NEWS AND OPINION:
When Republican presidential posturing turns into definitive action, the critics come out like clockwork. It happened last week when Donald Trump announced he had formed a presidential exploratory committee and was immediately met with accusations he was disingenuous, unqualified or seeking publicity.
Something similar is now underway against Sen. Ted Cruz, who announced his intent to run for the White House in the early hours on Monday via Twitter, followed by a hearty speech at Liberty University. The Texas Republican skipped the exploratory phase, opting for a quick announcement with dramatic impact. Caustic headlines, however, were in place before he revealed a thing, these from the last 48 hours:
“Cruz stirs suspicion with major speech” (The Hill); “Ted Cruz is first to declare, and that’s probably not a good thing” (Bloomberg News); “Canadian born Ted Cruz to enter GOP race for president, let the birther stories begin” (Politic365.com); “Cruz’s bid for Republican nomination draws mixed reaction” (Houston Chronicle); “Be afraid. Cruz announces presidential run Monday” (Capitol Hill Blue); “Critics pile on ahead of Ted Cruz 2016 announcement” (MSNBC); “Ted Cruz is starting with less support than anyone since Bill Clinton” (Washington Post); and “The 6 Most extreme views of presidential hopeful Ted Cruz” (ThinkProgress.com).
Incidentally, California Gov. Jerry Brown’s observation to NBC that Mr. Cruz is “absolutely unfit” to run for president warranted 56 stories all on its own. Yeah, well. Mr. Brown ran for president himself — unsuccessfully — in 1976, 1980 and 1992.
WHAT THE VOTERS REALLY WANT
“If you could create the perfect candidate to succeed Barack Obama as president, what would their background be and what would they think?” asks CNN polling director Jennifer Agiesta, who has a new survey that reveals this: “Most Americans say they would like a candidate who’s a seasoned political leader, someone with an executive background, and someone who’s willing to change Barack Obama’s policies.”
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Interesting numbers: 59 percent of Americans say they’d like a candidate who has been in the public eye as a political leader for many years over one who’s new to the political scene. Another 59 percent say they prefer a candidate with executive experience over one who’s worked as a legislator, and 57 percent agree that their “perfect” candidate would change most of the policies enacted by Mr. Obama’s administration. Find more numbers — including questions on faith and some distinct Republican reactions — in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.
KASICH GAINS TRACTION
Republican officials in Ohio insist that the GOP presidential field is still wide open — so why shouldn’t Gov. John Kasich get in there and show folks how it’s done, Buckeye-style? Indeed, Mr. Kasich journeys to New Hampshire on Tuesday for the full experience, which means daylong speechifying and meet-and-greets with discerning grass-roots voters who’ve seen it all.
Naturally Mr. Kasich will appear at the New Hampshire Political Institute’s “Politics & Eggs” event in early morning, followed by a tour of a work-force training center in Nashua, followed by Politics & Pies at the ancient but charming Snowshoe Club in Concord — which somehow sounds more appetizing than politics and eggs. He is the second GOP guest in this brand-new event; the first was South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham two weeks ago.
A CIA MOMENT
Yes, there is an ultimate truth about one clandestine agency, and likely a truth known to the 16 other federal agencies that share the tough job of protecting the nation.
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“What do you think the public needs to know about the Central Intelligence Agency?” Fox News Sunday moderator Chris Wallace asked CIA Director John Brennan during his appearance on the show.
“The successes and accomplishments that we have, the overwhelming majority of them will not ever find expression in newspaper and media. They do it silently. They do it not for accolades or parades. They do it because they are true American patriots,” replied Mr. Brennan. “So the American people should feel good about what CIA is doing. And, yes, we’ve made mistakes. And sometimes they’re the ones that get the spotlight and the headlines. But they are a very, very small portion of what this agency does and I couldn’t be prouder to be here.”
THE PREFERRED MADNESS MEALS
What with 40 million Americans filling out March Madness brackets, analysts at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement firm, have toted up the costs: The nation also loses an estimated $1.9 billion in lost productivity. But at least desk-bound fans are eating well
Workplace orders for food during weekday games are up by 7 percent nationwide, says Bret Thorn, a columnist with National Restaurant News. He cites stats released by Grub Hub, a nationwide food delivery service, which reports that forward-thinking employers are now reluctant to fuss about the distractions, and see it all as a “morale-building” opportunity in the workplace instead.
Ah, but the take-out menu differs from Super Bowl mania, when enthusiasts must have pizza and wings or they get depressed and possibly belligerent. “March Madness favorites tend to lean toward Tex-Mex, Italian and Japanese,” says Mr. Thorn. And here are the leading entrees, their popularity up by as much as 31 percent this week: Gnocci, steak fajitas, iced coffee, cold sesame noodles, guacamole and chips, churros, cheese enchiladas, Tekka maki — that’s tuna sushi rolls — waffles and sweet potato pie.
REPUBLICANS GET BUSY
GOP voters appear comfortably engaged in 2016. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus reveals that the committee raised $7.6 million in February, and continues to bulk up its ground game, the use of voter data and its community-based minority voter engagement.
“While Republicans will have a real presidential primary and a robust exchange of ideas, Democrats are preparing to coronate Hillary Clinton,” says Mr. Priebus. “So it’s also up to the RNC to hold Clinton accountable now for her long record of self-interested secrecy and blatant hypocrisy. We have to show America that she’s a flawed candidate — though, to be fair, she’s been a doing a pretty good job of that herself lately.”
The grass roots are interested. Ninety percent of the donations were under $200, the average being around $70.
POLL DU JOUR
• 59 percent of Americans want a presidential candidate with executive experience: 74 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of independents and 51 percent of Democrats agree.
• 53 percent overall want a candidate who has had “economic success” in life: 63 percent of Republicans, 49 percent of independents and 52 percent of Democrats agree.
• 51 percent overall say their perfect candidate shares their views: 36 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of independents and 51 percent of Democrats agree.
• 47 percent overall say their candidate belongs to their party and “can win:” 59 percent of Republicans, 40 percent of independents and 47 percent of Democrats agree.
• 42 percent overall want a candidate who believes religious views should drive policy: 61 percent of Republicans, 37 percent of independents and 34 percent of Democrats agree.
• 39 percent overall want a candidate with experience as a legislator: 25 percent of Republicans, 41 percent of independents and 49 percent of Democrats agree.
• 38 percent overall want a candidate who is “new to the scene:” 46 percent of Republicans, 43 percent of independents and 21 percent of Democrats agree.
Source: A CNN/ORC poll of 1,009 U.S. adults conducted March 13-15.
• Enthusiastic snippets, huzzahs to jharper@washingtontimes.com; follow her @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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