Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ted Cruz walk-off: cynical, or 'Sister Souljah moment'?
The Christian Science Monitor's DC Decoder ^ | September 12, 2014 | Peter Grier

Posted on 09/13/2014 6:35:12 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Ted Cruz was booed off the stage, after praising Israel at a meeting of Middle East Christians that included Palestinians. Was it a deliberate move to claim credit for standing up for Israel?

Ted Cruz was booed this week at a meeting of Middle East Christians. Will that help or hurt him in the long run in US politics?

First, the background: the Republican Texas senator (and presumptive 2016 presidential contender) was addressing the In Defense of Christians organization, which focuses on persecuted Christian and minority sects in the Middle East. Near the end of his speech he brought up Israel, saying Christians have no greater ally.

Booing began. There were Palestinian Christians in the audience who don’t see Israel in a positive light, and they let Cruz know it.

Senator Cruz went on, saying, “Those who hate Israel hate America. Those who hate Jews hate Christians.” At that point the booing got louder. Cruz eventually left – there’s some debate as to whether he was forced off by the crowd reaction, or chose to leave in a huff. Or cloud of glory, depending on your view.

At first glance, this looks like a smart political move on Cruz’s part. Standing up for Israel is a pretty big deal to many grassroots conservatives. (OK, for many conservatives in general, really, as well those on the left who support Israel.)

Arab Christians are a much smaller political force in the United States....

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: christians; cruz; israel; tedcruz
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last
Those of you who read my posts will know that I called this a "Sister Souljah" event a day or two ago. Does the press come over here and read Free Republic on a regular basis?
1 posted on 09/13/2014 6:35:12 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Brace for the Cruz haters...they’re on their way!!!


2 posted on 09/13/2014 6:36:53 AM PDT by ontap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

CRUZ 2016


3 posted on 09/13/2014 6:41:20 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ontap

Libs are getting spread a bit thin. They are getting desperate. They have to go after Scott Walker in Wisconsin, Perry in Texas, Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz, Sessions in Alabama. Are they going to be able to keep up?


4 posted on 09/13/2014 6:46:00 AM PDT by Moorings
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Will that help or hurt him in the long run in US politics?

Neither.

Was it a deliberate move to claim credit for standing up for Israel?

No. Cruz’s support of Israel has never been in doubt.

This was not a calculated political move; at least I hope it wasn’t, because he didn’t gain anything from it. It’s a dustup that has no long-term implications. Sister Souljah represented a cultural undercurrent among a HUGE voting block for Democrats. Clinton cynically exploited the obviousness of the situation, and got a lot of praise from a fawning media. It helped him with working class white voters, peeling just enough away from Bush and Perot to get over the line at 43%. This situation has none of those dynamics in play.


5 posted on 09/13/2014 6:49:02 AM PDT by cdcdawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I remember when Israel encircled the famous church in Bethlehem after the ROP had taken it over and was in the process of totally trashing it. The Christians who normally operated and protected the church, but were driven out by the ROP, were screaming like mad at the Israelis. For years I couldn’t figure it out...then it occurred to me that Israel wouldn’t be there for long, but their ROP masters will...so whose side does one take then?

So no surprise with this bunch. They’re simply whipped by their ROP masters and know how they have to act if they want to be able to stay alive in those conditions.


6 posted on 09/13/2014 6:49:22 AM PDT by BobL (Don't forget - Today's Russians learn math WITHOUT calculators.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BobL

What is ROP?


7 posted on 09/13/2014 6:55:56 AM PDT by impimp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Does the press come over here and read Free Republic on a regular basis?


8 posted on 09/13/2014 6:57:13 AM PDT by Old Sarge (TINVOWOOT: There Is No Voting Our Way Out Of This)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

My understanding is that the Palestinian Christians are not treated well by the Israelis. But it is clear that the Islamists treat them worse.


9 posted on 09/13/2014 6:57:27 AM PDT by impimp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: impimp

Religion of Peace...sorry.


10 posted on 09/13/2014 6:57:49 AM PDT by BobL (Don't forget - Today's Russians learn math WITHOUT calculators.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Moorings

They’re also going after Scott in Florida with a vengeance.

They really want Florida to go permanently blue; they’re already so close they can smell the blood.


