[SoConPubbie]

Cruz has no chance and neither does that old scowl from Massachusetts.

That's funny, that's exactly what the Party faithful were saying about Reagan in both 1976 and 1980. Look how that worked out.

Sorry, I'm not about who can win as my primary objective.

I'm about WHO SHOULD WIN, and that would be the most conservative, most intelligent, most principled candidate available.

There are currently three in that category, Cruz, Lee, and Palin.

While Walker is good on most things, he is an open-border failure.

[SamAdams76]

That's funny, that's exactly what the Party faithful were saying about Reagan in both 1976 and 1980. Look how that worked out. Yes, but for an entirely different reason. The Party faithful felt that Reagan was "too extreme" in his conservative views to get elected.

However, Ronald Reagan was EXTREMELY photogenic and very presidential looking and that's what helped him overcome all of that. Even lunchpail Democrats voted for him.

Ted Cruz simply does not have that going for him. I wish I could say that our society was not that shallow but they are. How you present yourself on TV is pretty much everything. If we could reprogram photogenic Mitt Romney's brain with that of Ted Cruz, we'd have a winner.

I hate having to say this by the way.

[truth_seeker]

“Sorry, I’m not about who can win as my primary objective.

I’m about WHO SHOULD WIN, and that would be the most conservative, most intelligent, most principled candidate available.”

IOW what you are about is an irrelevant exercise.

You need to be able to differentiate the difference between a) GOP Presidential preferences, and b) most popular at FR at this time.

The only example of a conservative (by today’s definition) winning both primary and general, is Reagan. Reagan was very well known, ran a state, ran for Potus 3 times.

And when he won he got 50.8%. And did that, against an incredibly lousy Carter!!

Cruz has an immense task to broaden his appeal, beyond FR standards. And maybe another decade or more.

[arthurus]

Cruz, Lee, Nd Palin. CRUZ, LE, and PALIN.

[zeestephen]

Re: “While Walker is good on most things, he is an open-border failure.”

Ted Cruz, also, does not have clean hands on immigration.

In 2000, he helped write George W. Bush's immigration policy, which eventually became the Bush-McCain Amnesty in 2005 (however, which parts he wrote are not known).

In 2012, while running for his Senate seat, he advocated for more work visas for Texas ranchers and farmers.

Recently, his public position has become more Conservative.

Since the Border Invasion, he has begun to advocate legislation to overturn Obama’s Dream Act Executive Orders.

Frankly, I do not trust ANY Republican leader on the issue of immigration anymore.