Note: This article first appeared in the Quorum Report in September of 2016. Given the fact that Lt. Gov. Patrick reportedly brokered the deal for President Trump to campaign for Sen. Cruz in Texas, it seemed appropriate to revisit this analysis – SB A clear-eyed assessment of the long-term strength and influence of the Tea […]
Flashback: Lt. Gov. Patrick gives Sen. Cruz a lesson in how to lead Texas Republicans
by Scott on September 13, 2018 in Dan Patrick, Politics, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Texas
A Welcome Home for Ted Cruz in the Party of John Cornyn
by Scott on May 23, 2016 in Politics, Tea Party, Ted Cruz
Two years ago in a packed hotel ballroom in Houston during the Harris County Republican Party’s Reagan Day fundraising dinner, Sen. John Cornyn stood on the stage and made the case to the party’s faithful that they must do a better job of reaching beyond their usual base if the organization is going to be […]
Perry took a shot at appearing as the elder statesman from Texas at exactly the wrong time
by Scott on September 12, 2015 in Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Texas
While still fighting a criminal indictment in Travis County and – as a direct result – unable to make inroads in fundraising or the polls, former Gov. Rick Perry on Friday became the first in the crowded Republican presidential field to suspend his campaign. Unlike his first run for the presidency Perry tried something new: […]
Texas is officially sending mixed signals to business
by Scott on August 30, 2015 in Politics, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Texas
Note: This story originally appeared on The Quorum Report. Join us there for daily coverage of Texas politics and government. General Electric delivered a blow to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s economic development efforts on Friday as Bloomberg let us know that GE “dropped the Dallas area as a site for a possible headquarters move because […]
One Would Think the Tea Party Would be Outraged by What the Texas AG is Said to Have Done
by Scott on August 12, 2015 in Joe Straus, Politics, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Texas
The three-count felony indictment handed up by a grand jury in very-Republican Collin County against Attorney General Ken Paxton has sparked some wild conspiracy theories but yielded little, if any, consistency from some of Paxton’s fellow Tea Party patriots. Employees of Tim Dunn’s Empower Texans, a self-proclaimed conservative group, have tried to make the case […]
Cruz Hoping He Doesn’t Get Chopped
by Scott on August 6, 2015 in Politics, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Texas
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, needs to find some way to differentiate himself from Donald Trump. He’s got to look tough without angering Trump fans, as I recently observed: Sen. Cruz is now faced with the same conundrum he’s created for other candidates in his own party: Figure out a way to differentiate himself from Trump […]
Trump intensifies proxy war between Cruz and Perry
by Scott on July 26, 2015 in Border Security, Immigration, Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Uncategorized
Following Donald Trump’s visit to the Texas-Mexico border and after his comments that Sen. John McCain was not a real war hero because he was captured in Vietnam, it is worth taking the time to think through what his campaign might mean for the presidential contenders from the Great State. What Trump said about Sen. McCain […]
AUDIO Flashback: Dan Patrick vs Ted Cruz
by Scott on March 23, 2015 in Audio, Dan Patrick, Politics, Tea Party, Texas, Uncategorized
As mentioned on the West Texas Drive this afternoon, here is the audio of then-Sen. Dan Patrick and Sen. Ted Cruz on Patrick’s radio show in Houston. This was during the GOP primary in 2012. The two really get into it about the way the Texas Senate operated under former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Tweet […]
Breaking Down the Election on WFAA
by Scott on November 9, 2014 in Border Security, Dallas, Dan Patrick, Immigration, Latinos, Politics, Rick Perry, Texas
The way some of the down-ballot races in Texas played out this past week put a fine point on just how powerful a wave the GOP was riding heading into Tuesday’s election. Not only did Republicans sweep every statewide race, which was expected, but their margin of victory was way higher than even the party’s […]
Does Gov. Perry Still Have Political Magic in Him?
by Scott on May 4, 2014 in Economy, Immigration, Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Texas
It’s safe to say Gov. Perry’s rebranding effort isn’t slowing down a bit. But, whether he’s having success in the endeavor is an open question. His appearance this morning on Meet the Press continued his campaign to show himself to be one of the functional elected Republicans in America, which would be any Republican officeholder […]
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Scott Braddock is a journalist and political analyst based in Austin.
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