Cruz campaign puts family out front

In the Texas senator's bid for the White House, his father and wife are the tip of the spear.

To one degree or another, every candidate running for president has enlisted their family in their effort. But none have gone so far as Ted Cruz, whose surging campaign has placed his wife Heidi and father Rafael at the tip of the spear, leading fundraising and organizing efforts as if they were paid staffers.

Neither has a formal title, but as the Texas senator continues to roll out endorsements and assemble a growing network of supporters in the early states and across the South in anticipation of the March 1 primaries, the influence of his wife, on leave from her position as an executive at Goldman Sachs, and his father, a pastor who is a fixture on the evangelical speaking circuit, is becoming stamped across his campaign.

Rafael Cruz has been central to his son's evangelical outreach efforts for months. For many Christian conservatives, the first introduction to the Cruz family was through Rafael, who served as a key bridge between religious leaders and the campaign. Last summer he did a multi-city swing through Iowa churches where he was accompanied by the Cruz campaign's Iowa state director and preached about the importance of getting Christians to vote. His son is rarely the subject of his sermons - but it's implied.

For most of the campaign, Heidi Cruz focused almost singularly on fundraising. But after largely playing a behind the scenes role, she has started ratcheting up her public presence in recent weeks. She joined Twitter this month and has already done solo swings through states including Alabama and Georgia, maintaining a pace that sometimes rivals her husband's, with as many as three stops a day. She has a heavy travel schedule planned through the end of the year.

Just as important, Heidi Cruz has joined Rafael Cruz in quietly courting lawmakers, according to several legislators who are backing Cruz, sometimes forming a one-two Cruz family punch before the senator gets involved.

Bob Vander Plaats, a prominent Iowa social conservative whose Family Leader organization hosted a presidential forum earlier this month, has met at various times with Rafael, Heidi and Ted Cruz as he weighs an endorsement.

"Cruz definitely has made this a family affair," he said, ticking through all the spouses of candidates he hasn't met.

Like other candidates' wives, Heidi Cruz's public mission is, in part, to soften the edges of her husband, who is reviled by many of his Senate colleagues. But her actual portfolio is much broader, encompassing fundraising, strategy and tactics.

The Cruzes met while working on George W. Bush's campaign - and Heidi Cruz held several roles in the Bush administration - so she is as comfortable talking strategy with donors and GOP officials as she is in the more traditional political spousal role of opening up about family life and humanizing her husband.

"She's very sharp in her own right, very impressive," said South Carolina State Rep. Wendy Nanney, who got a call from Heidi Cruz during which the two discussed the Texas senator's record as well as Nanney's own work challenging abortion rights. "It was a great conversation with her, I was very comfortable, and that led into a meeting with him, [and my] being very comfortable and able to talk very openly."

"Ted and Heidi are the closest Republican equivalent of the political powerhouse couple Bill and Hillary Clinton," said Cruz campaign chair Chad Sweet. "Their marriage was forged in the heat of a presidential campaign and their partnership in American politics has not stopped since. Each is a formidable politico in their own right."

Now, through social media and radio hits, women's lunches and phone calls to key activists, Heidi Cruz is intensifying her public efforts to shore up support for her husband, a mandate that includes showcasing a gentler side to a candidate who is rising in the polls but is sometimes stiff while working a crowd, and has drawn criticism from top Republicans ranging from John Boehner to George W. Bush.

"This election is going to come down to trust," she said in a recent interview with POLITICO. "If you are looking to trust someone, you need to know them, and knowing them is multidimensional...The news media loves to portray Ted as such a serious person, the media tells you he doesn't connect, and when I tell you these things about how well he connects not only with voters but with family, I think it goes against that narrative."

She talks about her husband's fondness for Broadway musicals and his inside jokes with their two young daughters, and in front of women's groups has stressed that he has compassion for single mothers, in part because that was his half-sister's experience.

"I want to show people that Ted can unite this party, that Ted is speaking to common-sense principles that bring us all together," Cruz said. "I also want to show this country that he is incredibly thoughtful, both professionally and personally. This is a man who's never missed a date night, who's never missed a birthday, who loves his girls so much like every father does in this country.

"Not all the public know that yet, and the media loves to paint him as a fiery, outspoken advocate for the extreme right that can never win," continued Cruz, vowing to show that that's not the full picture.

Steve Deace, an influential conservative Iowa radio host who is backing Cruz, had several meetings with the senator, his wife and his father. Deace's wife also had lunch with Heidi Cruz.

"They each have God-given roles and just complement each other very well," said Deace, calling them a "model contemporary Christian couple."

"Ted's got the killer instinct when it comes to pursuing principles," he said. "Heidi's got the killer instinct when it comes to gathering resources to run a successful campaign."

