← The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
Democrats Are Fading Ahead Of Election Day, Senator Cruz Gives You His Predictions On The Big Races & How Big THE RED WAVE COULD BE!
00:40:09
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- [00:00]
Ted Cruz
Welcome to Verdict with Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. Senator, this is our last show before the American people go to the polls on Tuesday. It is very clear that the red wave, I think, could be big, it could be strong. And we just came back from the final bus tour stop that was truly incredible. You started in Texas, we ended in Texas to a very, very big crowd there. And over and over again when you talked about the economy, the American people are respond responding to that issue. And yet Democrats still seem to have not figured out it's the economy, stupid.
- [00:39]
Ben Ferguson
Well, look, I think that's right. We're a day away from election day. Election day is tomorrow. I think you and I both believe that we're going to have a really good election. But believing it doesn't make it happen. It takes action. And at this point, 100% of the election is turnout. There's nothing else. So. So my message to everyone listening to this is is vote, vote, vote. But don't just vote. Get your friends to vote, get your family to vote, get your neighbors to vote. Literally sit there Monday, Tuesday, sit there on your phone and send texts to five people, to 10 people, to 20 people, to 30 people. The way this election will be won or lost is who physically shows up to vote. And I think it's going to be a great election because I think the percentage of people who are pissed off about the path the country is on is much greater than the percentage of people who are thrilled with what's happening in Washington. But everyone needs to remember that doesn't happen automatically on its own. It only happens if we physically show up and vote. You know, I talked to a guy last night. We had the last event of the 17 state bus tour. Talked to a guy at the bar afterwards. One, one woman said, oh, I just voted today, last day of early voting. And another woman, or another man rather said, well, I went to vote today but the line was too long, so I left. So I guess I've got to go on election day. And I looked at him, I said, please go on election day. There may be a long line. You know, go and bring a book, bring your phone, be prepared to wait in the long line, show up and vote. I think if we have turnout, we will see a phenomenal election.
- [02:25]
Ted Cruz
Senator, I want to get into some predictions in just a moment, but first I want to tell everybody about Amazing Company. And if you're a conservative, if you're a Christian conservative, you need to check out Patriot Mobile. 99% of you have a cell phone. How would you like to know that you're actually fighting for the causes you believe in every time you make a phone call. That's what happens when you're with Patriot Mobile. They are America's only Christian conservative mobile phone provider and they are a force for conservative values. Now I've been telling you about them for years and been using them for years. Why? Because they take a portion of my bill every month and they fund conservative causes in Canada to believe in the sanctity of life, freedom of speech, the second amendment. And that is why I recommend them. Patriot Mobile has affordable plans that can save you money. They can save you money on your personal bill, your family's bill and even your business. They offer the same nationwide coverage as the major carriers because they use the same towers in the same networks that you're using right now. Plus, every time you pay your bill and every time you use your phone, you're supporting conservative values that you believe in. With every call you want to save even more. Go online to patriotmobile.com verdict patriot mobile.com verdict and you'll get free activation. You can also call them. Switching is easy and many times you can keep the same cell phone that's in your hand right now. 972 Patriot. That's 972 Patriot. Use the promo code VERDICT. You'll get free activation and other amazing deals. Patriot mobile.com verdict or 972 Patriot. You know, some of the predictions that are coming, Senator, are ones that I think are genuinely shocking. The House Republican conference chair Stefanik said that he is predicting the coming red wave will also hit New York State. That is something three, four, five months ago seemed unimaginable. Saying this is a once in a generation opportunity to win back the state of New York and really save our state. There you look at this saying that Lee Zeldin has a very good chance of winning the governor's race there. I think that tells you about the mentality of the American people and also how much the American people are hurting.
