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Can Ted Cruz break into the top tier?
WPTZ-TV ^ | July 6, 2015 | Theodore Schleifer, CNN

Posted on 07/06/2015 8:05:43 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

He's got $50 million behind him, a fervent following in Iowa, and a brand that he's worked hard to never muddy, but Ted Cruz has yet to have a breakout moment. Is that about to change?

The Texas senator may remain mired in the middle of the seemingly endless Republican pack, but his allies say he is poised to make his move. Doing just well enough nationally to make the debate stage and showing enough promise in early-primary to have a shot next winter, Cruz and his allies are unperturbed by surveys that show him sitting stagnant.

He is bracketed by social conservatives like Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, and by Tea Party favorites like Rand Paul and Ben Carson. In order to stand out, Cruz has been willing to step out from the rest of the field.

"He should be capturing the archconservative vote in a way that he's not," said Noah Rothman, a conservative writer for Commentary Magazine, who sees Cruz tacking right for political purposes. "This whole summer could be setting up a Cruz resurrection in the polls."

He has become the most vocal defender of Donald Trump, the flamboyant businessman and presidential candidate who other Republicans have denounced....

(Excerpt) Read more at wptz.com ...


TOPICS: Campaign News; Issues; Parties; Polls
KEYWORDS: donate; fundraising; tedcruz; trump
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To: C. Edmund Wright
The Trump thing won't go away until at least the first debates.

Even then Trump has the ability to keep going. I'm liking a lot of what he's saying/doing, just don't trust him because of his past. He knows how to use media better than anyone, and knows how to push buttons, I just can't trust him to be reflexively conservative, nor do I trust him to not deliver the nation to Hillary via third party.

Cruz will have to deal with the Trump factor, and as you imply, go long for when he finally drops out or runs third party.

Right now he has to make the debates. It's doubtful he will survive if he doesn't. It's why I think he needs more money bombs, followed by messaging bombs.

81 posted on 07/07/2015 6:43:58 AM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: xzins
I agree, never thought he wouldn't need a national campaign.

I do think he needs help now, there are a lot of, candidates that hope he doesn't make the debates. I think they know what a formidable speaker he is, and how well he handles himself in those situations.

The Jeb faction would love not to be shown debating him. Like Hillary, the less genuine competition Jeb has, the easier it will be for him to divide the GOP vote and walk through with about 20%. I don't think it will work, but one of the ways it can is if we sit back and watch Cruz be aced out of a debate platform. It's possible, and hardly unthinkable with so many candidates out there sucking the oxygen (and money) out of the air.

82 posted on 07/07/2015 6:51:26 AM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: Lakeshark

We really need to go out of our way to talk people away from those who take potential Cruz voters (Huckabee, Santorum, Perry) and talk others away from Bush toward those taking votes from him (Christie, Kasich, Pataki, Rubio, etc.)

I am convinced that a realistic candidate will early on recognize the need for national advertising. Incidentally, Rubio is ALREADY doing just that. Like him or not, it is a smart move.


83 posted on 07/07/2015 7:13:30 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Pray for their victory or quit saying you support our troops)
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To: Lakeshark; C. Edmund Wright; xzins
So many candidates make it hard to distinguish.

So very true. Also remember that this primary got started really really early. In July, 2011, Gingrich and Santorum ranked lower than Cruz does now.

And Ted Cruz will thrive in the debates like Newt (without the baggage) and unlike the whiner Santuckabee. And there is no obvious strong Establishment front-runner like Romney was in '12. With this many candidates, even the 'race' for the squishy moderate candidate is tight.

84 posted on 07/07/2015 7:43:54 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Lakeshark

A meteor that burns hot early, cannot burn very long.

We’ll see how this plays out.


85 posted on 07/07/2015 7:45:57 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
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To: C. Edmund Wright

I couldn’t agree with you more. Nothing’s going to happen in this race until something happens. Let Cruz state his case, unfiltered, on a debate stage and then let’s see what happens.


86 posted on 07/07/2015 7:46:59 AM PDT by pgkdan
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To: xzins
That's a good strategy. I hoped we would get a lot of RINOs to run, divide their vote for a change. I like the four or so who have joined in the fray. The list of smaller candidates you gave are unfortunately there; trying to win their small percentages will be tough until they each drop out.

Rubio is a formidable candidate. He will equal Cruz in the debates, he speaks well and is the most telegenic candidate. He is the most likely to gain GOPe support, especially if (I think when) Bush tanks early. Rubio is THE major threat to the conservative candidate who survives the early primaries.

87 posted on 07/07/2015 7:48:19 AM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
He is bracketed by social conservatives like Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum ...

Ted Cruz will leap into the top tier if Santuckabee (or is it Huckatorum) is kept out of the debates by their low poll #'s ...


88 posted on 07/07/2015 7:50:39 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Servant of the Cross
Good link, and reassuring info.

