Posted on 04/13/2016 4:14:08 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Light on drama, heavy on message.
Californians are thrilled at the prospect of having their votes actually matter during the presidential primary season, especially when every delegate is critical.
So many Republicans in the southern California area headed to various rallies yesterday to see aspirant Senator Ted Cruz. I joined two of our local Tea Party bloggers (W.C. Varones and Left Coast Rebel) and 2000 other interested voters at his San Diego event yesterday.
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Both of my Tea Party compatriots are unhappy with the thought of Donald Trump’s nomination. However, they had reservations about the Cruz style of speaking, and whether he could put a “human touch” on his policy proposals. Both were pleasantly surprised by the Texas Senator’s speech, rich in humor and insights on his platform of “Jobs, Freedom, Security.”
I must admit, my favorite portion of the speech was when he talked about dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency. However, the proposal to go to a flat tax and jettison the Internal Revenue Service was a very close second.
Having the quintessential Tea Party presidential candidate shutter the IRS would be a dream-come-true.
However, Cruz still needs to win the Republican nomination. To do so, he is going to have to face a gauntlet of Trump supporters. About two dozen protesters, a blend of Trumpsters and the usual progressive suspects, were stationed in front of the Town and Country Conference Center, expressing their disdain.
I was curious to see if the Craigslist hire-a-mob gang would show up, or of there would be any #BlackLivesMatter drama. There was an interruption about half-way through Cruz’ address, but I couldn’t determine which set of nuts had been unleashed. Someone who had a vantage point had this to report:
[Cruz] didn’t hear what was shouted, but the 45-year-old Tea Party favorite responded to the crowd’s drown-out chants of “Ted Cruz, Ted Cruz” by saying: “Apparently there’s a Bernie Sanders rally outside. By the way, you know the easiest way to clear out a Bernie Sanders rally? Just tell them they’ve gotta get a job.”
Vanessa Murguiax, working for I Heart Radio and a Carl DeMaio KOGO show, said she and a colleague saw a group of one man and four women yelling “Undocumented, undocumented” before leaving of their own accord.
Talking to the participants prior to the speech, several of the attendees were undecided between Trump and Cruz. I chatted with a couple in line, and the husband said he came to “get the measure of the man.” While he was impressed with Trump’s leadership skills and willingness to battle race-baiters, he wasn’t sure about the depth of his conservatism.
The wife had nothing but contempt for the Trump style, calling him “rude.”
I also talked with an avid Cruz supporter, Rebecca. She has been a fan of the Senator since the start of his campaign.
“What impresses me about Cruz the most is how he has acted as Senator,” she explained. “There were many who came in as Tea Party, but they fell away, one-by-one. Cruz has been the most consistent, the most willing to directly challenge the establishment. I feel that I know who I am voting for, and that he is a great strategist who can figure out how to get what needs to be done actually done.”
In fact, the Cruz strategy of working on the delegate counts and developing robust state organizations shows that long-term planning and strategic thinking.
At this point, Cruz as well as many parts of the GOP establishment aren’t trying so much to clinch Cruz the nominee as deny it to Trump.
If they’re successful, in most cases after the first round of voting at the convention Trump’s pledged supporters can change their vote to other candidates. Cruz has been working the states to find delegates who, if they must go for Trump at the outset, will back him in subsequent convention votes.
The crowd who listened to the speech was very diverse, in terms of age and ethnicity. Once fascinating moment came when I observed members of the local press try to interview every non-white person in line, skipping over those who didn’t meet their racial template.
Yes, the press has a gift of making everything about race, which has been honed to perfection during the nearly eight years of Obama’s “Reign of Error.”
The success of Cruz in connecting with people during the rally was shown by observing the young son of one of my fellow bloggers. He listened intently during the entire address, and was clearly excited that dad was going to vote for Cruz after.
Out of the mouth of babes!
The “official” GOP site doesn’t claim that their delegate count is official. in fact the page says, “Delegate totals are estimated and subject to change as vote totals are updated and counted throughout the process.”
