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Cornyn gets a challenger

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Major, Dec 9, 2013.

  1. Major

    Major Member

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    Should be fun.

    http://www.politico.com/story/2013/...rnyn-texas-senate-primary-100924.html?hp=t1_3


    In surprise, Steve Stockman challenges John Cornyn



    Firebrand Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman on Monday mounted a surprise primary challenge to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), setting the stage for the latest potentially explosive battle between a tea party darling and an incumbent firmly backed by the GOP establishment.

    Stockman, a far-right conservative who has called for the president’s impeachment, filed for the seat minutes before the 6 p.m. local deadline, confirmed Spencer Yeldell, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Texas. Cornyn — with cash-on-hand clocking in at nearly $7 million — is still the heavy favorite, but Stockman’s entry into the race could force the incumbent senator to tack farther right as he tries to win over a corner of the party that has been relatively skeptical of him.

    Stockman’s move shocked Texas political observers: Cornyn had looked poised for an easy March 4 primary contest, where he was set to square off with several candidates with little name recognition. Just 20 minutes before the filing deadline, Texas GOP chair Steve Munisteri told POLITICO that he was “not expecting any recognizable names or people with substantial resources running aside from the senator.”

    But Stockman is a highly recognizable name in some circles, and he looks to be a game-changer. The 57-year-old made waves earlier this year when he returned to the House after a 15-year hiatus with his calls to impeach President Barack Obama. And he’s not been shy about his other deeply conservative, and sometimes controversial, views on issues ranging from gun rights to immigration (he refers to undocumented immigrants as “illegals”).

    The Stockman-Cornyn match-up will be the latest in a series of contests that pits tea party-backed candidates against incumbents deemed insufficiently conservative by GOP purists. In Kentucky, for example, tea partiers have rallied around Matt Bevin, who is taking on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. And in Mississippi, some conservatives are waging battle against incumbent GOP Sen. Thad Cochran.

    Tea party types have been angling for a fight with Cornyn, 61, since this fall, when he didn’t back Lone Star State colleague Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in a procedural motion designed to derail funding for Obamacare ahead of the government shutdown. That move led the Senate Conservatives Fund to blast Cornyn as a “turncoat” and enraged conservatives back home.

    But ultimately several tea party favorites — including Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and historian David Barton — decided not to take on Cornyn, leaving the field of challengers to lesser-known figures until Stockman’s last-minute entry.

    Cornyn aides stressed his conservative bona fides late Monday.

    “Endorsed by Texas Right to Life and ranked as the second most conservative senator in America, Senator Cornyn looks forward to discussing his conservative record with Texans,” Cornyn campaign manager Brendan Steinhauser said in a statement following news of Stockman’s challenge.

    Despite the outrage over his disagreement with Cruz, Cornyn is considered quite conservative, even by Texas standards. He also was able to fend off a serious primary challenge for so long in part because his name recognition and deep war chest make him a formidable candidate in the vast and astronomically expensive state. Stockman will have a daunting task trying to raise funds and catching up to Cornyn’s name recognition, and Cornyn, the former chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, will enjoy a wide network of establishment support.

    “John Cornyn is one of the most conservative members in the Senate and strong leader for the state of Texas,” said NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring. “We are proud to support Senator Cornyn and while this primary challenge is quite the head scratcher, it will be defeated.”

    Cornyn also has been working on outreach to the tea party — his campaign manager is a veteran of FreedomWorks — and his team kicked off an ad campaign this fall.

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/...exas-senate-primary-100924.html#ixzz2n2GfemZ4

     
  2. mc mark

    mc mark Contributing Member

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    Tea Party coming for Cornyn!
     
  3. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    I remember when Stockman was a complete loon but defeated Jack Brooks in the 1994 Clinton backlash election. Of course, he lost 2 years later. He was clearly an honor graduate from kook school.

    Haven't paid attention to him at all since 2012 but the current environment in the GOP is perfect a guy like him. Hopefully he's no longer a flaming nutcase.
     
  4. Buck Turgidson

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    I wish it was Gohmert, that guy is off-the-charts on the unintentional comedy scale.
     
  5. geeimsobored

    geeimsobored Contributing Member

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    The guy won his Congressional seat in 2012 on a complete fluke. He somehow managed to sneak through the primary probably due to the fact that he had name ID since he was a former member of Congress.

    He can't fund raise worth a damn so I highly doubt he'll have a chance in hell at beating Cornyn.
     
  6. Rocketman95

    Rocketman95 Hangout Boy

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    Check out the recent Chronicle expose into this person. As a native Texan, I have a lot to be embarrassed about when it comes to the folks who represent us on a national level and he's certainly up there.
     
  7. otis thorpe

    otis thorpe Member

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    They are talking about this on MSNBC right now
     
  8. geeimsobored

    geeimsobored Contributing Member

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    Zero chance for Stockman.

    Stockman can't fundraise at all. Conservative groups have already announced that they wont fund him. Plus Cornyn has been voting is insanely as Stockman would over the past year (thanks to Cornyn's constant fear of getting one-upped by Ted Cruz)

    Lastly, Cornyn is the #2 Republican in the Senate and he has made zero effort to moderate in anyway during this session. Why fund an effort to primary a crazy but powerful senator in Cornyn for an equally crazy but weak member in Stockman.

    It is funny how delusional Stockman is to think that he could actually win this. If Stockman knew how to fundraise I'd give him a chance.
     
  9. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Contributing Member

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    Since the default showdown, I've decided to vote as a Republican in primaries. I used to think the nuttier the better when it comes to Republican candidates. Ted Cruz has shown me that they'll keep winning in the Texas general election no matter how nutty. So, I'll be voting in the primary to moderate the candidates that come out of it.
     
  10. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    So you guys are saying Stockman is too nutty even for today's right-wing groups?
     
  11. Buck Turgidson

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    You know, I just might do the same thing. Thanks.
     
  12. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    I used to think that party identification could go to an extreme, usually being willing to vote for a Republican in down ballot races if I knew the candidate was "better" than the Democratic opponent, but no longer. I'm voting the straight Democratic ticket until things start to change in Texas. The lunacy that is the Texas GOP, hell, the national GOP, does NOT need my help one iota.
     
  13. otis thorpe

    otis thorpe Member

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    chuck todd is talking about this now and other republican primaries across the nation. he pointed that cruz beat Dewhurst but it was in runoff with very few voters voting.
     
  14. mc mark

    mc mark Contributing Member

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    Abbott Won't Endorse In Texas Senate Race

    The conservative Club for Growth announced Tuesday that it will stay out of the primary race. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) also isn't planning on endorsing anyone in the race.
     
  15. geeimsobored

    geeimsobored Contributing Member

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    That's one of the other problems for Stockman. Dewhurst was ahead of Cruz by a significant margin during the primary but he didn't hit 50% because Tom Pauken (and Craig James to a much smaller degree) got enough votes to prevent Dewhurst from hitting 50%. That forced a Dewhurst-Cruz runoff and those primary runoffs tend to enable crazies to win.

    Stockman won't have that luxury. It's a 2 horse race so there won't be a runoff and he'll have to win outright (which won't happen)
     

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