Report: Ted Cruz could ride Tea Party support to White House [birther trolls stay out! JimRob]

Washington Examiner ^ | NOVEMBER 1, 2013 AT 11:21 AM | PAUL BEDARD

[SoConPubbie]

The friendly fire directed at Sen. Ted Cruz from establishment Republicans is giving the Texan first-in-line status among Tea Party supporters and building a base for him to run for president, according to a new analysis from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

“To the establishment, Cruz is the embodiment of all the forces conspiring to threaten the GOP's long-term viability. And, on a personal level, they also just can't stand Cruz: He drives them crazy,” wrote Kyle Kondik in Center Director Larry Sabato's popular Crystal Ball.

But, added Kondik, the “venom” directed at Cruz, whose effort to defund Obamacare led to a 16-day government shutdown, makes him an oversized hero to Tea Party supporters.

“Not pleasing the establishment is music to the ears of Tea Party activists, and if anything the shutdown has endeared Cruz even more to them. Assuming Cruz mounts a presidential bid in 2016 — he’s headed to South Carolina next week after his Iowa appearance last Friday (hint, hint) — the Tea Party could be a potent base,” he said.

Kondik took note of the Twitter sneers GOP old bulls fired off as Cruz spoke to Iowa Republicans a week ago. “[Mike] Murphy (@murphymike), an alum from John McCain’s rogue 2000 presidential campaign and a "Meet the Press" regular, was one of the establishment Republicans tweeting snark about Cruz during his speech,” he noted.

Murphy tweeted: “Sounds like we got trouble in River City… Good citizens, make your check payable to Cruz Against Soviet Healthcare. Or just ‘CASH’”

And that’s nothing new, said Kondik: “Ever since he’s been elected, we here at the Crystal Ball have heard groaning from Democrats and Republicans alike about how much they dislike Cruz.”

But could Cruz win the nomination in what’s expected to be a crowded field? A big hurdle might be GOP endorsements, typically from the establishment and to establishment candidates like Mitt Romney.

“At this point, it’s hard to imagine Cruz winning much support from party elites, so he’d have to depend on the Tea Party grassroots,” said Kondik, who noted that both parties have detoured with non-establishment candidates in the past and lost — the Republicans in 1964 with Barry Goldwater and Democrats in 1972 with George McGovern.

His bottom line: “Ted Cruz is riding high in some Republican/Tea Party circles precisely because he aggravates many high-ranking members of his own party. But his icy relationship with those party leaders might cause him problems if and when he decides to run for president.”Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.

[Gene Eric]

Cruz/Lee 2016!

[luvie]

He would be awesome! His state would sure miss him, though, even though they probably don’t realize it...or at least the libtards there don’t.

[Gator113]

As you know, I love and support Cruz. I also love that pic, BUT, every time I see that pic, I can’t help but stomp my feet and hear this tune in my head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHV0zs0kVGg

Crank up the sound and listen to the words..... We need him and he needs us.

I also love blues... ;>)

[onyx]

LOLOLOL.
I don’t get the connection, but that’s OKay!

[onyx]

OH wait....yes I do!
The pic itself... sunglasses!

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

the Tea Party could be a potent base,” he said.

COULD be?

[Tennessee Conservative]

Walker?? We can pray!

[tsowellfan]

People that equate Cruz’s parentage and birth with Obama’s parentage and birth don’t understand the law. Birth location is not the issue. By law Cruz’s mother’s American citizenship transferred to Cruz. By law Obama’s mother’s citizenship did not.

EXACTLY! There's no comparison. Ted Cruz is eligible. The demand "Birthers Stay Out" at the end of each title of a Ted Cruz article actually implies that Ted Cruz is in a similar predicament as Obama which is totally false.

Maybe "idiots stay out" would be a better demand?

[Gator113]

Yes!! The Blues Brothers look. LOL

[onyx]

DUH.... I’m sometimes, very s-l-o-w, particularly today...LOL.

[Gator113]

My wife says that a lot... so its ok. LOL

[onyx]

Thank you so much.
:)

[Hostage]

> “His bottom line: “Ted Cruz is riding high in some Republican/Tea Party circles precisely because he aggravates many high-ranking members of his own party. —Paul Bedard”

Well Paul, you’re almost half-smart which is an outlier for the Beltway chattering class.

Yes, our future President does warm our inners when he launches a broadside against the RINO pukes that have stolen the keys to the doors of our party.

But that’s not even half the story. The future President is well-informed and completed when it comes to economic policy, tax reform, foreign policy and our Constitution.

It is safe to say that if Ted Cruz had not uttered even one word against the Beltway parasites, he would stand on policy alone.

> “But his icy relationship with those party leaders might cause him problems if and when he decides to run for president. — Paul Bedard.”

I expected that coming from the likes of you; a thinly veiled threat to fall in line with your masters or else.

I know your comfortable Beltway gravy train lifestyle is on the chopping block when the ‘terrorist’, the ‘pariah’, the ‘anarchist’, the ‘threat to national security’ or whatever you want to call him or how you want to refer to him...

...but frankly my dear I don’t give a damn.

[Baum Threat]

Agreed - let’s go all in with two conservatives Cruz/West 2016

[BigEdLB]

I think that the Senator has plenty of “I told you so...” to help him as far as the Obumacare rollout goes

[PapaNew]

I like Ted Cruz but what’s a “birther” other than someone who wants the POTUS to be a “natural born citizen “ according to Art II Sec 1 of the Constitution?

[SoConPubbie]

I like Ted Cruz but what’s a “birther” other than someone who wants the POTUS to be a “natural born citizen “ according to Art II Sec 1 of the Constitution?

All of us want that.

A Birther is someone, for whatever motivation, good or bad, argues inane, unimportant points on this issue to the distraction of everything, and everyone else.

[PapaNew]

I don’t understand why Obama’s mother’s citizenship wouldn’t transfer to Obama, if in fact she was a U.S. citizen at the time of his birth. Can you elucidate?

[PapaNew]

OK, yes, of course, we agree on the importance of the Constitution.

But the term "birther" was used by the Leftists to try to intimidate those who had legitimate issues with Obama's birth status. The Left, who basically never have a reasonable argument about much of anything, always use intimidation tactics instead. They have always tried to use "birther" as a tool of intimidation against those arguing for legitimate proof of Obama's origins and nationality.

So why do we (we=the good guys, us, the freedom lovers) want to validate their tactics by picking up and use the term, "birther", the way they did/do?

I've always said I'm a "birther" becasue I don't believe Obama has come clean or been willing to show clearly and plainly why he is a natural born citizen. I've been proud to be a birther - I feel like its' a badge of honer when the Leftists label you with a derogatory term that really means you defend the Constitution.

The actual meaning of "natural born citizen" is another story. My take is that, as I think you said, location isn't the issue as many think it is. It's who your birth parents are and if at least one of them is a U.S. citizen at the time of birth. (I'm not so clear on the historical perspective of why it doesn't have to be both parents, however.)

[JJHLH1]

I can see it now. President Cruz