--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ted Cruz is a small-government…" description: "\"Ted Cruz is a small-government conservative.\" — Mara Liasson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/mara-liasson-8465_conservative_ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservat_3205036.jpg" --- # Ted Cruz is a small-government conservative. ![“Ted Cruz is a small-government conservative.” quote by Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/mara-liasson-8465_conservative_ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservat_3205036.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/mara-liasson-8465_conservative_ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservat_3205036.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/mara-liasson-8465_conservative_ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservat_3205036.jpg) > “Ted Cruz is a small-government conservative.” [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He labels Cruz as a proponent of minimal government, implying a specific political stance. **In simple terms:** He calls Cruz a small‑government conservative. Key Takeaway Recognize political labels can oversimplify. Themes politics ideology conservatism Mood critical analytical Type political descriptive When to use this quote - election debates - policy analysis - public discourse Key Concepts government size policy focus Questions to Reflect On - What nuances does “small‑government” miss? - How does labeling affect political dialogue? A Different Perspective Political identities are complex and may not fit single descriptors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruz/) [Cruz Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruz-small-5965439/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-conservative-646767/) [Small government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-government/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ted-cruz/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a small government conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/i-m-a-small-government-conservative/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [ As one conservative intellectual said to me - he said if the choice is between \[Joseph\] Stalin and \[Adolf\] Hitler, I'd pick Stalin, meaning… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/as-one-conservative-intellectual-said-to-me-he-said-if-the-choice-is/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ Republicans like Trent Lott, saying \[Donald\] Trump would be more flexible \[then Ted Cruz\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/republicans-like-trent-lott-saying-donald-trump-would-be-more/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ People like Ted Cruz, who has tried to position himself as the best second choice for \[Donald\] Trump supporters, wouldn't condemn him. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/people-like-ted-cruz-who-has-tried-to-position-himself-as-the-best/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [I'm a weensy-government conservative from the Midwest, Christian, mother of two, homeschooler, and my hobby, profession, and passion is news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/i-m-a-weensy-government-conservative-from-the-midwest-christian/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [On the other side, you have the conservative intelligentsia - magazines like National Review, which has a big anti-Trump issue; Weekly Standard editor, conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/on-the-other-side-you-have-the-conservative-intelligentsia-magazines/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ Ted \[Cruz\], you support legalizing people who are in this country illegally. Ted Cruz supported a 500 percent increase in the number of H1B… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/ted-cruz-you-support-legalizing-people-who-are-in-this-country/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Ted Cruz new line of attack is that I've become establishment. Oh, give me a break. No, he's having a hard time. He had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/ted-cruz-new-line-of-attack-is-that-i-ve-become-establishment-oh-give/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I'd hate to see something like this get in his way, but a lot of people are talking about it and I know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-d-hate-to-see-something-like-this-get-in-his-way-but-a-lot-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I said Ted Cruz has been lying because if you say something that isn't true, and you say it over and over again, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/i-said-ted-cruz-has-been-lying-because-if-you-say-something-that-isn/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [I know for a fact that Ted Cruz every day uses two checklists - to guide him through his personal and professional life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/i-know-for-a-fact-that-ted-cruz-every-day-uses-two-checklists-to/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [I understand what's going on in people's minds, and I think the political leaders better be asking themselves 'why is it, that Donald Trump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-lott/i-understand-what-s-going-on-in-people-s-minds-and-i-think-the/) [Trent Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-lott/) > [Well, who's going to be fired when Ted Cruz is president? Because this campaign now has repeatedly done things that they have to apologize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/well-who-s-going-to-be-fired-when-ted-cruz-is-president-because-this/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Dan Coats, retiring senator from Indiana, a mild-mannered man, a former United States ambassador to Germany, former congressman, said of Ted Cruz he's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/dan-coats-retiring-senator-from-indiana-a-mild-mannered-man-a-former/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [ Ted Cruz who's been gaining on \[Donald\] Trump in Iowa and is polling ahead of him in the latest Monmouth poll would be quite… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/ted-cruz-who-s-been-gaining-on-donald-trump-in-iowa-and-is-polling/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) ## More by Mara Liasson > [Jeb Bush was supposed to be the establishment candidate, but he didn't catch on. And the extraordinary thing about this Republican primary is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/jeb-bush-was-supposed-to-be-the-establishment-candidate-but-he-didn-t/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [Donald Trump's staffing up a pretty traditional, very conservative Republican government, not a populist outsider government, at least not yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/donald-trump-s-staffing-up-a-pretty-traditional-very-conservative/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ This year \[2016\], however, polls show \[Hillary\] Clinton winning white college-educated voters by double digits. