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What say you: Is electing Rubio in FL worth losing a GOP Senate seat elsewhere?

By: smagar (Diary)  |  May 30th, 2009 at 12:16 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Over the past week, I’m sure that many of you have seen me take Senator Cornyn’s side in the Crist-Rubio endorsement debate. Specifically, I’ve pointed out the difficult questions that Cornyn must tackle, given, (a) his specific responsibilities as NRSC chair and (b) the overwhelming constraints he faces leading a 40-seat GOP coalition.

I’m disappointed that, IMO of course, many Redstaters seem to be ignoring Cornyn’s responsibilities, and especially the constraints upon him. After twenty-plus years in the military, I’ve learned that decisionmakers often adopt an unpalatable Course of Action, if they feel that the alternatives are worse.

Many of you have expressed your desire to see Senator Cornyn succeed in his efforts to revive GOP fortunes in the Senate. OK, then: help him out by giving him some idea of what risks you’re willing to accept elsewhere, in order to run Marco Rubio for Senate in Florida.

I’m sure many of you will disagree with the assumptions behind this scenario—but, play along with me. I think these assumptions accurately reflect the constraints upon Senator Cornyn, and how those constraints impact his choices of action options.

Rubio isn’t nearly as well-known as Cornyn is. He also doesn’t have the experience Cornyn does. Therefore, he’s going to have to work harder to gain the acceptance, and then the support, of FL voters.

FL is a big state, so TV ads are important in a political campaign. Rubio will need lots of ads, not only so FL voters get to know him, but also so they decide he’s worthy of election to the Senate.

The Dems will be flush with cash. They’ll blanket the state with ads. Those ads will not only introduce their candidate; they’ll tell all sorts of tails about this fellow Rubio, whom few Floridians really know. Cornyn will then have to spend extra money on defense, rebutting the tall tales the Dems and their allies are telling.

Enter Barack Obama. Expect him to spend lots of time in Florida, raising money and generating PR. If the Florida local media is as addicted to Hopium as the rest of the MSM is, expect fawning coverage.

From all that, I can see where GOP leadership would conclude that it’s going to be a lot more expensive to elect Marco Rubio than Charlie Crist.

IIRC, in 2010 several currently R seats are viewed as on life support, if not doomed. Off the top of my head: Voinovich’s in Ohio, and perhaps Gregg’s in NH. In those Northeastern, union-friendly states, expect Team Obama to flood those D election efforts with cash. If it’s at all possible to hold those seats for the GOP, it’s going to be very very expensive.

Pretend you’re John Cornyn. Your staff has crunched the numbers and determined that, if the NRSC has to commit large amounts of money to elect Rubio in FL, it has to be ready to lose another GOP seat elsewhere. The resources simply aren’t there to win both fights.

Which do you pick?

For me, I pick Rubio. I accept the risk that I’m going to lose a Senate seat for six years in OH or NH, in order to have the chance (not the “guarantee”) of electing a bright future GOP star in Florida.

BUT, I accept the risk that I may lose that seat to a concerted Dem election efforts that outspends me. I also accept the risk that I’ll lose another Senate seat elsewhere in the country, and be that much less able to fight cloture efforts.

I also accept the risk that I’ll be less able to influence treaties, executive branch appointments and judicial appointments. I accept the risk that, when the GOP does return to national power, it is more likely to find:

  • a lifetime federal judiciary united in opposition to conservative ideals.
  • a regime of international treaties—to which the US has agreed to—that impinge upon our soverignty and make us weaker abroad
  • a depleted Federal treasury

Those are big risks to take. Is it worth it?

What say you? It’s easy to criticize. Pretend you have to make the decisions Cornyn has to make, facing the challenges he faces. Is it worth it?

COMMENTS

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  • randy streu

    nt

    • smagar
    • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

      but will support whomever is the Primary winner in the General Election…. Making that same pledge/commitment?!?!

      Hopefully IF Rubio pulls it out he will have built enough of a campaign worker base, name reco, war-chest, etc… to pull off the General…. Certainly he will get Martinez’s support if he wins the Primary, he didn’t intend to “SNUB” Rubio in his endorsement of Crist (as the endorsement story below points out)…..

      Marteniz ENDORSES CRIST I suppose people will begin calling Martinez a RINO?
      +Martinez endorses McCollum for Governor

      also

      Cornyn changes mind to endorse Crist
      A week after saying he wasn?t taking sides in the high-profile GOP primary in the Sunshine State, Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, endorsed Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Retiring Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is also backing Crist.

