Posted on 01/08/2016 12:27:17 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Senator Ted Cruz is the most interesting candidate in the US presidential race right now. As a darling of the Tea Party, in 2012, he swept into the Senate, representing Texas, having campaigned on deeply conservative principles and policies. At the time, many dismissed him as a rabble-rouser who would wind up as a less successful version of George W Bush. Now, not only is he leading in the polls in Iowa, but he has also beat out senator Marco Rubio as the dark horse of the race thus far.
Cruz has been criticised for having some of the most conservative views in the contest. Though his conservatism is rooted in a strict interpretation of the US constitution - not the modern populism that has propelled candidates like former senator Rick Santorum and former governor Mike Huckabee to call for heavy defence spending and further government interference - his extreme views on abortion and the death penalty have many questioning if he can appeal to moderate Republicans, let alone independents.
Despite these views, however, Cruz has found support in some of the most unlikely places. Alan Dershowitz, the famous liberal law professor at Harvard, said of Cruz: "One of the sharpest students I had... I've had 10,000 students over my 50 years at Harvard... he has to qualify among the brightest."
During his career, Cruz has worked as both a law clerk to Supreme Court justice William Rehnquist, as well as the solicitor general of Texas; a job which led him to argue several cases in front of the Supreme Court himself. His experience easily pegs him as the most knowledgeable candidate on state and individual rights, a helpful title to hold when vying for conservative votes.
With a few obvious exceptions - including his anti-immigration stance and support for building a wall at the Mexican border - many of Cruz's policy proposals adopt progressive conservatism, meaning they rest more on evidence than ideology. He strays from the pack when the facts are clear, evidenced just this week when, according to the Wall Street Journal, he became "the first leading presidential candidate to oppose the federal Renewable Fuel Standard" - a farming handout that is protected heavily by the agricultural lobby.
When the TV debates kicked off, many thought Rubio was the one to watch: moderate, charismatic, with both "grassroots" and "establishment" likability. But Cruz has come out far ahead in Iowa and, if the polls are to be believed, he will be determined the winner in that state's caucus in just a matter of weeks.
My bet is that Rubio still has a small edge on Cruz to secure the Republican nomination. While the Iowa caucuses play a pivotal role for under-performing candidates, for whom it is the last chance to stay in the race, its voters are very socially conservative and have failed to choose the candidate that resonates most with the rest of the party in recent years.
But this is still anyone's race, and Cruz's prospects are looking up. If he wins Iowa, the feat will deliver a crushing blow to Donald Trump and potentially trigger the billionaire's downfall. Trump's main pull is that he's a "winner" - when he's not winning anymore, his campaign will inevitably decline.
When it does, someone will reap the lost votes. Six months ago, Cruz seemed like an after-thought; today, he may be peaking at just the right moment.
.
>> “ Will that base attract the broader independents and Democrats who swing to the Republicans?” <<
It already has. Pay attention to what has happened in California.
While I don’t expect California to go GOP in the general it is interesting that an actual constitutional conservative is leading the primary polls there.
.
Cruz has shown himself to be the only electable candidate in either party.
And the no-party guy, Trump, has demonstrated that he fails the standard for national leadership with his loose mouth.
Will President Cruz prosecute Trump for his illegal work force? I suspect that he will have to.
Absolutely. They're all the same entity.
Indeed. But as you smolder in an ash heap, remember that Jim Rob says:
"Well Bye."
Considering there is also an open Bill Clinton supporter posting pro Trump threads at a high rate still unzotted? Maybe not so much.
I think you are on the wrong board trying to soft soap pro-life. Folks who have tried that have had a short stay here.
.
Gallup is even left of Reuters (if that is possible)
Wisest man I ever knew could barely write his name. Urban types know a lot of things that, as Ronnie said, ‘just aren’t so’.
Oh, brother!
No, you are a flaming liberal POS that needs to find a better home. Like NARAL or Planned Parenthood forums.
No, this is a CONSERVATIVE FORUM, we aren't interested in liberal Republicans like you.
Lib troll. Tis the season to troll Freepers. Fa La La La La, La La, La, La.
Oopps Wrong post. Give me a second
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/3357549/posts?page=46#43
To: lentulusgracchus
“but the one thing that niggles in the back of my head is that Trump, just before he kicked off, had a substantial conversation with Bill Clinton.â€
I like Clinton, but that conversation didn’t sound right to me either. And I didn’t like Trump’s answer when he was called out on it. It sticks in the back of my mind too.
My question is, who told the media they had that conversation?
We’ll see.
43 posted on Saturday, November 07, 2015 4:03:30 PM by BlackFemaleArmyCaptain (I LOVE JESUS CHRIST because He first loved me!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies | Report Abuse]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.