Posted on 03/08/2015 9:18:56 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Yesterday we covered the acid test of prospective candidates for 2016 in Iowa when it comes to ethanol subsidies and the Renewable Fuel Standard. At that time I promised that I would report back to you on how the 2016 hopefuls did in this admittedly daunting challenge to conservative politicians. I’m sorry to say that, as the WSJ reported for us, the results were less than impressive in most cases.
Let’s start with the bad news. First up… Rick Perry.
[T]he former governor of a petroleum-rich state [Governor Perry] suggested he didn’t think it would be fair to end the RFS while oil companies continued to benefit from tax breaks. “I don’t think you pull the RFS out and discriminate against the RFS and leave all these other subsidies,” he said.
Jeb Bush acted like the RFS is a bad toy, but had no plans to put it back in the cupboard.
“The markets are ultimately going to have to decide this,” said Mr. Bush, who declined to set a firm deadline for ending the fuel standard imposed a decade ago by his brother, former President George W. Bush. “Whether that’s 2022 or sometime in the future I don’t know,” he said.
Chris Christie left no room for doubt.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was clearer about his position, saying he “absolutely” supported the fuel standard.
Mike Huckabee is at least consistent.
Mike Huckabee argued that support for ethanol is good national security policy, helping to reduce U.S. dependence on oil imports. He then quipped his support for the corn-based fuel wasn’t about pandering to Iowans because of their important role in the presidential nominating process.
Rick Santorum also stuck to his unsatisfactory 2012 answer.
Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who won the 2012 Iowa Republican caucuses, said ethanol “creates jobs in small-town and rural America, which is where people are hurting.”
From the same Bloomberg article, Lindsey Graham just played to the crowd.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham expressed strong support for ethanol in his appearance. “Every gallon of ethanol you can produce here in Iowa is one less gallon to have to buy from people who hate your guts,” he said.
Perhaps most disappointing, Scott Walker:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker backed the RFS, saying that while he tends to oppose government intervention, a marketplace issue exists for ethanol. He said consumers do not have the same access to corn-based fuel as gasoline, and because of that there’s a need for the standard.
“Right now we don’t have a free and open marketplace, and so that’s why I’m going to take that position,” he said.
I’ve been building up some early hopes for you, Governor Walker, but I must say this was a big let down.
And then there was this guy…
When asked if he would support the Renewable Fuel Standard he just said no. And then he put out some hard truths which seemed to earn him the respect a difficult answer deserved.
“I recognize that this is a gathering of a lot of folks where the answer you’d like me to give is ‘I’m for the RFS, darnit;’ that’d be the easy thing to do,” he said. “But I’ll tell you, people are pretty fed up, I think, with politicians who run around and tell one group one thing, tell another group another thing, and then they go to Washington and they don’t do anything that they said they would do. And I think that’s a big part of the reason we have the problems we have in Washington, is there have been career politicians in both parties that aren’t listening to the American people and aren’t doing what they said they would do.”
And the crowd applauded, giving Cruz the warmest welcome so far.
Hot air reached out to the Cruz campaign about how he managed such an answer.
“Ted Cruz is straightforward about what he believes, whether he is in Iowa, Texas, or Washington DC. We need more leaders who tell the truth about what they will do and the response to that kind of honesty is very positive.”
I have to say, this was a potential game changer for me. I know that I probably put off some of you with my seemingly endless fascination with energy issues in general and ethanol subsidies in particular. It’s a sort of wonky subject, but I feel it’s an important one. And this forum in Iowa was, in my view, a test of character for the nascent candidates on a matter of vital interest.
I’ve expressed doubts in the past about the long term viability of Ted Cruz on the national stage, particularly given the horribly effective way the media has sold the “crazy wingnut” stories to the public. But this guy has demonstrated the kind of intestinal fortitude that is far too often lacking in GOP leaders, and he certainly showed those qualities once again in Iowa. Take this as a benchmark for the coming campaign. There weren’t many clear standouts here, but the Best in Show was clearly a winner.
Yes Reagan did .. because as usual the DemocRATS lied to him like they continued to lie to GHW Bush a few years later, with the “no new taxes” pledge.
