Orange City, Iowa (CNN) Ted Cruz is moving quickly to galvanize conservatives frustrated by the Supreme Court's landmark decisions this week.

Hours after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage on Friday morning, the Texas Republican senator looked to pivot the defeat for social conservatives into a wedge issue between himself and his rival presidential hopefuls. And by the end of his day in Iowa, Cruz was outflanking any of the other aspirants on the right and was continuously accusing them of doublespeak.

In stops across northwest Iowa, Cruz said many in the GOP were "popping champagne" after the decision. He took swipes at both the integrity of the Supreme Court and his longtime friend, Chief Justice John Roberts. He suggested he would back a constitutional convention to scale back the high court's power, and concluded the day by calling for an amendment to the Constitution that would give voters the chance to end a Supreme Court justice's lifetime tenure early.

If Cruz was looking to emerge as the presidential candidate who took the most umbrage, who expressed the most disbelief after both the same-sex marriage ruling and the Court's decision to uphold a key provision of Obamacare this week, he made his best try here on Friday.

"This is not a typical moment in American history," Cruz told a crowd of more than 100 Iowans gathered on a baseball diamond in the small town of Pierson. "The last 24 hours at the United States Supreme Court were among the darkest hours of our nation."

Cruz, a former clerk to Chief Justice William Rehnquist who later represented the state of Texas in arguments at the Supreme Court, was originally slow to respond to the news out of Washington on Friday morning. His delay was especially surprising as the tea party hero is making an aggressive play to win over the family-focused evangelical voters who are expected to make up half of the electorate in next year's Republican Iowa caucuses.

JUST WATCHED Cruz: Obama inflamed racial tensions Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Cruz: Obama inflamed racial tensions 02:37

When he eventually registered his first reaction at a town hall meeting in Sheldon, Cruz blasted the court for its "unadulterated judicial activism," just as many other 2016 candidates did. That was ordinary.

But Cruz went further, saying there was disconnect between what Republicans in Washington were saying in their press releases and what they truly believed. Several GOP candidates, including Jeb Bush and Lindsey Graham, issued tightly-parsed language urging their colleagues to focus on protecting "religious freedom," while Ohio Gov. John Kasich urged Republicans to respect the ruling and ditch the matter altogether. Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal were a bit stronger, with the former Arkansas governor calling for Americans to "reject judicial tyranny, not retreat."

But Cruz was skeptical that his opponents were committed to stopping same-sex nuptials.

"As much as there were crocodile tears shed in Washington yesterday on Obamacare, there were even bigger crocodile tears shed in Washington today on marriage," Cruz said.

That is a contrast Cruz made sure to highlight to nearly every voter he met in the Hawkeye State. The script at Dutch Bakery here was workmanlike: Shake the hand. Share outrage at the decision. Ridicule Republicans' public statements. Blast them for "popping champagne." Shake a new hand.

In those statements, some of Cruz's competitors, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, did call for a constitutional amendment to protect so-called traditional marriage. Cruz has introduced this amendment in the past, but again, he went a step further, strongly implying that he would support a constitutional convention to propose new amendments, a course of action never before pursued though it is explicitly outlined in Article V of the Constitution.

Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Carlos McKnight of Washington waves a flag in support of same-sex marriage outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2015. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, handing gay rights advocates their biggest victory yet. See photos from states that approved same-sex marriage before the nationwide ruling: Hide Caption 1 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Shante Wolfe, left, and Tori Sisson become the first same-sex couple to file their marriage license in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 9, 2015. However, seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing such nuptials nationwide, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore directed probate judges in his state to enforce the ban on same-sex marriage. Gay rights organizations swiftly denounced Moore's January 6, 2016, order. Hide Caption 2 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Newlyweds Jeff Delmay and Todd Delmay hug during a marriage ceremony in a Miami courtroom January 5, 2015. Florida began allowing same-sex marriages after a federal judge struck down the state's ban. Hide Caption 3 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Chad Biggs, left, and Chris Creech say their wedding vows at the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 10, 2014, after a federal judge ruled that same-sex marriage can begin in the state. Hide Caption 4 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Joshua Gunter, right, and Bryan Shields attend a Las Vegas rally to celebrate an appeals court ruling that overturned Nevada's same-sex marriage ban on October 7, 2014. Hide Caption 5 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. From left, plaintiffs Moudi Sbeity; his partner, Derek Kitchen; Kody Partridge; and Partridge's wife, Laurie Wood, celebrate after a news conference in Salt Lake City on October 6, 2014. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Utah when it declined to hear the state's appeal of a lower court ruling. Hide Caption 6 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Abbi Huber, left, and Talia Frolkis exit the City County Building in Madison, Wisconsin, after applying for a marriage license on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 7 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Rob MacPherson, right, and his husband, Steven Stolen, hug during a news conference at the American Civil Liberties Union in Indianapolis on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 8 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Mary Bishop, second from left, and Sharon Baldwin, right, celebrate with family and friends following their wedding ceremony on the courthouse steps in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jennifer Melsop, left, and Erika Turner kiss after they were married in front of the Arlington County Courthouse in Arlington, Virginia, on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Pastor Carol Hill from Epworth United Methodist Church speaks during a marriage-equality ceremony at the Kathy Osterman Beach in Chicago on June 1, 2014. The date marked the first day that all of Illinois' 102 counties could begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Hide Caption 11 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. William Roletter, left, and Paul Rowe get close after having their photo taken with their marriage certificate May 21, 2014, at Philadelphia City Hall. Hide Caption 12 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Julie Engbloom, left, and Laurie Brown embrace after marrying in Portland, Oregon, on May 19, 2014. A federal judge struck down the state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Hide Caption 13 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jennifer Rambo, right, kisses her Kristin Seaton after their marriage ceremony in front of the Carroll County Courthouse in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on May 10, 2014. Rambo and Seaton were the first same-sex couple to be granted a marriage license in Eureka Springs after a judge overturned Amendment 83, which banned same-sex marriage in Arkansas. Hide Caption 14 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Same-sex couples get their marriage licenses at the Oakland County Courthouse in Pontiac, Michigan, on March 22, 2014, a day after a federal judge overturned Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage. Hide Caption 15 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On November 13, 2013, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, left, and former state Sen. Avery Chumbley celebrate with a copy of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser after Abercrombie signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Hide Caption 16 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis, left, and Stephen Justesen acknowledge the crowd after being married in Salt Lake City in December 20, 2013. Hide Caption 17 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Plaintiffs Laurie Wood, left, and Kody Partridge, center, walk with attorney Peggy Tomsic on December 4, 2013, after a judge heard arguments challenging Utah's same-sex marriage ban. Hide Caption 18 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On October 21, 2013, Cory Booker, right, officiates a wedding ceremony for Joseph Panessidi, center, and Orville Bell at the Newark, New Jersey, City Hall. The New Jersey Supreme Court denied the state's request to prevent same-sex marriages temporarily, clearing the way for same-sex couples to marry. Hide Caption 19 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. A couple celebrates at San Francisco City Hall upon hearing about the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage on June 26, 2013. The high court cleared the way for same-sex couples in California to resume marrying after dismissing an appeal on Proposition 8 on jurisdictional grounds. The court also struck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Hide Caption 20 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. At the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton signs a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on May 14, 2013. Hide Caption 21 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell holds up legislation on May 7, 2013, allowing same-sex couples to wed in the state. Hide Caption 22 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Rhode Island state Sen. Donna Nesselbush, right, embraces a supporter after the Marriage Equality Act was signed into law at the statehouse in Providence on May 2, 2013. Hide Caption 23 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jamous Lizotte, right, and Steven Jones pose for photos while waiting for a marriage license in Portland, Maine, on December 29, 2012. Hide Caption 24 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On March 1, 2012, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, center, shakes hands with Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller after signing a same-sex marriage bill. The law was challenged, but voters approved marriage equality in a November 2012 referendum. Hide Caption 25 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On February 13, 2012, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire celebrates after signing marriage-equality legislation into law. Voters there approved same-sex marriage in November 2012, defeating a challenge by opponents. Hide Caption 26 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Phyllis Siegel, right, kisses her wife, Connie Kopelov, after exchanging vows at the Manhattan City Clerk's office on July 24, 2011, the first day New York's Marriage Equality Act went into effect. Hide Caption 27 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On August 21, 2010, TV reporter Roby Chavez, right, shares a moment with gay rights activist Frank Kameny during Chavez and Chris Roe's wedding ceremony in the nation's capital. Same-sex marriage became legal in Washington in March 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Olin Burkhart, left, and Carl Burkhart kiss on the steps of the New Hampshire Capitol on January 1, 2010, after the state's law allowing same-sex marriage went into effect. Hide Caption 29 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. In May 2009, Maine state Sen. Dennis Damon, left, hands Gov. John Baldacci the bill that the state Senate passed to affirm the right of same-sex couples to marry. Hide Caption 30 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Amy Klein-Matheny, left, and her wife, Jennifer, exchange vows in Iowa after same-sex couples were allowed to marry there with an April 3, 2009, court ruling. Hide Caption 31 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Michael Miller, left, and Ross Zachs marry on the West Hartford Town Hall steps after same-sex marriage became legal in Connecticut on November 12, 2008. Hide Caption 32 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Lara Ramsey, left, and Jane Lohmann play with their 7-month-old son, Wyatt Ramsey-Lohmann. The two wed in 2004 after Massachusetts approved same-sex marriage. Massachusetts was the first state to do so. Hide Caption 33 of 33

"I fully expect the drive for an Article V convention to get new energy and new steam," Cruz said in Sheldon when a voter asked whether he would back it.

By the end of the day, Cruz was bringing it up himself -- though always stopping just short of saying he would support the call for a convention. In a column posted on the National Review's website late Friday, Cruz was not only floating the convention idea but proposing his own amendment: judicial retention elections every eight years for Supreme Court justices.

"When they violate the constitutional amendment and the law, the American people can remove them," Cruz said to his loudest applause of the evening in Pierson. "We are not governed by a judicial priesthood. We are not governed by judicial tyranny."

But Cruz reserved his toughest talk for the head of that tyranny: Roberts, a justice who dissented with the Court's decision on Friday but who the day before voted with the Court's liberal wing to uphold Obamacare subsidies.

"His decision yesterday and his decision a couple of years ago violated his oath of office," Cruz said. "He knows full well that he's changing the law and not following it."