Republicans Go to a Michigan Island in an Effort to Set Themselves Apart
By ALAN RAPPEPORTSEPT. 19, 2015
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Republican presidential candidates converged on this remote island off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Saturday looking to escape the shadow that Donald J. Trump has cast over the campaign season and broaden the political map as autumn sets in.
Their success was mixed, as some activists and donors expressed concern that Mr. Trump, the billionaire developer, was tarnishing the party’s brand while others expressed hope that he might even quit the race before the Iowa caucuses. Most important, those seeking the nomination sought to capture the mantle of political outsider that American voters seem to be craving.
“If you see a candidate that Washington embraces, run and hide,” Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said in the soaring ballroom of the island’s Grand Hotel.
Some view Mr. Cruz, a favorite of social conservatives, as being too right wing for a “purple” Midwestern state that has not backed a Republican in a presidential contest since 1988. But he pledged his commitment to competing in the region and drew a standing ovation after delivering a long list of actions that he would take as president to roll back the Obama administration’s policies.
History suggests that each party’s eventual nominee will emerge from 2015 in one of the top two or three positions, as measured by endorsements, fund-raising and polling.
Mr. Cruz’s oratorical polish contrasted with the folksy charms of Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, who has been trying to demonstrate that his Midwestern sensibilities can have appeal across state lines. As part of his goal to introduce himself to the public, Mr. Kasich shared stories of how he got started in politics and ordered heaping plates of crispy bacon for guests at a brunch at which he spoke.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/us/politics/republicans-go-to-a-michigan-island-in-an-effort-to-set-themselves-apart.html
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