WHEN ARE THE REPUBS GOING TO REALIZE THE DemocRATS ALWAYS LIE ABOUT EVERYTHING.
WHY ON EARTH SHOULD WE BELIEVE ANYTHING ANY DemocRAT SAYS ..????????
If it could be made inexpensively through switchgrass or the like, it could be used near the source in generators, power-plants and other non-internal-combustion engine uses, freeing up oil and gas for vehicles and other things.
Cruz is the best choice; no he is the only choice; all the rest are holdyournosers!
Walker blew it. I write on energy issues. This is a big deal that Cruz gets right.
Oh, OK, if you insist. I still say it’s evil. Ethanol does pollute the air more than gasoline.
But coal is worse, as is diesel. Brazil uses little else other than ethanol, IIRC.
Watch what politicians do, not what they say. Cruz is a leader, and stands on principle...the others when you really watch them are doing what Walker does...flop around...slowly evolve...
Cruz will have no problem in the debates with ANY of the others...its going to be great.
There's no shortage of food and there's nothing wrong with ethanol. What's wrong are laws that force us to put ethanol in our cars. Can't we find some other productive use for ethanol and keep everyone happy?
I want someone who can argue before SCOTUS, argue eloquently with no notes, and win. We need a fighter who is quick on his feet and unapologetic.
That’s true but a POTUS doesn’t argue before the SCOTUS.
I can see no one better able to debate the issues than Ted Cruz.
Ethanol from corn is crack cocaine for Iowans.
It does not good, only harm, and Iowans feel they cannot live without it.
There’s no shortage of food.
But there is a change in the market resulting from ethanol that drives up the price of corn. It may not cause us shortages but remember Mexican and Middle eastern food riots?
http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=556262
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/world/americas/01mexico.html?_r=0
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=amxCfY1PA_ek
Amanda Carpenter @amandacarpenter
I’m just going to note here that Ted Cruz was applauded for his answer opposing RFS at the #AgSummit. Seems significant.
12:13 PM - 7 Mar 2015
31 Retweets 22 favorites
I want someone who can argue before SCOTUS, argue eloquently with no notes, and win. We need a fighter who is quick on his feet and unapologetic. That’s Ted!
Then put him on the Supreme Court. He is a policy wonk anyway. He is a legislator not an Executive. I don’t think he ever ran anything. Why can’t we support his strengths? I am not saying that he can’t be useful to President Walker. He can. He is a wonderful speaker and can issue various desires about how he wants to change things. Walker can then take the action and run with it. Again Cruz is a benefit to a President Walker Administration.
Walker supports business as usual in this case......
Well that issue isn’t even near my list of worries. One of my main issue is abortion and Walker knocked it out of the park this week. What has Senator Cruz done lately about Abortion? I might have stumped you for a minute.....
You’re right!
He has run several things. He is the longest-serving solicitor general in Texas history and was a deputy attorney general of the United States. You really need to set-aside 10 minutes and read his biography.
Obama wasn’t an executive — did he ever run anything? — yet look how he transformed the country. He’s proven the concept of the empowered ideologue. You have your visionary up there putting forward the big ideas, making the case for them to the public, and then the bureaucracy carries them out. The skill that’s most needed at the top level is vision. Or at least a reasonable case can be made for this. I don’t think it’s just a slam dunk that you need a pure executive.
But when the rubber meets the road, that half-term of Senate experience, wife being on the board of Goldman Sachs, his support for unrestricted legal immigration and H1-B visas, and questions about his citizenship will be put to the test.
And no candidate with these issues, not even as eloquent and candid as Cruz, will be able to survive both the leftist media onslaught and the Republican Party backstabbing.
He offered a little red meat to the crowd about lying politicians and everyone went 'OOOOOHHHH' he tells the truth.
Frankly I don't see it.
I am not anti-Cruz. I am skeptical about what job he is qualified for. Maybe SCOTUS or USAG would be good.
Truth telling is important in both those jobs as we have been shown without any possibility of doubt.
What had Abraham Lincoln ever run before he was elected president? His only government experience of any kind was as a one term congressman. Yet he somehow won a civil war. John Kennedy never ran anything bigger than a torpedo boat prior to his presidency, but he started us towards the moon.
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