Ted Cruz running for president in 2016

[Borgholio]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/us/po ... .html?_r=0

Senator Ted Cruz intends to declare on Monday that he will run for president in 2016, making him the first major hopeful to formally enter the race, an aide to Mr. Cruz said.

Mr. Cruz, Republican of Texas, will make his announcement at Liberty University in Virginia, where he is expected to be a speaker at a convocation ceremony. His intention to declare his candidacy was first reported by The Houston Chronicle and an aide to Mr. Cruz, who requested anonymity, confirmed the report on Sunday.

Mr. Cruz will skip the habitual step of creating an exploratory committee as a precursor to a campaign, the newspaper reported, citing senior advisers to Mr. Cruz. The move seems designed to send a signal that he has completed the exploratory phase and is ready to run.

Mr. Cruz will be effectively firing the starting gun on the Republican primary, which has been dominated so far by the early exploratory maneuvers of Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor; Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin; Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey; Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky; and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

Mr. Rubio and Mr. Paul are said to be planning to enter the race next month, meaning that Mr. Cruz is looking to leap ahead and define himself as much as possible.

He is setting a goal of raising between $40 million and $50 million, The Chronicle reported, adding that he also hopes to peel off enough social conservatives and libertarians to defeat the eventual establishment choice.

Mr. Cruz has been working aggressively to court major donors nationally, and often touts the tea party appeal that vaulted him to office after he was an underdog in Texas in 2012.

He has impressed some by ticking off confidently why he thinks he is better than other choices. But many Republican elites remain skeptical of and angry with Mr. Cruz over the 2013 government shutdown.

*sigh*

[Gandalf]

*sigh*

At this point I encourage more Republicans of all stripes to run. As we saw in 2012, to win the primary, one must go far right to appease the vocal Tea Party lot. This often puts them at odds with the voters in the general election.

Also, it's great TV.

[Terralthra]

I think what he's sighing about is that this will essentially be just barely short of a 2-year campaign. Literally half the term of the President will be spent campaigning for the next term. That means a bunch of Senators and Representatives and Governors will be even more obstinate and obstructionist just to score points with the primary audience for "standing up to Obama."

[Borgholio]

Actually I'm sighing because knowing the kind of person Cruz is, the amount of bullshit spewed during this election campaign will reach levels that justify de-classifying humans as a sapient species.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Actually I'm sighing because knowing the kind of person Cruz is, the amount of bullshit spewed during this election campaign will reach levels that justify de-classifying humans as a sapient species.

Hey, a good chunk of Americans actually want this sort of bullshit to come out. Until you deal with that, nothing is going to change.

[Borgholio]

Yeah it would be good to have Cruz outed as the lunatic he really is...but we have to survive the next year and a half first.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Yeah it would be good to have Cruz outed as the lunatic he really is...but we have to survive the next year and a half first.

Unfortunately, there are enough lunatics in the country to keep him there, and produce more like him.

Has been that way since the beginning.

[Tribble]

You know IMO it would really help the US if there were laws that limited the length of an election campaign. I've never understood why American campaigns last so long. Shouldn't 6-8 weeks be more than enough?

[Flagg]

Welcome to the Sideshow, ladies, gentlemen, and raving lunatics! Remember, there are no refunds once you enter! First up, THE 500 POUND MAN-EATING CHICKEN!

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

You know IMO it would really help the US if there were laws that limited the length of an election campaign. I've never understood why American campaigns last so long. Shouldn't 6-8 weeks be more than enough?

Nothing is long enough. American media loves to really indulge in gossipy news and really stir up shit for as much as it is worth. That and Americans love a fight. It's a sport.

[Flagg]

You know IMO it would really help the US if there were laws that limited the length of an election campaign. I've never understood why American campaigns last so long. Shouldn't 6-8 weeks be more than enough?

Nothing is long enough. American media loves to really indulge in gossipy news and really stir up shit for as much as it is worth. That and Americans love a fight. It's a sport.

Essentially. If the media thought it could actually get away with starting the next Presidential campaign immediately after election night, it would. And if things keep going as they are, it's likely what'll happen. IIRC there was already speculation ON election night (on MSNBC anyway, though I'm sure the other news network and FoxNews had spatterings of it as well) as to who would likely be running in '16, likely by Chris Matthews who I want to kick in the balls half the time, agree with 25% of the time, and laugh hysterically when he jams his foot in his mouth (see Sandy on election night 2012) the rest of the time. But I've given up on even good American news sources like Rachel Maddow simply because I don't trust corporate media at all. And nor should anyone else.

[Simon_Jester]

You know IMO it would really help the US if there were laws that limited the length of an election campaign. I've never understood why American campaigns last so long. Shouldn't 6-8 weeks be more than enough?

