The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Brady: An open letter to Ted Cruz

Brady%3A+An+open+letter+to+Ted+Cruz

Jace Brady
[email protected]
Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz suspended his campaign for president of the United States. Below is an open letter, thanking him for his campaign.

 

Dear Sen. Cruz,

A few short months ago, I sat in a crowded classroom in an Iowa City high school with dozens of other patriotic Iowans, waiting to cast my ballot for who I thought should be the next president. As I looked around, I saw a group as diverse as Iowa had to offer. As I chatted with the people around me, I was surprised to find it was the young adults in the room who were most excited to vote for you. When the time came to vote, I scrawled your name across my modest ballot, and I walked out of the classroom.

As the months rolled on and the primary results rolled in, my optimism waxed and waned, until May 3, when it was extinguished. While you may not have won, Sen. Cruz, I am grateful you ran and proud to have voted for you. Before you return to your duties as father, husband, senator, and defender of the Constitution, there are some things I want you to know.

Senator, you were misunderstood and ridiculed by the media, other candidates, and millions of Americans but not by everyone. Somehow the Trump strategy of lying about Ted turned into a mantra of “Lyin’ Ted.” Yet, you are the only politician I have ever trusted. The media labored tirelessly to destroy your record, yet you are the only candidate to defend exactly what you claimed to profess. For too long we have elected representatives who bravely stand on promises of change in Washington, only to cower under the influence and corruption they swore to dismantle. As senator, you followed through on your promises, and as president I know you would have done the same. For millions of Americans, it was the first time we trusTed.

Senator, we disagreed more often than we agreed. However, there is an underlying principle to all you wanted to do that resonates so strongly I felt compelled to vote for you. While other politicians delineate their solutions to America’s ailments, they describe their massive programs and how they will fix America. I quickly realized your approach was much different; you wanted us to make America great again. It seemed that every policy you suggested put the power back in our hands. Your tax plan let us decide how to best spend our money, you supported school choice and, most importantly, you believed in letting the states decide some of the most important issues our country faces today. We are a great country because we are different, and we will choose different paths for our lives, yet the federal government believes we are incapable of making our own decisions. Thank you for putting your faith in the American people and not in government solutions.

Senator, there is little else I can say to console you or your millions of supporters. We believed that this was finally the year to America would give conservatism a try. Instead, we were given a wild-card populist with trade policies more liberal than the presumptive Democratic nominee’s. The sole comfort I can give is that the worse the next four years are, the more we will need you in again in 2020.

I will be waiting to vote for you or any other candidate who believes I am more capable of running my life than a bureaucrat in a corner office in Washington. For any candidate who believes that we do not all need to be the same and that America’s greatest days are still ahead. Until then, I hope you keep your promises, keep defending freedom and if you choose, I will vote for you again whenever you may run.

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