Let’s see what some of the others say:
RCP: Trump 755, Cruz 545
Bloomberg: Trump 743, Cruz 545
Politico: Trump 743, Cruz 545
So the consensus seems to have Cruz at 545, with Trump somewhere between 743 and 755.
There are 769 delegates left between now and June 7th, but only 715 of those are bound delegates.
So even giving Trump the benefit of the doubt at 755, he needs 67.4% of the remaining bound delegates to get to 1237.
Kasich and Cruz need to combine for a total of 233 bound delegates to force an open convention, or 33%.
I am going to happily pull the lever for Cruz just to do my part in preventing Trump from getting 1,237 delegates. #NeverTrump”
I am sure you will be proud and happy that you help elect President Hillary Rodham Clinton.
I was there, and this description is pretty accurate. The crowd loved the points Cruz made, but I don’t think they’re in love with his style.
“I’m definitely in this group. Usually by the time it gets here, the nomination is a foregone conclusion. I am going to happily pull the lever for Cruz just to do my part in preventing Trump from getting 1,237 delegates.”
Same here.
Yeah, imagine Trump’s naivete thinking he needed actual voters
Like 8 million of them
Silenced by rule giving selection power to a few dozen true party geeks winning free trips from Ted
Sounds like a good time for All
In San Diego !
Trump will rent
Charger Stadium!
/////People like you are not happy, but are actually very bitter, nasty people, due to low testosterone. Once you vote for Trump, however, joy will fill your soul and your testosterone levels will shoot right up.
You are plain nasty. You raise the level of the conversation considerably./s Do you ever mention policy or other attributes, or only bash Cruz and his supporters? What you say does not even make sense. I guess you realize you will not change any minds here?
Why do you have to insult someone because they don’t support your boy? WTF? Are you a 15 year old pimpled russian kid? You just joined FR and here you are insulting someone who has been conservative since before you were an idea in your father’s head. I bet you can’t even vote too young and stupid by the comments you post.
"NeverTrumpers" publicly proclaiming their desire to vote against the front runner for the sole purpose of denying him the nomination and not because they think their guy can win fair and square, are the scum of the Earth.
I think you're due for another opus. Your last one was not hysterical enough:
"You are all freaking low class jerks. The Heidi thread has been pulled multiple times. Free Republic has become trump derangement central. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A BUNCH OF CONSERVATIVES SO PICKY, PETTY AND STUPID - STUPID FREAKING LOSERS YOU DAMN DEFEND TRUMP AS IF HE WERE A FREAKING BABY BECAUSE HE IS! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3390867/posts?page=736
So when Bill Clinton talked Donald Trump into running for President, it was so that Trump would beat Hillary?
65% or more do not support your boy. Whether that is spread over 16 other candidates, 8 candidates or 2 other candidates. if they coalesce around another candidate other than your boy, then he loses and another wins. Go back to Lincoln, Eisenhower, Ford. 150 years of tradition to nominate a candidate and now your boy thinks he is entitled. Your boy in case you forgot was always a democrat and all these Republican rules are all new to him. Think about it. You are supporting a f’en democrat!!!
Well, thanks for outing yourself as a liar. It's clear you weren't mad at me for bashing the NeverTrumper due to being "uncalled" for, but because you're a NeverTrumper yourself.
As for your argument, Trump's support nationwide fluctuates between 42 to 56 percent, depending on the poll. Even exit polls in Wisconsin showed a majority supporting whoever gets the most delegates to win, and not the 1237 mark. Trump will likely increase his lead by a few million voters over the next six states as well, probably surpassing Romney's total popular vote (he is only about 1.5 million short) and maybe Bush's as well.
California allows voters to vote. Colorado didn’t. Big difference for trump!
If you dish it you must take it!
I also backed Perry. Trump was my third option out of seventeen
Amnesty Perry was your second option? Your IQ must be extraordinarily low.
Sent home’ They are both in the CNN town hall live at the moment.
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