Crazy Steve Stockman Could Force Senator Cornyn Into Runoff in TX GOP Primary

Politicus, Real Liberal Politics ^ | February 18, 2014 | Keith Brekhus

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Though the media consistently mocks Congressman Steve Stockman’s bizarre behavior and his ridiculously inept campaign for US Senator, a new Human Events-Gravis Marketing poll suggests that Stockman may pose a legitimate threat to John Cornyn in the Republican primary. The poll conducted February 10 to February 12th, shows Cornyn leading 43-28 percent. While this may appear to be a comfortable margin, it puts Cornyn well below the 50 percent threshold he would require to avoid a two person runoff in May.

In addition, Cornyn has reason to worry because a poll taken two months ago, conducted by a different polling firm, had Cornyn up by a lopsided 50-6 margin over Stockman. The trend seems to indicate that the race is tightening rapidly and that John Cornyn would be unwise to assume that he is a lock for the Republican nomination. Primaries are low turnout events, and the Tea Party in Texas is a force to be reckoned with, as they so aptly demonstrated in 2012, when Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz defeated Greg Abbott in the GOP Senate primary.

Stockman has raised hardly any money, and his campaign is a joke. Nobody in the Beltway takes his chances seriously. Nevertheless, this recent poll demonstrates that Texas GOP primary voters are not sold on sending John Cornyn back to Washington for another six years. Further compounding Cornyn’s challenge is his vote to allow a vote on a clean resolution to raise the debt ceiling. While sound policy, it was not what Republican primary voters in Texas were looking for. That vote took place after the poll was conducted so it is possible that his lead has shrunk even more in the past week. In the GOP civil war between the extremist wing and the pragmatic wing, Cornyn cast a vote with the pragmatists. In Texas, aligning with Mitch McConnell instead of Ted Cruz is bad election year politics for a Republican.

In an eight candidate race, there is little doubt that incumbent Senator John Cornyn will receive at least a plurality of votes. However, if he fails to clear 50 percent, he could be forced into a runoff head to head with Stockman. While Cornyn would still be regarded as the favorite, a runoff would allow GOP voters dissatisfied with Cornyn’s leadership, or lack thereof, to coalesce around Tea Party firebrand Stockman and send a message to the establishment wing of the Republican Party. In a Republican Party runoff between Tea Party crazy and the GOP establishment in Texas, it might be a loser’s wager to bet against crazy coming out on top. If John Cornyn is not breaking a sweat he should be, because Stockman is slowly but surely pulling within striking distance.

[jch10]

I liked it.

[JRandomFreeper]

Cornyn is going to get primaried. Get used to it.

/johnny

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Good catch.

: )

[X-spurt]

Writer’s creds got blown out of the water as soon as I read “when Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz defeated Greg Abbott in the GOP Senate primary.”

Let’s hope it isn’t Strawman that comes in 2nd and is a real campaigning conservative, Stovall.

[jjsheridan5]

Oh, by all means, nominate a ‘crazy’ candidate, who can’t raise money, and who runs an incompetent campaign. What a brilliant plan to win back the Senate.

The "plan" is to get rid of Cornyn, and those like him. They are cancerous, parasitic tumors that must go if we are to ever have a meaningful opposition to liberalism.

[fortheDeclaration]

Yes, you would think someone would have caught that before printing the story!

[Howie66]

:-)

“I Stand with Sarah Palin and hope she runs.”

You and me, BOTH!!

If she doesn’t run, then I want to see retired Marine General James Mattis go for it.

I honestly believe that we will require the services of a proven Warrior to become C-I-C after 8 long and miserable years of a limp-wristed, mom-jean wearing, community organizer puke screwing up everything in sight.

[DugwayDuke]

“The “plan” is to get rid of Cornyn, and those like him. They are cancerous, parasitic tumors that must go if we are to ever have a meaningful opposition to liberalism.”

Your brilliant ‘plan’ will result in replacing a ‘so-so’ republican with a full blown liberal democrat. We would control the Senate except for brilliant strategies like this.

If the Tea Party can’t come up with candidates that can win in the general elections then they need to shut up and let the adults run things.

[william clark]

I’m inclined to agree with you. Even at just first glance, I’m concerned that Stockman would threaten a lawsuit against someone, denying something that was so easily proven to be true.

I like what I see regarding Stovall, so I’m probably going to vote for him.

Here’s a list of endorsements from his web page:

Grassroots America - We the People
South Texas Tea Party Network
Nacogdoches Tea Party
Stand Across America
Young Republicans of Houston
Republican Liberty Caucus of CD 36
Katy LiberTea
Southern Conservative
Kaufman Tea Party
Pearland Tea Party
Facebook Tea Party
TeaParty911
Montague County Tea Party
Sam Houston Tea Party
Llano Tea Party
Cass County Tea Party
Wichita Falls Tea Party
Lake Jackson Tea Party (straw poll win)
Ellis County (straw poll win)
Tri-County Tea Party
Clearlake Tea Party
Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment
Alvin Tea Party
Firefighters for Liberty