11 posted on 09/13/2014 7:07:15 AM PDT by Old Sarge (TINVOWOOT: There Is No Voting Our Way Out Of This)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Does the press come over here and read Free Republic on a regular basis?

Well, they have to find out all the stories they missed. Also, need to keep track of the reaction to their propaganda.

12 posted on 09/13/2014 7:16:51 AM PDT by Moorings
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ontap

Oh yes. Put the Christian Science Monitor on the Cruz hater list

They’re using a anti Semitic moment, for people who call themselves Christian, to create a Cruz flaw

Christians do not hate Jews. People who call themselves Christians come in all varieties.

Cruz could have thought these people were like true Christians he is friends with and started the talk with a we stand with Israel moment. That’s what we do In my wide Catholic community. I always assume they are for Israel.

When I bring up the subject wit a certain liberal New Yorker relative or two I get venom. And quickly remember they are pro Palestinian first and Catholics about number ten on their list of self identifiers

People who practice their faith are not used to the reactions of those who say they belong to a faith acting in opposition to that faith. Like in this case

Or it could have been a political moment in which Cruz wanted them left alone in their hatred of Israel

The monitor is used to having people around who call themselves Christians but do a wink and a mod of antis emotion, I presume

Those people surprise me from time to time as they did Cruz. That’s what I saw in the incident

Imagine a group of ‘Christians’ acting like a hateful mob at the mention of a group

How contradictory


13 posted on 09/13/2014 7:17:59 AM PDT by stanne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: impimp

Its likely the “Palestinian Christians” treat Israel as rudely as they did Cruz, to which they deserve the back of Israel’s and our hand.

Secondly, there has never been a Palestinian state. Those now claiming so are outcast Jordanian, Syrian and Egyptian refugees, outcast by their own countries and for obvious good reason.

Thirdly, one would suspect there are very few and far between “Palestinian Christians”, if any certifiable ones at all.


14 posted on 09/13/2014 7:25:40 AM PDT by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

No, but they do follow you and your prognostications!


15 posted on 09/13/2014 7:39:48 AM PDT by zerosix (Native Sunflower)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I love it “Vet”. You’re much quicker and much more precise than any of the “kids and blondes” media out there, serving not as thinkers but simply screen readers.

Freepers often win the jump frame on stories.

Good for you.


16 posted on 09/13/2014 8:03:41 AM PDT by RitaOK ( VIVA CRISTO REY / Public education is the farm team for more Marxists coming.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RitaOK

To: SoFloFreeper

A great “Sister Souljah” moment. Rand Paul would’ve been smart to do something similar, but I think, deep down, he probably agrees with the hecklers.

2 posted on Thursday, September 11, 2014 4:23:52 AM by 2ndDivisionVet (I will raise $2Million USD for Cruz and/or Palin’s next run, what will you do?)

http://209.157.64.201/focus/f-news/3202823/posts


17 posted on 09/13/2014 8:07:14 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I will raise $2Million USD for Cruz and/or Palin's next run, what will you do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: impimp

Acronym over use is getting epidemic on FR.

I had to ask about ROP yesterday on another thread. I thought it meant “run on peas”, but I was hungry. :)


18 posted on 09/13/2014 8:41:16 AM PDT by RitaOK ( VIVA CRISTO REY / Public education is the farm team for more Marxists coming.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Old Sarge

*snicker*


19 posted on 09/13/2014 9:42:01 AM PDT by hummingbird (US = Koyaanisqatsi.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: impimp

Most Arab Christians in Israel and elsewhere are between a rock and a hard place. They relate physically and culturally to their Arab kin and relate with their prejudices and the nonstop propaganda. But the underling reason is that most of the Arab Christians are Catholic and their Christian traditions are built around Supercessionism or Replacement theology in which Israel isn’t seen as being a part of God’s plan any longer except in a spiritual sense as applied to Christians. In this climate an Arab Muslim can become a Christian and still retain his or her hatred of Israel and all things Jewish. I’m not saying this hatred is hard and fast but it is prevalent and theologically backed up historically and in current thinking. I know because I’ve spent time in Israel with both Jewish and Christian Arabs there.


20 posted on 09/13/2014 10:42:42 AM PDT by Sheapdog (Chew the meat, spit out the bones - FUBO - Come and get me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson