Posted on 11/30/2012 6:40:52 AM PST by LoneStarGI
Texas Sen.-elect Ted Cruz advised the Republican Party to rebrand itself under a banner of “Opportunity Conservatism” during a sweeping speech Thursday night that will only stoke speculation about a 2016 presidential run.
Speaking before the conservative American Principles Project dinner at a downtown Washington hotel, Cruz said the GOP’s thumping in the 2012 elections was more the result of poor messaging and communication than the wrong ideology.
“Why did we lose? It wasn’t as the media would tell you: because the American people embraced big government, Barack Obama’s spending and debt and taxes. … That wasn’t what happened. I’m going to suggest to you a very simple reason why we lost the election: We didn’t win the argument,” Cruz said before pointedly lowering his voice. “We didn’t even make the argument.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
This is a great start, I don’t know who this guy is but he’s singing my song.
” “We didn’t even make the argument.”
Correct.
But he'll have to prove it - having a hispanic surname isn't enough.
And I completely reject the charge the GOP takes a 'harsh tone' on immigration. That assertion is ridiculous.
Absolutely correct. And it's mostly because Romney and the leadership that pushed him really didn't believe those principles themselves, so therefore they could hardly be expected to argue them.
I hope people like Cruz can just shove the old guard aside and get out there with the message.
Paging Sarah Palin.
(there is an opportunity, but it is right now)
IBTB - Ted Cruz is the son of US Citizens, he is nbC.
He’s got my attention. I’m listening.
Cruz is absolutely the real deal.
Now...that said....he was born in Canada to US citizens, but his father was a Cuban refugee who was naturalized.
So wouldn’t many here say he is not eligible for POTUS?
Should GOP ever get Senate majority, Cruz should be a longterm Senate Majority Leader. He could arguably do more for the country if he held onto that gavel for say 24 years, then a mere 8 as POTUS.
I am with you. Cruz, arrives in the Senate as one of the most capable people in an elected position. Even though he is new to that group, he is highly seasoned in DC and politics. Cruz, DeMint, Lee, Rubio, Toomey, and governors like Kasich, Walker, Perry need to work together to meet with potential candidates for 2016 and back them in a uniformed manner heading into the primaries. We need these people with core conservative beliefs to represent the base and screen our options, promote the candidate early, and help bankroll them against the ‘chosen’ RNC candidate (most likely Jeb or Christie).
We can’t do what happened the last cycle and let a bunch of random conservative minds take each other down. I am all for an open process..as opposed to using king makers, but we need some organization from our top leaders to prepare to get a real conservative as the nominee.
I voted for him for Senate but as of yet, he’s held no office. We don’t know much about him. He has no experience or history. As of now, I’d vote NO for any presidental talk.
Boy, I like what he’s saying, but the lesson of history is that pols who’ve never even won statewide election don’t get elected President - or even into the finals (ref. Michele B.)
But he’s right on the money with this message and if he can be one of the voices who brings the message of conservatism to masses of people who won’t get it via their news source (i.e. MSM), aren’t going to listen to Rush for 3 hrs/day, etc - more power to him.
Unless a candidate embraces the confession of faith that includes soft immigration language and policy, he or she will never be supported.
BUT if a conservative third party movement develops in this cycle there are a number of possibilities...
And regular conservatism doesn’t provide opportunity?
Another attempt to create distance from the brand, while tarnishing it through the effort.
Exactly. My new senator doesn’t have a chance. The RNC RINO factory probably has everything lined up till 2032.
Maybe — but another way of putting it is:
“Unless we have articulate messengers who are able to present Conservatism and liberty as the way to truly improve lives and create wealth and opportunity for all, then we’ll be sitting here 3 1/2 years from now bitching about Republican nominee Jeb Bush”.
Screw talk of who’s going to run in 2016! Let’s talk about who, when, and how “we” are going to change the narrative and STOP relying on the RNC to tell us who our candidate is going to be!
..I understand what you are saying, but I tend believe that the evidence shows that welfare and race lost this election--they just wanted the stuff...
“Opportuniy Conservatism”, sounds too much like “Compassionate Conservatism.” Besides, didn’t Newton Gingrich and others years ago form the “Conservative Opportunity Society”? Both ideas, opportunity and conservatism, just died “on the vine,” as Newt was misquoted as having said about Medicare.