It's sort of vaguely similar to the process of sexual selection in animals.

There are males in certain bird species that adopt idiotically cumbersome plumage or suicidally conspicuous color schemes... because being visually impressive in exaggerated ways lets you impress prospective mates, and have more offspring. In the long run this works as an evolutionary strategy, even if all the male offspring get eaten by predators within one or two mating seasons of the time they reach sexual maturity.

The stupidlong campaign seasons are the product of a similar process. Certain states have gained exaggerated political leverage by holding their primaries early, so there's an arms race to hold the primaries earlier and earlier. Certain politicians have gained exaggerated leverage IN those primaries by throwing their hats into the ring early, so there's a further arms race to start those campaigns early. Moreover, in the Republican race in particular, a large fraction of the total set of candidates are (and this is important) all competing for attention from the same people, namely the Koch brothers and other similar but lower-profile donors.

Giving David Koch more opportunities to write you checks can be a winning strategy for a Republican presidential nominee, at least in terms of winning the Republican nomination. Even if it sabotages you in the general election or commits you to policies that, if enacted, would destroy America.

In short, the 2008 and 2012 elections have given us reason to believe that the GOP elephant is sprouting a peacock's tail, which will continue to get bigger as long as strutting up and down and showing it off is to the advantage of their presidential candidates.

[Executor32]

Stupidly-long campaign aside, I consider this a win-win for the Democrats. Either Cruz will secure the Republican nomination and lose the general election because he's fucking insane, or he'll run as a third party and siphon off the Teabagger votes from the Republican candidate. Either way, the Democrats would have to try pretty damn hard to fuck it up.

[Elheru Aran]

The problem on the Democrat side is that we've got Hillary, who... is Hillary, Joe Biden (maybe?) and Elizabeth Warren, who has indicated rather firmly that she's not interested in running. Apart from that... there's pretty much nobody else who's really prominent enough on the Democratic stage. There's Harry Reid and Pelosi and any number of Senators and Representatives who *could* run, but none of them have indicated any interest in a Presidential run at this point (AFAIK).

Fact of the matter is that right now the Republicans have a lot of potential players, while the Democratic slate is pretty blank. This is not a good thing because if the Republicans are getting into the game this early, it gives them an edge, regardless of how insane their candidates are.

[TheHammer]

The problem on the Democrat side is that we've got Hillary, who... is Hillary, Joe Biden (maybe?) and Elizabeth Warren, who has indicated rather firmly that she's not interested in running. Apart from that... there's pretty much nobody else who's really prominent enough on the Democratic stage. There's Harry Reid and Pelosi and any number of Senators and Representatives who *could* run, but none of them have indicated any interest in a Presidential run at this point (AFAIK).

Fact of the matter is that right now the Republicans have a lot of potential players, while the Democratic slate is pretty blank. This is not a good thing because if the Republicans are getting into the game this early, it gives them an edge, regardless of how insane their candidates are.

I don't see how Hillary is a problem for Democrats. She's going to be the next President barring video footage of her joining ISIS.

[Simon_Jester]

Hillary, aside from any actual scandals that may exist in her record somewhere among all the fakes the Republicans have drummed up, has one or two problems.

One is that she would be one of the oldest people ever to take the White House- she'll be sixty-nine years old when sworn in.

The only people who took the Oath of Office at an older age than her would be Reagan (in his second term- when people were starting to wonder if his age was making him considerably less sharp), Eisenhower (in his second term- when he had a heart attack or a stroke, I forget which) Harrison was almost as old as Clinton would be- and was dead within a month.

The other is that she does not have a strong record of major successes to her name; there isn't much good on her resume to point to. She's had plenty of access to the levers of power, and has played bit roles many times, or as an unremarkable cabinet secretary. But there aren't a lot of "big scores" to her name.

[Welf]

You know IMO it would really help the US if there were laws that limited the length of an election campaign. I've never understood why American campaigns last so long. Shouldn't 6-8 weeks be more than enough?

I think that is a result of the weaker party system in the USA. In Europe political parties are very formalized and stable organizations that control the resources necessary for the election campaigns. This means there are a lot of backroom deals and transparencies, but also the power and influence is tied to an organization and politicians need to work behind the scenes and within the system. In the USA candidates need to build up their base, network and raise funds for their campaign. And this takes a lot of time. That would also explain why the current election is dominated by Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush; both have a huge advantage because they can use the personal networks of their families.

[Simon_Jester]

It is debateable whether Jeb Bush can yet be said to be 'dominating' the Republican primaries, given that the field of candidates is still extremely large and nebulous.

[Terralthra]

I was listening to NPR today. Ted Cruz is apparently running on a flat tax, eliminating the IRS, sealing the border, unquestioning support of Israel, destroying Islamic extremism, and "Christian values".

