Cruz, the anti-establishment candidate
Here’s a guy who actually has fought the GOP establishment [hat tip: commenter “DNW”]:
Do you care?
I’ve been somewhat surprised at the willingness of quite a few erstwhile Cruz supporters to abandon him for Trump based on memes like “Cruz can’t win” (when he does better than Trump in polls, and his unfavorables are lower), and “The establishment will never support Cruz” (so what? You’re a voter; support him).
If you hate the establishment, Cruz is the one who has walked the walk and talked the talk. He is conservative in almost every respect, as well as incredibly smart.
I said I was somewhat surprised at the willingness of some Cruz supporters to abandon him for Trump. But after the first surprise, I realized it made sense in emotional terms. Trump is a lot more fun, particularly if you’re really really angry and want to act that out. Trump is a blast, as they say. Trump gets attention. Cruz just works for you, and has worked for you for years.
Cruz is on the list. Will come down to this weekend for me. My state votes next week. Where will Carson’s voters go? Who will win what? Cruz needs to win more states to prove to me he has the broad support needed to win.
So far, only Trump has shown that.
Cruz was supposed to do well in the south, but hasn’t. He does awful in the northeast. Good mix of states vote on Saturday: midwest, south, northeast. Should tell me what I need to know.
K-E:
You have no idea how Cruz would do against Trump if the race narrowed to two.
I’ve seen polls that show he would beat Trump in a race like that. Why allow a third of voters to sway you from the person you want to vote for? Makes not a particle of sense at this point. Why not help Cruz narrow the race?
I’d be thrilled if he were nominated, but I don’t think it will happen. I flirted with Trump but he lost me two debates ago but would vote for him in the general.
They’ll have to put someone with Trump to align GOPe so it won’t be Cruz. Trump-Rubio makes sense but would be like matter anti-matter.
As an amusing aside I had fun at dinner tonight in Brussels. My Belgian and American-moderate-democrat companions were slacked jawed as I told them how Trump was a poke in their eye and I would vote for him. Their reactions were better than the desert. THAT is why Trump is gaining – I can say FU to business dinner companions including a European, and since they grudgingly admire Trump I don’t get a PC reaction, and even got a toast.
Whatever @4:58: “…they grudgingly admire Trump…”
Could you expand on this? What is it that your business associates admire about Trump?
The very idea that Trump is a threat to the leftists is absurd. I too started with Walker because he was a successful conservative executive, then I flirted with the idea that Fiorina could actually have a shot at the nomination, when it became obvious she was not going anywhere, I switched to Cruz. And, the more I learned about him, the more I came to see him as a candidate who would as POTUS attempt to turn the ship of state around 180.
‘The establishment will never support Cruz’
Well, isn’t that the whole point of Cruz?
Well, I’ve been plenty angry with the GOP. But Trump is a way too flawed vessel into which to pour that anger. Cruz is my candidate and I voted for him on super Tuesday.
Saw that Trump has lost 3 of the 4 closed contests, those that were open only to Republicans.
Trump is not more fun if you are thinking clearly. Then again that is the problem, isn’t it?
Parker, I am with you. In retrospect, I think Walker pulled out way too early. He must have seen something that was not so obvious to me. I don’t know why women did not rally more strongly to Carly. Maybe she seemed threatening to them.
I was waiting to see if Romney, by some miracle, jumped in. Now that he has not, I will send Cruz a small check. (I still say, as I did in 2012, Romney is conservative enough for me, and he would be a very good President. Wish he had jumped in from the beginning.) But, I believe that Cruz is smart enough to adapt and grow into the job quickly if he surrounds himself with good people at the start.
A little off topic, but I read this morning that Jeb had recommended Rubio for Romney’s running mate last time. I guess there is bad blood now because Jeb thinks Rubio undercut him by jumping in this time, knowing that Jeb was running. Twits are in a twitter with tweets about whether Jeb is big enough to endorse Rubio before Florida. Although I was glad to see Rubio hit back at Trump, I think he ended up looking silly. Trump’s hands are too small? Geez! There was plenty of meaningful ammunition without jumping into the sandbox with Trump in the war of insults.
