US: Cruz to become first major candidate to jump into 2016 race

[webfact]

Cruz to become first major candidate to jump into 2016 race
By STEVE PEOPLES

WASHINGTON (AP) — Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will become the first major candidate for president when he launches his campaign Monday, kicking off what's expected to be a rush over the next few weeks of more than a dozen White House hopefuls into the 2016 campaign.

Cruz will formally get into the race during a morning speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, choosing to begin his campaign at the Christian college founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell rather than his home state of Texas or the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. It's a fitting setting for Cruz, a 44-year-old tea party darling whose entry into the 2016 campaign drew cheers Sunday among fellow conservatives.

"The official Republican pool of candidates will take a quantum leap forward with his announcement tomorrow," said Amy Kremer, the former head of the Tea Party Express. Cruz's announcement, she said, "will excite the base in a way we haven't seen in years."

Elected for the first time just three years ago, when he defeated an establishment figure in Texas politics with decades of experience in office, Cruz has hinted openly for more than a year that he wants to move down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Senate and into the White House. His plans were confirmed Sunday by one of his political strategists, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity so as not to preclude the announcement.

While Cruz is the first Republican to declare his candidacy, he is all but certain to be followed by several big names in the GOP, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and two Senate colleagues, Kentucky's Rand Paul and Florida's Marco Rubio.

The Houston Chronicle first reported details about Cruz's campaign launch. His move puts him into pole position among those whose strategy to win the nomination counts on courting the party's most conservative voters, who hold an outsized influence in the Republican nominating process.

"Cruz is going to make it tough for all of the candidates who are fighting to emerge as the champion of the anti-establishment wing of the party," said GOP strategist Kevin Madden. "That is starting to look like quite a scrum where lots of candidates will be throwing some sharp elbows."

Following his election to the Senate in 2012, the former Texas solicitor general quickly established himself as an uncompromising conservative willing to take on Democrats and Republicans alike. He won praise from tea party activists in 2013 for leading the GOP's push to partially shut the federal government during an unsuccessful bid to block money for President Barack Obama's health care law.

In December, Cruz defied party leaders to force a vote on opposing Obama's executive actions on immigration. The strategy failed, and led several of his Republican colleagues to call Cruz out. "You should have an end goal in sight if you're going to do these types of things and I don't see an end goal other than irritating a lot of people," said Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Such admonitions mean little to Cruz, who wins over crowds of like-minded conservative voters with his broadsides against Obama, Congress and the federal government. One of the nation's top college debaters while a student at Princeton University, Cruz continues to be a leading voice for the health law's repeal, and promises to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and scrap the Department of Education if elected president.

Last weekend in New Hampshire, one voter gave Cruz a blank check and told him to write it for whatever amount he needed.

"He's awfully good at making promises that he knows the GOP can't keep and pushing for unachievable goals, but he seems very popular with right wing," said veteran Republican strategist John Feehery. "Cruz is a lot smarter than the typical darling of the right, and that makes him more dangerous to guys like Scott Walker and Rand Paul."

The son of an American mother and Cuban-born father, Cruz would be the nation's first Hispanic president. While in New Hampshire this month, Cruz told voters his daughter, Caroline, had given him permission to join the presidential race in the hopes that the family puppy would get to play on the White House lawn instead of near their Houston high-rise condo.

"If you win, that means Snowflake will finally get a backyard to pee in," Cruz said his daughter told him.

To get there, Cruz knows he needs to reach out beyond his base. He is set to release a book this summer that he said would reflect themes of his White House campaign, and said in a recent Associated Press interview he will use it to counter the "caricatures" of the right as "stupid," ''evil" or "crazy."

"The image created in the mainstream media does not comply with the facts," he said.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-23

[jamesjohnsonthird]

This fool still denies global warming.

Last week he was on the east coast and "saw ice & snow everywhere."

"Just look out the window........snow and ice.....the scientists obviously got it wrong...."

Why should he believe the "alarmist" scientific community when the coal and gas companies say otherwise?

Edited March 23, 2015 by jamesjohnsonthird

[khwaibah]

The Number 1 GOP & Tea Party poster child.

[pitrevie]

One of his five priorities is to abolish the IRS that should play out well.

[Credo]

But, but, but....

He's not a real American....he was born in Canada!

I wonder if the Democrats will get a birther group going?

[bendejo]

OK! This news comes out after Glen Beck has announced he is no longer a member of the Republican Party (he's probably lying).

Go Cruz 2016!

Go Rick Scott!

Go Rand Paul!

Just think, by the end of the year we're going to see all these guys tearing each other to ribbons, with a few more jokers yet to surface.

But wait, Cruz was born in Canada, that makes him ineligible.

Can't wait to see what kind of wolf pack Hillary will be facing.

