Cruz should have the majority of evangelical votes - but he doesn't - why?

Donald Trump is a mainline Protestant who hardly goes to church. Ben Carson’s 15 minutes of fame is over. Marco Rubio’s faith journey has taken him from Catholicism to Mormonism to evangelicalism and back to Catholicism. If Rubio has as difficult time making political decisions as he has making religious decisions I question his loyalty to any principle.

Cruz is supposed to be the real deal. A true evangelical Christian, loyal to the U.S. Constitution, Southern Baptist, a preacher’s kid and yet he has not sewed up the evangelical vote – why? He announced his candidacy at Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell, but Jerry Falwell’s son who is head of Liberty University supports Trump – why? No one has a better record in Congress on the social issues that “Old style” conservatives embrace, but he still does not have the evangelical vote in the basket – why?

Trump all but matches Cruz for evangelical support in Iowa. Trump’s refusal to participate in the FOX debate may change that. Cruz is going to twist the truth and out and out lie to use Trump’s refusal against him. I noticed since Trump announced he would not participate in the debate Sean Hannity who has had his head up Trumps backside has pulled it out and stuck it up Cruz’s backside. That may hurt Trump in Iowa.

Could it be that evangelicals know Cruz is a hypocrite? Southern Baptist teaches tithing ten percent of your gross income to the church is essential to your faith and according to public records Cruz contributes LESS than ONE percent. He claims to be against Wall Street, yet his wife is an executive of one of the largest Wall Street firms and even borrowed one million dollars from Wall Street banks to help finance his campaign. There’s got to be something more that’s made a lot of evangelicals wary of throwing their support to Cruz, and I think I know what it is. Evangelicals hate hypocrites.

In the last Republican presidential debate, Cruz gave his testimony, and (as he notes) he gives it all the time. But the conversion story he tells is his father’s, not his own. Cruz was born in a Christian home and has always been a Christian and was raised in the church.

I have not decided to support Trump because to be honest I do not like his fight with Megyn Kelly and FOX, Carly Fiorina (face), and Marco Rubio (sweat) or his more serious attacks on Mexican immigrants (accusing the many of what the few do), his character assault on Ben Carson, comparing him to a child molester who has pathological problems and, most recently his apparent mocking of the disability of a New York Times journalist. It bothers me he does not apologize for his remarks. I do not like his extra-large ego and pettiness, but I am convinced he can do more to help the economy and foreign affairs than any of the other candidates – he would be a strong leader. 

The warnings in Proverbs are strong: “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20). “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11). I really think this applies to anyone, but especially to anyone who wants to be President of the United States.

Do you think white evangelicals are recalling an earlier election and are looking more for a candidate that is better for the country, rather than better for the church? The year of the evangelical was the Southern Baptist Jimmy Carter. President Carter brought millions of evangelicals into the political process — on behalf of the Democratic ticket. The list of white evangelicals who supported Carter that year reads like a who’s who of the religious right, including Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Billy Graham. That fall, Carter won nearly half the evangelical vote. No Democrat has even come close to that in the decades since. Few people today would deny Carter was the worse U.S. President in our lifetime. I personally think Obama took that title from Carter.

I think the Rev. James Linzey, a retired Army chaplain and vocal leader among some conservative Evangelicals, sums up his support for Donald Trump and it applies to me and many evangelicals, “Because he tells it like it is, and he exudes honesty and transparency, and he’s the kind of person who is not going to deceive us. Evangelicals are tired of being deceived by wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

I do not think any of the political pundits or media elitist’s or Republican establishment realized how deep the voter’s frustration with the GOP really was. The Republican Party has failed to take care of even one major issue that concerns conservatives and evangelicals over the past many years.

I am not impressed with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council endorsement of Cruz. He has for a long time urged Christian conservatives to pick a consensus presidential candidate early in the nomination process, but remember he early on endorsed the nominations of John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. I do think Cruz will gain strength among evangelicals and the only one in the end that will share in those votes is Rubio, but I believe Tony Perkins is wrong again and Cruz is not the candidate to beat a Democrat candidate.

Ted Cruz is a good talker, but can he win a General Election?