      We sure wouldn’t be hearing any complaining had Cornyn and the NRSC had endorsed Rubio… now would we?

      But these aren’t fair questions to ask for/to/of some!

      • randy streu

        The fact that Crist is more of a liberal than a Republican DOES make a difference to how irritated we are that the NRSC got involved.

        It still would not have been right for them to get involved in the primary, even in endorsing Rubio, but at least then they’d be supporting a Republican.

        • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

          I do understand, I really do….

          I have stated plainly Crist would not be my First Choice from a “Philosophical” standpoint…. People tend to not want to bother to go beyond the point that I am looking at this strategically…. A Strategy is not always about what we get right this second, but it relates to next years strategy, and the longer term strategy… etc…..

          Supporting Rubio in this Primary is a good thing for many reasons, even if Crist is the General Election candidate….. One part of that is using Primaries to build up future candidates (as discussed there) in that there is going to be another Senate Race in FL to worry about also!!!!! Which is addressed: Are we preparing Conservatives via 2010 Campaigns for ’12,’14,’16 Races? – shouldn’t we be?!?! Diary where I go down the list of CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES of not just now but who are we preparing for the next Races…. We have to have Short term and Long term strategies… and I just look at EACH RACE in that perspective…. Viewing each battleground for achievable goals working toward other (the overall CONSERVATIVE CONTROL) long term objectives/agenda/plans.

          I don’t expect people to agree with my Opinion in each case. I would always prefer a more Conservative candidate, but have been honest/up-front that I can/will make “exceptions”. This just happens to be one. The Ridge/Toomey thing was a whole different story because Toomey was/is the “Previous Primary” prepared/ready/winning Candidate to have in PA.

          While McCain may not be beatable, I still want him Primaried (yeah, so it ain’t a real word ;-) lol): going at McCain in a Primary, finally. If for no other reason than he needs a slap upside the head. We haven’t prepared Conservative candidates well enough, IMO, so they are the first ones that come to mind and are basically unquestionable as to whether they are the right choice and can/will win GENERAL Elections!

          Take care and regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)

          PS: Let us remind all what a REPUBLICAN/CONSERATIVE Leader should sound like (shame we have to go across the Pond to find it) Daniel Hannan (British MEP) – mbecker’s: What the Leader of the Republican Party should sound like! Productive vs non-Productive sectors of the Economy same here as in UK.

  • cwilson

    (a) Crist is not as electable as you assume. That approach worked out well with Sen. John “Electable” McCain, didn’t it?

    (b) Suppose Crist wins without your money, because you endorsed hime specifically so that you wouldn’t need to spend any in FL, and instead spent it on OH or VT.

    First, there’s no guarantee that even WITH your money, you actually WIN in those other states.

    Second, Crist has shown no loyalty to any principle or party except himself — he’s a me-first political opportunist of the first order, like Lincoln Chafee and Arlen Specter (*stalwart* party men, all, right?). So what, exactly, is it that you have won with RINO Charlie’s butt in the seat? (Even worse, BECAUSE he won without your money, you have zero leverage over him in the future; when — not if — he refuses to toe the line, he’ll be able to laugh at your threats, as if you spineless DC weasels would ever make them, to withhold financial support next time around.)

    Sorry, smagar, but you’re overthinking this. IF Cornyn were following your line of reasoning, it’s still checkers logic: I win if I have more chips on the board. But that’s not the game we should be playing: we need a chessmaster — you win when you topple the other team’s kingideology. Numbers help you do that, but that’s not how you really keep score. I’ll take two bishops, a queen, a knight and advantageous board position over your eight timid pawns and one ill-placed rook any day. And we sure as heck don’t need any pieces on the board flying under our flag but controlled by and working for the other team. That’s Crist in a nutshell.

  • smagar

    as if you spineless DC weasels would ever make them

    But that?s not the game we should be playing:

    cwilson, you’re not being fair. It IS the game Sen Cornyn is playing. It may not be the game you think we should be playing—but that’s not my point, is it.

    Now, I think you know that—but then you couldn’t have as much fun on your soapbox, could you?

