Posted on 12/15/2014 1:36:04 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
To hell with the independents. That’s not usually the animating principle of a presidential campaign, but for Ted Cruz’s, it just might be.
His strategists aren’t planning to make a big play for so-called independent voters in the general election if Cruz wins the Republican nomination. According to several of the senator’s top advisers, Cruz sees a path to victory that relies instead on increasing conservative turnout; attracting votes from groups — including Jews, Hispanics, and Millennials — that have tended to favor Democrats; and, in the words of one Cruz strategist, “not getting killed with independents.”
Twenty-three months from the presidential election, it seems all but a given that the freshman senator, who has been in Congress just two years, will mount a bid for the White House. “He’s looking at the race very seriously,” says a senior adviser, who confirms that Cruz’s campaign headquarters would be based in Houston. Cruz strategists see a way to win both the nomination and the general election. They are assiduously cultivating the party’s top-dollar donors, almost all of whom remain uncommitted. Internally, the senator has shaken up his staff to address problems and to set the stage for a presidential bid. All that’s left, it seems, is an official announcement.
It’s almost conventional wisdom now that presidential candidates woo the party faithful in primary contests and tack to the middle in the general election to attract more-moderate voters. Not Cruz......
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
-—I’m even older and I registered as an independent and have remained so ever since. My choices were lbj or tricky dickie......??? Things have not improved any since then!! I LOVED PRES REAGAN!! Limbaugh throws independents into the same pot as this jerk. I am a radical nutball freedom loving small govt loving GOD loving conservative!!!
The best strategy is not to change what you are to try and pull in voters, but to give them a resonating message so that they will want to come to you.
This is why “big tent” politics usually fails. People will vote for a politician with a clear message they don’t entirely agree with, before they will vote for one with a muddled message, half-catering to them, that they cannot trust.
Good point.
The time is fast approaching and donors are looking around.
Rush would agree (so do I).
It wouldn’t matter who it was. There is a faction here that is determined to keep the pot stirred so as to prevent someone like Cruz from the entire premise of this thread. Namely relying on the base.
It’s what they do. It’s why they are here. They have done this same routine for 3 election cycles and I am only surprised by two things. One, that many can’t see it and Two, that it is allowed to continue.
FR was declared Palin Country and these people went out of their way to thwart Palin. FR has been declared Cruz country and again, we see people going out of their way to thwart Cruz.
We can either get on the same page or not folks. Today they tell you there’s time to see other options. in 16 these same people will again, as they did before, tell you there is no time and we should have coalesced after the last election. And they will tell you to get behind the RINO again, because Hillary/Warren is worse again and then cost a conservative like Cruz the election again.
It is what they do. It is why they are here. Haven’t we had enough of liberalsim everywhere else? Do we need to play games with them here too?
That is what the Democrats Do, they go out and make sure they have their Crazy San Fransisco Base in their pocket, THEN go out and get the Low Information Voter types.
Not Necessarily your REPUBLICAN Base, but your Conservative One, That is truly reaching across party lines.
“...Wouldn’t rally the base and independents leaning your way make more sense? I consider myself an independent, for instance. I’m easily rallied.”
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Just out of curiosity, you consider yourself “independent” of what?
I’m not pledged to a party. I think that’s the standard definition of an independent voter.
“I’m not pledged to a party. I think that’s the standard definition of an independent voter.”
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Well, a communist not registered as a member of a party would be an “independent voter” in your definition. Are you a constitutional conservative? Would Ted Cruz be your “cup of tea”?
Cruz is one of very few politicians in DC today that articulate a clear and truly conservative viewpoint. Extra-bonus; he has eschewed the construct of the caucus and the temptation to fall into party line for promise of a better office and committee assignment.
Ground Hog Day.
It’s impossible for elites (R or D) to label Cruz stupid - mean-spirited will have to suffice for now.
The smartest thing conservatives pols could do is renounce the GOP, go indy and then watch the flood of support. Because even before the current mess even happened, there were plenty of people willing to support cnservative candidates but would not tough anyone on the GOP ticket.
We mow see what they saw. A fraudulent party in touch with itself and the left.
The RINOs will never vote Cruz. The liberals (but I repeat myself) will never vote Cruz. But plenty of folks would if he didn’t come with the GOP strings attached. Not that he will play ball with their BS, because he won’t. But the party is an albatross. The Dems marginalized it unfairly and then the lesser evil crowd took command and ensured it was filled with non conservatives pols that believe in nothing we do. They fulfilled the Dem prophecy.
There are perhaps 10 people in the GOP worth voting for. That we can trust to most often do the right thing. They need to leave. We will vote for them in or out of the party because they share our values. More would join us if they left than if they stay.
By using your logic, the Democratic Party should go 3rd party.
Think that is going to happen?
Your plan will elect Hillary (like it did Bill, twice).
Cruz WILL win if he runs, he is an articulate speaker he KNOWS how to get a message of freedom, and the danger of BIG government out in simple LIV language!!!! He also speaks Spanish another HUGE advantage for the LIV’s!!!!!! Our BIGGEST problem is the MSM I sincerely hope there are NO SKELETONS in his closet of ANY kind!!!! I personally would like to see a Walker/Cruz ticket however I don’t think Walker has the communication skills needed, but boy he sure has the COURAGE needed!!!!!!!
Not the Libertarians nor the Conservatives, but the fence riding no party middle of the road moderates. You know, the dimwits.
By now most all of them have witnessed the destruction of the communist left, and have shifted hard right! There is no middle anymore. Just wrong and right.
I consider myself a constitutional conservative. Have not yet decided whether Cruz is my guy.
Why the questions? Do you consider only people who agree with you to be independents?
Are you aware that people you would probably consider worth of the title of “constitutional conservative” are a great deal less than a majority? I consider that fact unfortunate, but that doesn’t make it less of a fact. To win a national election, constitutional conservatives must ally with others who are less focused on honoring the Constitution.
His strategists aren’t planning to make a big play for so-called independent voters”
Oh, yes, they are. Because most of the independents they are identifying are conservatives who refuse to say they are Republican (and for good reason)
“I consider myself a constitutional conservative. Have not yet decided whether Cruz is my guy....”
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It’s good that you’re a constitutional conservative. Since that is what Ted Cruz is also you’ll certainly come around to support him assuming you’re not lacking in discernment.
Those of us who support Ted Cruz have noticed a number of folks rising up to take veiled shots at him. Cruz KNOWS what he is doing and has a well thought out plan.
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