As the Republican Primary Season finally takes shape, Republican Primary voters are beginning to see the futility of many of their favorite candidates campaigns, at the same time as they are faced with the probability that either Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, or Ted Cruz will prevail.
Primary Season has a deleterious effect on our opinions of candidates who, just six months ago, we might have liked, or at least not disliked. Marco Rubio has gone from a conservative Tea Party candidate, who’s bad on immigration and a bit of a NeoCon on foreign policy, to in the minds of some, a far left Republican Establishment candidate who’s sold his soul to the great and powerful Oz behind the curtain. Ted Cruz, who many viewed as too conservative or uncooperative to attract establishment votes, appears far more reasonable, down to earth, and cooperative, now that the Republican Party is faced with Donald Trump. Donald Trump, who, I believe fascinated most people at the beginning, has secured the unflappable hatred of a good 30% of all Republicans, as he treats their favorite candidates to mockery and mean-spirited jabs at their appearance, their religion, or their ethnicity.
The Rand Paul people are furious with Senator Ted Cruz, who somehow stole a bunch of the folks they were counting on for Paul – I being one of them. But, in fairness to us Paul-People gone Cruz, it didn’t take a rocket-scientist to figure out by early summer that Rand Paul’s campaign wasn’t going anywhere. His campaign has been a bit of a train wreck from the beginning.
Bush and Kasich and Christie people are looking at Marco Rubio and wondering whether they can really get behind such a conservative Tea Party candidate; but with conservatives lashing out at Rubio as if Rubio were more establishment than Jeb Bush, establishment people kind of figure that, well, if conservatives hate Marco Rubio so much, maybe Rubio ain’t so bad.
Yes, Primary Season is a very silly season indeed, but a season we must all go through nonetheless.
Only Donald Trump has run a campaign that has deliberately narrowed the number of Republicans who will support him. His unfavorables amongst Likely Republican voters are even worse than the numbers of Jeb Bush. Yet, when you open the polls to Democrats, Trumps numbers improve.
For months I was baffled that no moderate or non-establishment Democrat could gain traction. I’m wondering, where are all the union guys? Where are the blue collar Democrats who hate President Obama and Hillary Clinton? Why aren’t they looking for a Democrat candidate to support?
Finally it dawned on me that they have found their Democrat Candidate, only, that candidate isn’t running as a Democrat… he’s running as Donald Trump.
All that said, Trump’s candidacy daily softens my frustrations with Rubio, my disappointments in the Paul campaign, and my confusion concerning just how quickly Dr. Ben Carson disappeared from the limelight (some folks just can’t handle it). I am a Ted Cruz supporter and volunteer, but as far as Republican candidates go, Rubio, Carson, and Paul are all better candidates than we’ve seen in years past, excepting the Ron Paul Revolution of course.
And so, as I watch fellow Republicans struggle with their narrowed choices, I too struggle with the idea that Donald Trump could be the Republican Nominee. It’s really the only foreseeable outcome that upsets me. However, that’s my issue, as I’m sure you have your own, but the primary is taking shape, for better or worse, and it is time for all of us to choose between Trump, Rubio, and Cruz.
Originally published on PendletonPenn.com
13 comments
I think you’re wrong on multiple levels.
Let’s assume the segment is ‘Spanish-speaking’ (hence the ¡Yeb!) as a category — not common ethnicity.
And looking at candidate origins and upbringing… (Yeah, natural origins)
Only Cruz, Rubio, and Bush can be president because only they can get support from those that ‘hablo the españolo??’
That identity politics only works with those with a hive mind (predominantly Dems, fellow travelers, Islamists for the instant, and the media.)
I refuse to accept that Spanish-speaking should be a criterion for nominee selection. I believe that Americans of all languages and stereotypes see beyond that.
Either we’re all on the same side of ‘Borders, Language, Culture’ or we shall be lying beneath.
One very recent poll showed that only Marco Rubio can beat Hillary in a national election. Trump’s reckless and hyperbolic trash talk has alienated practically every voting block, including many reasonable Republicans. The Hispanic vote went 42% (Bush 2004), to 27% (Romney 2012) to 11% (Trump currently). Above all else, we must regain the white house. We need a candidate who can win. I think Rubio gives us that best chance.
As SBT opined above, I think Trump’s secret weapon is blue collar Democrats who aren’t going to come out and say they will vote for Trump, but will when they step in the ballot box. For these blue collar guys, they physically see illegal aliens on jobsites. It is millions of illegal aliens that have kept this cohort’s wages down. It is no coincidence that the more illegal aliens cross our porous borders, then the more wages stagnate. Stop illegal aliens and working wages go up.
Most of the Black community understands this too. No group has been harmed more by illegal immigration than Blacks. Obama has also hurt them more than any other group.
I’m still voting for Rand Paul. Since Virginia’s delegates are proportioned, I’ll be happy if he gets a delegate. There will be a brokered convention, and nobody knows how that will play out. I predict a riot, which is the kind of street brawl that plays in Trump’s favor.
Will it be worse than the Democrats 1968 convention? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_National_Convention
Actually, I think it might be. In ’68 Dan Rather got slugged in the gut by Mayor Daley’s Chicago goons as riots erupted outside. Why do I think this? Because the only time you can change the rules is the day before the convention. I suspect the Establishment will do whatever is needed to get their chosen nominee and block Trump (whom I think is unstoppable at this point) and will make substantial rules changes to their benefit the night before the convention. And then all hell will break loose.
I’ll take the natural born citizen.
Cruz is a natural born citizen, just as McCain is.
Nope, I’d agree with Rubio matching McCain for points, but not Cruz — Cruz gets only 1 out of the possible 3, and only 3 for 3 counts.
I struggled with Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Bob Dole, but I held my nose and voted for them. I find it very interesting that Trump gives the establishment the heebie jeebies. If the establishment had actually LISTENED to We the People, especially on immigration, there would be no need for a Donald Trump. That being said, Trump 2016!!
There is still no need for Trump while Cruz is in the race. I think Trump let the cat out of the bag when he criticized Cruz for not playing nice with the Establisment.
If I am not in favor of Trump as the nominee, does that make me part of the establishment? Just wondering.