Posted on 07/01/2014 9:48:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Two Texans may be vying for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016: Sen. Ted Cruz and Governor Rick Perry.
Cruz overwhelmingly won the Texas GOP 2016 convention straw poll, confirming his position as the conservative grassroots candidate. He fires up crowds unlike any other politician today, and the power of motivating voters and volunteers should not be underestimated.
But will he run in 2016? The signs point to yes.
One of his staffers left his office to start a committee to draft him into running. He has visited the early states and spent many weekends during his first 18 months in office raising money for important GOP state and county party organizations. He regularly wins straw polls and is a top fundraising draw across the country.
There is very little downside to Cruz running in 2016. He doesn't face reelection in Texas until 2018. It is clear he is unlikely to work his way up in the U.S. Senate. The longer he stays there, the more he becomes a creature of Washington.
While Cruz's star is rising nationally, the outgoing Perry has been working to rehabilitate his image, by reintroducing himself, demonstrating that he is better prepared to run for President than he was in 2012, and aggressively promoting red state policies in comparison to those in blue states.
Last time he hastily jumped in, unprepared, immediately after serious back surgery. Now, he is building up, and the most powerful advantage he will have is low expectations. The media loves a comeback.
Perry was vetted last time, so old news will be stale. Yes, he will have to acquit himself very well during the presidential debates, but there will be fewer than last time, they will be more controlled, and he will be better prepared.
So can Cruz or Perry win the Republican nomination in 2016?
For Cruz, he will have to vanquish conservative challenger Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Sen. Paul has overlapping support with Cruz, and if they both run, they will weaken each other. Sen. Paul is up for reelection in 2016, and so far, has been unable to pass legislation at the state level that would allow him to simultaneously seek both offices, as Vice President Joe Biden did in 2008.
Cruz would need to win several early states to unite the conservative movement behind him. The Republican establishment is scared to death of Cruz as the nominee, because he does not cater to them, he puts conservative principles first, and they believe he is unelectable in a general election.
There is no question that Cruz can win Iowa. He can also win South Carolina. If he wins those two states, he will be one of the two final candidates.
He will need to demonstrate not just that he opposes the Obama agenda, but that he has a positive platform of his own for the future of the country. He will need to somehow assuage concerns about his electability. His ability to withstand attacks may be the most important factor, should he run.
Perry also has a path, although it is narrower.
Generally, conservative elites prefer Governors to Senators, and Perry's executive record of accomplishment is significant.
The space that Perry occupies in the 2016 field is as the electable conservative. To be able to make that argument, he will need to first survive Iowa.
How many tickets are there out of Iowa? Three, maybe four.
Should he survive Iowa, he can win South Carolina too - which would be a must win for him.
Perry could be a finalist for the nomination, and the Republican establishment may eventually rally around him as the kind of candidate that could stop Cruz or Paul from being the nominee.
Keep your eyes on Ted Cruz and Rick Perry. They have as good a chance as anyone of being the Republican nominee for President in 2016.
Ted Cruz.
I’d select Cruz for Attorney General....not President.
I’d rather have Cruz on the Supreme Court.
Yeah, that’s a good choice.
The reason I would select Cruz is that he’s not afraid of the left. He’s not dismayed or cowed by anything the left does or says. What the left does and says does not change what he believes.
HE IS FEARLESS. He has a steel spine; he’s a God worshiping, America loving patriot.
First, I did not say anything about my desire for NBC to mean 2 parents. I stated what is clearly NOT a natural born citizen.
I also noticed you dodged the question so I will ask again. Would a person born in Saudi Arabia and raised under sharia law be considered a Natural born citizen if the father was a US citizen? Do you think this was the founders intent when they wrote the NBC requirement? (Keep in mind this could mean the child was fathered by a one night stand with a mother he knew nothing about)
Last I will fully retort your statement of "there is no constitutional authority that backs up my opinion". The fact is the Constitution itself backs my opinion as it clearly states you must be a Natural Born Citizen.
Ted Cruz was born in a foreign country to only one US citizen parent. There is simply no logical way this would meet the definition of NBC.
Just wow.
lol! Ouch!
I have never spoken to him but I have heard him speak. The man is an embarrassment.
Perry can’t be VP....Pres and VP cannot be from same state.
RE: La Raza Rick Perry
Do you know what Ted Cruz’s policy is regarding how to solve the problem of illegal immigration?
“Cuz, y’know, Cruz is more needed in the Senate than as President !” =Perrybot talking point=
My reaction too!
in-state tuition!
Can’t be heartless and send them home now, can we?
You keep saying that, I along with many others disagree. The issue on this forum is dead because Jim has endorsed Cruz, so I no longer argue the issue, there is nothing to be gained, unless these threads are just honeypots to attract those that disagree with you into committing a ZOT offense.
In any case, unless she converts to Islam, I will write in Sarah Palin for President no matter who is on the ballot.
Cruz's policy in the short term is to defeat the liberal/Republican elite plan to grant amnesty to these lawbreakers. People like La Raza Rick Perry, Karl Rove et al are part of the problem and thus, are far from being the solution. Cruz opposes that, which should earn him the support of all conservatives.
So what is La Raza Rick’s policy...to continue giving taxpayer-subsidized handouts to ILLEGAL aliens and labeling as “heartless” conservatives who doesn't agree?
On the issue of illegal immigration Perry's pro-ILLEGAL alien record precludes him from any serious consideration.
Perry is a good choice for RINO dream ticket. Perry and Christie.
Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.