- [04:51]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, look, I think Lee Zeldin has a real shot at winning governor in New York. I think we have a good shot at winning governor in Oregon of all places. And people are fed up. We've got some governor's races where we could have some important wins. And in terms of the House and Senate races, the battle isn't entirely turnout. And part of why I think we're in such a strong position is the top three issues in the country according to the polling have been the same now for several months. Number one issue in the country, hands down, is inflation and especially gas prices. People are pissed at the price they're paying at the pump, at the price they're paying in the grocery store, at the price they're paying for everything. The number two issue in the country is crime. Crime has gotten horrific under really misguided Democrat policies. If Lee Zeldin gets elected governor of New York, crime will be the dominant issue that elects him. And it's played out. I mean, literally. The candidate was violently assaulted while on the campaign trail and the guy that tried to kill him was released from jail that same day under cashless bail. I mean it. If the sitting Democrat governor wanted to make a campaign ad for Lee's Eldon, I'm not sure she could have done any better than that. Pennsylvania. If Dr. Oz wins in Pennsylvania, crime will be the dominant reason. And Fetterman's record on crime is abysmal. So that is a big issue that is moving a lot of votes. And then number three is illegal immigration. We have now over 4.7 million people who've crossed illegally the worst illegal immigration in the history of our country. That was a deliberate political decision. That is an issue in the polls, especially in South Texas. And so that combination, all three of those issues, Republicans have a double digit lead because the Democrats created those problems. They are the creation of the Democrats. Now, ironically, the media and the White House are trying to convince the American people the problems don't exist. And so, you know, you had Joy Reid on MSNBC saying, oh, inflation, nobody talks about inflation. This is a made up thing that Republicans have just convinced people is a problem. Which I gotta say is one of the stupidest arguments I've ever heard that, oh, really? You know, you don't notice when you go fill up your car or truck and it's a hundred bucks, 150 bucks. That just never would occur to you except some big, mean, nasty Republican told you about it. Listen, inflation is one of those issues that everyone sees every day and it impacts everyone. That's part of what makes it so potent.
- [07:44]
Ted Cruz
You know, even Democrats are understanding, I think, just how bad this is. Bill Maher on Real Time started his show off last night and it was almost like he had no energy because he sees the red wave that's coming and he put it this way about the economy. And how did Democrats get this thing so wrong? Few days before the election, I see the big story demographically is somehow the Democrats lost white women. It's funny, it looked so good for the Democrats, like after the Roe vs Wade ruling it looked like abortion was going to be the big issue, but that seemed to have fizzled. They lost 27 points, a swing of 20. That's unheard of. Like they were going to. The Democrats are going to win by 12. Another Republicans are going to win by 15 or something. Why? How they lose that demographic?
- [08:34]
Bill Maher
I think the biggest issue is the economy and inflation. So if you look at, if you ask people what they think of the economy right now, the pessimism is about as strong as it was in the depths of the 08 financial crisis. And inflation is particular. We've lived for so long in a period of low inflation, we don't realize how spooky inflation is to most people. Unemployment affects the people who are unemployed and their families. 10, 15% inflation affects everyone and it robs middle class people of their savings. It makes people. Every time they go to the gas station, every time you go to the grocery store, you're reminded of it. There's a reason why inflation is what causes political revolutions. If you think about the inflation of the 70s, this is what ushers in Reaganism. It breaks the back of the New Deal, basically. It brings in Thatcherism. It just, you know, Iran had very high inflation right before the Iranian revolution. And of course the iconic example is Weimar and the twenties. Hyperinflation in Germany, Venezuela. Exactly. So I mean, inflation is much more corrosive than I think people realize.
- [09:42]
Ted Cruz
You know, it is so corrosive. And I do think people realize it. And in the way that he put it, Senator, this is just shocking that the Democrats screwed it up this big and refused to admit there's a major financial issue in this country.
- [09:57]
Ben Ferguson
Well, I think that's right and I think the commentary there that is really powerful is that inflation is universal when it comes to unemployment. If you happen to have lost your job, you're pissed off about it. But if somebody else has their job, they're not necessarily as concerned about unemployment, whereas inflation, absolutely everybody is impacting it and it's a double whammy. Not only are the costs of everything you're trying to do in life going up, but the value of all your savings are plummeted. And as the stock markets have been decimated, where you have senior citizens, who by the way, senior citizens generally are not reflected in unemployment numbers because most seniors are retired. But if you have a senior who's worked 30, 40 years, has saved responsibly, has a 401k where that senior is right now, the value of their 401k, the value of their retirement has dropped 20%, maybe 25, maybe 30. The national average is $34,000 is what people have lost on average in their 401k. Those seniors are freaked out and understandably, suddenly their nest egg is significantly smaller and their monthly outflow is significantly bigger. That's a really bad combination. But it doesn't just impact people on the older edges of life. If you're a young person, you're just say coming out of school, getting a job, suddenly rents are much less affordable suddenly. If you're a young family, let's say you've got little kids, you're getting started. You and I are both, both dads with, with young kids, you know, that's a stage when people start saving. Some start trying to provide for their needs, try to start saving for college. The impact of inflation. If you had $1,000 when Joe Biden became president, if you had $1,000 in the bank right now, that thousand dollars is worth about $800. That, that's sort of back of the envelope math, but that's pretty close. That means it is as if someone came and stole $200 from you because the money that you had responsibly saved, that you didn't use for something else due to no fault of your own, is worth substantially less. That combination. You don't need an economist to explain it to you, you don't need a politician to explain it to you. When you start discovering that the amount you spend just to fill your car with gas every week has doubled or more, that explains itself to people in Technicolor.
