Ted Cruz seems to understand that Republicans need to appeal to young voters in 2016.

Alexander Marlow of Breitbart reported.

The Disrupter? Ted Cruz Lays Out ‘Grassroots Guerrilla’ Strategy for College Audience

NASHUA, New Hampshire — With a speech peppered with pop culture references, Texas Senator Ted Cruz brought a crowd of college students to their feet on three occasions Friday night at the New England Freedom Conference.

The first 2016 presidential candidate is the most prominent conservative speaking at the free enterprise-themed weekend hosted by conservative activist organization Young America’s Foundation.

Cruz, who paid homage to Ronald Reagan and Ron Paul for their ability to connect with young audiences, tailored his speech to the youthful crowd.

Of the 200+ in attendance at the Radisson Hotel Nashua, most were students.

The 44-year-old Texan presented himself as relentlessly positive in the face of intense and often nasty opposition. In his introduction, Reagan Ranch director Andrew Coffin compared the onslaught of attacks waged against Cruz to what Ronald Reagan endured.

Cruz laughed off the negativity. “Reagan dealt with things with a smile,” he said.

There were alot of smiles in the ballroom. The GOP Senator worked his comedy chops with anecdotes about his family and life in politics. At one point, he suggested that millennials punch their parents in the nose for voting in politicians who brought about destructive policies.

The speech relied heavily on pop culture references–HBO’s “True Blood,” “Twilight,” guerrilla street art, and stand-up comic Paula Poundstone were all namechecked during the course of the evening–and Cruz humorously described viral Facebook and Twitter strategies that scored him political victories.