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‘Consistent conservative’ Ted Cruz rallies voters in Kalamazoo

Posted at 6:34 PM, Oct 04, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-04 18:34:13-04

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Republican presidential hopeful and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz returned to Michigan bright and early Monday morning for a campaign rally.

Cruz rallied supporters inside Kalamazoo’s Wings Event Center where spoke to a crowd of roughly 800 people.

As he continues fighting to stand out out in what remains a crowded Republican field of candidates, Cruz stayed consistent with his message Monday, reiterating he is the "consistent conservative" choice for voters.

"We need to bring the power out of Washington and back to ‘We the People,’ that is what this campaign is all about," he told the fired up crowd.

Cruz said he credits the momentum of support for his campaign to "the old Reagan coalition coming together."

"People are tired of campaign conservatives, people who talk a good game, but haven’t walked the walk," Cruz told reporters afterward. "Republican primary voters are looking for someone who is a consistent conservative."

The rally marks Cruz’s third campaign visit to Michigan in just the past few months.

In June, Cruz spoke at Republican fundraiser dinner in Howell where he delivered an ill-timed joke about Vice President Joe Biden, whose son had just died.

Just last month, Cruz appeared on Mackinac Island for thebiennial GOP leadership conference, where he was one of five Republican candidates who spoke at the conference, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul all appeared.

In a speech that largely mirrored the one Cruz gave on Mackinac Island, the Texas senator on Monday once again listed off his laundry list of items he promises to accomplish just on the first day in office.

Undoing the "illegal" executive actions of President Obama and ordering the Department of Justice to investigate Planned Parenthood top the list, along with Cruz's familiar promise to "rip to shreds" the "catastrophic" nuclear deal with Iran.

On several occasions the crowd interrupted Cruz. At one point, in the midst of saying "if elected to office" several in the crowds chimed in "when."

Unlike his speech at Mackinac, Cruz called out Obama's plan to allow thousands of Syrian refugees into to America by saying it was "nothing short of crazy."

"It would be the height of foolishness," he said, referring to the current situation in which thousands of Syrians are fleeing the war-torn country under President Bashar al-Assad.

Cruz suggested allowing Syrian refugees would also allow jihadists into the country, who would "murder innocent Americans."

Trying to distinguish himself from a crowded field, Cruz told supporters  "when I tell you I’m going to do something, I'm going to do exactly what I say.”

Cruz said Michigan will play a "tremendously" important role moving forward in the election.

“Michigan is a big state, it’s an important state," he told reporters. "Michigan is a state we are competing vigorously in for the primary and we intend to compete vigorously in Michigan and win Michigan in the general election."

Among a crowded GOP field, Cruz continues to fight for attention and support while consistentlymanaging to only poll in the single digits in the latest national polls.

While the polls might not reflect it, Cruz continues to trumpet his success when it comes to grassroots fundraising. During Monday's speech, he once again made a mention of his campaign out-raisingthe current GOP front-runners Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson.

In three months, the Cruz campaign raised $14.3 million from roughly 300,000 contributions. The average contribution made to the campaign is $81, Cruz told the crowd.