Speaking of which, I just had a look at the GOP website. Of their top-5 stories on the right-hand side three were about HIllary; is she running on the GOP ticket?

Edited March 23, 2015 by bendejo

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

The recent US bi-election cost an est. $6.5 billion (for a bi-election!!!!). I wonder how much this presidential election will cost? This is obscene. They really need to get the money out of the election process.

[jamesjohnsonthird]

The recent US bi-election cost an est. $6.5 billion (for a bi-election!!!!). I wonder how much this presidential election will cost? This is obscene. They really need to get the money out of the election process.

On top of this amount is the 24/7 Faux News that is basically a Republican infomercial.

It's obscene and immoral what they do.

[sdanielmcev]

I see Cruz has the liberal whack jobs in a tither. But, then you don't care what his platform is.

[sdanielmcev]

The recent US bi-election cost an est. $6.5 billion (for a bi-election!!!!). I wonder how much this presidential election will cost? This is obscene. They really need to get the money out of the election process.

On top of this amount is the 24/7 Faux News that is basically a Republican infomercial.

It's obscene and immoral what they do.

As will ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and CBS will be lapdogs for whatever the Dems put out.

[samran]

I thought the GOP had issues with foreign born religious nut jobs in the oval office?

I guess not....

[PatOngo]

Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more Bushes!

[Jingthing]

I doubt he'll be nominated but he's kind of a scary as he's a combination of bat sheit crazy and very high intelligence. But I think Americans have had enough of very high intelligence presidents for awhile.

[pmarlowe]

But, but, but....

He's not a real American....he was born in Canada!

I wonder if the Democrats will get a birther group going?

actually, Canadians are Americans.

[Jingthing]

But, but, but....

He's not a real American....he was born in Canada!

I wonder if the Democrats will get a birther group going?

actually, Canadians are Americans.

Oh, please.

Talking about U.S. citizenship not leftist petty semantics.

Anyway, sadly, Cruz is qualified to be president and his Canuck birth does not disqualify him.

[Seastallion]

But, but, but....

He's not a real American....he was born in Canada!

I wonder if the Democrats will get a birther group going?

actually, Canadians are Americans.

And they can see Russia from their balconies.

[notmyself]

Not a chance as he is too left wing for Republican voters.

[Jingthing]

Not a chance as he is too left wing for Republican voters.

Sarcasm huh?

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[notmyself]

Not a chance as he is too left wing for Republican voters.

Sarcasm huh?

Nope. He is way way too left to even have a chance.

[Chicog]

I doubt he'll be nominated but he's kind of a scary as he's a combination of bat sheit crazy and very high intelligence. But I think Americans have had enough of very high intelligence presidents for awhile.

The Republican debates are already nailed on to be an absolute hoot. How many will be trying to out-teabag each other?

Edited March 23, 2015 by Chicog

[Pinot]

The recent US bi-election cost an est. $6.5 billion (for a bi-election!!!!). I wonder how much this presidential election will cost? This is obscene. They really need to get the money out of the election process.

On top of this amount is the 24/7 Faux News that is basically a Republican infomercial.

It's obscene and immoral what they do.

As will ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and CBS will be lapdogs for whatever the Dems put out.

Yes, all the media that has any journalistic standards.

Ted Cruz is running for President. The best part of that is his biggest competitors at this point are Bush 3 and Scott Walker

[notmyself]

Just heard on Fox that Netanyahu is thinking of running.

[Credo]

Just heard on Fox that Netanyahu is thinking of running.

Why would he want to be President, he already is running the country?

[Jingthing]

Just heard on Fox that Netanyahu is thinking of running.

Why would he want to be President, he already is running the country?

Typical global Jewish control malarkey.

[Chicog]

Just heard on Fox that Netanyahu is thinking of running.

Why would he want to be President, he already is running the country?

Typical global Jewish control malarkey.

Yes, it's absurd.

Everyone knows he's only running the Republican Party.

[Credo]

I was being facetious. Netanyahu is pretty powerful it seems though.

[Rancid]

The show itself, although entertaining on a pubescent level, doesn't really matter though does it?

The real powers would have already made their selection, you'll find out who on election night. As another new war is on the agenda can probably guess from the rhetoric.

[Jingthing]

I was being facetious. Netanyahu is pretty powerful it seems though.

He's a magical Jew.

Everything he touches turns to delicious schmaltz.

Edited March 23, 2015 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

The real powers would have already made their selection

"The REAL powers"

[RuamRudy]

Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more Bushes!

I firmly believe that the rest of the world should have the right to veto whoever is elected president. Maybe the UN should approve the winning candidate before he is allowed to take office. The prospect of another useless puppet like Bush being elected, while bad for the US, could spell disaster for the rest of the world, which is currently still struggling to cope with the mistakes of Dubya.