Ted Cruz's Brilliant Strategy

[makattak]

So following the debacle we all know as Obamacare, I was struck by an epiphany.

I don't know if this was Cruz's strategy all along or merely an excellent unintended consequence.

By fighting for a delay, and being willing to shut down the government over it, he has ensured that Obama WILL NOT delay Obamacare. That would be to admit his enemies were right and he was wrong.

As a result, Obama will not even countenance a delay ("failure is not an option") and will push on, consequences be damned.



I'm reminded of the (possibly apocryphal) story I heard of Andrew Jackson insulting the British just before the Battle of New Orleans so that, in their pride, they simply attacked head on rather than give even a small semblance of victory to the Americans and make a minor retreat and change tactics. (Which led to their complete rout.)

If this was his plan, it's absolutely brilliant. If, instead, it is a unintended consequence of his plan, it is Providential. Either way, I think we will be better off for it.

[brimic]

I kind of picked up on that too.
Ted Cruz's tactics may yield a lot less fail than what a lot of people were complaining about.

[Azrael256]

I sort of gingerly tapped his name thinking he might be better than Dewhurst last year.

In 2018, I'll have to have help not to jab my finger through the screen to see if I can make it count twice.

[grampster]

Cruz has been accused of being pretty smart.  But he is not the only one who foresaw the problems with the not so ACA.  Best of all is watching the Democrat rats scurrying around because they fear 2014.

It is so sad that the media is more of a toady than a hawker of the truth.

[Scout26]

I sort of gingerly tapped his name thinking he might be better than Dewhurst last year.

In 2018, I'll have to have help not to jab my finger through the screen to see if I can make it count twice.

Tap it a couple of times for me.   

[seeker_two]

I'm going to take a possibly unpopular view....but for a good reason.

I don't want Ted Cruz to run for POTUS.

Why? Because he's one heck of a fighter in the Senate, and we need more fighters in the Senate & the House. I want him to become the conservative version of Harry Reid & Tip O'Neil....running the Senate in a way that freezes out the Dems & GOP squishes.

Let Rand Paul run for POTUS. He has the charm & looks appropriate to the post with good ideas to boot. But leave our best fighter in the Senate.....

[makattak]

I'm going to take a possibly unpopular view....but for a good reason.

I don't want Ted Cruz to run for POTUS.

Why? Because he's one heck of a fighter in the Senate, and we need more fighters in the Senate & the House. I want him to become the conservative version of Harry Reid & Tip O'Neil....running the Senate in a way that freezes out the Dems & GOP squishes.

Let Rand Paul run for POTUS. He has the charm & looks appropriate to the post with good ideas to boot. But leave our best fighter in the Senate.....

I can't argue with that. I'm unsure of his executive experience (as in, I don't know what experience he has, not that he doesn't have any) and my strong preference is for someone who has been in an executive position before. Being smart is a necessary but (hopefully) not sufficient condition.

In addition, we have a large number of governors who have executive experience and are very conservative. I can only hope we get one of the ones who doesn't have strong flirtations with overwhelming our country with socialists from the third world immigration reform.

[Ben]

I can't argue with that either. You need attack dogs, but you don't necessarily want them leading the pack. Sort of like, Ted Nugent is good for "in your face" gun rights and making Piers Morgan look stupid, but I wouldn't want to see him as the NRA President.

[drewtam]

I think its more than just unintended consequence.

For Obama and Dems
By unilaterally deciding not to enforce the ACA; then why was there a gov't shutdown over the delay?
By plowing ahead without delay, then onion layers of fail will become more evident and a call for repeal will get stronger.

For Congress Dems
By refusing to compromise  in 2010, passing it without bi-partisan support and by refusing to compromise before the shutdown, Democrats have put themselves in complete ownership of all the fail.


Now we'll see if America cares next year at the polls, or if the votes will stay bought. In the meantime, Republicans will need to walk a fine line between blatant obstruction which will hurt people and enabling the Dems to save face.
1 year is a long time in politics.

[roo_ster]

GOP congresscritters need to keep proposing repeal of the whole shebang.  Yeah, it won't get anywhere, but it will keep it fresh.

BHO's last solution, not enforcing th eindiv mandate for a year and allowing old-school policies for another year is a non-solution.  It may work to divert attention for a few days, but this will be effective for approximately zero folks who just got buggered and lost their policies.  I know it sounds quaint, but BHO does not have the statutory authority to do what he said he would do.  Remember IT'S THE LAW!

Cruz is pretty decent, but is at least a semi-squish on immigration, an issue that will destroy the GOP forever as a party of (supposed) limited gov't when those flood gates are opened. 

[grampster]

I think its more than just unintended consequence.

For Obama and Dems
By unilaterally deciding not to enforce the ACA; then why was there a gov't shutdown over the delay?
By plowing ahead without delay, then onion layers of fail will become more evident and a call for repeal will get stronger.

For Congress Dems
By refusing to compromise  in 2010, passing it without bi-partisan support and by refusing to compromise before the shutdown, Democrats have put themselves in complete ownership of all the fail.




Now we'll see if America cares next year at the polls, or if the votes will stay bought. In the meantime, Republicans will need to walk a fine line between blatant obstruction which will hurt people and enabling the Dems to save face.
1 year is a long time in politics.

You forget that the MSM is a Democrat toady.  They will find a way to blame Republicans for the whole shebang at worst and will be silent about any of it at best.

[Waitone]

Cruz may have a brilliant strategy but rest assured the elite republican establishment will cut him off at the knees.  The reason is simple.  Elite republicans want the framework of Obamacare in place so when their turn comes they can hang their policies on it.  We have two dominant parties devoted to classic Italian fascist ideology.  One party is more in-your face about it.  The other talks a good game but when you measure actions it is no different.  Cruz is reviled because he is a constitutionalist as opposed to an Italian fascist.  Both parties seek his demise for the same reason.

[gunsmith]

Cruz may have a brilliant strategy but rest assured the elite republican establishment will cut him off at the knees.  The reason is simple.  Elite republicans want the framework of Obamacare in place so when their turn comes they can hang their policies on it.  We have two dominant parties devoted to classic Italian fascist ideology.  One party is more in-your face about it.  The other talks a good game but when you measure actions it is no different.  Cruz is reviled because he is a constitutionalist as opposed to an Italian fascist.  Both parties seek his demise for the same reason.

that seems pretty spot on to me, as I am rereading Goldbergs Liberal Fascism right now, the question is for me-how do we prevent the rino's or get rid of them?

[grampster]

Justin Amash is the Congresscritter from my district.  Justin is a R constitutionalist. He has actually read every bill and has voted on every bill in the Michigan House and the Federal House.  He knows what is in them regardless of the touchy feely warm fuzzy pork filled titles of the bills.  The wealthy money R's from around here are putting up a RINO against him in the primary.  The obfuscations and twisting and actual lying by this RINO and his money boys is actually sickening.  I would like to see the R party go down in flames except the stakes are too high.