Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) became the first person to formally announce his candidacy for president at Liberty University last Monday, which some experts said has both positive and negative consequences.

The conservative politician plans to raise at least $40 million for his campaign to take the White House in 2016, according to a March 23 article from The New York Times. He’s running on a platform that includes plans to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and to abolish the IRS.

With his declaration of candidacy made over a year-and-a-half before the polls open, members of the Syracuse University community are discussing the pros and cons of his early announcement.

Grant Reeher, director of the Alan K. Campbell Public Affairs Institute, said as a candidate who has “sat on the edge of Republican views,” Cruz will have a tough time swaying a majority of the Republican Party. He said that Cruz also made it clear that he is not going to try to reach moderate voters.

“Republicans look at this election as one that they can win. They want to put up someone who can win and I don’t think someone (as conservative as Cruz) is that person,” Reeher said.

Reeher said Cruz’s campaign is clearly based on a group of strong, enthusiastic voters. He said he thinks, however, that “he’s too far out of step with the mainstream Republican” to win a nomination.

Christopher Faricy, a political science assistant professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, said Cruz is announcing his candidacy for president first “because he’s behind in the polls and a minor candidate.”

Faricy added that with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) expecting to announce his candidacy in two weeks, Cruz announced his candidacy first because they are “competing for some votes.”

“His announcement for candidacy is both unsurprising and surprising. He has given out feelers, but I don’t know what he wants out of this. His chances at winning are small to nonexistent,” said Faricy. “I’ll be interested to see what comes from Ted Cruz’s candidacy.”

“I don’t think he has a chance at all,” Faricy added. “You can’t run a 50-state campaign on good looks and charm. He won’t be able to raise enough money.”

Sean Kennedy, president of the College Democrats at SU, said he was not surprised that Cruz was the first person to formally announce a candidacy. He said someone who is as far right as Cruz would need “as much time as possible to sway public opinion.”

Kennedy, a senior political science and history dual major, added that while Cruz will secure a lot of Republican votes by announcing his candidacy early, he does not know if “moderates are going to buy.”

“He’s kind of like the Republicans’ Barack Obama. He hasn’t served a whole term in the Senate. But, he has caused a lot a of noise,” Kennedy said. “Whether you love him, hate him or are neutral on him, you still know who he is.”

As a primary candidate, Kennedy said that Cruz can influence the debate to swing to conservative ideologies. He said that Cruz will also influence public discourse around the Republican debate and issues when going forward.

“A lot of people would say that he has no chance at all, but I would say he has a chance,” Kennedy said. “The Republican Party has a strong candidacy. Looking at his chances, (they) aren’t good, but he’s still not totally out of the running.”

Published on March 30, 2015 at 11:10 pm

Contact Katelyn: kmfaubel@syr.edu