# Liberty Movement > Liberty Campaigns > Liberty Campaign Evaluation >  Campaign Evaluation: Ted Cruz (POTUS)

## Bryan

This thread is intended to be a collection point of the strong pros and cons of any potential liberty candidate / campaign that is being discussed / promoted on the forum. You are welcome to post both positive and not-so-positive attributes about the candidate as they related to the evaluation.


*Information*
*Candidate Name:* Ted Cruz
*Office Sought:* President of the United States
*Website:* https://www.tedcruz.org
*Social Media:*
https://www.facebook.com/tedcruzpage
https://twitter.com/tedcruz
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzM...d0Y_wSDA_CJdGg


*Race Information: Competition & Demographics*
Incumbent:Barack Obama
Other Primary Candidates: John Kasich, Donald Trump
Non-Incumbent Candidates from Other Parties: Hillary Clinton,  Gary Johnson, John McAfee, Bernie Sanders




*Evaluation*

*Candidate Profile: Issues*
Civil Liberties: A-
Constitutional Issues: B+
Economic Issues: B
Foreign Policy: F
Social Issues: B+
*Overall Issues Rating:* F


*Candidate Profile: Personal*
Honesty: Some concerns
Issue consistency: Some concerns
Personality: many concerns
Associations: many concerns
Relevant experience: Some concerns
Personal history: Some concerns
*Overall Personal Rating:* D

*Candidate Rating:* F



*Race Profile Rating*
Race Impact Rating: NA
Victory Impact Rating: F

*Race Profile Rating:* F



*Overall Rating: F*



*Evaluation Commentary*

Key strong points: Audit the Fed, tax cuts, anti-bailouts, anti-torture, fought Obamacare, calls out the Constitution.

Possible weak points: VAT tax, associations

Possible deal breakers: foreign policy

Unknown points for further research:

Rating commentary:

An analysis of the Ted Cruz campaign presents some interesting considerations for a pro-liberty individual. On the surface level, Ted does a good job of promoting the U.S. Constitution and is on the right side of many issues for the people. On the flip side however, some of Teds positions on foreign policy move in the opposite direction of the right path, and rhetoric of carpet bombing others into oblivion, followed with I dont know if sand can glow in the dark, but were going to find out! are utterly destructive to the goals of rational discussion and further move the public dialog away from reasoned policy ideas. 

While there is valid room to debate the capabilities and cause of any enemy of the US, the use of third generational warfare tactics against an asymmetrical enemy is ineffective, expensive, creates blowback and needlessly leads to the suffering and death of innocent people.

To support any candidate where it is reasonable to perceive that they will increase human carnage of the innocent would mean that the candidate supporters would have blood on their own hands after it happens. This is not an acceptable position at any level for people who wish to promote peace and advance society in a civil manner. 

Many of Teds associations and other personal traits bring additional concern to his campaign, but his foreign policy is a deal breaker and drives the final rating.

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## thoughtomator

- Ted Cruz is not a natural born citizen.

- Heidi Cruz is a VP at Goldman Sachs and worked on the CFR North American Union task force.

- proposed 500k/year H1-B visa program expansion

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## brandon

Pro: he's the one guy left who has a chance at stopping trump.

Pro: if he wins the general election debates will be focused more on contrasting policy ideas rather than hand size and   personal insults.

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## William Tell

- Senator Cruz was born December 22, 1970 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada,  and thus automatically a Canadian citizen. Cruz's father was born in  1939 in Matanzas, Cuba, his mother born in Wilmington, Delaware. Cruz  announced that he is renouncing his Canadian citizenship. [See natural  born citizen as required by Article II, Section I, Clause 5 of the US  Constitution for President and by the 12th Amendment for Vice  President.]

After his student visa expired, Rafael Cruz obtained political asylum in  the U.S. He then found work with the oil industry in Canada, where Ted  Cruz was born. Rafael Bienvenido Cruz became a Canadian citizen while in  Canada. While his son was serving as solicitor general of Texas in  2005, Rafael Cruz renounced his Canadian citizenship and became an  American citizen.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/2...-follow-rules/

- Ted Cruz, member of The Senate Armed Services Committee, voted YES on  the markup of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which  included a provision that would authorize the Department of Defense to  train and equip Syrian forces.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-actio...-gas-on-a-fire
http://www.armed-services.senate.gov...2005-23-14.pdf

- Ted Cruzs Obamacare speech was not a true filibuster. A true  filibuster is an attempt to stop a piece of legislation dead in its  tracks by refusing to let the Senate proceed. Rather, Cruzs time on the  floor was an agreement he had made with Senate Democratic leader Harry  Reid to let him talk for 21 hours, followed by a vote at 1pm EST  September 25, 2013. When the vote commenced, Cruz in fact voted in FAVOR  of advancing the bill (the Senate bill passed 100-0).

