Posted on 03/01/2015 8:02:47 AM PST by SoConPubbie
“PALM BEACH, Fla. — In a wide-ranging speech to the Club for Growth winter meeting Friday night, Sen. Ted Cruz looked back on his 2013 crusade to defund Obamacare — an effort that consumed Washington, led to bitter Republican party infighting, and resulted in a partial government shutdown — and concluded it was a fight he probably never could have won. "Is it likely we would have altogether defunded Obamacare then?" the Texas Republican said. "Probably not. That would have taken an almost perfect storm. I was never Pollyannaish about the political factors it would take for that to happen.” - See more at: https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2015/02/no-change-in-ted-cruz-2013-story#sthash.NMdDxSkS.dpuf
This was then tweeted by York, as if it were some kind of confession that Cruz all along knew the shutdown was futile and was just grandstanding to the base.
Link: Ted Cruz: Obamacare defunding fight 'probably' wasn't winnable. http://t.co/EL5q3MVqVV— Byron York (@ByronYork) February 28, 2015
That tweet has gone viral, retweeted by Dana Perino among others.
Jeffrey Lord (another person I deeply admire) explains why this is a bogus point at Conservative Review:
In October of 2013, Senator Cruz, along with Donald Trump, was a headliner of The American Spectator’s annual dinner in Washington. I was there, introducing Trump from the podium, and took note of Senator Cruz and his battle. Mr. Cruz’s talk was taped and is found here.
The Texas senator made it abundantly clear that the shutdown wasn’t winnable because in fact the Senate Republicans “dive bombed” the GOP House that voted to defund Obamacare. Cruz was quite specific, saying that the strategy was as follows:
- Mobilize the grassroots.
- The House would vote to defund Obamacare
- Senate Republicans would then unite with House Republicans. And then…
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
They KNOW if he takes hold with the public we may have another “Reagan” landslide in terms of voter response.
Do you realize that was Ted’s FIRST and ONLY election? He was a relative unknown except to Texas TEA.
All I read on FR was how uninspiring and unloved Mediocre Mitt was, which I totally agree with. To finish BEHIND Mediocre Mitt in percentage of the state vote seems like a problem to me.
I would choose Cruz as my President. However, you bring up something that soothes my heart since even at CPAC he could only get 11% at the stupid straw poll. If he runs, and loses, he will become at the very least even more valuable as a public spokesman for Hillary’s opposition (or Bush’s opposition, really!) and this will enable him at least to spread the word of what constitutional conservatism means.
Remind me of how Ted Cruz could stop the enforcement of Gay Marriage? Oh, again, nothing.
Besides, Walker has talked one way or another on immigration, that's to be watched but it wasn't direct legislation and at least he has a track record that is more than 2 years of what can be opportunistic talk.
Given this recent instability when it comes to the fidelity to conservative causes and policies, he is a distant 2nd to Cruz and his rock-solid fidelity to conservative causes, and policies.
Cruz can talk all he wants over basically a 2 year track record and no concrete accomplishments. Walker is 19% to 20% Cruz in Texas itself. So be content with your analysis.
With McConnell in charge of the Senate Cruz is wasted. We need him in the White House.
Right now we need a leader in the White House with the eloquence to clearly define conservative goals and the leadership ability to rally the base behind him. Walker is a good conservative but I don’t think he has the ability to lead like Cruz has. That’s why Cruz is my choice.
Plus weren't you a Santorum supporter in 2012? I'll take your "worry" with a grain of salt.
As I’ve explained before, John Cornyn got 59% in his primary run against two TEA candidates. There’s a lot of RINO-voting Texans, but we’re slowly breaking their habits, as evidenced by our new leadership. I’m hoping at least half or 2/3 of our current US Reps get successfully primaried next go-around.
So who were you for in 2012?
Let's see, Santorum won the popular vote in primaries in Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, Tennessee and the early strawvote in South Carolina.
Maybe a candidate is not perfect but one has to vote nonetheless.
Primaries or Caucauses, whatever system was in place.
” John Cornyn got 59% in his primary run against two TEA candidates”
Those two bozos who primaried John Wayne McCornyn - He is just like one of us - were NOT TEA. The East Texas congressman raised NO Money and did NOT campaign.
John Wayne McCornyn still only managed 59% in a Republican primary
Did you sign onto FR last week just to keep anti-Walker sentiment brewing ?
That’s my point... too many Texans are still voting RINO, but we’re slowly turning that around.
Steve Stockman is TEA and Dwayne Stovall got TEA support all over the state.
I think they came after Cruz because they found out one of the biggest funders at that meeting was openly stating that he “really like Cruz”.
WoW .. the GOPe can’t allow that ..!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas,_2012
56.46% of the vote
Mediocre Mitt got 57.17
Equivalent numbers in Wisconsin were 53.1/45.89
Plus weren't you a Santorum supporter in 2012?
It's that secret Knights of Columbus handshake that does it.
The only candidate worthy to be President is Ted Cruz. Walker is a moderate Republican, not a conservative. This is why he appeals to so many purple people in Wisconsin, some red, some blue. But his pandering to the Chamber of Amnesty is not a conservative activity that should be ignored, by me, by you, or anybody else who claims he is a conservative. If you are anti-immigration like I am, you would realize this, because the facts are there, on the record, for all to discern.
It’s the RINOS who refuse to side with him. Conservatives know this. Do you?
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