To my knowledge Donald Trump has never said Ted Cruz is not eligible to be President of the United States. He has said repeatedly there is a question and someone would most likely file a lawsuit challenging Cruz’s eligibility. It turns out once again Donald Trump was right.

An attorney in Houston, Texas has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Canadian-born senator's eligibility to be president. Newton Schwartz asked the Supreme Court to decide if Cruz's birth to an American mother and Cuban father while they lived in Calgary, Canada violates the Constitution's "natural born citizen" requirement.

Ted Cruz argues that because his mother is American, he became a U.S. citizen at birth. But the Supreme Court hasn't previously considered the eligibility question. Until recently, Cruz held dual citizenships in Canada and the United States. He renounced his Canadian citizenship to run for President of the United States. I have always questioned the loyalty of a man who wanted to be a U.S. Senator, but did not want to give up his Canadian citizenship to do so.  I never understood why my fellow Texans elected a man Senator who was not sure if he wanted to be a citizen of the United States or Canada.

The issue could harm Cruz. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken from January 7 to January 14, a quarter of Republicans, along with a quarter of independents and voters in general, said they believed Cruz is unqualified. Only 47 percent of respondents said that Cruz is qualified and 26 percent said they weren’t sure.  The matter needs to be settled before the General Election.

The Tea Party Republican from Texas has continued to seek out a spot at center stage in politics by being divisive. His enemies characterize him as power-hungry and self-righteous. I do not consider myself an enemy of Ted Cruz, but from all I know of the man I think his enemies have defined him well, but I would add to it ruthlessly ambitious. I also believe he would be another power hungry, self-righteous, ruthlessly ambitious clone of President Obama.

Ted Cruz brags that his three years at Harvard Law School, from 1992 to 1995, sharpened his political vision and trained him for his intense sparring with liberals. Sparring has become his signature style as a national politician. I think one of the main problems with our government today is there has been too much sparring between conservatives and liberals in Washington and not enough discussion of what is good for the American people.

 Ted Cruz says he has mellowed since his days at Harvard, but frankly if he has he must have been a monster at Harvard.  Ted Cruz’s father was happy his son was going to Harvard and said Harvard was a place that would allow his conservative son to preach to the liberal elite. It is obvious Ted Cruz and his father has an ‘us vs them’ attitude so Ted Cruz came by his naturally. I do not want a President or any politician preaching to me. I have had eight years of a President preaching he knows what is better for me than I do.

Ted Cruz claims that after working on George W. Bush's 2000 campaign then being passed over for a senior position with the new administration was "a crushing blow."  That is not true. Cruz was offered a job as White House associate counsel, but he rejected it. Cruz thought the job was beneath him and that he should have had a more senior role of deputy White House counsel. The incident is an example of how his personal ambition rubs colleagues the wrong way. If Cruz would have taken the position instead of letting his pride stand in his way the position would have better qualified him to be President. Later Ted Cruz acknowledged his refusal to take the position was a mistake and said, "I was far too cocky for my own good." His stint in the Senate tells me that he is still too cocky for his own good.

When Ted Cruz mocked what he called Donald Trump's "New York values," in the debate the other night, some New Yorkers have taken it very personally and I don’t blame them. The Daily News hit the streets with a big front-page illustration of the Statue of Liberty giving Cruz the finger. The headline: "DROP DEAD, TED." New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, took to the airwaves to denounce the Texas senator and demanded an apology for comments he called "obnoxious on every level." During the debate, moderator Maria Bartiromo asked Cruz to explain his comments on "New York values." Cruz replied, “You know, I think most people know exactly what New York values are.” Bartiromo said, "I am from New York. I don't."

Cruz was playing to the Iowa voters, but it may have just cost him the New York Republican voters. It should! Representative Steve King, a conservative Iowa Republican who supports Cruz, suggested on CNN that Cruz's remark may have backfired, saying, "It would have been better on the part of Ted Cruz not to have had that exchange." One New Yorker, Wall Street hedge fund mogul Robert Mercer, contributed $11 million last April to a super PAC that supports Cruz. Cruz doesn’t have any problems bashing New Yorkers, but he certainly will take money from Wall Street.  New York has 29 Republican Electoral Votes to Iowa’s 6.

