Video: “Cruz To Victory” Bus Tour Rolls Into Tupelo

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TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – The presidential elections are 15 months away, but candidates are hitting the campaign trail hard.  This morning,  Texas Senator Ted Cruz stopped in our area, and WCBI’s Allie Martin was there.

An hour before Senator Cruz arrived for the rally, a large crowd was on hand at Connie’s Fried Chicken.

Five days after the first debate for GOP presidential hopefuls, Cruz is in second place and supporters believe his message connects with many in this area.

“We was wanting to come see a consistent conservative and I wanted to listen to Ted’s principles and see what he had to say today,” said Ty Fulton, who came from Louisville to see Sen. Cruz.

The Texas Senator is in the middle of what he calls the “SEC Primary”  a swing through southern states, in advance of the March primaries.  He began his speech with a jab at the presidential contenders on the other side of the political aisle.

“Now, the Democratic field consists of a wild eyed socialist , with ideas that are dangerous for America and the world , and Bernie Sanders,” Sen. Cruz said.

For the next 20 minutes, Cruz talked about the need to return to biblically based, traditional family values and the importance of the upcoming presidential election.

“It is now or never, we are bankrupting our kids and grandkids,” he said, speaking from the back of an antique Ford pickup truck.

The first term senator says if elected, he will do away with Obamacare, insure religious liberties are protected and promises to do more than just defund Planned Parenthood.

“We’ve seen senior officials of Planned Parenthood, caught on tape, sipping chardonnay and laughing, callously, heartlessly, bartering and selling body parts of unborn children.  That is a felony , it is a federal criminal offense, carries up to ten years in prison,” Sen. Cruz said.

Voters at this event liked what they saw and heard from the presidential hopeful.

“I was state criminal justice chairman for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and Senator Cruz is the closest thing to President Reagan that I’ve seen,” said Tupelo resident and author, Merle Temple.

“I think he is the salt that Jesus talked about in Matthew 5 :13,” said Mary Turner, of Itawamba County.

Senator Cruz wrapped up his campaign rally by encouraging supporters to become arsonists, and spread the fires of liberty and freedom.  It is a message he hopes will resonate through next year.

Senator Cruz stopped in at the American Family Association before heading to his next stop of the day, in Olive Branch.