- Ted Cruz proposes a 500% increase in H1-B immigration: http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=137

- Ted Cruz voted YES on Passage of the Bill H.R. 1314:The Trade  Promotion Authority (TPA) section of H.R. 1314 would renew the  on-again-off-again "fast track authority" that Congress has often  awarded to the president over the past several decades. The essential  features of TPA are: (1) Congress unconstitutionally delegates authority  "to regulate commerce with foreign nations" to the Executive Branch;  and (2) Congress dramatically increases the probability of approval of  trade agreements by restricting itself to an up-or-down vote with no  amendments or filibusters allowed.

- Ted Cruz voted YES on Passage of the Bill S. 1086: A bill to  reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act  of 1990, and for other purposes. This bill (S. 1086) would reauthorize  the Child Care and Development Block Grant program through fiscal 2020  and would further institute new standards for education, health, and  safety on child care providers that receive funds under this program. It  would also expand the information required from states regarding how  they will make use of the funds, as well as require that the states  develop plans that include guidelines for training and teaching children  from the time they are born until they enroll in kindergarten. The CBO  has estimated that implementing this bill would cost $16.8 billion over  the 2015-2020 period.

- Ted Cruz voted YES on the Amendment S.Amdt. 2867 to H.R. 4152. The  Senate version of this legislation - offered in the form of a substitute  amendment to the House version, H.R. 4152 would provide $150 million  for direct aid to Ukraine. It would also provide for loan guarantees  (meaning that the U.S. taxpayers would be stuck holding the bag if the  loans are not paid).

- Ted Cruz voted YES on Passage of the Bill H.R. 803: An act to amend  the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to strengthen the United States  workforce development system. This is not to say that workforce training  is a bad thing, but such programs are best handled by the private  sector, which would surely provide more and better jobs if the federal  government were to siphon less money out of the economy for programs to  improve the economy.

- Ted Cruz represented a Chinese company found guilty ($26 million  judgment) of stealing blueprints from an American manufacturer. (2010) http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-99049499.html

- Ted Cruz is co-sponsor of S. 1881 (Bob Menendez, D-NJ) To expand  sanctions imposed with respect to Iran and to impose additional  sanctions with respect to Iran, and for other purposes. (Dec 2013)

- In 1998, Cruz served as private counsel for Congressman John Boehner  during Boehners lawsuit against Congressman Jim McDermott for releasing  a tape recording of a Boehner telephone conversation.

- Cruz joined the BushCheney campaign in 1999 as a domestic policy  adviser, advising President George W. Bush on a wide range of policy and  legal matters, including civil justice, criminal justice,  constitutional law, immigration, and government reform. There he met his  wife, Heidi Nelson Cruz, another policy adviser who works for Goldman  Sachs.

- Cruz assisted in assembling the Bush legal team, devise strategy, and  draft pleadings in the Florida and U.S. Supreme Courts during the 2000  Florida presidential recounts, winning twice in the U.S. Supreme Court. 

- After President Bush took office, Cruz served as an associate deputy  attorney general in the U.S. Justice Department and as the director of  policy planning at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

- George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush, endorsed Cruz for U.S. Senate.

"Ted is the future of the Republican Party," Bush said in a statement.  "He is a proven conservative, and his personal story embodies the  American Dream. Like Marco Rubio in Florida ( http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...-On-The-Record ), I am confident that Ted will inspire a new generation of leaders to stand up and defend American Exceptionalism."

- Heidi Cruz, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in economics and  international relations from CMC in 1994, is a vice president in the  Private Wealth Management Group at Goldman Sachs, Texas. She and her two  partners work with clients to implement high net worth portfolios  across a range of investments and asset classes, including complex  derivatives products, private equity, hedge funds, single stock risk  management, U.S. and international equities, and fixed income.

