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

Skip to comments.

The mainstream media has a serious Ted Cruz problem
Hot Air ^ | April 3, 2015 | Jazz Shaw

Posted on 04/03/2015 12:22:12 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Following a recent round of PPP polling which showed Texas Senator Ted Cruz firmly in the top tier of GOP presidential candidates, Allahpundit provided a lengthy and well thought out analysis of how real and durable these numbers might be. (Short version: don’t expect him to fall out of the upper ranks just because more people officially get into the race.) It’s true that Cruz saw a bump from his official announcement, but the renewed and increased media attention he’s been receiving has expanded his name recognition, and with it his potential donor pool. Liberals have predicted – in a hopeful fashion – that with a bit more scrutiny, Ted Cruz would flame out. The new reality is that they, along with their celebrity spokesmodels on cable news, are beginning to realize that they have a serious problem.

In the beginning of Cruz’s journey onto the national stage, I fully confess that I fell rather easily into the narrative which the Texas Democrats had been pushing out to the national press. All I really knew was that he was engaged in a contentious primary against an establishment figure in the Lone Star State and he was the Tea Party favorite. No matter who won that race, they would be the next senator so it really didn’t grab my attention. But the storyline being pitched was a common one: Ted Cruz was one of those crazy guys.

Even after he won his seat, the media was keeping up the drumbeat, frequently abetted by senior members of his own party. (Wacko Birds, anyone?) But long before it was certain that Cruz might run for the White House, he began defying the narrative media formula. Those of us who didn’t know him were expecting the avalanche of stories which would erode his status as a serious politician. The problem is, they didn’t happen. Where were the “gaffes” we were all promised? He was supposed to come out and immediately begin screaming about the President being from Kenya, saying that women should enjoy being raped and calling for the South to secede again.

Unfortunately for the cable news talking heads, it never happened. Cruz staked out a number of domestic and foreign policy issues and began beating the drum with his own proposals for how to meet those challenges. The media seemed to shoot themselves in the foot by tripping over each other to give the Senator air time, waiting for the expected crazy to emerge. There were times when his tactics were fairly brought under scrutiny, such as his approach to the budget battles / government shutdown situation, but that was a difference in opinion on legislative strategy, not the hoped for wild man moments. In the end, all they came up with was a recitation of a Dr. Seuss book during a filibuster, but anyone who looked briefly beyond the dishonestly edited clips on TV saw that it was actually a short message to beloved children. Not exactly the stuff of which career crashes are made.

Slowly but surely, Cruz began winning over some of the more open minded and scaring those who would like to see him fail. After a rather epic battle with MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski over the letter to Iran, the panel began discussing Cruz’s viability. The all too predictable Donny Deutsch tried to immediately dismiss him as a joke, calling him “the Sarah Palin of this election.” But Mika had talked to Cruz a few times by then and was forced to take the counter argument.

“Character. Exactly,” Deutsch replied. “There’s no such thing as climate change… basically his first few years in the Senate is basically no legislation, this is a complete obstructionist, this is not what this country is all about. You’ve done nothing but run for president. I find him offensive. I find him completely against the grain of where this country wants to go.”

Brzezinski replied, “I wouldn’t underestimate him. I think he’s really really smart,” before adding, “I don’t agree with a single thing he says.”

Mika wasn’t the only one. Cruz has not shied away from the press one bit, no matter how much of a lion’s den he’s entering. Rather than hiding out and only doing shows on Fox News, he’s taken the battle into the enemy camp. And so far, as near as I can tell, nobody has landed a glove on him in a significant way. Now he’s moved up into the front runner category, and the press is beside itself.

What can one do about Ted Cruz if he stubbornly refuses to implode? Stay tuned. I’m starting to think that this race is going to be a lot more interesting than I originally suspected.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cruz; media; msm; polls; tedcruz
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 next last
To: 2ndDivisionVet

CRUZ OR LOSE !


21 posted on 04/03/2015 1:31:21 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BigEdLB

A beautiful family photo.

It makes me imagine a White House without the putrid stench of Obama or Clinton....or their tribes.

Cruz and his family will be fresh air all around.


22 posted on 04/03/2015 1:36:50 PM PDT by Gator113 (Cruz, Lee, and Sessions speak for me.... most anyone else is just noise.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BlueStateRightist

Ted Cruz Has a Swag Problem
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/03/ted-cruz-has-a-swag-problem/?_r=0


23 posted on 04/03/2015 1:38:55 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://www.tedcruz.org/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: skeeter
He'd better tread carefully - if Ted so much as opens his mouth to respond to a Hillary charge

Skeeter, that's nothing to worry about.

