Senator Ted Cruz to announce presidential bid Monday 3-23-15

[Chef Ramsay]

Sen. Ted Cruz plans to announce Monday that he will run for president of the United States, accelerating his already rapid three-year rise from a tea party insurgent in Texas into a divisive political force in Washington.

Cruz will launch a presidential bid outright rather than form an exploratory committee, said senior advisers with direct knowledge of his plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made yet. They say he is done exploring and is now ready to become the first Republican presidential candidate.

The senator is scheduled to speak Monday at a convocation ceremony at Liberty University in Virginia, where he is expected to declare his campaign for the presidency.

Over the course of the primary campaign, Cruz will aim to raise between $40 million and $50 million, according to advisers, and dominate with the same tea party voters who supported his underdog Senate campaign in 2012. But the key to victory, Cruz advisers believe, is to be the second choice of enough voters in the party's libertarian and social conservative wings to cobble together a coalition to defeat the chosen candidate of the Republican establishment.

The firebrand Texan may have few Senate colleagues who will back his White House bid, but his appeal to his party's base who vote disproportionately in Republican primaries could make him competitive in Iowa and beyond.

More...http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/us/article/Ted-Cruz-to-announce-presidential-bid-Monday-6150894.php?t=ec04aca79d29c86149&cmpid=twitter-premium

Looks like he'll be the first one to declare, let the games begin.

[Chef Ramsay]

Let’s Be Serious About Ted Cruz From The Start: He’s Too Extreme And Too Disliked To Win

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s newly minted presidential campaign is the media equivalent of a juicy rib-eye that robbers use to distract a guard dog during a heist. He’ll get a ton of media attention, and he’ll get to spread his message — which may be all that Cruz is after — but Cruz almost certainly has no shot of winning the nomination, according to every indicator that predicts success in presidential primaries.

First, Cruz doesn’t have enough support from party bigwigs. To win the Republican or Democratic nomination, you need the backing of at least some of the party apparatus. At a minimum, your fellow party members shouldn’t hate you. Otherwise, you end up getting the Newt Gingrich 2012 treatment. That is, you get pounced on the moment you’re seen as a threat to win the nomination.

More...http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/lets-be-serious-about-ted-cruz-from-the-start-hes-too-extreme-and-too-disliked-to-win/

[Bit_Happy]

First in, first out?
I am surprised to see him in the race, and I hope he makes a very fast exit.

[Lethn]

It's ridiculous that assholes like this moron can even afford to set up places for their supporters to gather nevermind actually gather any supporters to begin with, religious fanatics are one of the biggest reasons that Democracy has been ruined before it even got started, people won't vote for this guy based on his policies, they'll vote for him based on how 'Christian' he is compared to other Republicans.

[Chef Ramsay]

First in, first out?
I am surprised to see him in the race, and I hope he makes a very fast exit.

It's possible that he peels off socially conservative voters from Walker which could be a good thing for Rand.

[Script]

How hope this elections are at least as fun as the previous, Republican candidates are hilarious, and this time we also have Democrat candidates, they are not as funny as Republicans though.

[Lethn]

First in, first out?
I am surprised to see him in the race, and I hope he makes a very fast exit.

It's possible that he peels off socially conservative voters from Walker which could be a good thing for Rand.

As an Anarchist, I seriously hope you guys rip apart those social conservatives, even with the flaws of him and his dad Rand Paul really is the best option right now since they're not completely deluded compared to the rest of the candidates and are relatively honest with their beliefs. Meanwhile in the UK the mainstream parties are being tedious and boring while the Nationalists seem to be gaining quite a bit of support, looks like it's going to be another hung parliament again, the conservatives will probably broker a deal with UKIP on the EU.

[koshgel]

Does anyone else hate Cruz's face? He has such a punchable mug.

[jaysabi]

It's ridiculous that assholes like this moron can even afford to set up places for their supporters to gather nevermind actually gather any supporters to begin with, religious fanatics are one of the biggest reasons that Democracy has been ruined before it even got started, people won't vote for this guy based on his policies, they'll vote for him based on how 'Christian' he is compared to other Republicans.

