“Mockery seems more and more like the main weapon in the liberal quiver.
You have a point, but there has been nobody pre-Cruz willing nor able to mount an >effective< defense against it; An effective defense causes the “mock” to reflect back upon the thrower. Cruz did utterly nothing whatsoever other than to follow the law. He lost the private ins that his wife had and followed the law by getting ins through the government exchange. He doesn’t like taxes and wants to abolish the IRS. But at the moment, right now, the law of the land is the law of the land, so he pays his taxes. There’s nothing at all to explain nor to apologize for here. There is nothing other the most pat explanation possible.
It is the people who mock him who are the third graders throwing dirtbombs. It’s embarassing that they never outgrew the habit, but it is what it is.
We will see if the grown ups win this election over the adults who mock and snicker. I won’t hold my breath however.