  • Leopard1996

    Yes it is worth it. Who is to day by the time the primary happens that Rubio won’t be better well known. Who is to say that the people in Florida will not be so pissed off by Mr. Hope and Change that they will not flock to a true alternative. From what I can see from my research Christ is like a 50% solution who will not do things in the best interest of conservatives who he is going to obviously ask for their votes. Like most other voters including myself, that believe in truly smaller/efficient government, if the alternative is big government at a slow pace or big government at a fast pace, I will not choose either.

    The message to the RNC, the senate, and house republicans is this. Vote like you told us you were going to vote when you asked for our vote, or get the hell out of my damn face.

  • reddog53

    What matters is what the voters in Florida think. Marco was Speaker of the House in Florida; he’s not been hiding under a rock. His recent interview on Sean Hannity’s radio show is a an example of a great way to increase his visibility in Florida and nationally without requiring huge amounts of money.

    Having Obama spend time in Florida is a good thing; this spreads the defense and I think increases the chances that other Republicans can be elected. Having Obama have to commit a lot of time to Florida means he can’t be elsewhere.

    The way you win battles is to make the enemy commit to fights he’s not prepared for and to hit him where he is weakest, not strongest.

    We need to stop giving ground and go after all 50 states. Spending too much time with tactics that focus on some states rather than others has the effect of letting those not courted feel unimportant; not a way to increase support!

    • smagar

      You seem to be hoping that Rubio won’t need sustantial help from the party to get elected. But what if you’re wrong.

      Let’s say the GOP HQ agrees with you, and Rubio is nominated, If he falters, then what?

      The way you win battles is to make the enemy commit to fights he?s not prepared for and to hit him where he is weakest, not strongest

      Hit him with what? Gripping blog comments? One of the main reasons Cornyn felt compelled to make this choice was the limited amount of $$$ he’s going to have, when compared to the Obama/Hollywood/union machine in 2010.

      For the sake of argument, I’ll grant you the point that Obama’s presence in FL may spread the D’s pretty thin. Well, the D machine is pretty thick to begin with—it can afford to be spread a bit thin here and there. And, the Ds can spend cash in huge amounts without Obama setting one foot in the state.

      We need to stop giving ground and go after all 50 states

      Wouldn’t losing Florida be “giving ground?” At the very least, you have to hold onto the ground you have before you can go back on the offensive.

  • steelstand

    The Party Leadership should be weeding out RINO’s, not supporting them.

  • steelstand

    Leopard, If Christ was running for Senator I’m not sure the GOP leadership would support him : )

  • eburke

    choice is……….?

    • smagar

      While Rubio is certainly an up-and-comer in Florida, a recent Mason Dixon poll showed that he only has a 44 percent name ID among Republicans, which will ultimately force him to spend a lot more money introducing himself to Floridians. Govenor Crist, in contrast, has a 100 percent name ID among Republicans, according to the same poll. In a general election match-up with Democrat Congressman Kendrick Meek, Charlie Crist wins handily 55 percent to 24 percent.

      Less than half of Republicans in Florida know who Rubio is. How does Redstate plan to fix that? With the whopping $8000 we’ve raised in pledges so far>

      We have a chance to field competitive candidates in Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, California, Arkansas, and Colorado in 2010.

      Sounds as if the Senator has done his homework. Have you?

      One thing’s for sure—we won’t win those seats if we’re having to spend money defending safe territory.

      David Axelrod and Rahm Emmanuel surely know that. Do you think they’re not going to try and force us to spend money we desperately need elsewhere?

      • eburke

        in the summer of ’07 said was inevitable?

        • smagar

          Feel free to disagree with Cornyn’s decision; I do. But, be fair and recognize the constraints he was facing.

          Unlike those of us blogging wisely from behind the safety of a keyboard, Cornyn has real responsibilities when it comes to getting GOP Senators elected.

          If Cornyn and his staff determined that the GOP Senate campaign effort could not afford a fiscally-draining fight in Florida, his decision makes lots of sense.

          Now, eburke, you could make things a lot easier if you and Erick and AceInTx and Aaron Gardner and several others on this weblog could assure Cornyn that he’s got nothing to worry about. Specifically, that Rubio can win Martinez’ seat without breaking the GOP bank.

          Can you do that? What’s Redstate up to now for Rubio—$8 grand?

          • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

            and I have Crist/Rubio 12 points [with links]… One of which is Crists war-chest, another is his State-wide recognition, State-wide Campaign crew already ready to go; all advantages of already being a Governor and former AG; which allows us to focus on other races…. Others do see/understand this even though they don’t respond here in print.

