The Sarah Palin endorsement of Donald Trump may be a setback for Ted Cruz, who is trying to consolidate conservative support in Iowa. But he is responding with his own reality TV star endorsement: Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson.
The controversial Robertson was once briefly suspended from his show after making anti-gay comments, but his star power is undimmed in conservative circles, and Cruz is milking the endorsement to the hilt.
Robertson speaks to the camera wearing full camouflage gear and face paint. Sprinkling his words with a light Cajun accent, he declares: "My qualifications for president of the United States are rather 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 and put him in a pot and make him a good duck gumbo?"
The action shifts to the duck blind, where Robertson and Cruz are hunting together. In a voiceover, Robertson says, emphasizing each syllable, "I've looked at the candidates. Ted Cruz is my man. He fits the bill." We see Cruz slathered in face paint, and Robertson proceeds to repeat each of the qualifications.
This is not the first time a Robertson has taken a preferred candidate out duck hunting for TV ad purposes. Phil's son Willie tried to save gubernatorial candidate David Vitter with the same stunt, but to no avail. Maybe it's because they left off the face paint.
The controversial Robertson was once briefly suspended from his show after making anti-gay comments, but his star power is undimmed in conservative circles, and Cruz is milking the endorsement to the hilt.
Phil Robertson Takes Ted Cruz Duck Hunting
A new ad "Cruz Commander" featuring Robertson will air during the NFL playoffs, and also earns it's own CruzCommander.com website.Robertson speaks to the camera wearing full camouflage gear and face paint. Sprinkling his words with a light Cajun accent, he declares: "My qualifications for president of the United States are rather 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 and put him in a pot and make him a good duck gumbo?"
The action shifts to the duck blind, where Robertson and Cruz are hunting together. In a voiceover, Robertson says, emphasizing each syllable, "I've looked at the candidates. Ted Cruz is my man. He fits the bill." We see Cruz slathered in face paint, and Robertson proceeds to repeat each of the qualifications.
Hunting With a Robertson Didn't Work For David Vitter
In between gun blasts, Robertson appears to inform Cruz of the endorsement while in the grass. Speaking for his entire brood, Robertson dramatically says, "Cruz, the reason we’re going to vote for you, all of us, is because you’re one of us, my man. That’s why we’re voting for you. It’s now or never. We’re gonna lose our beloved country unless there’s a turn around. And I think this is it."This is not the first time a Robertson has taken a preferred candidate out duck hunting for TV ad purposes. Phil's son Willie tried to save gubernatorial candidate David Vitter with the same stunt, but to no avail. Maybe it's because they left off the face paint.