DING DING DING! American politics is less about your policies and more about how much you can raise. There is overlap between popular policies and the ability raise money, but this is ultimately trumped by large groups of people who identify first with their religion and are willing to donate large sums of money to candidates who promise to most vengefully enforce their religious beliefs on everyone else.

[Chef Ramsay]

Cruz' wife Heidi Nelson Cruz to take "leave of absence" from Goldman Sachs during campaign

Heidi Cruz, a managing director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in Houston, has taken an unpaid leave from her private wealth-management job to help with her husband’s campaign for the U.S. presidency, a person familiar with the matter said.

Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, said on Twitter early Monday morning that he plans to run for president in the 2016 election. Heidi Cruz’s leave will last the duration of the campaign, said the person, who asked not to be identified speaking about Cruz’s employment.

Heidi Cruz, a Harvard Business School graduate who worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, joined Goldman Sachs in 2005 and was promoted to managing director, the firm’s second-highest rank, in 2012. She serves as regional head of the Houston office in the private wealth-management unit, which serves individuals and families who have on average more than $40 million with the firm.

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/ted-cruz-goldman-sachs-wife/2015/03/23/id/631916/

[Chef Ramsay]

Ted Cruz recruits from the Iowa Liberty Movement

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whose path to the Republican nomination requires a breakout performance in Iowa, has quickly recruited more than a dozen party leaders for his statewide campaign, who are to be announced in coming days, according to people told of the choices.


Most significantly, Mr. Cruz has peeled away three leaders of the Libertarian faction in the state, known as the Liberty movement, who are the base of Senator Rand Paul’s support in Iowa. They included state Senator Jason Shultz, who endorsed Representative Ron Paul for president in 2012; and two former members of the state Republican Party’s central committee, Joel Kurtinitis and Chad Steenhoek.


“The assumption of lot of people has been that the Liberty movement would roll over and support Senator Paul,’’ Mr. Kurtinitis said. “We’re a movement probably more than anything that’s noted for critical thinking and a rebellious streak.’’

He said Mr. Cruz, who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday, appealed to three important constituencies in Iowa: evangelical Christians, Libertarians and Tea Party activists. His wife, Kelsey Kurtinitis, a board member of Personhood Iowa, an antiabortion group, is also joining the Cruz campaign, as one of 15 or so volunteer leaders who will most likely take the title of state co-chairman and co-chairwomen, Mr. Kurtinitis said.

Mr. Cruz, as of this week, had only a single paid staff member in Iowa, Bryan M. English, a former aide to Representative Steve King. Mr. English was hastily adding dates to the calendar for Mr. Cruz to appear in Iowa, where he has visited less often than other 2016 hopefuls and has done almost no retail campaigning.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/03/24/cruz-recruits-some-rand-paul-supporters-in-iowa/?_r=2

[koshgel]

I suppose others have seen this on reddit:

Ted Cruz says satellite data show the globe isn’t warming. This satellite scientist feels otherwise

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/24/ted-cruz-says-satellite-data-show-the-globe-isnt-warming-this-satellite-scientist-feels-otherwise/

[Bit_Happy]

Ted Cruz recruits from the Iowa Liberty Movement

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whose path to the Republican nomination requires a breakout performance in Iowa, has quickly recruited more than a dozen party leaders for his statewide campaign, who are to be announced in coming days, according to people told of the choices.


Most significantly, Mr. Cruz has peeled away three leaders of the Libertarian faction in the state, known as the Liberty movement, who are the base of Senator Rand Paul’s support in Iowa. They included state Senator Jason Shultz, who endorsed Representative Ron Paul for president in 2012; and two former members of the state Republican Party’s central committee, Joel Kurtinitis and Chad Steenhoek.


“The assumption of lot of people has been that the Liberty movement would roll over and support Senator Paul,’’ Mr. Kurtinitis said. “We’re a movement probably more than anything that’s noted for critical thinking and a rebellious streak.’’

He said Mr. Cruz, who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday, appealed to three important constituencies in Iowa: evangelical Christians, Libertarians and Tea Party activists. His wife, Kelsey Kurtinitis, a board member of Personhood Iowa, an antiabortion group, is also joining the Cruz campaign, as one of 15 or so volunteer leaders who will most likely take the title of state co-chairman and co-chairwomen, Mr. Kurtinitis said.

