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by Rod D. Martin
March 8, 2016
A good friend asked me today why she should vote for Cruz rather than Trump. So I told her.
I am not yet of the opinion that Trump is evil (as some are). But he is absolutely not our best pick. I can give you lots of reasons, but here’s the main one: even if Trump were the greatest candidate (other than Ted) who ever lived, the most important thing for the future of Christendom and the Constitution and the way we will live for the next generation if not longer that will be decided in this election is Supreme Court justices.
We have already lost Scalia. We may lose as many as four more in the next presidency.
There has never in all our history been a Presidential contender so qualified to pick Supreme Court justices as Ted Cruz. And this is a moment in which we simply cannot afford to get it wrong. If you want me to explain that qualification I will, but I am telling you that there’s simply no comparison. And if he gets it right (and Republicans are 50/50 getting it right), abortion and a host of other evils could be wiped out very quickly.
By contrast, get it wrong, and the Constitution will simply be shredded. That’s where the leftist justices are now, and adding even one more to their number would be catastrophic in numerous ways.
Again, stipulating that Donald Trump is spotless in all his ways (and he is not), has he given more than five seconds thought to how to do this well? Even Reagan got it wrong half the time, and he had tons of experience and was trying to get it right (note that the Democrats somehow always pick a committed leftist). We simply can’t afford error. And in Ted, we have the best student from Harvard Law, a guy who clerked for the Chief Justice, a guy who before he was 45 had already won more cases before the Supreme Court than any other living lawyer in the state of Texas, and on and on and on.
We simply can’t afford to bet on anyone else.
Now additionally, Ted’s a great guy. He truly is. And he’s right on just about everything. There has not been a better candidate on the issues in my lifetime except Reagan, and on some things, Ted is better than Reagan. He’s not perfect, but we won’t get perfect this side of Heaven. But on a host of things, this is the dream candidate, and we need to back him as much as we can.
I have severe reservations about Trump. As I said, I am not doggedly opposed. He’s awfully cool — yes, cool — and he’s amazingly accomplished, regardless of the current political attacks. I’ve always been a fan, despite my obvious reservations about aspects of his personal life and business choices.
But I simply don’t know what he’ll do. He changes on a dime. He flipped the other night in prime time on a key immigration point: his supporters didn’t even seem to care, even though it’s one of the biggest reasons they said they support him. That concerns me. I think they are, or at least would, barrel off a cliff because they want someone who’ll “do something.” The question is, what is the something? I am concerned that the something is whatever pops into his head today. He’ll be effective at it, but will it be what you think you’re voting for? I honestly don’t know. Maybe.
But I don’t think we can afford maybe. I’ve known Ted a long time. I know exactly what he’ll do, or die trying. And it’s what I’ve been committed to all my life.
Still, the real bottom line is those Supreme Court justices. It’s not good enough to be for the right people: you have to know how to weed out the dirty liars and the ones who’ll move left over time. Republicans who understand this have still been pretty bad at it. Ted’s our best shot — ever — to really nail it.
So that’s why you need to go vote for Ted Cruz, and to drag everyone you can down to the polls to do the same thing. This one issue of Supreme Court picks will bring more change to America — either good or evil — than anything whatsoever.
We have to get it right.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
