Posted on 02/03/2016 5:24:30 AM PST by Kaslin
Senator Ted Cruz's upset victory against Donald Trump has robbed "The Donald" of his stock answer to any criticism from rivals-- that he is winning and his critics are losers.
Now that he has lost, Mr. Trump may finally have to try to come up with some substantive arguments about the complex issues facing this country, rather than simply boast about the great things he will do when he becomes president.
Trump may turn out to be like the Wizard of Oz, after the curtain was pulled back to reveal the real man who was been busy projecting an awesome image.
Everything, however, depends on Trump's followers, and on how much they have what William James called "the will to believe." Iowa's system of caucuses forced those followers to confront other people with different views before they could vote. In other states, they can simply walk into the voting booth and vote their unchallenged beliefs.
Although Trump was defeated in Iowa, he was by no means routed. Without the special handicap that the Iowa caucuses presented, he may still bluff his way through to the Republican nomination. And with Hillary Clinton's lies and illegalities catching up with her more and more, this could still end up with a President Trump in the White House.
With this country at a crossroads, facing social degeneration at home and dire threats from abroad, the last thing we need is an uninformed bluffer with a runaway ego in charge of our fate. Neither Trump's talent as a media performer nor his wheeler-dealer economic success is a substitute for the depth of knowledge and the chastening experience required for governing a great nation.
What about the alternatives to Trump?
After months of media fixation on Trump, and so-called "debates" that featured sound-bites which seldom got below the surface, we know remarkably little about the other candidates. The fact that there have been so many candidates has added to the problem of trying to understand any of them.
We can only hope that never again will the fate of this nation depend upon a media gimmick like these "debates," which obscure and mislead far more than they inform us about anything beyond the candidates' talents for glib responses.
Having each candidate sit down alone with an experienced interviewer for an hour-long, in-depth discussion of the problems facing the country would tell us a lot more about the things that matter. But such discussions would be unlikely to have as high media ratings as the sound-bite circuses we have seen.
With current realities being what they are, we can only make our choices among the alternatives available. That means both the existing candidates and the existing ways of learning about them.
There is much to be said for choosing among candidates with a track record of governing that we can judge. But none of the candidates with experience as a governor had voter support as high as 10 percent in Iowa.
Senator Ted Cruz's experience as attorney general of Texas is the next best substitute. But it is still only a substitute. Others have zero experience of actually running a governmental organization and having to take responsibility for the consequences of how it ran.
Senator Cruz's refusal to pander to the sacred cow of ethanol subsidies in Iowa showed a resolve that is rare in politics, and may account for the Republican establishment's sudden shift to a more favorable view of wheeler-dealer Trump-- someone who can "rise above principle," as an old-time politician once put it.
Dr. Ben Carson's monumental achievements as a brain surgeon, and as a human being, have made him an obvious favorite, even among people who did not vote for him. But you have to get the votes.
Only three people received enough votes in Iowa to lift them above 10 percent-- Senator Cruz, Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio. Unless something spectacular happens in New Hampshire, these may be the voters' only viable choices.
Senator Rubio has both a heart-warming personal story and an attractive personality. But his fling at joining with ultra-liberal Democrat Chuck Schumer to try to push an amnesty bill through the senate suggests that he too has the ability to "rise above principle" that is all too prevalent in politics.
Ping
[Dr. Ben Carson’s monumental achievements as a brain surgeon, and as a human being, have made him an obvious favorite, even among people who did not vote for him. But you have to get the votes.]
And not have a rival candidate’s surrogates falsely tweeting that you are dropping out of the race.
Gee Dr Sowell
Perhaps you can answer this. Despite the full blown non stop efforts of your and the rest of the “Conservative” media to trash talk Trump, and the “greatest ground game in history” why does Ted Cruz leave Iowa win only 1 more delegate then Trump?
Maybe Dr if you spent some time reading Trumps position papers, rather then just feverishly writing poison pen columns about him, you might understand Trump’s appeal better.
Cruz promises to build fast, but what comes to mind is the skating rink in Manhattan, overdue, over budget, poorly dedigned, all because it was a rushed job for publicity.
Trump will take ANY Cruz failure to produce and will do it better, faster and cheaper.
Word.
I like Dr Ben Carson, but I will not vote for him because I think he would be perfect as Secretary of Health and Human Services, or Surgeon General of the United States
I’m wondering what the news stories will be like after Trump trounces everyone in NH? These ‘Cruz killed Trumpm in Iowa’ stories all seems to push the theme that Trump is totally weak and a huge loser in Iowa. He came in second by a few points, he wasn’t in Jeb territory.
He came in second with very little ground game while Cruz literally had an army of carefully organized supporters in the thousands working for months. Bravo for Cruz, he did a great job managing his resources and getting out the vote. He spent almost all of his time and effort in Iowa while Trump has been campaigning everywhere and still Trump came in second without having the drag people to the caucuses.
I love Thomas Sowell, but he needs to correct this article. Ted Cruz was not Attorney General in Texas, he was Solicitor General.
Yeah
It wasn’t an upset really. He was only expected to win in the last week or so. Please send $5, $10, $50, etc. Cancel your child’s surgery and your mother’s burial plans.
Cruz has been all through the South, too. What he did in Iowa is being done throughout the Super Tuesday southern states.
Cruz didn’t focus exclusively on Iowa any more than Trump did (Cruz was in Iowa for 40 days since Trump entered the race, Trump was there 29 since he entered.)
Trump didn’t build a ground organization as strongly as Cruz did. A lot of people were saying that Trump could break the rules of how to win in Iowa, but that didn’t turn out to be true.
Will he win New Hampshire? Absolutely, no question. Then a few more will drop out and the contest turns to South Carolina.
Ditto those thoughts, he has never “run” or managed anything bigger than a ~dozen people as part of a surgical team, best I can tell from his background. Knows medical business and is one hell of an admirable and principled guy but hard to put that in as CEO of the US, especially when trying to un-do the 8 years of Oobomma damage.
Easy, pick your conclusion and use some of the history to make your argument. In a few weeks, this article might make sense (change name, maybe, as needed along with some of the details). In the meantime we have the results from one state. There are a few left.
Although, for a long time in Chicago, the joke was, "Why aren't the Cubs selling beer this year at Wrigley? Because they lost the opener."
the Republican establishment’s sudden shift to a more favorable view of wheeler-dealer Trump— someone who can “rise above principle,”
The falsehood couldn’t have succeeded if Carson’s poll numbers weren’t so pathetic. The falsehood succeeded because it seemed plausible to his supporters. I dont approve of the tactic but the Democrats will pull much, much worse shenanigans in the general.
Because Iowa foolishly awards a percetage of its delegates to losers. Winner take all voting begins after NH and SC. Coming in first loser then will do nothing for Trump.
You mean the way Trump has built a better faster more effective GOTV/ground game? You are wasting your vote on a used car salesman. A used car salesman who comes in second place to other used car salesmen.
But I thought Trump was a winner. A winner that wins so much we would all get tired of winning. I guess first loser counts as winning.
There is a vast chasm in the media that could be fed by a responsible, dispassionate, intelligent pundit.
I wish Dr Sowell would step up and help fill it.
But no one can resist the iron hand of marketing.
There’s money for screeds.
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