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Ted Cruz, Weasel
On my first viewing, I was quite moved by this:
Ted Cruz: "I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father." https://t.co/LMsN84Z2IT
— CNN (@CNN) July 21, 2016
On my second, I realized a very serious problem with it: By implication, Ted Cruz was fine — absolutely fine — with Trump mocking Ben Carson’s faith, a reporter’s physical handicap, and John McCain’s torture. And that’s just the stuff off the top of my head.
If Cruz had said “Trump’s attacks on my family opened my eyes to his abuses and I repent that I didn’t take a stand against them when others were similarly attacked” then I’d be really moved. As it is… Look, I’m glad to see someone show some spine, but I really wish it wasn’t so nakedly self-interested.
Published in General
You know, that makes a good point. I was thinking, I am a man of my family far, far before I am a Republican.
Wait, I am not even a Republican.
Depending on Cruz’ agenda, it could have worked for him. It wouldn’t have been an outright endorsement, but it would have been a flexible enough statement that it could have been interpreted in any suitable way, except perhaps, by a mendacious NLMSM, who will be anxious to knock Cruz, Trump, and all Republicans no matter what they do or say.
Eric Hines
I’m forced to tune out this post; the constant nitpicking gave us Trump. This is exactly what happened over the last 9 months to all the other candidates. The pile of inconsequentials against otherwise fine candidates grew and grew until none of them were good enough. NRO finally decided to go with Cruz. In March. When Trump was almost sure to win. If Cruz had made these statements back then, it might be worth a debate. Not so much anymore.
Coming to the right conclusion, however late or self-interested, doesn’t make one a weasel. Sure it doesn’t make him a saint. But he still comes out way ahead of those people who called Trump a cancer and then starting sucking up to him when he won.
Cruz missed a chance for some rhetorical jujitsu. He should have congratulated Trump (as he did) and then started the list and the call and response refrain:
“Donald has said that he will appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court!
Donald, we’re counting on you!”
“Donald has said that he will build a wall to secure our southern border!
Donald, we’re counting on you!”
Donald has said that he will tear down Obamacare and replace it with a health coverage that keeps the government out of the the doctor’s examination room!
Donald, we’re counting on you!”
and then run down the list of his (Cruz’s) own policy priorities, all of which Trump has verbally supported at one time or another.
The crowd would have been totally with him, standing-o.
The commentators in the booth would have argued for the next hour, “But, was that an endorsement?” Cruz would have responded “You heard my speech, what more is there to say?”
Come 2018, Senator Cruz is positioning himself to challenge President Trump on the theme:
Broken promises
It’s fascinating- just a little- to see the demon Trump condemned an unprincipled meanie while Cruz is hailed as the patron saint of the church of nevertrump- but Cruz is the guy who actually broke his pledge, thus demonstrating just how seriously he takes his so-called principles.
That is, quite seriously- right up to the point that they require him to do something he doesn’t want to do.
Then they’re just words, blah blah, meaningless and irrelevant.
Vote your
self interestconscience, Ted. We knew you would, cuz you’re that kind of guy.This is spot on and awesome, and if Cruz had done it he would have both supported the nominee and positioned himself to run for president again, regardless of what happened this year.
But he just wasn’t that smart, was he?
It takes some character to stand-up for you own, but we’re also inclined to it; it takes a more to stand up for others.
I feel that this is not too dissimilar to a parent at a playground who sits idly by until the bully shoves his kid. I’m glad he intervened — sure beats the alternative — but I’m also not very impressed.
Interesting.
You’re all terribly wrong.
Cruz was running for the President of the United States. This is a serious job, with real power and responsibility.
He shouldn’t be bothered by silly things people say about him or his family, nor should he base his decisions- any of his decisions– on such trivia.
That he apparently did so- whining that Trump said mean things about his daddy, etc, and refusing to endorse his party’s nominee because of it – shows that he is unfit for the office he seeks, lacking the maturity that it requires.
Grow up, Ted.
