In hindsight, the biggest Senate race of 2008 was the Texas Republican Primary between David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz.  From the outside, this “establishment versus Tea Party” figure seemed just to be just two wackadoodle Right wingers, but as things have turned out — urm.  (“Like 9/11, Let’s Roll.”  — Er… Congratulations?)

The two relevant election results.

07/31/2012  TX US Senate – R Runoff  Lost 43.20% (-13.60%)
05/29/2012  TX US Senate – R Primary  Won 44.67% (+10.58%)

The first one was the one that David Dewhurst really needed to get to that 50 point 1 to avoid the run-off, because… the depleted and more true believer run off turnout would just overwhelm the “Republican Establishment” vote.  If I recall, he was really shooting for the moon on immigration at this juncture.  As so happens, he failed — by 7 percent… final total — he, 43, Cruz 33.  Skip ahead those 2 months, and in a 2 man contest, Dewhurst was still at 43.  (The Democratic Primary was a hoot, though an irrelevant hoot.)

A few months ago, the National Review questioned why “Liberals and Democrats are obsessed with Ted Cruz” and suggested it was because he defied stereotypes with his Ivy League pedigree and etc.  To wit you mostly just scratch your head… no, one’s interest in Ted Cruz comes from him being an influential and powerful figure in a political party, and one whose aims are destructive to the country’s best interests.  Your liberal obsession with him hinges on the conservative obsession with him.

So, what do we see in David Dewhurst right about now?  The last “Hey Hoo!’ story was a relatively low level but definitely notable bit of influence peddling in trying to get his daughter out of trouble with the police.  Peg it into the background, mention it often, but know ye this: there will be Democratic politicos who pull the same entitled crap.
And he made more national news and notes in having to finally got the Texas legislator to restrict abortion, over the objectives of Wendy Davis.
And today we see that he’s taking his part in sharpening up Texas’s redistricting lines — a large part in the bane of our problems in the House.

But beyond all that… today we some Texas figures who love Ted Cruz want him to join him in the Senate, by making a primary fight against John Cornyn.  Because… — hm?

More importantly, would Texans be better served with him at the helm of the Texas Senate or with him as a Senator in Washington, doing the will of the Republican base unlike Sen. John Cornyn?

Naturally the comments section in this brings out the lines of your Republican base charging Dewhurst with being a “RINO” — though how he stacks up against “RINO” John Cornyn is not quite dwelt on — some comments directed to liberal nay-sayers about “Freedom” and “Texas!  Woop!”  (Some variation of this, actually.)

Another oddity… your crude bit of partisan thumb-nose sneering.

Now, for those of you on the left that are reading this (I’m talking about you Scrambled Brains and others), the caricature you have of Ted Cruz supporters is wrong. Incorrect. Idiotic. Whatever adjective you choose.
Check out Ed’s Linked In. Please. I beg you. I’ll wait. And if those big words scare you, I can understand.

Hm.  Actually the distinct aura of populism and elitism can be seen in the great Hamiltonian Party / Theocratic Party merger of 1968 — which was, in retrospect, the creation of the modern Republican Party.

Or, I could consult how liberals viewed the emerging conservativism in the 1950s (rebooted in the 1960s).  See the Daniel Bell edited book The New American Right.  Skip to the sections where it compares the old rich to the nuevo rich (particularly in Texas) with the old rich having some sense of noblesse oblige where the nuevo rich are status conscience and still afraid they might lose their wealth, and thus define Socialism down to … urm… John Cornyn and, depending on whether he’s running against… David Dewhurst.  but maybe the Hamiltonian Theocrats will hold their nose on that one.

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