Posted on 02/19/2016 6:44:32 AM PST by Kaslin
As a supporter of Ted Cruz I have had many supporters of other candidates tell me that he would not be electable in the general election. I disagree.
Yes, Cruz is caricatured in social media and elsewhere as unlikable and as one who doesn't play well with others. He's too extreme and we need someone who can draw independents to win, and, once elected, unite us in bipartisan action. He just isn't as handsome as Rubio, they say.
Yet I have seen polls showing that Cruz is the most well-liked candidate among Republican voters, so you can't always rely on anecdotal evidence -- or expert commentary. The reason is that we all have a tendency to project our own feelings on to the general population.
How could Cruz get legislation through Congress if so many of his Senate colleagues don't like him now, ask the critics. We can't afford any more gridlock.
Well, one reason Cruz is unpopular among many of his colleagues is that he honored his campaign promises to stand up to President Obama and resist his wasteful, unreasonable budgets. Establishment members of Congress and pundits have preemptively declared defeat before each budget discussion. Their cookie-cutter analysis concluded that no matter how outrageous Obama's demands, Republicans would lose the PR battle because they are perceived as the party of less government.
Plus, critics maintained, the Republicans never had enough votes to filibuster or override a veto, so any strong resistance was foolish and would just make them look worse to the people and cause them to lose the next election. "Just wait until we regain power; then we'll be tough."
When Cruz, among very few others, listened to his constituents instead of the defeatists in his own party and proceeded to fight, he was castigated as a grandstander and manipulator who was placing himself above the party and the nation. I remember arguing with many of these people at the time that it is very important that Republicans take strong stands against Obama.
You see, I didn't believe Cruz was quixotic. I didn't view these budget battles solely in the short term. Rather, I had the long view in mind. I think there is some chance we even could have prevailed if Republicans had unanimously united in opposition to Obama's reckless budget submissions, but I was certain that if we didn't fiercely resist him and publicly make our case in the process, we would face serious consequences with the electorate that had twice resoundingly rejected Obama's agenda in the off-year congressional elections.
I have said before that the establishment gave birth to Donald Trump by surrendering to Obama too quickly and not vigorously opposing him. Indeed, I believe the Republicans' failure to join Cruz in these budget battles was a contributing factor. Their calculus about that always-looming next election should now be seen as folly. The grass roots simply didn't believe the GOP was fighting for them, and now we are all paying for it.
The grass roots believed that even conservative Republicans were too feckless or ineffective to oppose Obama's agenda, and many are overreacting and choosing Trump. They don't seem too concerned about whether he is a reliably consistent conservative, or about his record of supporting many liberal causes.
How ironic that Ted Cruz is being punished by people because few of his colleagues would stand with him against the establishment. He has, with his actions, demonstrated himself to be a far sharper thorn in the establishment's side than Trump and his rhetoric. Cruz is the guy that stood up to the establishment from the inside and proved he could not be pressured by his peers to go along to get along. Isn't that what the grass roots have been craving all these years?
It's also ironic that Trump is reputed to be the person who stands up to the establishment and get things done. But he is the one who has boasted in this campaign about his willingness to work with the establishment.
Ted Cruz is remarkably brilliant and has proved more than any politician in modern times that he will do in office precisely what he promises to do in the campaign. This isn't expedient rhetoric; it's his proven track record.
Concerning electability, Cruz, in a general election campaign, would articulate conservatism with a flair we haven't seen in a presidential campaign since Ronald Reagan. I have always believed that if conservative ideas are clearly and unapologetically communicated they will energize the base and attract millions of others. These are positive, optimistic, and contagious ideas that for decades haven't been presented clearly, without dilution, and with utterly authentic conviction.
Ted Cruz believes he can reignite the old Reagan coalition and lead us to victory. I firmly believe it too. And if he wins with such an unambiguous message, he will have the clearest of mandates to pursue his agenda with a Congress elected along with him.
