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| CRUZ: One of us, even if we wish he wasn't |
I
think his temperament is such that he’s stubborn and determined to be the
‘commander in chief’ only for those of us whose ideology is in complete
agreement with himself.
THE
REST OF us would have our concerns disregarded in a way I find scary. A
Republican nomination for Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz would be a surefire way to
get me to vote for any of the mediocrities currently running for president
under the Democratic label.
Yet
the idea that Cruz is not eligible to be U.S. president because he’s not a
citizen by birth is downright ridiculous. If anything, it is being brought up
by the kind of people who probably believe in Cruz’ ideological leanings so
much, yet hate the idea that his election would give us a ‘Latino’ president.
Or
maybe they just really love Donald Trump’s hair-do to the point that they’re
willing to bring up every bit of nonsense that Trump has spewed on this issue.
Now
a large part of the confusion is that I don’t think many people understand
exactly what the concept of a “U.S. citizen” truly is. Perhaps they believe it
is certain types of people who have the right to think they are citizens of
this country of ours.
THE
FACT IS that Cruz isn’t wrong in saying that because his mother was a U.S.
citizen at the time of his birth gives him a claim to being a citizen here –
even if she was living in western Canada at the time while married to her Cuban
ethnic husband.
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| The real Cruz? |
Believe
it or not, not every Cuban who fled the Caribbean island nation wound up living
in proximity to Calle Ocho in Miami,
Just as not every European emigrating to the Americas wound up in the United
States.
Now
the way I was taught back in school about citizenship and legal qualifications
is that our nation is not one that recognizes the concept of dual citizenship.
We
require people who are naturalized as citizens to formally renounce the ties to
their old country. As for those who have multiple citizenships at birth, we
require them to “pick one,” so to speak, when they turn 18.
NOW
I HAVE heard some news reports indicating people are accusing Cruz of not
having made such a choice until two years ago. Which is nonsense.
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| The way all pols view themselves! |
Unless
someone can come up with documentation that an 18-year-old Cruz chose Canada
(instead of blaming it), the accusations being spewed by Trump and spread by
all the other desperate Republican candidates is a whole lot of nonsense.
In
the case of Cruz, he was living in the United States by that time, and it’s
obvious he has a U.S.-oriented life. As much as it embarrasses me to admit,
that Texas turkey with the nasally drawl is about as “American” as anyone else
in this country.
Any
attempt to dismiss his presidential candidacy on a technicality comes across as
xenophobic.
ALTHOUGH IT’S NOT like anyone is trying to claim that Cruz is really a Cubaño at heart – although he may well be. I don’t doubt his father has some influence over the type of person he became.
And
I also know that Cuban law actually believes something along the lines of “Once
a Cubaño, Always a Cubaño.” A Cuban who renounces citizenship is technically
committing an offense along the lines of “treason” against the brothers Castro.
Which ought to make the ideologues like him all the more.
So
what do I think of Cruz? I’d have to admit that if he became the first Latino
occupier of the Oval Office, I’d feel a tinge of ethnic shame in that his
election would be most rejoiced by the political people who are our biggest
partisan nightmares.
Particularly
since on immigration issues, it would appear he has no sympathy for people just
like himself. That and since at 45 he’d be the first U.S. president younger
than myself (I’m 50) – making me feel old!
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