Senator Barack Obama excited his liberal base by passionately reciting scathing polemics against individualism, soaring verses about some vague oceans calming and undecipherable humblebrag about “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
Senator Ted Cruz excites his conservative base by encouraging us to close our eyes and “imagine” millions of courageous conservatives, all across America, rising up together to say in unison, “we demand our liberty.”
As Obama supporters fantasized closing Guantanamo and allowing its wrongly imprisoned peace lovers to return to the battlefields and terror training camps, Cruz encourages us to fantasize about shuttering the IRS and making taxes more fair.
Another laudable goal: Instead of the lawlessness and the president’s unconstitutional executive amnesty, imagine a president that finally, finally, finally secures the borders.
If Cruz had any experience achieving such challenging goals, he would be an excellent candidate.
Unfortunately, we’ve suffered from a multitude of frustrations and failures wrought by an inexperienced senator. The list of failures is much to long to publish in this column, but include:
- Rejecting any preconditions for negotiations with tyrannical and terrorist governments
- Uncertainty during the Iran “Green Revolution,” during which freedom fighters begged Obama for support of any kind
- A vague alliance in Yemen that led to Iran’s al-Houthi rebels toppling the President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi
- Gun-running blowback in Benghazi
- Policies that economists say extended the recession rather than ending it
- Millions of Americans suffering from major medical health insurance policies that robbed them of access to their favorite physicians and specialized cancer and children’s hospitals
Barack Obama and Ted Cruz did have some accomplishments during their brief turns in the Senate.
Senator Obama succeeded in having a couple of sponsored bills passed, though they were the usual commemorative bills such as “National Summer Learning Day” and naming a post office building in his home state.
Senator Cruz was the sole sponsor on legislation demanding the U.S. bar confessed terrorists from entering the country. The law was targeted at Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Cruz is an exciting, exhilarating speaker, galvanizing his audiences with the conservative message of more freedom and a government adherent to constitutional limitations. He lives the message, eliciting cheers and winning support.Despite their oratorical similarities, there are striking differences between Obama and Cruz. For starters, Cruz was able to rouse millions without needing to read from a teleprompter. And while Obama calls himself a “Constitutional scholar,” Cruz has actually argued cases before the Supreme Court.
Cruz drafted the successful amicus brief for District of Columbia v Heller, signed by the attorneys general of 31 states, declaring the D.C. handgun ban should be struck down as infringing upon the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
Meanwhile, Obama drank a draft beer.
Passion, knowledge and sincerity are not enough to preside over this nation. The presidency of Barack Obama demonstrates clearly that the president will fail on many levels without the experience of governing.
Unfortunately for conservatives, Cruz simply lacks the necessary experience of successfully negotiating with the loyal opposition the way a president or governor must.
Our country needs a Ted Cruz with experience governing.
Contact Rick at rick@wdel.com, or follow him on Twitter @Jensen1150WDEL