- [12:47]
Ted Cruz
You know, it's one of those basic questions that we've heard so many times from politicians. But this year I think it's one of the most important question, it's is your life better off now or was it better off two years ago before the Democrats put in all these socialist agenda items? And now look at where we are. Look at the price of gas. I'm very concerned about the price of gas because as you've mentioned before on this show, the strategic oil reserves, the 2 million barrels that we're releasing day after day after day, that's going to end, guess what, right at the election day. And then we're going to see much higher gas prices. Triple A has already come out and said they believe we should be back up in the $5 range after the election, maybe even by Christmas. And that's part of, I think, the big lie from the Democrats, especially on the House side, where they say, oh, we're going to get things under control. And they know that this, this, this massive price increase is about to happen. On top of the issue that we have right now with diesel shortage in this country, which the truckers are talking about, those putting diesel gas are already over $5 a gallon. And we, and we have a real supply chain issue.
- [13:54]
Ben Ferguson
Well, look, that's exactly right. And when it comes to energy, the Democrats are wildly unrealistic. They're out of touch with working men and women and they frankly don't care about working men and women. Their policies are being set by a bunch of hipsters sipping lattes who are essentially saying, let them eat cake. Let them drive electric cars. And the reality of life doesn't concern them. You know, just today in the news, Joe Biden just gave a speech in California where he said, we're gonna put all the coal, coal plants in America out of business. We're gonna have everyone driving electric and there'll be no more coal. And it's kind of funny. Joe Manchin from West Virginia is suddenly pretending like he's angry about this and he's saying that's offensive. That's ridiculous. He's never said that to me. Well, Joe, I'm sorry if he's never said that to you. He said that to the rest of the world repeatedly. And if you haven't heard it, it's because you've had your head in the sand. Because that is his agenda. All of the coal miners in West Virginia, he wants to bankrupt. And I'll tell you, by the way, when they passed their Orwellian named inflation Reduction act, and I say Orwellian because the inflation Reduction act, the only impact of it will be to increase inflation. It was hundreds of billions of dollars of new spending and it was billions of dollars of new taxes on energy. It was literally, okay, energy prices are too high. What should we do? Let's put new taxes on it. The only outcome of that is to drive energy prices higher. And I made that point to mention on the Senate floor as they were voting, I said, this bill is screwing energy producers in the United States. And Joe insisted that wasn't the case. Well, he's suddenly discovering what his party is trying to do, which is to take every coal miner in West Virginia and in Ohio and in Kentucky and in Pennsylvania and put them all out of a job. And you know, as, as John Kerry derisively said, learn to code. That's the Democrats response to blue collar America is we don't like your jobs and we are happy to destroy them with no idea what you can do next.
- [16:04]
Ted Cruz
I want to remind everybody that's listening right now, make sure that you join us on election night because we're going to be doing a live verdict that will be able to put that video out live on YouTube also, I think on Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. And so make sure you join us on election night. But let's look at the election how and give an overview first, Senator, and then we'll move into some of the House races and some of the important races that you've been supporting candidates. But how should people look at election night and where should they be looking for key indicators of what races could really kind of tell you early on on the east coast, what could be happening in middle America and as we head out west?