- Ms. Cruz began her career as an investment banker with JPMorgan in New  York, focusing on international structured finance and subsequently on  Latin America mergers and acquisitions.

- In 2000, she served on the Bush 2000 Campaign in Austin as one of  President George W. Bush's three economic advisors. She also served in  the Administration as the economic director for the Western Hemisphere  at the National Security Council at the White House, advising the  President and then-National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. She also  is a former director at the U.S. Treasury Department and was special  policy assistant to Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick, then Chief U.S.  international trade negotiator.

- Heidi Cruz was a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

____________________________

- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz - who notoriously attempted to lecture Sen. Dianne  Feinstein yesterday about the Constitution and the Second Amendment,  asserting his deep knowledge of the subject as the submitter of an  amicus brief representing 31 states in the Supreme Court's Heller case -  seems to be caught in a huge contradiction that begs for clarification.

Yesterday, during the Senate Judiciary Committee's consideration of the  assault weapons ban bill, Cruz flatly asserted that the Supreme Court's  District of Columbia v. Heller decision absolutely prohibits the  proposed federal ban on assault weapons. Yet, in the brief he proudly  pointed to submitting he claimed that a favorable ruling in the case  would not undermine the constitutionality of the 1994 federal assault  weapons ban, which had expired in 2004 and which included many of the  weapons inthe current bill. His brief said that "none of the federal  firearms regulations discussed in the United States's brief is  jeopardized by the Court of Appeals's decision." The federal assault  weapons ban was one of those regulations discussed in brief submitted by  the United States.

In addition, as the Yelling at the TV blog has pointed out, Cruz's brief  also specifically called state assault weapons bans reasonable:

Indeed, it bears emphasis that amici States likewise have a strong  interest in maintaining the many state laws prohibiting felons in  possession, restricting machine guns and sawed-off shotguns, and the  like. See Appendix.

But all 31 amici States agree that striking down the District of  Columbia's categorical ban on all operative firearms would pose no  threat to these reasonable regulations. (emphasis added)

http://blog.pfaw.org/content/ted-cru...ieve-what-i-sa...

____________________________

Sources:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-...059653/replies...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz
http://www.cmc.edu/rdschool/discover...ofadvisors.php

____

Ted Cruz praises Rick Perry:


____

Cruz believes Iran is a grave threat and that we should use overwhelming military force:





____

Ted and Heidi Cruz and The One World Government Connection:

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## presence

> Agriculture  Budget & Spending  Civil Liberties  Debt Ceiling  Education  Foreign Policy & Defense  Free Market  Health Care  Immigration  Judiciary & Nominations  Labor  Sanctity of Life  Second Amendment  Taxes  Traditional Family Values  Transportation  Welfare



https://www.conservativereview.com/members/ted-cruz/




> *Education*
> 
> 
> 
> *Political Experience*
> 
> 
> 
> *Current Legislative Committees*
> ...



http://votesmart.org/candidate/biogr...35705/ted-cruz




> Endorsed:                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
> *Ted Cruz was endorsed by Gun Owners of America*
> 
> 
> 
>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Rating:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
> *Ted Cruz was rated 100% by Gun Owners of America (Positions)*



http://votesmart.org/candidate/135705/ted-cruz (hundreds of "statements" and "ratings" pro and con by all organizations left right up down)




> *Cruz on the issues:*Campaign preparation • Taxes • Banking policy • Government regulations • International trade • Budgets • Agricultural subsidies • Federal assistance programs • Foreign affairs • Federalism • Natural resources • Healthcare • Immigration • Education • Abortion • Gay rights • Character • Communications • Political and leadership attributes



https://ballotpedia.org/Ted_Cruz_pre...FZKGaQodQNcFkg




> Overview House Scores Senate Scores Votes Co-Sponsorships About


http://scorecard.organizeliberty.org...12573/ted-cruz


http://www.c-span.org/person/?rcruz (hundreds of videos of floor work)










http://www.heritageactionscorecard.c...member/C001098
http://www.libertyguard.org/press-re...iberty-issues/









[IMG][/IMG]


Ted Cruz sits on the following committees:

 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Chairman, Subcommittee on Space, Science, and CompetitivenessMember, Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and SecurityMember, Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the InternetMember, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data SecurityMember, Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard  Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal CourtsMember, Subcommittee on Immigration and the National InterestMember, Subcommittee on the Constitution  Joint Economic Committee Senate Committee on Armed Services
Member, Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and CapabilitiesMember, Subcommittee on SeaPowerMember, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces  Senate Committee on Rules and Administration 
*Bills Sponsored*

*Issue Areas*

             Cruz sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:
International Affairs (29%)                              Immigration (21%)                              Government Operations and Politics (14%)                              Health (10%)                              Taxation (9%)                              Crime and Law Enforcement (9%)                              Families (5%)                              Energy (3%)                          
*Recent Bills*

                   Some of Cruz’s most recently sponsored bills include...

