Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said Republicans have a chance to take back the majority in the Senate in 2014 only if the party boldly differentiates itself from Democrats.
“I think 2014 can and should be a very good Republican year and I think if Republicans stand for principle, we’re going to win in 2014," Cruz said in an interview with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network.
Cruz argued that the 2006, 2008, and 2012 election cycles were "disastrous for Republicans," because in "all three of those cycles Republicans followed the philosophy of keep your head down, don’t rock the boat, don’t stand for anything, don’t take any risks and we’ll just somehow magically win at the polls."
Cruz contrasted those election cycles with 2010, where "Republicans stood strong for principle, we stood against Obamacare, we stood with the American people and we won a tidal wave election."
"Now what do all of the voices of Washington say now? ‘We need to return to the pattern of ’06,’08, and ’12. We need to return to not standing for anything, not risking anything, not rocking the boat,'" Cruz said. "That is a path to losing. The way you win elections is you paint in bold colors not in pale pastels. You stand strong for the American people just like Ronald Reagan did."
Cruz said "that’s the path to victory" and emphasized that "if Republicans do that I think in 2014 Republicans can and should take a majority of the U.S. Senate."
"But if we don’t stand for principle we’re not going to win in November," Cruz said.
