Cruz Making Last Minute Stomp Through Texas Before Super Tuesday
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - In the race the White House, Senator Ted Cruz is not taking his home state for granted. One day out from Super Tuesday he is back in North Texas.
A crowd of more than 1,000 turned out to hear Cruz speak in Dallas, before he heads to other parts of the state this afternoon. Dallas was the first of three Texas cities he'll be stopping through today on the campaign trail.
The introductions were lengthy and read like a who's who in Texas politics.
First Louie Gohmert took the stage to get the crowd warmed up. The Texas Congressman, in regards to comments made by Donald Trump, said anyone accusing Ted Cruz of lying is the biggest liar. Gohmert, who represents Texas' 1st congressional district, then went on to criticize Marco Rubio for helping to write the Gang of Eight Bill for immigration reform.
Next, former governor Rick Perry took the stage and energized the crowd saying that Cruz looks at two checklists everyday: the Bible and the Constitution. Perry also did some Trump bashing, saying, "he has no idea of what he does not know."
Lastly, to a roar of applause, Governor Greg Abbott came out and asked the crowd if they were fed up with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service. The Governor responded by saying that Cruz would "reign them in." Abbott then said that he knows when he votes for Cruz he will live up to true conservative values.
To cheers and shouting, Cruz took the stage saying "what a privileged it is to be here before patriots." He then said the presidential election comes down to three key issues: jobs, freedom and security.
Of course it didn't take long for the Texas senator to turn his attention toward the competition. In reference to catch phrases of Trump he said that it's easy to talk about making America great again, but that the billionaire doesn't understand the values that made it great.
Cruz went on to say that unlike Donald Trump, he wouldn't be neutral between Israel and the Palestinians. He said he would stand "unapologetically" with Israel.
Cruz went on to say that there had been enough deal making and corrupt politicians in Washington. Now, he said, "The stakes are too high."
The latest KTVT-CBS 11 / Dixie Strategies Poll shows Cruz widening the lead over Trump.
On issues other than Trump Cruz said he would never compromise on religious liberty and 2nd Amendment.
For Cruz, it is about holding on to the lead in Texas over Trump. While the senator has the backing of Abbott and Perry, Trump has New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arizona governor Jan Brewer and most recently Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.
Cruz has called the state of Texas the "crown jewel" of Super Tuesday. Over the weekend he said what happens tomorrow will depend on voter turnout. "Even if you like other candidates… listen, there are good people in this race who I like and respect. But our campaign is the only one in a position to beat Donald Trump on Super Tuesday, and if you want to stop this Trump train, the only way to do so is to beat him on Super Tuesday."
Super Tuesday is the biggest day of the 2016 primary season, with 12 states and one territory participating. There are 155 republican delegates are up for and Cruz can't afford to lose the Lone Star State, especially with Trump steamrolling toward the nomination in other parts of the country.
Since Friday, Cruz has made stops in six southern states participating in Super Tuesday.
He was fired up when taking his message to voters in Georgia this past weekend. "If you've got friends and family in other Super Tuesday states, call them, say 'come out and vote,'" he urged the crowd. "Say 'this is my future, this is my kids, this is my grandkids, this is my country, damn it! My country!' Stand up and fight for it together."
Cruz has founded his campaign on the support of conservatives and evangelicals. Yesterday he sat down with CBS' "Face the Nation" to talk about Trump, health care, and other issues.
Here's some Super Tuesday perspective for you. For republicans, this one-day is a chance to win about half the delegates needed to claim the nomination. For democrats it's a chance to be awarded about a third of the delegates. That is the reason both republican and democratic candidates have spent a lot of time in Texas in the last week -- and the campaigning isn't over yet.
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