The argument hasn’t been made since 1988...
“Now...that said....he was born in Canada to US citizens, but his father was a Cuban refugee who was naturalized.”
Uh oh. Problems here.
Even if his parents were natural born citizens (without the “naturalized Cuban refugee” aspect to contend with), they would have had to take certain steps after the birth (paperwork, etc.), to ensure that the birth would be considered “natural born”.
The fact that completely natural-born parents (for example, John McCain’s parents) have a baby OUTSIDE of the USA, in itself, does not make the child natural-born.
Again, this is a “danger, Will Robinson!” situation that will come back at him later on, unless he proves conclusively that the p’s and q’s were taken to qualify his birth as “natural-born”.
Why can’t we find a candidate who’s parents were born _here_, and who was born _here_ as well?
I agree with you - it’s going to be Rubio...and I suggest it will be Portman for VP...
Cruz is too fresh but very capable and has argued in front of the Supremes defending conservative values...
I do believe that Rubio is not eligible under the constitution but that arguement isn’t that relevant anymore since the destruction of that constitutional clause... and quite frankly, though I should, I just can’t care about that anymore after Obama’s fraud !!!
It also seems particularly important that the experience is executive, such as a governorship, rather than congressional or senatorial.
Either way, he needs a lot more ‘show me wax the car, show me paint the fence’ time.
“I hope people like Cruz can just shove the old guard aside and get out there with the message.”
Given how the Geriatric Old Plotters were able to invert the gains of 2010 into the failure of 2012, I wouldn’t bet the farm on this happening.
“pols who’ve never even won statewide election don’t get elected President”
US Senator, won statewide.
I (strongly) disagree:
Go to the store and take a look at any label. It will say “Made in China”.
Every one of those items was once, made in America.
What we have done is drive manufacturing out of America, in the process creating DEMOCRATS.
We must bring back jobs to America.
That will create more Republicans.
The thing is, this must happen immediately.
There is no more time to delay.
Another Senator?
One who hasn’t even taken his seat yet!!!!!
The election of Obama lowered the bar to ground level.
==
Cruz, get a decade of experience — some of which should be executive, not all legislative.
Senators are professional bloviators. We already have one of those in the WH.
Cruz was born in Canada. He can’t run for pres.
Sorry, Cruz’s Mom and Dad were Cuban exiles and naturalized after he was born in USA.
Unless we conservatives are willing to follow the dems lead and disregard the Constitution, Ted is not NBC. Cruz has been doing Constitutional speeches since high school, he loves the Constitution and would probably be the last to not honor it by trying to skirt the NBC clause.
As a staunch Conservative Texan I supported Cruz against the odds and against the Texas GOPe, because he is the most truly conservative America loving politician (well maybe my Congressman Louie Gohmert, too) to come along in a long time.
Cruz will be a leader! But not POTUS, maybe President of Republic of Texas!!!
Yes, I think advance preparation is the key. We shouldn’t forget that Romney had been running, with his own money, basically since leaving his governorship, so he had had years to build up influence with the party leaders. That was an unusual situation, but the principle is valid for anybody: start now, state your case, build alliances, build a track record, and have your organization in place.
I don’t think everybody has to agree on one candidate yet, but we should have a few viable possibilities and we should really focus only on those who are actually willing to declare that they are in the running. I other words, not just people who we like, hoping that somehow, someday they’ll take the plunge and become candidates; they have to be ready to take the heat starting now.
And we’ve got to stop reducing our response to candidates that we don’t like to idiotic name-calling and insults. Aside from creating a bitter, ugly environment, it does nothing to help us get a good candidate or one who’s willing to develop his ideas in response to legitimate criticism.
Also...no more open primaries. Those laws have got to be changed now.
Nope, he is a US citizen born to US parents, and didnt need to be be naturalized.
If you aren’t an alien, and US law does not require you to become naturalized to be a citizen (like Cruz), then you are NBC.
There are two levels of citizenship discussed in the Constitution. You must be a citizen to be in Congress or Senate. (meaning naturalized is ok, this is beyond dispute today that a naturalized citizen can run for congress)
The other is that you must be a natural born citizen to be president or VP.
