… Changing demographics would seem to weaken the appeal of anti-government figures like Mr. Cruz (who was born in Canada and is of Cuban ancestry). That is why traditional conservatives like the columnist Michael Gerson insist that “pragmatic Republicans” are the party’s salvation, and that Mr. Cruz and his allies […] Read more »
Fox News Poll: Voters support delaying Obamacare, but oppose defunding it
Two extraordinary events happened on Tuesday: The opening of insurance exchanges at the center of President Obama’s health care law and a partial government shutdown stemming from disagreement over the federal budget and whether to defund or delay Obamacare. While voters oppose defunding the health care law, they say implementation […] Read more »
Ted Cruz May Be Unwittingly Boosting Rand Paul’s Brand
Next time Rand Paul sees his fellow Republican Senate freshman Ted Cruz, he should give the Texan a big wet kiss. There was a time not that long ago when the mere suggestion of Paul as a possible 2016 presidential nominee sent chills down the spines of many mainstream and […] Read more »
How to Explain the Rise of Ted Cruz
Anyone remember back to February when Time magazine anointed Cuban-American Sen. Marco Rubio as the GOP’s “savior” on its cover? Seven months later, it’s Rubio’s Cuban-American Texas doppelganger, Sen. Ted Cruz, who has grabbed the party’s attention—or, more precisely, seized its throat. … Cruz’s rise offers more evidence that a […] Read more »
Ted Cruz: The Great Uniter
It’s hard to get Democrats and Republicans to agree on much of anything these days. Ted Cruz has managed to bridge that partisan gap all by himself. And, precisely because of himself. I asked a group of long-time Hill watchers if they’d ever seen another member of Congress alienate friends […] Read more »
Texans Favor Cruz Over Perry for President
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz starts as the Texas favorite in a fantasy 2016 Republican primary for president, swamping Gov. Rick Perry and a number of other big-name candidates in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. The governor fared better in a potential head-to-head matchup for re-election in 2014 against […] Read more »