Senator Ted Cruz from Texas stood before the Senate and spoke for 21 hours on the need to defund Obamacare on Sept. 24. With a potential government shutdown looming, his speech was unsympathetic to the true needs of the citizens he was chosen to represent, proving the damaging effects of partisan politics.

Cruz spoke for 21 hours and 19 minutes about the Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as Obamacare. While the speech was not an official “filibuster”, Cruz referred to it as a filibuster as it delayed the Senate debate on a potential shutdown. Cruz was on the side of many Republicans, supporting the defunding of the Affordable Care Act. Cruz also spent some of the speech reading popular children’s book, “Green Eggs and Ham.”

Cruz’s speech, however memorable and entertaining, was frivolous. The American people need officials who are willing to put the well-being of the country and the desire of its citizens over their party’s platform.

According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 72 percent of Americans oppose Congress shutting down the government over Obamacare. However, this fact does not stop politicians from using Obamacare as a tool to shutdown the government.

It’s extremely clear the debate has gone too far when House Republicans thank Cruz for his valuable contribution to the Obamacare debate.

Minnesota’s own Michele Bachmann said, “[Cruz played] an excellent role. I think what he’s done is strengthened our hand. He’s made the case that we need to act and act decisively, and so I think we have a lot to credit him for.” Is the decisive action Bachmann calls for a 21-hour speech? Americans can only hope it is not.

Republicans will argue Cruz was fighting for the Americans’ liberties. According to the same Quinnipiac poll, 45 percent of American support the health care law while 47 percent oppose it. However, many Americans do not know enough about the law to voice informed opinions about it.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s March poll, when asked about special provisions of the law, Americans show overwhelming support for Obamacare. Eighty-eight percent of Americans are in favor of tax credits for small businesses to buy insurance, 76 percent are in favor of the extension of dependent coverage to offspring up to age 26 and 66 percent are in favor for a ban on exclusions for preexisting conditions. Opponents of the bill did a fantastic job marketing rumors about the bill while advocates failed at communicating what the law really is.

Cruz should let Americans take a note from his own speech; Sam-I-Am swore he did not like green eggs and ham until he tried them.