Posted on 09/02/2013 8:48:13 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was met with enthusiastic cheers from an "adoring" audience during his address at a conservative summit on Saturday, the friendliest of any of the potential 2016 presidential hopefuls to speak at the Defending the Dream summit.
The event, hosted by Americans for Prosperity, drew a handful of other conservative stars and would-be presidential contenders: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R ) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R ) all spoke.
But according to The Washington Post, none received so warm a welcome as Cruz. He was met with chants of "Run, Ted, run!" after giving a speech focused largely on the imperative of defunding ObamaCare, a cause which he and a handful of other conservatives in the Senate have championed in recent weeks.
Cruz slammed fellow Republicans who have criticized the push as potentially politically harmful and pledged not to back down from a threat to shut down the government if the law is not defunded.
“Right now, the people who are fighting the hardest against our effort to defund Obamacare are sadly Republican,” he said. “Over and over again, they say, ‘We can’t win this fight.’ Well, you know — you lose 100 percent of the fights that you surrender at the outset.”
Cruz has fast emerged as a darling of the conservative movement, taking a place somewhat lost by Rubio after the Florida senator took the lead on immigration reform, drawing him criticism from conservatives and leading to a drop in many national polls of the 2016 GOP presidential landscape.
Indeed, Rubio's reception at the same summit on Friday was decidedly less enthusiastic. Though he received cheers for parts of his speech, he was also heckled over immigration reform with shouts of "No amnesty!" from the crowd.
In contrast, Cruz took the stage to a sustained standing ovation and exited to calls for him to run for president.
“What kind of drugs are you taking anyway?”
Such civility!
Would I vote for him? Probably. Do I think he’s a natural born citizen? No, but I’m sure there will be plenty of legal arguments both for and against.
Certainly you can see why some of us take issue when constitutional provisions are distorted because it suits our purposes? We hate it when the left does that.
Is there any evidence the founders believed natural born meant born anywhere so long as one parent was an American?
/johnny
Of all the potential 2016 contenders, he is the one that most intrigues me right now, WJ. It's still way early, and I don't know too much about Senator Cruz yet--haven't had time. But from all I've heard, he seems like a true conservative who stands for what is right and can articulate it with passion and intelligence. That's what I'm looking for.
As to his eligibility, I think the questions you raise--which are legitimate concerns--will be settled soon enough, if they have not been already. Lots of folks are saying he is eligible, and it sounds like a strong case can be made for that.
Why are you even a FReeper? If you don’t like what we stand for, bail the hell out now while you still have a choice to do so on your own.
IF Cruz runs and IF he’s the strongest conservative running (which no doubt he will be, look up his record) he will have my support 100%!! And I’m not going to allow the crap that happened during the last two presidential cycles to happen again. RINO supporters can go straight to hell as far as I’m concerned along with any “conservative” who supports amnesty.
This is rebellion (a voter rebellion)!! Look up the Declaration. See if you can figure out what is says about consent of the governed and what that means. See if you can find the Founders’ remedy for despotic government.
Live free or die!!
We have not yet begun to fight!!
You accused me of doing drugs. Prove that I’m on any drug of any sort.
/johnny
This Ted Cruz birther stuff would continue even if an angel came down and affirmed his eligibility.
Their legal arguments don’t hold water. No court will even touch it. It’s up to the people.
He is spreading malicious lies and I’ve got a hunch he won’t be long for FR.
I don’t know. Does Senator Cruz have a Canadian passport or not? It does seem rather unlikely that he currently has a Canadian passport. He might have had one when he moved here at four.
I’m pretty sure he just recently renounced (or is renouncing) Canadian citizenship. He was a dual citizen at birth. The laws on that vary by country, but I’m not claiming Senator Cruz isn’t an American. He’s certainly American, but is he “natural born?”
“Why are you even a FReeper?”
I’m a Freeper because I am a conservative and I believe that FR stands up for principled conservativism.
I disagree with you here, JR. I think you’re making a mistake. I understand your desire for Ted as President. All too well. I think he’s a fantastic man, but I think that the principle is larger than any one man.
I remember some of what Washington himself said about the office - where some were saying that Washington should serve as long as he was alive. Then Washington himself stepped in and said - “the office is greater than any one man”. We must not and can not afford to set aside the principles of the constitution even for one man, no matter how great the man might be.
“If you don’t like what we stand for”
What happens when those principles change? Am I supposed to bail or fight for the same principles that FR has always stood behind? What would you do if you sincerely believed that FR was leaving behind what they stood for? Would you stand and fight for these principles, or would you go?
“IF Cruz runs and IF he’s the strongest conservative running (which no doubt he will be, look up his record) he will have my support 100%!!”
My disagreement has nothing to do with the man or his policies. He’s my Senator. I think he’s a fantastic senator. It has everything to do with the office of the presidency and the principles behind it. I believe Americans should be represented by someone who is born in America.
“And I’m not going to allow the crap that happened during the last two presidential cycles to happen again. RINO supporters can go straight to hell as far as I’m concerned along with any “conservative” who supports amnesty.”
Would you label someone who agreed with the principle that the office of the presidency ought to be reserved for someone born in America a RINO?
“See if you can find the Founders’ remedy for despotic government.”
I do. One of the checks is requiring the president to be born here. Not elsewhere. There are good reasons for this.
/johnny
/johnny
/johnny
Jim Robinson: “His mother was an American citizen. Cruz is an American citizen by birth. A natural born American citizen!!”
To tell the truth, I haven’t thought a lot about the “natural born” provision one way or the other. So you’re saying the natural born provision only bans people who are naturalized citizens?
“He was a dual citizen at birth.”
Cruz had to reside in America in order to keep his American citizenship. This is not true of natural born citizens. He is a Canadian citizen as well as an American citizen. He would be eligible for Cuban citizenship (through his father), at the time of his birth.
Canadian citizens are eligible for a Canadian passport. Cruz is, and has always been a Canadian citizen. This is different from a natural born citizen - born in America who would not be considered a dual citizen.
I’m sorry that facts are considered to be lies. These are all factual statements. I agree that Cruz is a fantastic senator. I want him to stay in the senate and help us take the senate over.
Have no idea. But the argument is stupid and self-defeating. Millions of natural born Americans hold Canadian passports. So what? Doesn’t make them any less a citizen.
A little birdie is telling me that the birthers who insist on hijacking every Cruz thread with this nonsense are going to start falling by the wayside. If FR is not their cup of tea they should start looking for a new home.
What drugs am I on again?
Nothing you say can be trusted.
/johnny
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.