          • eburke

            that one of the rationales that Cornyn used to reach what I and many believe to be an extremely poor and incendiary decision was that the ‘polling data’ showed the Crist was more popular and well-known than Rubio. That point formed the basis of your point. Asking about the outcome of the Guiliani/Clinton ‘race’ was just shorthand for pointing out that polling data this far out from an election can be and often is often wildly unreflective of reality a year later. That’s it in a nutshell.

          • smagar

            $$$ the NRSC doesn’t have

            I love Redstate, but I don’t think the Redstate Army of Activists is going to be able to outdo all the $$$ that Moveon.Org and the unions will throw into the Dem FL Senate race.

          • Nick Haynes

            1.) As for Obama, he was already well-known around the Democrat activism sites. He was able to raise money hand over fist. Plus, it didn’t hurt that his opponent wasn’t very likable. Crist, by all accounts, is a fairly likable candidate, even if you disagree.

            2.) If you’re trying to say Giuliani was the choice because of name recognition, I’ll point out that our eventual nominee wasn’t exactly a dark horse himself.

          • eburke

            and, up to a point, I agree with them. I might quibble a bit with how well-known Barry was and that his fundraising prowess was the result of a clear consistent message (‘Hopey-Changey’ may have been insidiously vapid but he *did* repeat it ad nauseum) but for the most part I hear, see, understand and agree with your points.

            The larger point I’m aiming at here is that right now Cornyn, and those defending his thought process and/or decision, are using polling data almost a year and a half before the election to make a decision *today* based on ‘conventional wisdom.’ It would take an entire separate diary to even begin to chronicle how many times in the last 30 years that ‘conventional wisdom’ in politics has been stood on its head but the Guiliani/Clinton “match-up” is but one of the more recent.

            At this time in ’07 who would’ve ever guessed that Rudy would run such a feckless campaign?; or that the MSM would turn on their previous darling and embrace another candidate with a sycophancy which was stunning even by their non-existant standards? or that a candidate, high name recoginition or not, whose candidacy had been left for dead on the side of the road with a campaign staff that would fit inside of a mini-van would rise from the ashes to become the GOP standard-bearer (and with virtually zero money);

            My point, and the point of many of the posters who are livid about this latest round of interference from the ‘powers that be’ is that they continue to make decisions based on ‘conventional wisdom’ which usually has it’s roots with the hallowed halls of the Beltway pundits who not only don’t give a rat’s hinder about conservatives, they *hate* us. And following this ‘wisdom’ is why we keep losing elections.

            The GOP has one, major problem right now that no amount of cagey strategy, deployment of human and finanial resources, electoral strategy, identity politics, or GOTV efforts can fix: the consumer thinks our product *sucks* and has zero idea what we stand for anymore (how bad has it gotten when polls before and after the election show that the public trusts The Socialist One and the Dems more than the Pubs to control spending and lower taxes).

            No amount of Rovian politics or money can fix that problem. And the bottom line is, Charlie Crist doesn’t help fix that problem, he makes it worse.

          • itrytobenice

            directly onto the brain of our ‘leaders’ in the Republican party.

            Very well said.

          • eburke

            from one of the posters I respect the most they mean a lot.

            If you can figure out a way to get this through their thick skulls, our movement, but especially our country, would sure be thankful. Let me know what you come up with.

  • Wubbies World

    … I am not one to allow someone to present an “either – or” to frighten me into supporting “Democrat Lite” Republican squish candidates. I am not going to be fooled anymore. That kind of logic brought us the last two elections.

    I’m not going there anymore.

    • smagar

      Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Speak Truth To Power in the comments sections of blogs?

      How am I “frightening” you into doing anything? Are you saying that Cornyn has the money to fight everywhere he needs to fight? Will he have enough money to beat back the Dem $$$$ machine? If so, please show links. I’m sure that Cornyn will go straight to those sources and get all the cash we need to alleviate his concerns.

      • Wubbies World

        … your the one who brought up the issue about not having enough money to fight, not me. I’d like to see your links since you brought it up. However, that is not the point, so you need not worry about that issue.

        My issue is that this same argument was presented to me here by more than one individual in the last election on why I should support McCain. I am not hitching my wagon to another stellar moderate squish. That is all I am saying.

