TED CRUZ TO ANNOUNCE HIS CANDIDACY FOR PRESIDENCY — TODAY — WHILE SPEAKING AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY IN VIRGINIA

The early Cruz announcement might nudge the other GOP candidates’ campaigns to make their own faster starts

Cruz’ quick kick-off also might turn the focus of the debate toward some issues that Ted Cruz wants to  talk about  —   smaller government   —   and a more hawkish approach on foreign policy.

According to a report in Newsmax, “By choosing to mark the official start of his campaign at the Virginia Christian college founded by the late evangelist Jerry Falwell, rather than a venue in his home state, Cruz is signaling he'll court religious conservatives as well as small- government tea-party activists as he competes to become the lead anti-establishment candidate in the party contest. ***   The timing and focus may help Cruz, who lacks the major Wall Street backing of hopefuls such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, build a national donor base for the $40 million to $50 million he'll seek for a primary. ***   While Cruz is unlikely to draw away early support from establishment-aligned hopefuls such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie or Walker, his immediate task is pull supporters away from candidates who've shown strength with evangelical voters; namely, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, and neurosurgeon Ben Carson....” (See “Why Texan Ted Cruz Is Announcing in Virginia 2 Weeks Before Rand Paul” by Bloomberg News Staff, 3/23/15, Newsmax [from Bloomberg News]          [http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/ted-cruz-texas-virginia-rand-paul/2015/03/22/id/631800/

Cruz describes his campaign for the White House this way:  "We reassemble the Reagan coalition. We bring together fiscal conservatives and social conservatives and national security conservatives. We stand strong for economic growth. But we also stand for life and marriage. We defend constitutional rights but we also stand and lead the fight against ISIS and a nuclear Iran....   The way we get to 51 percent is we bring together conservatives and libertarians and evangelicals, and women and young people and Hispanics and Reagan Democrats."

According to the Newsmax report, Cruz's early rollout might push other campaigns to  faster starts of their own. It also could turn the focus of the debate and discussion toward issues Cruz would like to discuss,  from smaller government to a more hawkish approach on foreign policy.