TED CRUZ PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY ANNOUNCED
Ex-Canadian Wants to be President of the United States
by Leo Wiltshire
With 20 months until the 2016 elections, Cuban- American Ted Cruz has announced his candidacy for president (CBC). The announcement was made this Monday at Liberty University, making him the first Republican to declare his run for office (CBC).
Cruz is a favorite among Tea Party members, but his far right-wing conservative views may not be embraced by the majority of Americans. Cruz is against abortion, Obamacare, and same-sex marriage (CBC, Democracy Now!). He denies global warming, wishes to militarize the U.S.- Mexico border, and has once said that “the jurisdictions with the strictest gun control laws, almost without exception … have the highest crime rates and the highest murder rates” (CBC, Democracy Now!, The Nation). It must also be noted that Ted Cruz is a Canadian who was born in Calgary, Alberta. To go further, Cruz has renounced his Canadian citizenship, making him only an American citizen (CBC).
Without a doubt, Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz would make history if he became President. Even George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born in the United States. Our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, was born in Scotland. Could this be the beginning of the Canadians infiltrating the U.S.
presidency? Putting the political conspiracies aside, the Electoral College has approved Cruz’s candidacy, citing that his mother was born in America (CBC). Republican and democratic strategists have been arguing if Cruz can really become president, not only because of his birthplace but because of his political views. Ted Cruz has been vocal about the Keystone XL pipeline, expressing how the approval for the project will create “[…] a lot of jobs” (CNN). This makes him generally unfavorable among environmentalists but maybe to some conservatives as well. The Republican Party has now acknowledged the reality of global warming, even though they still remain undecided on who or what causes it (The Nation).
Some conservatives may find him too conservative and not vote for him in the 2016 elections. The birthers – skeptics of Barack Obama’s origin of birth – have expressed doubt in Cruz’s legality. One of them, Orly Taitz, is threatening to launch a lawsuit against Cruz unless a federal judge deems him a naturally born American citizen (U.S. News & World Report).
Other potential republican candidates include Marco Rubio, also a Cuban- American, who is currently the U.S. Senator of Florida. Unlike Cruz, Rubio was born in America. He was also a potential vice-presidential running mate for Mitt Romney during the 2012 Presidential elections, but ultimately lost to Paul Ryan (CNN). Non-potential nominees include Donald Trump, who has said recently that he has a “better chance than anybody” of beating Hilary Clinton in the 2016 elections (CBC).
Although Clinton has not announced her candidacy, she is expected to do so. Several months ago, John McCain, former Republican Nominee for the 2008 elections, stated “[…] if the election were tomorrow, Hilary Clinton would most likely be the President of the United States” (TIME). Is Ted Cruz the best American for the Presidency? Is he the best Canadian for the Presidency? Surely time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Cruz no longer has the citizenship of his home and native land.