Posted on 01/24/2015 3:51:41 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The Texas conservative and his team are trying to lock down a state director for his White House run.
DES MOINES -- Ted Cruz's presidential campaign in Iowa is unofficially underway.
The Texas senator and his lieutenants have been making calls to top Iowa activists and consultants for the past two weeks, multiple Republican sources told National Journal, hoping to lock down a state director for his White House campaign.
Cruz has not yet made that critical hire, the sources said.
But he's making other moves in this first nominating state.
At the end of a fiery speech here Saturday to the Iowa Freedom Summit, Cruz instructed his cheering audience to send a text message with the word "Constitution" to the number 33733. Iowans all over the auditorium could be seen whipping out their cell phones and punching keys. Within moments, anyone who sent the text got this reply: "Together let's bring bold, clear leadership to America." The message included a link: " tedcruz.org."
It was an innovative way to collect contact information from masses of committed Iowa conservatives. It also erased any remaining doubts about Cruz's intention to run for president -- even if he downplayed the move, with a smile, when asked about it after his speech.
"What we're doing is, we're working to build a grassroots army in Iowa and all across the country," Cruz said. "Because the only way we're going to turn this country around -- it's not going to come from Washington. It's got to come from the American people. "
Judging from his performance Saturday, Cruz won't have trouble recruiting Iowans for his "army."
The Texas senator received a rock-star reception from the conservative crowd, which began cheering upon the first mention of his name. He delivered a speech full of conservative objectives – "repeal Obamacare" and "abolish the IRS," for instance – that was interrupted repeatedly by applause.
He suggested taking the 110,000 current employees of the IRS and sending them instead to guard the southern border. "Somewhat jokingly," he said of the plan. (The side benefit, he laughed, would the agents would scare away would-be illegal immigrants.)
Most notably, Cruz positioned himself to the right of all his potential rivals in the 2016 field. He warned the audience that all of the Republican contenders would fashion themselves as true conservatives when they are not.
"Talk is cheap," he said of his fellow Republicans. He then drew from the Bible – as he did elsewhere in the speech – saying, "The Word tells us, 'You will know them by their fruit.'" Many in the audience knowingly murmured the words along with him.
"Show me where you stood up and fought," Cruz challenged potential rivals on issue after issue, from Obamacare to gay marriage to the Common Core education standards.
The theme of Cruz's speech was "The Miracle of America" -- a message the senator was road-testing as a potential 2016 campaign slogan.
The message, as delivered here, touched on everything from promoting upward mobility to defending religious liberties to advocating a muscular U.S. foreign policy. Cruz told the crowd that "each of us have seen miracles every day," and shared with the evangelical audience how his father left him and his mother many years ago, only to become a Christian and come back to the family.
Cruz promised the crowd that even though times are tough in America, a "miracle" could be on the horizon. He said the country's current challenges are surmountable when considering the historic triumphs over Britain in the Revolutionary War and the Nazis in World War II.
"We have done it before," Cruz exclaimed. "We can do it again!"
Of all the potential candidates the Democrats may face, it’s Walker that scares them the most. He has and will capture the same Democrats that Reagan did. He’s also got a very strong minority outreach.
He scares Democrats because he’s eaten their lunch in their lunchroom. He walked right into the kitchen, like he owned the place.
Almost time to open the checkbook.
Yes it is. Time for bumper stickers and even yard signs.
Yes. Huckabee is a marxist. and this article proves that.
http://topconservativenews.com/2007/10/conservative-huckabee/
Huckabee has a lot of conservatives fooled . He was invited to the freedom thing in Iowa. incredibly. he’s got a marxist record as a governor. he loves big government and illegals. can’t stand this moron huckabee. i try to post that article as much as i can.
#RunTedRun
YES!!!
Put me on the “Cruz Control” Ping!
And apparently, based on some replies I've received, the Huckster's hired some trolls of his own to plug his marxist snake oil right here on Free Republic.
I think you missed my point .. I was discussing with somebody else about my concern for Walker .. only because he has battled so hard to change Wisconsin (and has done a remarkable job); concern because we know the left is just salivating for payback .. and would love to rip Wisconsin apart.
I have never, ever made any comment that “the Constitution says a presidential candidate must be a Governor”. I don’t know where you got that from.
I totally agree with you .. “it’s what is in the heart that makes a great president.”
My candidate is Ted Cruz .. and I have said it here many times; I’ve voting for Ted Cruz .. and I sure hope he’s running and on the ballot or otherwise, I will have to write his name in.
Sorry you got all upset.
Were you aware that you can look into the section called “mail” .. and see other msgs from the same person? Sometimes, if you look there and type in the screen name, you can see a whole bunch of msgs the person has written and you can get a better sense of their opinions. If you had done that for me .. ??
I’m Cruz or Bust, too, but Walker needs to stay in long enough to garner support that he can throw to Ted towards the end.
The true conservatives will endorse the conservative that comes out on top; it’s our job to make sure that is Cruz.
But I thought the media had already picked our candidate. Again.
The final one we can simply throw out as nonsense. Both Cruz and Walker are intelligent.
Using intelligence as a qualification is NOT nonsense. Perhaps Walker is intelligent. I'm not that familiar with him. Cruz is very intelligent.
Cruz is a top communicator. Walker, not so much.
Walker has top experience fighting for conservative principles at the local level. Cruz as top experience fighting for conservative principles at the national level.
Cruz 2016.
On a national level, under such a scenario, I’m afraid Walker would throw his support behind a RINO.
God, I hope you’re wrong....
The Tea Party is all in for Cruz.
After watching all the action yesterday .. Cruz is far and away the best candidate.
I do agree with some of the things Trump had to say; but he repeated almost half of his msg and that has caused me to doubt him a little. Even when the audience didn’t react the second time .. he didn’t seem to notice. But we did.
I like Walker too .. but I’m very concerned that if he leaves Wisconsin NOW .. it will only take the left about a week to totally destroy everything he did.
Until Wisconsin could stand on it’s own two feet without Walker, I really want him to stay there and protect his state. He can be very effective in training other Governors.
Trump went after Cruz’ birth cert the other day; he’s dead to me. He used to support Cruz, too.
Hmmmmm ..?? I’ve never heard Trump say a word about Ted’s birth.
Anyway, Ted is a dual citizen. There are a lot of people who are dual citizens. His mother was an American Citizen, and he was born in Canada. That affords Cruz the dual citizenship.
And .. I believe Cruz has already denounced his Canadian citizenship .. just to keep the waters from being muddied anymore about it.
But .. if you’re going to enter the Presidential race, I guess that entitles you to say a few things that concern you about another candidate.
I’m in.
You’ve been added to the Ted Cruz Ping List!
Ain’t it the truth? Huckster has the religious right snowed. He is their boy. They are being suckered again. God gave us brains and free will so we can detect the false prophets... some are more like cultists than christians though.
My wife is one of the cultists I’m afraid. Just this morning came out an, “I like Huckabee.” whereupon I began to enumerate some of his self aggrandizing and socialist activities in Arkansas.
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