I Endorse Ted Cruz and Nobody Will Notice. That’s Why It’s Important.

For the last six months or so, I’ve been wholeheartedly supporting Ted Cruz for President. I looked closely at Donald Trump, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio. I even came close at one point in August to backing Ben Carson. After extensive research, I concluded that Cruz had the proper combination of traits to propel him to the top of my list.

I’m not a Governor, Senator, or elected official of any kind. I don’t have a TV show, radio program, podcast, or high-volume website. I’ve never been a movie star nor have I ever played one on television. I’m just an American with a family, bills to pay, and a Bible to read. My endorsement is utterly meaningless because this article will only be seen by a few thousand people.

That’s the point. That’s why I have to write this.

To understand why, we have to understand what people like me do not represent. Some of this may sound insulting to those who support other candidates, but if you read it through a lens of honesty and discernment, you’ll realize that I’m not attacking others out of pettiness. These perceptions are based upon experiences I’ve had through months of near-complete immersion in the political vetting process.

• Since I’m not a power broker or politician beholden to the ubiquitous but nebulous Republican Establishment, my endorsement does not stand up to the clout of Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Bob Dole, or Governor Mitt Romney. Their endorsements and others for Rubio represent the push for the status quo.
• Since I studiously research commentaries and respected opinions on every major candidate’s tax, immigration, foreign relations, and government reduction plans, my endorsement is not the same as the ones coming from adoring Trump supporters who fawn over every insult and eat up his actions voraciously. I’m aware that he supports government-mandated healthcare, unsustainable entitlements, affirmative action, and touchback amnesty. This awareness differentiates me from his supporters.
• I refuse to take any politician at his word. Some might say I have government trust issues. Some would be right. As such, I don’t fall into the category of major celebrity endorsements who hear something they like and Tweet out their support before heading to the next party. My trust issues kick in when Donald Trump says he loves the Bible because his actions and clear lack of understanding of its doctrines demonstrate otherwise. As for Rubio, it’s ironic that he was one of the catalysts for my trust issues. I heard him say that he had never and would never support amnesty. I heard him say that a “path to citizenship” was code for amnesty. Then I watched as he pressed for a path to citizenship. That all of this happened in under two years justifies the trust issues I have with politicians in general and Rubio in particular. Therefore, I do not represent those who trust politicians easily or blindly.
• Since 2010, the people have delivered on their duty to elect Republicans to the House and Senate. Since 2010, the House and Senate have failed in their duty to stand in the way of President Obama’s destructive path. Like Trump supporters, I’m very angry with how the Republican Establishment has squandered the power that we’ve given them. Unlike Trump supporters, I’m not wanting to add to the problem by electing another master contestant in DC’s version of Let’s Make a Deal. I want someone who will not make deals for the sake of deals but who will stay true to the principles outlined in the Constitution and mandated by the people. If that makes me a Calvin Coolidge conservative, so be it. I do not represent the “hope and change” endorsements that require action at all times even if those actions have negative consequences. Sometimes, the best action is to stop others from acting.

Now that we’ve established why my endorsement is not like the endorsements that the other two major GOP candidates are getting, it’s time to understand why I’m endorsing Ted Cruz in the first place. It’s difficult for me because I do not make endorsements easily. I firmly believe that everyone should support a candidate, but one should only endorse when they are all-in. For me to be all-in, a candidate must have:

1. True conservative ideologies
2. Effective governing skills
3. A Biblical worldview
4. A history of fulfilled promises

 

Sounds easy, right? If all a candidate needs to do is meet four requirements, surely I’ve endorsed several candidates over the years. In truth, I tried. I really wanted to, but there has always been one or two requirements that weren’t met. I wanted to endorse Newt Gingrich in 2012, but he missed a bit on requirement 4 and was questionable on requirement 3. I wanted to endorse Rudy Giuliani in 2008, but he missed on requirement 1 and 3. I’ve come close on several Senators and dozens of Congressmen over the years, but nearly all of them missed on requirement 4. In fact, Marco Rubio came very close in 2010 because I believed him, but thankfully I waited to see if he would meet requirement 4 since he had very little history in the Florida House despite being in politics for over a decade at that point. Then, with Gang of Eight, he failed on requirements 1, 2, and 4.

I could take it all the way back to my days with College Republicans in the 90s, but I’ll cut to the chase. I’ve supported dozens of candidates over the last two decades. I’ve never endorsed any of them until now. Ted Cruz is the first candidate who has true conservative ideologies, who has demonstrated very effective governing skills, who maintains a Biblical worldview, and who has a history of fulfilling his promises.

Today, a random guy spent time writing a lengthy endorsement that very few people will actually read. Why? Because in the digital age, this is how the grassroots works. It doesn’t take celebrity status or political clout to make a point. We the People can have a voice, too.

Image: Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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