Context matters. John McCain gets a life-long pass to say whatever he wants. He can call Americans who disagree with him “crazies” and no one can retaliate, because in Lunzes words, he’s a war hero.
Okay, he was a war hero. He’s not a political hero, or a Senatorial hero, by any means. He should either go back to war, where he’s such a hero, or go home to one of his homes and retire. Thank you John McCain for what you did. The Senate seat is not a reward for military service and it’s not a medal. Go home.
By the way, why should Cruz defend McCain for anything? Now Cruz has to come to poor John McCain’s defense? McCain has insulted and attacked Cruz, to much greater effect, and much more deeply than Trump ever did.
I respect all the opinions on the preceding 3 pages of content.
Do you really think Trump making the bad calculation to pick on a rival’s father and wife is less a material point of character than Cruz’s explanation of his vow abrogation?
Personal attacks on the rival are par for the course. Slamming Heidi Cruz’s appearance deserves all the political vengeance that can be mustered. And some was.
Cruz is not running for an office, his character and motives will not affect the Union. Trump is. His might.
He’s still less frightening than Herself. I’ve begun the clothespin shopping for November. I want my nose fashionably closed off when I vote.
In that case, any “serious” candidate should just sit there like a doormat and take it, even if “it” is accusations that he snatches children up from playgrounds and sodomizes them. We can joke about politicians and honor all we like, but someone so spiritless as to never defend his or his family’s honor is likely not going to make an attractive politician, either.
Grow up, Ted?
Trump didn’t “say mean things” he made unsubstantiated accusations, etc.
Perhaps Cruz deserves a few points for refusing to take it to court. If the shoe was on the other foot…Well, Donald’s no stranger to filing a suit.
To his credit, it appears Trump is handling this media stir well. It will be over soon.
The time for Teddy to step up and defend his family’s honor was when Trump said it, not later. This reminds me of the time Mitt Romney made a point to be shown paying his taxes, because Harry Reid claimed he hadn’t. The problem was that Mittens never said a word when it would have mattered- before the election– and no one cared after the election. The problem for Cruz is that no one cares about what Trump said about his family months ago- nor should they- and if Cruz cares so much he should have made more about it then– or not shown up at the convention now.
That he chose to shiv the Republican nominee in the back, deliberately, with malice aforethought, because in his own words Trump said mean things about his family, months ago, is either a stupid lie or an indication that Cruz is astonishingly immature for someone seeking such a high office.
Which? Is he a liar? Or an angry child?
Neither case makes me think well of him.
I wonder if the red one comes in a Spiderman pattern?
I’m not sure I agree with you logic, but in any case, be true to your convictions and please don’t ever cast a vote for Cruz.
In my experience, clothespins on the nose either have springs too weak to close the nasal passages, or they close the passages only painfully. (Yes, I have experience here.)
I recommend swimmers’ nose plugs, therefore, for all your nose-closing needs. I do not know if those come in Spiderman patterns themselves, but you can get snazzy goggles and cap that do.
Trump ran his mouth, which he is famous for, aiming at a public figure who also said mean things about him.
Waah. Get over it. Politics isn’t beanbag, etc.
It seems Trump gets this better than Cruz, because Trump was able to support Marco Rubio even though he said mean things about Trump. Rubio, to his credit, was also able to support Trump.
Adults, acting like it.
Not Cruz.
Which suggests the question of “So why not attack McCain’s politics?” It’s easy to do. It’s fun to do.
It’s particularly despicable coming from someone who got a medical dispensation from the armed services, and a kind of lame-sounding one at that. And yes, I get to say that since I appealed (repeatedly) the Army’s decision to cancel my ROTC scholarship over my knee and, moreover, don’t go around disparaging the service of actual veterans who were tortured while POWs.
But that’s just me.
Your call, and I explicitly disclaim any right to tell you what to think, or who to vote for.
I obviously think poorly of Cruz right now, and I have no plans to ever vote for him.
