Posted on 12/14/2015 10:42:35 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Perhaps you have watched one, two, three, four or even all five. Perhaps you haven't watched a single one.
But regardless of what group you fall into, you might want to watch tonight's Republican presidential candidate debate, which will air on CNN. It will be the sixth held this year and it will give you a chance to take either an initial or second look at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who now seems to have the best chance to overtake front runner Donald Trump and win the party's nomination.
The GOP establishment has watched on with unease as Trump has seized the top spot in the polls and stubbornly held on to it for the past five months. While the appeal of the outspoken Trump has shown some signs of slipping as of late, the Republican brass has come to take his candidacy seriously. They realize he could be their candidate come November, and are seemingly worried it would harm their party's chances to topple the assumed Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.
Part of the reason behind Trump's staying power is no mainstream candidate has emerged as a serious threat. Many GOP insiders had hoped Jeb Bush would supply that threat, but he has failed to inspire the electorate and it is now obvious that a third man named Bush will not be elected president, at least not in 2016.
So, as they put preferences aside and develop more of an "anyone but Trump'' approach, Cruz, who is hardly a friend of the establishment, has to be considered or reconsidered. He has taken the lead in the polls from Trump among Republican voters in Iowa, which will kick off the primary season when the state holds its caucus on Feb. 1.
Cruz seems bound and determined to transform the Republican party. He is an unabashed conservative and tea party darling, who became the national face of the 2013 government shutdown. He openly feuds with his party mates, and has been known to describe GOP leaders as spineless and feeble.
As a result, he has developed numerous enemies in Washington, and to this point, does not have a single Senate colleague backing his campaign. He might be considered an insider merely because of his elected position, but he also could just as easily be considered an outsider looking in.
This might present a quandary for traditional Republicans, but it also presents an alternative and opportunity to those who cringe at the idea of Trump being nominated. Cruz has enough of a bad boy reputation to appeal to the disenchanted, and enough of a link to traditional government to appeal to the mainstream.
Iowans go to the polls in six weeks. New Hampshire voters one week later. The Illinois primary will be held March 15.
It's obvious the campaign is heading into a critical phase. While voters are coming closer to settling on a choice, many have not made up their minds, and many have not given much thought toward Cruz yet. If you want to make an informed choice at the ballot box, you might want to start tonight.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.............that’s why Cruz went down to the border with Beck to hand out teddies and toys to all of those lovely ILLEGAL ALIEN kids. LOL
Yeah, what a novel concept.
Billionaires rule the roost....
And we thought they were sick and tired of the establishment ?
The Billionaire Club / NWO will be the new “ Establishment “ that they will be groning and complaining about.
The Democrats will have a field day with that one, claiming Trump is part of the top 1%’ers.
Perhaps that’s what Trump’s and Bubba’s plan was all along, to help Hillary win in 2016.
He sure has Republicans, Conservatives all in a uproar and created chaos for Hillary to waltz right on into the Presidency..... Brilliant plan by TRUMP and Bill Clinton, that is ? If your a Liberal Democrat.
I like Cruz. I have nothing bad to say about him personally though some of his supporters seem to have lost sight of what matters most. Regardless of that, I don’t think Cruz can beat Jeb Bush and/or Hillary Clinton and/or the donor class backing these two if Trump gets eliminated. Cruz is swimming with giant immensely powerful sharks. He will be eaten. Trump is the only reason he hasn’t been eaten. Either of these men as POTUS would make me very happy but I’m still supporting Trump because he has been swimming in these shark infested waters for a long time and he knows how not to get eaten. He has demonstrated that repeatedly.
They know, they don't care.
Let me say thank you to Mercury One, thank you to Glenn, for leading on this issue, for raising over two million dollars to provide food, to provide medicine, to provide toys to these kids,†Cruz said. “These children, while they’re here, we need to care for them well, we need to demonstrate American values.â€
Cruz said it was appropriate for private charities, such as Mercury One, to show “Christian love†to the illegal immigrant children, but he stressed the need to return the children to their home countries as quickly as possible.
“It’s critical, as well, that we need to uphold the rule of law,†Cruz said. “The reason these children are coming is they believe they’ll get amnesty. As long as that promise of amnesty is there, more and more children will come, and more and more children will be brutalized, physically assaulted, sexually assaulted, by violent drug cartels, the coyotes who are bringing them in.â€
Yep evil Ted Cruz....
And have infiltrated FR like a disease.
I say let them starve; they'll either go back or die.
Hard hearted? Perhaps, but I want a great big wall,the invaders turned away, and yes, being "kind" to them only encourages more to come.
I’ve been here longer than you have and also longer than a lot of other Cruz supporters. You and your ilk, who do nothing
but trash Trump and his supporters are the “disease” around here.
You say that trump panders to conservatives. Are not the rest doing the very same thing?
I liked when Cruz surprised his Libertarian friends when he recently stood against criminal justice reform.
Cruz would be destroyed by the MSM. It’s sad that people don’t see it.
A 17% sales tax, weak on TPP and H1B. The white working class will stay home again.
Ya buddy, the msm hates Cruz!
To interject, I will continue to trash the blowhard Trump who is stealing the limelight from Ted Cruz. Trump is a political simpleton much like Perot. If the GOP nominee, he's going to lose against Hillary because he just doesn't have the debate skills. Trump talks in generalities that excites his fans. Hillary can talk specifics because of her long political background and her ability to parse, spin, lie, exaggerate, and avoid questions.
I've read your posts for a long time and surprised that you support Trump. The guy is a cult-of-personality masquerading as conservative.
All of the other candidates lost me when they jumped on the media “please love me” bandwagon against Trump for saying we should stop Muslim immigration temporarily. Hell I thought he didn’t go far enough! How about permanently! How about no immigration whatsoever right now because of our economy!
They chose to pile on to win some atta boys from the media. I loathe the GOP. I blame them for everything that is wrong as much or more than the Obama Administration. Everything he’s got away with is because they are allowing it, for money I’m sure.
***We elect supposed conservatives who turn on us as soon as they get into office (look at the midterms)***
We all remember how the ejection went down in Mississippi to get Cochran elected again.
Let’s face it, the GOP “Mississippied” all conservatives, all of us.
It’s time for them to go.
Really, he is!
So, Trump is stealing the limelight from Ted Cruz? Wow, that takes the cake. Maybe Cruz is just too boring to be covered, because, in reality, he doesn’t talk to us - he talks at us. He doesn’t care what we think - he’s only interested in his personal agenda, not what we the people want done. He acts like a know-it-all, and yet, is still wet behind the ears on so many things. He got snookered by Mitch McConnell. His own staff tried to warn him, and he chose to not believe them. That’s some real good judgment, isn’t it? He thinks he clever, yet, he is a two-faced, back-biting charlatan. Now, I can hammer your guy just as much as you want to trash Trump. Cruz is a phony!!!!!!!!!!!!
The problem with giving my support to Cruz is The Donald has stood for everything I support. Cruz does too, however, The Donald is a better communicator, appealing a greater range of people.
Conservatism is seeking a conservative solution, like enforcing immigration and deportation laws that exist and halt unconstitutional "sanctuary city" policies, and drying up welfare programs that subsidize illegals while they're here.
Trump is at best a moderate. Cruz is the conservative.
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