Friday, April 10, 2015

Cruz, Rubio, Walker, Paul - The GOP Leads the Generational Shift in American Politics

While Senator Marco Rubio has not yet announced his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, everything is in place for the inevitable day, a moment that will sever definitively the Jeb Bush-Marco Rubio personal and political relationship that has defined Florida GOP politics for almost two decades. Back when Rubio was Florida House Speaker and decided to run for the US Senate, he gave his mentor and political 'Godfather' Jeb Bush, then the former Florida governor of three years and thinkng about a political comeback, weeks to decide whether he would make his own bid for the Senate. “If he were to run,” Rubio wrote : “nobody would challenge him in the primary - certainly not me.” Bush decided not to run and worked hard behind the scenes to push Rubio’s long-shot campaign in the Republican primary against their shared enemy, the moderate Republican-cum-Democrat Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who had himself decided to run for the Senate. Jeb Bush introduced Marco Rubio to his top donors, helped him line up endorsements and offered needed advice. But, according to a recent New York Times article, Bush didn't endorse Rubio for months, not until it became clear that Rubio could win. Rubio’s allies think the delay was a political hedge that verged on disloyalty. Bush allies play down the timing of his endorsement, adding that it was no secret that Bush backed Rubio. Rubio’s 2010 underdog Senate victory marked the end of his being a Jeb Bush protégé. ~~~~~ And while the NYT is telling the story of the rise and fall of the Jeb Bush-Marco Rubio relationship, Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas who is considering a second run for President in 2016, has taken on Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, the newest official GOP presidential wannabe. Huckabee lectured Senator Paul about how running for President is “the big leagues,” following Paul’s testy exchange with “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. “I think the questions are fair,” Mr. Huckabee, a 2008 Republican presidential candidate, said on “Fox and Friends” Thursday morning. Politico reports that Huckabee said : “When you’re running for President, all is fair in love and war. This is war. This is the big leagues. You’re going to have to expect that you’re going to have a lot of fastballs that are going to be aimed right at your nose, and how you handle them is part of the process, it’s part of the game, if you will. So any question is fair, it’s just how you handle it. It’s like, the pitcher can throw what he wants. The question is, can you either put it in the third deck or do you rush the mound and take the pitcher on?” Paul came under fire Wednesday and was even accused of being sexist after his tense back-and-forth with Guthrie. Later, Paul said he has trouble with both male and female reporters' questions and will make a real effort to do better. Most political analysts are familuar with Rand Paul's bursts of pique at reporters. His outbursts are in stark contrast to his sure delivery of speeches to partisan followers. His announcement of his candidacy several days ago was masterful. But, Senator Paul must improve his unscripted reactions if he is to last long in the battle for the 2016 GOP nomination. ~~~~~ US Senator Ted Cruz announced his 2016 presidential campaign last month. And in an effort to give more donor input to Super PACS, his supporters have set up a unique set of four super PACs that expect to raise a whopping $31 million during their first week. The PACs are devoted to putting Cruz in the White House. The treasurer for at least three of the four PACs is Dathan Voelter, an Austin lawyer and longtime Cruz supporter. Voelter said Wednesday that the PACs - whose backers are described as "close, personal