Poll: Will Ted Cruz's Push to Defund Obamacare Help Him Run for President in 2016?
How helpful has Ted Cruz's push to defund Obamacare been for a potential 2016 presidential run?
DEMOCRATS (92 VOTES)
Very helpful: 26%
Somewhat helpful: 35%
Unhelpful: 19%
Very unhelpful: 20%
Very helpful
"There has to be one big red-meat eater in every election."
"Democrats can only hope it was very helpful. You go, Ted!"
"It connects him viscerally with the lunatic wing of the Republican Party."
Somewhat helpful
"Gives him quick visibility. That is hard to come by for a first-term senator."
"The Republican crazies love him, and there are a lot of crazies in primary and caucus states."
"He will never get nominated but will help him build political capital (Twitter followers, contributions, TV and radio fans)."
"It lifts his profile with the fringe, but he already had that. If he wants to be president, it is the mainstream that he needs."
Unhelpful
"The only question is what variety of nut he will be, but a nut he is!"
"He may be the darling of the tea-party Right, but he PO'd the entire GOP establishment."
"When 'waste of time' were the words most often chosen to describe his actions, and he himself voted to move forward, he made it blatantly clear that this was nothing but a stunt."
Very unhelpful
"The good news for Cruz is that he will determine who the next president is. The bad news for him is that he won't be the next president."
"If making waves is his goal, Ã la Ron Paul, then it's a win. If becoming president is the goal, then it's a disaster."
"Theater of the absurd is a hard sell for Main Street America."
"Democrats' fervent wish for the Republicans in 2016: 'Honey, won't you take me on a sea-CRUZ!!!!!' "
How helpful has Ted Cruz's push to defund Obamacare been for a potential 2016 presidential run?
REPUBLICANS (93 VOTES)
Very helpful: 18%
Somewhat helpful: 40%
Unhelpful: 24%
Very unhelpful: 18%
Very helpful
"Winning the 'Stop Obamacare' mantle may be the best message in a Republican primary."
"The most active sector of the GOP electorate is looking to back the candidate offering the most confrontational contrast to Obama and his policies. Cruz is winning that primary within the primary."
"The effect of his strategy for the GOP is negative, but for him, it takes the oxygen out of the room for others and makes Cruz a serious player."
Somewhat helpful
"He has separated himself from the pack and touched a populist nerve among conservatives."
"Free advertising and taking on the political class never hurts a candidate with the GOP base."
"It has moved him from obscure freshman to rock star of the lunatic fringe, but we've seen how far that got Ron Paul."
"While he has tortured his fellow senators, he has become the darling of the outsider, populist conservatives who are a substantial player in GOP primaries."
"It's helpful at the grassroots, but it guarantees that 95 percent of his GOP Senate colleagues will endorse against him."
Unhelpful
"Even though Americans are not in love with the law, they are more tired of the D.C. dysfunction, and he will be a poster board for that moving forward."
"This has won him many more detractors than friends. Captaining a losing strategy is no way to gain respect."
Very unhelpful
"Nothing Cruz does is helpful. He ought to be ousted from the [Senate] GOP Conference."
