Quote:I have three key criteria right now for a Presidential candidate: won't take away my rights and liberties, won't lose to Clinton and isn't named Donald Trump.

 

Edit to clarify on Cruz' position on civil liberties: I actually think the Freedom Act is a not-terrible thing. I hate that it stores data for 100% of American phone communications, but I like that it takes that data out of the NSA's hands and requires them to get a court order to possess it.

 

The next logical step would be putting an end to the "intelligence courts" that operate in the shadows and issue warrants basically because the NSA tells them to, then forcing the process of targeting and collecting that data to be made public. I understand that nothing I do is going to stop the government from spying on me in the foreseeable future, but I have the right to know if my phone records or browsing history are being perused by the NSA, or if I'm on some random, shadowy watch list that's going to make my life annoying. If that means that a terrorist is forced to curb their plans because they won't get away with it, hey, isn't that what we're trying to do anyway?

 

I long for the end of organized government surveillance of its populace, but with that seemingly out of reach in this campaign cycle (aside from Sanders, maybe, who would replace it with his own brand of control), I'm finding it hard not to put my support behind a candidate who wants to at least stop its growth.