Ted Cruz Already Experiencing Presidential Buzz, but is He Eligible?

Ted Cruz, the tea party-backed Texan, has not been a United States Senator for even a week and already he is experiencing presidential buzz. The reaction to this has been decidedly mixed, with at least one question raised over his eligibility.

Cruz loved by conservatives, feared by liberals

The San Francisco Chronicle notes that Cruz, by the virtue of his being young, Hispanic, and a conservative has become the focus of presidential speculation even as he assumes his first elected office. The great political struggle between the Republicans and Democrats will be over the burgeoning Hispanic vote. Cruz is charismatic and pugnacious, not afraid to take unqualified stands on immigration, gun control, and fiscal responsibility. The Washington Free Beacon reports that he has come out against Chuck Hagel's nomination to be secretary of defense. Cruz is quoted as claiming that American Hispanics are inherently conservative and thus winnable for the Republican Party. Even if Cruz does not run for president, in 2016 or any other year, the speculation is that he will be a leader for leading Hispanics to the GOP.

Questions raised about Cruz's eligibility for president

An article in Politico raises the question of whether Cruz is even eligible to be president under the Constitution. The matter revolves around what a "natural born citizen" means. Does it mean someone born in the United States or someone born of at least one American citizen parent? Cruz was born in Canada to an American-citizen mother. Constitutional experts Politico consulted for the piece seem to agree that Cruz has a good case that he is indeed a "natural born citizen" under the Constitution, though it is expected that the question will arise again if and when he decides to run for president.

Cruz thanks Sarah Palin for her support

Politico also notes that Cruz has emailed Sarah Palin's PAC, thanking her for her support for his Senate candidacy at a crucial time. Palin had traveled to Texas and headlined a pro-Cruz rally when he was locked in a contentious primary contest with Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Cruz's public thanks will help Palin's PAC raise money for the next round of campaigns, due to start in 2014. It also firms up an alliance between two high-profile tea party conservative leaders. If Cruz were to actually run for president in 2016 and Palin declined to do so, the latter's support would be crucial. Of course Cruz would just be four years into his first term as a senator in 2016. The last person in that position to run for president was Barack Obama.

Texas resident Mark Whittington writes about state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ted-cruz-already-experiencing-presidential-buzz-eligible-180700535.html

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