Ted Cruz scored a key endorsement in the 2016 GOP presidential primary Friday, as National Review urged its readers to unite behind the Texas senator.
“Conservatives have had difficulty choosing a champion in the presidential race in part because it has featured so many candidates with very good claims on our support. As their number has dwindled, the right choice has become clear: Senator Ted Cruz of Texas,” the conservative magazine’s editorial board wrote.
“Cruz is a brilliant and articulate exponent of our views on the full spectrum of issues. Other Republicans say we should protect the Constitution. Cruz has actually done it; indeed, it has been the animating passion of his career. He is a strong believer in the liberating power of free markets, including free trade (notwithstanding the usual rhetorical hedges),” they added.
The editors also praised Cruz for his defenses of religious liberty, as well as his pro-life views.
They continued, adding, “His skepticism about ‘comprehensive immigration reform’ is leading him to a realism about the impact of immigration that has been missing from our policymaking and debate. He favors a foreign policy based on a hard-headed assessment of American interests, one that seeks to strengthen our power but is mindful of its limits.”
Friday’s National Review editorial comes not long after the Texas lawmaker earned his first endorsement in the senate from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
“Ted is an authentic fighter who will ensure that poverty is temporary instead of tolerable, that hardworking families will have real opportunities to rise and he will put an end to the special perks and privileges for the wealthy and well-connected,” the senator said Thursday.
Earlier, Cruz secured the endorsement of former 2016 presidential candidate Carly Fiorina.
“We knew Ted Cruz is a leader and a reformer,” the former Hewlett-Packard CEO told a crowd this week in Miami. “He is willing to take on the status quo in Washington D.C. … So when the establishment says Ted Cruz is too much of a conservative, too much of a fighter, he won’t get along, I say, you go Ted!”
The National Review editorial had similar praise for the freshman senator.
“Conservatism should not be merely combative; but especially in our political culture, it must be willing to be controversial. Too many Republicans shrink from this implication of our creed. Not Cruz. And this virtue is connected to others that primary voters should keep in mind,” the editorial board wrote.
“Conservatives need not worry that Cruz will be tripped up by an interview question, or answer it with mindless conventional wisdom when a better answer is available. We need rarely worry, either, that his stumbling words will have to be recast by aides and supporters later. Neither of those things could be said about a lot of Republican nominees over the years,” they added.
National Review’s endorsement also comes as the conservative publication has worked hard to unseat GOP front-runner Donald Trump, including releasing a special edition of its magazine in January dedicated entirely to making the conservative case against the billionaire businessman’s presidential candidacy.
“Our role is to defend conservative principles,” National Review’s publisher Jack Fowler told the Washington Examiner’s media desk. “I’ve never been prouder.”
The magazine’s “Against Trump” special edition included 22 essays from conservative commentators, including a scathing editorial wherein the magazine’s editors labeled Trump a “menace to American conservatism.”
To the end of halting the casino tycoon in his track, the publication argued Friday that Cruz is the last, best hope for saving the GOP from committing suicide.
“No politician is perfect, and Senator Cruz will find that our endorsement comes with friendly and ongoing criticism,” the magazine’s editorial board said. “What matters now is that Cruz is a talented and committed conservative. He is also Republicans’ best chance for keeping their presidential nomination from going to someone with low character and worse principles. We support Ted Cruz for president.”
