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Looks like Trump/Cruz 2016 to Me!
I think Ted Cruz has a sense of humor.
I have not observed him meticulously throughout the campaign. Mostly because I just can’t. It’s too excruciating. I can’t listen to his preacher-speak (and, my God, the pauses!) for more than two minutes at a time. But occasionally in some of the quieter on-camera interviews Cruz conveys the image of a man who is able to step away to a distance and appreciate the humor in life. Because, let’s face it, when he signed up for this presidential campaign gig he was not expecting Donald Trump. No one expects … Donald Trump!
But while Jeb Bush sputtered in outrage and Marco Rubio seemed on the verge of tears, Ted Cruz, at some level, seems to find the whole Trump thing amusing. So in spite of the suffocating phoniness of Cruz’ delivery, in those moments when he reflects on the campaign and gives his wry smile at the absurdity of it all, Cruz shines in a way that Albert Camus would appreciate.
And those are the times that I like Ted Cruz the best.
What does that suggest about what Ted Cruz thinks of Donald Trump? Early in the campaign you will remember that Ted and Donald had a pretty intense bromance going. When Cruz organized an anti-Iran rally in DC last summer he asked Donald to attend and explained that where Donald goes, so too go a hundred cameras. “Why would I not invite him?”
Since those days, of course, things have gotten a little testy. The whole Heidi-Melania thing was not pretty. And the “Lyin’ Ted” thing is going to be tough to get past.
But nevertheless, I’m inclined to think that Cruz retains his perspective.
And any reasonable perspective on the situation looks something like this: Trump 1,150, Cruz 850.
So if I am Ted Cruz, I’m thinking: “this Trump guy is really out of control.” But then I’m thinking: “but on policy we agree on just about everything.” And I’m thinking: “together we can turn this Cleveland convention into one giant, anti-establishment love-fest.” And I’m thinking: “Cruz 2024.”
Tell me, my Ricochetti friends, is there any good reason to believe that we do not, now, have our Trump/Cruz 2016 ticket already printed? I realize that if that happens the #NeverTrump people are going to find themselves looking a little holier than the Pope. But honestly that will be good for a chuckle too.
Published in General
Ted Cruz will never participate in a Trump ticket. This post proves you know very little about Ted Cruz’s background, principles, and ideas. I encourage you to reach out to Jay Nordlinger should you want to be provided with an in-depth explanation of what Ted Cruz has done, why he is running, and what he would do if elected.
Thumbnail background: Princeton Thesis on the 10A, Harvard Law student, Rehnquist law clerk, Bush lawyer, solicitor general of Texas, private lawyer, U.S. Senator. Every step of his career has been supporting conservative causes, conservative jurists, and conservative politicians. Now he is running for president. Contrast with Trump – every step of his career has been self-promotion so he can make money in real estate and media. He is now leveraging all of this self promotion to run a campaign bereft of principles.
How could these two ever work together? What, exactly, do they agree on?
If this is the ticket, I’m just not sure I can get there: Trump is not a limited government republican, AND he just seems quite ignorant of the issues.
I’m supporting Ted Cruz, but that doesn’t mean I’d be supportive of Cruz as VP with Trump as POTUS. If I liked the idea of Trump as President, I’d be supporting him right now.
It will not be the ticket. This is idle speculation. How could Cruz abandon everything he believes in for political expediency? That’s not how he got elected to the Senate, I will tell you that.
I’ve been mentioning the possibility of a Trump/Cruz ticket for months. It could definitely happen. And, assuming the delegate count ends up as described in the original post, it *needs* to happen.
If it does I’ll rip the Cruz sticker off of my car and vote 3rd party. No consorting with the enemy. I don’t believe Cruz would do this because he has principles. I am sorry to hear people want this, because it proves they do not understand how dangerous voting for a nationalist/populist unconcerned with the size and scope of the federal government truly is.
That would truly be a great ticket!
I can’t stand Cruz either, but since he’s come around to all of Trump’s positions, I will vote for him if I have to. But we’re down to these two guys, and this is the only thing that makes sense. (It doesn’t mater what they said about each other; I can still see G.H.W Bush accusing Reagan of “voodoo economics” at one of the Republican debates).
And and it loox like on the other side, we’ll have a Clinton-Sanders ticket!
Can our party defeat a Communist/useful idiot by running a capitalist /evangelical?
if we can’t, it will only be because Prez Omega has packed the electorate with non-citizens who will vote Dem thanks to no voter ID laws.
