Cruz:Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage Will Be 'Front And Center' In 2016 Campaign

[Munch]

Though I'm a brit, I just read this and had to both cringe and laugh aloud at it.

http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/06/29/418398912/cruz-opposition-to-gay-marriage-will-be-front-and-center-in-2016-campaign

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz intends to make his opposition to the Supreme Court's decision last week to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide "front and center" in his presidential campaign.

In an interview with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep on Sunday in New York City, the GOP presidential hopeful doubled down on his belief that the court had overstepped its bounds in both the marriage decision and in upholding Obamacare. And as a result, Cruz said, the justices should be subject to elections and lose their lifetime appointments.

"This week in response to both of these decisions, I have called for another constitutional amendment â€" this one that would make members of the Supreme Court subject to periodic judicial retention elections," said Cruz.

Cruz said that 20 states have a system in place where voters can choose to either keep or remove their judges if they "overstep their bounds [and] violate the constitution."

"That is very much front and center something I intend to campaign on," he said. "And marriage and religious liberty are going to be integral, I believe, to motivating the American people to come out and vote for what's, ultimately, restoring our constitutional system."

Cruz's vigorous response and call to action separate him from many of his 2016 GOP rivals in the wake of the two landmark decisions last week. Some Republicans were quietly happy that the court did not strike down the state exchanges in question in King v. Burwell, fearing that many Americans would be kicked off their plans and putting the onus on Republicans to come up with a quick fix.

Cruz instead took to the Senate floor on Thursday to blast the court's decision in no uncertain terms: "These robed Houdinis have transmogrified a federal exchange into an exchange 'established by the state.' This is lawless."

On Friday, he bemoaned on Sean Hannity's radio show that, "Today is some of the darkest 24 hours in our nation's history."

Other Republican White House hopefuls had more muted responses. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said that while he believed whether to legalize same-sex marraige should have been left up to the states, "I also believe that we should love our neighbor and respect others, including those making lifetime commitments." Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said, "while I disagree with this decision, we live in a republic and must abide by the law." And neurosurgeon Ben Carson said that "while I strongly disagree with the Supreme Court's decision, their ruling is now the law of the land."

But Cruz, with his call for doing away with lifetime appointments to the high court, had one of the most strident.

"The court's views are radically out of step with public opinion," said Cruz. "The Supreme Court follows the opinions of Manhattan and Washington D.C., but it doesn't follow the opinions of America."

Cruz also suggested that those in opposition to the ruling may have a legal way out of following the court's decision.

"The parties to a case cannot ignore a direct judicial order, but it does not mean that those who are not parties to a case are bound by a judicial order," he argued.

Cruz also said he believed that the court's decision not to strike down part of the president's signature healthcare law could strengthen the GOP's hand next year.

"The Supreme Court's decision has made 2016 a referendum on repealing every single word of Obamacare," he said.

Cruz said his unwavering opposition to both same-sex marriage and ObamaCare is what will make him stand out among conservatives in the crowded 2016 field. He's carved out a profile in the Senate as one of the most conservative members, leading the opposition to the implementation of ObamaCare in 2013 ahead of the 16-day government shutdown â€" a maneuver that drew the ire of many within his own party.

Reminding conservative GOP voters of his firm stances is what the first-term Texas senator will need to rally the base â€" he's lagging in polls in both Iowa and South Carolina, two early states with high evangelical populations.

"In the 2016 primary, you're going to have 15 candidates up there going, 'I'm conservative! No, no, I'm conservative!'" said Cruz.

"It's very easy for Republican politicians to stand up and say they oppose Barack Obama. That's not hard to do," he continued. "I think the question Republican primary voters should ask is, 'When have you stood up against the Washington cartel? When have you stood up against leaders in our own party?'"

This is nothing short of a sickly homophobic man trying to gain public opinion from the homophobes and rednecks in his region, and he things this will be he leading voice in his campaign for presidency.

[GrinningYMIR]

Anti Gay marriage is the most important thing, its not the  debt or the foreign wars or our crumbling roads. Its not the fact that we have drug states to our south or the race problems flaring up again or net neutrality or corruption. It isn't the fact that we have high pollution unemployment and a growing population, and its not the fact that foreign nations hate us because of reasons many and vivid

ITs gay marriage being offensive to the minority religious right.

[Atheon]

With 60% of the US (and growing fast) supporting gay marriage, old people dying off, and Millennials entering the voting pool, good luck with that, Ted.

[Munch]

Can someone explain, he's from canada, he was born in canada and moved to the US, to the most redneck of states. Why does he think he can run for presidency, since even I know you need to be born in the US, like obama was, to be capable of that.

[TomFoolery]

Can someone explain, he's from canada, he was born in canada and moved to the US, to the most redneck of states. Why does he think he can run for presidency, since even I know you need to be born in the US, like obama was, to be capable of that.

His mother is an American and was at the time of his birth, and he has citizenship through her even though he was born abroad. Most legal scholars agree he's in the clear when it comes to the "natural born citizen" idea. It is interesting he was one of the people demanding to see Obama's birth certificate, but whatevs. All I can say is that I'm from Texas, and I'm sorry for Ted Cruz. And Greg Abbott. And George W. Bush.

[Munch]

His mother is an American and was at the time of his birth, and he has citizenship through her even though he was born abroad. Most legal scholars agree he's in the clear when it comes to the "natural born citizen" idea. It is interesting he was one of the people demanding to see Obama's birth certificate, but whatevs. All I can say is that I'm from Texas, and I'm sorry for Ted Cruz. And Greg Abbott. And George W. Bush.

Ah well now I see why he's aiming for it. Lets hope this digs him in further though. And we've all got people in our countries we'd sooner wish wasn't part of it. Just think, you've also got those two sweet old guys who got married the second the same sex bill passed there in texas, which was awesome.

[the_antithesis]

With 60% of the US (and growing fast) supporting gay marriage, old people dying off, and Millennials entering the voting pool, good luck with that, Ted.

This.

He might as well say he supports returning to British rule or to reinstate slavery.

[Solitary]

Can we just send him and Justin Beaber back to Canada? 

[TomFoolery]

Can we just send him and Justin Beaber back to Canada? 

I would totally trade Ted Cruz for crack-smoking former Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

[Sal1981]

I hope he wins the primary, although that probably has a snowball's chance in hell, because the Republican party is gonna tank then.

[SGOS]

I think he's floating a trial balloon to see how much traction he gets.  But really, isn't this thing over yet?  OK, it's going to be front and center during the campaign, but after he's elected, then what's he gonna do?  Throw out the Supreme Court ruling?  What's he running for again?  Dictator?

[Mermaid]

He's fucked. I have been thinking that Clinton is not electable, but now I am not so sure about that. There just aren't any sane and rational republican candidates.

[Munch]

He's fucked. I have been thinking that Clinton is not electable, but now I am not so sure about that. There just aren't any sane and rational republican candidates.

From what I understand of it, hillary will just be a follow on from obama, they both seem to have that same approach, just tell the popular voters what they want to hear, and change to suit it.

[Hydra009]

I certainly hope the Republicans really do make gay marriage a big issue in the 2016 campaign.  It'd almost certainly make them lose the White House.  Again.

[Mermaid]

From what I understand of it, hillary will just be a follow on from obama, they both seem to have that same approach, just tell the popular voters what they want to hear, and change to suit it.

Politically, she is indistinguishable from Obama as far as I can see. But she's a girl, and I think that's a pretty big hurdle for Americans to get over. So many people are threatened by her.

But I've been wrong before, I thoroughly believed that the first black president would be a republican, and I thoroughly believed Gore would win the election.