Winner of the Week: Ted Cruz

Steve Deace ^ | 5/5/2015 | Steve Deace

[VinL]

...That means the first task any potential GOP nominee has in 2016 is energizing the base of the Republican Party in the primary. And right now nobody is doing a better job of that than Ted Cruz, and the proof is in the pudding.

In my home state where the first step to winning the Iowa Caucuses is to win the activist caucuses going on now, Cruz announced a 24-person campaign that amounts to a mini-conservative dream team. It includes several current and former GOP office-holders, candidates, and important activists. Even more impressively, these are names that previously worked for other presidential campaigns — including candidates in the race this year as well. Proving that my prediction Cruz would have wide conservative appeal, and be able to cull from several different constituencies, was indeed correct.

Cruz received more good news in South Carolina, where he swept all five officially-sanctioned GOP straw polls. That includes vitally important Greenville and Spartanburg counties, which are the two most populous GOP counties in the state and represent about 20% of the total GOP electorate.

The South Carolina Conservative had this to say about what’s happening in the Palmetto State:

Ted Cruz won each poll by a pretty consistent margin, and with a pretty consistent percentage of the vote. Similarly, Scott Walker came in a consistent 2nd place by a similar margin, and took a similar percentage of the vote in each poll. Jeb Bush did not get above 5% of the vote in any of the polls, and in Dorchester and Aiken he received zero votes. Rand Paul also scored very low in all polls, especially in Greenville 3%, and Anderson 1%.

Yes, straw polls do not represent the GOP primary electorate as a whole, but they do indicate who’s winning over the activists. And for Cruz this is a crucial first step in his only path to the nomination. Keep in mind Walker’s path to the governor’s mansion in Wisconsin began by winning over the activists in that state, when he defeated an establishment-backed former U.S. Congressman in the primary.

One more thing to remember is this: whenever someone has won two of the first three early states (Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina) they are always the eventual GOP nominee. The demographics in Iowa and South Carolina are very close with lots of evangelical voters, so these are the two states where Cruz has to make his play.

By winning over several key activists in both of those states, Cruz is our winner of the week.

[VinL]

Honest Ted; the Grandmaster.

[GrouchoTex]

My Senator!

[Tench_Coxe]

And yet hardly any mention in the press, including Fox News....

[onyx]

Were half of y'all, our wonderful, loyal members to reliably donate $5, $10, $20 or $30 Monthly, this FReepathon and all FReepathons would be events of the past.

PLEASE CONSIDER SIGNING UP TO DONATE MONTHLY PROVIDED YOU RELIABLY CAN!

CRUZ or Lose.

CRUZ or Lose.

[Patton@Bastogne]

.

"Get Involved ..."







.

[SoConPubbie]

    Ted Cruz Ping!

    If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.
    Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

    CRUZ or LOSE!

[Gator113]

Is that you? I like the hat.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[stars & stripes forever]

Nice GOP elephant with the cross.

[Patton@Bastogne]

the hat belongs to “John” ... LOL

[Patton@Bastogne]

Ted Cruz 2016 FLORIDA Campaign Launch Meeting : Send an e-mail to: Ted-Cruz-2016@Engineering-Excellence.US ... You’ll receive details of July-18-2015 (2015-07-18) state campaign planning meeting in Tampa, FL ... RSVP ... thanks ...

[American Constitutionalist]

That’s why Huckleberry showed to spoil Ted Cruz’s chances with the Evangelicals, Rand Paul to spoil Ted Cruz’s chances with conservatives posing as a psudo fake conservative.

[iowacornman]

Ted? “good week”? Senator Paul is now leading the “beat Hillary” contest 3 points over every other candidate!! He is leading in Colorado ,Iowa, and South Carolina. We must focus on illegible candidates.
I thought Dr Carson was really awesome yesterday for vice president with Senator Paul. Huckleberry was very good today.I think he would make a great Senate Chaplin. We have a fine field but if we don’t stop “winner take all primaries” that fat faced bushie will lose so big against the bitch, it will spin your head because no conservative will ever vote for another bush.

[onyx]

LOL and Amen!

[RayChuang88]

Ted Cruz has the following advantages over most everyone else in this increasingly crowded field:

1. He is unabashedly Conservative, something that has already energized a huge fraction of the Republican voter base.
2. He is a formidable speaker in public--and can successfully make a speech almost effectively from memory.
3. He is a known brilliant debater. He would blow Hillary Clinton off the stage in any debate.
4. He is one of the few candidates that realize the current Federal income tax system is a gigantic drag on the US economy and needs to have a major overhaul to encourage more economic activity, which benefits everyone in the longer run.

[SoConPubbie]

Hat tip to SunkenCiv for keeping up with the UN-Conservative actions of Rand Paul!

