Your admiration is not unwarranted. He is playing chess, very well, while everyone else is still trying to figure out the rules of checkers. In a week, he has positioned himself to have a committed following in all of the main (overlapping) branches of conservatism: fiscal, social, constitutional, and defense. He is systematically gaining ground, and doing so in a manner that will make it very difficult for others to dislodge him, and will simultaneously appeal to various voting blocks that have a history of being less committed to party identification. It has been utterly brilliant, and, even if it were a less weighty contest, would be a fascinating blend of strategy and skill.
The GOPe, the media, the democrats — they have no idea what they are up against. They will continue whistling past the graveyard, unaware that it is they that are the ones being placed there (metaphorically). I had hoped that his political skill was adequate, so as to not get in the way of his brilliant understanding of the issues, his understanding of the constitution, and his ability to distill the complex into something understandable and persuasive. I sold him short. His political skill may be his greatest strength.
For the first time since I held out the faint hope that Bush Sr. would understand that 1988 was a request to continue what Reagan started (a hope that was, sadly, dashed), I believe that this country may have hope yet in avoiding the leftward drift that seems to inevitably destroy every countries’ potential.
Well said! Yes, Cruz gives me hope as well that we can dig our fingernails into the cliff side and claw our collective way back up where we belong.
I have never been this confident, this early, that we Conservatives finally have a contender that represents us. Your tagline is prescient.
bttt