        • smagar

          That’s a rhetorical question. No, I’m sure you haven’t.

          The Dems have enough money and a strong enough political organization that they can wage a strong FL Senate race—even if they’re sure they’ll lose.

          They can force Cornyn to spend precious resources defending a FL seat that the GOP can’t afford to lose. Ammunition expended in one fight is ammo you can’t use elsewhere.

          The Dems can afford to mount and wage a big campaign in FL, solely for the purposes of draining our resouces.

          And, unlike us, they are crafty enough to do it.

          I am not hitching my wagon to another stellar moderate squish.

          Many Ross Perot voters felt the same way. That gave us Bill Clinton.

      • Mike gamecock DeVine

        Aren’t we Republicans because we believe in a certain vision of America? Rather than party first, last and always? And I do know that to effect change it has to be via a party.

        But given all the factors of 2006, 2008 losses caused by people like Crist and going back to Specter and that repub that went Dem in 2002 to shift the senate and then at the policies that he favors of Obama and then at the fact that the dems will use reconciliation on issues they can’t win 60 votes on and then the coalition of many dems in the senate that oppose cap and trade, etc

        and finally, the fact that this is at the primary stage that the Cornyn org is putting its nose into esp after the Toomay betrayal only to set up Specter to betray us

        This seems a slam dunk against this action.

        • Mike gamecock DeVine

          could make one better on a particular case

          La Raza participation, plus her many statements on race and all her other latino legal and other orgs makes it look like she cares for nothing but race.

          even the NYT?

          http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31011651

          • smagar

            There are no females mentioned in the comment of yours that (I think) I’m replying to.

            How did Sotomayor get mixed up in this discussion of the FL Senate race? Is Sotomayor running for the FL Senate, too?

          • Mike gamecock DeVine

            http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law–Politics-Examiner~topic207399-devine-law?selstate=allcat#breadcrumb

        • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit
          • Mike gamecock DeVine
        • smagar

          But given all the factors of 2006, 2008 losses caused by people like Crist and going back to Specter and that repub that went Dem in 2002 to shift the senate and then at the policies that he favors of Obama and then at the fact that the dems will use reconciliation on issues they can?t win 60 votes on and then the coalition of many dems in the senate that oppose cap and trade, etc
          and finally, the fact that this is at the primary stage that the Cornyn org is putting its nose into esp after the Toomay betrayal only to set up Specter to betray us

          That is one of the most imposing and least decipherable run-on sentences I’ve ever read.

          This seems a slam dunk against this action.

          Well…if you can’t beat them….

          NO, Gamecock, it’s not a slam dunk at all!

          • Mike gamecock DeVine

            Cornyn’s argument and action re Crist un-justifiable despite your best efforts to justify it.

            Sorry for the run-on sentence, but whoever finds it un-decipherable wasn’t trying or is quite ignorant of the issues and history of the matter.

            Cornyn’s and others’ non-run on decipherable sentences are the problem given their attempt to justify their own losing strategy. We “lost” by paying to beat Toomay and electing Dem Specter, etc

  • polocruz

    One poll/statistic I have not seen…. how many of the base stayed home last November? In a non-presidential year, how many of the base will be motivated enough to “hold their nose” and vote for Crist?

    What makes you think that Crist is a sure thing? Florida’s economy is in the tank, real estate prices have collapsed, and hurricane season starts next week! So why the rush to endorse?

  • itrytobenice

    for our leaders to act more like politicians than leaders. If they really believe that conservative principles are best for America, they should rally behind the conservative and lend their voices to explaining why our policies are best and why the conservative candidate is the best representative for the people.

    If they don’t know or care which policies work the best, then by all means, back the candidate that is most likely to fill the seat with an R.

    The public is not as stupid as some assume. Conservative policies are best. It is not difficult to explain. They need to work to get that done and quit with the idea of filling the seat with an R regardless of whether or not he will uphold those principles or not.

    Crist pledged not to sign a tax increase and broke that pledge, ergo, he’s not a man of his word.

    He raised taxes in the midst of an economic downturn, ergo he doesn’t really believe that increasing gov’t spending, power, control and influence is bad for the people.

    He supported the stimulus, ergo he’s not a fiscal conservative in any possible sense of the word.

    If our leaders really believe that conservatism works and liberalism is harmful to our populace, it is *wrong* of them to support Crist, even if he can win in a walk with no funding from anyone.

