Opinion

Election update: Crunch time for the candidates

Gov._Rick_Perry_May_2015

Gov. Rick Perry endorsed Ted Cruz for president this week. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Only one more week until  the Iowa caucus and the presidential candidates are scrambling to speak at as many rallies as possible to boost their chances of winning.

Here’s what you may have missed:

Rick Perry endorses Ted Cruz for President

It comes as no surprise that the former Texas governor would endorse the Senator from his home state. Perry was the first candidate this election cycle to withdraw his bid. He doesn’t bring much to Cruz other than Texans who may have been hesitant to back the senator in the first place. Now he’s campaigning in Iowa for Cruz in an effort to reach as many Iowans as possible.

Former New York mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg might launch a third-party bid for president

Bloomberg mused running for president in both 2008 and 2012, but never followed suit. He has a net worth of $36 billion and has indicated that he could spend upwards of $1 billion of his own fortune on his campaign.

Should he run, it would mean a second billionaire in the presidential race, which would make this election cycle look a little too much like rich people fighting over each other to be president. Bloomberg is expected to make a decision by March.

Multiple big endorsements for Donald Trump

This week, Donald Trump received endorsements from prominent evangelical Jerry Falwell Jr. and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Falwell is the president of the Liberty University, a private, non-profit Christian school where Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president.

Falwell described Trump as “a man who I believe can lead our country to greatness again.” It’s surprising that Cruz did not get his endorsement, being the more religious candidate and given the fact that Trump literally cheated on his wife in a church.

Joe Arpaio is virtually the most famous anti-illegal immigration sheriff in the country, who has said things like “they’re all dirty,” when referring to illegal immigrants. A man blatantly racist against immigrants falls perfectly in line with Trump.

Opinion editor Anthony Torres is a political science junior and may be reached at [email protected]

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