So unless there is another type of citizenship somewhere that i cannot find, other “citizens” are natural born. Also, the Constitution does not define this term “natural born”.
The process for deciding who needs to be naturalized, and who gains citizenship upon birth was left entirely to congressional legislation.
Here’s the current law that decides it,
“Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4, also allows the Congress to create law regarding naturalization, which includes citizenship.
Currently, Title 8 of the U.S. Code fills in the gaps left by the Constitution. Section 1401 defines the following as people who are “citizens of the United States at birth:”
•Anyone born inside the United States *
•Any Indian or Eskimo born in the United States, provided being a citizen of the U.S. does not impair the person’s status as a citizen of the tribe
•Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
•Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national
•Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year
•Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21
•Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)
•A final, historical condition: a person born before 5/24/1934 of an alien father and a U.S. citizen mother who has lived in the U.S.
* There is an exception in the law — the person must be “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States. This would exempt the child of a diplomat, for example, from this provision.
Anyone falling into these categories is considered natural-born, and is eligible to run for President or Vice President. These provisions allow the children of military families to be considered natural-born, for example.”
The way i read this, is that if Obama was born in a grass hut, he would be a natural born citizen as long as Satnley Ann Dunham was his real mom.
According to this law, Ted Cruz is fully eligible.
” - - - “We didn’t even make the argument.” - - - “
BULLSEYE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The RINO Election Campaign motto might as well be: “LOSE AT ALL COSTS !”
Order of business #1? CLOSE the primaries!
My mistake, Road Glide is right, Cruz was born in Canada while his parents were on their way to the USA.
..I think you have a point. This solves a lot of potential citizenship status problems for the establishment. Also I think the stories about George P. are trial balloons to see if the public will swallow continuing with the dynasty
“...he was born in USA.”
He was born in CANADA!!!!
“Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where his parents, Eleanor Darragh and Rafael Cruz, were working in the petroleum business. His father was a Cuban immigrant during the Cuban Revolution to the United States. His mother, an American, was reared in Delaware, in a family of Irish and Italian descent.”
Read in in Google.
Hate it having to admit being wrong.
This on Ted in Wiki:
Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where his parents, Eleanor Darragh and Rafael Cruz, were working in the petroleum business.[8][9] His father was a Cuban immigrant during the Cuban Revolution to the United States. His mother, an American, was reared in Delaware, in a family of Irish and Italian descent
This NBC thing is so conveluted, maybe Cruz is NBC.
“Opportunity Conservatism” NO! Remember the last time we put a word in front of “conservatism” to qualify for more voters?”
I couldn’t resist. Your statement with your name, LiberConservative. Ironic!
LOL! I like it!
“No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President.”
THAT is the NBC clause in it’s entirety. The constitution never mentions all the things we often hear about what constitutes NBC. That was left for congress to decide by legislation. The constitution only mentions two kinds of citizens. Citizens and Natural Born. If you are a citizen without needing naturalization, you’re NBC. There is no third class. It isn’t naturalized citizens, then NBC, and then some oddball group in the middle that is a limited citizen with some limits, but never needing naturalization.
Cruz is eligible. There’s not even a question under the constitution, or under the law.
George P. cannot become pres because at the time of his birth, Columba was not a U.S. citizen. She became naturalized 13 years later after his birth...1987.
“That shows how out of touch the GOPe are.”
They are not out of touch, they are just as opposed to grassroots conservatives and individual liberty as are the Democrats. They are not stupid. They are very cunning Quislings.
Your head was filled with concrete at birth.
If you keep you mouth closed, no one will be the wiser.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAahhhhh!
He can claim he was born in Hawaii, and we can make up a birth certificate that says so. MSPublisher, Corel Ventura, MS Word, etc.
Heck, we can probably even get it faxed to Dan Rather’s favorite Kinko’s.
I think he is NBC. And I see all kinds of things offered as “requirements”, but not one of them is in there in the Constitution to read, or in the law that i know of. I hear some say both parents must be NBC, That Cruz’s dad being naturalized would knock him out, i hear that Obamas mom cannot give citizenship to Obama unless she was 18, etc etc.
But we are left with the clause in the constitution, and with the law defining who does not need to be naturalized. People dress it up with a lot of opinions, but i cannot see anything, anywhere, that creates some citizens by birth, who do not possess full rights.
Excellent idea.
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