Which of these Republicans could beat Hillary?

[Chilltown]

I don't know why Ted Cruz is not considered around here. Of the Republican contenders, he is quite easily the smartest, most talented candidate in the field. Facing him would be a lot tougher than taking on Rand Paul the gaffe machine or Rubio the moron.

[Chilltown]

I don't know why Ted Cruz is not considered around here. Of the Republican contenders, he is quite easily the smartest, most talented candidate in the field. Facing him would be a lot tougher than taking on Rand Paul the gaffe machine or Rubio the moron.

Cruz is too far right to beat Hillary. He would be smoked in the election. Christie has the best chances to win.

You act as if every voter looks up where each candidate is on the ideological spectrum before they vote. They don't.

If a far-right candidate is smart enough, crushes the debates, and is an intelligent campaigner then he will do better in an election than a 'moderate' candidate who lacks all of those attributes. Now, I'm not saying Cruz will be able to crush Hillary in all those things, but it is foolish to write him off.

[Chilltown]

I think Cruz is a true believer in the way that he truly believes in himself as this country's 'savior'. Not that a healthy dose of narcissism isn't present in every politician of course. Cruz has certainly not been the ultimate outsider. He's clerked for Rehnquist, and was an adviser to Bush in 2000. I have no doubt that if you put him in a room with with the 'establishment' donors that may not have liked him during the shutdown, he can schmooze them.

I can't see Rand Paul pulling something like that off.