With respect, Johnny, you are mistaken in two ways: 1) I and a lot on FR know the dif between rhetoric and substance. We're looking for a REAL win, not pinning our hopes on winning via a nomination via the same party operating on the same protocol that nominated hated leftist functional Democrat Republicans the last TWO TIMES. Already, EVERYTHING is lining up for it to happen again in 2016.
Is it mere "rhetoric" to hope/suggest that Cruz goes on OFFENSE and declares himself free of Republican limits and deceits, instead of staying on defense, where he cannot "speak ill of another Republican" in order to connect with Americans sick of the Uniparty garbage and functional Democrat "Republicans" of '08 and '12?
2) YOU are an example of how rhetoric -- writing and opining on FR -- is a GOOD and concrete thing. It isn't because you donated money to a candidate that you've swayed hearts and minds. Johnny, every single candidate I've ever donated to has LOST except for Scott Brown vs. Kennedy's seat way back when, and look what THAT "Republican" did in return. Had I known, I'd have sent my money to FR instead of to him. Nonetheless, your constant harping that one basically isn't worth spit unless on puts money in place of mouth, is CORRECT and having its affect on folks who respect you. What you call mere rhetoric is accomplishing it. I donate $$ to FR, often more than I can really afford, so guys like you can contribute such truly valuable "rhetoric."
Johnny, it's highly unlikely Cruz is going to get the GOP nomination even if 75 percent of Republicans want him -- look at '08 and '12. I'm saying that going on offense -- anticipating now that trying to get the nomination through the Republican primaries, recognizing now how throwing off the restrictions of being "Republican" means that Cruz can rightly and frankly criticize moderate and leftist Republicans without being accused of breaking Reagan's 11th commandment, is an option and possibly a very good one, that things are shaping up more and more that it is.
Where does that come from? I don't expect the 'conventional wisdom' of the last few elections to apply this time. Too many conservatives are too angry.
I'm certainly not hating on anyone that disagrees with me, I just don't believe that 'conventional wisdom' will win out this election.
And yes, I do consider what I do here on FR to be mere rhetoric, not amounting to a hill of beans unless I'm actively organizing some group against gun control or getting rid of Dewhurst (we did get rid of Dewhurst).
For me, anything on FR is just rhetoric that doesn't mean much on the ground game until something gets organized.
/johnny