First off, I just love Ted Cruz. He was perhaps the one thing that kept conservatives like myself going in January in liberal college towns in January 2013 when one of your liberal college professors was rubbing Obama’s re-election inauguration in your face on a nearly daily basis. Unlike many low-info voters who many know him from the 21-hour filibuster, I know him from his efforts to stop gun control and how he got many in the media to develop early symptoms of Cruz Derangement Syndrome. Another thing that many people do not know or do not often think about him is that he is also the Vice Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Enough has been said enough about the NRSC here, here, here, and for a full listing, here. There is no question that they do not vet candidates, such as in the Senate race in my home state, Oregon. I do not like how they effectively chose Monica Wehby, someone who had no government experience whatsoever and before this year, to my knowledge, was not even active in politics, over a veteran legislator and conservative such as Jason Conger, despite the fact that they do not live in the state. If Wehby had been an elected official, that would be another matter, but choosing an anyone-but-a-conservative-approach is simply unacceptable. I am sure that people who live in other states have similar issues with the NRSC this election cycle and other cycles.
The reason why I was mentioning Cruz is when there is a question of if there is anything he can do from the inside about the NRSC since he is the Vice Chair. Earlier this year, Erick Erickson called for Ted Cruz to resign his position from the NRSC out of protest and to distance himself it so he could become more involved in Senate races. Out of respect for Erick, such a move would accomplish little in the long run, if weakening the credibility or the likewise was his purpose of calling for such a move (I don’t know, I’m not Erick). If Cruz did resign from being Vice Chair, it would probably be the buzz on the internet for a few days, it would be talked about on the following Sunday’s talk shows, but in the long run, nothing would change in the political scene in Washington or the NRSC. However, there is the question is whether his position as Vice Chair of the NRSC mere lip service to conservatives and to keep Cruz in line or is there any way for Cruz it to possibly any way for Cruz to use that position to change the NRSC from inside? Perhaps both.
There is no question that Ted Cruz is an excellent fundraiser and orator. He is also a highly charismatic individual with strong ties to grassroots and small donors. If the NRSC is serious about electing Republicans, those would be qualities that would attractive to them and be reason to make Cruz NRSC Chair for the 2015-2016 election cycle (if he does not opt to run for president). Cruz could be in a position to remake the NRSC from inside by, among other things, replacing old guard staffers with staffers who are not hostile to conservatives. Question is, can he and if so, will he do it?