But I feel free to note, since you did me the gracious favor of spending some of your precious time responding to something I posted, that in four years’ time neither Cruz nor myself will be the same people we are now.
Thus, future me may well vote for him, or not, depending on future events.
Or he may not even run. Time will tell.
James, I am not proposing he did anything untoward. However, it is clear we have different standards for different candidates.
And if he didn’t go to the convention or not speak we would have a 100+ comment thread about how he should’ve gone to the convention to speak and is a sore loser.
Cruz didn’t ask for a speaking slot. Trump asked him to do it.
Wow, thanks for letting us know where you stand.
Ted Cruz — on the front page hated by an editor, anti-Trumper Mona Charen, and pro-Trumper Larry Kudlow, not to mention a cold-shoulder from Andrew Klavan.
Ted Cruz is one of the few honorable politicians left. (Perhaps you’d like to join up with the Lyin’ Ted Trump folks?) As I pointed out in my last post, there are only about 20 Republicans (arguably a bit more) who care about Constitutional conservative principals — David Brat, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Louie Gohmert, Justin Amash, Ben Sasse, Mick Mulvaney, Jim Jordan, Thomas Massie, Raul Labrador, Ken Buck, Rand Paul, Tim Huelskamp, and a few others.
Are you really proud of that title? I, at least, once too many times probably linked Marco Rubio with the Democrats and Chuck Schumer, but Rubio should easily have been the next president of United States if not for that fatal mistake.
Rethink your words. Don’t let “inner Trump” destroy everything.
(Shakes head, and backs away from the computer in disgust.)
Tom Meyer: …Ted Cruz was fine — absolutely fine — with Trump mocking Ben Carson’s faith, a reporter’s physical handicap, and John McCain’s torture. And that’s just the stuff off the top of my head.
After looking at some of these front page posts, one thing is certain.
The Republican Party was going to explode with Donald Trump as the nominee.
The Republican Party was going to explode with Ted Cruz as the nominee.
The Republican Party was going to explode with Marco Rubio as the nominee.
The Republican Party was going to explode with John Kasich as the nominee.
The Republican Party was going to explode with Jeb Bush as the nominee.
(Perhaps a non-politician like Carly Fiorina or Ben Carson could have avoided some of this, but I kind of doubt it.)
…
In some ways this is healthy. It means that the party is large enough and open enough to have disagreements, but it certainly doesn’t lead to winning elections in the short term…
He said he would support the Republican nominee. All the attacks on his family are the very reason the Bushes sat it out, I understand and would feel the same way – Cruz wanted to speak to the Republican Party on the issues at stake – but if he did not want to endorse Trump, he should have sent a generic message via video like Rubio. The Party doesn’t need any more drama. I voted for Cruz and this was not a good idea.
Why? I don’t care what Trump said. If Cruz had managed to stop Trump I would be critical of Trump. Making a pledge, then later saying it is meaningless, just makes you a liar. None of which says I can’t hold both men to their word.
I’m gobsmacked by how over the top all of this is, and how so many people here are being suckered in. Maybe I shouldn’t be.
This is what Cruz said in his speech: “vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom, and to be faithful to the Constitution.” Cruz was then shouted down in an orchestrated, political hit job. The whole thing was “populist demagogue 101,”straight down to Trump appearing from on high to leer down in opprobrium. Yet, the accounts here and elsewhere make it sound like Cruz went on stage and reenacted the Red Wedding on Trump. If BLM and Obama had pulled this stunt to a Republican candidate, we’d be outraged about how rude and uncouth it was, and a sign of how we’ve become a third world basket case. And now people are criticizing Cruz for defending his family? I will again repeat this old Stalinist axiom: “Love of the Soviet Union does not tolerate the slightest reservation.”
This is all a deliberate effort by the Trump team and the GOP establishment to try and drub Cruz out of the party. The faux outrage and the hyperbolic drumbeat of “Cruz’s career is over,” makes this abundantly clear. Lines have been drawn. It’s clear that many of us are no longer wanted in the Republican Party.