In the whole scheme of things, candidates will get powerful endorsements from big-name pundits, politicians, and publications. We’re not one of those powerful publications at all with monthly traffic in the tens of thousands. That’s the point. That’s where Ted Cruz needs to get endorsements – from the nameless, faceless nobodies who scream at the top of our puny voices that we’re truly sick of Washington’s games, liberal rhetoric, and the Republican Establishment’s impotence.
Before we go into what we like about Ted Cruz, it’s important to understand what Cruz doesn’t represent. Those things hold as much weight as his campaign promises, actions, and platforms.
Ted Cruz Is Not…
- …a populist. Opportunistic egomaniac Donald Trump, despite his early drive, has devolved to sound like a politician. He did a great thing by saying the uncomfortable truths that made many Republicans squirm about immigration. He then improved on his stances by pointing out that American exceptionalism has subsided and that the United States needs to be great again. Then, it all went downhill. His immaturity, inexperience, and intense narcissism started coming out, demonstrating that he’s more bluster than substance. When someone wants to defer to Russia, dramatically increase government spending, and support eminent domain, that person is no longer a conservative even if they’re tough on immigration.
- …a moderate. Before Donald Trump got in the race, the Establishment had practically crowned Jeb Bush as the next nominee before he even declared his intention to run. If Trump’s biggest contribution was opening up the conversation, his second biggest was exposing the weakness of the lowest Bush and the insanity that we would ever think that three might be a charm.
- …a child among adults. Despite being roughly the same age as Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindal, Cruz has been the stalwart statesman compared to their inexperienced attempts to manufacture passion behind their words. Their intentions have been in the right place but their delivery has demonstrated that they are each 4-16 years away from having the wisdom required to be President. Their time will come. Cruz’ time is now.
- …a novice. Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson would have been strong candidates any other election cycle, but they’re getting Trumped for the outsider votes and they don’t have the experience to make it through another year of intense campaigning. Both are showing signs of weakness when answering questions, something that we cannot afford in the Republican party once the general election race is set. They both have some great ideas and should definitely find a place in the Cabinet or even as a Vice President, but neither is ready for prime time.
- …a coward. If there’s one candidate who has disappointed the most, it’s Rand Paul. This was supposed to be the year that the libertarian agenda made it into mainstream discussions. He was supposed to pick up the mantle and be just a bit more reasonable than his father. Unfortunately, he betrayed his libertarian leanings, disavowed his father’s path, ignored his conservative values, and proved to be weak as a candidate. As a Senator, he’s powerful. In the White House, he simply wouldn’t be effective. He may be more like his dad than we thought. Then again, his dad never backed the Republican Establishment for the sake of decorum. His dad would have fought side-by-side with Ted Cruz against corruption and ineptitude in the Senate.
Now that we know what he’s not, let’s take a look at the single issue that makes us proud to endorse him.
Ted Cruz Is…
Technically speaking, there are many traits about Ted Cruz that we like. He has weaknesses just like all of the candidates. Ronald Reagan had weaknesses. The difference between Cruz and other candidates is that the areas where he is strong, he’s the strongest… just like Reagan.
There’s one thing in particular that has won our wholehearted support. I’ll get to that in a moment. First, let’s look at the traits that we like that are great but that rank below our single deciding factor.
- Strong Evangelical Christian: Unlike some of his competitors, nobody can call into question Cruz’ faith. He is not shy about it. He doesn’t talk about it uncomfortably. He embraces it and allows it to guide him on his journey, something that the country desperately needs if it’s going to get back on track. The left (and parts of the right) have tried to take God out of the equation. We need Him back in as soon as possible. Those who know us might think that this would be the primary factor for our support, but there are others who have demonstrated similar levels of faith. It’s extremely important but it’s not unique to Cruz.
- Dedication to Conservative Values: Most believe that Ted Cruz is the furthest to the right of all of the candidates and they might be right. After years cringing about Mitt Romney, John McCain, George W. Bush, Bob Dole, and George H. W. Bush, there are a handful of candidates this year that are further right than any of them. That’s why this, too, is important but not unique to Cruz. He might be further right than everyone else, but there are a few candidates who are “right enough” to be our next President.
- Consistency of Principles: This is the biggest reason for many of his supporters to adore him. Cruz has established himself as the most consistently principled candidate to come around in a very long time… perhaps ever. He stands for what he believes. More importantly, he stands behind what he promises and that has won over those who are truly sick of Washington DC politics-as-usual. If he had a perfect record of consistency, this might be tied as the co-primary reason that we are endorsing him, but there have been occasional inconsistencies. Nobody’s perfect but Cruz comes the closest.
- Unmatched Intellect: Some might point to Ben Carson as the most intelligent of the candidates and they would likely be correct. However, Cruz has established that his overall intellect, particularly his grasp of the Constitution and the problems that face the country, far exceeds all other candidates from a political perspective. To quote Casey Affleck’s character in Good Will Hunting, “My boy’s wicked smart.”
Now that we understand some of the things that we like about Cruz (and there are many more), it’s time to get to the point about the single most important reason that Cruz has earned our endorsement. Ted Cruz is will do whatever it takes to fix America the right way. Call it fearlessness. Call it unwavering dedication to the cause. Call it whatever you want. The fact is that no candidate in three decades has come close to the selfless, unyielding, no-compromise willingness to act that Ted Cruz has exemplified for the last decade and a half.
Some will point at the fact that nearly every Senator hates him as a sign that he can’t be effective. What they don’t realize is that the Senate is a realm of compromise while the White House is a realm of action. That’s how it has always been. Ted Cruz is technically a poor Senator while Rand Paul, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio are all great Senators. They should stay in the Senate and help to get things done. Cruz needs to be in the White House to help them get those things done.
Others might say that his unyielding attitude, his unwillingness to compromise is not Presidential. They’ll point to Reagan’s ability to guide the nation through deals with Democrats. What they don’t realize is that Reagan’s well-publicized compromises were often the worst of his decisions while his “rogue” actions yielded the best results. We rail on President Obama for his use of executive orders, but the President who utilized the power of the executive order the most in the last fifty years was… you guessed it… Ronald Reagan.
We have seen what Ted Cruz has done in the Senate and how his fighting of the corrupt establishment has alienated him. This is a trait that is necessary. What most don’t realize is that before he was knee deep in the belly of the Senate beast, he was considered something different. He was known for building consensus in political circles. Both traits – willingness to fight and ability to build support – are imperative for the next resident of the White House.
The “whatever it takes” attitude is where we are today in America. The time for decorum has flown by. Subtle changes, backroom deals, and political compromise are the things that have put the country in the precarious situation it’s in. “Whatever it takes” isn’t just the thing we like most about Ted Cruz. It’s the attitude that patriotic Americans must take in order to fix things today and secure the country’s future.
Ted Cruz has demonstrated time and again that he will always fight for what’s best for the country. It’s time to give him the power to establish real change that not only counters the debacle of the Obama Presidency but that propels us to heights the country has never known.
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