Everyone makes their primary choices their own way. You can choose to vote however you want. I’m just giving you my personal analysis of what I’m waiting to see. I’m torn between Cruz and Trump. Cruz was a favorite long ago, but I’m worried about him in a general. You can point me to as many polls as you want, but that is my gut feeling: he will have problems.
Trump is someone who will truly shakes things up. I believe him. I don’t think he’s a con artist. He’s a successful businessman and today came out with his replacement for Obamacare. Should make some of you happy, yes? He also has the potential to take states that the GOP has given up on. And he has the enthusiasm factor. At least, that is my analysis.
Whatever,
A Trump/Rubio ticket would be a betrayal on the order of the Molotov/Ribbentrop non-aggression pact. The leaders have whipped their supporters into a frenzy that the other side isn’t just wrong, but EVIL.
You don’t join with evil if you have any principles.
If that happened, 20% of Trump’s supporters would stay home, and 90% of Rubio’s.
Cruz is justice. Trump is revenge.
Also, Trump and Cruz belong to different social classes.
IMO, that’s most of the difference in enthusiasm and support explained right there.
I’m sad, but not surprised, to see that Republicans and conservatives are forming up the traditional circular firing squad.
Trump might, just barely, beat Hillary, but as Cornhead and I have said repeatedly, it’s more likely that it will be Joe Biden. And Trump’s obnoxiousness will only get Joe more votes.
Cruz will get few, if any, independents, few, if any, undecideds, few, if any, Reagan Democrats. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt — but I lost it. Look up 1964.
Yes, I would love for a principled, brilliant, uncompromising conservative to be elected President. Ain’t gonna happen.
Yes, I would love it if likability didn’t enter into the election. But it does. Live with it — you can’t fight it.
I can only hope Good Old Uncle Joe won’t screw things up too badly.
BTW, Trump is holding back releasing his tax returns because they will show a very low level of income, if not losses. Real estate guys have positive cash flow from depreciation and refinances, but little taxable income. He could show his financial statements which would reflect the cash flow, but they would also show his properties mortgaged above the hilt, and the alleged balancing factor which keeps his net worth positive will be his “brand,” which I understand he values for financial statement purposes at somewhere upside of $8 billion.
Good luck with that, Donald.
Watching the video, something kind of struck me.
Trump is the proverbial “bad boy”. The loud, boisterous one who loves the attention, and says or does whatever stupid thing pops into his head if it will make the ladies look his way.
Cruz is the nice guy. Smart, soft spoken, does his homework, makes good grades, easy to make fun of…
Nice guys finish last. A part of me thinks it’s just that simple.
K-E
I have no problems with a Trump presidency.
Just with a Trump candidacy.
It’s the BAGGAGE.
John Oliver assembled a hit piece on Trump that was BRUTAL.
It took virtually no effort.
Basically it was Trump versus The Donald.
We hear form those ( typ LIV ) that love Trump.
We don’t hear from those who will stay at home rather than vote Trump.
The number of Democrats switching to GOP to vote the primary – are NOT truly changing parties.
Such ‘kids’ are Activists.
They are trying to throw the vote against the GOP nominee — who they rightly figure to be most lame if Trump.
&&&&
The thought of HRC debating Ted Cruz MUST give her the shivers.
She’d be TOAST.
She’s not a charming person — and her devil-within would pop out.
She’s such a WEAK candidate that Bernie Sanders polls better in the final.
This is something that the Sanders faction trumpets – to little avail.
BTW, Sanders would be a Firster, too.
First rabid Socialist.
First Independent… this is the first time he’s aligned himself with the Democrat party — paperwork and all.
First Jewish president… though one could make the argument that Bernie is atheistic or lapsed… as Socialism is CLEARLY his religion.
&&&&&&&
Rubio’s candidacy is DEAD.
It’s the Gang of Eight legacy that killed him.
Then add on the fact that on policy — there is almost no daylight between him and HRC.
The nation does NOT want Bush-Clinton-Bush II international policies any more.
Barry Soetoro poisoned the well, totally.
THAT’S why this is an epochal election.
