Politics: Ted Cruz to announce presidential bid today

Cruz, 44, will be the first candidate to formally throw his hat in the ring for what's expected to be a crowded GOP primary, with more than a dozen high-profile Republicans expressing serious interest in a White House run. The Chronicle reports that Cruz will go straight to announcing his candidacy without first forming an exploratory committee, according to advisers with direct knowledge of his plans. Cruz, armed with his trademark ostrich boots and impressive oratory skills, has quickly made a name for himself in the past two years since he started in the Senate, solidifying his brand as a conservative firebrand willing to take on establishment Republicans in Washington. A constant and vocal critic of the Obama administration, he's perhaps best known for his stalwart fight against Obamacare in 2013, which led to a tense standoff between Democrats and Republicans and ultimately resulted in a 17-day government shutdown. The showdown was punctuated by Cruz's 21-hour speech on the Senate floor.

1. Are you one of those who thinks it should have been obvious that Obama - who had only served four years of his first Senate term, and had never managed anything - would be in over his head as president? If so, well then . . .
2. If you consider it to Cruz's credit that he reportedly hasn't made many friends in the Senate - since they're all establishment sellouts and he's the truly principled one - how do you think that augurs for President Cruz in his future dealings with Congress?
3. What is the big policy idea you could associate with Cruz? I'm not saying there isn't one, but I don't know what it is. Do you?