"He is the only person who could actually screw up 2014 for GOP, and then if he runs for POTUS in 2016, do it again!"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Democratic Political Insiders Jill Alper, John Anzalone, Brad Bannon, Dave Beattie, Andy Bechhoefer, Cornell Belcher, Matt Bennett, Mitchell W. Berger, Mike Berman, Stephanie Bosh, Paul Brathwaite, Donna Brazile, Mark Brewer, Ed Bruley, George Bruno, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Carrick, Guy Cecil, Martin J. Chavez, Tony Coelho, Larry Cohen, Jerry Crawford, Brendan Daly, Jeff Danielson, Peter Daou, Howard Dean, Scott DeFife, Jim Demers, Tad Devine, David Di Martino, Debbie Dingell, Monica Dixon, Patrick Dorton, Pat Dujakovich, Anita Dunn, Jeff Eller, Steve Elmendorf, Carter Eskew, Vic Fazio, Peter Fenn, Scott Ferson, Jim Fleischmann, Tina Flournoy, Don Foley, Jeffrey Forbes, Vincent Frillici, Gina Glantz, Niles Godes, John Michael Gonzalez, Joe Grandmaison, Anna Greenberg, Stan Greenberg, Pat Griffin, Larry Grisolano, Michael Gronstal, Lisa Grove, Marcia Hale, Jill Hanauer, Dick Harpootlian, Paul Harstad, Laura Hartigan, Doug Hattaway, Mike Henry, Karen Hicks, Leo Hindery Jr., Harold Ickes, Marcus Jadotte, John Jameson, Steve Jarding, Jonathon Jones, Jim Jordan, Gale Kaufman, Lisa Kountoupes, Celinda Lake, David Lang, Penny Lee, Chris Lehane, Jeff Link, Bob Maloney, Jim Manley, Steve Marchand, Jim Margolis, Paul Maslin, Keith Mason, Susan McCue, Gerald McEntee, Steve McMahon, Tom McMahon, Phil McNamara, David Medina, Michael Meehan, Mark Mellman, John Merrigan, Michael Monroe, Steve Murphy, Janet Napolitano, David Nassar, Marcia Nichols, John Norris, Tom Ochs, Tom O'Donnell, Jeffrey Peck, Debora Pignatelli, Tony Podesta, Jefrey Pollock, Jack Quinn, Larry Rasky, Mame Reiley, Ed Rendell, Steve Ricchetti, Will Robinson, Steve Rosenthal, David Rudd, Ryan Rudominer, John Ryan, Michael Sargeant, Stephanie Schriock, Terry Shumaker, Sean Sinclair, Phil Singer, Erik Smith, Doug Sosnik, Greg Speed, Darry Sragow, Ken Strasma, Doug Thornell, Jeffrey Trammell, Ed Turlington, Rick Wiener, James Williams, JoDee Winterhof, Brian Wolff, Jon Youngdahl, and Jim Zogby.
GOP Political Insiders Dan Allen, Stan Anderson, Gary Andres, Saulius (Saul) Anuzis, Rich Ashooh, Whit Ayres, Brett Bader, Mitch Bainwol, Brian Baker, Gary Bauer, David Beckwith, Paul Bennecke, Clark Benson, Wayne Berman, Brian Bieron, Charlie Black, Kirk Blalock, Carmine Boal, Jeff Boeyink, Ron Bonjean, Jeff Buley, Luke Byars, Nick Calio, Al Cardenas, Danny Carroll, Alex Castellanos, Ron Christie, Jim Cicconi, Jonathan Collegio, Rob Collins, Cesar Conda, Jake Corman, Scott Cottington, Jay Cranford, Greg Crist, Diane Crookham-Johnson, Fergus Cullen, Tom Davis, Mike Dennehy, Ken Duberstein, Debi Durham, Sara Fagen, Frank Fahrenkopf, John Feehery, Don Fierce, Mindy Finn, Carl Forti, Alex Gage, Bruce A. Gates, Sam Geduldig, Adam Geller, Benjamin Ginsberg, David Girard-diCarlo, Bill Greener, Jonathan Grella, Lanny Griffith, Janet Mullins Grissom, Doug Gross, Todd Harris, Steve Hart, Christopher Healy, Ralph Hellmann, Chris Henick, Terry Holt, David Iannelli, Ed Ingle, Jim Innocenzi, Clark Judge, David Keating, David Kensinger, Bob Kjellander, Ed Kutler, Chris LaCivita, Jim Lake, Steven Law, Steve Lombardo, Kevin Madden, Joel Maiola, Gary Maloney, David Marin, Mary Matalin, Dan Mattoon, Brian McCormack, Mark McKinnon, Kyle McSlarrow, Ken Mehlman, Jim Merrill, Lisa Camooso Miller, Tim Morrison, Mike Murphy, Phil Musser, Ron Nehring, Terry Nelson, Neil Newhouse, David Norcross, Ziad Ojakli, Jack Oliver, Todd Olsen, Kevin O'Neill, Connie Partoyan, Billy Piper, Van B. Poole, Tom Rath, Scott Reed, David Rehr, Tom Reynolds, Steve Roberts, Jason Roe, David Roederer, Dan Schnur, Russ Schriefer, Rich Schwarm, Brent Seaborn, Rick Shelby, Andrew Shore, Kevin Shuvalov, Don Sipple, Ken Spain, Fred Steeper, Bob Stevenson, Terry Sullivan, David Tamasi, Eric Tanenblatt, Richard Temple, Heath Thompson, Jay Timmons, Warren Tompkins, Ted Van Der Meid, Dirk van Dongen, Jan van Lohuizen, Stewart Verdery, Dick Wadhams, John Weaver, Lezlee Westine, Dave Winston, Ginny Wolfe, Fred Wszolek, and Matthew Zablud.