- [16:45]
Ben Ferguson
Well, on the east coast, there are going to be a number of fairly early results. You're going to get early results in New York in the gubernatorial race. You'll get early results in the Senate race in New Hampshire. You'll get early results in Pennsylvania. You'll get early results in North Carolina. You'll get early results in Georgia. You'll get early results in Florida. You'll get early results at Ohio. That'll be the first, first wave. Wisconsin will be not long thereafter. Many of those are hotly, hotly contested races. There are also states like Virginia, where there are several highly contested congressional races. And so we'll get early results from those as well. Now, it may be that Pennsylvania, the results are delayed for multiple days. The way they do elections in Pennsylvania, unfortunately is deeply messed up. They have many, many mail in ballots and the Pennsylvania secretary of state has already made clear they have no intention of counting all the ballots by the end of election night. I find it utterly bizarre. Most places in the world, certainly most places in the United States, can count the damn votes on election day. And yet these, these bright blue Democrat strongholds suddenly seem to plan on. Well, we're going to count for three, four days, maybe a week. It's not complicated that if you're counting three, four days after the election and you know the outcomes everywhere else and you know how many votes you need, it is an invitation to cheating, an invitation to misconduct. But that's what Democrats do. We will get those early results will come in as the night gets going. And so you and I are going to be doing a live verdict that night. And as those results come in, we're going to be analyzing them as they come in. And then we'll move further west. We'll be moving to states like Arizona, states like Nevada, states like Washington state, all of which have hotly contested Senate races, states like Oregon and the gubernatorial race. So we'll see that play out as it moves west. But there will be an early bevy of decisions that come in relatively early in the night from the east coast that will give us a strong indication of what's likely to happen.
- [19:07]
Ted Cruz
You know, you look at what this, this red wave, and I do believe it's going to be a red wave. We've talked about the Senate. You've said on this show early on that you thought it could be 52, 53, then that changed from 52, a solid 53. And now where do you feel like we might be on election night on the Senate side before we move to the House?
- [19:27]
Ben Ferguson
You know, I'm at 53 or 54, and if you pressed me, I'd probably say 54 now. I keep getting more optimistic as the days move forward. I think the momentum is steadily on our side. I think the Democrats keep screwing things up when Biden's final election pitch is, vote for me, you damn fascist terrorists, or else the universe will end. I think that seems like an angry, out of touch person that has no idea about the policy failures that the American people are suffering through. And so I think the momentum is in our way. I also think it's striking that you look at where Joe Biden is going to campaign. He's going to campaign in California and Chicago. And then also, interestingly, the only battleground place they're taking Joe Biden is Pennsylvania. And you've got Joe Biden there, you've got Barack Obama there, you've got Donald Trump there. So the people of Pennsylvania are getting it from all sides. I hope they just focus on how radical John Fetterman is and realize we want to change a path. But Biden there will infuriate people on the right. Trump there will infuriate people on the left. And who the heck knows what, what happens in that blender that results. But in virtually every other contested Senate race, Biden and Kamala Harris are nowhere to be found. So. So Biden is not going to Ohio or New Hampshire or Arizona or Georgia or Wisconsin or Nevada. All of the close contested Senate races, Biden is, is nowhere to be found. And that ain't accidental. It's the simple reality that no Democrat on the ballot in anything resembling a red or purple state wants to be seen with within a thousand miles of Joe Bide. That's a problem for those candidates.
- [21:26]
Ted Cruz
And I thought it was one of the biggest blunders, political mistakes. I've seen the President coming out with what the chief of staff described from the White House the other day is his final warning. When he had this six days before the election, this primetime speech, he mentioned the issue of border security 0 times. Crime, 0 times. Inflation, 0 time. Gas prices 0 times. Education 0 times. Police, 0 times. Fentanyl 0 times. It was basically a fear mongering speech that dealt with none of those issues. I think that actually hurt the Democrats, him coming out with that speech. And I think it took away, I think it actually gave momentum to the Republicans.
- [22:09]
Ben Ferguson
So you're saying when the top of your ticket doesn't talk about any issue any actual voters care about, that's a problem?
- [22:16]
Ted Cruz
Yeah. Call me crazy, right?
- [22:20]
Ben Ferguson
It's the most bizarre thing. You know, when you're in the D.C. beltway, the reporters and the Democrats are all obsessed with a set of issues that literally, I mean, I've traveled the entire country in the last month. I've been to 17 states. Nobody in those states cares about the issues that are animating MSNBC and, and the Biden White House. And that disconnect is really dangerous for election Day.