If Rubio was a man, If Carson was a mensch, if Kasich loved his party — they’d ALL drop out — right now.
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BTW, Rubio’s photo image has been devastated by his clutching grab — of his own wife.
It’s plain that she’s repulsed at his mawkish public display of affection.
He looked not so much beta — as gamma — if not light-in-the-loafers.
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The swarm attack against Ted Cruz is in Full Cry – of the silent treatment.
Though he’s #2 in the delegates, #2 in the polls, one might not know he’s alive – as the MSM — since Iowa — has covered the race as if Ted Cruz was a non-person — Soviet style.
Many articles have been penned — and he’s the only candidate not to appear in the ‘analysis’… such as they might be.
I believe that this tactic has been vectored around by the Journolist crowd. They are using the Fabian tactics that defeated Napoleon immediately before The Battle of Nations. (Leiipzig 1813 )
I say defeated BEFORE the battle as by the time of the final battle, the Coalition had defeated all of Napoleon’s marshalls down to the nub — presenting Napoleon with an impossible force ratio when the final battle commenced.
The Coalition strategy ( Wellington ) was that no-one Coalition commander — or group of commanders — could deal with Napoleon, himself. He was just too good — and too much of a force multiplier. ( especially WRT morale. )
So the word was put out, shun any action where Napoleon would be in command.
Overpower his subordinate marshalls. Just gang up on them.
Break off the fight if Napoleon comes.
Since Napoleon always marched with his Imperial Guard — it was easy to spot his presence from a great distance.
THIS ^^^^ is what’s going on.
The anti-Ted factions can’t deal with him — directly.
So they intend to give him the silent treatment.
This would HAVE to end if Carson, Rubio, Kasich drop out.
That WOULD stop Trump.
@blert
+1000
BTW, Rubio’s photo image has been devastated by his clutching grab – of his own wife.
Did I miss the post where neo talked about how so far Cruz is winning most of the closed primaries, and Trump’s winning the open primaries?
And that most of the primaries after the 15th are closed?
Crossover voters anyone? – Seems significant.
OT question: How come HotGas hasn’t been added to the side-blog list?
…still a Cruz guy (I’m cursed with an ideological purist tendency), but won’t have an issue (none!whatsoever!) voting for Trump.
Everything about this election has merely driven home how much I’ve come to loathe and despise the GOPe.
Tragically, IMO Cruz is the right man, at the wrong time. ‘Time’ being the overall state of the electorate. I hope I’m wrong about that and hope he somehow gains the nomination. If he then won the election, I think its likely that he becomes the first 4 year lame duck President. I hope I’d be wrong about that too.
America is choosing either a Benedict Arnold (Hillary) or Aaron Burr (Trump) over a Jefferson. The consequences will be severe.
Kasich won’t drop out until after Ohio.
Rubio won’t drop out at all. “Exclusive Audio – Rubio Campaign Manager Plots Brokered Convention In Manhattan Donor Meeting To Take Nomination From Trump”
The end justifies the means. Will Rubio fire his campaign manager or keep him and implicitly endorse dishonest tactics?
“Pro-LGBT Agenda Billionaire to Lead Marco Rubio Finance Team”
“The very idea that Trump is a threat to the leftists is absurd.” parker
That’s true, IF he’s insincere about illegal immigrants, Muslim migration into America and the absolute necessity to break the immunity of MSM propaganda from consequence. I’m not convinced he is insincere but I readily acknowledge that it may well be so. There is no doubt in my mind that Ted Cruz is the ONLY current candidate who, as POTUS would attempt to turn the ship of state around 180.
Matt SE,
I believe you to be gravely mistaken in asserting that 90% of Rubio’s supporters would stay home in the face of a Trump/Rubio ticket. Many would view it as proof that Trump can be ‘managed’.
Richard Saunders,
Is refusing to allow RINOs to once again play their games participating in a ‘circular firing squad’? Is refusing to allow someone who you KNOW will stab you in the back, refusing to allow them the opportunity to do so once again… engaging in a circular firing squad? Or is it simply facing the truth?
blert,
I too have noticed the MSM ignoring of Ted Cruz. There’s no doubt that its intentional. They fully recognize their most competent enemy.