friends and strong supporters" of Cruz - are : "just getting started. Our goal is to guarantee Senator Cruz can compete against any candidate." They want to give Senator Cruz a level playing field against "his opponents in the Washington establishment and on the political left," Voelter said. The names of the PACs are "Keep the Promise PAC," "Keep the Promise I," "Keep the Promise II" and "Keep the Promise III." The four-pronged network could allow individual donors to have more authority than usual over the PACs' activities. Cruz's campaign has worked hard to show he has the fundraising prowess for what is expected to be the most expensive presidential race in US history. But, Cruz is not the only candidate connected to Texas with a super PAC backing his presidential ambitions. Last month, allies of former Texas Governor Rick Perry and of Jeb Bush scoured Texas in search of super PAC contributions. But, Mark Halperin, longtime GOP analyst, says the Super PACs backing Cruz are taking in a “record haul” that is “eye-popping,” Bloomberg’s Halperin writes : “Ted Cruz’s presidential effort is getting into the shock-and-awe fundraising business." Cruz’s early fundraisng success : "raises the stakes in the Republican fundraising contest." The rate at which the outside Super PACs pulled in $31 million to back Cruz, Halperin wrote, “is remarkable,” adding that there “are no known cases in which an operation backing a White House hopeful has collected this much money in less than a week.” What’s more, Halperin notes, this $31 million off the bat in the first week of these Cruz Super PACs is just the beginning : “Those involved in the Cruz Super PACS say many of his biggest financial backers haven’t yet made contributions to the new organizations and are expected to do so in the coming months." The Cruz effort will ensure that even if Jeb Bush out-fundraises Cruz, the Texas Senator will have enough funding to wage a fair battle. Because of this kind of effort, Cruz will be there on the main stage competing with Bush, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and other heavyweights until the last man. And he just might, as Halperin previously said, become the Republican nominee. Halperin says that according to a person familiar with the financing of the Cruz Super PACs, many of the donors are former backers of George W. Bush and former Texas Governor Rick Perry. Bush’s brother, Jeb, and Perry are seeking the White House now, which makes Cruz’s coup that much more impressive. ~~~~~ Dear readers, with Chris Christie being plagued by Bridgegate and rumors that federal indictments are coming, and questions about Jeb Bush's ability to become acceptable to the GOP base, we may be at a generational watershed in GOP politics. Cruz and Rubio represent a new conservative approach that blends traditional constitutional, fiscal and defense views with an appeal to younger voters who also support right-to-life and LGBT civil, but not religious, rights. Rand Paul plays well to a unique GOP sub-specie that ties the Constitution to libertarian isolationist defense views, while rejecting most GOP traditional views about family and social issues. And, Jeb Bush, 62, has the additional difficulty of family 'dynasty' issues. This dynasty question, as well as her age, 69, makes Hillary Clinton a relic of the past, despite her effort to appeal, or perhaps pander, to women, as does Jeb's age and backward agenda. The person elected President in 2016 will most likely be under 50 and conservative. This puts the Democratic Party on the sidelines -- with no possible Hillary challenger who fits this description. So, we should watch and listen carefully to the Republican candidates -- Cruz, Rubio, Walker, Paul -- because they will be setting the agenda for post-Obama America. And all of them believe that 2016 is the last real chance to "take America back" from the socialist progressive secular left.