How helpful has Ted Cruz's push to defund Obamacare been for a potential 2016 presidential run?
DEMOCRATS (92 VOTES)
Very helpful: 26%
Somewhat helpful: 35%
Unhelpful: 19%
Very unhelpful: 20%
Very helpful
"There has to be one big red-meat eater in every election."
"Democrats can only hope it was very helpful. You go, Ted!"
"It connects him viscerally with the lunatic wing of the Republican Party."
Somewhat helpful
"Gives him quick visibility. That is hard to come by for a first-term senator."
"The Republican crazies love him, and there are a lot of crazies in primary and caucus states."
"He will never get nominated but will help him build political capital (Twitter followers, contributions, TV and radio fans)."
"It lifts his profile with the fringe, but he already had that. If he wants to be president, it is the mainstream that he needs."
Unhelpful
"The only question is what variety of nut he will be, but a nut he is!"
"He may be the darling of the tea-party Right, but he PO'd the entire GOP establishment."
"When 'waste of time' were the words most often chosen to describe his actions, and he himself voted to move forward, he made it blatantly clear that this was nothing but a stunt."
Very unhelpful
"The good news for Cruz is that he will determine who the next president is. The bad news for him is that he won't be the next president."
"If making waves is his goal, Ã la Ron Paul, then it's a win. If becoming president is the goal, then it's a disaster."
"Theater of the absurd is a hard sell for Main Street America."
"Democrats' fervent wish for the Republicans in 2016: 'Honey, won't you take me on a sea-CRUZ!!!!!' "
How helpful has Ted Cruz's push to defund Obamacare been for a potential 2016 presidential run?
REPUBLICANS (93 VOTES)
Very helpful: 18%
Somewhat helpful: 40%
Unhelpful: 24%
Very unhelpful: 18%
Very helpful
"Winning the 'Stop Obamacare' mantle may be the best message in a Republican primary."
"The most active sector of the GOP electorate is looking to back the candidate offering the most confrontational contrast to Obama and his policies. Cruz is winning that primary within the primary."
"The effect of his strategy for the GOP is negative, but for him, it takes the oxygen out of the room for others and makes Cruz a serious player."
Somewhat helpful
"He has separated himself from the pack and touched a populist nerve among conservatives."
"Free advertising and taking on the political class never hurts a candidate with the GOP base."
"It has moved him from obscure freshman to rock star of the lunatic fringe, but we've seen how far that got Ron Paul."
"While he has tortured his fellow senators, he has become the darling of the outsider, populist conservatives who are a substantial player in GOP primaries."
"It's helpful at the grassroots, but it guarantees that 95 percent of his GOP Senate colleagues will endorse against him."
Unhelpful
"Even though Americans are not in love with the law, they are more tired of the D.C. dysfunction, and he will be a poster board for that moving forward."
"This has won him many more detractors than friends. Captaining a losing strategy is no way to gain respect."
Very unhelpful
"Nothing Cruz does is helpful. He ought to be ousted from the [Senate] GOP Conference."