Let's get Cruz in the debates. Donate now. I also like the xzins methododology. Nothing we can do about the RINO faction, except applaud there are so many. On FR, there are few people who want Santuckee, Perry, or others.

89 posted on 07/07/2015 7:52:06 AM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: Lakeshark

When all is said and done, I’m ok with that. Rubio is better than Bush. And, honestly, if the Republicans have their candidate decided by the time this gets to Ohio, and if Jim Webb is still in competition with Hillary, then I’d rather have Webb a potential winner.

All along I prefer Ted Cruz. No one else compares, even with his 2 problems, I still have him above all others.


90 posted on 07/07/2015 8:00:36 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Pray for their victory or quit saying you support our troops)
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To: C. Edmund Wright
A meteor that burns hot early, cannot burn very long.

True dat. And if the Trump meteor is burning as the lightning rod, that means the Cruz one is able to continue its trajectory relatively unimpeded for now.

In a way, The Donald is providing an assist as his lead blocker right now.

91 posted on 07/07/2015 8:01:51 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Question: "Can Ted Cruz break into the top tier?"

Answer: No.

Comment: The man does not seem to resonate with voters.(i would vote for him if by some miracle he is nominated as the Republican candidate.)

92 posted on 07/07/2015 8:08:00 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS
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To: Servant of the Cross; Lakeshark
True dat. And if the Trump meteor is burning as the lightning rod, that means the Cruz one is able to continue its trajectory relatively unimpeded for now. In a way, The Donald is providing an assist as his lead blocker right now.

Once again, SOTC, great minds are on point, instinctively!

93 posted on 07/07/2015 8:11:00 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright
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To: Lakeshark
I also like the xzins methododology. Nothing we can do about the RINO faction, except applaud there are so many. On FR, there are few people who want Santuckee, Perry, or others.

In my circles outside of FR, I've been contrasting Cruz with Santorum all day long. And it has been effective. I give a nod to Santorum's social conservatism bonafides but quickly state that if you look at his record, he is not a fiscal conservative. And he's a "retread" who couldn't beat Romney in '12 and not the fighter we need at this time. I say that Ted Cruz is a fighter and the entire conservative package.

I have several friends who have been swayed by the media's "Palinization" of Cruz and think he's too extreme. They opt for Walker. That's a harder sell.

I haven't had to counter anyone who wants Huckster, at least in my circles.

94 posted on 07/07/2015 8:17:34 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: xzins

I’ve noticed, on lefty sites like Polutico (read linked articles, there), people repeatedly describe Cruz as an extreme ideologue, far-right, etc.

Since when is using our Constitution as a foundation or guide considered far right or extreme? That’s the mentality we’re dealing with, here.


95 posted on 07/07/2015 8:20:14 AM PDT by Jane Long ("And when thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek")
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS

Did you know that he was at 3% in the polls at this stage in his senate race?


96 posted on 07/07/2015 8:29:55 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://donate.tedcruz.org/c/FBTX0095/)
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To: Lakeshark; C. Edmund Wright

Tagline.


97 posted on 07/07/2015 8:36:23 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://donate.tedcruz.org/c/FBTX0095/)
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To: wastoute
I dearly hope this was Trump’s plan. Exposé the GOPe and leave our man Cruz standing at the head of the pack. I posted a month ago, “ Trump can introduce Cruz as ‘the man I hired to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Clearly, that's not going to happen.

98 posted on 07/07/2015 8:37:57 AM PDT by Jack Black ( Disarmament of a targeted group is one of the surest early warning signs of future genocide.)
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To: Jane Long

I listened to Cruz’s hour long sit down with Katie Couric. She was herself, trying to set trap after trap, and insisting he answer questions but then not giving him time to answer before an interruption.

It was obvious she saw him as an extreme conservative, and I believe one of her early questions even was something along the order of “how can an extreme conservative make it”. Cruz, of course, gave her a lesson on the difference between Reagan versus Dole/McCain/BushGHW/Romney. “Bold colors”.

You know, Jane, I’d swear Couric looked dumbstruck, like she’d never heard that before.


99 posted on 07/07/2015 8:38:54 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Pray for their victory or quit saying you support our troops)
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To: Lake Living
Cruz is a wise guy, ha, ha! Very wise! A consummate chess player. He knows when and how to make his moves and CNN could never reach high enough to carry his chess board for him let alone tell him how to move his king. But they are correct to worry. He is almost the total antithesis of what they stand for.

Sadly, facts are facts. Real Clear Politics averages polls. He's in 7th or 8th place nationally and in New Hampshire and Iowa. He's doing better in South Carolina, where he is in 4th place.

You can't plausibly claim he's outsmarting anyone or in the first tier. He's mired in the middle of the pack with the likes of Rick Perry and Christie.

100 posted on 07/07/2015 8:41:50 AM PDT by Jack Black ( Disarmament of a targeted group is one of the surest early warning signs of future genocide.)
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