Posted on 09/09/2015 7:28:25 PM PDT by Bratch
Long ago, during a dinner with Lou Holtz he told the story of his arrival at Notre Dame. Coach Holtz arrived to find his team filled with untapped talent, yet torn with internal conflict, turmoil, inter-player animosity and backbiting.
Holtz took measure of the team and called them to the locker room. He passed out paper and pencils and asked each player to write down their grievances and explain why their teammates were holding back the potential inherent in their own skill. A few hours later he returned to the locker room and led the team to the far side of the practice field.
There the players saw a shovel and hole he had been digging while they were writing. Coach held out a large empty coffee can; and before asking each player to place their scribe inside the container he asked them to commit to each-other and to God, that what they had written could be removed from their mind forever.
Holtz asked each player to make a promise; a pledge to themselves, to each other and most importantly to God, from that moment forward those grievances would be permanently gone.
Coach Holtz counseled everyone, without judgement, they were under no-compulsion to put their list into that can. No-one would think worse of them for retaining their grievance. He promised to fulfill the contract of those who were attending school on scholarship. Regardless of their decision, every man before him was guaranteed a college degree from Notre Dame University.
However, those who chose not to drop their grievances would not be on the team.
Even if it meant Holtz fielded a team of barely enough players, he was not going to lead a fractured army; his program could only succeed as a united effort.
Coach stood, and in order to give the young men time to think, he bowed his head in prayer. After several minutes Holtz then held out the can.
One-by-one the players folded their notes and placed them in the can; each fully understanding the severity of the counsel they had just witnessed. Each player in his own way defining himself in that moment of decision and choosing to give themselves to a greater possibility. The sum is greater than the collective assembly of the individual parts.
Holtz then took the can, sealed it, placed it in the ground and asked each of the players to use the shovel to bury their collective grievances. Linking hands they formed a circle around the now covered hole. They stood in the darkening twilight in that furthest corner of the field – and they prayed together.
The final words from Coach Holtz echoed with severity amid the stillness. He asked them to look at each other, and to look at the field behind them. He reminded them that in this moment, right then, they were looking at the birth place of champions. He looked toward the direction of the stadium where thousands gather to cheer the Fighting Irish, and he reminded them that is was not over there where champions were born – it was right here on the practice field, when no-one is cheering and no-one is watching.
Coach told them each how proud he was to be a part of “their team of champions” – and he pledged with full measure of intensity that he would never disregard them, nor would he ever fail them. He then sent them back to the dorms….. the rest, as they say, is history.
This story is shared because I am willing to put all my Ted Cruz objections into a similar coffee can and bury them forever:
I fully understand that a man of principle can make mistakes and accidentally place himself in a position of compromise.
Ted Cruz won victory in the 2012 Texas Senate race despite the establishment supporting his opponent Dewhurst. Cruz then went to DC to fulfill his campaign promise to repeal ObamaCare and fight against the DC constructs he later called the “cartel”.
Cruz is a very intelligent, intensely sharp and highly articulate representative Senator. All of these attributes are merited and evidenced by those who know and speak of him.
Ted Cruz walked into the belly of the beast and fought valiantly for 10 months in 2013 to bring about change. It stands as reasonable for a man who faced the severity of the professional DC Republican class, and the onslaught of a media machine seeking his destruction, that he would be exhausted in the winter of ’13/’14 and make a poor decision to trust Mitch McConnell purely based on finding himself in a position of isolation. I can reconcile the mistakes which stem as a result of psychological/emotional exhaustion.
During the period when McConnell was leading Cruz astray (December ’13 to June ’14) and while Cruz was vice-chair of the NRSC -which was maneuvering to support McConnell’s buddy Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran- unbeknownst to Cruz McConnell was actively engaged with the RNC in creating the GOPe roadmap.
Part of that 2014 activity, which Cruz was presumably unaware of, was the a collaboration between the GOPe and RNC to make changes to benefit the power interests who were planning the future nomination path for Jeb Bush.
Republican primary race rule changes, finance changes (hidden in the CRomnibus bill),delegate distribution changes, party primary date changes etc., were/are all part of the collaborative RNC/GOPe construct to deliver an establishment win for Jeb Bush (similar to 2012 with Mitt Romney).
While the NRSC simultaneously plotted to attack Chris McDaniels in Mississippi, Matt Bevin in Kentucky, and following the RNC success against Ken Cuccinelli in Virginia, and while Cruz and Rand Paul were leveraged to sit on the sidelines, these aforementioned plans were all taking place behind closed door.
