Despite his showing in polls of conservatives, it's not a done deal the Republican establishment is going to allow Ted Cruz the opportunity to mount a serious challenge in 2016 – if he chooses to run for the presidency.

For the second straight year, the first-term senator from Texas won the presidential straw poll at the Values Voter Summit sponsored over the weekend by FRC Action, the legislative arm of Family Research Council. Cruz garnered 25 percent of the vote this year, with Dr. Ben Carson finishing second with almost 20 percent. Last year Cruz garnered 42 percent.

GOP_elephant_question_bigConnie Mackey, president of FRC Action, says while Cruz is very popular among conservatives, she doubts he can get the Republican nomination.

"Given the history of the Republican Party, it would seem insurmountable that the Republican Party would allow someone like Ted Cruz to move forward," she tells OneNewsNow. "And by 'allowing,' that means the corporate dollars and those people who control an awful lot merely by their large donations and fundraising abilities."

Although for different reasons, political analyst Dr. Charles Dunn recently offered his advice that Cruz sit out the 2016 presidential sweepstakes and use the time to build his political base for a possible run in the future.
Tweet to @FRCAction

Mackey believes many values voters will be looking at governors when the time arrives for serious decision-making as to who will carry the Republican banner in the 2016 election campaign.

"[Those voters are] scared to death after Obama coming in with absolutely zero experience," she observes. Like Cruz, Obama was a first-term senator when he was elected president.

"... I think of a lot of people would probably prefer to see someone who has actually run a state before," she concludes.

Mackey says the field of governors and ex-governors to be considered as potential presidential candidates will be substantial. In fact, RealClearPolitics has two such GOP leaders at the top of its compilation of polls: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/...un#.VC3pvRUo6cw

Santorum almost knocked Romney out last time and he had no money at all. Cruz will be a lot more formidable. I would also like to add that Romney ended up with all that Corporate cash and he got his ass handed to him in the General so who cares about this money stream.

I agree; an honest man can go far.