Ted Cruz' candidacy bad news for GOP

On Monday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ended months of speculation on the worst kept secret in America when he formally declared his candidacy for president. There's been little doubt that the White House was his ultimate goal ever since he came to Washington, but now that the junior senator from Texas has made it official, members of his party should be quaking in their boots. If he somehow manages to pull off a miracle and become the nominee in 2016, it will only help guarantee a Democratic victory in the race for the White House.
   Cruz is the worst possible nominee for the GOP. He is a backbench bomb-thrower cut from the same mold as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. He is a virulent narcissist who loves to hear himself talk. But while he certainly knows how to draw attention to himself and generate headlines, he has accomplished little during his time in the Senate except to grandstand (see his attempted filibuster in an attempt to kill Obamacare) and damage his party's credibility by leading the charge to shut down government in 2013.
   Make no mistake. Cruz is a formidable candidate. He has been described as "off the charts brilliant" by his former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz. Thanks to his constant self-promotion, he has wide-spread name recognition and won't have to waste time letting voters know who he is. That's a definite plus when it comes to fundraising. Cruz has worked hard to ingratiate himself with the GOP's Tea Party wing. Today, he is recognized as a leader of the movement. That should help him in the primaries, where the most hardcore party members tend to exert more influence. Should he become the nominee, however, his uncompromising nature could become a liability.
   The problem is that not most voters don't reside on the political extremes. Most reside in what Cruz has derisively labeled "the mushy middle." Cruz has been outspoken in criticizing members of his own party, including former presidential nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney. That has undoubtedly cost him the support of some of the most powerful leaders in the GOP. And since he has shown no interest in moderating his rhetoric or moving even an inch toward the political middle, it calls into question his ability to lead should he somehow win the White House.
   Good government is about more than having the right ideas. To be an effective leader, one has to be able to sell those ideas to others. Being a good leader means being willing to compromise. It means being willing to take baby steps forward instead of trying to get everything you want all at once. If Cruz has shown anything, it's that compromise is a foreign concept to him. Instead of being willing to work patiently toward his goals, he prefers to be a bull in a china shop. He prefers to make noise and go for the juicy soundbite instead of looking toward the final goal. He has shown no concern about alienating members of his own party. That "maverick" spirit may play well with voters, but if he wins, it will ultimately leave him without allies when he needs them most and will lessen his effectiveness as president.
   Ted Cruz candidacy is an exercise in ego. And while it may be hailed in some quarters, we can only hope that cooler, wiser heads prevail and Cruz will ultimately fail. We deserve better than a narcissist stroking his own ego by running for president. We deserve better than a leader who would rather make a point than get results. We deserve better than Ted Cruz.