With a dizzying 17 clowns now in the race car for the Republican presidential nomination—and with the first debate only six days away—it seems like a good time to take an in-depth look at the top-ten candidates and their current stands on the issues. This is a just-the-facts review of Ted Cruz.
Ted Cruz is the junior senator from Texas and the Tea Party favorite. The son of a preacher-man (who was also a Cuban émigré), Cruz was born in Calgary, Canada, but has said he is ready to renounce his Canadian citizenship.
As a first-term senator, Cruz has only slightly more congressional experience than Obama had when he announced his candidacy for president. The Texan was the first Republican to jump into the race and is now among its top Republican money-raisers. He announced his candidacy in front of a crowd of Liberty University students. They were required to show up.
Generally, mainstream Republicans don’t see Cruz as a viable contender for either the party’s nomination or the presidency. Nonetheless, according to Bloomberg Politics, he has impressed private donors with his intelligence and avoidance of pandering and is considered much smarter than portrayed in the media.
Claim to fame
A fierce opponent of Obamacare, Cruz filibustered in the Senate for 21 hours during the 2013 showdown over the law, which ultimately led to a 17-day government shutdown.
Overall performance in the Senate
• 35 bills introduced
• 68 amendments sponsored
• 1 bill enacted
Strongly opposes—
Separation of church and state
A woman’s right to choose
Same-sex unions
Green energy as a priority
Continuation or expansion of Obamacare
A pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
The nuclear deal with Iran
Opposes—
Higher taxes on the wealthy
Most of the Voting Rights Act
Subsidies for renewable fuels
Common Core
Net neutrality
Strongly favors—
Absolute right to gun ownership
Stricter punishments to reduce crime
Keeping God in the public sphere
Privatizing Social Security
Expanding free trade
A market-led recovery versus a stimulus
Favors—
Reducing EPA restrictions
School vouchers to allow choice
Foreign entanglements (e.g., fighting ISIS)
Proposes to—
Mandate a balanced federal budget.
Move toward a flat tax and abolish the IRS.
Memorable quote
“The Obama economy is a disaster, Obamacare is a train wreck, and the Obama-Clinton foreign policy of leading from behind—the whole world is on fire.”
“The world is on fire?” asked a 3-year-old girl in the audience.
“The world is on fire. Yes! Your world is on fire,” Cruz responded. “But you know what? Your mommy’s here and everyone’s here to make sure the world you grow up in is better.”
What to watch for
Watch for Cruz’s overall debate performance. He garnered a lot of experience while on the Princeton debate team and was considered by many to be eloquent and polished. Others found he relied heavily on overly prepared or “canned case” arguments and was, therefore, not quick on his feet. That could substantially hurt him, especially if Donald Trump lobs erratic attacks. But if Cruz shines, he may very well take it all.
Expect a lot of truth-stretching and falsehoods from Cruz as he works to remain a favorite of the far-right base. Politifact.com found that, of approximately 50 relevant political comments by Cruz, none were completely true, 31 were either false or mostly false, and 4 were “pants on fire” lies.
Cruz’s campaign will likely focus heavily on the repeal of Obamacare, a pet issue for the candidate. Given that the Cruz family is enrolled in the exchange, one can expect a lot of attacks from both left and right camps. Cruz explains the family’s enrolment as being required by law, ignoring the option he had to not enroll at all.
Although Cruz is the Tea Party’s heavy favorite, that support won’t be enough for him to win the general election. That, along with his lack of experience, will no doubt come under attack by the other Republican hopefuls.
Regarded by many as a firebrand, Cruz likes to compare himself to Ronald Reagan and has been focusing on presenting a “sunnier side” to voters. Watch for signs of a new, optimistic rhetoric, and note the times and topics where he presents it.
Related reading: "Scott Walker: A just-the-facts, pre-debate look at his stands on the issues"
Sources: The Hill, On the Issues.org, PBS, Bloomberg Politics, New York Times, Politifact.com, Politico