"He is the only person who could actually screw up 2014 for GOP, and then if he runs for POTUS in 2016, do it again!"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Democratic Political Insiders Jill Alper, John Anzalone, Brad Bannon, Dave Beattie, Andy Bechhoefer, Cornell Belcher, Matt Bennett, Mitchell W. Berger, Mike Berman, Stephanie Bosh, Paul Brathwaite, Donna Brazile, Mark Brewer, Ed Bruley, George Bruno, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Carrick, Guy Cecil, Martin J. Chavez, Tony Coelho, Larry Cohen, Jerry Crawford, Brendan Daly, Jeff Danielson, Peter Daou, Howard Dean, Scott DeFife, Jim Demers, Tad Devine, David Di Martino, Debbie Dingell, Monica Dixon, Patrick Dorton, Pat Dujakovich, Anita Dunn, Jeff Eller, Steve Elmendorf, Carter Eskew, Vic Fazio, Peter Fenn, Scott Ferson, Jim Fleischmann, Tina Flournoy, Don Foley, Jeffrey Forbes, Vincent Frillici, Gina Glantz, Niles Godes, John Michael Gonzalez, Joe Grandmaison, Anna Greenberg, Stan Greenberg, Pat Griffin, Larry Grisolano, Michael Gronstal, Lisa Grove, Marcia Hale, Jill Hanauer, Dick Harpootlian, Paul Harstad, Laura Hartigan, Doug Hattaway, Mike Henry, Karen Hicks, Leo Hindery Jr., Harold Ickes, Marcus Jadotte, John Jameson, Steve Jarding, Jonathon Jones, Jim Jordan, Gale Kaufman, Lisa Kountoupes, Celinda Lake, David Lang, Penny Lee, Chris Lehane, Jeff Link, Bob Maloney, Jim Manley, Steve Marchand, Jim Margolis, Paul Maslin, Keith Mason, Susan McCue, Gerald McEntee, Steve McMahon, Tom McMahon, Phil McNamara, David Medina, Michael Meehan, Mark Mellman, John Merrigan, Michael Monroe, Steve Murphy, Janet Napolitano, David Nassar, Marcia Nichols, John Norris, Tom Ochs, Tom O'Donnell, Jeffrey Peck, Debora Pignatelli, Tony Podesta, Jefrey Pollock, Jack Quinn, Larry Rasky, Mame Reiley, Ed Rendell, Steve Ricchetti, Will Robinson, Steve Rosenthal, David Rudd, Ryan Rudominer, John Ryan, Michael Sargeant, Stephanie Schriock, Terry Shumaker, Sean Sinclair, Phil Singer, Erik Smith, Doug Sosnik, Greg Speed, Darry Sragow, Ken Strasma, Doug Thornell, Jeffrey Trammell, Ed Turlington, Rick Wiener, James Williams, JoDee Winterhof, Brian Wolff, Jon Youngdahl, and Jim Zogby.
GOP Political Insiders Dan Allen, Stan Anderson, Gary Andres, Saulius (Saul) Anuzis, Rich Ashooh, Whit Ayres, Brett Bader, Mitch Bainwol, Brian Baker, Gary Bauer, David Beckwith, Paul Bennecke, Clark Benson, Wayne Berman, Brian Bieron, Charlie Black, Kirk Blalock, Carmine Boal, Jeff Boeyink, Ron Bonjean, Jeff Buley, Luke Byars, Nick Calio, Al Cardenas, Danny Carroll, Alex Castellanos, Ron Christie, Jim Cicconi, Jonathan Collegio, Rob Collins, Cesar Conda, Jake Corman, Scott Cottington, Jay Cranford, Greg Crist, Diane Crookham-Johnson, Fergus Cullen, Tom Davis, Mike Dennehy, Ken Duberstein, Debi Durham, Sara Fagen, Frank Fahrenkopf, John Feehery, Don Fierce, Mindy Finn, Carl Forti, Alex Gage, Bruce A. Gates, Sam Geduldig, Adam Geller, Benjamin Ginsberg, David Girard-diCarlo, Bill Greener, Jonathan Grella, Lanny Griffith, Janet Mullins Grissom, Doug Gross, Todd Harris, Steve Hart, Christopher Healy, Ralph Hellmann, Chris Henick, Terry Holt, David Iannelli, Ed Ingle, Jim Innocenzi, Clark Judge, David Keating, David Kensinger, Bob Kjellander, Ed Kutler, Chris LaCivita, Jim Lake, Steven Law, Steve Lombardo, Kevin Madden, Joel Maiola, Gary Maloney, David Marin, Mary Matalin, Dan Mattoon, Brian McCormack, Mark McKinnon, Kyle McSlarrow, Ken Mehlman, Jim Merrill, Lisa Camooso Miller, Tim Morrison, Mike Murphy, Phil Musser, Ron Nehring, Terry Nelson, Neil Newhouse, David Norcross, Ziad Ojakli, Jack Oliver, Todd Olsen, Kevin O'Neill, Connie Partoyan, Billy Piper, Van B. Poole, Tom Rath, Scott Reed, David Rehr, Tom Reynolds, Steve Roberts, Jason Roe, David Roederer, Dan Schnur, Russ Schriefer, Rich Schwarm, Brent Seaborn, Rick Shelby, Andrew Shore, Kevin Shuvalov, Don Sipple, Ken Spain, Fred Steeper, Bob Stevenson, Terry Sullivan, David Tamasi, Eric Tanenblatt, Richard Temple, Heath Thompson, Jay Timmons, Warren Tompkins, Ted Van Der Meid, Dirk van Dongen, Jan van Lohuizen, Stewart Verdery, Dick Wadhams, John Weaver, Lezlee Westine, Dave Winston, Ginny Wolfe, Fred Wszolek, and Matthew Zablud.