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/this-year-2016-however-polls-show-hillary-clinton-winning-white/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [On the other side, you have the conservative intelligentsia - magazines like National Review, which has a big anti-Trump issue; Weekly Standard editor, conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/on-the-other-side-you-have-the-conservative-intelligentsia-magazines/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [The president is under 50 percent approval ratings in all the battleground states. So, you could say that President Obama is defying gravity by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/the-president-is-under-50-percent-approval-ratings-in-all-the/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [If she Hillary Clinton win just two of the three big battleground states - North Carolina, Florida and Virginia - she will have shut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/if-she-hillary-clinton-win-just-two-of-the-three-big-battleground/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [The base has chosen or is choosing a candidate that the establishment says is absolutely unacceptable. And what that means is this marriage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/the-base-has-chosen-or-is-choosing-a-candidate-that-the-establishment/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ You have \[Donald\] Trump and \[Ted\] Cruz battling it out, and the moderate establishment candidates like Chris Christie or Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, John… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/you-have-donald-trump-and-ted-cruz-battling-it-out-and-the-moderate/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [The country wants the president and the Congress focused on jobs and the economy. Any regulation that the president promulgates that isn't focused on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/the-country-wants-the-president-and-the-congress-focused-on-jobs-and/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ What does \[Hillary\] Clinton do if she loses? Concede? Blame the Russians? Or the FBI? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/what-does-hillary-clinton-do-if-she-loses-concede-blame-the-russians/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [Hillary Clinton is also not a very exciting, inspiring candidate to a lot of the left-leaning Democratic base, especially in Iowa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/hillary-clinton-is-also-not-a-very-exciting-inspiring-candidate-to-a/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [There's disgust with what people called a broken political system, and they're really angry at elites, whether it's the Republican establishment or particularly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/there-s-disgust-with-what-people-called-a-broken-political-system-and/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ People like Ted Cruz, who has tried to position himself as the best second choice for \[Donald\] Trump supporters, wouldn't condemn him. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/people-like-ted-cruz-who-has-tried-to-position-himself-as-the-best/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [Republican candidates have won whites with college degrees in every presidential election since polling began.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/republican-candidates-have-won-whites-with-college-degrees-in-every/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ \[Hillary\] Clinton has also struggled with key groups of voters. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/hillary-clinton-has-also-struggled-with-key-groups-of-voters/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) [Explore all 80 Mara Liasson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) ## More Conservative quotes > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Progressive Conservative candidates from Quebec want to exert real power in Ottawa, not simply be content with playing a secondary role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-campbell/progressive-conservative-candidates-from-quebec-want-to-exert-real/) [Kim Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-campbell/) > [Play small ball. Get back to basics. I would say that you need to be a conservative, but you need to maintain your independent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/play-small-ball-get-back-to-basics-i-would-say-that-you-need-to-be-a/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [I am a conservative type of person, so sometimes when I'm chilling with myself, people always come ask me, 'What's wrong with you? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-wonder/i-am-a-conservative-type-of-person-so-sometimes-when-i-m-chilling/) [Wayne Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-wonder/) > [In the Tea Party era, it is the restless conservative Republican who has become passion's plaything, the toy of impetuous romance, an erotomania only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/in-the-tea-party-era-it-is-the-restless-conservative-republican-who/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [I'm a principle liberty, rule-of-law Conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-toole/i-m-a-principle-liberty-rule-of-law-conservative/) [Erin O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-toole/) > [I would say I'm a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, if that contradiction can make sense, because in Bolivia, we have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/i-would-say-i-m-a-fiscal-conservative-and-a-social-liberal-if-that/) [Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/) > [My dad's quite a conservative person, and he brought me up to be very questioning of the commercial world. He looked down on pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/my-dad-s-quite-a-conservative-person-and-he-brought-me-up-to-be-very/) [Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [There are a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people, Republicans, Democrats, in Hollywood. It is just that the conservative people by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/there-are-a-lot-of-conservative-people-a-lot-of-moderate-people/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [“Those who consider themselves ‘Conservative’ frequently identify with family values, so they should consider carefully the fact that in 1960, only 18% of women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/those-who-consider-themselves-conservative-frequently-identify-with/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [A faithfully kept program of savings and conservative investments can give you more money and a better life than that of your neighbors who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-bryant-quinn/a-faithfully-kept-program-of-savings-and-conservative-investments-can/) [Jane Bryant Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-bryant-quinn/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [Conservative feminism is such an artificial term that doesn't mean much to me. For me conservatism means accepting reality. I acknowledge that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/conservative-feminism-is-such-an-artificial-term-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/) [Browse all 2,995 Conservative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ted Cruz is a small-government conservative.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mara Liasson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservative/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conservative" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservative/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/mara-liasson-8465_conservative_ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservat_3205036.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/mara-liasson-8465_conservative_ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservat_3205036.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/mara-liasson-8465_conservative_ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservat_3205036.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ted Cruz is a small-government conservative.” — Mara Liasson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mara Liasson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ted Cruz is a small-government conservative.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservative/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/ted-cruz-is-a-small-government-conservative/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```