Ted Cruz has made his way to Iowa. Last night the Texas senator gave a speech at the well-known Reagan dinner, which is part fundraiser and part tea party rally. Since his filibuster and well-publicized work during the government shutdown, Cruz has seen growing popularity.
In his speech last night, Cruz blamed Senate Republicans for not holding the line against Democrats over defunding Obamacare. He also went on to bash the consulting class in Washington, Obamacare and the media. He called on the audience to join the movement to take on the establishment by signing up for his email list.
“I’m convinced we’re facing a new paradigm in politics,” Cruz, who spoke for 45 minutes without notes or a teleprompter, told the crowd of about 600 people at the Iowa Events Center. “It is the rise of the grass roots … it has official Washington absolutely terrified.”
“This new paradigm has been beta-tested, unlike the Obamacare website,” Cruz said to applause. “It was beta-tested in 1980 with the Reagan Revolution and it pulled this country back form the brink.”
Overall, Cruz’s speech was an attempt to pull together party strongholds. The government shutdown is not a reason to shy away from the Republicans, and in fact, this is now the time to join and stick with the cause.
Many attending the event were enthused and excited by the Cruz speech. Read more about it on Politico.