One of Senator Cruz’s latest campaign ads sounds a little bit familiar.
Worried, released late last week, has no mention of the Washington Cartel, DC insiders, or Obamacare — Cruz’s hallmark talking points. Instead, his campaign has opted for a soft embrace of a few Trumpisms.
The ad goes (bolded for emphasis):
“As American families sit around their kitchen tables, they’re worried. Worried they’re falling behind. Worried about their jobs, their freedom, their security. That’s why I’m running for President — to restore opportunity, raise wages, and bring jobs back to America. To secure our border and protect us from our enemies. To reverse the damage Obama has done and restore the Constitution.”
Nicely sandwiched between his restorative mantras are hot-button issues that worked well for Trump, though Cruz’s approach is arguably more palatable.
It’s The Donald Effect. In an effort to cull the disenfranchised that up until now have coalesced behind Sanders or Trump, Cruz is moving his messaging closer to Donald’s. Tactically, it’s a smart move. Troubling is that Trump offers very little in the way of conservative solutions and Cruz has branded himself as the preeminent conservative of the era. Get too close to the populist mob and Cruz runs the risk of getting thrown off course.
Hillary Clinton was sucked into the same trap with Bernie Sanders. To appeal to his enthusiastic base, Clinton veered further leftward to keep pace with Sanders’ progressive stride.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
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