- [22:47]
Ted Cruz
Two more things I want to get to before election day. And that's number one. Let's talk about this. 25 for 20. You busted your tail traveling around the country. You're not on the ballot this time. And you made sure that you got out there and worked for hardcore constitutional conservatives. You even helped find candidates, one of those we were with last night, who I believe is a rock star in a very tough race where she, you know, based on history, she has no business winning her race. It's a Democrat district, yet sure enough, it's extremely tight race. You found these incredible conservatives to back and support. And I think there's a lot of people hoping that those are the types of candidates that actually win on Tuesday.
- [23:35]
Ben Ferguson
Well, I agree. This is something that I started doing two years ago. So two years ago in the 2020 cycle, I decided to get very, very engaged in House races. And we launched an initiative that we called 25 for 20, where I looked across the country and I tried to identify 25 candidates who are running for the House of representatives. And those 25 candidates I endorsed, I campaigned for. I got behind of them, 23 of them were challengers. So only two were incumbents. The other 23 were either running for open seats or running against Democrat incumbents. And I brought all those candidates together, raised about three and a half million dollars for those 25 candidates. Now, all of the money that I was raising was hard money. In other words, I raised the money and transferred it directly to them. They, they got it directly. So it wasn't me controlling the money and me spending it. I was operating under the assumption they know how to run their campaign better than I do and I don't need to micromanage their campaign. But we ended up being, for most of those candidates, we were the single largest fundraiser for those candidates. And of the 25, 14 of them won. It was a remarkable result. And really what we're trying to do is a couple of things. Number one, with this initiative, we're looking for the strongest conservatives who can win and both of those are needed. The who can win matters. If you're the best candidate ever, but you're running in a D plus 20 district and it's just hopeless. I'm not going to ask investors to invest their resources in tilting at windmills. The stakes are too high. We got a country to say. But what I'm looking for is people who A, have a real shot at winning, but B, win. They win, will be principled fighters, will stand and fight and make a difference. And, and of the 25, we had people like Burgess Owens, we had people like Yvette Harrow, we had people like Lauren Boebert, people who came in as among the strongest conservative leaders that came in in the newly elected class. Well, Ben, this time we're doing the same thing. This time we called it 25 for 22, I guess because I'm really bad at naming things. And we've got 25 candidates who, if anything, are more impressive than the first wave we had. We've got candidates like a candidate I was with just a couple of days ago up in Michigan, John Gibbs. John Gibbs is running in Michigan 3. He is an African American man. He was graduated from Stanford. He has a master's degree from Harvard. He was a Christian missionary in Japan for a number of years. Fluent in Japanese. He was a senior appointee in the Trump administration. He's smart, he's principled, he's conservative and he's running in a district I think he's going to win. And when he wins, he's going to be a rock star. Someone else who's in this group. Group. Jennifer Ruth Green. Jennifer Ruth Green is running in Indiana 1. Indiana 1 is a toss up race. Jennifer Ruth went to the Air Force Academy. She served a couple of decades in the Air Force. She has a master's from Liberty University. She's an African American Woman, a conservative, strong, passionate. She's got a good shot on winning. And if and when she wins, she's going to be a real leader. Someone else in the group, Harriet Hageman. Harriet is the one who primaried and beat Lynch Liz Cheney in Wyoming. Harriet is a constitutional lawyer. She is smart, she's engaged. She's going to be another rock star in the freshman class. I'll tell you. Someone else in the group, Eli Crane. Eli Crane is running in Arizona too. Eli Crane is a Navy SEAL. He spent 13 years as a Navy SEAL with five wartime deployments. He's also, he's a small business owner and he's smart, he's principled. We did a big rally with Eli in Tucson and he's someone else who is going to really shake things up when he wins. Not only that, there's a whole group of candidates we included in this and this has been a major focus of mine for some time, but particularly this cycle, which is Latina conservatives. And there are three in Texas. There is Mayra Flores, who ran in the special election a couple of months ago in the district in Texas along the Gulf coast, starts just south of Corpus Christi, goes all the way down to Brownsville, the southern tip of Texas, right on the border of Mexico. That is a district that had not