# Ted Cruz Presidential campaign discussion thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 23, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774 "2015-03-23T14:47:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/281 "2015-12-04T19:22:30Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > His positions aren’t too far right, it’s his unwillingness to compromise with the opposition and his scorched earth tactics. Which is why being hated by Republicans doesn’t make him liked by Democrats. His roommate said that only 1% of his dislike was politics and 99% was personal, and if they had agreed on politics totally the roommate would still hate Cruz 99%. I think I read that Boehner gave him the finger. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/282 "2015-12-05T02:58:21Z")
There are two ways to be extreme or moderate: there’s ideolgical and partisan. John McCain is an ideological hardcore conservative, but a partisan moderate. He genuinely seems to like his Democratic colleagues and is happy to craft bipartisan legislation with them. He probably has more enemies in his own caucus than among Democrats, and this was true even before the Tea Party. Rubio isn’t quite as partisanly moderate as McCain, but has shown a willingness to reach across the aisle. It’s also possible to be ideologically moderate and an extreme partisan. Harry Reid was never a particularly liberal Democrat, but he ascended to majority leader in party due to the fact that the guy really, really hates Republicans and everything they stand for. Howard Dean has also come off as more liberal than he actually is due to his rather harsh dislike of Republicans. On the GOP side, Chris Christie is pretty moderate but relishes going to the mat against the opposition. Ted Cruz of course is a hard right conservative who doesn’t get along with anyone. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/283 "2015-12-09T00:45:15Z")
Indeed, does not get along with others even with other Republicans as commented by Eli Rabbet, one of the funnies bloggers that posts about the issue of climate change. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), is also the chairman of the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, :rolleyes::smack::rolleyes::smack: **One has to remember that other Republican senators put him there.** The hearing was titled “Data or Dogma? Promoting Open Inquiry in the Debate over the Magnitude of Human Impact on Earth’s Climate” > **[Senate Hearing Live Blog](http://rabett.blogspot.com/2015/12/senate-hearing-live-blog.html)** > > So the Cruz follies are on the air , feel free to add your comments Christy, Curry, Happer and Steyn, with Dave Titley for the forces of ... > [@](#): > > Next up is Udall (D). **Cruz can’t get his R colleagues to come to the meeting.** Udall points out that this meeting is an attack on scientists. > > Asks Titley if there is any time. Titley says that there is nothing as useless as the runway behind you. Points out that even Curry said that more research on energy is needed. > > Asks Titley was he always convinced. Titley says that not always, because he comes from a weather model background. Uses initial value vs. boundary value point. When asked by CNO to look at this, like a reformed smoker, he saw all these independent lines of evidence. > > ## Asks Titley if science has progressed. Titley says progress in science is not linear. Overall level of confidence in basic GHG theory has increased > > Another Democrat (Markey) \*\*\*If there was an R in the room it would have been his or her turn. Every Republican hates Cruz and won’t show up. \* > \*\* > Asks Titley about weather 2014 was record year. > > Answer is yes. Senator turns to COP 21. Calls committee last redoubt of denial. Points out that the panel has 4 deniers and 1 scientist. Tells Titley that, unlike Galileo he will get his apology faster than Galileo. BTW this is Titley: [http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-local/article/Navy-climate-change-expert-sees-opponents-6401711.php](http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-local/article/Navy-climate-change-expert-sees-opponents-6401711.php) > [@](#): > > As the U.S. Navy’s former top expert on man-made climate change, retired Rear Adm. David Titley says he deals in evidence, not belief. > > “I tell people this is basic science. And that people from all around the world are coming to the came conclusion,” said Titley, a Schenectady native who headed up the Navy’s Task Force on Climate Change. During his 32-year military career, he was also the Navy’s chief oceanographer, responsible for tracking science on global oceans. Against him Cruz and other Republicans invited 4 or so fake sceptics and contrarians. But as the hearing showed Cruz and the contrarians are sounding way out of the league of the Admiral. And as the Rabbet points out, Cruz and the Republicans are incompetents regarding who they invite to their denial fests. > [@](#): > > ## Christy and Happer are pushing for Team B. Conservative pushed Team B exercises has a long history of being wrong. Happer sounds shaken. > > UPDATE: He damn well was shaken [Video showing a guy from Greenpeace putting Happer on notice before the hearing that they knew his gig was up.] > **[Greenpeace exposes sceptics hired to cast doubt on climate science](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/greenpeace-exposes-sceptics-cast-doubt-climate-science)** > > Sting operation uncovers two prominent climate sceptics available for hire by the hour to write reports on the benefits of rising CO2 levels and coal > [@](#): > > The campaign group assumed another false identity, posing as an Indonesian energy consultancy, to approach Frank Clemente, a retired sociologist formerly at Pennsylvania State University, to commission a report countering damaging studies on Indonesian coal deaths and promoting the benefits of coal, according to the email exchanges. > > In both cases, the professors discussed ways to obscure the funding for the reports, at the request of the fake companies. In Happer’s case, the CO2 Coalition which was to receive the fee suggested he reach out to a secretive funding channel called Donors Trust, in response to a request from the fake Greenpeace entity to keep the source of funds secret. Not disclosing funding in this way is not unlawful under US law. I wonder if he was put under oath. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/284 "2015-12-17T22:40:15Z")
