While Ted Cruz certainly isn’t the most talked about Republican candidate in the election this year, people certainly have an opinion about him. We wanted to see what college women thought about him, so we asked 13 college women to share what they think—read their thoughts below.
“Basically all you need to know about Ted Cruz is that he doesn’t support abortion in cases of rape or incest. Any person who respects women that little shouldn’t be getting anywhere near the White House.”
-Liv, University of Connecticut Class of 2017
“I am a registered independent, but I would definitely vote for him over Clinton or Sanders. I like his conservative beliefs — both fiscally and socially — and think that he would be the best one to serve our country at a time like this. This is a time when our country needs more fiscal conservatism to work on reducing our massive debt and also needs leaders who are pro-life and pro-family to work on putting an end to all the social damage that is currently being done. This social damage has an effect on economics, which directly relates to our economy and all policy, so I believe conservatism to be especially important right now in turning our country around from the bad path is a heading down. Therefore, I would most certainly vote for Cruz and hope others will, too!”
-Britt, Smith College Class of 2018
“I support Ted Cruz, I believe as President, he will defend the constitution and prevent the government from becoming even bigger. I like that he is a traditional Republican, unlike Donald Trump. I am a Republican and I will definitely vote for him if he is the nominee.”
-Alyssa, Fairfield University Class of 2018
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“I am not a Republican and I think Ted Cruz is extremely backwards. In a time where people are constantly becoming more open to the ideas of different social norms and deciding to construct their own versions of ‘normal’ it is sad, and disheartening, that a man who wants to be the most powerful person in the world cannot fight and advocate for them. He does not value diversity nor does he realize how hurtful his words are. He is, to keep it short, very ignorant. He is no President of any country I would want to call my home. With politicians like him, human rights and civil rights movements are being pushed back more and more — which is not okay. I think he is killing the Republican Party statement by statement.”
-Amanda, University of New Hampshire Class of 2016
“I do not like Ted Cruz. He stands for everything I stand against in regards to gun regulation and women’s reproductive rights. Trump is scary because he keeps saying all this crazy stuff but I think Cruz is even scarier because he actually believes the stuff he is saying.”
-Niki, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Class of 2017
“Ted Cruz is not the lesser of two evils in the GOP. Unlike his competition Donald Trump, Cruz is actually intelligent. He has a background in law making, and would actually be able to get shit done, and scary shit for that matter. He is anti-abortion, but pro-death penalty. He is anti-gay marriage. He has called to ban all non-Christian refugees, and condones Islam-phobia. As President Obama said, ‘It’s not as if there’s a massive difference between Mr. Trump’s position on immigration and Mr. Cruz’s position on immigration. Mr. Trump might just be more provocative in terms of how he says it, but the actual positions aren’t that different.’ People act as if Trump becoming President is the most terrifying thing that could happen to this country, but they fail to realize that Cruz is the candidate we really need to worry about.”
-Greta, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Class of 2018
“I’d place myself on the left-leaning side of moderate, but I did vote in the Republican primary, for John Kasich. I think he is the only one on the Republican side of the primaries who has the temperament and common sense not to provoke further conflicts in the Middle East or in places like North Korea. To be honest, I think Ted Cruz is crazy, and the only reason he seems like an acceptable candidate is that compared to Donald Trump — a misogynist, racist, xenophobe — he seems moderate. But some of his ideas would be devastating to normal Americans and the U.S. economy. Cruz wants to end progressive taxation and implement a flat tax, which would make it even harder for America’s poor to survive while giving billionaires a tax cut. He also wants to abolish the IRS, a system that is now an essential part to our economic system and would take years and years to phase out. This, along with his very antiquated ideas regarding women’s health make him an unacceptable candidate for President of the United States.”
-Katie, The University of Alabama Class of 2019
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“Because the Republican field started out with such a large, diverse group of candidates, I figured one of the final few would have positions that align with my own. However, none of the three remaining candidates blow me away. Cruz is definitely more conservative than I would like and comes off as somewhat conniving and manipulative. He does not have the friendly, relatable personality that I typically look for in a candidate. Both Cruz’s demeanor and his politics will not take the party in the direction that it needs. If he were nominated, I do not believe that he would have what it takes to defeat Hillary Clinton. Despite my disappointment, I plan to vote for whoever the Republican candidate may be.”
-Elizabeth, Villanova University Class of 2018
“I think he is completely self-serving and full of himself. I am not a Republican; I am an independent. I would not vote for him. I disagree with his conservative stance and his racist political beliefs, such as ‘patrolling Muslim neighborhoods.’ However, I do support Republicans voting for him over Trump.”
-Sarah, Boston College Class of 2019
“I do not like Ted Cruz. I am a Republican. I just don’t think that he has presented himself as someone who can get it done. And that is what we need in a president — someone who can put us back on top.”
-Coco, Metro State University of Denver Class of 2017
“I’m as left as you can get so Ted Cruz is completely terrible and I disagree with literally everything he has to say.”
-Paper, New Mexico Tech Class of 2018
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“Even if I was a Republican, I wouldn’t consider voting for Ted Cruz. While Donald Trump’s views are disgusting and ridiculous, Cruz’s are even more dangerous. The way he talks about immigration, women issues, and gun control makes my jaw drop, and having him as president would cause extreme damage to women, people of color, members of the LGBT+ community, and Muslims. His proposed laws only benefit old, white men of Evangelical faith.”
-Jessica, California State University, Long Beach Class of 2019
“I don’t like him. I am not a Republican and I wouldn’t vote for him. I strongly dislike how he defends the ‘religious freedom’ bill of Georgia. He believes government and religion should mix together. Also, he is a son of an immigrant and I don’t understand why he would be so opposed to immigration when it helps our economy.”
-Emily, Mercer University Class of 2019