On Monday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president of the U.S. With the simple tweet “I’m running for President and I hope to earn your support!” the 2016 election season began. The checks will be written. There will be stump speeches. Babies will be kissed. Ronald Reagan will be invoked. Flag pins will be worn.
Though I would consider myself a Jeb Bush-man, Ted Cruz’s presence in the Republican Primary will help the Grand Old Party. Some will unquestionably object to this with, “How can the person who shut down the government benefit Republicans? He will more likely help Democrats.”
No, Ted Cruz, the epitome of a Tea-Party candidate, is the best candidate for the populist-wing of the right. Consider who else is actively courting this Republican base: Scott Walker and Ben Carson.
Scott Walker, the now accent-free Wisconsin governor, has been surprisingly stumbling over himself. He made what some saw as a comparison between fighting unions in his home state and prospectively fighting the Islamic State group abroad. He also bumbled a response to a gotcha question about evolution. It’s early, but Walker’s responses are worrying his supporters. He may not be ready for primetime.
Ben Carson, the uber-religious neurosurgeon, is unsurprisingly stumbling over himself as well. In the latest bit of foot-in-the-mouth disease, the good doctor noted that being gay was a choice. His logic: People go into prison straight, have gay sex behind bars and leave gay. Ergo, being gay is a choice. Carson, the only prospective candidate who is part of the anti-political-correctness movement, is definitely championing the cause.
Ted Cruz does not have to worry about the issues that plague Walker and Carson. Cruz has a first-rate intelligence and is extremely disciplined in his approach to politics. He stays on message and on point. He is a great speaker who doesn’t rely on notes or teleprompters. He powerfully addresses his audience, no matter their age.
In a recent speech Cruz said, “The Obama economy is a disaster, Obamacare is a train wreck, and the Obama-Clinton foreign policy of leading from behind — the whole world’s on fire.” A 3-year-old sitting in the front row innocently chimed in, “The world’s on fire?”
The senator, with impeccable timing, responded “The world is on fire, yes! Your world is on fire. But you know what? Your mommy’s here, and everyone’s here to make sure the world you grow up in is even better.” Good response. Great improvisation. Great political instincts.
I doubt Walker and Carson would have responded that well. Walker would have awkwardly brought up his union-busting tactics. Since he put out the fires in Wisconsin’s budget, he can put of fires on the world stage. Carson would predictably insert gays in his response — you can think of your own example.
On a purely rhetorical level, Cruz is at the top of the GOP field. He is polished and poised on stage. He never seems to falter or get flustered. His experience as the Solicitor General of Texas and advocating before the Supreme Court have helped him in this capacity. When he was a candidate for the Texas Senate seat back in 2012, he out-debated his opponents. The 1992 North American Debating Championship Top Speaker and U.S. National Speaker of the Year at Princeton has been waiting to show his stuff on the big stage.
I personally look forward to it.
Since Cruz is a great candidate with a message and plan in mind, he will force Jeb Bush and other Republicans to campaign better. The primary debates featuring Bush and Cruz will pit the best of the establishment against the best up-and-coming grassroots activists. It will be a fight over the soul of the GOP and will shape the party for years to come.
Since this election — like all presidential elections — is so important, we need serious candidates to excel. If Cruz, the best anti-establishment politician on the right, can attract support away from Carson and Walker, the future electoral prospects of the right look strong.
Michael Beato is a UF economics junior. His column appears on Thursdays.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 3/26/2015 under the headline “Ted Cruz’s campaign will sharpen up the GOP”]
