Ted Cruz's presidential campaign commencement speech at Liberty University was populated with students who are required to attend, as they do every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the 10:00AM invocation. The audience was literally captive, as the students face a $10 fine if they don't attend, so Cruz's audience looked rather impressive, if you didn't know that small caveat.
Not all students were excited about attending. The National Journal explains.
Sen. Ted Cruz took the stage to declare his presidential candidacy at Liberty University Monday, surrounded by upwards of 10,000 cheering students. They weren't all here by choice.
Attendance at convocation at Liberty is mandatory, and a group of students clad in "Stand With Rand" shirts sat center stage—directly in view of the cameras—to log their displeasure with having to be here.
"Of course, you want it to appear as if you have a large audience," said Eli McGowan, who organized the not-so-subtle protest. "We felt like if we didn't wear shirts showing our true political preference then the media might think we all supported Cruz."
"They make you come. If you don't come, you get punished," said Ana Delgado, a sophomore, who said students face a $10 fine for not showing up at convocation. Delgado wasn't among those wearing Paul gear. She is undecided about who she'll support in 2016, but she didn't like being forced to be part of Cruz's announcement
Apparently, A LOT of people also noticed this, as it was impossible to miss.
#TedCruz: At the end of the speech, even the #RandPaul supporters were standing and applauding pic.twitter.com/hZup9teLFj
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) March 23, 2015
Before you think Rand is any less Christian fundamentally-crazy than Ted Cruz, remember the anointing of Paul, Cruz and Priebus at a ceremony in Iowa.
The two senators could also be found last summer, along with RNC Chair Reince Priebus, by some accounts, being publicly blessed and anointed, with the laying-on of hands, by dominionist pastors, at the July 19th-20th 2013 Iowa Renewal Project pastors' gathering held at the Des Moines Marriott Hotel.
Let the clown games begin!!
