Perhaps in order to save some time during tonight’s debate and to get a laugh from Donald Trump, Ted Cruz should walk onto the stage and up to the Fox Business moderators and hand them a copy of his mother’s birth certificate to settle the non-issue of the Texas senator’s eligibility to be president.
In what is sure to be brought up by the moderators directly and quite likely by one of the other candidates as well, the question of whether or not Cruz is a natural born American citizen will dominate at least some of the debate.
But it shouldn’t. Again, this is a non-issue. He is eligible to be the 45th President of the United States of America if the voters determine he is worthy.
Mr. Cruz has scoffed at questions regarding his eligibility and has usually taken the high road on any attack that comes his way. However, on Tuesday, he offered this on why Donald Trump might be raising the eligibility issue:
“I will say it is more than a little strange to see Donald relying on as authoritative a liberal, left-wing, judicial activist Harvard law professor who is a huge Hillary supporter. It starts to make you think, ‘Gosh, why are some of Hillary’s strongest supporters backing Donald Trump?’ You know, the last couple of elections, you’ll recall the Democrats got the nominee they wanted to run against in the general election. It seems the Hillary folks are very eager to support Donald Trump and the attacks that are being tossed my direction.”
While it would not surprise us one bit that the Democrats are pushing the birther issue regarding Ted Cruz, we doubt that Donald Trump is taking cues from Hillary supporters. More likely, the business mogul is trying to scare off Iowa voters from voting for the likely caucus winner, in our opinion.
As is the case nearly every morning before a debate, Donald Trump proves that the 2016 presidential race centers around him.
In other pre-debate news, Sen. Rand Paul was left off tonight’s stage in yet another blow to his disappointing campaign. Paul says the GOP is behind his omission because of some of his libertarian principles that don’t mesh well with the powers that be inside the party. Scorned, Sen. Paul has stated that he will not participate in the undercard debate and says the GOP could suffer with libertarian voters come the fall.
While we have deep concerns with his foreign policy, the Kentucky senator had friends here at Conservative First and were rooting for him. Being left off tonight’s stage, despite being 5th in recent Iowa polling, certainly puts his campaign on life support. What a shame.
Also receiving a political blow is Carly Fiorina who was also left off the primetime stage. Despite having solid debate performances early on which elevated her status in this crowded field, being relegated back to the opening round debate may be the ominous sign that her presidential run is most likely over on or soon after February 1.
As we do each morning before the debate, we ask each candidate a question. Let’s get started.
Donald Trump – With latest polls out of Iowa showing you and Senator Ted Cruz neck and neck, will you hit Sen. Cruz on his birthright citizenship question that is surely to come your way?
Ted Cruz – How do you respond to Mr. Trump should he double down on the birther issue?
Marco Rubio – Senator, we would like to ask you two questions if we may. First, you went on Hannity and Special Report With Bret Baier this week and stated unequivocally that you do not support amnesty. Do you expect conservatives in Iowa, South Carolina, and beyond to believe you? And secondly, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, major members of the establishment, continue to viciously attack you and vice-versa. It seems to us that it is quite obvious that both candidates view you as their biggest threat? Do you agree with many conservatives that you are swimming in the establishment lane?
Ben Carson – You promise to not be “quite so polite” tonight and have more “pep”.Do you think a more lively persona will help turn around your torpedoed poll numbers in Iowa?
Chris Christie – Your poll numbers continue to rise in the moderate state of New Hampshire. What is your pathway to the nomination after the Granite State’s primary considering the following ballots to be cast are in mostly solid conservative states?
Jeb Bush – Establishment strategists have warned you to stop attacking Marco Rubio which may cause damage to the Florida senator and ultimately help elect Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. What does that say about where the state of your campaign ultimately resides and the apparent lack of confidence your faithful loyalists have in you?
John Kasich – What line of attack will you take towards Donald Trump tonight that have previously failed over and over again?
There are two more debates before the first ballot is cast in the 2016 presidential cycle: tonight in South Carolina and on January 28th in Iowa, only a few days before the caucuses.
Tonight’s showdown in North Charleston is actually the more intriguing debate due to the fact that South Carolina is the third state to vote. Should either Ted Cruz or Donald Trump win Iowa, and Trump, who holds a commanding lead in New Hampshire, dominates the Granite State on February 9th, does the establishment really think it can stop either candidate from becoming the nominee?
Not likely.
With the Palmetto State primary on Saturday February 20th, where Trump has a massive lead, followed by the Nevada caucuses three days later, the big test for Trump and Cruz, and perhaps Marco Rubio, will be the so-called “SEC Primary” on March 1st, where a slew of southern conservative states will hold their primaries and could very well determine which candidate is likely to be standing on the stage in Cleveland in July as the nominee.
Establishment candidates like Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Chris Christie, should they not drop out beforehand, will have an extremely difficult, if downright impossible, path to the nomination should either Cruz or Trump win all or they split the four first in the nation states (IA, NH, SC, NV).
Does Trump run away with the nomination should he win Iowa?
Does Cruz, should he beat Trump in the Hawkeye State, score an upset in New Hampshire and/or South Carolina where Mr. Trump has sizable leads?
Will Cruz’s eligibility continue to dominate the news cycle for the foreseeable future?
Time will tell.
What happens in North Charleston tonight may not move the needle much in terms of predicting who will be the nominee, and those hoping for a Trump-Cruz smackdown are probably going to be disappointed.
In conclusion, the GOP ruling class loathes Donald Trump. But have you noticed how quiet they are towards him regarding the issue of Ted Cruz’s birthright citizenship?
They despise the Texas senator even more.
In our book, that’s a ringing endorsement!
