Cruz Kicks Off The 2016 Campaign

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author:  With a tweet just after midnight, Texas Senator Ted Cruz became the first person to officially declare his candidacy for the White House in 2016. Others such as former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Dr. Ben Carson and Donald Trump have formed exploratory committees, but Senator Cruz skipped that process.

This morning, he announced his campaign during a 30-minute address at Liberty University. The senator spoke openly about his faith, sounded unapologetically conservative themes and delivered it all without a teleprompter.  Video via Fox10. Below video are a few excerpts of his announcement speech:I want to talk to you this morning about reigniting the promise of America: 240 years ago on this very day, a 38-year-old lawyer named Patrick Henry stood up just a hundred miles from here in Richmond, Virginia, and said, "Give me liberty or give me death."

I want to ask each of you to imagine, imagine millions of courageous conservatives, all across America, rising up together to say in unison, "We demand our liberty!"

Today, roughly half of born again Christians aren't voting. They're staying home. Imagine instead millions of people of faith all across America coming out to the polls and voting our values.

Today millions of young people are scared. . . worried about what the future will hold. Imagine millions of young people coming together and standing together, saying "We will stand for liberty!"

Think just how different the world would be. Imagine instead of economic stagnation, booming economic growth. . . .

Imagine America finally becoming energy self-sufficient as millions and millions of high-paying jobs are created.

Five years ago today, the president signed Obamacare into law. . . .Instead of the joblessness, instead of the millions forced into part-time work, instead of the millions who've lost their health insurance . . . imagine in 2017 a new president signing legislation repealing every word of Obamacare. . . .

Instead of a tax code that crushes innovation, that imposes burdens on families struggling to make ends meet, imagine a simple flat tax that lets every American fill out his or her taxes on a postcard.

Imagine abolishing the IRS.

Instead of the lawlessness and the president's unconstitutional executive amnesty, imagine a president that finally, finally, finally secures the borders. And imagine a legal immigration system that welcomes and celebrates those who come to achieve the American dream.

Instead of a federal government that wages an assault on our religious liberty, that goes after Hobby Lobby, that goes after the Little Sisters of the Poor, that goes after Liberty University, imagine a federal government that stands for the First Amendment rights of every American.

Instead of a federal government that works to undermine our values, imagine a federal government that works to defend the sanctity of human life and to uphold the sacrament of marriage. . . .

Imagine embracing school choice as the civil rights issue of the next generation that every single child, regardless of race, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of wealth or Zip Code, every child in America has the right to a quality education. . . .

Instead of a president who boycotts Prime Minister Netanyahu, imagine a president who stands unapologetically with the nation of Israel.

Instead of a president who seeks to go to the United Nations to end-run Congress and the American people, imagine a president who says, "I will honor the Constitution, and under no circumstances will Iran be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon."

Imagine a president who says, "We will stand up and defeat radical Islamic terrorism and we will call it by its name." . . .

From the dawn of this country, at every stage America has enjoyed God's providential blessing. Over and over again, when we face impossible odds, the American people rose to the challenge. You know, compared to that, repealing Obamacare and abolishing the IRS ain't all that tough. . . .

I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America, and that is why today I am announcing that I'm running for president of the United States."It's no secret in Washington that Senator Cruz is not well liked by the GOP establishment. But what he lacks in establishment support, he will more than make up for with intellect and passion.

In the months ahead, I will continue to praise candidates who embrace solid conservative positions, while confronting those who want to run to the mushy middle, where we inevitably lose.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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