    To me, this is worse than just having the national party apparatus undermine a good conservative candidate. It is proof that they don’t really believe our policies are best or they don’t care as long as they get to call themselves Chairman. Neither option is anything I can tolerate.

    It just makes all the more real my terrible discouragement since Kit Bond announced he’s not running again. Since that announcement, when he knew he could vote his conscience and have no electoral repercussions, he has voted with the liberals an *astounding* number of times. It makes me believe even our purportedly ‘Conservative’ congresscritters are really just wolves in sheeps’ clothing. No wonder we couldn’t get anything accomplished when we held a majority position. Our guys think just like their guys.

    I’m not pleased with this discover in any way, shape or form.

    • itrytobenice

      Are we only talking odds and politicians here or are we willing to discuss right vs. wrong.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Why is Martinez retiring after ONE Senate term?!?!
    WashingtonPost on Martinez retiring It seems that everyone feels (or at least SPINS) that Martinez would lose this Seat to any un-named Democrat and he doesn’t want to go through the campaign fight if he doesn’t really have any chance – especially if there is another Candidate with gravitas enough to Poll well enough that would beat the “generic Democrat”…. Who knows really? I wish we really could know!

  • rbdwiggins

    During the two previous election cycles, the NRSC chose to endorse “moderate” Republicans that they considered to be electable, and subsequently, the committee’s coffers are barren precisely because the NRSC has lost all credibility with the base of the GOP.

    What level of financial support could be expected if the committee had not rejected the conservative roots of the GOP, and instead, remained true to the constitutional principles of our Founding?

    • smagar

      Are you saying that, if he withdraws his endorsement of Crist, that the NRSC will be flooded with cash? Can Rubio self-fund? Can Redstate generate enough cash so that the NRSC can devote its resources elsewhere?

      Your beef is with the Republican Party leadership in general, not John Cornyn.

      As I said at several points in this discussion, John Cornyn has to win and hold as many Senate seats as he can, with the resources he has.

      Now, if we Republican voters had looked at the Big Picture in 2006 and 2008, maybe we’d still have those formerly R seats from VA, NC, and MT, plus Pryor’s seat in AR that I think we could have picked up if we’d simply run a decent candidate!

      Instead, we blogged bravely. We Spoke Truth To Power. And David Axelrod and Harry Reid diminshed our party’s Senatorial power base to virtually nothing.

      John Cornyn has to play the hand he’s been dealt. He has to make choices that, in less dire circumstances, he might not have made.

      In his judgement, in order for the GOP to have a chance at vulnerable Senate seats elsewhere in 2010, it can’t afford to waste resources in Florida. Based on the data he’s laid out, that sounds like a defensible conclusion.

      • Doc Holliday

        sorry I have trouble “suspending disbelief” here. You give all these arguments why Cornyn is right to support Crist, then at the end you throw in you don’t agree with him. Then you spend the entire diary defending his support. I tried to defend you before and you gave me the high hat, count me as suspect now.

        and btw, we DO have a problem with Cornyn, I know I do. He is all over the place on the issues and not a libertarian-conservative ala Goldwater/Reagan. He is a politician and that is not a compliment.

        • http://theminorityreportblog.com David Hinz

          isn’t THAT a sad commentary on what our political class has become?

          I agree with you on both Sen Cornyn and “politicians” but it is still a sad commentary…

        • smagar

          you gave me the high hat

          I have no idea what that means. And, if I may, I’ve had plenty of people on this board giving me grief…it comes with the territory.

          I’ll clarify my argument, Doc: Lots of people on this board are acting as if Cornyn’s support for Crist is indefensible. They’re criticizing him, as if he had no justification for what he did.

          I’m pointing out that he DOES have justifications. I’m saying that I disagree with his decision, and that IMO Cornyn should have been willing to accept more risk. Specifically, he should have run the risk that a Rubio candidacy would either fail to hold Martinez’ Senate seat for the GOP, or (more likely) that Rubio’s campaign would drain away so many resources that the GOP couldn’t win seats elsewhere.

          He is a politician and that is not a compliment.

          Oh please. That’s a cheap and shallow insult. It’s so easy to blame “politicians” for getting us into our messes. What’s your alternative? Rule by philosopher kings? Picking our representatives by lottery, like some huge Powerball?

