Thread: Ted Cruz is the first Latino to win a caucus or primary. Why isn’t that a bigger deal

Ted Cruz is the first Latino to win a caucus or primary. Why isn’t that a bigger deal?

By Callum Borchers February 3

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas became the first Latino to win a presidential caucus or primary contest on Monday.

The liberal bias alarm is sounding. Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, just became the first Latino candidate to win a presidential caucus or primary, and conservatives are complaining that the mainstream media is overlooking the achievement.

"Where is the media on this, right?" Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus said Tuesday in an interview on Fox News Channel. "I mean, this is a big deal."

Conservative news outlets have aired the same grievance.

Breitbart News: "For the first time in history, a Hispanic won a presidential primary. But due to the fact that Sen. Ted Cruz is Republican, no one [in] the media dares say so.

Western Journalism: "Ted Cruz's caucus win was historic, as it marks the first time in American history a Hispanic candidate has won a presidential primary contest in any state. With the identity-politics the media purveys, why isn't this being reported as a big, big deal? Why are no media outlets making banner headlines that a Hispanic just won a primary?"

Conservative Angle: "So why isn’t the media throwing confetti when this minority senator achieved another milestone for Hispanics? It's obvious: both Ted Cruz and the third place winner in Iowa, Marco Rubio, are the wrong kind of Latinos. They're Republican. They're conservative."

To be clear: the press has not totally ignored Cruz's milestone. It's been noted by CNN's Jake Tapper, NBC News, the Des Moines Register, the Dallas Morning News and Fox News, to name just a few.

However, it is fair to say that the media have not heralded the first caucus/primary win by a Latino as a massive breakthrough. The question, then, is whether the press is applying a double standard.

I'm not convinced that it is. We can't say for certain how the media would have reacted to a first-ever win by a Latino Democrat, but we can look at coverage of the first victory by a woman, Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2008, and the first by an African American, Democrat Jesse Jackson in 1984. Was each of those a big deal?

Not really. The prospect of Clinton becoming the first female president was certainly significant, as it is again this year, but there was little hoopla about the specific accomplishment that was her winning the 2008 New Hampshire primary. Check the clips. You'll have a hard time finding so much as a footnote.

The media's focus was on Clinton's rebound after an upset win in Iowa by then-Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. She had entered the race as the favorite; winning one primary was portrayed not as a huge accomplishment but as just one step along the way.

In this Jan. 4, 1984, file photo, President Ronald Reagan and Democratic presidential hopeful Jesse Jackson gesture shortly after a White House Rose Garden ceremony honoring Navy Lt. Robert O. Goodman. Jackson was instrumental in securing Goodman's release from Syria after a month in captivity. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz, File)

Jackson, on the other hand, was not seen as a viable threat to win the Democratic nomination — never mind the White House -- against Republican incumbent Ronald Reagan. When he won the 1984 Democratic primary in the District of Columbia — in May, by which time Walter Mondale and Gary Hart were clearly the only real contenders — the media yawned.

I'd even characterize the New York Times' account of Jackson's victory as dismissive. The Times noted the district's "predominantly black and overwhelmingly Democratic electorate" and reported that "Mr. Jackson's opponents virtually conceded him the lead in the popular vote here long before today's primary."

Translation: Jackson's win was no big deal because it was basically handed to him.

Cruz isn't a heavy favorite like Clinton was, nor is he a fringe candidate in the mold of Jackson. The three campaigns are quite different, actually. But in all three cases, their "first-ever" wins have been put in restrained context by the press — signs of progress, to be sure, but nothing to throw a parade over.

Perhaps that's not enough. But it's consistent across party lines.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...a-bigger-deal/

"Ted Cruz's caucus win was historic, as it marks the first time in American history a Hispanic candidate has won a presidential primary contest in any state. With the identity-politics the media purveys, why isn't this being reported as a big, big deal? Why are no media outlets making banner headlines that a Hispanic just won a primary?"

Probably because he's Canadian.

It's official: Ted Cruz a citizen of the U.S. - and the U.S. only

Saeed Ahmed, CNN
Updated 11:18 AM ET, Sat January 9, 2016


Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father.


Story highlights

• Texas Republican was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father
• He took steps to renounce his Canadian citizenship last year
• He received a note in the mail this week telling him process is done

This story was originally published on June 11, 2014.

(CNN)It's official. Sen. Ted Cruz is now a citizen of the United States -- and the United States only.

If you remember, the Texas Republican was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father. As such, he was a dual citizen -- an American because of his mother, and Canadian because the country, like America, grants automatic citizenship to anyone born there.

Cruz: Washington elites and GOP nominee 07:41

Cruz: They didn't sign up to be assaulted 00:56

Dole to Sen. Cruz: Check the record 01:06


No harm in that, except Cruz is considered a potential candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. And when the news of his dual citizenship surfaced last year, thanks to a Dallas Morning News piece, some began to question his eligibility to become president. (In truth, that was never in jeopardy. Most legal experts said Cruz qualifies as a "natural born citizen," a requirement for the White House job, as stated in the Constitution.)

The newspaper piece came as a revelation to Cruz as well.

"Because I was a U.S. citizen at birth, because I left Calgary when I was 4 and have lived my entire life since then in the U.S., and because I have never taken affirmative steps to claim Canadian citizenship, I assumed that was the end of the matter," Cruz said at the time.

Then he took immediate steps to renounce his Canadian citizenship.

Well, that process was formally completed last month, and he received a letter in the mail this week telling him so, the newspaper reported Tuesday.

"This is to certify that the person named above has formally renounced Canadian citizenshp and pursuant to the Citizenship Act will cease to be a citizen on" May 14, 2014, the letter read.
"it's official y'all," tweeted his spokeswomanCatherine Frazier.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/11/politi...hip/index.html

A US citizen is not the same as natural born citizen.

"some began to question his eligibility to become president. (In truth, that was never in jeopardy. Most legal experts said Cruz qualifies as a "natural born citizen," a requirement for the White House job, as stated in the Constitution."

According to author, Saeed Ahmed.

There are still plenty of self described conservatives who support Cruz's bogus claims to citizenship. If the media went around crowing about Cruz's latino identity it would definitely spoil it for the supporters of open borders among both "conservatives" and "liberals". He might get some credit for being a Canadian, but the media would have to admit he is not even really Canadian, he is Venezuelan. Remember that the Obamination made it into the White House on the same bogus citizenship. Nobody wants to take the blame for that.

Just move right along, nothing happening here folks. Quit asking so many embarrassing questions.

Originally Posted by pkskyali

There are still plenty of self described conservatives who support Cruz's bogus claims to citizenship. If the media went around crowing about Cruz's latino identity it would definitely spoil it for the supporters of open borders among both "conservatives" and "liberals". He might get some credit for being a Canadian, but the media would have to admit he is not even really Canadian, he is Venezuelan. Remember that the Obamination made it into the White House on the same bogus citizenship. Nobody wants to take the blame for that.

Just move right along, nothing happening here folks. Quit asking so many embarrassing questions.

Cruz is not Canadian or Venezuelan, he was born a U.S. citizen according to law. By the way, where did you come up with the Venezuelan stuff? He father was never Venezuelan, nor was his mother.