Cruz: Senators have the presidential edge on foreign policy

The Washington Post's Post Politics ^ | February 11, 2015 | Abby Livingston, The Texas Tribune

[2ndDivisionVet]

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is refusing to cede the argument many of his likely Republican presidential rivals are making: that governors are better equipped than legislators to be commander-in-chief.

“Historically, when elections have focused in significant part on national security, that has given an advantage to candidates who have experience concerning national security,” the Texas senator said on Wednesday. “And that, by its nature, has tended to favor senators over governors.”

Cruz's comments, made to reporters on Capitol Hill after delivering a foreign policy speech, follow remarks that former Texas Gov. Rick Perry made downplaying Senate experience ahead of a presidential bid.

Asked by The Texas Tribune and The Washington Post last week what separates him from Cruz, Perry never mentioned his potential 2016 rival by name. But he said voters appreciate executive experience, and, referencing President Obama, predicted that "they’re going to make a rather radical shift, away from a young, untested United States senator whose policies have really failed.”

On Wednesday, Cruz said he recognizes that "more than a few governors thinking of running for president have stated that the next nominee must be a governor.”

"And I always chuckle when they say that," he added, "because our friends in the media treat it somehow as news that governors prefer governors, whereas I find it altogether unsurprising.”(continued)

[2ndDivisionVet]

When he is interviewed by these reporters, it must feel like when a 50 year old mall Santa is talking to the three-year-old on his lap.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Rosetta Stone makes foreign policy discs now.

[SoConPubbie]

Rosetta Stone makes foreign policy discs now.

Better have Scott Walker get a copy then, because given his total lack of Foreign Policy experience and his recent comments about putting boots on the ground in Syria in a conflict between Terrorists and those who train terrorist, he is clearly not ready and needs to study up before he opens his mouth again.

[Awgie]

Scott Walker will be a fine President on both domestic and foreign affairs. He will consult with the knowledgeable Congress critters prior to making decisions.

[shove_it]

To date, sixteen senators have also served as president of the United States. Three senators, Warren G. Harding, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama moved directly from the U.S. Senate to the White House.
(Photo: Warren G. Harding. Senate Historical Office)

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James Monroe
Senator, 1790-1794
President, 1817-1825

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John Quincy Adams
Senator, 1803-1808
President, 1825-1829

---

Andrew Jackson
Senator, 1797-1798; 1823-1825
President, 1829-1837

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Martin Van Buren
Senator, 1821-1828
President, 1837-1841

---

William Henry Harrison
Senator, 1825-1828
President, 1841

---

John Tyler
Senator, 1827-1836
President, 1841-1845

---

Franklin Pierce
Senator, 1837-1842
President, 1853-1857

---

James Buchanan
Senator, 1834-1845
President, 1857-1861

---

Andrew Johnson
Senator, 1857-1862; 1875
President, 1865-1869

---

Benjamin Harrison
Senator, 1881-1887
President, 1889-1893

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Warren G. Harding
Senator, 1915-1921
President, 1921-1923

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Harry S. Truman
Senator, 1935-1945
President, 1945-1953

---

John F. Kennedy
Senator, 1953-1960
President, 1961-1963

---

Lyndon B. Johnson
Senator, 1949-1961
President, 1963-1969

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Richard M. Nixon
Senator, 1950-1953
President, 1969-1974

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Barack Obama
Senator, 2005-2008
President, 2009- present

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senators_became_president.htm

Most of them are/were Rats.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Nope, about half and half, if you count Federalists and Whigs.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. There’s a long way to go before then.

[Paladin2]

Nice Theory, but the example of Juan disproves it.

[faithhopecharity]

yes and no about senators and good foreign policy skills

i sure wouldn’t include Hillary or McCain, just for starters

[who_would_fardels_bear]

What experience does a Senator have with foreign policy that a governor doesn't?

Senators have a battalion of aides that read/write all of the foreign policy bills that the Senator has to deal with.

Senators appear in the Senate to read speeches written for them by aides/lobbyists.

They manage to agree with those folks that give them the most money.

If they do listen to "intellectuals" it is not the most intelligent or thoughtful, but the most ingratiating and power-hungry, i.e. Neocons.

So Cruz wins. He has little or no taste for domestic issues. He gets bored and lets his Neocon subordinates lead him into starting another war somewhere or other.

Maybe he even "grows" and starts to support some form of ... dare I use that horrible word? ... amnesty for illegal, er, undocumented workers.

After all, that's where the money will have come from if he wins, and where the money will be coming from if he wants a second term.

[RedMDer]

Two percent a day keeps the 404 away.
Don't let FR fade away!

[shove_it]

Nope, sorry. Nine of them were/are Rats starting with the father of Ratdom, Andy Jackson, then followed by eight more. Look it up.

[napscoordinator]

Oh Lord. I agree with Walker. He is going to be an incredible President. Senators make great Presidents on Foreign Policy?????? I can’t believe he lied like that. Cruz is a very nice person and great policy guy but he is a one term Senator. It would be nice to have him as President, but America is not going to put another “on the job training” Senator in the White House this soon. Cruz not getting the nomination can put the blame right at Obama’s feet. He screwed it for all first term Senators for at least a decade.

[SoConPubbie]

Oh Lord. I agree with Walker. He is going to be an incredible President. Senators make great Presidents on Foreign Policy?????? I can’t believe he lied like that. Cruz is a very nice person and great policy guy but he is a one term Senator. It would be nice to have him as President, but America is not going to put another “on the job training” Senator in the White House this soon. Cruz not getting the nomination can put the blame right at Obama’s feet. He screwed it for all first term Senators for at least a decade.

Oh Please.

Are you always this dishonest?

He lied???

Where Walker and Foreign Policy is concerned, he is the one that is going to need a lot of "On-the-job training".

Here he is stating he would not rule out putting boots on the ground in the Syrian conflict between Terrorists and those who fund and train Terrorists:

Scott Walker: U.S. should be ready to 'put boots on the ground' in Syria

This is not a serious foreign policy position. It's a joke of a position. Trying to sound tough, he missed the bigger picture.

As a Senator, Ted Cruz has exposure to all Foreign Policy issues, Scott Walker, maybe some foreign trade issues???

So objectively speaking, Ted Cruz sees the Big Picture where Foreign Policy is concerned, where it affects all of the States. He deals with all of it as a Senator in one way or another.

And Scott Walker's foreign policy experience is very narrow (and it shows), just where it affects his state.

Better get used to President Cruz!

Why should we accept a 2nd best CONSERVATIVE choice like Scott Walker when we have the best in Ted Cruz?!?

CRUZ or LOSE!

[napscoordinator]

Like I said, America will NOT elect another First Term Senator and you can blame Obama for that. We can’t afford it. It is too dangerous. Had Romney won in 2012 then I could see Cruz winning, but no way are we going to put a Senator who has only been in office for a partial Senate term. That is just the unfortunate timing for Cruz and nothing about anything else. Obama screwed first term Senators for a decade at least.

[SoConPubbie]

Like I said, America will NOT elect another First Term Senator and you can blame Obama for that. We can’t afford it. It is too dangerous. Had Romney won in 2012 then I could see Cruz winning, but no way are we going to put a Senator who has only been in office for a partial Senate term. That is just the unfortunate timing for Cruz and nothing about anything else. Obama screwed first term Senators for a decade at least.

Keep telling yourself that as Cruz is sworn in as POTUS.

[napscoordinator]

Keep telling yourself that as Cruz is sworn in as POTUS.

Well you certainly seem confident about that. I certainly won’t be crying if it happens that is for sure. However, I would be shocked due to the American public today. Much different then the days of President Reagan.