DES MOINES, IOWA – “It is really hard to screw up meat on a stick,” Sen. Ted Cruz quipped after taking the stage Des Moines Register stage at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday.
Earlier, Cruz toured the fair, walking through the crowds, shaking hands, seeing the sights, and eating a pork chop on a stick.
It was a familiar scene for a Republican candidate in a presidential election year – but Cruz willingly plunged into the traditional presidential optics two years before Iowa votes in a Republican presidential primary.
Taking the stage, Cruz launched into a speech promoting economic growth and the restoration of the American dream.
That was all it took before a protestor shouted out, “Go back to Canada!”
When asked if he’s running for president, Cruz gives a traditional non-answer, but it is clear that his team is building political buzz.
The recent crisis in Iraq, he explained, only emphasized that Obama was failing to lead the United States as a beacon of freedom in the world.
Cruz alluded to a time when Reagan painted the world in bold colors, reminding Iowa that the same revolution was still possible.
Cruz quickly warmed the crowd with a dramatic call to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
He also promoted the idea of defending the Second Amendment, drawing cheers from the crowd.
One member of the crowd, clearly enjoying Cruz’s speech shouted, “Where is your teleprompter?”
After the speech, Cruz spent at least 20 minutes kissing babies, posing for photos, and talking politics with the fairgoers.
Wading through the crowds and followed by photographers, Cruz quickly posed for a picture with the famous Iowa butter cow sculpture before making his way to the Family Leadership Summit at Ames, Iowa.
Far from pessimistic, Cruz listed several reasons why American conservatives were still winning important fights in the Obama era – highlighting his role in doing so.
Cruz used his dramatic speech to fire away a list of conservative goals.
With a roar of approval, the crowd gave the Texas senator a standing ovation.
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