Cruz and Trump both have their interesting features. Cruz's unashamed evangelicalism and how it infuriates the Left is quite entertaining, and I like him for it and hope that he is genuine about it. Trump's unashamed Trumpism and how it infuriates the Left is also quite entertaining, and I dearly hope he isn't a fraud. I dearly hope both of them aren't frauds.
I like both of them for how they infuriate the Left. I like pretty much all people who infuriate the Left.
In terms of policy, I don't consider Trump a conservative but his commitment to draw back NATO, not engage in pointless foreign wars, befriend Russia, negotiate better trade deals and stop mass immigration appeal to me a lot. Self-funding his campaign and the whole 'straight-talking' shtick is also pretty good.
Cruz's low tax super-free market system, ending corporate subsidies, is interesting and I'd like to see if it works, but he often disappoints me when he says a lot of quite hawkish statements, and his position on trade deals can sometimes seem contradictory. I was impressed however when he continued to oppose ethanol subsidies when campaigning in Iowa, had a honest chat with a farmer on tape about it and ended up winning the state.
Honestly I don't think I'd consider Ted Cruz a conservative either, his almost ruthless commitment to the free market and neoliberal policies are far too ideological for my liking and not one fitting of a conservative, who does what makes the most sense, not what his ideology dictates.
So Cruz appeals more on the social conservatism, low taxes, more liberty and less surveillance (hopefully) sort of thing, but Trump appeals more on the opposition to mass immigration, foreign wars and unfair trade deals. Cruz also worries me with his donors, and how much he is going to have to owe those donors if he get into office.
All in all, I probably have to hand it to Trump. I say this as a Brit though, whose chief concern is the next President's foreign policy and how it'll affect Britain being dragged into more pointless wars.