Carson will drop out after March 15. Kasich after Ohio. Rubio will only drop out IF Trump secures the needed delegate count before the convention.
Singer is the head of a hedge fund — iirc — specializing in purchasing distressed sovereign bonds and then putting the screws to the issuers.
Singer’s son is way out of the closet, of course.
“Elliott’s principal investment strategy is buying “loans and bonds owed by companies in trouble” and “seeking to influence the outcome of a bankruptcy”.[14][10] Its business practices have been described by detractors as having the characteristics of a “vulture fund”,”
Wiki
As ever Wiki misses the forest. Singer’s biggest plays have been in sovereign securities. ( Peru, Argentina, … )
Peru ended up paying off 20:1 IIRC.
Quito was spitting blood.
Geoffrey Britain — I learned in 1964 that the purpose of politics was to win elections, not to make yourself swell with righteous indignation. Obviously, you won’t learn from my experience, so you will have to learn through your own.
Here is Cruz opposing the Establishment by proposing to grant Amnesty to illegal aliens http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4CwVrfydjOI
The only people more blinded than Trump supporters are Cruz worshippers.
Richard Saunders,
Politics separated from ideals is power separated from conscience. Tyranny lies at the end of that path. Experience can indeed be the harshest of teachers but does not guarantee that we will learn the right lessons, only that we will reach a conclusion. History is filled with false ‘conclusions’.
“Just win baby” is the cry of those who accept that, the end justifies the means.
Holmes @ 9:47,
“If this amendment is adopted to the current bill, the effect would be that those 11 million under this current bill would still be eligible for RPI status*. They would still be eligible for legal status and indeed, under the terms of the bill, they would be eligible for LPR status** as well so that they are out of the shadows, which the proponents of this bill repeatedly point to as their principal objective to provide a legal status for those who are here illegally to be out of the shadows.
This amendment would allow that [to] happen, but what it would [also] do is remove the pathway to citizenship so that there are real consequences that respect the rule of law and that treat legal immigrants with the fairness and respect they deserve.
…
I don’t want immigration reform to fail. I want immigration reform to pass. And so I would urge people of good faith on both sides of the aisle, if the objective is to pass common sense immigration reform that secures the borders, that improves legal immigration, and that allows those who are here illegally to come in out of the shadows.” Sen. Ted Cruz
Cruz is, in effect recommending a modern version of the Bracero Program; “The agreement guaranteed basic human rights (sanitation, adequate shelter and food) and a minimum wage of 30 cents an hour; it also enabled the importation of temporary contract laborers from Mexico to the United States as a momentary war-related clause to supply workers during the early phases of World War II.”
*“Registered Provisional Immigrant status would allow immigrants living in the country illegally to remain here without fear of deportation or removal.”
**“Any person not a citizen of the United States who is residing the in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence as an immigrant.”
Cruz here is offering a trade; amnesty for removal of a path to citizenship. He’s proposing that amnesty carry the consequence of permanent exclusion from citizenship.
The amendment was voted down, which Cruz stated was his expectation and for any objective observer, established that the democrats were dishonest in their assertions of only wanting amnesty. Cruz exposed that democrats want more voters and are willing to behave dishonestly to get them.
We may disagree as to the tactic but it is inaccurate to assert that Cruz was cynically betraying America.
Finally, accusing Cruz’s supporters of ‘worship’ is a tawdry tactic that substitutes specious accusation for reasoned criticism. It is akin to, “when did you stop beating your wife?” You present your opinion characterizing Cruz supporters as ‘worshipful’, as established fact.
Cruz does have worshipful voters — but they direct their worship to God.
Ditto for Rubio and Carson.
As for myself, I’m merely practical and ardent.
I decided to early vote in my state, in which I voted for Cruz. As I sat there filling my ballot I overheard two others asking for a Republican ballot and another for a Democrat ballot.
No blert, I do not worship Cruz, like you I am ardent. I worked for the Cruz campaign simply because I see him as a twice in my life time chance for an actual POTUS conservative.
