2016 republican primary

One of the common charges leveled against Ted Cruz’s chances at the presidency is his abysmal record as a legislator. The junior Senator can hardly boast any accomplishments during his time in Washington, whereas Scott Walker and Jeb Bush can point to the conservative reforms they passed as governors. But the critique is a category error; Cruz has been campaigning for president since he first stepped into public office, accruing a history of grandstanding that fits hand in glove with his 2016 strategy: galvanize the base.

Some have raised the question of whether Cruz, born to an American mother in Calgary, Canada, can run at all.

Gov. Scott Walker was made to look responsible for something he didn’t do.

“I actually, as crazy as it sounds, like campaigning,” Scott Walker said Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and for good reason too. Walker had just given a stellar performance before the national press and deftly defused what could have become a major gaffe.