S. 2537: A bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 with respect to certain ...S. 2538: A bill to provide resources and incentives for the enforcement of immigration laws ...S. 2455: Educational Freedom Accounts ActS. 2451: A bill to designate the area between the intersections of International Drive, Northwest ...S. 2394: American Jobs First Act of 2015S. 2388: Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments Act of 2015S. 2363: State Refugee Security Act of 2015






> Chris Edwards
> 
>  September 25, 2013
> 
> 
> PrintSenator  Ted Cruz’s filibuster was impressive. Naysayers claim that it was  pointless because Obamacare won’t be defunded this year with a Senate  and White House controlled by Democrats. But at a minimum, Cruz and  supporting senators have highlighted the huge flaws in the health law  and reminded everyone of its unpopularity. If Republicans actually want  to repeal the law—as they all say they do—then they need to take every  opportunity to hammer away at it.
> Cruz is essentially asking his fellow Republicans to stand up or shut up with respect to Obamacare.



http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/admiral-ted-cruz

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## enhanced_deficit

It seems that Rafael E Cruz is the last remaining glimmer of hope for the war/interventionism militants lobby:*


Lindsey Graham to fundraise for Ted Cruz's presidential bid*

By Dana Bash and Abigail Crutchfield, CNN
Fri March 18, 2016 

*Story highlights*


Sen. Lindsey Graham will host a fundraiser on Monday in support of Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaignA   draft of the invitation, obtained first by CNN, invites guests to   "honor and support a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people"Support   for the Texas senator is an about face from the South Carolina  senator,  who compared nominating Donald Trump or Cruz to being shot or  poisoned 

 (CNN)In  a sign of just how much the Republican presidential primary  has turned  the party on its head, Sen. Lindsey Graham will headline a  fundraiser on  Monday in support of Ted Cruz. 

Graham  told CNN that while the Texas senator is not his preferred  candidate,  he's "the best alternative to Donald Trump," and he said he  will "help  Ted in every way I can."
A  draft of the invitation, obtained first by CNN, invites guests to   "honor and support a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people," at a   meet-and-greet event that will take place during the AIPAC policy   conference in Washington next week.

Graham,  who ended his bid for the Republican nomination last December,   originally threw his support behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and   campaign for him in South Carolina.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/politi...ign/index.html




Related




*Mitt Romney urges Republican voters to get behind Ted Cruz* 
The Boston Globe-19 hours ago

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## fr33

"Ted Cruz has the personality of Nixon and the face of LBJ." ~Anne Coulter

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## RonPaulGeorge&Ringo

Cruz is not eligible to serve in the Presidency.  Only a hardcore anti-American traitorous scumbag would support him for the Presidency.

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## presence

(this post is under construction)

I consider a Ted an important, well spoken ally on some very important issues.    
Ted is a philosopher with extensive study in jurisprudence and the constitution.  


On the plus:

Guns:

Ted is one of our most ardent supporters on gun rights.   
You will have a  combat ready semi auto AR15 no questions asked with Ted; just don't install your trigger group until the day comes. 




TEDcare:

You get a nationwide marketplace for "insurance"; no more state coverage plans, HSA's for basic health care, and delinking of insurance to employer.
Ted spoke for 21 hours on the house floor on defunding obamacare.







I have substantial reservations with Cruz as POTUS.


eligibility
cfr ties
hostility towards iran
israel 


(be back later with more)

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## RonPaulGeorge&Ringo

Rafael Cruz Jr., a natural born subject of Canada's Queen Elizabeth II, is on the record praising the monarchist scumbag Alexander Hamilton.

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## William Tell

> Rafael Cruz Jr., a natural born subject of Canada's Queen Elizabeth II, is on the record praising the monarchist scumbag Alexander Hamilton.