GB,
Holmes has been baptized in Trump kool-aid. Pointing out his willful misunderstanding of Cruz’s amendment is pointless. Hopefully, one day, though that day may be too late, he will realize (privately) that he was conned. To a far much lesser degree you have been conned in that you hold hope that Trump might actually be sincere about illegal aliens and border security.
Groucho Marx:
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them…well I have others.”
Donald Trump is merely channelling Julius Marx.
You might also think of him as the thin man — as he’s spread himself all over the map.
He’s running a beauty king contest — something of which he knows a fair amount.
He gets his stylings from the WWF.
He’s going for the crass and boorish vote — and largely getting it.
As I’ve posted my own Brother thinks ( it’s just an expression with him — he’s pure emoter ) The Donald is the bomb.
But then, his passions lean towards “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make A Deal.”
With such a tony discernment, he relates to me that he’s been tested as 140 IQ.
And you thought Mexican minors were DREAMERS.
Sad to relate, there are FAR more fellas out there with my Brother’s passion and emotion than there are us.
That’s why the world is as screwy as it is today.
I bring him up, as he’s the Colonel Klink of life-judgment.
If you went against his judgments — you’d be richer than Bloomberg and wiser than Solomon.
The man is UNCANNY.
Geoffrey Britain — just as I said, you’d prefer swelling with indignant pride than winning the election. You’d rather have as President Hillary, with whom you agree with 0 percent, than Rubio, with whom you agree 85%. Fine, have it your way. I give up.
Geoffrey, he exposed nothing except Cruz adherents will continue to believe he can do no wrong. If he was lying sincerely when he made those statements and subsequent ones indicating illegals could come out of the shadows and he did not want immigration reform to fail, yet never brought up this brilliant scheme until 3 years later (nor fundraised off it as he did with every other one of his initiatives) , why are we supposed to believe his assertions now?
Richard- +1. I’m tired of the pigheaded conservatives who refuse to compromise and would rather be worse off as a result.
Parker- I’m not a Trump supporter, dummy. I like Rubio.
Rubio is TOAST.
“…”Marco Rubio has received plenty of attention – and criticism – for skipping Senate hearings and votes as he campaigns for his White House bid.
But this isn’t the first job where Rubio has taken heat for failing to go all in. Documents and records obtained by NBC News suggest that as a visiting professor at Florida International University, he worked less than 10 hours a week and missed three-in-10 classes during his first semester of teaching – all while making more than most part-time visiting professors.”…
NBC News…
THIS ^^^^ is the kind of dirt that the MSM has in its quiver…
It only comes out to suit the MSM.
Give NBC the Dr Goebbels award.
There is no way for Rubio to get the nomination.
That’s what Super Tuesday established.
Holmes – you’re no Sherlock — that’s fer sher.
Folks are NOT persuaded when the pitch is elevated to collegial levels.
They LITERALLY can’t understand at that level.
That’s why all great political speeches read like they’re at a fifth grader’s knowledge level.
Trump is nailing the low IQ crowd’s vote.
Whereas Hillary Rodham-Clinton-Goldman-Sachs GRATES the average Joe.
The anti-Cruz faction has bought into agit-prop… as this thread illustrates perfectly.
&&&
If Donald really is a teflon Donald…
Then my objections to his candidacy abate.
He’s ALREADY established that he can run a very large organization — and NOT get buried in the details.
His casino troubles are nothing to hold against him.
Merv Griffin lost his shirt, too… same time, same deals.
Others in the exact same casino market — lost their shirts, too.
NO-ONE could make money in the Atlantic City market.
You might note that no-one is scaling up their Atlantic City investments, either.
Basically, Atlantic City has ALWAYS been a Mobbed up town.
The History Channel has some pretty funny tales from Atlantic City… mob wise.
&&&&&&&&
One thing we do know, you can’t pin Trump down on policy.
Like Groucho — he’s always got more policies — all the way around the dial.
The idea that Trump is WORSE than Hillary Rodham-Clinton-Goldman-Sachs is crazed.
She’s Stalinist.
Her profile is that of vendetta, rage, hot temper flashes, disdain for ‘the little people’ — in a way never reported by Trump employees WRT their boss.
