Cruz’s time to shine
Texas’ ambitious junior senator should lead the campaign to block Trump.
Another Super Tuesday of primaries proved to be kryptonite for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race for president after losing his home state of Florida. But if you were looking forward to a debate between the three remaining candidates, you’re sore out of luck. The Republican Party cancelled its upcoming showdown in Salt Lake City after frontrunner Donald Trump announced he would not participate.
Now the American people will sadly be denied another opportunity to hear a burgeoning demagogue call Texas’ junior senator “Lyin‘ Ted.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has been frustrating to watch as he obstructed healthy legislation in D.C. He’s been a disappointment to any Texan who expected their senator to advocate for the Lone Star State in our nation’s capital. However, during his short time in elected office, Cruz has never been a liar — except on one issue. Despite what Cruz says, he has no realistic path to receiving the Republican nomination for president.
After Tuesday’s primaries, Cruz will need to get about 80 percent of the remaining Republican delegates to win on the first convention ballot, according to McClatchy. Polls show that isn’t a likely outcome.
Cruz cannot beat Trump to be first past the post, but he can block Trump by denying him a majority of delegates before the July convention in Cleveland, Ohio. This means that Cruz will have to do something he’s never done before: Work well with others.
By cooperating with his former opponents, such as Sen. Marco Rubio, former Gov. Jeb Bush, Gov. Scott Walker, and even his current adversary Gov. John Kasich, Cruz can spearhead a singular anti-Trump campaign with the goal of nominating a consensus alternative at the Republican convention.
At this point, Trump’s remaining opponents need to put aside their differences and unite for the sake of the Republican Party.
There is little in Trump’s platform that reflects the long-held Republican ideals of free trade, small government and a strong presence on the international stage. Trump is already a favorite of Vladimir Putin, a man who wants nothing more than to resurrect the Soviet Union, and he’s become a rallying point for borderline fascist political parties in Europe. The former reality TV host has gone on the record to say that China demonstrated the “power of strength” when it ruthlessly crushed the historic uprising in Tiananmen Square, where pro-democracy protesters erected a model Statue of Liberty. Trump’s own personal life makes a mockery of traditional family values. The Economist has even called a Trump presidency one of the top 10 risks to national security and the global economy.
And while many in the Republican Party leadership have tried to broaden their appeal to our nation’s growing minority population, Trump has only worked to drive them away.
In fact, former Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri appeared on CNN this week to warn that a Trump candidacy could repel so many Hispanic, Asian and African-American voters that it would risk turning Texas over to Democrats.
As a kid, Ted Cruz toured Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs where he would recite the Constitution from memory. Now his party, and his nation, look to him to stand up for the ideals enshrined in that document and dedicate himself to preventing a Trump candidacy. If that goal is attained, we then would urge Cruz to do something he seems to have loathed. He should return to Washington and help lead the party instead of divide it. He should show that he can become a statesman in Washington, advocate for Texas and then consider higher office as someone with a record to run on.
We’d be lying if we claimed that Ted Cruz was our first choice for the Republican nomination. He wasn’t. But he is an impressive intellect, he is ambitious and he is our choice to be a man of consequence in the remainder of the primary season. Ted Cruz’s first assignment right now is to build a wall, one that will keep Donald Trump out of the White House.