Duck hunting icon suports Ted Cruz after declaring presidential candidate 'godly'
WEST MONROE, La. (Christian Examiner) – Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has picked up a key endorsement from the Duck Commander himself.
The Cruz campaign released the new campaign advert featuring Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty earlier this week. In it, the long-bearded Robertson discusses the qualifications he believes a candidate for president must possess.
"Our qualifications for president of the United States are narrow: Is he or she godly? Does he or she love us? Can he or she do the job? And finally, would they kill a duck, put 'em in a pot and make a good duck gumbo?" Robertson asks in the campaign ad.
The duck guru also says he has looked at the political candidates and Cruz "fits the bill" – no pun intended.
"He's godly. He loves us. He's the man for the job, and he will go duck hunting," Robertson says. "That's why we're voting for you. It's now or never."
The video then shows Cruz sitting with Robertson in a duck blind and shooting at ducks passing overhead. Robertson tells Cruz he will be voting for him "because you're one of us, my man."
There's every indication that Cruz does, in fact, share Robertson's views. Late in 2013, when Robertson was under fire for characterizing homosexuality as a sin and homosexuals as ungodly, Cruz came to his defense after the reality TV star was suspended from the Duck Dynasty cast.
Cruz wrote in a Facebook posting:
"The reason that so many Americans love Duck Dynasty is because it represents the America usually ignored or mocked by liberal elites: a family that loves and cares for each other, believes in God, and speaks openly about their faith.".
Following Robertson's endorsement, Cruz said he was thrilled to have the support of the Robertson family, whom he described as having "great Christian faith and conservative values."
"Phil's story of starting off with something small and working hard to achieve the American dream is inspiring ... much like my parents, and many other Americans, who started a small business and worked hard to provide for our family," Cruz said.