John Shinkle/POLITICO Cruz: Obama sounds like SNL character

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech might as well be a Saturday night skit, according to Sen. Ted Cruz.

Asked by a reporter whether he found anything to like in Obama’s populist proposal to impose new fees on big banks, Cruz said the president sounds a lot like Christopher Walken’s iconic SNL character whose only suggestion to improve a musical performance is “more cowbell.”


“To every problem his solution was, ‘more cowbell, more cowbell,” Cruz said. “This president, to every problem his solution is ‘more taxes, more government.’”

Cruz said he would wait to hear the speech before addressing each of Obama’s new proposals, but said the early indications of Obama’s new tax and environmental plans didn’t make much of an impression.

“He’s not listening to the voters, but like Christopher Walken’s [character] he’s saying ‘more cowbell, more cowbell,’” Cruz said.