Mr. Cruz, as of this week, had only a single paid staff member in Iowa, Bryan M. English, a former aide to Representative Steve King. Mr. English was hastily adding dates to the calendar for Mr. Cruz to appear in Iowa, where he has visited less often than other 2016 hopefuls and has done almost no retail campaigning.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/03/24/cruz-recruits-some-rand-paul-supporters-in-iowa/?_r=2

This is why I don't want him running, but if he 'steals' some votes from Scott Walker that is fine.
Rand Paul needs to make a strong showing no matter how large the field, but we don't need too many economic conservatives fighting each other.

[jaysabi]

Ted Cruz recruits from the Iowa Liberty Movement

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whose path to the Republican nomination requires a breakout performance in Iowa, has quickly recruited more than a dozen party leaders for his statewide campaign, who are to be announced in coming days, according to people told of the choices.


Most significantly, Mr. Cruz has peeled away three leaders of the Libertarian faction in the state, known as the Liberty movement, who are the base of Senator Rand Paul’s support in Iowa. They included state Senator Jason Shultz, who endorsed Representative Ron Paul for president in 2012; and two former members of the state Republican Party’s central committee, Joel Kurtinitis and Chad Steenhoek.


“The assumption of lot of people has been that the Liberty movement would roll over and support Senator Paul,’’ Mr. Kurtinitis said. “We’re a movement probably more than anything that’s noted for critical thinking and a rebellious streak.’’

He said Mr. Cruz, who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday, appealed to three important constituencies in Iowa: evangelical Christians, Libertarians and Tea Party activists. His wife, Kelsey Kurtinitis, a board member of Personhood Iowa, an antiabortion group, is also joining the Cruz campaign, as one of 15 or so volunteer leaders who will most likely take the title of state co-chairman and co-chairwomen, Mr. Kurtinitis said.

Mr. Cruz, as of this week, had only a single paid staff member in Iowa, Bryan M. English, a former aide to Representative Steve King. Mr. English was hastily adding dates to the calendar for Mr. Cruz to appear in Iowa, where he has visited less often than other 2016 hopefuls and has done almost no retail campaigning.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/03/24/cruz-recruits-some-rand-paul-supporters-in-iowa/?_r=2

This is why I don't want him running, but if he 'steals' some votes from Scott Walker that is fine.
Rand Paul needs to make a strong showing no matter how large the field, but we don't need too many economic conservatives fighting each other.

Any "libertarian" who joins Cruz's campaign was never a TRUE SCOTSMAN to begin with!

[Chef Ramsay]

Ted Cruz recruits from the Iowa Liberty Movement

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whose path to the Republican nomination requires a breakout performance in Iowa, has quickly recruited more than a dozen party leaders for his statewide campaign, who are to be announced in coming days, according to people told of the choices.


Most significantly, Mr. Cruz has peeled away three leaders of the Libertarian faction in the state, known as the Liberty movement, who are the base of Senator Rand Paul’s support in Iowa. They included state Senator Jason Shultz, who endorsed Representative Ron Paul for president in 2012; and two former members of the state Republican Party’s central committee, Joel Kurtinitis and Chad Steenhoek.


“The assumption of lot of people has been that the Liberty movement would roll over and support Senator Paul,’’ Mr. Kurtinitis said. “We’re a movement probably more than anything that’s noted for critical thinking and a rebellious streak.’’

He said Mr. Cruz, who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday, appealed to three important constituencies in Iowa: evangelical Christians, Libertarians and Tea Party activists. His wife, Kelsey Kurtinitis, a board member of Personhood Iowa, an antiabortion group, is also joining the Cruz campaign, as one of 15 or so volunteer leaders who will most likely take the title of state co-chairman and co-chairwomen, Mr. Kurtinitis said.

Mr. Cruz, as of this week, had only a single paid staff member in Iowa, Bryan M. English, a former aide to Representative Steve King. Mr. English was hastily adding dates to the calendar for Mr. Cruz to appear in Iowa, where he has visited less often than other 2016 hopefuls and has done almost no retail campaigning.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/03/24/cruz-recruits-some-rand-paul-supporters-in-iowa/?_r=2

This is why I don't want him running, but if he 'steals' some votes from Scott Walker that is fine.
Rand Paul needs to make a strong showing no matter how large the field, but we don't need too many economic conservatives fighting each other.

