Expectations for 2016 Presidential Race with Political Analyst Steve Flowers
Republican Senator Ted Cruz talked to students at Liberty University Monday confirming he is running for the White House.
“I am announcing I am running for president of the United States!” said Cruz.
Political analyst Steve Flowers believes Cruz is trying to get his name out to voters early.
“Trying to pre-empt Mike Huckabee for the evangelical vote. He’s trying to be the Tea Party and evangelical candidate. And at age 44, he may be running what’s called a ‘get acquainted race’. He’s only been a U.S. Senator for 3 years. At 44, if he runs a respectable race, then when in 8 years when the president comes up again, he becomes a household name and doesn’t have to give up his senate seat,” said Flowers.
Flowers says Cruz has a few things in his favor.
Being an ultra conservative can help sway the right wing vote.
Being Hispanic can help appeal to the all important Hispanic vote.
And being from the popular state of Texas doesn’t hurt either.
Flowers says we can expect other Republican candidates to follow within the next few months.
But he says the Republican party may not be better off for it.
“The demographics of our country are such now that a Democrat is favored to win. And the fact that Hillary Clinton will probably have very minimal opposition within the Democratic primary makes her even more formidable because if you have a dozen republican candidates, 8 coming from the right, 4 coming from the middle, they do what I call beat each other up and they wind up at the end beat up and broke,” said Flowers.
Possible candidates include Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Senator Rand Paul and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush are just a few of the names of many that are expected to throw their hat in the race. Hillary Clinton seems to be the only viable candidate when it comes to the Democratic party.
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