Ted Cruz At CPAC: I Am Trying To Be Uber, But For Politics

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, waves before speaking at the Freedom Summit, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) declared at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday that his mission is to bring a “disruptive app” to politics, like the crowd-sourced company Uber did for the taxi industry.

“What I’m trying to do more than anything else is to bring a disruptive app to politics,” Cruz said, comparing himself to Uber.

The theme of “disrupting” Washington came up frequently during Cruz’s speech. He said that included challenging not only Democrats but the “career politicians” in the Republican leadership.

“If you had a candidate who stood up against Democrats, that’s great — when have you been willing to stand up against Republicans?” he asked.

In a so-called “lightning round,” Fox News host and talk radio star Sean Hannity asked Cruz to play a bit of word association.

He asked for the first thing that came to Cruz’s mind when hearing the words, “Hillary Clinton.”

“Washington,” Cruz responded.

Bill Clinton?

“Youth outreach,” he said, apparently needling the former President’s history of entanglements with young women. Hannity staggered away in laughter.

Finally, “Barack Hussein Obama?”

“Lawless imperator,” Cruz said, to muted applause from the crowd, some of whom may not have been familiar with the Latin word.

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Notable Replies

  1. Yeah, you’re “uber” all right, Herr Cruz.

  2. So he’s trying to make as much money as possible while taking people for a ride?

  3. “Barack Hussein Obama?”

    Hannity: continuing to prove himself the biggest anus at an all-star asshole convention.

  4. Avatar for dnl dnl says:

    Cruz playing to his TED-ophiles.

  5. “Lawless imperator,” Cruz said, to muted applause from the crowd, some of whom may not have been familiar with the Latin word."

    Casting your pearls before the swine again, are we? Ah, Teddy, boy. I bet you thought that would be the high point of your speech. As an up and coming demagogue, I’d say you need a better class of blind followers and sycophants.

    Given that’s not likely to happen any time soon, next time, try calling Obama something you really mean and the mob can get behind like…oh, I don’t know, how about “the uppity black criminal squatting in the White House.” That’s what you were trying to say anyway. Yeah, see how that goes over with the crowd.

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