disastrous campaign was revealed by his losing EVERY southern state. It was over then and NOTHING that has happened since then has changed that.
Not even joining the Democratmedia liars in lockstep has reversed his massive defeat or given him a chance to challenge the numbers crushing his chances. He will enter into a series of can’t win major states after Wis. so, even assuming, that he gains five or six delegates there, he is still dead meat.
What did you know?
Walker was my first choice for the Presidency and my son and daughter-in-law worked for his campaign.
But it was a huge mistake to throw himself in front of the Trump train in support of a man who has NO chance. He should have just stfu if he could not support Trump. That showed me a flawed judgment about reality. And I am sure the GOPe did nothing for him when he was in battle, except urge him to surrender for the sake of comity.
He should have seen that Trump is a fighter and do’er as is he which is exactly what the situation cries out for.
This link is an interesting read... fills in much of the background of present day GOPe.
I only watched the short clip provided at the link. It probably is online somewhere. I’ll let you know if I come across it.
For people who weren’t fans, there were sure a lot of cameras out taking Palin’s pic.
Cruz is a globalist, he supported legalization for illegals, he handed out Teddy Bears and soccer balls to illegals as they crossed our Southern border. He cheer leaded for TPA/TPP in the Senate writting an op-ed urging Congress to pass TPA/TPP. His wife Heidi helped write the CFR plan to replace the USA with a North American Union. Most of his funded comes from the globalist Club for Growth.
One would have to be deliberately blind not to see that Ted Cruz is a globalist thru and thru. He is a globalist, funded by globalist and backed by globalist. Just look at all the globalist that have endorsed Ted. Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Lindsey Gram, Paul Ryan, etc, etc, etc.
There is nothing ‘conservative’ about Cruz’s VAT tax... Cruz is an empty slate when it comes to tax policy... But his wife Heidi was educated in Europe where the European Union is run under a VAT tax... There is no possible reason to install a VAT tax in a sovereign United States... A VAT tax is only applicable to a North American Union. Few ever question Cruz’s purpose for a VAT tax.
I lived in Wisco for 10 years before moving back to Illinois...I followed Wisconsin politics after I moved. Governor Walker is very popular.
Too bad the residents of Wisconsin are either unaware or don’t care that Governor has now gone GOPe and cheap labor express.
They probably are also unaware of the governor’s campaign debt payments by Cruz asking his supporters to donate to Walker.
Another piece of the puzzel falls into place. Thanks I did not know that.
I remember back when Clinton/algore were promoting a VAT tax and the 'conservatives' were adamantly opposed... Today these same so called 'conservatives' completely and totally ignore Cruz's VAT tax proposal. There is NO plausible cause to create a VAT tax in a sovereign USA.
Palin is too good looking to be in Cruz country. Cruzbots know that he is helpless around the ladies and want to protect him.
And what would that ambitious vision be?
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