Republicans and conservatives must not overreact and throw the hay out with the pitchforks, when we can have the real deal with Ted Cruz, who will steer America back on the right course, first reversing Obama's destructive agenda and then implementing conservative principles to restore America's glory.
This really isn't that complicated. Cruz is the conservative candidate conservatives have longed for, and it would be tragic if we squander what could be our last opportunity.
There is a much larger segment of the voting population that explains trump: Patriots. Many conservatives are supporting Trump because they see him as a lifeline from outside the system.
i will stand with Cruz.
I will tolerate Trump.
I will not comply with Clinton.
I will fight for america against sanders.
You should be happy, because sane Conservatives are not letting this opportunity pass.
My condolences to Cruz none the less.
Will vote for Cruz in the General Election. Voting tomorrow for DJT for perhaps the only time I will have the opportunity. And that’s an opportunity this Constitutional conservative doesn’t want to miss.
BTTT
You’re not factoring in that Cruz is damaged goods because of the “take it to the limits (and then some)” campaign initiatives in Iowa and South Carolina. Democrats would connect him to Tricky Dick, not letting him be framed as the next Reagan. The icing on the cake would be some of the crazier quotes from Glenn Beck.
Here, here. As Cruz was being castigated by his own party during the budget standoff, some here on FR who now want Trump were cheering him on, lauding his conservative bonafides, and calling him the anti-establishment savior. These same Freepers got the purpose of his poison pill that help defeat the Grahmnesty bill, and now use it dishonestly to paint him as pro-amnesty.
All we ask brother, whomever we nominate we come together. I don’t think the talk show myrmidon conservatives here who are true believers in Cruz will coalesce behind Trump though. Cruz was a cipher for all their discontent and with him gone what’s left besides taking their toys going home and complaining,
I will stand with Trump.
I will tolerate Cruz.
I will fight for America against both Clinton and Sanders.
As long as “true conservative voter” is defined as “supporting cheap labor and free trade based on some sort of esoteric ideological purism”, the pool of True Conservative Voters is going to continue shrinking.
If we do not fix immigration this election cycle the country is done, the constitution is dead and we the people are screwed. That is why we the people are getting behind Trump. It got zero to do with right/left. It's survival.
I guess is Phyllis Schlafly is not a conservative either. Trump is 'last hope for America'. Some people can see the forest thru the trees others can't.
True, dat.
Not too hard for the Dems to do that, since DT already established the narrative for them to follow. DT is their dream candidate; "anti-immigrant, islamophobic" (Dem words, not mine) enough to be painted as an extreme bogeyman for their base, yet malleable (as Carter said) on healthcare, gay rights and Planned Parenthood.
By the time my voting state gets a chance the nominee should be decided.
I will stand with Cruz or Trump.
PERIOD
I think we’re finding out that there’s not as many true conservatives as people thought. And
Of course a true conservative will be deemed “unelectable” by the MSM
Of course a true conservative will be hated by the Washington establishment GOP-like Dole, McCain, McConnell etc (I note that many of the House Freedom Caucus have endorsed Cruz)
Spare me the “nasty” “liar” rebuttals. The last supposed Cruz “lie”-false Gowdy Facebook-has been debunked
I just hope that, once again, Evangelicals who take their ball home when they don't get their way, show up for a change. They seem to prefer *itching-rights from losing over bragging-rights from winning.
Nobody is ever perfect enough for them. Gotta say to them, "Jesus isn't on the ballot this time. Who's your SECOND choice?"
Given what they have said about not only Cruz but his supporters, most of the militant Trumpsters on this board will probably not support Cruz if the GOP nominates him for president.
I don’t agree with your assessment of Trump. But I will say that Cruz brought it upon himself with the “to the limit” campaign tactics in Iowa and now in SC. And I still have to ask, why isn’t Cruz going after Jeb? A Jeb threat is certainly a very big threat to the nation, whereas Trump will turn things around.
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