Amid the midway rides, the sundry fried foods and squealing children, potential GOP presidential hopefuls mingled with crowds gathered at the Iowa State Fair Saturday to
offer hopeful messages about the nation's future and to take jabs as President Barack Obama.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz got in some hand-shaking time, calling out the commander-in-chief and mingling his record with that of Hillary Clinton, seen by many as a likely Democratic frontrunner if she jumps into the 2016 race.
Cruz was light-hearted in his speech but also adamant that people wanted change from the current climate. He said conservatives were ready to seize the nation back.
"All across this country, people are waking up," Mr. Cruz said during his speech,
The Hill reported. "And they’re waking up to bring America back to the principles we have been founded on. There is a better way than the path we are on."
Afterward, Cruz met with reporters and saved some of his harshest words of the day offstage to criticize the president's actions in Iraq,
Breitbart.com reported.
"Airstrikes could well make sense, to degrade the lethality of ISIS if they are directed towards accomplishing a concrete defined military objective that furthers U.S. national security interests," Cruz said. "What is missing right now is the Commander-in-Chief laying out a strategic vision."
Cruz said he was looking for leadership from Obama.
"The president unfortunately is an absentee president," Cruz said.
"I think the President should actually stand up and do his job as commander in chief, should spend less time on the golf course and more time doing the job to which he was elected," the tea party favorite added.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal showed up in blue jeans alongside his wife and three kids, who eagerly took in some fair food, including a double-bacon corn dog,
The Des Moines Register reported.
One fair-goer told Jindal she remembered him from him 2012 speech at the state's famed caucuses. They talked and she came away impressed. "He's good," said Beverly Burton of Marshalltown. Could she make him her 2016 presidential candidate? "Yes, I would," Burton said.
Iowa talked about his faith in God in his speech to fairgoers, noting that it was tough to be a Christian in today's world,
The Town Talk reported.
"It's like (God) has given us the book of life. He doesn't just look at the pages for today and tomorrow. He doesn't promise that our team is going to win, happen today or tomorrow. He doesn't promise you that everything's going to happen exactly the way you want it," Jindal said. "But he does something much much more important. ... He let's us look on the last page and on the last page our God wins."
He had harsh words for Obama and the administration's agenda.
"The debt is awful, the spending is awful, the taxes are awful. The regulations are awful. Our foreign policy's a mess," Jindal said. He remains upbeat, however, that the nation's future can be much better. "Here's the overarching message I see: I'm a complete optimist when it comes to America," he said.
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