Yet Deace's first connection to the Cruz family was through Rafael Cruz, whom he met in Iowa evangelical circles. That's not an uncommon experience: Eric Woolson, who worked on Christian conservative outreach for Scott Walker in Iowa before the Wisconsin governor dropped out, told POLITICO recently said that he was constantly running up against pastors who were glowing about "how impressed they were with Sen. Cruz's dad, how much work he'd done."

Yes...I know Cruz called the meeting with Trump, quickly after Trump’s presidential announcement took the nation by storm. Cruz is smart...no doubt saw an opportunity to align himself, early.

While Cruz can claim to have fought for some of the same things Trump has put the spotlight on, I don’t recall Cruz calling for “immediate deportation of those here illegally” or “immediately build the (Trump) wall” or “Syrian’s will have to go back”...BEFORE the Paris massacre (as Trump did), etc, etc. As I mentioned earlier...I’m glad Cruz is coming around on several issues that Trump has highlighted. (Although I prefer action, on illegal immigration, not a “national conversation”.)

I’m pleased that Trump donated $5K to Cruz’ Jobs, Growth and Freedom PAC...to support a REPUBLICAN MAJORITY, in the Senate. I also donated to this PAC, in 2014...for that very same reason ;-) Unfortunately, we’ve all now seen that giving GOP a majority in Congress/Senate hasn’t done much :(

Again, do you happen to have a link that details the items that Cruz “has counseled Trump on”? I’m just curious about the topics. Thanks.

Trump won't be immediately deporting those here illegally regardless of what he's saying now to mislead people....especially since he's made the point to say he'll let them back in legally, and where he back stepped....he'll be streamlining ‘the process’ to let them back ...if he even deports them to begin with...I don't believe he will.

This is how I see that playing out...Trump will go after the drug gangs....that will make it appear he meant what he said...but he'll be bogged down with public outcry for all others with the typical “what about the children” tactic and Congress will attempt to block him, not to mention the law suites to tie it all up in the courts.......all to maintain the status quo we've had all along. It'll go no further.

We might see Trump build a few walls...but it will be in the general areas ‘already’ determined for that, high traffic areas etc. in order to control the actual areas of entrance.....you will not see a wall across the Mexican border entire...and what will be put there will be to streamline the processing of “human capital” for the huge industrial parks now on the border and which Texas is well known for...they will also be coming from S.America.

The only reason Trump could put the spotlight on illegal immigration was the media.....not because he had done anything about it prior....or as if it hasn't been something discussed and fought for before him....the media wanted ratings and knew a showman could bring it....so did Trump.

As for Syrians going back,....that won't happen either unless they choose to do so...once they are in any country they seldom leave....and those folks have very little country to return to. The Muslim underground operating here will see to it that they are carefully protected from governments attempts to be deported. And in fact one of the reasons they're coming is because of the activists who lobbied for their own to come here.....legally and otherwise. The guy who's kids made the news for drowning is a prime example of getting their people in under the radar and settling them in the US.

Cruz hasn't just claimed he's fought for these issues...He HAS been fighting them. With proposals, documentation, amendments and reform hearings and taking on the opposition..etc. etc. What has Trump actually done about immigration? Shine a spotlight? One that's been shinned many times before him....he had to choose ‘something’ to attract the masses... so he went for it.

As for a link...you won't find a link...certain things are sometimes private information....but you can look and see. Generally it's pretty much understood regardless. But you are certainly free to question that "counseling"......and good to understand it was Cruz who called for meetings with Trump...and Cruz who invited Trump the the Iran Rally...and while Trump was giving helicopter rides Cruz was wrapping up the southern states..... so we recognize who's leading the pair.

you mean just like Cruz mirrored him on universal care? Oh, wait......

just like on property rights and eminent domain? Oh, wait......

Just like on TARP? Oh, wait.....

Just like on earlier shutdowns? Oh, wait......

Just like the Clinton Foundation? Oh, wait.......

Just like bailing out GM and the unions? Oh, wait........

Just like smooching up to Nancy Pelosi after she won speaker of the House? Oh, wait......

You might want to hold off on the “mirror” thing for a while.

Cruz is a smart cookie. He hides his naked ambition a bit better than Rubio. I have nothing agains’t ambition and Ted knows how to cover all the bases. He wants out of the Senate as he is going nowhere fast there. The GOPe controls the Senate and they hate his guts. He’s just one vote there and no organized caucus to back him up. Cruz will never get a piece of legislation passed in the Senate with his name on it while Mitch McConnell draws a breath.

So Ted is running for President, VP and AG all at the same time by cozying up to Trump and I applaud him for it. He can learn a lot from Trump who is 25 years older and wiser. And $9 billion richer. :-)

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