Any "libertarian" who joins Cruz's campaign was never a TRUE SCOTSMAN to begin with!

Compared to most of the other republican Senators, Cruz does pretty well on fiscal matters which some would say are libertarian leanings these days rather than just 'conservative' leanings - that in the past have always went status quo or democrat lite. He's about as far removed from libertarianism that I could live with supporting and voting for, given the alternatives. If Bush, Rubio or any of the rest of the brady bunch get the nomination, I'll vote LP.

[Chef Ramsay]

Rand Paul just trolled the hell out of Cruz and Rubio on the defense budget

Many were shocked at news Thursday that Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) had proposed a senate amendment that would increase defense spending. Paul, who has long advocated for a smaller defense budget, proposed increasing defense spending to $696 billion via his amendment.

Earlier, fellow likely presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), filed an amendment to increase defense spending to exactly that number.

There are differences between Paul’s and Rubio’s amendments. The biggest difference is that Rand Paul cut more than enough spending from domestic programs to pay for his defense increase. Rubio and Cotton simply boosted defense spending without offsetting those increases with cuts, this increasing the deficit and debt.

Paul took fire from his libertarian base, particularly Reason Magazine’s Nick Gillespie, who called him “less interesting.” Left-wing publication Salon called him a flip-flopper.

Rare asked Paul’s senior adviser, Doug Stafford, what Paul is trying to do with the amendment. Here’s how Stafford replied:

...

More...http://rare.us/story/rand-paul-just-trolled-the-hell-out-of-cruz-and-rubio-on-the-defense-budget/

[jaysabi]

Ted Cruz recruits from the Iowa Liberty Movement

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whose path to the Republican nomination requires a breakout performance in Iowa, has quickly recruited more than a dozen party leaders for his statewide campaign, who are to be announced in coming days, according to people told of the choices.


Most significantly, Mr. Cruz has peeled away three leaders of the Libertarian faction in the state, known as the Liberty movement, who are the base of Senator Rand Paul’s support in Iowa. They included state Senator Jason Shultz, who endorsed Representative Ron Paul for president in 2012; and two former members of the state Republican Party’s central committee, Joel Kurtinitis and Chad Steenhoek.


“The assumption of lot of people has been that the Liberty movement would roll over and support Senator Paul,’’ Mr. Kurtinitis said. “We’re a movement probably more than anything that’s noted for critical thinking and a rebellious streak.’’

He said Mr. Cruz, who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday, appealed to three important constituencies in Iowa: evangelical Christians, Libertarians and Tea Party activists. His wife, Kelsey Kurtinitis, a board member of Personhood Iowa, an antiabortion group, is also joining the Cruz campaign, as one of 15 or so volunteer leaders who will most likely take the title of state co-chairman and co-chairwomen, Mr. Kurtinitis said.

Mr. Cruz, as of this week, had only a single paid staff member in Iowa, Bryan M. English, a former aide to Representative Steve King. Mr. English was hastily adding dates to the calendar for Mr. Cruz to appear in Iowa, where he has visited less often than other 2016 hopefuls and has done almost no retail campaigning.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/03/24/cruz-recruits-some-rand-paul-supporters-in-iowa/?_r=2

This is why I don't want him running, but if he 'steals' some votes from Scott Walker that is fine.
Rand Paul needs to make a strong showing no matter how large the field, but we don't need too many economic conservatives fighting each other.

Any "libertarian" who joins Cruz's campaign was never a TRUE SCOTSMAN to begin with!

Compared to most of the other republican Senators, Cruz does pretty well on fiscal matters which some would say are libertarian leanings these days rather than just 'conservative' leanings - that in the past have always went status quo or democrat lite. He's about as far removed from libertarianism that I could live with supporting and voting for, given the alternatives. If Bush, Rubio or any of the rest of the brady bunch get the nomination, I'll vote LP.

Cruz is your standard liberty except for people I disagree with republican. If it's not liberty for all, it will never be good enough for me to vote for. Fiscal matters are only half the equation.