Trump is on the record praising Hillary Clinton. Both Trump and Cruz are terrible.

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## Voluntarist

xxxxx

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## RonPaulGeorge&Ringo

CON: It is a fact that Cruz is not eligible to serve in the Presidency.  

Deal with it.

CON: Gen. Washington and Justice Jay put the clause in the Constitution to keep people with foreign ties and foreign influence and foreign thinking out of the White House.  Cruz is exactly the kind of person the clause was designed to stop.

FACT: The fact is anyone supporting Cruz for the White House is in open treason against the Constitution.  In a just society, these agitators would be hanged for their treason, which would be a CON if you are one of those people swinging from a rope for offering Cruz your support.

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## kahless

Cruz's hidden VAT should be a deal breaker.

Ted Cruz's flawed tax plan
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...ates/79780576/



> ...there are good reasons why the U.S. has never had one. The biggest is that it would make most or all of what Americans buy more expensive. A 25% VAT, for instance, would raise the price of a $5 bottle of shampoo to $6.25, or a $10,000 kitchen renovation to $12,500.
> 
> ...like all flat taxes, it disproportionately hurts poorer people who have to spend a bigger chunk of their income on basics. Many Republicans oppose it because they fear it would “Europeanize” taxes, producing more and more money to fund a bigger and bigger welfare state. Republicans also dislike the VAT because the way it’s collected  — generally in small increments behind the scenes as raw products become finished products and ultimately go to stores — hides the tax and makes it easier to raise.

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## P3ter_Griffin

I think for a lack of eligibility to be a 'con' it would follow that a lack of electability would be a 'con', and it would follow from that that if those metrics alone are enough to disqualify someone from site support that Ron Paul shouldn't have received support from the site.

eta: and I should add the lack of eligibility is questionable, from voluntarist:




> Cruz's "natural-born US citizenship status" is in question and yet to be resolved by court decision.

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## r3volution 3.0

*On policy-grounds, on the surface, Cruz is the best of the potential nominees, by far.* 

spending and tax cuts
auditing the Fed (rhetorical support and co-sponsorship, despite his no-show at the actual vote)
anti-bailouts
critical of the Iraq and Libyan Wars
opposed invading Syria after the chemical weapons incident
critical of the NSA
anti-torture

Mind you, that's _on the surface_. 

Personally (and I have no way of proving this; it's what Mises would call a thymological judgement ),* I think he's completely full of $#@!: from head to toe*. The reason he looks good on paper is that he's consciously aped Rand's positions in an effort to garner some of the liberty vote (which has been somewhat successful, but not to the extent he'd hoped). I don't believe that he will actually pursue these relatively libertarian policies if elected. 

*Nonetheless, I do think it would be helpful to the libertarian movement if he won the nomination*, for two reasons: (1) If there is even a small chance that I'm wrong about his motives, and he actually does intend to pursue at least some these relatively libertarian policies, that would make him marginally superior to any of the other potential candidates; and (2) Even if I'm right, and he would do nothing libertarian as president, his mere nomination (on a relatively libertarian platform) might further the mainstreaming of our ideas, making the task of electing real libertarians easier in the future (though there's a counter-argument: i.e. that, if Cruz is a fake trying to co-opt the libertarian movement, nominating him would help him do that). But all around, taking into account how horrifying the Trump alternative is, I'd say it would still be best for us if Cruz won the nomination.

*That said, I WON'T be lending him any material support, nor my vote, and I encourage other libertarians to do the same*. Those resources are scarce, and I think our time, money, effort, and votes would be better spent supporting a third party candidate, to make it known that we don't really approve of ANY of these candidates, and to separate ourselves from what will probably be a very bad and unlibertarian administration, whichever of them wins the presidency (if any of them do). Even more important than a third party, we need to concentrate on rebuilding our grassroots infrastructure, to get ready for the next contest - and any kind of active support for Cruz would distract from that.

Conclusion: This is not the same as with Trump, an indisputably anti-libertarian candidate, but I still think that *Cruz promotion should be banned on the site, just like Trump promotion*. While much more understandable, and debatable, I don't think it serves the liberty movement or the site mission, for the reasons explained above. That said, it's not really a pressing concern, since there's been very little Cruz promotion thus far, and I don't expect that to change.

