# Tea Party darling defeats establishment candidate in Texas senate race **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 1, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057 "2012-08-01T14:26:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/1 "2012-08-01T14:26:45Z")
Ted Cruz beat Lt. Governor David Dewhurst last night in a runoff election for the GOP nomination in the race for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s senate seat. > **[Tea Party Favorite Wins Texas Runoff (Published 2012)](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/us/politics/cruz-defeats-dewhurst-for-gop-nomination-in-texas-senate-race.html?_r=1&hp)** > > Ted Cruz defeated David Dewhurst, the candidate favored by Gov. Rick Perry, in a vote for the Republican Senate nomination. > [@](#): > > Mr. Cruz, 41, is the latest conservative rebel to bring down an established party leader, tapping into frustration within the Republican ranks nationwide. These dissident triumphs include, in this year’s primaries, the defeat of Senator Richard G. Lugar of Indiana by Richard E. Mourdock and Deb Fischer’s win over a veteran Republican for the Senate nomination in Nebraska. They also echo Marco Rubio’s Senate victory in 2010 over a Republican governor, Charlie Crist of Florida. I used to live in Texas, but haven’t kept up much with the politics there since I left. Do any Texans here care to weigh in on their opinions of Cruz, what kind of candidate he is, why Dewhurst lost, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/2 "2012-08-01T14:59:37Z")
From the [Burnt Orange\* Report](http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/12575/texas-senate-showdown-victorious-cruz): > [@](#): > > It’s over. Ted Cruz defeated David Dewhurst tonight. > > Let’s pretend for a moment that both of these candidates are running to represent Texans, not the corporations that paid for their campaigns and that will make them rich after leaving office. Let’s pretend David Dewhurst is actually sad because he believed Texas needed his views in Congress. > > Well, Dew, you’ve got nothing at all to worry about. Ted Cruz winning is like having your ideological identical twin brother run against you for the Republican senate nomination. You guys have the same views. Cruz won because he was able to capture conservative grassroots titillation because he’s “Tea Party”…and you’ve already served several terms in elected office. That makes you the “establishment” and him the “real conservative” prepared to “shake things up”…by doing exactly what you would do. So rest assured, your crazy ideas will be executed - but it’ll be Cruz lapping up the special interest money for years to > come. This is true. But local newscasters are calling this a defeat for the state’s Republican Establishment. Which includes Ricky Perry. Cruz is being billed as a Hispanic candidate, but his father fled _Cuba_–Batista’s Cuba, even though most of the PR suggests he fled Castro. Cubano-Americanos are thin on the ground here–most Mexican-Americans look skeptically on those who were awarded by the US Government for avoiding that tedious legal immigration process. Yes, there’s a Democratic candidate for Senator. I’ll vote for him, but am not filled with hope. Texas cities are islands of blue in a sea of red–for now… - UT’s colors are white & burnt orange… ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/3 "2012-08-01T15:09:36Z")
It was one of the dirtier ad campaigns I’ve ever seen. Dewhurst attacked Cruz for representing Chinese interests against an American businessman and for helping send a kid to a For Profit jail. When the kid was released and committed suicide, his mother was shown in a bite telling Cruz he should be ashamed of himself. I didn’t think either candidate worthy of support but if, like **Bridget** mentions, it was a defeat for Perry then at least there’s that consolation. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/4 "2012-08-01T15:56:20Z")
Cruz won because we Texans were tired of Dewhurst’s bullshit. Dewhurst’s negative attack ads probably shoved more undecided voters to Cruz than he’d like to admit. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/5 "2012-08-01T17:09:40Z")
Well then, we certainly hope you enjoy Cruz’s bullshit a little better. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/6 "2012-08-01T21:38:10Z")
I’m going to go out on a limb and predicted that Tea Party candidates are not going to do as well this election as they did in 2010, and it is going to cost Republicans seats, especially in races where mainstream and incumbent Republicans were primaried and lost to Tea Party candidates. Moderates and independents have had two more years to evaluate what a Tea Party congress is like, and I believe there is going to be a backlash. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/7 "2012-08-01T23:10:53Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb and predicted that Tea Party candidates are not going to do as well this election as they did in 2010, and it is going to cost Republicans seats, especially in races where mainstream and incumbent Republicans were primaries and lost to Tea Party candidates. Moderates and independents have had two more years to evaluate what a Tea Party congress is like, and I believe there is going to be a backlash. Unfortunately I don’t think the Republicans will see much backlash this election. The two years we’ve had to evaluate congress there has been no focus on how ridiculous they actually are. Most people have no idea how many many bills they’ve passed and what they were about. I’m hoping late in the campaigning Obama goes directly after congress just so they get some scrutiny but I’m very doubtful it would happen. Right now the picture of congress is they can’t do anything because both sides block each other with no specifics on what they are trying to get done. I don’t think we’ll get to see real backlash against the Tea Party till the following election. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/8 "2012-08-02T01:17:58Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb and predicted that Tea Party candidates are not going to do as well this election as they did in 2010, and it is going to cost Republicans seats, especially in races where mainstream and incumbent Republicans were primaried and lost to Tea Party candidates. Moderates and independents have had two more years to evaluate what a Tea Party congress is like, and I believe there is going to be a backlash. Tea Party candidates did worse as a whole than regular republicans in the last election. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/9 "2012-08-02T01:33:31Z")
Ted Cruz seems to be okay and he seems to be a smart man (Princeton and Harvard Law School) -I think this battle was more over style than issues. I hope he turns out more like Marco Rubio or Scott Brown than Sharron Angle or Christine O’Donnell. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/10 "2012-08-02T02:03:34Z")
