It is a rare thing in one's life to have a presidential candidate emerge on the scene who inspires you, who creates hope for a better America, who makes you feel that your future will be brighter. That candidate for me, was Ted Cruz, the true conservative on the GOP ticket, who, Tuesday night, dropped out of the race. He said he would stay in it as long as there was a path to the nomination, but when the state of Indiana went majority for the other candidate, Cruz suspended his campaign.
It was this candidate, Ted Cruz, who would rein in the government which had grown to near-unmanageable levels. It was this candidate who deeply believed in our founding principles of limited government, of individual liberty, of free market capitalism, of strong national defense, of personal freedoms. It was this one who had the depth of knowledge of our nation's history, why and how it was founded, what made it great, and why people from all over the world risk their lives to come here. He understood all that. He articulated all that. He fought for that his whole life in many ways, most notably in front of the highest court in the land. He experienced first hand, as a senator, the uphill struggle to keep one's promises made to the voters, and he made enemies in doing so. While working against an entrenched body of power-hungry politicians in congress, he still managed to break through to the surface, and for that he stood out. He stood out for that fight. He stood out for those principles. He stood out for us. He was not one to go along to get along. He distinguished himself by his service to the American people. When we overwhelmingly voted in representatives in 2012 and 2014 to control an out-of-control president, Cruz was one of a very few who actually kept his word. And for that we trusted him. For that we were happy to support him. He was the exceptional candidate in an exceptional time.
Ted Cruz is one of those rare finds. Someone like him comes along only once in a while. And when he does, you must be able to recognize a great man when you see him. I'm afraid the American people have lost that ability. We can no longer recognize greatness. We can no longer see that values and principles are vital to the health of our nation. That character matters. That honesty matters. Instead we reward popularity for its own sake and celebrity from a hit TV show. We have traded in truth for 'telling it like it is', no matter the veracity.
So, it was unusual to find a candidate who represented my hopes and dreams for this country and for my family. I will try to get through the next 4-8 years by dropping out from any media which has already proven itself to be dishonest. It will be too painful to watch my country sink further into the progressive abyss. I will channel my energies elsewhere, for I see that America has changed. The people want something different, and it's different than my own.
Hopefully, there's always 2020 to look forward to.