[Lethn]

Cruz is your standard liberty except for people I disagree with republican. If it's not liberty for all, it will never be good enough for me to vote for. Fiscal matters are only half the equation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X4XA6GgQkI

Best part about his announcement? The Rand Paul supporters in the background that he forced to go to his announcement because he took advantage of a compulsory event at the university.

[Chef Ramsay]

Chuck Baldwin: 'Ted Cruz: Pros And Cons'

...
Pros

• The “Christian” candidate



His ability to cast himself early on as “the” Christian candidate will definitely be a plus as he approaches the primary season.


On a personal note, I would rather vote for an unbeliever who would preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States than a believer who would NOT preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. In my opinion, Christians on the whole are very naïve to vote for political candidates based on his or her “Christian” profession alone. Just about every politician in the country claims to be a Christian. That, by itself, means very little to the actual performance of most elected officials. It SHOULD, but it doesn’t. But for the purpose of this column, I’m saying that Mr. Cruz’s decision to not shy away from a Christian testimony should not be regarded as a negative--especially in light of all of the anti-Christian bias in the establishment media.


• His voting record in general
He has a cumulative voting record of 89% by The Freedom Index of The New American magazine. The Freedom Index is one of the best barometers of a congressman or senator’s constitutional voting record that I know of. That Cruz is right at 90% on The Freedom Index is nothing but a positive.

See his rating on The Freedom Index: Ted Cruz's Profile-The Freedom Index

• His leadership against illegal immigration and executive amnesty

Senator Cruz must be regarded as one of the senate’s most outspoken opponents of Barack Obama’s executive amnesty order in particular and illegal immigration in general.

• As far as I can tell, Mr. Cruz is solid on the Second Amendment and pro-life issues

For me, these two issues are deal breakers. I will not vote for ANY candidate that compromises either one of these two issues. In this regard, potential GOP presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson, is going to have problems, as he is on record as strongly advocating additional gun control.

...
• His pro-war foreign policy

In my opinion, this is where the establishment Republican Party in Washington, D.C., is at its WORST. G.W. Bush’s preemptive war doctrine turned the national GOP into a pro-war leviathan. Like most every Republican in Washington, D.C., (except Rand Paul) Cruz has bought into the global “war on terror” apparition that is spawning the New World Order abroad and a Police State at home.

There is nothing about Ted Cruz that leads me to believe that he would do anything to stop America’s militarism and hegemony that is wreaking havoc around the world and that is leading our country toward nuclear war.

And one further note on this point: though it is going to be difficult for Rand Paul to win the Republican nomination, as he is the establishment elite’s most dreaded candidate, Dr. Paul would in all actuality be the most formidable Republican presidential candidate in the general election.
More people than ever are not voting. More people than ever are claiming to be political independents. More people than ever have developed strong opinions against both major parties in Washington, D.C. And one of the biggest reasons for this phenomenon is the Warfare State that both parties in D.C. have created. In reality, Rand Paul’s foreign policy is in sync with more Americans across the board than any other potential candidate from either the Republican or Democrat party. Again, pro-war Republicans might look askance at Rand Paul, but in a general election, his appeal would be massive. Look at how popular Dr. Paul is becoming on the college campuses of America. But if the national GOP follows suit, they would rather lose with a candidate like John McCain or Mitt Romney--or any other pro-war candidate--than win with a constitutional foreign policy candidate such as Ron or Rand Paul. But we’ll see. Rand is not officially in the race yet.
...
• His infatuation with Israel

Ted Cruz recently spoke before the non-partisan group “In Defense of Christians” (IDC). In so doing, he began to laud, not the Christians who are suffering in the Middle East (which the organization is designed to help), but the modern state of Israel. When he did this, he was booed by the audience. Cruz became very angry and walked off the stage, saying, “If you will not stand with Israel and the Jews, then I will not stand with you.”

But that was not the point. The IDC is all about helping persecuted Christians in the Middle East. And, yes, sometimes it is Israel that does the persecuting. Senator Cruz apparently has no cognizance of the fact that Christians are often persecuted by both Muslims and Jews. Either Mr. Cruz didn’t understand the purpose of the IDC and the plight of Christians in the Middle East, or, the for the sake of a publicity stunt, he deliberately chose to throw the Jewish factor in the face of those folks knowing the sensitivity of their feelings at Christians sometimes being persecuted by Jews. No one but Ted Cruz knows his heart in the matter.