During his debating career, Cruz doubtless confronted a number of females. By definition, he obviously dealt with them effectively.

Moreover, Cruz has already proved that he is politically aware and nimble. He's not going to do anything that's off key.

24 posted on 04/03/2015 1:43:29 PM PDT by okie01
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: okie01; skeeter

Plus he a Latino. I doubt that he’d want to draw that card, but it’s there. Hillary needs to watch her step just as much, if not more, than he does.


25 posted on 04/03/2015 1:48:08 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://www.tedcruz.org/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
The MSM is generally evil and wicked, they fit this description perfectly:


Romans 1:..

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Proverbs 6:16-19

haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

26 posted on 04/03/2015 2:08:57 PM PDT by ForYourChildren (Christian Education [ RomanRoadsMedia.com - a Classical Christian Approach to Homeschool ])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: skeeter

“where this country [liberals] wants to go”

lol

Clearly Cruz 2016


27 posted on 04/03/2015 2:14:15 PM PDT by GeronL (CLEALY CRUZ 2016)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

If Mika Brzezinski can’t even hold her own in a short debate with Ted Cruz, how will Hillary be able to deal with him for more than an hour in a presidential debate without falling apart?

In fact, Hillary couldn’t even answer a few polite questions from the House Benghazi Committee without losing it and screaming, ‘’What difference does it make!?’’ to make the whole thing end.


28 posted on 04/03/2015 2:37:07 PM PDT by Bluestocking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Hillary needs to watch her step just as much, if not more, than he does.

Good point.

And she's known to be thoughtless with her language.

29 posted on 04/03/2015 4:25:01 PM PDT by okie01
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Ohioan
You have got that about right. And the really revealing thing about that farce, will be that the Media will largely report that Hillary got the best of it. I can tell you some funny stories about just how "perceptive," some of the self-imagined pundits really are.

Exhibit A:


30 posted on 04/03/2015 4:39:28 PM PDT by COBOL2Java ("God save America" - we are at the dawn of a new dark age)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: okie01

She, and her husband are not nearly as intelligent as they’re painted to be. Plus, they both have many serious health issues.


31 posted on 04/03/2015 4:55:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://www.tedcruz.org/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez

I did an Iowa event for Al Haig in Iowa during his run for the nomination and LULAC people were still laughing about President Ford not knowing to take the corn husks off a tamale before biting into one.


32 posted on 04/03/2015 4:57:29 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://www.tedcruz.org/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Bluestocking

Who ever claimed that Mika was smart? If her father wasn’t who he was (and he was the biggest douche in a White House full of them) she’d be waiting tables in a Waffle House or working in a fourth-tier call center.


33 posted on 04/03/2015 5:00:12 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://www.tedcruz.org/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez

No kidding


34 posted on 04/04/2015 8:29:52 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) (GOPe is that easy to read))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I think the conventional wisdom on Cruz is going to shatter like glass. He’s going to be like a tsunami that catches a lot of people by surprise. Their lazy assumptions are going to turn out to be just plain wrong.


35 posted on 04/04/2015 8:48:31 AM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Ted Cruz Has a Swag Problem http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/03/ted-cruz-has-a-swag-problem/?_r=0
My Mac flags your link as a phishing site.

36 posted on 04/04/2015 7:14:51 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion ('Liberalism' is a conspiracy against the public by wire-service journalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: conservatism_IS_compassion

Well, it is the New York Times...


37 posted on 04/04/2015 7:19:54 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You can help: https://www.tedcruz.org/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Do you think it is time for someone to post that not a single elected Republican has issued a comment on Ted declaring?

Imagine if a conservative-ish Democrat declared for POTUS and not a SINGLE ONE of his party made note of it?


38 posted on 04/04/2015 7:24:07 PM PDT by txhurl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Cruz has not shied away from the press one bit, no matter how much of a lion’s den he’s entering. Rather than hiding out and only doing shows on Fox News, he’s taken the battle into the enemy camp. And so far, as near as I can tell, nobody has landed a glove on him in a significant way. Now he’s moved up into the front runner category, and the press is beside itself.

What can one do about Ted Cruz if he stubbornly refuses to implode? Stay tuned. I’m starting to think that this race is going to be a lot more interesting than I originally suspected.

Well, duh.

The media lives in a bubble. A tiny little bubble.

39 posted on 04/04/2015 7:25:12 PM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: upchuck; Kale; Jarhead9297; COUNTrecount; notaliberal; DoughtyOne; RitaOK; MountainDad; ...
Ted Cruz Ping!

If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.

Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!


CRUZ or LOSE!

40 posted on 04/15/2015 7:17:59 PM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 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