Bob Dole Warns of 'Cataclysmic' Losses With Ted Cruz, and Says Donald Trump Would Do Better

The New York Times ^ | January 20, 2016 | Maggie Haberman

[kinsman redeemer]

Bob Dole?
Really?

[nathanbedford]

I guess you either get it or you don't.

By way of example, Bob Dole does not object to the Senate Majority Leader lying, he objects to Ted Cruz violating etiquette. There could be no better vignette of the get along, go along mentality of establishment Republicans like former Majority Leader Bob Dole who have brought us to this place in our American pageant. It ain't a lien for Bob Dole, it's telling the truth.

Bob Dole is a caricature of all that is wrong with the Republican establishment. Every complaint he lodges against Ted Cruz shows Cruz to be on the right side, the antiestablishment side. Ted Cruz is not liked because he won't go along. Bob Dole's allegiance was never to the American people first, rather his instinctive loyalty was always to his sense of etiquette, his obeisance to Senate collegiality at the cost of the American people who are now $20 trillion in debt, $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities, awash with illegal immigrants, the despair of our allies, and scorned by our enemies.

No matter, just so long as your colleagues in the Senate like you.

Do you now understand why Bob Dole supports Donald Trump? He supports Trump because he figures they can cut deals with the billionaire who wrote "the Art of the Deal" just as Bob Dole cut deals every day of his decades long career in the United States Senate in which the beneficiaries were not the people but cronies of the establishment.

Trump was just yesterday on television bragging about how establishment Republicans are clamoring to join up with him. If you accept that as a positive for Trump and a negative for Cruz, you just don't get it.

[nikos1121]

I don’t like to see Cruz bashed for his courage. Cruz is one of the sacrifices. He broke the mold. Did some heavy loading, and now Trump and others come in to reap the rewards.

It looks like the hate and anger among the GOPe is for Cruz.

This is factual. It’s not that I don’t get it or get it. That is immaterial.

At some point we all unite behind one man, and hold that man to the fire.

Talk to me about this in one month and we’ll see where everyone stands.

[Reagan Disciple]

Nice timing......just around the time of Trump’s support of expanding Ethanol.

The old man may be out of sorts, but he still knows who will help keep the government money flowing to the Midwest.

[norwaypinesavage]

We’ve already experienced “cataclysmic” and “wholesale losses” with Bob Dole in 1996. Why should we believe anything he says?

[a fool in paradise]

The man knows about crushing defeat.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The GOPe establishment has spoken. Big government republicans want Trump.

[Johnny B.]

No, putting Cruz as a VP would be a waste of his talent

More importantly, Cruz wouldn't "complement" Trump; he wouldn't add any voters to a Trump ticket.

I voted for a ticket because of the VP once (McCain/Palin). I won't do it again. I don't particularly like or trust Trump. But, if Trump gets the nomination, where am I going to go?

Trump (if he isn't doing this as a publicity stunt) will pick a VP to bring in moderate voters who actually care about the issues (as opposed to the "low information" voters who are voting for Trump because he's a "celebrity").

I would expect someone like Rubio or Fiorina. But I wouldn't be shocked if he picked Oprah, which would lock in the idiot vote and guarantee him the victory.

[taxcontrol]

I’ll consider listening to Bob Dole WHEN he wins a presidential election.

[Dr.Deth]

"I question his allegiance to the party," Dole said of Cruz.

1) What a Democrat thing to say.
2) I've been questioning mine.

If the GOPe conspires either to deny the will of the people in selecting a candidate, or to sabotage the campaign of someone they don't prefer (right George Will?) then I hope there are mass defections of all conservatives.

The GOPe must be defeated first, because there is no way to oppose the Democrats otherwise.

[Chewbarkah]

Apparently Bob Dole thinks the Republican brand has some sort of appeal outside the ranks of party insiders, beyond being the lesser of two evils.

Hard core Leftists equate “Republican” with evil, womyn-hating, jingoistic, environment-wrecking, selfish, uncool, racist capitalist pigs.
Blue collar/union workers equate Republican with “management”, owners, and landlords.
Right wingers equate “Republican” with cynical sell-outs who campaign for one thing, then act in office like junior partners of the Democrat uniparty.
Moderates see Republicans as unprincipled, boring, self-serving, elderly, political hacks, and/or potential theocrats.

At least for some, “Conservative” evokes a set of core values, ironically similar to the original principles of “liberalism”: rule of law; equal treatment under the law; preference for constitutional republics with representative democracy; free markets; limited government; individual freedom and responsibility; reason and Truth (as opposed to feelings, needs, and doubts that we “know” anything).

Under current conditions, “Conservative” represents an exciting, radical agenda. Can anyone say that about “Republican” with a straight face?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Great post.

I don’t know if you’ve read this.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3386452/posts

[ronniesgal]

did he say...”Bob Dole says...”

[Boomer One]

I agree that Cruz would be wasted as VP and would love to have him as AG if not as POTUS. However the recent hint that Scott Brown might be Trump’s VP choice scares me. Brown was elected on a conservative platform but soon proved he wanted to be one of the boys, cozying up with liberals. Also fear a northeast ticket with candidates from two of the most liberal states running without a proven background of conserative actions or belief.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

: )

Bob Dole says Bob Dole warns of....

Lol.

[ronniesgal]

Yep!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

http://www.redstate.com/diary/kentucky_dana/2016/01/21/well-bob-dole-know-something-catastrophic-losses/

[Theodore R.]

Have KS people ever explained their fascination for Bob?

[ek_hornbeck]

Bob Dole and the GOP establishment are using the old divide and conquer strategy. Their plan is to split the anti-establishment votes enough so that neither Cruz nor Trump can get a clear majority, then have a brokered convention to nominate Jeb, or if that fails, Rubio, Kasich, or Christie would do just fine as well.

[Chewbarkah]

Thanks for the link. I hadn’t seen that article, but find it interesting that much of it is posturing over what “conservative” means to different subgroups, and what dullards they all are. Whether Trump is a true “conservative” at heart is debatable, and he is certainly an opportunist (that’s not necessarily pejorative). But he is smart to cloak himself in the term and let voters self-identify. I would like to see him articulate a conservative agenda, of course along the lines of my own definition, and clearly Stand For Something Exciting. Since he does not seem to be the slave of political consultants, who find safety in standing for nothing, there is some hope.