Posted on 02/12/2016 9:45:44 PM PST by SoConPubbie
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Many of the Republican presidential candidates descended Friday on Greenville ahead of Saturday's CBS debate.
But only one was savvy enough to get himself enlisted as the opening act of a throbbing, trembling Christian rock concert that packed 14,000 evangelicals into a downtown arena on Friday night.
So here came Ted Cruz, striding onto the catwalk of a stage, beaming under the spotlight, leading the crowd in prayer, asking them to unite behind him in next Saturday's primary election, and jumping up like a basketball player high-fiving fans as he walked into the locker rooms in the bowels of the arena.
"Welcome to Winter Jam -- and to God be the glory," the Texas senator said.
Winter Jam is a touring, four-hour show featuring born-again Christian rock and rap artists. It performed at Greenville's Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Friday night.
Ted Cruz about to address 14,000 (!) pumped up evangelicals in Greenville. Opening act of Christian arena concert pic.twitter.com/SYBIPCVdtz
- Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) February 12, 2016
For any Republican politician, this was a captive and prized audience. Evangelical Christians are an especially influential voting block in South Carolina, especially in the Greenville area, known as the Upcountry.
Cruz gave about six minutes of remarks and prayer at the start of the concert. He thanked the crowd "for standing unapologetically with Jesus, for confessing your faith with love."
Cruz talked about religious liberty being "under assault," but said that across the country "people are waking up."
"Our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values," Cruz said. "Those values of life and marriage are under assault, religious liberty is under assault, and yet the American people are rising up."
Cruz did not attack any rivals, nor did he make an overt political pitch. But he cast himself as a champion of social conservative principles,
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Not used to FRiendly fire in here! (I guess my camouflage worked too well!)
A million people came to see me New Years night in Time Square.
____________________
Ted Cruz has “crowd envy”.
I heard some of the music and .... blech.....
DanRiehl â€@DanRiehl 36m36 minutes ago
DanRiehl Retweeted Southern Grandma
i don’t think they should have pulled the ad. DanRiehl added,
Southern Grandma @CoFemale
So she’s condemned for life? What about redemption? Has she repented? Don’t judge. @SkyNews @DanRiehl @tedcruz
Why did he got to this event and only speak for 6 minutes?
“Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all.” — President Ronald Reagan”
and then Reagan turned it over to “Read My Lips” Bush.... brilliant (not the best quote you could have used from Reagan).
BTW, did Ted’s use an earpiece to call out ailments and sickness in the audience and then call them up on stage to throw away their crutches and cure their cancer being that he now speaks with the Face of God according to his wife?
I do find it amazing that this televangelist candidate you have will raise so much money from so many people, just like the Bakers, Swaggart, Roberts and the rest of em.
Scary stuff. Maybe he can get a gold throne like that one indian looking guy I see on tv once in awhile who is always raising money for God.
Trump should have fun pointing that out in the coming week. Trump has a way of sniffing out people’s vulnerabilities. Cruz is a little tone deaf if he didn’t see how desperate this makes him look.
Like Beck demeaned Trump’s beliefs on behalf of Cruz ? .. How about Cruz bearing false witness upon Carson ? ...it’s getting nasty and Cruz/Beck/Levin started it all ...
Cruz is so dishonest, can’t get Trump’s crowds so he co-opts a Christian concert.
Desperation ...
That’s okay. Let Cruz get the feel of how ALL of the Trump rallys are. This is probably his only chance.
Ted Cruz is the real deal.
After his 2nd place win in liberal NH, he named RELIGIOUS LIBERTY as one of his top priorities when he becomes president.
Well... this would have seemed the place, if there ever was any, for Cruz to make a personal testimony. THAT I could WELL understand. That’s what the music was all about, certainly.
To use it for a political promotion would be like going to a birthday party to lick the wax candles, or something.
He’s a real deal, a deal of what I am not quite sure yet.
Do you realize how funny you and many other Trump supporters are in your fulsome praise of a man of dubious character?
Let’s see: you say “Praise God. God has sent Donald Trump to America in its time of need. The right man for the job.”
Are you serious? Have you ever read the Bible? God says He honors those that honor Him. HOW HAS DONALD TRUMP EVER HONORED GOD IN HIS ENTIRE BLOOMING LIFE? Please don’t invoke the name of God and Donald Trump in the same sentence. Trump has broken his covenant marriage vows with two woman, divorcing them and playing with his mistresses. He is a serial adulterer who brags about his sexual conquests. He is a strip club owner. He has supported abortion — the killing of unborn, innocent babies, children for much of his life. He says he really doesn’t need God’s forgiveness or needs it only a little. What a proud, haughty arrogant man.
I would disagree. You say praise God for Trump. I’ll pray instead for God to defeat and humble this man for his own good.
I have worked in pro-life causes for 40 years — and I can see trouble a mile away. If there is one person whom Donald Trump reminds me of it is Arnold Schwarzengger. People in California had a great chance to elect a true conservative in 2003 with a massively damaged Democrat brand. Instead they choose the electable — and dishonorable Arnold. I feel sad for my nation. If Trump is elected, he will be another Arnold, arrogant and haughty. In the meantime, I hope the American people are smarter than the people of California or than they were when they elected Obama.
Watch Teddy get eviscerated by SC GOP leaders! Now, we see threads claiming those crowds came to see Teddy. Lies, lies, and damnable lies. All Cruz, all the time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1pNEm4zYxE
Mommy, he started it!!
That’s your defense? Really?
in a way this is a positive. trump has revealled the seeds who fell by the way side (Matthew 13:4)
How?
In a Balaam’s Donkey way. This is not your easy to peg character. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that this is the role Donald has been sent for.
Donald isn’t put here to cheer on faith in Christ. He’s put here to tell off the liars. Including some of them in Christian clothing.
This made me laugh so hard I teared up.
“Me too Ted”, indeed.
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