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RedState is my full time job. It is the largest right of center blogging community on the internet. It's also the most widely read right of center blog on Capitol Hill and most quoted right of center blog in the media.
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In 2010, I started the Erick Erickson Show on WSB Radio in Atlanta. WSB Radio is the nation's most listened talk radio station and broadcasts from Atlanta, GA. It's also the flagship station for Neal Boortz and Clark Howard. The show airs weeknights from 6pm to 9pm ET. If you can't listen live you can check out the podcast via iTunes.
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Mitch McConnell Votes to Fund Obamacare
Hey, remember that awesome CPAC speech by Mitch McConnell? The one where Mitch McConnell said — and I quote — “Obamacare should be repealed root and branch. And we’re not backing down from this fight.” And the same speech where Mitch McConnell also said, “This law is a disaster, and anybody who thinks we’ve moved beyond it is dead wrong.” Well, as I told you, | Read More »
Mitch McConnell Votes to Fund Obamacare
Hey, remember that awesome CPAC speech by Mitch McConnell? The one where Mitch McConnell said — and I quote — “Obamacare should be repealed root and branch. And we’re not backing down from this fight.” And the same speech where Mitch McConnell also said, “This law is a disaster, and anybody who thinks we’ve moved beyond it is dead wrong.” Well, as I told you, | Read More »
Obamacare Will Not Crumble Without a Government Shutdown
There are many naive fools who think Obamacare will crumble under its own weight. History shows us that government entitlements never crumble under their own weight. Rather, countries crumble under the weight of those entitlements. “[Republicans] speak against Obamacare building rhetorical Maginot lines that they themselves intend to go around.” Democrats were willing to lose their congressional majority to pass Obamacare. They lost the House. | Read More »
The Rand Paul Filibuster: A Point Not to be Missed
Rand Paul has done a brilliant thing filibustering the President’s appointment to the CIA. By keeping the filibuster going through prime time, Rand Paul forced ABC, CBS, and NBC — chief sources of news for low information voters — to cover the issue. Along the way, Rand Paul had help giving him time to rest his voice. Ted Cruz came down a few hours in | Read More »
Mike Lee Will Join Ted Cruz Opposing the Continuing Resolution
Ted Cruz will not stand alone. He’ll be joined by the Senator from Utah. Here’s a statement from Senator Lee’s office: “I will join Senator Cruz in objecting to Senate consideration of any Continuing Resolution without a vote on delaying funding of Obamacare. Defunding Obamacare is essential to restoring economic growth. At this time of fiscal turmoil, Congress shouldn’t borrow more money to pay for | Read More »
The Ted Cruz Roadblock
The media has started attacking Ted Cruz so much Mike Allen is whining about it in hilarious fashion. Ruth Marcus started it on the morning of Valentine’s Day. Jonathan Weisman did a story the next day on Cruz. Between Marcus and Weisman came an overnight Manu Raju piece in the Politico that caused Mike Allen’s tantrum. Writing the morning of the 15th, Mike Allen wrote | Read More »
Ted Cruz’s First Decision is a Huge Deal
One of the biggest tragedies that befalls new members of congress is the propensity to draw from K Street to pick staff, in particular a Chief of Staff. Many tea party supported candidates came into Washington in a wave of conservative glory in 2010 and promptly chose lobbyists for Chiefs of Staff. On the Senate side, Mitch McConnell’s office was professionally slick in easing new | Read More »
The Establishment’s Near Sexual Advances on Ted Cruz Are About to Begin
It turned into an atrociously nasty runoff. The same crew who failed Governor Rick Perry’s Presidential bid has now also sunk David Dewhurst’s bid for the Senate and spent tens of millions of dollars in the process. Along the way they damaged Governor Perry’s credibility with the tea party and picked every scab possible to make Ted Cruz’s election as painful as possible.
Who knows — maybe they’ll cut Dewhurst a deal on a gubernatorial bid in two years.
Despite all the barbs and lies and dirty tricks, including phone calls to Cruz voters during yesterday’s primary telling them to vote today, Ted Cruz won.
It is a very satisfying victory. Ted has spoken at every RedState Gathering and will be the first speaker at this year’s Gathering too. He will make a fine Senator.
A lot of people are going to give lots of credit to lots of people for Ted Cruz’s win. Success has many fathers. A lot of people will also make a lot of wild claims about what it means for the GOP and its supposed radical drift right — a drift right that in 2010 saw it pick up more electoral victories than any time since the late 1800′s.