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## Brian4Liberty

Pros:

- Has fought against increased spending in Senate.
- Has fought against Obamacare.
- Willing to shutdown government.
- often supports the Constitution.
- previously stood against interventionism.
- wants to shrink IRS with flat tax.
- has called for Audit of the Fed.

Cons:

- came out of the closet sometime after elected as a neoconservative on foreign policy.
- overly belligerent towards other nations such as Russia and Iran.
- has taken on neoconservative advisers, which calls into question his previous opposition to foreign intervention and nation-building.
- previously called for massive increases in H1B visas.
- wife connected to Goldman-Sachs, CFR and Condolezza Rice.
- his support of the 4th amendment is questionable, due to support of domestic surveillance of everyone.

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## Christian Liberty

> Trump is on the record praising Hillary Clinton. Both Trump and Cruz are terrible.


I think Cruz is a lot less terrible though.  He would at least push dialogue to the right, not nearly enough to make me happy, but still some.

i'm not voting but if I were Ted Cruz and Austin Petersen are the only ones I could possibly consider (that I'm aware of.)

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## Krugminator2

> Cruz's hidden VAT should be a deal breaker.
> 
> Ted Cruz's flawed tax plan
> http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...ates/79780576/


You whine about the trade deficit all the time. Like every time I see you post with exception of when you are arguing in favor of entitlements. 

A consumption tax (i.e. a VAT) is the BEST way to reduce  a trade deficit.  Reducing the corporate income tax, capital gains tax and a VAT are about the only non-crony policies to reduce the trade deficit. You can't have it both ways.


http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/...deficit_s.html

Here is short explanation of the economic theory.
http://finance.zacks.com/relationshi...ings-6835.html

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## kahless

> You whine about the trade deficit all the time. Like every time I see you post with exception of when you are arguing in favor of entitlements. 
> 
> A consumption tax (i.e. a VAT) is the BEST way to reduce  a trade deficit.  Reducing the corporate income tax, capital gains tax and a VAT are about the only non-crony policies to reduce the trade deficit. You can't have it both ways.
> 
> 
> http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/...deficit_s.html
> 
> Here is short explanation of the economic theory.
> http://finance.zacks.com/relationshi...ings-6835.html


If you read my posts about it rather than be too busy shilling for Cruz you would know the problem I have with Cruz's VAT is the fact that it is a hidden VAT.   The consumer has no idea why the price keeps rising since the tax is incurred by the manufacturer means of production and distribution where formerly there was no tax. 

If you are low income, a Senior, homesteader or rugged individualist that has opted out it is a significant tax increase.  But like may so called libertarians (not actually libertarians in reality) you want to ensure all of us are participating slaves in your economic system.  You want more taxes that the Progressives can raise that are hidden from the consumer like the hidden VAT.

Absolutely amazing the Moron's and Evangelicals have been so blinded by Cruz's play to their religion that do not see how anti-Christian such a policy is.

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## ArrestPoliticians

Don't waste too much time thinking about the obvious bloodthirsty hawk and opportunist Ted Cruz. https://theintercept.com/2016/03/17/...-donald-trump/

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## Bern

> Pros:
> 
> - previously stood against interventionism.
> 
> Cons:
> 
> - has taken on neoconservative advisers, which calls into question his previous opposition to foreign intervention and nation-building.


I read the other day about Graham endorsing Cruz and it troubled me greatly. Then I heard about Cruz' new neocon advisers and it all made sense. I think this needs a bit more emphasis as, I believe, it speaks a bit to Cruz' (lack of) character, commitment and integrity.




> Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, has unveiled his new foreign policy team, stacked with some of the most aggressive hawks imaginable, saying they are a group of his “trusted friends” who believe in a “strong America.”
> 
> At the center of his team is neoconservative ultra-hawk Frank Gaffney, a loudly anti-Muslim figure who believes in a wild array of conspiracies, including that a number of top political figures from both parties of being part of a secret Muslim cabal plotting the conquest of America.
> 
> Gaffney had previously been speculated to be a Trump adviser, as his dubious work has been cited by that candidate repeatedly in trying to back up his proposals to ban Muslim immigration. Gaffney’s overt hostility toward Muslims in general made him a virtual pariah during the 2012 campaign. Incredibly, a number of Republican hopefuls have courted him this time around, with Cruz declaring him “clear-eyed” and “a patriot.”
> 
> Also featuring prominently in the Cruz team is Michael Ledeen, the man at the center of the yellowcake uranium forgeries, among the pretexts for the 2003 US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Ledeen has been involved in a litany of scandals, dating all the way back to Iran-Contra. He was also, notably, the man who got Israeli spy Jonathon Pollard his job at the US Navy.
> 
> Of course speaking of Iran-Contra, one must inevitably discuss Elliott Abrams, who famously pled guilty to two charges of withholding information related to the scandal from Congress, and is likewise a central player in the new Cruz team. In addition to the Contra scandal, Abrams was involved in myriad ugly Reagan-era operations, and was a close ally of both former presidents Bush, receiving a pardon for his Reagan-era crimes by George H.W. Bush, and being appointed as a special adviser to George W.
> ...


http://news.antiwar.com/2016/03/17/c...ledeen-abrams/

If he's willing to turn 180 degrees on foreign policy to garner support of the neocon wing, he's liable to capitulate on any issue IMO if the political calculus is in his favor.

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## jascott

What's the ideal? STV/Condorcet voting, of course! Then we wouldn't have to vote for a marginal candidate as our primary choice; we would be able to rank candidates, e.g.
1. Jesus Christ (but wouldn't win, and is unwilling to take the office)
2. Ron Paul (but not running, and wouldn't win)
3. Rand Paul (but already withdrew, and wouldn't win)
4. Ted Cruz
5. Random person from Boston phone book
6. Donald Trump
7. Hillary Clinton
8. Satan

Unfortunately, the reality is that we DON'T have STV or Condorcet voting; we only get to choose one candidate. So any of #1-3 would just be a symbolic protest vote; you effectively throw away your vote and have no chance of influencing the actual outcome. That leaves #4 as the rational choice (assuming you'd prefer Cruz over Trump).

Of course, if those of you in AZ and UT really have no preference between Cruz and Trump, you'd be wasting your time to vote tomorrow (except for a symbolic vote, in which case you might as well write in Christ if you're Christian, or vote for Paul), the same as if you have no preference between Cruz/Trump and Clinton, you'd be wasting your time to vote in November.

But AZ is winner-take-all, and if somebody gets over 50% in UT, it's also winner-take-all. Through a combination of delegates and campaign momentum, those of you in those states will likely effectively decide tomorrow who the Republican nominee will be. If you have a preference, please go vote.

Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference. Tomorrow is probably the last chance to change the outcome of this race.

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## dannno

There are like 25+ in-depth, well researched presentation slides in this video..





If you look at his policy claims and stump speeches alone, they probably closely align with my political philosophy than any other candidate besides Rand - but I think he is snake in the grass, sleazy neocon lackey with George Bush connections and is one of my least favorite people on the planet.

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## Brian4Liberty

> It seems that Rafael E Cruz is the last remaining glimmer of hope for the war/interventionism militants lobby:*
> 
> Lindsey Graham to fundraise for Ted Cruz's presidential bid*


Cruz is on Fox right now bragging about his support from Lindsey Graham. Last time I saw Graham talk about it in an interview he was pretty explicit that it was simply a way to try to deny Trump a majority. Not really a brag worthy "endorsement".

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## enhanced_deficit

*Ted Cruz attacks Obama for not fully funding NSA spying during shutdown* *Intel Chief: Shutdown Seriously Damages Spying Programs*

*Bulk of Surveillance Workers Dubbed 'Nonessential Personnel'*

                                                                                        by Jason Ditz,                              October 02,  2013                        

                                                                                                                Simultaneously underscoring how  every government official is  trying to play up the shutdown as  particularly harmful to them, and how  little Director of National  Intelligence James Clapper understands  America’s opposition to NSA  surveillance, his Senate testimony today  focused on how the shutdown  has damaged the NSA’s capabilities.
 Clapper told the panel that the shutdown had put an estimated 70 percent of the NSA’s “intelligence workers” on unpaid leave. NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander elaborated that this included 4,000 computer scientists and 1,000 mathematicians.

 Clapper went on to warn that the layoff “seriously damages” the   ability of spies to protect the United States, devastated worker morale   and that the number of employees laid off indefinitely without pay made   them inviting targets for foreign spies.

