Debate: Ted Cruz versus Beto O'Rourke
The Cruz - O'Rourke debate was great in that it showed a sharp contrast in styles and philosophies. Traditional Texas values versus a more modern, inclusive approach for Texas. Cruz kept making the point that Texans do not support Beto's vision for Texas, and he may or may not be right. I knew that Beto was liberal but I did not realize, until last night, that he is a little on the extreme side. I would be surprised if someone on the far left could win a senate seat in Texas. There is one area where Beto has the clear advantage and that is the visual. When you see them on stage together, it looks like Grandpa Munster versus a Kennedy.
I wouldn't get my hopes up too high with O'Rourke. This has happened before in history and although O'Rourke is getting support (at least according to the polls) it's going to be hard to overturn Texas. People don't care about the candidate anymore, and although Ted Cruz is frankly a lying blobfish, voters will still vote for him due to party allegiance. O'Rourke is too far left and I think it will definitely resonate with voters when Cruz compares him to Sanders/Warren/Clinton. Also Cruz did have a point when he said that O'Rourke just visits counties in Texas to take a picture with them and he doesn't do much else. it's going to be really close and probably depend on voter turnout. Also, Trumps going to visit in October so I guess we'll have to see how that goes.
Lower taxes, less regulation and stronger borders. Hard to beat a charismatic leader with that platform in Texas. It seems simple but I think people go too deep with politicians and overestimate what the average voter thinks about.
Who was the charismatic leader last night? I would have a difficult time putting Cruz in the charismatic category. He is a little too short and overweight to be in that category.
I think the lower taxes argument will resonate well in Texas and so will lower regulations but I do not think the stronger borders argument is a good strategy in Texas. The majority of Texans oppose a wall. Cruz's thoughts on immigration were weak and geared towards the Trump voters. He said, " legal immigration: good, illegal immigration: bad. It sounded dumb. While Cruz was not perfect last night neither was Beto, who went to the race issue too often last night.
Its a weird time where the democrats are more free market than the republicans. Cruz tried to say he was against the Trump tariffs, but I thought Beto came at them even harder. Both agreed that tariffs are hurting rural Texans, but neither mentioned the damage to the oil and gas industry. Lots of O&G voters in Texas aren't happy with the GOP... Does that translate into party switching votes? probably not..
I'm also opposed to tariffs and even support unilateral disarmament on tariffs, but that's not the same thing as supporting the "free market." There is no "free" market when you're talking about dealing with the EU, China, Japan, etc. who are highly protectionist. Being against tariffs in this context simply means that you understand that tariffs are a tax on consumers and on domestic manufacturers. Don't fool yourself--if O'Rourke was actually opposed to tariffs on ideological grounds (and not because Trump supports them) then he'd be an economic conservative.
Operators taking it in the shorts on steel prices is a small cost to pay for an administration that is favorable to domestic production and not to mention the ramp up in FERC decisions on export facilities.
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I am not sure if he is always pandering to the dumbest people in the audience. I view it as Cruz pandering to the most traditional, conservative people in the audience. His voters are likely the older people who prefer we go back to life as it was in the 1950s, which is essentially the same strategy used by the POTUS.
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Be specific. Only an idiot would believe that Republicans of 2018 are more regressive on race today than either party in the 1960s. The fact that you believe that indicates how utterly brainwashed you are.
Do you think part of the reason people want to go back to the 1950s is just nostalgia and the human tendency to look at the past with rose colored glasses? This is a genuine question, not trying to be sarcastic.
The 50's in Texas were in large part "the good-ole days" for a reason. WWII in Texas saw the construction of massive infrastructure projects like rail, military bases, and heavy industrial manufacturing. That, coupled with the enormous reliance on Texas oil to fuel victory, had a lasting positive economic influence on that state. Post-war Texas then continued to ride the development tide and quality of life around the state improved dramatically, especially in previously impoverished rural areas. The older generations remember these times where most people in their communities could earn decent livings. Today, drive through any rural Texas town where collectively the largest number of GOP voters reside, and they look like ghost towns. Very few have new buildings or industries outside of O&G services around the oil patches. Add in a housing bust in '08 and increasing prevalence of opioid/misc. drug abuse ravaging communities, it becomes clearer why these areas are so staunchly republican. Effectiveness of republican policy aside, I think these voters want to know that the future will have opportunities for them, or at least delay the decay of their rural towns.
Some people in the US prefer the way life was in the 1950s...MAGA... The concept of MAGA can mean lots of things. It could mean higher economic growth lower taxes, more goods produced in the USA or it could mean to some, getting back to a more homogeneous USA.
The venn diagram of those two groups is a circle
I have not looked at a Venn diagram in a long time but I would guess that you mean there would be 100% overlap. lol
Obviously Cruz is a moron pandering race-baiter, but no one’s mind was changed after that debate. Was very enlightening that Cruz’s Twitter account posted a clip of Beto speaking to a black congregation against unjust police brutality. Who exactly disagrees with that? Half of Cruz’ voters, and he knows it.
Nobody would care about O'Rourke if he was middle-aged, fat, and balding.
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