Posted on 03/09/2014 1:38:39 PM PDT by smoothsailing
March 9, 2013
Drew Zahn
When it comes to picking a presidential candidate for 2016, the GOP elite is having a hard time getting the grassroots to toe the establishment line.
Top Republican strategist Karl Rove, for example, has repeatedly praised Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, as “a strong potential candidate in 2016,” whom Democrats fear will win the nomination.
And when other names gained popular attention, particularly attention among the so-called tea-party crowd, the man known as the “architect” was quick to criticize.
Rove, for example, blasted potential presidential hopeful Ted Cruz for not playing ball with the GOP establishment, just as the Texas senator’s name started to gain traction with Republican voters.
Rove similarly opened fire on Sen. Rand Paul, R-Tenn., for talking about Monica Lewinsky and potential Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the same breath.
And even if Christie has fallen from favor among the establishment, other GOP insiders have floated names like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and even the return of former presidential candidate and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as possible nominees in 2016.
But now a poll on one of the Internet’s top websites, the Drudge Report, reveals the ground troops just aren’t buying it.
With over 234,000 votes counted, Rove’s “strong potential candidate,” Christie, was garnering less than five percent of the vote. Bush had just over six percent. Ryan had less than four.
But despite fiery criticism from the GOP establishment, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was registering over 28 percent in the Drudge Report poll, while Tennessee Sen. Rand Paul was leading the survey, with over 30 percent. Paul’s 72,297 votes compared impressively to Christie’s 11,437.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
He can’t do squat with the senate running block for everyone. Elevate the playing field and I think he would produce.
yes..we can win our country back with that one.
It seems that you can’t seem to learn. Do you not see the rinos you would elect siding with every whim of Obama? illegals? the military? Obamacare?
Do you not see a connection between rinos helping him and the leftward lurch of the GOP? Do you not think that Rinos would do more of the same against/with hillary?
He does not fight. He does not try. He is useless if not an actual Democrat. His actions show him to be no different than one do they?
Yes no solid arguments just crap like we’ll see. Anyone who does not agree with their lack of argument is suspected of being a plant.
Rand Paul is honest but no more for open borders than anyone else. Don’t mistake silence from others for being for more border control.
I don’t buy the whole libertarian line but I am smart enough to know that we stand zero chance without them so we better find the common ground or practice saying President Clinton and VP warren.
We really do not want another pair of Senators running again, do we?
Seriously.
Only if we get replacements for them in the senate.
I spent many years dealing with eco nuts. I am familiar with how libs operate and I am amazed with how many get away with convincing people here what ‘staunch conservatives they are’ while telling people to their face to support lib/rinos.
Good God how freaking blind are people?
I used to believe voting for any repub, even a RINO, was better than voting for the dem.
Quit believing that a few election cycles ago. No More Rino’s or GOPer’s.
CC, he HONESTLY backs Mitch against a conservative challenger.
Not my “concern”.
And Cruz endorsed Cronyn.
Now go back and tell Karl, the old tactics ain’t working anymore.
Norm, I haven’t voted in the last two Presidential elections, and I don’t regret the McNut bypass, but I would rather have had Mitt Romney, as bad as that might have been, over this moron.. I didn’t vote for him, but I regret it now..
I don’t just sit at a computer and type, I write checks and shoot my mouth off on TV and radio, and destroyed my production, and publishing businesses, being so outspoken in my Conservatism.. All of the chest thumping doesn’t do much if you never hold the throttle, and sit in the driver’s seat..
You can be so right on so many issues and so blinded on others.
Cruz never ‘slipped’ on Amnesty and yes I looked it up. Paul has. a couple times now. And he backs one if the top 2 libs in the GOP.
Sorry Conservatism can’t count on you when the chips are down.
The circular firing squad force is strong on FreeRepublic. Many posters here want a candidate who agrees 100% with them. They are to conservatism what Greenpeace is to environmentalism: They seek perfection.
That said, it is time to ditch the GOP elite and offer up a candidate with some moxie.
Yea and I had Time Magazine take me apart by name once. BFD. So what? I also voted in every election. Not voting means you didn’t matter and wasted it all.
A Paul / Cruz ticket would be even better.
Rand Paul is a better speaker, and hasn’t the personal ‘gotcha’ vulnerability that Cruz has.
.
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