Posted on 03/10/2016 8:33:32 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Thursday night's GOP debate at the University of Miami marked a major turning point for candidates as they look to gain not just the attention of nationwide voters but viewers in the Sunshine State. With the Florida GOP Primary less than a week away, the event was a proving ground of sorts as candidates seek to emerge victorious in an important winner take all state that boasts the most delegates to be awarded that day. It was at this debate that Ted Cruz firmly emerged as the Republicans' last hope for an establishment candidate to legitimately challenge frontrunner Donald Trump. Ted Cruz's closing statements were inspired, surprisingly lighthearted and comical, and may very well help him to win Florida and the many primaries and caucuses occurring on Super Tuesday 3.
Cruz and Trump were no strangers to the war of words they'd perpetuated onstage in Miami. The previous debate, Trump had taken to calling the Texas senator "Lyen [sic] Ted" and has been consistently mocking him since. Cruz's response has been to treat the Donald like the child he appears to be when engaging in rather infantile verbal attacks with no bearing on political views or voting records. The candidate was once again able to narrowly sidestep any mudslinging in favor of seriously stumping for himself. Cruz appeared to insinuate that the very future of the Republican party is dependent on the GOP rallying behind him, which certainly shone through in his final remarks.
To be fair, the Thursday night event appeared far more subdued than previous debates. Cruz, for his part, was especially emotional when it came to giving his final statements in what will be the last GOP debate of the primary season. He was also able to make a subtle jab against Trump, in what appeared to be the most comical moment of the night. Cruz said:
What an incredible nation we have that the son of a bartender and the son of a mailman and the son of a dishwasher and a successful businessman can all stand on this stage competing and asking for your support. In just a few months one of us is going to stand on the debate stage against Hillary Clinton. And the choice that we're making is who will best defend our values, who will best defend your values, and fight for you.
I have to tell you I cannot wait to stand on that stage with Hillary Clinton and say, 'Madame Secretary, you are asking for a third time of a failed administration. You are asking for millions more to remain in stagnant jobs. For millions more steel workers to be out of work, for wages to remain low, for young people not to have a future. We can do better. We can instead repeal Obamacare, abolish the IRS, unleash millions of jobs, defend the Bill of Rights, defend the second amendment and religious liberty, and stand with our cops and our firefighters and our soldiers and we can keep America safe.' That's the choice I will put to her this fall.
Cruz is already looking ahead towards a future in which he is leading the Republican party against a presumed Democratic nominee: Hillary Clinton. As he swiftly and emphatically detailed his policies and challenged Clinton in his closing statements, audience fervor mounted and Cruz appeared to be riding high on his last chance at addressing the American public in a debate setting. His overarching success remains to be seen. Even if Cruz fails to nab the nomination, the theatrics behind his closing statement certainly show that he's been enjoying himself on the campaign trail.
He also didn’t say he would.
CNN did a good job. I’m getting to like Dana Bash.
In the general the candidate who is nominated will be offered RNC support. I believe Trump may accept this, as it in theory would only have strings to the party apparatus. His comment that he is not sure probably is related to whether he likes those strings or not.
It will take a lot of money to run in the general.
If he does not want to take money, all he needs to do is ask his supporters, we are willing to help.
Seemed more of an uneasy laughter to me. Like the Rubio audience couldn’t tell if he was trying to be funny. Personally I don’t understand the appeal of the candidates trying to outdo one another on who’s father was poorest. Meh. Not bad. Thought it was the calmest most substantive debate I’ve seen.
Counting chickens with no eggs in the nest
“If he had said “the son of a successful businessman,” it would have humorously made an important point about Trump’s resume. “
That was his meaning and that is the way I took it.
...No, but he did tell FEC he was ignoring their request...
He doesn’t want to talk about that Goldman Sachs sweetheart loan in 2012. No wonder he quit asking Trump about his tax returns.
Or he may be in it because he loves this country and hates what the politicians have done to it
Some steelworkers are single moms. It doesn’t always work out all that well but sometimes it’s okay, even good. The experience I’m basing this on is as a HR manager at a nickel smelter. Plus, more steelworkers means job openings at other businesses.
Ted is a great man. He’s young. Even if he doesn’t win this time around he can give it another go in four years against Hillary.
Ted doesn:’t seem to know that most disposable diapers are made in the USA. P&G has a Plant in MX that does have some distribution in the US. They also have plants in PA, and WI.
say what? he's a double-digit billionaire, with a triple-digit legacy to his children. What's in your wallet?
No, he will have to wait 8 years until Trump is done.
Ha ha ha
Yeah but this author said Cruz will win Florida. No way on earth will that happen. First of all 2 million have voted already and few have Cruz on them. But the good news was he said last debate of the primary. I like hearing that.
If he loses against Hillary he shouldn’t get another chance.
Mr. Trump often presents the idea that he is more virtuous than the other candidates because he is self funding but I am not sure that logic holds. It is simply a fact that he is financially able to do so while the other candidates are not. Virtue or honesty has little to do with it.
It could be argued that Mr. Trump is less accountable than the other candidates because he is funded by one billionaire. If any of the other candidates received their complete financial support from a single super rich businessman, they would be pilloried to no end.
If we have reached the point that wealth is a determining qualification for the presidency, we might need to look for one of our really, really rich individuals such as Bill Gates or Warren Buffett.
Look at the recent Forbes. In this world billionaires are what millionaires once were: very common. Of those who used to work for the four Bass Brothers, all of whom are billionaires, there are at least five former employees who are billionaires. You ought not to measure him against me, or yourself but against the many others.
So Cruz is now not only an establishment candidate -,but the GOP-D’s last hope, eh? My, my how the propaganda mill has changed its tune ! And in just the last day or so, too. It’s as if the entire last year’s worth of all the “Cruz is an outside insurgent the establishment powers hate with a passion” just got tossed down the rabbit hole. Okay, Ministry of Lies, which is it???
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