Posted on 09/27/2014 5:54:52 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
At the Values Voter Summit, the Texan highlights his strong beliefs on conservative issues.
In an already crowded field of likely contenders for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Ted Cruz has found his way to stand out against potential primary opponent Rand Paul: championing the most fundamental planks of the conservative base.
In a passionate speech Friday morning to conservatives at the Values Voter Summit, Cruz left no room for doubt about where he stands on the social issues that—albeit amid party conflict—still define the GOP.
"How do we win? We defend the values that are American values," he boomed. "We stand for life. We stand for marriage. We stand for Israel. We bring back jobs and opportunity and unleash small businesses to make it easier for people to achieve the American dream."
The annual conference and pep rally, hosted by the conservative Christian group the Family Research Council, offers Republican contenders the opportunity to pitch themselves to a core part of their base. Though no one has officially entered the 2016 race, outspoken audience members made their opinions clear. When Cruz promised the crowd that in 2017, a Republican president would be in the White House, one shouted, "You!"
Cruz called out his Republican colleagues who want to move to more moderate positions on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion rights, arguing that the winning strategy for the party means staying true to its long-held values.
"Our values are who we are," he said. "Our values are why we're here. And our values are fundamentally American. This country remains a center-right country. This country remains a country built on Judeo-Christian values."
Though Paul hasn't suggested that the GOP abandon these views, the libertarian-leaning senator from Kentucky hasn't taken firm stances on key conservative issues. Earlier this year, he said that while he is against abortion, he wouldn't push to overturn Roe v. Wade because the country is too divided on the issue. And he's said that he thinks his party will "evolve" on gay marriage to become "a bigger place where there's a mixture of opinions."
That lack of orthodoxy won't fly with Values Voter Summit attendees, and Friday, Cruz capitalized on his own decisiveness.
"How do we turn this country around?" he asked. "We don't paint in pale pastels. We paint in bold colors."
In a personal moment, Cruz highlighted his Christian faith, revealing the story of how his parents' marriage nearly dissolved before they found God. While he was growing up in Calgary, Canada, he said, neither of his parents were religious.
"Both of my parents drank far too much," Cruz said. "When I was 3 years old, my father decided he didn't want to be married anymore. And he didn't want a 3-year-old son. So he got on a plane and left."
Back in Houston, his father found his way to a Baptist church and "gave his life to Jesus," returning to Calgary. Without God, Cruz said, he would have been raised by a single mother.
That personal story of salvation bolsters Cruz's appeal to this crucial base more than a message touching solely on policy issues—and readies a redemption narrative perfect for a primary battle.
Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz!
Go Ted go! Bring Prayer and Bible reading back to America’s classrooms! Crush islam! Destroy DemonRATS! Woo hoo! USA! USA! USA!
Yep, the boss sums it up succinctly and quite well, doesn't he?
Only 1/6 of the American population voted for Zero. The country is ripe for conservative leadership that adheres to timeless, moral principle. Like Rush Limbaugh, despite many set backs, I do not at all believe “it’s over” for the USA.
Fresh meat for liberals to insist "Cruz hates single mothers."
It doesn’t matter, liberals are going to do and say what they want, truth be damned. An entire Liberal press corps (but I repeat myself) could watch Ted Cruz walk on water and you know what tomorrows headline would be? “Ted Cruz can’t swim”.
CC
I love the fact that Runt Paul didn’t even place in the poll taken at the summit.
Libertopians are not supposed to have a position on values and morality if they are consistent with libertopianism. However, Runt Paul has proven to be a huge panderer to whatever audience he is speaking to.
Note, the people at this summit are not stupid, as are the other groups that Runt Paul has spoken to.
Cruz is not defining himself. Cruz is being Cruz. He is being real, not play politics.
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Rand Slams Congress for Funding Egypt's Generals: 'How Does Your Conscience Feel Now?'Sen. Rand Paul is hammering his fellow senators for keeping billions in financial aid flowing to Egypt's military -- even as Cairo's security forces massacre anti-government activists. [by "anti-government activists" is meant church-burning Christian-murdering jihadists][Posted on 08/15/2013 5:44:10 PM PDT by Hoodat]
Rand Paul On Shutdown: "Even Though It Appeared I Was Participating In It, It Was A Dumb Idea"I said throughout the whole battle that shutting down the government was a dumb idea. Even though it did appear as if I was participating in it, I said it was a dumb idea. And the reason I voted for it, though, is that it's a conundrum. Here's the conundrum. We have a $17 trillion debt and people at home tell me you can't give the president a blank check. We just can't keep raising the debt ceiling without conditions. So unconditionally raising the debt ceiling, nobody at home wants me to vote for that and I can't vote for that. But the conundrum is if I don't we do approach these deadlines. So there is an impasse. In 2011, though, we had this impasse and the president did negotiate. We got the sequester. If we were to extend the sequester from discretionary spending to all the entitlements we would actually fix our problem within a few years.[Posted on 11/19/2013 12:16:51 PM by Third Person]
Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften war stance...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said.[Posted on 01/31/2013 5:08:50 PM PST by xzins]
Rand Paul's immigration speech...The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.[Posted on 03/19/2013 7:04:07 AM PDT by Perdogg]
Unfortunately, like many of the major debates in Washington, immigration has become a stalemate-where both sides are imprisoned by their own rhetoric or attachment to sacred cows that prevent the possibility of a balanced solution.
Immigration Reform will not occur until Conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution. I am here today to begin that conversation.
Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.
If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you...
This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society.
Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.
Rand Paul calls on conservatives to embrace immigration reformLatinos, should be a natural constituency for the party, Paul argued, but "Republicans have pushed them away with harsh rhetoric over immigration." ...he would create a bipartisan panel to determine how many visas should be granted for workers already in the United States and those who might follow... [and the buried lead] "Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers...[Posted on 04/21/2013 1:52:42 PM PDT by SoConPubbie]
[but he's not in favor of amnesty, snicker, definition of is is]
Gay marriage will probably be entrenched as firmly as Obamacare is by the time Cruz could reach the White House.
Its easy to tap emotions and Ted hit the home run there, but the people whose emotions were tapped are going to wake up to legalized gay marriage one day followed by prosecution and persecution aimed directly at them.
I oppose gay marriage because those militant forces pushing it don’t give a rip about “marriage equality” as much as they want to hand out payback to the real or imagined enemies of the LGBT community.
Its like Henry VIII in the 1500’s pushing the establishment of religion that endorsed his personal liberal view of sex and marriage (multiple divorces and remarriages).
His pushing of a state church led to persecution of religious groups that did not conform and mini civil wars over the next century or more.
When we see people being forced to sell out of business like Mr. Brendan Eich over his opposition to gay marriage we are seeing a rerun of what Jews had to do in Germany in 1933 at the beginning of the Third Reich.
I would paint a picture that dramatic in any public speaking on the subject because that pretty much the real world conservative religious people will face or are facing in this country.
I saw him on C-Span. Danged impressive and I did not notice a telepropter.
If Cruz runs, he will win the nomination. He’s also the only one, along with Sarah Palin, who will attack Hillary Clinton without mercy.
When you know what you’re talking about and what you want to say a teleprompter only gets in the way.
I’ll raise at least a million dollars or die trying.
Neither the rats nor GOPE can allow this conservative to lead the ticket in 2016.
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