(Thanks to the artist Sabo for creating this poster, and especially for allowing me to use it here. Check out more of his creations at UnsavoryAgents.com)
The day Ronald Reagan left office, Conservatives began looking for a leader who can not only clearly articulate conservatism from the heart, but who has the backbone to stand up and fight for those beliefs even when it is not the popular thing to do. Unfortunately leaders like that are in short supply.
Without a doubt, Donald Trump has tapped into that need with his no-holds-barred campaign style, but no one would mistake him for being someone who can clearly articulate conservatism from the heart, or even a teleprompter for that matter. It would be so easy to get aboard the Trump wagon, but you never really know where that wagon is going to take you.
So do we have to just forget about the need for a clear Conservative message in order to have a leader that will fight? Before you say yes to that, bear in mind that a strong leader who is willing to fight for what he believes in is a great thing, unless that leader is going the wrong way. The description “strong leader willing to fight” could be applied to many people such as Reagan, Thatcher, Churchill and Lincoln, but it is also appropriate for the likes of Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Hitler (and no, I’m not comparing Trump to either of those leaders, just making a point). Leadership is essential, but so is a clear vision of a better future and an understanding of how to get there.
Trump is the center of attention, but he is not the only candidate who is willing to fight for what he believes. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has all of the fight of Donald Trump without the carnival atmosphere. The following video clearly illustrates his willingness to stand up for what is right, and the dignity that he carries as he does so:
Obviously, standing on the floor of the Senate and calling the leader of your own party a liar comes with some political costs but Cruz, whose book is titled “A Time For Truth” (a detail Mitch McConnell should have paid more attention to), is as tired of being lied to by McConnell as we are and he has the backbone to stand up and say it for all the world to hear. His speech may have been shocking to some who are not used to people in Washington telling the truth, but they cannot deny the truth in what he said. Ted Cruz gets it and he is not afraid to speak up and tell the truth even if he has to pay a price for doing so. Is that not exactly what we need in Washington?
Cruz is not one to back down from a fight, and he goes into battle carrying an impressive arsenal of knowledge, experience, and principle. In the past the media has tried to portray Cruz as being, as John McCain put it, a “wacko-bird” who was a foaming-at-the-mouth extremist, and they managed to convince people that Cruz was “just too conservative” to get elected. That was an easy picture to paint as long as people didn’t really know who Cruz was, but that image is fading rapidly as people get to see Cruz in action (and if you want to understand his motivations better, read his book!). Here is another video that illustrates not only his fight, but his ability and eagerness to clearly articulate Conservatism:
This is why we need someone with Trump’s fight, which Cruz certainly has, and the depth of knowledge and conviction to put that fight into action towards the right goals. Conservatism is not extreme, but it can easily be made to appear that way if it is misrepresented and those misrepresentations are not challenged. Cruz has the knowledge and the ability to be able to challenge those misrepresentations in a calm, clear, rational manner.
As entertaining as the carnival atmosphere might be, it is neither necessary nor will it be helpful once the campaigning is over. I applaud Trump’s fight, and enjoy watching him take on the media and the GOP leadership. It is indeed entertaining to watch them running around like Keystone Cops trying to figure out how to handle him, but the future of this country is in as much danger as it has been in my lifetime, and it will take more than a showman to bring us back from the brink of disaster.
I will continue to stand firmly with Ted Cruz to be our next President.
The post Ted Cruz – The Fighter appeared first on Dispatches From The Conservative Underground.