 “This is a dreamland for foreign intelligence services,” Clapper   warned, saying that it was also dramatically degrading the nation’s   global intelligence capabilities.


*Pro-surveillance senators criticized   the move, saying that the DNI’s lawyers should’ve prevented such   large-scale layoffs, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R – TX) saying that the   shutdown left the US vulnerable to terrorist attack, adding “I don’t   believe President Obama should be playing politics with this.”*



*Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Wednesday that intelligence  community  leaders' testimony about the impact of the government  shutdown was  "deeply disturbing," accusing Obama of "playing politics"  with national  security.*

  "The person who should be most out front correcting this is our   commander in chief, and I don't believe President Obama should be   playing politics with this," Cruz said at a Senate Judiciary Committee   oversight hearing on the National Security Agency's intelligence   collection. "He should be stepping forward to correct this problem right   now."



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4030847.html

http://news.antiwar.com/2013/10/02/i...ying-programs/


*Who is Ted Cruz?*Says Iraq invasion was based on nobel reasons - check
Called for US led invasion of Syria  - check
Supports sanctions against Iran - check
Supports tax payers funded war with Iran - check
Supports tax payers funded oppression/occupation abroad - check
Opposed even tiny cut in NSA spying funding during "shutdown"- check
Champions Christian Zionism/CUFI/John Hagee - check
Salutes Iraq war sniper who wished he had killed even more Iraqis - check
Says Canada makes better Maple Syrup than US - uncheck
Can be used as a partisan "attack dog" against SWC droneking - check

Ted Cruz is either a stealth,opportunistic agent of  Neoconservative  Establishment or 
a brainswashed Christian Zionist  lacking critical  thinking abilities... or both.

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## Bryan

Bump. Anyone want to make an argument in favor of site support?

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## brandon

> Bump. Anyone want to make an argument in favor of site support?


Hell no. Ron Paul has said this guy is poison. I don't always agree with RP's endorsements, for example I think Chuck Baldwin sucked balls, but I'd hate to see this site endorse a guy Ron Paul has vehemently opposed.

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## Bryan

> Hell no. Ron Paul has said this guy is poison. I don't always agree with RP's endorsements, for example I think Chuck Baldwin sucked balls, but I'd hate to see this site endorse a guy Ron Paul has vehemently opposed.


Fair points.

Any arguments opposing an F grade? Post now, we'll be getting a preliminary rating out very soon. It's not looking good at all at this point.

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## LibertyEagle

> Nonetheless, I do think it would be helpful to the* libertarian movement* if he won the nomination, for two reasons: (1) If there is even a small chance that I'm wrong about his motives, and he actually does intend to pursue at least some these relatively libertarian policies, that would make him marginally superior to any of the other potential candidates; and (2) Even if I'm right, and he would do nothing libertarian as president, his mere nomination (on a relatively libertarian platform) might further the mainstreaming of our ideas, making the task of electing real libertarians easier in the future (though there's a counter-argument: i.e. that, if Cruz is a fake trying to co-opt the libertarian movement, nominating him would help him do that). But all around, taking into account how horrifying the Trump alternative is, I'd say it would still be best for us if Cruz won the nomination.
> 
> That said, I WON'T be lending him any material support, nor my vote, and I encourage other libertarians to do the same[. Those resources are scarce, and I think our time, money, effort, and votes would be better spent supporting a third party candidate, to make it known that we don't really approve of ANY of these candidates, and to separate ourselves from what will probably be a very bad and unlibertarian administration, whichever of them wins the presidency (if any of them do). Even more important than a third party, we need to concentrate on rebuilding our grassroots infrastructure, to get ready for the next contest - and any kind of active support for Cruz would distract from that.
> 
> Conclusion: This is not the same as with Trump, an indisputably anti-libertarian candidate, but I still think that Cruz promotion should be banned on the site, just like Trump promotion. While much more understandable, and debatable, I don't think it serves the liberty movement or the site mission, for the reasons explained above. That said, it's not really a pressing concern, since there's been very little Cruz promotion thus far, and I don't expect that to change.


Just a reminder that it is NOT the "libertarian movement", but the liberty movement and it is not just for libertarians.  That is all.

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## Brian4Liberty

Con: Picked neocon, establishment shill Carly Fiorina as VP.

Automatic disqualification.

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## Bryan

First cut of the analysis is complete, see OP. Final grade = F.

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