‘Would It Kill Republicans To Crack A Joke?’: Ted Cruz Urges The GOP To ‘Lighten Up’
At the Tea Party convention in South Carolina this evening, Ted Cruz surprised many by breaking out some jokes and even a Russian accent. Cruz was urging the GOP to “lighten up” and stop running “soviet style” campaigns.
According to Politico, Ted Cruz is most likely going to run for president in the 2016 election. Therefore, at the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention, Cruz was asked how Republicans could engage more with younger voters. Cruz responded with an answer that was honest and likely not expected at the conservative meetup.
Cruz suggested to his fellow Republicans that they should “lighten up.” He says that young people want you to “speak the truth” and to be somewhat “inspiring.” In addition to offering up effective political campaign messages, Cruz thinks a little humor can go a long way as well.
“Would it kill Republicans to crack a joke? I actually think for some Republicans it might. You know, lighten up a little. … So many Republicans run a Soviet-style campaign. [Said with a thick Russian accent] This is a Politburo! You do that! You do that! You do that!’ And a lot of young people are like, ‘Forget that!'”
Cruz even threw out some props to Ron Paul for engaging the younger voters. Cruz said the “two Republicans in recent history who have most inspired young people were former President Ronald Reagan and former Texas Rep. Ron Paul.” He noted that though they didn’t have a “James Dean” look, they did have the ability to inspire.
“Now both were septuagenarians… They weren’t young, rugged James Dean types. But … they had bold principles that gave people a reason to stand and fight.”
ABC notes that Cruz has also been vocal about the parties need to do something different, which very well could mean supporting Ted Cruz for the 2016 presidential election. Cruz says that we need to break out of the current GOP mold of candidates to win the upcoming election. Cruz notes that though candidates in the past, like Mitt Romney and John McCain, are “good, honorable, and decent men,” they are not “conservative enough.”
“If we nominate a candidate in that mold, the same people who stayed home in 2008 and 2012 will stay home in 2016 and the Democrats will win again.”
What do you think? Is a little humor what is needed to help bring the GOP to the mainstream? Do you see Ted Cruz as a potential force in the 2016 presidential elections?
