Commentary: Ted Cruz Merits a Look for President in 2016

Yahoo! Contributors Network ^ | July 24, 2013 | Mark Whittington

[2ndDivisionVet]

A Marist poll released Wednesday indicates that Hillary Clinton is the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in 2016, and that there is a very crowded and tight field among Republicans. Yahoo asked voters: Which candidate are you backing and why? Here's one perspective.

COMMENTARY | The latest Marist poll of potential presidential candidates shows a couple of interesting results. First, Hillary Clinton is blowing away other Democrats. Second, the Republicans appear to be bunched up with no clear front runner.

Turning one's attention to the Republican field, one looks upon Ted Cruz, the junior senator from Texas. Hot Air, relying on a piece by Byron York, has a pretty good run down on why Cruz is appealing to conservatives. Writing, though, from this conservative's perspective, the one thing most appealing about Cruz is his lack of nuance, especially on the issues.

Illegal immigration? He's against it. Gun control. He's against that as well. What to do about Obamacare? Repeal it. Taxes? Cut them. Spending? Cut it.

To be sure, there are some details that show that Cruz has a more subtle grasp of the issues. When fighting against the Senate version of the immigration reform bill, Cruz proposed a host of amendments that would loosen legal immigration, both to make illegal immigration less appealing and to attract the sort of immigrants who would benefit the United States.

Cruz was a champion debater at Princeton and is a graduate of Harvard Law, which means that unlike every other Republican from Ronald Reagan to Sarah Palin, he can't be accused of being stupid. He is like fire when on the stump, with the capability of bringing people to their feet without effort, much like Reagan and Palin.....

[grobdriver]

Here come the birthers.

It would be kind of hypocritical to knock Barry all this time and then shut up for a similar situation except it's your guy.

OTOH, much of law operates on precedent... and for them to start shouting about it now would open themselves up to attack.

I think on this one the Dems have painted themselves into a corner BUT... the right justifiable prides itself on following the law and the Constitution (even when we get clobbered by a lawless opponent backed up by an equally lawless Justice Department when we do it) so if we stand on consistent principle, Ted's out of it.

[arthurus]

The smart play here is for Rand Paul to run for president and for the other two to stay in the sidelines so as not to divide the vote. Then Cruz can be appointed attorney general and Mike Lee treasury secretary. Just my opinion.

I like that.

[Perdogg]

It appears to me the only way this is going to be resolved in case such as Cruz and Rubio and Jindal is for the SCOTUS to accept a case. The only way SCOTUS is going to accept a case is if the test presented in Jones v Bush is applied.

I am not trying to argue the merits of any case, but I think the courts would pretty cite the 14th amendment in its decision. I can count at least 6 votes now.

[Persevero]

I want to see the Constitution followed, or lawfully amended.

But we can’t function with just half the country submitting to it. It doesn’t work.

We appear to be at a crossroads. It won’t be neat and clean. I don’t know what to do, frankly.

[astratt7]

I don’t care if you don’t give a $hit about the Constitution....Look how well that whole....lets go after him on other issues went.....

[arthurus]

The question can be put to rest by congress officially defining that term "Natural Born." Lacking that we must rely on what the Supreme Court has said in the past which is pretty much that two American Citizen parents and born within the borders of the USA are required. The Court did not rule on that specifically, I think, but it was part of an opinion.

With all that, it is pretty clear that the president is not any Citizen at all having taken (by legal proxy) Indonesian citizenship which by Indonesian law requires renunciation of American citizenship followed by no legal reclamation of American citizenship. The man is an Indonesian, not an American. The circumstances of his birth are just an oh-by-the-way to that.

[arthurus]

The question can be put to rest by congress officially defining that term "Natural Born." Lacking that we must rely on what the Supreme Court has said in the past which is pretty much that two American Citizen parents and born within the borders of the USA are required. The Court did not rule on that specifically, I think, but it was part of an opinion.

With all that, it is pretty clear that the president is not any Citizen at all having taken (by legal proxy) Indonesian citizenship which by Indonesian law requires renunciation of American citizenship, followed by no legal reclamation of American citizenship. The man is an Indonesian, not an American. The circumstances of his birth are just an oh-by-the-way to that.

[Perdogg]

What about Perkins v. Elg - 307 U.S. 325 (1939)?

[Responsibility2nd]

It appears to me the only way this is going to be resolved in case such as Cruz and Rubio and Jindal is for the SCOTUS to accept a case...

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I dunno. By SCOTUS remaining silent on hundreds of lower court rulings, does that not send a clear signal that Obama is eligible?

I don’t think we need a new Amendment reversing the NBC clause of the Constitution or a Supreme Court ruling. The lower courts have ruled; the precedent is set. Therefore....

Ted Cruz - 2016

[kabumpo]

Disagree. Just because the bad guys got away with defecating on the constitution, doesn’t mean that we should.
Cruz is not NBC. Let him be Secretary of State.

[kabumpo]

Thank you. I agree wholeheartedly.

[notaliberal]

I believe there was a question about the mother’s age when he was born that puts his citizenship in question

[notaliberal]

It would be nice to have a president with class

[noinfringers2]

I take that I am a ‘birther’. I am a firm believer that once precedent is established there is a hole in the dike,so to speak, that destroys the land and the Nation’s foundation. That I will not compromise in light of my WWII service and the death of my only brother on Okinawa. Obama has obfuscated with the help of enablers his credentials for POTUSA eligibility. His is not a case of having a solid verified claim for eligibility. The important first effort is to tear away his shroud of covering and maintain what The Constitution intended for eligibility. Cruz has no such shroud which is to his credit. As far as I believe now he is a true patriot dedicated to our Constitution. However, as for me he is by nature of birth not to the standards the Founders intended in the Constitution for POTUSA.

[so_real]

I'm a birther (have been since before the term was coined). And, two wrongs don't make a right. Until such time as the Constitution is amended to permit such a vote, I won't support Cruz for POTUS. He is doing a great job right where he is, in a seat that he is Constitutionally eligible to hold. We need him to retain that seat and keep doing exactly what he is doing. But ... I'll keep my eyes out for the eligible POTUS candidate that gets Cruz's stamp of approval. If Cruz picks a candidate he feels is worthy, that candidate is worth a look. He seems a reasonable "litmus test" to me.

[sten]

Canadian / American wants to be president of the US

seems legit

[arthurus]

The Proper solution is a Congressional Act. The wording of the Constitutional provision seems to call for such an act at an appropriate time.

[JCBreckenridge]

Nope. We have better options than Cruz, folks who are actually eligible. This is just as much a waste of time as it was holding out for Palin when she never announced that she would ever run in 2012.

[JCBreckenridge]

Well said sir.

[Viennacon]

If he ran, I would work tirelessly to push him to victory. After Rubio’s downfall, he’s really a contender, since there is no clear favorite right now among the RINOS and Rand Paul who will inherit his father’s base and grow it. I could support Rand in the general enthusiastically, but some of his actions would make me go solidly Cruz in the primary fight. This man is in the mold of the Founders, and I don’t say that lightly.

Cruz would help a ticket immensely as a VP too. He wouldn’t be weak lemonade like Paul Ryan.