9 comments:

  1. Concerened CitizenApril 10, 2015 at 2:04 PM

    Cruz, Rubio, Walker, Paul it’s amazing but I could live with anyone of them as President. Amazing 3 dedicated Conservatives and one true Libertarian.

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    1. This is not going to be just another 'If it looks like a Duck, sounds like a Duck, walks like a Duck" it must be a republican. No sir not this election at all.

      And I think that is the real strength of the GOP against any democrat - especially Hillary Clinton. They (the Dems.) have been saying the same corporate line for the past 50 years.

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  2. Senator Ted Cruz has certainly raised the ‘benchmark’ for ALL the rest the other would be Republican hopeful. His seems to be a most well organized campaign already, his announcement speech was excellent and positive, and his campaign financing effort is tremendous.

    Now certainly all the other candidates will get up to speed. Sen. Cruz just came out of the starting gate faster than anyone else and doesn’t seem to be looking in the rear view mirror at all. If this is the case and Cruz is going to run his campaign his way, on his ideas then the rest of the republican field has some serious self-examinations to do.

    What need to be done by all the republicans are present plans/ideas for correcting the disasters of the Obama regime? But none of them can afford to not constantly pound the democrats on their dismal party and personal records.

    And if we are so lucky for Hillary to get her party’s nomination then her whole public life become a target of attack … every little morsel of her (and with husband Bill also) lying, cheating, dishonesty, and downright inadequate functioning as Secretary of State.

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  3. De Oppressor LiberApril 11, 2015 at 7:21 AM

    It is "Presidential Election Time" and the GOP has a myriad of young, talented, intelligent, conservative candidates ready to serve the country. And this will happen as regular as clockwork does. It will be peaceful and (mostly honest) vote.

    But the real obstacle is Congress’s inability to enact a conservative agenda is different from its ability—or lack of ability—to block Obama’s liberal agenda.

    Today and throughout the Presidential primary & general election period is for Congress to refute any and all initiatives and inventiveness of Obama in anything he attempts to do. Congress should reinvent the words "Lame duck.” No agreement on anything, no vacancies filled (as in the Attorney General), and certainly no approval of Judgeships to fill open slots.

    We are all in agreement that the actions of Obama must be reversed ASAP. And ASAP can start right now. And the mainstay of the GOP candidates should be calling for that.

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    1. I agree with the words of De Oppressor Liber. The goal of what appears to be a somewhat crowded GOP primary shouldn’t be the rancor of defeating fellow republicans, but the setting of the stage for the revitalization of the American electorate to come to the polls on general election Tuesday in November 2016 with clear views about who stands for American and who stands for personal gain and prolongation of the destructive Obama administration.

      Examination of workable ideas and a productive agenda should be the corner stone of the primary mêlées … not a badly bleeding and divided GOP. After all the enemy is not within the GOP.

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  4. Here is the opposition to the renewal of government by the Constitution framework. Democrats facing re-election in 2018:

    California Senator Dianne Feinstein, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy*, Delaware Senator Tom Carper, Florida Senator Bill Nelson, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono, Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly, Maine Senator Angus King (I) (caucuses with Democrats), Maryland Senator Ben Cardin*, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, Montana Senator Jon Tester, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr., Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I)(caucuses with Democrats), Virginia Senator Tim Kaine*, Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin.( The asterisk indicates members of the Senate Foreign relations Committee).

    16 of this list of 26 up for re-election gives the GOP a VETO proof Senate. We should assume and work for the capture of the White House. But we must plan of stopping the democratic assault on the Rule of law and the destruction of the Constitution in November 2016.

    Let's give the new republican President in 2016 all the help we can ... or at least block the progressive Socialist movement.

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  5. Unquestionably (with the exception of a very dark horse coming from I’m not sure where) Cruz, Rubio, Walker, Paul – 3 Senators and a Governor will be the last four men standing after all the want-a-bee’s fall by the way side in the upcoming GOP primaries. But included are some excellent individuals that will make very good potential VP candidates, cabinet secretaries, etc. One will be Carly Fiorina an excellent choice for VP, or Commerce Secretary or Labor Secretary. She is a very round peg in a board with almost all round holes.

    But how about one of these drop outs steeping forward and running the GOP Senate Election Committee? I know the GOP has such a position within the senate, but someone whose only job for a year would be electing GOP candidates to the U.S. Senate.? How about Gov. Perry? He is great at campaigns.

    As far as ‘3 Musketeers plus 1’, unless something earth shattering happens or comes to the light of day, the most likely final 2 standing will be Cruz and Walker. Or will that be the ticket – Cruz & Walker?

    As a political animal I can’t wait. THIS CERTAINLY COULD BE A “GENERATIONAL and POLICY SHIFT IN AMERICAN POLITICS”

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  6. “A shift in American politics”. Want to really change the playing field?

    Money is very tight I understand that. But between now and march 2016 put a single dollar in an envelope, and next year sent it to the front runner for the nomination.

    If every registered republican did that it will wipe out (with other Super PAC monies) the spending advantage that Hillary (IF she is the candidate) may have. No PAC money , just a ground swell of American citizens that want their government and country back.

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    1. "a single dollar every month")

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