The case for Cruz

Opinon post by Peter Baergen.  This post reflects the personal opinions of the author & should not be construed as the position of Freedom's Defenders. 

At the peak of the 2016 race, there were 22 candidates running for President.  It’s taken a while to narrow down my choices, but I’ve finally boarded the Cruz ship.

So, why Ted Cruz?

Ted Cruz is a consistent, principled conservative.  He has a proven record of supporting conservative principles and not backing down when the fight gets tough.  When he says he’ll do something, you can count on it.  He’s not afraid to tell the truth, no matter who he’s talking to (think Mitch McConnell).  When it comes to the issues, Ted Cruz stands firmly atop my list of candidates.

Ted Cruz is one of the most experienced candidates in the race. He’s worked in one capacity or another in all three branches of the federal government, whether as a Supreme Court clerk, as a Bush administration official, or now as a U.S. Senator. His time as Solicitor General of Texas gives him valuable experience defending the Constitution before the highest court in the land, and also is a state-level position, giving him a deeper first-hand understanding of the challenges faced by the states. This is a key point to remember when thinking about 10th Amendment issues.

Ted Cruz is a skilled communicator. The GOP has not done a good job of communicating their message to everyday Americans like myself.  In fact, this was one of the reasons cited by former Senator Rick Santorum, Dr. Michael Farris, and others when they endorsed him for Senate in 2012.  We have a presidential field this cycle with several excellent communicators running, and it would be a mistake not to pick one of them (or two!).

Now that we have established his values/principles and his qualifications/experience, as well as noted his excellent communication skills, we move to the next area of consideration for me: does the candidate have what it takes to win.  Ted Cruz has a clear path to victory and the money to make it work, which is more than can be said of the overwhelming majority of the candidates in the race.

In conclusion, this is a relatively rare opportunity for conservatives to unite behind a strong principled conservative with a proven record — I would argue the strongest and most principled conservative in the race — who is among the frontrunners of the Presidential race.  Let’s make the most of it.
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(Photo by Gage Skidmore)

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This is an opinion post by one of our team members and should not be construed as an endorsement by Freedom's Defenders.  Originally posted at http://peterformichigan.com/2015/11/13/the-case-for-cruz/.  Used with permission.