Can someone please explain (again) how a guy [born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz) can run for POTUS? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/285 "2015-12-17T22:44:18Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Can someone please explain (again) how a guy [born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz) can run for POTUS? Sure! [QUOTE=Our Good Friend the US Constituion] No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. [/QUOTE] natural born Citizen? Check! (Note that there is nothing about birthplace, only birth status) 35+ years old? Check! 14+ years in the US? Check! Further, from [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_nationality_law): For persons born between December 24, 1952 and November 14, 1986, a person is a U.S. citizen if all of the following are true:[10] The person’s parents were married at the time of birth One of the person’s parents was a U.S. citizen when the person was born The citizen parent lived at least ten years in the United States before the child’s birth; A minimum of 5 of these 10 years in the United States were after the citizen parent’s 14th birthday. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/286 "2015-12-17T22:45:59Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Can someone please explain (again) how a guy [born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz) can run for POTUS? He is a natural born American citizen (he was born a citizen). ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/287 "2015-12-17T23:51:05Z")
[Congressman Alan Grayson disagrees.](http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/11/25/alan-grayson-threatens-lawsuit-on-citizenship-grounds-if-ted-cruz-is-the-gop-nominee/) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/288 "2015-12-18T00:09:43Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Congressman Alan Grayson disagrees.](http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/11/25/alan-grayson-threatens-lawsuit-on-citizenship-grounds-if-ted-cruz-is-the-gop-nominee/) That legitimately goes in the SLIoTD thread. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/289 "2015-12-18T02:13:17Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > That legitimately goes in the SLIoTD thread. To be fair, I don’t think Grayson is _entirely_ serious in that interview: > [@](#): > > GRAYSON: Oh, it’s shocking. In Cruz’s case, it is obvious what happened. The Canadians got pissed off at us for acid rain, so they gave us Ted Cruz. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/290 "2015-12-18T20:24:48Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > For persons born between December 24, 1952 and November 14, 1986, a person is a U.S. citizen if all of the following are true:[10] > The person’s parents were married at the time of birth > One of the person’s parents was a U.S. citizen when the person was born > The citizen parent lived at least ten years in the United States before the child’s birth; > A minimum of 5 of these 10 years in the United States were after the citizen parent’s 14th birthday. These are considerably nontrivial to prove. However, they are probably considerably harder to disprove. If Cruz is currently a citizen and has not been naturalized, it logically follows that he was a natural-born citizen, and whether he can prove that his mother met the requirements is irrelevant. Seeing as he’s a member of the Senate, I don’t think anyone questions whether he’s currently a citizen, so the only remaining question is whether he was naturalized. So in order to prove Cruz is not a natural-born citizen in order to sustain such a lawsuit, you would have to either definitively prove that his mother did not meet those requirements (which I’m going to assume is impossible as we don’t have time machines and her activities that generated a historic record show she was at least in the United States for some things that would imply long-term residence) or be able to produce documentation that he was naturalized. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/291 "2015-12-18T20:37:58Z")
I had to prove something similar in order to obtain recognition of my Canadian citizenship under the rules operating at the time. Establishing birth in wedlock was easy, but the rest was reasonably difficult. I don’t think I had to prove that my mother had been in Canada for X years following age Y, because that would have been basically impossible in the days when you didn’t need a passport to enter and leave the country. These days it would be easier to prove. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/292 "2015-12-19T04:46:23Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I would think that being hated by the Republican establishment would get Cruz some fans among Democrats too. > [@adaher](#): > > His positions aren’t too far right, it’s his unwillingness to compromise with the opposition and his scorched earth tactics. He’s so unwilling to compromise with Democrats that even the Republicans get frustrated with him… This is no a recipe for making fans among the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/293 "2015-12-19T05:58:07Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > It’s often been said that who your enemies are says more good things about you than who your friends are. I would think that being hated by the Republican establishment would get Cruz some fans among Democrats too. Actually, it makes me feel better about the Republican establishment. ---
**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:** [December 19, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/294 "2015-12-19T06:29:00Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > To be fair, I don’t think Grayson is _entirely_ serious in that interview: Maybe not but I certainly enjoyed this comment: > [@](#): > > Look, even the anchor babies are actually born here. He doesn’t even meet that qualification. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/295 "2015-12-19T14:50:58Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > He’s so unwilling to compromise with Democrats that even the Republicans get frustrated with him. He’s even unwilling to compromise with Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/296 "2015-12-21T15:29:54Z")
I just read an article from yahoo news about the possibility that Cruz might surprise us by being able to move somewhat to the left and moderate his positions in a general election. > **[Democrats want Ted Cruz to be the GOP’s nominee. They should be careful what...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-want-ted-cruz-to-1324948431880246.html)** > > Sen. Ted Cruz at a campaign rally in Bloomingdale, Ga. (Photo: Nicholas Pilch/Getty Images) If you are a Democrat or liberal, does this concern you? If you are a Republican or conservative, does this give you hope that Cruz might be electable in a general election? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/297 "2015-12-21T15:35:43Z")
At this point it does seem to me that Cruz has the highest likelihood from the Republican field to win the nomination. This is why I’m starting to wonder if Democrats should start taking the possibility of a Cruz nomination seriously. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/298 "2015-12-21T15:46:04Z")
And do what? OK, right now, I’ll start taking it seriously. What’s different, then? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/299 "2015-12-21T15:51:37Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > And do what? OK, right now, I’ll start taking it seriously. What’s different, then? We start to check Canada’s immigration laws. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774/300 "2015-12-21T16:08:28Z")
Well, I for one would welcome Ted Cruz as the Republican candidate. No chance he even gets close to winning, but the excuses and the derptastic claims would be most entertaining. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/715774.md?page=16)