SEN. TED CRUZ MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE IN HOUSTON AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

abc13.com ^ | March 31, 2015 08:30PM | Tom Abrahams

[SoConPubbie]

HOUSTON (KTRK) --

Texas Senator Ted Cruz welcomed supporters and the media to his first public appearance in Houston as a presidential candidate.

Cruz was the first to jump into the 2016 race, filing the official paperwork, announcing his campaign on the social media site Twitter, and delivering a speech to close to 10,000 people at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. His national campaign headquarters is in southwest Houston. It is now the hub for an effort that seeks to raise $40 to $50 million for the Republican primary season and to corner the market on social conservatives.

Mark Jones, the political science chair at Rice University, says Cruz has done a good job of defining who he is as a politician and who he will be as a candidate.

"Every time where we have an issue where there is a conservative position to be taken," he says. "Ted Cruz is going to take it and he's going to take it very visibly and very vocally."

Jones says Cruz will make every effort to out-conservative others in the field. And example is his public support, this week, of a controversial Indiana religious freedom law. Opponents contend the law allows businesses to discriminate against homosexuals. But as the state's Governor was defending his decision to sign the law, and backtracking on his position, Cruz was out front supporting him.

"Governor Pence is holding the line to protect religious liberty in the Hoosier State," Cruz wrote in a statement his campaign released late Monday night. "Indiana is giving voice to millions of courageous conservatives across this country who are deeply concerned about the ongoing attacks upon our personal liberties. I'm proud to stand with Mike, and I urge Americans to do the same."

There are currently similar bills in both houses of the Texas legislature, which Jones suggests have no chance of becoming. Even if one passes the Senate, Jones says the House won't agree to it.

As for Cruz, Jones says the 44-year-old, first-time presidential candidate is off to an impressive start raising money.

"He knows he's not going to be able to match Jeb Bush with hundreds of millions dollars," Jones contends, "but he needs to very quickly show that he can match up with Rand Paul and Marco Rubio and Chris Christie and show that he can raise enough money that he can be competitive and viable."

The Cruz campaign tells Eyewitness News donors gave $1 million in the first 24 hours after he launched his candidacy. They raised $2 million in the first three days.

A Houston fundraiser tonight at Goode's Armadillo Palace on Kirby Drive is a minimum $1,000 per ticket. It's $50,000 a person to join what the campaign calls the "Host Committee."

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz Ping!

If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.

Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

CRUZ or LOSE!

CRUZ or LOSE!

[Lurkinanloomin]

CRUZ TO VICTORY OR GET BUSHED!

[cripplecreek]

[stephenjohnbanker]

“CRUZ TO VICTORY OR GET BUSHED!”

CRUZ to victory, or America gets FLUSHED!

[Canedawg]

“”Governor Pence is holding the line to protect religious liberty in the Hoosier State,” Cruz wrote...”

Heads up, Ted. He dropped the ball.

[grania]

This states he's going to have a dinner tonight with a $1000 minimum to attend. It also states that he'll have a host committee with $50,000 donors. I hope these larger donations aren't a step down that slippery slope.

What would help is transparency. Everything said in these dinners should be public. And a list of who the big-time donors are would also be necessary. Folks are less likely to have a hidden agenda when they donate if it's know that their donations will not be secret and won't be in exchange for favors.

[wolfman23601]

Agree... also minimizes the chances of getting hit with a hidden tape in a private conversation and having a 47% moment. Not saying he would say that in particular, but we all say things in private intended to stay private.

[nopardons]

How to NOT raise money !
You have little knowledge of HOW raising money works I see.

[Timber Rattler]

"He knows he's not going to be able to match Jeb Bush with hundreds of millions dollars," Jones contends, "but he needs to very quickly show that he can match up with Rand Paul and Marco Rubio and Chris Christie and show that he can raise enough money that he can be competitive and viable."

Time to open our wallets and checkbooks, people!

[Phillyred]

Cruz really is the only candidate I want to vote for at this point. Man, he is just refreshing. No bs.

[grania]

I have knowledge of how money raising works, of course. It’s why our political system doesn’t work anymore and we live in a fascist state. The only way Ted Cruz can make a difference is, as I said, transparency.

[nopardons]

Your dearth of knowledge of American political history is truly amazing; I am impressed...really I am! I suggest that you delve into it,to learn how long raising money in private has been going on.

You couldn't be more wrong, about Cruz's chances, if you tried.

Also, this has NOTHING whatsoever to do with "living in a fascist state" !

[showme_the_Glory]

said in these dinners should be public

Romney disagrees. 47%.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Ted Cruz. Accept no substitute.

[bigmak007]

First time in over 40 years, that I ever contributed to a politician.
Go Ted

[caww]

Frankly I don't care one way or another where the money comes from to get Cruz elected....He's going to need large donors yet I trust God...he and his teams wisdom... to know who or not to accept those from.

[CyberAnt]

That’s okay .. at least the public and the media KNOWS Ted would not “drop the ball”.

You see how that works ..??

I like Gov Pence - I think he’s been a very good Gov. He just wasn’t prepared for the media to try and take him out.

THIS IS NOT A GAME PEOPLE .. THIS IS WAR ..!!!!!

[CyberAnt]

Yes he is .. 100%

[Canedawg]

“He just wasn’t prepared for the media to try and take him out”
*****

Then Pence hasn’t been paying attention for at least the past 15 years.