Op-Ed: Second Debate Shows Need for Consistent Conservative

Editor’s Note: This Op-Ed was written and submitted to Breitbart Texas by John Drogin, Executive Director of Make DC Listen PAC. Mr. Drogin previously served as campaign manager for Ted Cruz’s 2012 Senate campaign and then as the Senator’s state director.

Just about every Republican running for president this year is campaigning as a conservative despite the fact that many of them do not have a record to back it up.

The second debate underscored the need to verify whether the assertions made on the campaign trail truly match the actual performance of the candidates.

Republican primary voters want a consistent conservative who has delivered on their promises. Voters want someone they can trust.

That candidate is U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

After he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012, he immediately began fighting for the American people on issue after issue — from opposing Obamacare to defending the Second Amendment to stopping the debt.

During his first year in the Senate, the most common feedback I heard from people across Texas was, “Wow. Finally, someone is doing what he said he’d do.”

As conservatives, we can’t afford to nominate another “campaign conservative” who says one thing in debates, but then does something decidedly different after the election. That disconnect between promise and performance is why so many Americans are upset with Washington.

Armed with poll numbers, it’s easy for a politician to say all the right things during a campaign. But what actually happens when they take office is what really matters. Did they support amnesty? Have they supported higher taxes, bigger government, Common Core, bailouts, and corporate welfare?

Ted Cruz was the only candidate on the debate stage who has consistently opposed amnesty. Many of the other candidates claim to have “evolved” on the issue in what can only be described as a convenient election year conversion.

This is why it’s so important for conservatives to unite now in support of a candidate who will keep his word.

It’s not easy to stand up to the Washington establishment, but that is exactly what Ted Cruz has done. He isn’t afraid to stand up to the lobbyists and the party bosses who are destroying this country.

During the debate, although he wasn’t given much time, Senator Cruz demonstrated a steady, calm command of conservative issues and presented a clear vision for the future. He also showed willingness to tell the truth about what is really being done in Washington.

He took on the leadership in his own party over defunding taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood, saying Republicans “shouldn’t begin the fight by surrendering to Barack Obama.”

And he showed a Reagan-like ability to see the big picture in foreign affairs and maintained an unwavering focus on protecting America’s national interests.

If we select another campaign conservative for the nomination, we will cross our fingers and hope for the best. But if we select Ted Cruz, we know that he will deliver.

That’s why a grassroots army of freedom-loving Americans is rising up registering their support for Sen. Cruz. Conservatives know that if he wins, he will fight every day to make DC listen.

John Drogin served as campaign manager for Ted Cruz’s 2012 Senate campaign then as his state director. He is currently Executive Director of the Make DC Listen PAC.