One thing a lot of people will fail to comment on is that the Tea Party victories of 2010 have morphed into anti-establishment victories in 2012. On both the left and right, the base hates its leaders. It has moved beyond distrust to contempt.
In Georgia last night Republican voters across the state rejected Republican proposals for infrastructure taxes and spending and, in the process, threw out a number of incumbent Republicans in retribution. In Texas, several strong conservatives got the nod over candidates backed by Republican leaders. In Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, and Arizona, as the primaries get closer, voters are rallying to the outsiders, the real small government conservatives, and the people most likely to pick a fight with their own party.
The media views these races as the “fringe” taking over. But the media has been and is as much a part of the problem as the people being thrown on the ash heap of history in these primaries. The media likes the “smart” guys who sit in the room and make deals. Voters increasingly want people to say not just “no” but “hell no.”
Should Ted Cruz win the general election, and the odds are in his favor, he will join Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Pat Toomey, and Ron Johnson as yet another Senator who owed his nomination more to Jim DeMint than the Republican leaders in Congress.
Already, as the sun rises this morning, there is a great game of co-opting happening. Republican leaders and conservative establishmentarians are already whispering that Ted is a “reasonable” and “smart” conservative. “He won’t be like Jim DeMint.”
Ted Cruz established himself by being like Jim DeMint. He better remember that as the great fellating of his ego by Washington insiders begins. The Republicans in Washington aim to co-opt him, to pacify him, and to make him an ally in preservation of the status quo. They will use conservative editorialists, fundraisers, and others to do the dirty work. They will try to surround him with staff who can “tame” him and “show him the ropes.” They will push conservative think tankers on him who know the game and where their real allegiance is. They will try to undermine him while building him up.
Washington insiders always try to bring outsiders to the inside. Jim DeMint remains a hero to the antiestablishment crowd because that crowd knows he won’t be bought off. Ted Cruz will, we can all hope and expect, be a Texas version of Jim DeMint, and not just another go along to get along Republican on the way past $16 trillion in debt.
The message of this election is that the trend continues — the base is tired of politics and usual and back room compromises that keep growing government. The base wants Ted Cruz to fight.
One parting point worth reiterating – the Perry-Dewhurst shared campaign team spent $50 million in the past year to ruin the reputations of Rick Perry and Ted Cruz. That’s just sad.
Under the Radar: Erin DeLullo
The first time I met Ken Cuccinelli it was because of the persistence of a lady named Erin DeLullo. She would not leave me alone. She, a long time friend and wife of the Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis (he’d totally write about her if he hadn’t put a ring on her finger then got her pregnant. After marriage of course), found out I was headed to Washington, D.C. and insisted on picking me up at the airport and driving me to a coffee shop to meet a guy whose last name I could neither really pronounce or spell.
She had the audacity to tell me he would be Virginia’s Attorney General. Within five minutes I was sold. But she would not let up. Saying I was on board was not enough. She wanted me all in. I couldn’t say no. I’m glad I did go all in.
Time and again Erin has unearthed gems and helped them fundraise their way into office. When Erin tenaciously insists I meet a candidate, I know immediately they are pro-life and they’ve convinced her they actually will cut the size of government. One of the funniest and admirable things about Erin is she is not afraid to ditch a candidate the moment they go wobbly on life or reducing the size of government. She sticks to her guns. I respect and like that.
Tonight, Ted Cruz won in Texas. I’ll have more to say about that in the morning. There are many people who deserve credit for his win. John Drogin did a remarkable, level headed job. I have many friends involved in that race.
Erin DeLullo will not get a lot of credit. She rarely does. She’s one of those people in the background who works hard for the candidate and cause, not the credit. But I want to take a minute and give her some credit for sticking with Ted. He’s another solid pick in a long list of solid picks on Erin’s roster of clients.
Well done.
Counting Chickens in Texas
Some friends in Texas are privately worried about Ted Cruz. The polls are very close. David Dewhurst has vastly outspent him. There is a huge turnout happening in random places in Texas — lots of people showing up in the runoff who do not normally vote in runoffs, let alone in Republican primaries.
That could be a sign that people are really fired up for Ted.
That could be a sign that Dewhurst is beating the bushes trying to get Democrats and typically disengaged voters to save him.
The only way to ensure a victory for Ted Cruz today is for you, if you live in Texas, to go vote. If you do not live in Texas, track down any friends you have in Texas and get them to go vote for Ted Cruz.
We need him. Today is election day.