Hey Gringo, Eat My Burrito!
Posted on 11/12/2015 9:29:17 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Two weeks ago, after the CNBC GOP presidential debate, I predicted that the GOP presidential race would become a contest between Ted Cruz, the owner of the movement conservative lane and Marco Rubio, the winner of the center-right lane post (http://politickernj.com/2015/10/abreakthrough-night-for-ted-cruz/). Today, one day after the Fox Business Network Milwaukee GOP debate, it appears that there are many pundits who now have my same outlook on this contest.
The Cruz-Rubio race will be distinguished by a sharp foreign policy distinction: Ted Cruz is a Reaganite, and Marco Rubio is a Neocon. Neither Cruz nor Rubio is an isolationist like Rand Paul. The philosophies of Cruz and Rubio as to when to intervene abroad, however, are totally different.
On foreign policy, Ronald Reagan’s administration was distinguished by 1) the rebuilding of our national defense; and 2) foreign interventions and alliances only when necessary to preserve, protect, and advance our national interests. In short, Reagan was a highly successful practitioner of Realpolitik.
By contrast, the Neocons, who were prominent in foreign policy making in the administration of George W. Bush, are motivated not primarily by strict national interest concerns, but instead by a desire for a crusade to spread democracy throughout the world. Nation building is a major tool in the implementation of Neocon foreign policy. The Neocon guidepost is Woodrow Wilson, not Ronald Reagan.
Ted Cruz has consistently emphasized his embrace of Reaganite foreign policy. In doing so, he has emphasized what may be defined as the three Reaganite foreign policy postulates:
First, unlike the neocons, Reagan only believed in intervening where a direct American interest was at stake.
Second, Reagan would never make a show of force unless he was prepared to use force.
Third, foreign interventions should be executed decisively, with a rapid exit strategy to be implemented once the mission was accomplished.
The ultimate outcome of Reaganite foreign policy was America’s victory in the Cold War against the former Soviet Union. The denouement of Neocon foreign policy was the quagmire of the second Iraq War.
In a contest for the GOP presidential nomination, Ronald Reagan would defeat Woodrow Wilson easily. And I have little doubt that Reaganite Ted Cruz will triumph over Wilsonian Neocon Marco Rubio for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.
I am a 100% Trump supporter, but if Rubio thinks he’s going to duke it out with Cruz, he’s on Ben Carson’s medication!!!
See, told ya their entire strategy now is to pretend that they guy LEADING by 10-15 points doesn’t exist and it’s between “Cruz and Rubio.” I warned you Cruzers. They are setting you up to be crushed if they even think Trump is out.
No it isn’t. Neither one is at the top of the polls.
Reality is missing lately.
You were right. Another article leaving out reality. LOL
Exactly!!!
“Wilsonian Neocon”
Ouch.
That is what struck me too. Ignoring the top two candidates in polling at this point in time does not seem very reasoned.
The article makes a penetrating point. But, it supposes Trump and Carson are going to go away.
Cruz - economic conservatives
Rubio - neo-conservatives
AND
Trump - populist conservatives
Carson - social conservatives
The Reagan conservatives included three of the above elements (with the populists then called “Reagan Democrats”). The neo-cons were given the Vice Presidency to buy them off. Even so, John Anderson bolted from the GOP to run as an independent for President.
My point is that Trump and Carson have staked out real constituencies in the Republican coalition and are not going away.
Cruz and Rubio have risen as the rest of the field has collectively fallen. But, do the math. Is there enough remaining support for the rest of the field for either Cruz of Rubio to catch up to either Trump or Carson?
Fox News is now on the meme of it coming down to Cruz and Rubio.
They simply do not mention the two front runners... it’s as if they don’t exist.
I don’t think Rubio has a chance to win the nomination but if he does, I’m afraid we’ll lose. It’s like Cruz said in the debate ... if we run an amnesty candidate, we will lose. The country is pretty solid anti-amnesty.
You won't hear anything like that from the lying media, GOPE or the talking heads, they are all in bed with the ‘unity party’ that's why they are ignoring Trump....
They had better watch their peas and que’s, he could buy them out and fire them all.....
Plant story with absolutely no validity.
Cruz could unify social conservatives and fiscal conservatives. The only people out of the coalition are liberal Republicans (essentially, RINO’s).
The last thing we need is a Wilsonian. Those are known as “progressives”. Progressivism is what got us into this mess.
FReep You Marco Rubio (FUMR)! Amnesty pimps need not apply.
If you leave 11,000,000 illegal aliens in the country, millions more will flood in. And the liberals (like you, Rubio) will ensure they get the vote. And they will vote for the freebies promised by socialist democrats. This will be the end of capitalism and the end of freedom in America.
FRiends don’t allow friends to vote for amnesty pimps.
Cruz and Trump are the only acceptable candidates for me.
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