Ted Cruz Is Beating Rand Paul in the Tea Party Primary

The Atlantic ^ | Apr 14 2014, 2:51 PM ET | Molly Ball

[SoConPubbie]

The two men's presidential hopes rest on appeals to the right-wing grassroots—and those voters seem to prefer Cruz.

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Rand Paul has been methodically planning his run for president. Now Ted Cruz could come along and spoil the whole thing.

Both senators have a path to the Republican nomination that rests on the support of the Tea Party. And when forced to choose, that segment appears to prefer Cruz, whose speech to an activists' gathering here over the weekend was the more enthusiastically received of the two.

Saturday's Freedom Summit, billed as an early audition for potential 2016 candidates, provided a rare opportunity for right-wing activists to directly compare the Texan and the Kentuckian. The senators spoke practically back to back, and the crowd clearly loved them both. But Cruz's theatrical delivery wowed them more than Paul's comparatively cerebral appeal, and his rhetorical focus on conservative red meat found more favor than Paul's detours into libertarian concerns.

"I like Rand Paul, I agree with a lot of what he says, but as far as charismatic leadership, I've got to go with Ted Cruz," Robin Parkhurst, a state-government worker from Newbury, New Hampshire, said after hearing both men speak at the event. "Ted Cruz has the ability to deliver a message that resonates with people."

Parkhurst was one of several at the summit to echo that sentiment. It was a dramatic demonstration of a dynamic political watchers have speculated about—Cruz's ability to steal Paul's thunder if both seek the 2016 GOP nomination.

And seeking the nomination is something both men seem inclined to pursue. Both headlined weekend events with the New Hampshire Republican Party in addition to appearing at the summit, which was sponsored by Citizens United and Americans for Prosperity. (Yes, the Supreme Court plaintiff that helped deregulate

[SoConPubbie]

	"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz Ping!

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Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

[Regulator]

Not surprising.

Cruz is the real thing.

Rand’s way better then a lotta people but...we know he’s hedging on some things.

Cruz...WYSIWYG.

[nhwingut]

I like them both. But Cruz is more the traditional Reagan conservative. Not sure I could trust Paul on military and foreign affairs.

[Cruz_West_Paul2016]

i have an idea,lets just have a co-president thing!,whether its a paul/cruz or cruz/paul ticket,one will be president Monday thru Thursday,and the other will be President,Fri.Sat.Sun. and when both are out of town,White House Chef Chris Christie can work the oval office.

[Jim Robinson]

Go, Cruz, GO!!

[jazusamo]

Go Ted Cruz!

[Sirius Lee]

Ditto...

[Ditter]

Go and read the comments to this piece ...... or don’t if you don’t want to get depressed.

[2ndDivisionVet]

That didn’t work for Ronald Reagan/Gerald Ford and it won’t work now. We’re you aware that that was proposed in 1980?

[Cruz_West_Paul2016]

yes! funny u brought this up,I can still remember the night it was on the news (i was just a teen then),but yes,even down to what i heard coming from the TV,something about Ford would accept the deal so long as he saw it as a co-presidency.that would of been such a great ticket! I loved Ford! he was so cool.

[VRWC For Truth]

Shamnesty Paulista went RINO fat boi NJ.

[Cruz_West_Paul2016]

actually it would be a bad idea.it would be like Bush/Cheney all over again.we need two Presidents! Unlike now when we don’t have any.

[Michigan Bowhunter]

I was able to see the “Spawn of Ron” on Mackinac Island last year speak right after Bobby Jindal. Jindal made “Spawn” look like silly string at a party......gone in 30 seconds. There are stronger candidates than Paul. Primary season will be fun.

[laffnatu]

Awesome!

[kitkat]

CRUZ TO VICTORY.

[Cyber Liberty]

Primary? There’s a Primary? Who knew?

[samtheman]

I also prefer Cruz to Paul.

[yldstrk]

Cruz has it. Rand gets it from polls.

[Signalman]

Ted Cruz will be the next President. It will be 1980 again.