Thread: Cruz Signals 2016 Presidential Run with Iowa Event, Tough Talk on Putin

Cruz Signals 2016 Presidential Run with Iowa Event, Tough Talk on Putin


Tuesday, 11 Feb 2014 08:00 AM
By Melanie Batley

Sen. Ted Cruz will be stepping out in Iowa next month to speak at a major conservative event, one of the strongest signs yet that he intends to seek the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.

The tea party favorite from Texas is scheduled to address a March 18 home-schooling rally, following the paths of former presidential contenders who had popularity in the state's critical primary caucuses, such as Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, The Washington Post reports.

"Sen. Cruz is very supportive of educational freedom," Vicki Crawford, an organizer for Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators, which is hosting the event, told the Post.

"He's a perfect match for us. He's been a courageous voice in the Senate," she said, adding, "I think he'd be a wonderful choice to step into the ring in 2016."

Cruz has traveled to Iowa several times this year for smaller events, and strategists say that early support from conservatives could be key to his success in the Hawkeye State, which hosts the first nominating contest of the presidential race, according to the Post.

"The home-school event will have hundreds of people there, it's a huge event, and these are the people who organize, communicate, and build a ready-made foundation for any caucus campaign in Iowa," Chuck Laudner, a veteran Iowa GOP consultant, told the Post.

"They are looped in, and they will fight for you, if you can win them over. I know a lot of them already like Cruz, and this will be a big forum — a red-letter date."

Meanwhile, Cruz has had harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a "thug."

"The direction he is taking Russia is very problematic," Cruz said during an appearance Monday on Hugh Hewitt's radio show, according to Breitbart.com. "He is systematically oppressing his people, but he is also taking advantage of President Obama's foreign policy blunders to expand Russian influence."

He said that U.S. negotiations with Putin should come from a position of strength, which the Obama administration has failed to do.

"There is very little that should be intimidating about a thug. And I guess I view this from the perspective of being the son of someone who fled from oppression from Cuba. And what Putin is doing in Russia bears similarities to what Castro has done to Cuba."

A recent Washington Post-ABC poll on possible presidential candidates put Cruz in the lead among Tea Party supporters with 28 percent, but in fourth place among Republicans nationally at 12 percent, coming in behind Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Ted-...#ixzz2tJR6mdDE


President Ted Cruz....NOT!!!!!!! He is not eligible to run!!!! His father is not American born. He (his father) is Cuban born. Lets not start this again!! If he is the man I think he is, or at the very least hope he is, he will know that fact and make it clear to the American people!!

Ted Cruz, Rand Paul top huge Tea Party poll; Chris Christie, Jeb Bush dead last

By Paul Bedard | FEBRUARY 11, 2014 AT 11:44 AM

Candidates' Tea Party support percentage1030507090
Ted CruzRand PaulBen CarsonScott WalkerSarah PalinMike HuckabeeRick PerryBobby JindalNikki HaleyMarco RubioCondoleezza RiceRick SantorumPaul RyanJohn KasichMary FallinMike PenceSusana MartinezSteve KingKelly AyotteJon Huntsman Jr.Jeb BushChris Christie


Topics: Washington Secrets Tea Party Polls 2016 Elections Rand Paul Ted Cruz Chris Christie Jeb Bush

Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz top a new Tea Party 2016 presidential poll. AP Photos
Conservative Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul top the biggest Tea Party presidential poll yet, while moderates New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are dumped at the bottom, undermining their hopes of being 2016 crossover candidates.


The online poll of 62,000 grassroots activists provided exclusively to Secrets finds that conservatives and Tea Party organizers stand fully behind the heroes of their movement, including outspoken surgeon Ben Carson, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

But the poll for nation's largest Tea Party group, TheTeaParty.net, and the influential conservative organization Contract from America drenched cold water on the hopes of Christie, Bush and other moderates hoping to attract conservative attention. At the bottom with those two were former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte.


The poll provided 11 different matchups. From there, the support for each were totaled. Texan Cruz was at the top with 84 percent supporting his candidacy, followed by Kentucky's Paul at 80 percent and Carson at 77 percent. Last of the 22 candidates polled was Christie at 15 percent.
While not as scientific as standard polls, it gives a strong indication of where the primary state activists are because they were the group targeted.
“There’s a resounding message in these poll results for the Washington establishment. This is not a survey of casual Republicans or sometimes voters. These are activists who pound the pavement, make the phone calls, and cast their votes in every election every year,” said Todd Cefaratti, founder of TheTeaParty.net.
“They have a message for the candidates of status quo Washington: We are coming for you. We will beat you. And we will send you packing from the halls of power,” he added.
The results:
1. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz-84 percent.
2. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul-80 percent.
3. Dr. Ben Carson-77 percent.
4. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker-70 percent.
5. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin-64 percent.
6. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee-59 percent.
7. Texas Gov. Rick Perry-59 percent.
8. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal-56 percent.
9. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley-55 percent.
10. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio-52 percent.
11. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice-48 percent.
12. Former Sen. Rick Santorum-46 percent.
13. Rep. Paul Ryan-45 percent.
14. Ohio Gov. John Kasich-42 percent.
15. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin-41 percent.

16. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence-41 percent.
17. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez-41 percent.
18. Rep. Steve King-37 percent.
19. New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte-30 percent.
20. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.-29 percent.
21. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush-29 percent.
22. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie-15 percent.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.



What part of NO, don't these people get, the N or the O !!!!! He is NOT, I repeat "NOT ELIGIBLE"!!!!!!!!