elected a Republican since 1871. Special election happens. Myra wins. She is Republican. She is the first Mexican born woman ever elected to Congress. She is married to a border Patrol agent. She is smart, dynamic. That district is the most Hispanic district in the country. Out of 435 districts, it's the most Hispanic. It now is represented by a Republican in the district next to it, Monica Dela Cruz is running. Monica is fantastic. She's a small business owner. She's a single mom. She ran two years ago and almost won two years ago with almost zero money. She came within 2000 votes of winning last time and the national party didn't support her at all. It was a shoestring budget this time. She's got resources and I think is very likely to win. The district next to her is Cassie Garcia. Cassie, you and I were just last night at a big rally for Cassie. Cassie is someone I know very, very well. Cassie worked on my staff for eight years. She was my South Texas director. She was my deputy state director. Cassie is smart, principled, conservative. She is beloved in the Rio Grande Valley. She too is married to a Border Patrol agent. Her husband is the sector chief in the Del Rio sector, the sector with the worst illegal immigration. Right now he's fighting it every day despite his political superiors effectively tying his hands behind his back. I think Cassie's going to win. I think we're going to come out of this race with all of the Rio Grande Valley represented by Republicans, all three of whom are Latina. And every one of these districts has been Democrat for over 100 years. And let me go a little broader than that. Three other candidates. So I brought those three candidates to just north of Houston to Montgomery county, along with three other candidates. Catalina Lof, who is running up in the suburbs of Chicago, young, Hispanic, served in the Trump administration. Passionate. Anna Paulina Luna, who's running in Florida in the Tampa area. Same thing. Smart, principled, passionate, very good chance at winning. And then, yes, Lee Vega, who's running in Virginia. We did an awesome rally with Yeslee. I think. Yes, Lee's got a great shot at winning. Let me tell you yesly story. Ben Yesle is the daughter of immigrants from El Salvador. Yes. Lee's younger brother was shot and nearly killed by Ms. 13. So for her illegal immigration, it is real and it is personal. Yes. Lee is married to a soldier. They were stationed overseas in Korea for some time. Yes. Lee is a mom of two kids and she's also a cop. When her younger brother was shot, she decided to sign up and become a police officer. She spent over a decade as a police officer. And yes, LE is a firebrand. You see her on the stump. She is. She is just a firebrand. We had the six of them, Ben, together in Houston. I hosted a fundraiser for them, is the easiest fundraiser I've ever held in my life. I essentially had to get out of the way, just shut up and let them shine. And they were. Everyone was blown away. We raised over $1 million for those six candidates, six Latinas, all six of whom can win in November. The group promptly dubbed themselves the Spicy Tacos. Making a playoff. As you know, Jill Biden offensively referred to Hispanics as unique as breakfast tacos. And so they're owning it. And I gotta say, if we get to January and we have a new generation of strong, principled conservative leaders, many of whom are Latina or African American, and they're young and they're committed. That's how we don't just change the Republican Party, it's how we change the country. It is a generational and paradigm shift. And that's why I'm devoting so much time and energy to trying to make that happen.
- [32:56]
Ted Cruz
You know, I think Kari Lake said it great this week. She said we're Tired of being silent. She's blasting big tech, blasting the mainstream media, blasting cancel culture. I think there's so much of that and so many of these candidates where they're just saying we're tired of being silent, are being silenced by the left and we're standing up for what we believe in. There is one concern, and I've heard this a lot, Senator, and I want to close with this. I want to remind everybody listening, we will be live with verdict Live. You can Watch us on YouTube, on Facebook, Twitter, on election night. Make sure you make that part of your election night watch, you know, agenda. Senator, there's always a worry that when Republicans get an opportunity, we screw it up. When we get the majority, we screw it up. There are many that are concerned about the Republican leadership that they will immediately push these hardcore conservative new people to the back of the room and say, wait your turn and see how we do things in Washington. How do we avoid that disaster? If in fact we do have a big red wave on election night and we do have Republicans, you know, that show up that are new, even like the, you know, J.D. vance and others who are coming from behind now leading in the polls, how do we make sure they don't get sent back to the back of the room and say, okay, be quiet, you just got here.