You state that Cruz has come around to all of Trump’s positions. Name one, please. I bet you cannot.
I don’t think it will happen but it would be kind of ideal. The VP’s responsibilities are pretty much going around making appearances and speeches, and being the President’s attack dog when necessary, and Trump is good at that stuff.
Imagine the midnight tweets coming from @VPOTUS!
“Ideal” and “Trump ticket” are oxymorons. Is this not clear? Can you read polls?
OK. I’m a strong Cruz supporter, have been from day one. When things began to look promising for Trump and questions were raised here about who would/would not vote for Trump, I said I would if Cruz were his running mate.
Cruz would not be doing this for political expediency but as protection for the American people against the unknown unknowns in the Trump package. It would also keep the movement alive to disestablish the crony Republican leadership of the past 2 decades.
So, if there is a effort to open the nomination to someone other than the 2 leaders, I say join together.
Why do you think this?
I disagree. How could Cruz be VP under Trump? He would be marginalized and not do anything. The same if Cruz was at the top.
As a NeverTrumper, if Ronald Reagan was resuscitated and was on the Trump ticket, top or bottom of the ticket, I would never ever ever never vote for Donald Trump. Never! Under any circumstance.
I don’t think Trump is a big-government guy. He’s had to deal with government, and to him, as is true for the rest of us, it is a fact of life. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to see regulatory reform. In fact, quite the contrary.
I came across some interesting quotes yesterday:
And this:
Because Trump might not want to actually be president, and Cruz wants it more than anything, has wanted it since high school, wants it without delay, and won’t listen to anyone telling him differently (these are positives for Cruz, mind).
I like the picture!
Thank you Marion. Spot on. And I think that Reagan would never have considered adding someone of Trump’s ilk to the ticket. I view Cruz with the same high esteem.
I find this particular outcome rather unlikely.
Trump and Cruz were getting along so well at the beginning of the primaries that I thought they would end up on the same ticket. It has only been in the last couple of months that they have been at odds.
They share a commitment to immigration policy reform. I remember when Cruz went down to the border and made a speech about human trafficking being facilitated by our lax policies. I was applauding! That is my concern with our immigration policies, so I was thrilled to hear someone say that.
I can absolutely see these two on the same ticket. They both have very strong personalities.
What policy is Trump proposing now that is not either higher tax, higher regulation, or for more government power?
Now there are 2 votes against.
I read it wrong – I was thinking Cruz / Trump.
But only one is a conservative. How would Cruz sacrifice everything he believes in by governing side by side with Trump? Don’t you understand that Cruz learned from Perry’s mistake and Walker’s mistake and waited until the elections actually took place to draw the contrast?
Mike, it’s funny. Looking at it (assuming as you say the delegate count ends up about where best projections imply) it seems that it’s obvious that this is the only sensible outcome. Any other campaign and any other two candidates you’d say that, as you say, it *needs* to happen.
Trump is not a conservative. He should be forced to run third party. That’s what the most recent votes and delegate selection processes have told us – real Republicans want Trump out of the party.
I doubt Ted Cruz is thinking that.
He is young, as is Marco Rubio, and has a bright future ahead of him. There isn’t any need to burn it up at this juncture.
Conservatives are going to have to search their souls later this year and decide what they stand for besides ‘not Democrat’. When that exercise is complete a new group of leaders will emerge and Ted Cruz may be one of them, but that doesn’t happen under this scenario.
Trump now says that illegal aliens have to be deported. He specifically hedged when asked that question last December.
“Will you deport all illegal aliens?”
“We will enforce the law.”
“Will you deport all illegal aliens?”
“We will enforce the law.”
I think he now realizes that what the people want is to send them home.
Isn’t it obvious from some of the comments to this post? If and when Cruz and Trump stand together on the stage in Cleveland, what do the people (like Ben Sasse and all of National Review, for instance) say then? #NeverTrumpCruz?
Saying “enforce the law” means send them home. Cruz has said that from day 1. How do you think he won a GOP primary in 2012 for Senate having never been elected to public office? A hard line on immigration. Trump has, as Mark Levin calls it, FNC acting as the Trump Super PAC. So everyone now thinks that Trump brought attention to the immigration issue. This is a falsehood.
That is exactly what we say. I will not participate in electing an anti-Freedom candidate as a Republican.
We won’t compromise on the Constitution, as Ted has stated. I don’t think Ted will compromise by joining Trump. That’s why we support Ted.