It's a first visit to New Hampshire for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as a possible presidential candidate- looking to see how his brand of populist conservatism plays in the live free or die state. Asked if he was leaning toward a run for president, he says he's taking a serious look.
The 44-year-old son of Cuban immigrants told a business sector audience about his pro-growth economic plan including tax reform, he supports a flat tax and abolishing the IRS, regulatory reform and repealing the affordable care act.
"The biggest jobs killer in the country is Obamacare," Cruz said.
Longtime New Hampshire Democratic Senator Lou D'Allesandro response to that: "That's the typical Republican rhetoric - get rid of Obamacare. It doesn't make sense to me."
Among liberals and some moderates, Cruz is known for being an uncompromising tea partier who wants to get rid of the Department of Education and is a strong supporter of the NRA.
But he is an intriguing political firebrand to Republicans impressed with his political skills. He spoke seemlessly without notes for 45 mintues, and his resume: Cruz has degrees from Princeton and Harvard Law School and was the first hispanic Supreme Court Clerk.
Undecided voter Ted Gorski says, "I don't think Ted's a bomb thrower. I think what it is, he has some staunch principals that he lives and believes by."
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When necn asked Cruz what he thought of Jeb Bush as a presidential candidate, he didn't hesitate, he said, "Every time the Republican Party looks to the mushy middle, every time the Republican party nominates the candidate that all of the Washington pundits say is the "most electable" - that candidate loses."
Cruz says Ronald Reagan was able to appeal to Republicans and Democrats - not by copying his opponents - but by staking out strong differentiating positions and presenting them in a positive, hopeful way.
"The Washington fallacy is that, if your opponent is here, you should be infinitesimally to the right to capture every marginal voter up until where they are. But the problem is, every single time we do it, millions of people over here stay home," Cruz said.