- [34:19]
Ben Ferguson
Well, that is exactly what, what, what is going to happen, what leadership is going to try to do? And it's important for people to realize that the battle is not over on election day. The battle just starts on election day. If you and I are right that we're going to come out of election day with big Republican majorities in both houses, then we got to act like it, then we got to use it, then we got to stand up and use those majorities to deliver on what we promised to fight back against the disastrous policies that are hurting the American people. And what will play out is we will see Republican leadership in both houses, in the House and Senate leadership will say, no, no, we can't fight on this. No, no, you can't fight Biden on that. No, you can't use that lever. No, you can't actually fight to win. I will say when I first got to the Senate, I was elected in 2012, showed up in 2013, that's where we were. Barack Obama had just been reelected. We had a Republican House, we had a Democrat Senate, and our leadership was convinced there was nothing, nothing, nothing. We could fight on that. What we needed to do was roll over on everything. And I had some epic knock down Tear down battles with my own leadership trying to get us to follow through on our promises. Now, to be clear, I'm not saying fight on everything. Always. If you fight on everything, you're fighting on nothing. You've got to prioritize. You've got to pick battles that matter and have a smart, serious strategy to engage on those battles and win. But leadership historically has been afraid to do so. Now you asked how do we change that? The single best way to change that is doing what you and I have been doing for the last month, which is electing rock ribbed conservatives to the House and to the Senate. Why? Because leadership is in many ways a mirror. Leadership reflects the conference. If the conference is a bunch of squishes, leadership is going to be a squish. If you elect a bunch of rock rib conservatives who are ready to fight and lead. Leadership in Washington is in many ways followership. That the best way of changing the agenda and infusing a backbone in Republican majorities is ensuring you've got strong leaders. It's why I think it's so important to seek out and support people who will be those strong leaders who won't roll over. And listen. By the way, leadership has exactly the opposite interest. They want to see elected people who will be docile and follow their orders. I want to see people who are the opposite of that. People who will follow the orders not of the party bosses in Washington, but the people who elected them. And so these races are a battle where I'm trying. And you know what, look, you also don't have to transform the entirety of the conference. In the Senate, you don't have to have half of the Republican senators be rock ribbed conservatives. I'd love it. But to change the place, you don't need to control all the numbers. You need big enough to be able to shift the dynamic in the conference. In the Senate, literally one or two senators can make that difference. In the House, it takes more, which is why I'm playing in a lot more races. But the objective is the same, which is to elect conservative leaders who will do what they said they would do.
- [37:57]
Ted Cruz
It's going to be very, very fun to watch election night unfold. Senator, I do mean this sincerely. Thank you for your leadership on this. 25 for 22 and getting behind some of these candidates. Also even helping with some Senate races as well, like Mike Lees, which is looking a little bit better in Utah. This is going to be an important day. Our closing argument for every one of you listening is make sure you vote make sure you talk to your family and friends and get them to vote on election day. We will also be with you live on election night to break down the results. So make sure you follow verdict make sure you follow the Senator on on on Twitter and Facebook and we will go live there for you. Share this podcast with your family and friends. On a side note, Senator, I know you're excited because you get to do make memories with your family. You got the World Series. I want your prediction quickly. What do you think's going to happen?
- [38:57]
Ben Ferguson
Well, you and I are recording this Saturday afternoon. Tonight I'm going to game six. I'm going with Catherine, my 12 year old. My prediction is Strozan 6. We'll see if that happens when this comes out. You'll know if that was right or wrong. I hope I'm not eating crow but but I feel pretty good about it.
- [39:13]
Ted Cruz
Well, I and a lot of people don't realize this has become your and your daughter's thing. It's a, it's become a tradition of yours which makes it so special.
- [39:22]
Ben Ferguson
It is amazing. Going to playoff games with Katherine. We've been doing it every year for six years in a row now. We started back in 2017 when the Astros had that incredible run and won the World Series and they've been in the ALCS every year since then. Six consecutive years. Four of the last six World Series. And I've taken Catherine to a whole bunch of those home games throughout and it has become probably my favorite daddy daughter bonding time.
- [39:53]
Ted Cruz
It's awesome. Well, enjoy the Game Center. We'll see all of you guys listening on election night as well and we'll see you then. Thanks for joining us as always. Hit that Share button and hit that subscribe auto download button and we'll see you back here in a couple of days.