I don’t believe Cruz can win in a general election. Americans don’t typically elect politicians who are seen as polarizing to become president, but I must confess 2012 with Obama’s second win contradicts that statement. Goldwater was a hardcore conservative who was also seen as polarizing, and he got destroyed in a general election.  I see Cruz as being a Goldwater Republican. I just cannot imagine over 50% of the country coming together and voting for Ted Cruz to be our next president.

Americans look for someone who will unite the country, not divide it even further. That’s why they voted for Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and Obama. Obama ran as one who would unite and the media pushed that narrative. He was perceived that way by many Americans, who didn’t know the details of his past, or the radical policies he supported in the past. LET US NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN - know who you are voting for!

How would Ted Cruz work with Congress to get bills passed when he admits that most politicians in both parties of Congress can’t stand him? Cruz has always said both parties in DC are like a cartel who only care about staying in power, but if he’s elected president, he is going to have to find a way to work with that cartel.

+++Ted Cruz proved who he was and what he was at the Republican Convention.  Republican's should be proud of the fact they found him out before they elected him their candidate for President in 2016.  Win or lose in November I am thankful Cruz is not on the ticket and I hope his political career is over.

Jeb Bush do yourself, your family and us a favor - Quit!

 Jeb Bush has for all practical purposes been running for president for a year. He has traveled all across the country collecting checks, promises of checks, hiring staff, enlisting volunteers and making the usual political promises – a better tomorrow, a return to America’s glory days, more jobs, better economy, protection from our enemies and better education for our children.

I have thought for some time he has less than a ‘snow ball chance in hell’ of getting the Republican nomination.   We were told by the political ‘experts’ he would be the front-runner.  As usual they were wrong.

He entered the latest debate in fifth place. Only one month after Bush formally launched his candidacy he began his decline. Many within the Republican Party have spent millions of dollars trying to turn his campaign around and as we often see in government programs’ spending more money does not always produce good results. The Jeb Bush supporters have spent more money than any other candidate.

The real front runner, much to the dismay of Karl Rowe and the likes, has turned out to be Donald Trump. But, those within the leadership of the party are determined that Trump will not be the nominee and following the debate were making the following statements: Republicans don’t start making decisions until the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, which Bush’s camp has never expected to win. Voters in New Hampshire, who cast ballots on Feb. 9, tend to make up their minds at the last minute. Jeb Bush still has time to improve. Early polls aren’t predictive of anything because there is still a long campaign ahead. I think it is time for the Republican Party Bosses to cut their ties to Jeb Bush and get behind a possible winner. In my opinion no one looks more tired than Hillary Clinton than Jeb Bush.

On December 15 Jeb Bush was still saying Trump’s support would end.  The latest national Monmouth University poll released Monday shows Bush to be wrong. According to that poll Trump has the highest support yet, 27 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Trump led Cruz 41-14 percent. I admit I am surprised at Trumps continued lead in the polls. I still am not willing to commit to him, but it is time for Jeb Bush to pick up his marbles and go home? Jeb Bush only got 3% support in the last poll.

His campaign staff places some blame on Trump. They claim Trump’s strong numbers in the poll are the results of theatrical performances and not serious politics. They have said Donald Trump is the Kim Kardashian of politics and at some point, people will get over that. I guess it is only fair they try to place blame on someone else – Obama blamed Jeb’s brother, George Bush, for his failures. After all they say turnabout is fair play.

They even say in seven or eight weeks, when voters start picking a commander in chief to lead the country through perilous times, Jeb’s proven track record and his plan to take on ISIS will position him well in the primaries. Like me they still believe in miracles. But, I do not think it is in the cards for Jeb Bush to be granted a miracle in 2016.

Trump labeled Bush “low energy”. Bush had ample opportunities to respond and turn the table on Trump, but he didn’t. Trump suggested Bush’s immigration views were tied to his wife being of Mexican heritage. Bush demanded an apology, but Trump did not apologize. Voter do not like candidates attacking the family members of other candidates, but Bush fail to take advantage of that opportunity. Bush instead set his sights on Rubio; I guess he believed Rubio weaker than Trump. He attacked Rubio, his one-time protégé in Florida, for missing work in the Senate. But Bush’s attack appeared half-hearted, and Rubio got the better of him. The young dog took the bone out of the jaws of the old dog.