See the IDC website: In Defense Of Christians

As he is trying to establish himself as “the” Christian candidate, it is understandable that Cruz would try to ingratiate himself to conservative Christians. And, unfortunately, most evangelical Christians and pastors have the same basic approach to Israel that they have to civil government. The misinterpretation of Romans 13 causes them to say, “Obey government no matter what.” And the misinterpretation of Genesis 12 causes them to say, “Support Israel no matter what.” Both of these positions are not only unscriptural, they are very dangerous to America.

Instead of demanding that Middle Eastern Christians “stand with Israel,” Senator Cruz should have encouraged them to stand faithful to Christ, which is the message that those folks needed and were looking for. And given Senator Cruz’s outspoken Christian profession, this is the message they thought they would hear him give. After all, why else would such a group invite him to speak in the first place?


When the day comes that an American Christian senator (and maybe President) will lend credence to suffering Christians in the Middle East being more loyal to the political policies of a foreign country (in this case, the United States) than to those poor suffering souls being faithful to their Savior, Jesus Christ, demonstrates that something is VERY, VERY wrong with the religion of American Christianity.

More...http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Articles/tabid/109/ID/3300/Ted-Cruz-Pros-And-Cons.aspx

[Chef Ramsay]

6 Reasons Why Ted Cruz Is Not A Serious Candidate For President

It has been widely reported in the national media that Texas Senator Ted Cruz will formally announce his candidacy for the 2016 presidential election on Monday at Liberty University. This announcement comes at the very beginning of an expected string of campaign announcements for the 2016 presidential election. Many tea partiers and grassroots conservatives alike are excited about the prospect of a Ted Cruz candidacy, but questions have risen about his viability as a candidate. Indeed, there are several reasons to believe that Cruz has very little potential to win the Republican nomination.

1. His early polling has been abysmal.

According to the Real Clear Politics 2016 polling average, Cruz is averaging 8th place nationally, 9th place in Iowa and 8th place in New Hampshire for the Republican nomination. He is even dead last in South Carolina, and is behind Scott Walker, Rand Paul and Ben Carson amongst the conservative candidates. This gradual slide into the 3rd or 4th tier of the polls has come as Cruz has failed to create any significant waves since his 21 hour filibuster to defund Obamacare. People may say that it is too early to take the polling into account, but the people who are being asked to staff these campaigns must make those decisions now, so these polls are what they have to go off of at the moment. His abysmal starting position could cause Cruz a real problem with attracting talent to his campaign.

2. Many of his most talented staff have gone to Rand Paul.

Speaking of talent, a lot of the best talent that helped Ted Cruz win his 2012 senate election is now on board with the Rand Paul campaign. Rachel Kania, Cruz’s former Texas state field director, has signed on to work for Rand Paul in 2016. Joining her will be former Ted Cruz digital strategist Vincent Harris, a man whose star has risen since his digital campaign helped push Bibi Netanyahu over the top in the Israeli Prime Minister elections. Former Ted Cruz Youth Outreach Director Nick Dyer has even posted several pro Rand Paul 2016 items on his Twitter account. Longtime Texas GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri spurned both Cruz and Texas governor Rick Perry to join Paul’s campaign as an advisor in what was a major blow to both candidacies. These moves not only shrink the Senator’s talent pool, but they also paint a picture of doubt among those closest to him about his chances of winning in 2016. This is a major red flag for any potential candidate.

3. He faces a serious fundraising deficit.

Compared to his senate colleagues, Ted Cruz’s fund raising prowess has been lackluster at best. With a mere $1.3 million on hand (with over a half million in debt), he lags behind his senate colleagues Marco Rubio and Rand Paul in the fundraising department. This deficit has come, along with his slide in the polls, in the months after his Obamacare filibuster, as 2014 was a lackluster year for the senator compared to his impressive 2013. With little more time for grandiose displays in the senate before his 2016 campaigning begins full time, there are serious questions about whether Cruz has the ability to raise the money needed to be competitive.

More...http://blog.libertyconservatives.com/6-reasons-why-ted-cruz-is-not-a-serious-candidate-for-president/