• Paul: We probably can't get rid of 'Obamacare'
• Paul: We probably can't get rid of 'Obamacare' - [Sep. 21, 2013 9:56 PM EDT ]
• Paul: 'Difficult to turn the clock back' on O-Care
• Rand Paul: GOP 'probably can't defeat' Obamacare
• Rand Paul on abortion: "We're not changing any of the laws until the country is persuaded otherwise"
• Sen. Paul: 'We're Not Changing Any' Abortion 'Laws Until the Country is Persuaded Otherwise'

Rand Paul On Shutdown: "Even Though It Appeared I Was Participating In It, It Was A Dumb Idea"

I said throughout the whole battle that shutting down the government was a dumb idea. Even though it did appear as if I was participating in it, I said it was a dumb idea. And the reason I voted for it, though, is that it's a conundrum. Here's the conundrum. We have a $17 trillion debt and people at home tell me you can't give the president a blank check. We just can't keep raising the debt ceiling without conditions. So unconditionally raising the debt ceiling, nobody at home wants me to vote for that and I can't vote for that. But the conundrum is if I don't we do approach these deadlines. So there is an impasse. In 2011, though, we had this impasse and the president did negotiate. We got the sequester. If we were to extend the sequester from discretionary spending to all the entitlements we would actually fix our problem within a few years.

[Posted on 11/19/2013 12:16:51 PM by Third Person]

• Rand Paul's excuse for avoiding the 'religious freedom' law controversy doesn't add up
• Why Won't Rand Paul and Chris Christie Take a Position on Indiana's "Religious Freedom" Law?
• Heartache: It's over, Rand Paul lost
• Sam Youngman: A critical look at Rand Paul and 'winnability'
• Rand Paul's Big, Risky Bet on Youth
• Rand Paul: Christie Win Shows GOP Has Room for Moderates
• Rand Paul: Republicans Need to Soften on Social Issues

Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften war stance

...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said.

[Posted on 01/31/2013 5:08:50 PM PST by xzins]

• Rand Paul: I think Republicans may have over-emphasized voter fraud
• Rand Paul Wants Bigger GOP: 'You Go to a Republican Event and It's All White People'
• (Rand) Paul: GOP Needs to 'Look Like the Rest of America' to Win Again (again)
• Rand Paul slams Cliven Bundy's racist rant
• Rand Paul: Bundy's racist remarks are 'offensive'
• Rand Paul: I'm Open to Voting for Immigration Bill
• Paul: Still hope for immigration reform this year

Rand Paul's immigration speech

...The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.

Unfortunately, like many of the major debates in Washington, immigration has become a stalemate-where both sides are imprisoned by their own rhetoric or attachment to sacred cows that prevent the possibility of a balanced solution.

Immigration Reform will not occur until Conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution. I am here today to begin that conversation.

Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.

If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you...

This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society.

Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.

[Posted on 03/19/2013 7:04:07 AM PDT by Perdogg]

---

Rand Paul calls on conservatives to embrace immigration reform

Latinos, should be a natural constituency for the party, Paul argued, but "Republicans have pushed them away with harsh rhetoric over immigration." ...he would create a bipartisan panel to determine how many visas should be granted for workers already in the United States and those who might follow... [and the buried lead] "Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers...

[Posted on 04/21/2013 1:52:42 PM PDT by SoConPubbie]

---

[but he's not in favor of amnesty, snicker, definition of is is]

• Rand Paul: End 'welfare' to Israel
• Rand Paul: Iran Wants Nukes Because It "Feels Threatened"
• Rand stands with Obama and Kerry on Iran
• Rand Paul: I don't think we should impose new Iran sanctions while negotiations are ongoing
• Rand Paul: Let's get this straight -- I'm not for containing Iran
• Rand Paul stands alone against Senate's 'preemptive war' resolution for Iran [Sept 2014]
• Rand Paul: It's America's Fault
• Rand Paul clarifies: No containment on Iran
• Rand Paul Calls for a Formal Declaration of War Against ISIS
• Sec. of State Kerry: U.S. Not Responsible for Chaos in Iraq, Libya
• NANCY PELOSI: IRAQ IS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY
• Paul Blames Iraq Crisis on Bush Administration
• Rand Paul Defends Obama Against Dick Cheney
• Rand Paul Defends President Obama From Dick Cheney
• Casting a Paul on American Strength: In defense and foreign policy, Rand Paul is a menace.
• Rand Paul Sounds Like a Democrat Criticizing GOP Rivals' Foreign Policy
• Rand Paul's Brother: "No Difference" Between Rand And My Dad On Ideology

Rand Slams Congress for Funding Egypt's Generals: 'How Does Your Conscience Feel Now?'

Sen. Rand Paul is hammering his fellow senators for keeping billions in financial aid flowing to Egypt's military -- even as Cairo's security forces massacre anti-government activists. [by "anti-government activists" is meant church-burning Christian-murdering jihadists]

[Posted on 08/15/2013 5:44:10 PM PDT by Hoodat]

[txhurl]

Men all over Texas are talking about Garland at the gas pumps. I hear them. There are plans cooking to neutralize threats and I personally recommend everybody get the drum-mag for their A/Rs, that’s what the jizlamos brought, as a class protected by MenSeekingMen and zero.

Get ready to be Officer Garland, 3 shots, 2 kills.

[2ndDivisionVet]

The terrorists might want to stay in New York, Boston, London and such like...

[hosepipe]

lol,.....

[hosepipe]

Cruz -OR- Revolt...