Sen. Ted Cruz “is deeply out of step” with the American people and would face an uphill battle for president in 2016, while Sen. Rand Paul and his libertarian message may present a challenge for Democrats, White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer told reporters Friday.
Mr. Pfeiffer’s words about Mr. Cruz, Texas Republican, and Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, underscore the fact that the Democratic party already is preparing for its potential rival in the 2016 White House campaign.
Based on Mr. Pfeiffer’s political pontification — which he admitted is wildly premature — Democrats would prefer to face Mr. Cruz, a first-term senator highly popular among the tea party wing of the Republican party.
“I think that Sen. Cruz would be a particularly interesting candidate for Democrats. He is deeply out of step with the country on a wide array of issues,” Mr. Pfeiffer said. “I was rooting for the Republican convention [in 2016] to be in Dallas because if he lost I wonder how he would handle nominating another person.”
The GOP party convention will be held in Cleveland.
As for Mr. Paul, there’s a growing belief the Kentucky senator’s libertarian message may strike a chord with younger voters who typically lean toward the Democratic party.
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“I think one of the most intriguing candidates is Sen. Paul. I think he has a message — he’s the only Republican who has articulated a message that is potentially appealing to younger Americans,” Mr. Pfeiffer said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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