[Joun_Lord]

I wonder if the Dems are going to try their own version of "birther" with Cruz where he was born in Canada. Unlike Obama, he has admitted straight up that he was born in a other country so people can't say there was no evidence except the imaginary bullshit that Donald Trump pulled out of his comb over with Obama.

He, like Obama, should be eligible for President anyway being a natural citizen by way of his mommy being an American citizen.

There is actually alot of similarities between the two, Obama and Cruz. White mother and minority father, foreign sounding name that they changed to more American sounding names (Barack and Rafael, Barry and Ted, though Obama uses his given name now), family doesn't come from money or political families, was in foreign countries during their youth, and Harvard educated.

Dems could hit him with "Rafael" like how Repubs would hit Obama with "Hussein", question his eligiblity for president, point towards Cruz's ties to the communist party (his father fought for Fidel) just like Republicans did with Obama's Indonesia Muslim connections.

Hopefully the Democrats don't go to the level of the fucking birthers but its nice to know if shit get really dirty there is plenty of ammo to use against Cruz and turn the birther bullshit against the cunts who created it.

As an aside, I really dread this upcoming election. I can't think of a single candidate I like at really all. Too many candidates are political dynasties (Bush III, Paul II, Clinton II). I fear there will be even more clamoring to get the even more insane (compared to the Dem and Repubs) Libertarians into the race either by themselves or dick riding another party.

[Vaporous]

I was listening to NPR today. Ted Cruz is apparently running on a flat tax, eliminating the IRS, sealing the border, unquestioning support of Israel, destroying Islamic extremism, and "Christian values".

Or the "I'm not really running for president but this will eventually make me a fucking fortune in speaking appearances and pundit gigs." ticket.

[Gandalf]

Or the "I'm not really running for president but this will eventually make me a fucking fortune in speaking appearances and pundit gigs." ticket.

Perhaps he is courting the far right base, angling for VP under a more moderate lead?

[Dalton]

Or the "I'm not really running for president but this will eventually make me a fucking fortune in speaking appearances and pundit gigs." ticket.

Perhaps he is courting the far right base, angling for VP under a more moderate lead?

There's no chance in hell the GOP will go with a moderate, simply because their definition of "moderate" is our definition of "batshit fucking crazy". Sane Republicans like Jon Huntsman have zero chance. This election cycle will be a neverending cavalcade of "who hates the poor/gays/non-Judeo-Christians/liberals/education/unions" the most.

[Gandalf]

I was thinking of the Republican definition of moderate, which is the guy who doesn't scare away the big money so much, like Romney.

[Flagg]

History has proven (2012 being a great example) that the more crazy squirrel-shit eating Republicans run for the nomination, and the longer the nomination fight, they will likely eventually do enough damage to each other that in the General the Democrats just have to have a sane, slightly right of center candidate that can get at least one of their 2 major voting blocs (that would be women and blacks, especially younger women and blacks) to get out and (despite the fascist voting systems being constructed in Republican controlled states designed to make it as difficult as possible for likely Democratic voters) fucking vote, even if it means standing in the goddamned rain or snow for 8 hours.

As for Hispanic voters: Even though I believe that they are likely to become another strong Democratic voting bloc, (simply because of the blatantly racist attitude displayed by many loudmouthed Republicans on TV as well as their fucking anti-undocumented immigrant policy in their official fucking platform) but that could change as the population get's older and whether or not the extremist fever currently infecting the Republican party for the last 7 years breaks, or boils their brains to the point where they are such gibbering idiots they cease to be an organization of note and go the way of the Whigs (one can dream ).

As for the Democratic primary: WWE. Get Biden maybe if he's up for it, a Senator or 2 in iron-grip seats, maybe a Governor of a liberal state, and finally, someone Clinton will choose as her running mate (barring any surprising primary disclosures that would disqualify them, but I think they will do a bit more vetting than McCain did) and play pretend (which the media will gladly do as even a fake horserace looks like a horserace) and when Hillary gets the most delegates during the convention, no one can really say she was coronated as the Democratic Nominee as there will be plenty of pathetic Teflon attack ads against her on shit no one really gives a fuck about to point at as evidence against such a notion.

And this way, Hillary has run an entire primary and general election campaign as a bit right of center Democrat, while the Republican nominee had to run a vicious primary campaign throwing out as much hardcore conservative red meat as possible, (which will all be seen by the voting public both in the news right when or after it happens and in advertisements run by both their primary opponents and the Democratic 538's in the general) that they will spend most if not all of the general either doing a Mitt "I never said that even though it's on tape from 25 different angles" Romney or just damage control and trying to sound as moderate as possible as fast as possible without the Republican's double-wide base catching on to the fact that they are totally full of shit con artists before election day.