She’s in bed with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Imagine what that means.
This is the same brainiac that gave the world Libya.
SHE pushed it on the President.
Not the Sec Defense. ( Gates )
Not the CIA. ( Petraeus )
Defense of the Muslim Brotherhood morphed into Kaddaffy’s assassination.
She OWNS all of it… much more than Benghazi…
The latter is Barry’s baby.
I don’t know why folks can’t figure that one out.
Benghazi wasn’t even a diplomatic post — it was a CIA Station.
It was a fake diplomatic post. Evident from the screwball layout perfectly illustrated in 13 Hours.
The so-called diplomatic compound didn’t even have the proper signals assets that a normal post would always have.
The reason was that the signals assets were just a hop away — at the CIA Station — where most of the fighting took place.
Even 13 Hours omits the obvious: the attack was sponsored by IRAN.
Iran has PLENTY of Sunni ‘assets’ by way of HAMAS — which IRAN set up in business — for those with short memories.
HAMAS operatives would be the cut-outs ( spook speak for intermediaries ) to hide the fact that it was Tehran that wanted to launch a mercenary assault.
Yes, it was Iran’s mercenary brigade that launched the assault. The local Benghazi population was in shock — and held a pro-American rally shortly after the fiasco.
It was massively attended — estimated to be practically the whole city.
Since that CIA Station was THE fount of the local economy — no wonder the whole city turned out.
Iran ALWAYS uses fronts, cut-outs, and proxy armies.
This is their open course of action in Yemen and Syria.
They did the same thing in western Afghanistan.
Holmes,
Thanks for correcting my assumption that you were a trumpster. Its good to know you seek to smear Cruz over his efforts to cut off the amnesty/path to citizenship embedded in the Gang of 8 bill while Rubio stood smiling, shoulder to shoulder with Schumer. My bad for supporting a real conservative, you good for supporting Rubio, a fair weather conservative.
parker…
Alt-right blogs are now damning Rubio as a fay conservative.
It’s the photo.
Cruz is opening up more Florida offices because he’s getting groundswell feed-back.
It would not shock me to see Jeb! back Cruz — as vendetta.
Politics does make for strange bedfellows.
&&&&&
I should hope that Carson, Kasich and Rubio factions wake up and shift to Cruz.
As their guys have no route to the nomination.
We’re down to a two-man race.
blert:
“The nation does NOT want Bush-Clinton-Bush II international policies any more.
Barry Soetoro poisoned the well, totally.”
Is that an accurate read, though? I’ve found that most people who say something like they’re weary of “international policies” yet mainly cite to leftist propaganda for their reasoning, much of which traces back to the demonstrably false narrative of OIF.
I could reluctantly accept a sober decision to retire the mantle of America the leader of the free world with a responsible winding down of the responsibilities and duties associated.
But that’s not what’s happening. The American people are being bamboozled and maneuvered into that position largely flowing from the premise of the demonstrably false narrative of OIF. President Obama has “poisoned the well” in order to bring to life the false narrative of OIF that was his ladder into the White House.
Setting the record straight on OIF isn’t a time machine. But what it can do is correct a linchpin premise of the political discourse in order to open the way to a sober, clear-eyed decision whether to retire – or try to revive – the mantle of America the leader of the free world and what either path implies.
Parker- the difference between True Cons and sanctimonious assholes is a line that is ever more blurred.
I’ll vote for Cruz as this conservative blue balls problem will then be remedied. I’m just not sure he can win but don’t ask True Cons to step out of their solipistic little worlds to understand why that might be. Here’s a hint: the election goes through Pennsylvania. See how Cruz matches up there.
I think the talk of Cruz being anti-establishment has been a ruse.
Any thoughts on why Romney – the establishment king – only denounced Trump in his speech, and not Cruz?
Who will Rubio – the current establishment candidate – throw his weight behind when he drops out?
Who will the establishment back after Rubio drops out?
Yes, Cruz is hated by many in the GOP. That doesn’t mean he is anti-establishment. It appears this is true with all who have worked closely with him. In other words, it is personal, not business.