The only thing Jeb Bush has accomplished after spending millions of other people’s money is he kept Mitt Romney out of the race. He also has managed to raise 114 million dollars in campaign funds, more than anyone else.

I once had a friend who told me the secret to his success was he kept his church in debt. They gave and worked hard because they had a debt to pay or lose it all. That must be the same philosophy Jeb Bush is using. His well-heeled backers have spent so much money on Jeb’s campaign they cannot afford to walk away and lose the possibility of future political favors.  But, sooner or later they will have to face reality and admit the hole they are throwing their money in is only getting deeper and regardless of how much money they throw in the hole will never be filled.

Former failed Presidential candidate Bob Dole endorsed Bush after the debate in Wisconsin, describing him as the most qualified candidate to run against the Democrats. The endorsement came from the same Bob Dole that ran unsuccessfully against President Bill Clinton in 1996, which resulted in a dramatic loss for the Republican Party. Bush also earned the endorsement following that debate from another failed Republican candidate, former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Perhaps some other Republican failed candidates will come out after last night’s debate and endorse Jeb Bush.  They say if you want to be a winner surround yourself with a winner, maybe that is why Jeb’s not doing too well he is surrounding himself with too many losers. Maybe winners are afraid to back him!

There is a new generation of Republican politicians Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and others who have been shaped and trained in a new political style. They are men who are not afraid to break with the Republican Party when they do not agree with the Party hardliners or party bosses. Jeb Bush is a member of the old Republican guard and I do not think he understands or is prepared for politics in 2016.

Jeb Bush is one of the nation’s leading champions of Common Core standards. A program that is unpopular with the Republican base. Jeb Bush is committed to centrist causes such as federalized education and legal status for undocumented immigrants all causes that alienate the Republican base. Jeb Bush was on the Lehman Brothers advisory board before that bank collapsed, and he now sits on the Barclay’s board. The Republican Bosses may be for Wall Street, but the Republican base is not fond of banks and bank bailouts. Jeb Bush is friends with Bloomberg, an ex-Republican, and often meets with the Bloomberg Foundation.  Bloomberg and his foundation aggressively campaigns for gun control, shutting down coal-fired power plants and new taxes on junk food all causes the Republican base do not support. If he remains in the competition his competitors are going to hit hard on his association with groups and people who do not support the causes of the Republican base, in fact support the opposite causes of the Republican base.

Jeb Bush keeps saying Donald Trump was a Democrat before he became a Republican (like Reagan)? I would like to ask Jeb Bush why he can be best buds with Bloomberg and not fault him for being a Republican turn Democrat and yet at the same time condemn Trump for seeing the light and changing from Democrat to Republican.

 

Does Bush honestly think he will escape his 2013 remarks,” Immigrants create far more businesses than native-born Americans,” Jeb Bush made the statement at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference. He went on to say “Immigrants are more fertile, and they love their families, and they have more intact families, and they bring a younger population. Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity,” many took these remark as meaning immigrant families were better than native born American’s families and they create a more robust economic atmosphere than native born Americans. Jeb Bush sounded a little like Obama when he made those statements.

Bush is a moderate and Republicans tend to be swayed by moderates, I suppose Bush was good for Florida, but Bush has a lot of baggage to carry and I just do not think he is strong enough to carry that baggage.

I did not think last night’s debate advanced Jeb Bush. While the rest were interrupting each other to get their points across Jeb Bush for the most part waited patiently until he was called, answered politely and shut up again. He just did not seem to be part of the pack. I like people being polite to each other, but it does not work in election campaigns Mitt Romney taught us that. 

I think Jeb Bush lost his last chance to turn things around at last night’s debate. I admit he was better at attacking Trump and a few others than in previous debates, but it was still too little, too late. His opening and closing statements were not strong enough to say the lease. 

Bush should step aside now!

The post-debate coverage will likely focus on Trump, Rubio and Cruz and any coverage Jeb Bush gets will probably emphasize his debate flaws.

Bush should have stepped aside before he disgraced himself and his family to bad he did not listen to many of us Republicans.  At least the Bush dynasty may finally be over thank you Jeb Bush.