Free Republic

Thursday's latest endorsement for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was a two-for-one deal for the Republican presidential candidate's campaign. In South Carolina, where Republican voters will make their choice for their party's presidential nomination a week from Saturday, there are two major voting blocs. Christian conservatives make up one, while active-duty military and veterans make up the other. U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin (ret.) bridges both groups. He retired after 36 years in the military, and is also an ordained with a passion for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, as of Thursday afternoon, he was firmly with the...

In a few weeks' time, it's possible that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz will steamroll their way through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and dominate the so-called "SEC Primary" -- the collection of 13 mostly Southern states that will vote on March 1 -- horrifying many GOP elected officials and depriving any other candidate of a night to celebrate. Yet even if that happens, it's still possible that Marco Rubio (or another more establishment-friendly candidate) could end up with the nomination, thanks to quirks of the GOP's complex delegate math. The GOP's primary calendar is surprisingly front-loaded with states...

Richard Viguerie and Bobby Jindal have both referred to the Republican Party as the “Party of Stupid” and they’re correct. There are times the GOP can’t get out of its own way when it comes to alienating voters or just being plain petty towards dissent. House Speaker John Boehner has wrongly kicked conservative and libertarian Republican Congressmen from committees, while Jason Chaffetz briefly removed Mark Meadows from a committee in June. The American Conservative Union wouldn’t allow the Log Cabin Republicans into CPAC this year, until inviting LCR Executive Director Gregory Angelo to be on a panel. This isn’t just...

When Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky brought floor action on the Patriot Act to a standstill early last Saturday, he underscored the challenge that Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has with his three ideological freshman senators seeking the presidency. The other two senators are Ted Cruz (R) of Texas and Marco Rubio (R) of Florida. As presidential aspirants, they have broken with GOP tradition and are not patiently “waiting their turn” for a shot at the Oval Office. According to longtime congressional observers, such lawmakers have no Senate tradition or deep love of the institution. Senator Paul’s campaign slogan,...