# Ted Cruz 2020 Presidential Campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 21, 2016, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480 "2016-07-21T07:51:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/21 "2016-07-21T22:38:32Z")
Good move. The public will be more receptive to a GOP candidate after 3 terms of a democrat in office. However, I don’t think it’ll be Cruz. But I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/22 "2016-07-21T22:39:20Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Well, according to the reception his speech got, he won’t be winning anybody in that room over . But if Trump comes in third behind Johnson, thr GOP may pretend they were behind Cruz all the time. I don’t think it’s at all likely that Trump will come in behind Johnson, but the Chicago Tribune is making noises like they are laying the groundwork to endorse Johnson in the general election. I wonder if any other major media outlook is toying with a Johnson endorsement. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/23 "2016-07-21T23:42:51Z")
> [@digs](#): > > America met Kasich and yawned. I think we’ll see a whole different slate of candidates to challenge Ted. The GOP will HAVE to come up with a slate more charismatic than Jeb¿ or Kasich (or Jindal, I just typed, laughing…). Kasich’s choice to not attend the convention will allow him to be one of the few GOP candidates from the 2016 primaries who doesn’t have the stink of Trump on him. That may or may not work for him in 2020. But after last night I suspect Cruz is done. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/24 "2016-07-22T05:26:37Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It could only encourage the faction that would blame Trump for not being conservative enough. They won’t blame him for not playing the be-nice game, they’ll applaud him for it. We **ALREADY** know that Trump isn’t a conservative. One of the many, many strange things of this cycle is that that no longer (at least temporarily) matters. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/25 "2016-07-22T06:12:59Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > now that Cruz decided to not endorse Donald J. Trump, and Trump’s odds are still considerably lower than Hillary’s on FiveThirtyEight, here’s a new thread for Ted Cruz’s next POTUS bid. Well, we know it’s coming. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/26 "2016-07-22T06:28:37Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Perhaps a rational person might jump to that conclusion, but there is an equal chance that they will blame Cruz for sabotaging the party and planting the seeds of disunity. You seem to think they’re Democrats. No, son, the GOP are in the _winning_ business. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/27 "2016-07-22T06:37:05Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > On the other hand, I just took Cruz off my “never ever” list. I still don’t like him, but it’s the least I can do for someone willing to spite Trump like that. And that’s what he got out of it. He for once actually looked principled, rather than like a bullheaded, corrupt fraud. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/28 "2016-07-22T07:33:08Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Well, we know it’s coming. Which means how much, exactly? We all saw Rick hang in there to near the bitter end to position himself for 2016. That went well. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/29 "2016-07-22T12:14:55Z")
Is it just me, or does anyone see the parallels between Trump and Cruz and the plot in There Will Be Blood, with Trump playing the role of Daniel Plainview and Cruz as Eli Sunday? Perhaps this is the final scene in which Trump chases Cruz around with a bowling pin. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/30 "2016-07-22T13:09:37Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > You seem to think they’re Democrats. No, son, the GOP are in the _winning_ business. And giving us the business, good and _hard_! ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/31 "2016-07-22T14:10:02Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > And that’s what he got out of it. He for once actually looked principled, rather than like a bullheaded, corrupt fraud. He looked like a bullheaded corrupt fraud to the only people he ever had a chance of getting votes from. Ted Cruz is going to spend the next four years being Ted Cruz, the only ones who will remember his “principled” stand are the ones who booed him off stage. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/32 "2016-07-22T14:57:17Z")
As mentioned, it depends on the election outcome, but I think Cruz is likely to have seriously damaged himself for a future presidential run. The reaction, even among real conservatives (not Trump’s core base of rightist populist nationalists, Trump has clarified that divide) was quite negative in general. Only a few very anti-Trump conservatives, either in the punditry or the grassroots AFAICT, were favorably impressed. Needless to say the fact that some liberals were willing to give Cruz backhanded compliments is not going help him. I don’t see it as that likely the GOP primary base will turn on a dime to focusing on Trump or Trumpist populism as _the_ problem if Trump loses, I think they’ll also still be angry at Cruz’ position. It’s also colored by my opinion that Trump isn’t likely to get blown out. I think it more likely the final EC vote is the same to slightly better for the GOP than 2012, though Trump actually winning isn’t that likely either. In that environment the best position to be in will be dutiful nominal supporter of ‘the nominee’, not sycophant of the defeated candidate (eg. Christie) or seen as contributing to his defeat (Cruz). I think Rubio’s strategy was better from POV of future in the GOP: make a halfhearted endorsement of Trump, which you can always say you were honor bound to do because of ‘the pledge’, then keep a low profile (he video’d in his speech which wasn’t effusive about Trump but not viewed as defiant). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/33 "2016-07-22T21:20:47Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > We **ALREADY** know that Trump isn’t a conservative. Because he’s \*against \*letting ISIS kill gays? Yeah, you’re right. Cruz hasn’t burned any bridges that were actually left. I don’t think this hurts him at all. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/34 "2016-08-03T20:40:03Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > My crackpot armchair theory is that Cruz is banking on the complete collapse of the republican party. That only happens through some serious divisions within the party, which probably takes some degree of incitement of acrimony and orchestrated activism. I’m guessing Cruz would be behind that activism and that he’s going to wait for Trump and republicans to alienate religious conservatives. This would mean that Trump could still get elected and Cruz could still tear the party apart – in some ways Trump’s election could be better for Cruz because he could turn into a kind of “I told you so” prophet. I think he’d aim to be the undisputed leader of religious conservatives and he would probably try to take over this wing of the party and fuse it with some of the worst of the tea party and splinter the republicans. > > He’s also making another calculation: that the Democrats will be equally unhappy after Clinton makes her pick of Veep and alienates progressives, which could seriously weaken that party and cause a serious schism on the left. Cruz would benefit from a political shit show in which you have three or even four parties, or short of that, you have the GOP mortally wounded and the Democratic party in critical condition. > > Cruz knew he was going to take heat for this. Maybe he underestimated how much but he knew he’d probably need to leave the Q in haste. Cruz has repeatedly acted like he’s running for president of the Jonestown cult but he has also proven himself to be extraordinarily intelligent in terms of calculating and plotting. He didn’t see Trump coming this year – but nobody else did either. Trump is probably a passing fad as a candidate. But religious fanaticism is a fad that never quite fades. Ted will simply wait and buy more time. > > People have occasionally used the Hitler analogy to apply it to Trump. The Donald, however, does not act like Hitler. He doesn’t have an ideology. Cruz, on the other hand, could be the American Adolf. Okay, so this didn’t quite down the way I thought, but I think it’s fair to say that Ted Cruz is rolling on the floor laughing his ass off at how utterly stupid Donald Trump and the Republicans look right now. I think he could still set himself up to be the right wing savior. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480/35 "2016-08-05T12:56:06Z")
Ted Cruz first has to get re-elected in 2018. Supposedly either Julian or Joaquín Castro may challenge him. Now, that’s going to be difficult in Republican Texas, but if he loses, he’s not likely a valid presidential candidate in 2020. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-2020-presidential-campaign/760480.md?page=1)