I’d prefer that he end up more like Angle or O’Donnell, but he doesn’t seem loony enough to merit media attention. Why’d he win the primary? My opinion is that it is partly due to the Tea Party’s popularity around here. There are lots of horribly informed, often otherwise smart, people stating Tea Party positions around here. I know one person that I would consider a traditional Republican, and many I would consider a TPer. So, since Cruz wasn’t the current Lt. Governor and didn’t currently hold office, he had an advantage. I honestly don’t think that Cruz and Dewhurst had any appreciable differences they could attack each other over, and that’s probably why the campaign was personal. The Democratic candidate for the seat, Paul Sadler, is a wind power advocate, who’s been popular with both right and left papers in the state. His activity in wind power might play well in the central part of the state. I see windmills headed out toward Lubbock almost every day that I am on I-20. (I live a block from I-20.) Someone’s getting paid to move, install, and maintain them. His general energy independence platform will probably do just fine as well. I haven’t seen any advertising out of him, though. He’s probably victim to the Dems writing off this state assistance-wise. If that’s the case, it’s a shame. I think Cruz is probably one of the weaker candidates for senate that we’ve had in TX. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/11 "2012-08-02T04:03:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb and predicted that Tea Party candidates are not going to do as well this election as they did in 2010, and it is going to cost Republicans seats, especially in races where mainstream and incumbent Republicans were primaried and lost to Tea Party candidates. Moderates and independents have had two more years to evaluate what a Tea Party congress is like, and I believe there is going to be a backlash. I think that’s likely, but Tea Party candidates lost some very winnable races in 2010 too. As for a backlash, the establishment GOP is corrupt. Presumably, if people elect Tea Partiers, they want the Tea Partiers to govern as they say they will, rather than being captured by the system the way the establishment types are. It’s entirely possible that the public will reject the Tea Partiers for ideological reasons. But I think it’s nonsense to think the public wants to go back to the old GOP. When it comes to getting rid of the trash, the Tea Party has been doing work everyone should support. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/12 "2012-08-02T04:25:14Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I think that’s likely, but Tea Party candidates lost some very winnable races in 2010 too. > > As for a backlash, the establishment GOP is corrupt. Presumably, if people elect Tea Partiers, they want the Tea Partiers to govern as they say they will, rather than being captured by the system the way the establishment types are. > > It’s entirely possible that the public will reject the Tea Partiers for ideological reasons. But I think it’s nonsense to think the public wants to go back to the old GOP. When it comes to getting rid of the trash, the Tea Party has been doing work everyone should support. Replacing corrupt politicians with corrupt ideology one man at a time boy are those Tea Party people moving this country forward! I’m personally going to wait till they repeal the 14th Amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and get us back to the gold standard before thanking them! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/13 "2012-08-02T04:27:08Z")
Referring to an ideology as corrupt has no merit. Corruption is breaking the law. An ideology cannot break the law. Now I understand why Democrats liked the establishment GOP better. They could be bought. Shutting off the pork spigot has made Democrats life a lot harder. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/14 "2012-08-02T14:57:27Z")
Perry & his crew have been directing the pork into Republican coffers. He’s made the constitutionally weak governor’s office stronger by being very kind to his cronies. Now, he’ll be convinced that they way to stay on top is to become even more batshit insane! It ought to be interesting in a rather gruesome way… > **[Under the Good Hair](https://www.texasobserver.org/under-the-good-hair/)** ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/15 "2012-08-02T15:09:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Referring to an ideology as corrupt has no merit. Corruption is breaking the law. An ideology cannot break the law. > > Now I understand why Democrats liked the establishment GOP better. They could be bought. Shutting off the pork spigot has made Democrats life a lot harder. Corruption does not mean illegal. Even in the sense of the word you mean, you can be corrupt without it being illegally corrupt. Other meanings include decayed, or debased. I don’t want to speak for boytyperanma, but I take it to mean “made inferior by errors”. That would match the Tea Party nicely, I think. The Democrats liked the establishment GOP better because they, unlike the TPer’s, understand that they cannot get their way on every item all of the time. It doesn’t work that way until you have overwhelming majorities in both houses, and the white house. Even then, you pays your nickel and you takes your chances. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/16 "2012-08-02T16:42:32Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > As for a backlash, the establishment GOP is corrupt. Presumably, if people elect Tea Partiers, they want the Tea Partiers to govern as they say they will, rather than being captured by the system the way the establishment types are. What does it mean when no TP officeholder _has_ actually governed like they said they would? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/17 "2012-08-02T16:52:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What does it mean when no TP officeholder _has_ actually governed like they said they would? The same as it means for every other politician who didn’t govern like they said they would. The Tea Baggers don’t hold an exclusive on that one. Actually, since they say they’ll govern like idiots, it would be a relief if they did something different. But they may be the ones to stick by their promises in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/18 "2012-08-02T17:09:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What does it mean when no TP officeholder _has_ actually governed like they said they would? Some sold out. Many did not. Last I checked, the primary liberal complaint about the Tea Party is that they are too obstinate in their beliefs and won’t compromise. They have fought hard to cut spending and won some battles, and they shut off the pork spigot. In the House, they even reformed the rules to create more open debate and amendment offering, in contrast to Pelosi’s more tyrannical approach. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/19 "2012-08-02T17:24:44Z")
We don’t mind that at all. It clues the electorate into what a fucking mess their flavor of the week is. What we mind is how all of them claim to be running on fiscal issues, and once in office immediately start offering up abortion and immigration bills. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057/20 "2012-08-02T17:29:36Z")
Well, can’t argue with that, that’s just incredibly stupid behavior and it’s messing up the Tea Party brand. However, they have actually been much, much better about sticking to fiscal policy and government reform principles than the establishment GOP ever did. So they are delivering on their promises to that extent. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tea-party-darling-defeats-establishment-candidate-in-texas-senate-race/630057.md?page=2)