--- title: Rand Paul and Ted Cruz Contrast at Values Voter Summit description: Two potential presidential candidates come to a conservative Christian cattle call canonical: https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/ author: Michael Scherer article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-09-26T18:03:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:38.600Z article:section: Politics og:title: Rand Paul and Ted Cruz Contrast at Values Voter Summit og:description: Two potential presidential candidates come to a conservative Christian cattle call og:url: https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10a939980d63558c/6986a5a2e8524b596a604ede/ted-cruz-value-voters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: U.S. Senator Cruz delivers remarks at Values Voter Summit in Washington og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rand Paul and Ted Cruz Contrast at Values Voter Summit twitter:description: Two potential presidential candidates come to a conservative Christian cattle call twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10a939980d63558c/6986a5a2e8524b596a604ede/ted-cruz-value-voters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Study in Contrasts for Rand Paul and Ted Cruz > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=245ec948-4da6-4b2c-b3ed-b2c8e975a52f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=245ec948-4da6-4b2c-b3ed-b2c8e975a52f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=245ec948-4da6-4b2c-b3ed-b2c8e975a52f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=245ec948-4da6-4b2c-b3ed-b2c8e975a52f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Ted Cruz's 2013; in Three Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Ted Cruz's 2013; in Three Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hxzkxoP9.m3u8) (3:34)  _Published 2013-12-11. TIME looks at the most provocative and influential moments of Ted Cruz's year in the Senate_ by [Michael Scherer](https://time.com/author/michael-scherer/) ## Michael Scherer Sep 26, 2014 6:03 PM UTC  U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivers his remarks at the morning plenary session of the Values Voter Summit in Washington on Sept. 26, 2014. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivers his remarks at the morning plenary session of the Values Voter Summit in Washington on Sept. 26, 2014. Gary Cameron—Reuters by [Michael Scherer](https://time.com/author/michael-scherer/) ## Michael Scherer Sep 26, 2014 6:03 PM UTC Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, two Tea Party senators in the hunt for the White House, find themselves in a nearly identical position these days. Both sons of celebrated conservative leaders, they regularly speak at the same events, criticize the same Democratic President with a similar message of back-to-basics constitutionalism, and poll nationally at about 10% among Republicans in the way-too-early 2016 polls. But on Friday, as conservative Christians gathered in Washington for the Values Voter Summit, their differences were far more apparent than their similarities. Paul stood behind the podium in blue jeans, quoting the Founding Fathers and modern authors off a teleprompter, ever the iconoclastic intellect. Cruz roamed the stage in a boxy suit, preaching a passage from Psalms again and again in a call for spiritual rebirth. Both cast the political crisis now facing the country as a crises of the spirit, but from there they began to diverge. While they both boasted of anti-abortion credentials, only Cruz raised the issues of gay marriage and Iran, building his nearly hour-long address around Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” The night, he said, was the current rule of a Harry Reid in the Senate and Barack Obama in the White House, and dawn would come in two stages, in this year’s midterm elections and in 2016, with twin Democratic defeats. “How do we turn this country around? We offer a choice not an echo,” Cruz said, offering himself as a sort of condensed Republican, without the fluff of the others. “We defend the values that are American values. We stand for life. We stand for marriage. We stand for Israel.” Paul was introduced to the stage with a different sort of branding. “He is on the edge, he has an edge and it gives him and edge,” went the sales pitch, and he did his best to cast himself as a non-conformist over the course of about 17 minutes. At multiple points, he noted that both political parties had failed to adhere to the proper path, which he described as faith in God and close adherence to the Constitution. “What America needs is not just another politician or promises,” he said. “What America really needs is a revival.” It was a neat recasting of the revolution metaphor that has accompanied his—and his father Ron Paul’s—rapid political rises over the last decade. Unlike Cruz, who limited his foreign policy criticism to the President and the lack of effort to make Christian persecution a priority in diplomatic relations, Paul called for a shift in the way the nation approaches intervention, arguing that even detestable secular dictatorships in the Middle Sast were preferable to the chaos following their toppling. “It’s time to put a stop to this madness,” Paul said, “And take a good heard look at what our foreign policy has done.” Paul has generally been more supportive than Cruz of efforts to negotiate a resolution to the nuclear stand-off with Iran, and chose not to raise the issue specifically before the Christian, Zionist audience. Cruz, by contrast, joked of U.S. diplomats “swilling chardonnay in New York City” with their Iranian counterparts. Cruz spoke at length about his pastor father, Rafael, his journey to the United States from Cuba and his Christian faith. Paul made no mention of his father, who won delegates for both the 2008 and 2012 Republican National conventions. Judging from the noise of the applause, at the Omni Shoreham ballroom, Cruz’s presentation was received with somewhat more enthusiasm, though both were rewarded at the end with standing ovations. But the two men had come to the room with different missions. For a Cruz campaign, Christian conservative support will have to be core pillar of support. For Paul, the focus in on assuaging Christian conservative doubts as he focuses on building out new parts of the electorate from more libertarian leaning Americans. “Where the spirit of the lord is there is liberty,” Paul said in conclusion, quoting from Corinthians 3:17\. Then he said the opposite was also true. “Where there is liberty, there is always space for God.” The message: The conservative Christian community, long an anchor of the Republican Party, has nothing to fear from the new edgy candidate in their midst. ## Transcript [02:16] *** NO DICTATION *** ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/"},"headline":"A Study in Contrasts for Rand Paul and Ted Cruz","datePublished":"2014-09-26T18:03:02.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:41:38.600Z","description":"Two potential presidential candidates come to a conservative Christian cattle call","url":"https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/","keywords":["2016 Election","Gay Marriage","2016 Election","Iran","Rand Paul","ted cruz"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10a939980d63558c/6986a5a2e8524b596a604ede/ted-cruz-value-voters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michael Scherer","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/michael-scherer/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10a939980d63558c/6986a5a2e8524b596a604ede/ted-cruz-value-voters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. Senator Cruz delivers remarks at Values Voter Summit in Washington","caption":"U.S. Senator Cruz delivers remarks at Values Voter Summit in Washington","creditText":"Gary Cameron—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/","name":"A Study in Contrasts for Rand Paul and Ted Cruz"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Ted Cruz's 2013; in Three Minutes","description":"TIME looks at the most provocative and influential moments of Ted Cruz's year in the Senate","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/hxzkxoP9/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2013-12-11T12:42:29.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hxzkxoP9.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/","duration":"PT3M34S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3433033/values-voters-ted-cruz-rand-paul/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```