          What’s easy, Doc, is sitting behind a keyboard preaching about how it all should be done.

          • Doc Holliday

            This is a web-site on the internet. Do you expect us to stand in front of the keyboard? What have you done in politics that gives you the right to insult everyone that frequents this site? I worked in the actual Capitol Building for a fire breathing Republican, does that make me special? Actually it showed me how most politicians are, regardless of party.

            Smagar I don’t want to get into a knock down drag out with you, let’s cool it down. If you want to know what “High Hat” means, rent the underrated 4 star movie “Miller’s Crossing”. I should not have mentioned the other thread, but it was semi-relevant because you were getting crap for seeming to be a moderate there too.

            I just have trouble believing you disagree with Cornyn since you have spent 90 percent of the time defending him and used a one liner to get yourself off the hook. I would have more respect for your position if you admitted you support Cornyn and let the chips fall where they may. I am just an average member here, but at least I am not opaque. I tell it as I see it and don’t even look to see what others are saying before I give my opinion.

      • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

        Crist has already declared his support for Axelrod and Reid by saying he’d have voted for the porkulus.

        • smagar

          Every COA had its pluses and minuses.

          Cornyn had reasons to doubt that Rubio could get elected. His job is to get (and keep) GOP Senate seats. He came onto the Redstate boards and made it clear that Crist has much better name recognition in FL than Rubio. Remedying that problem—i.e., making Rubio more well-known—would take money that Cornyn doesn’t have.

          Yes, my theory has problems…but so do yours.

          Many on these boards act as if the power of Redstate blogging will carry GOP candidates to victory in 2010. The Dems will choose instead to use money. Lots of it.

          In his post, Sen Cornyn listed six states where he thought the GOP could field competitive candidates: Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, California, Arkansas, and Colorado.

          I agree with his assessment. But he’ll need lots of money to pull it off. Obama and the UAW and ACORN will see to it.

          If I had the choice between a squishy R Senator from Florida (Crist) AND a new GOP Senator in one of the six states above, I’d consider that deal—-if the alternative is a strong conservative R Senator from FL ( Rubio) plus a D Senator elsewhere.

          Two GOP Senators versus one….hmmm.

          Many of the commenters on these boards seem to be saying that Cornyn did what he did because he’s (a) an irretrievable squish or (b) pure concentrated evil.

          I’m saying that the man’s decision is understandable, because (in his situation) two is better than one.

          • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

            And what’s the problem with it?

          • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

            Senators with an (R) after their name aren ot interchangeable. Ask the Republicans who backed Specter, Smith, Jeffords, and Chafee.

  • ocleverone

    Let’s face it, the NRSC isn’t going to change its mind of giving Crist support. I view Cornyn’s foray into RedState a feeble attempt to appease the masses. That being said, it is up to those living in Florida (and those of us who know people in Florida) to get Rubio’s message out there.

    I do not support Cornyn’s or the NRSC’s decision to endorse Crist prior to letting the people’s voices being heard in a primary.

    I also understand the necessity of money. However, money is not the only thing in play.

    I have watched ground games change the course of an election – volunteers, door knockers, social gatherings and the regular baby kissing circuit can change the momentum of money overload.

    Increase the ranks of the volunteers and supporters and more often than not, the money comes.

    It’s time for all of not only to give a few bucks (yes I did) but to also start contacting Floridians we know asking them to support Rubio in his run.

    I would love to see this thrown back in the faces of the NRSC. I would love for them to do soul searching on their own relevance.

    • smagar

      then he should be able to raise some cash.

      I think Redstate can do it. Heck…we have a whole year, folks. That’s plenty of time to build a huge network.

      I’ll bet that, if Rubio shows himself to be viable, the NRSC won’t help Crist’s campaign trash him.

  • ocleverone

    I just got off the phone with a high energy, smart, vivacious, killer instinct 26 year old resident of Orlando. She had checked out Rubio but hadn’t made the decision what to do yet,

    When I told her the NRSC had blessed Crist for the run, that was all she needed.

    I will lay odds that she will be working door knocking for him in the near future.

    • http://theminorityreportblog.com David Hinz

      when you say she will be knocking on doors for “him” right after mentioning the RNSC supported Crist — I assume you mean she will be working for Rubio?

      • ocleverone

        Yes, I meant she will be helping Rubio.

        Too much weekend fun at the Republican convention – I am still not awake.