It is accepted that by the time Ted Cruz caught on, and after he had given $240,000 to the NRSC, it was too late – the GOPe had already launched their attacks.
As a result, and after the mid-term elections, in January of 2015 Ted Cruz quit the NRSC.
Regardless of the discomfort inherent in these admissions, they are historical realities. None of these acceptances disqualify Cruz from presidential consideration today.
Fair enough?
However, the acceptance of what follows next is where find ourselves at loggerheads. The pathway the RNC/GOPe constructed to elect Jeb Bush specifically was designed to eliminate/defeat Ted Cruz.
Stop. And re-read this reality:
The GOPe road map was specifically and intentionally created by scheme and construct, to intentionally block any possibility for Ted Cruz to achieve 2016 presidential victory.
As a direct and factual outcome there is nothing Ted Cruz can do to overcome the structural dynamics currently in place which block any possibility of him achieving electoral victory. Period.
We have laid out the rules, laid out the road-map, and laid out the primary contests -REPEATEDLY- and we continued to asked anyone who finds themselves refusing this reality to outline a path for Cruz victory.
Unfortunately, it simply does not exist.
The RNC rules are now in place; the RNC primary dates are now all confirmed; the RNC delegate distributions all now set in stone; and there’s enough key state polling data for anyone to use who wants to prove this false.
We have studied this road-map intensely. We have explored the district-by-district level possibilities within each of the pre-March 16th 2016 states a hundred different ways, the numbers for anyone other than Trump just don’t add up.
The GOPe road-map was specifically created to block Ted Cruz, or anyone like Ted Cruz, from achieving victory.
Team Jeb is: Rubio, Fiorina, Christie, Huckabee, Kasich, Perry, Graham, Pataki and Gilmore. (10 establishment candidates all part of the RNC/GOPe machine) We have outlined it all HERE.
If, for the sake of intellectual exercise, you remove Donald Trump from the race and apportion his supporters in a reasonable manner, what you will find is that the GOPe roadmap kicks back into play – and no non-jeb is able to pull enough support to defeat Jeb.
Remove Trump and Ben Carson becomes Herman Cain 2012; Cruz becomes Gingrich, Jeb replaces Romney and the 2016 outcome becomes 2012 ground-hog day. Just as designed.
Here’s the kicker…. As previously mentioned, Ted Cruz is a smart guy, and therefore Ted Cruz also is aware of this.
Ted Cruz is fully aware of this – he picked up on it months ago. Hence:
We don’t like it either. It’s almost too bitter a pill to swallow – too big a bitter pill to accept. But that doesn’t change the result.
However, if you find yourself still seeking some proof therein, just ask the man himself. Ask Cruz, or a Cruz campaign insider to outline a pathway to victory.
[ps. For what it’s worth, it’s strongly suspected that Scott Walker is also aware.]
The Republican Party, and the Republican media apparatus, view us as their enemy. We are the enemy they need to protect themselves from:
In 2014, the RNC approved selection rules that govern how each state’s delegates are portioned out from the primaries. Under one of the changes, states holding their primaries between March 1 and March 14 will have their delegates doled out proportionately with election results, a change that will likely stymie a movement candidate.
States that have primaries on or after March 15 will be winner-take-all states.
That’s important because another RNC rule change requires that a candidate must win a majority of delegates in eight or more states before his or her name may be presented for nomination at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
With 18 GOP presidential candidates, for now, it will be that much harder for any candidate to win a majority in any state, let alone eight. (Article July 2015)
Now, ask yourself, why would the RNC want to “stymie a movement candidate“? Who exactly does that benefit? Obviously, the “non-movement” candidate, ie “the turtle“.
Isn’t the entire reason for campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina etc. to make a movement/momentum?
In addition Rule #40 changed in 2014 from previously five needed state wins, to a newer threshold of eight (8):
Officially, it’s Rule 40 in the RNC handbook and it states that any candidate for president “shall demonstrate the support of a majority of the delegates from each of eight (8) or more states” before their name is presented for nomination at the national convention. (article March 2014)
Again, ask yourself who does this benefit? A candidate can win seven states outright, and still not have their name presented for nomination?
These rules were made/affirmed in 2014 – Who or what exactly was the GOP concerned about blocking in 2016 that would necessitate such rules? When combined with other rule changes you can clearly identify a consolidation of power within the RNC apparatus intentionally constructed to stop the candidate of the GRASSROOTS from achieving victory.
Thanks Bratch...
You lost me with the Farting Irish & Lou Holtz parable, Bratch.
You can’t win if you play either — not without some serious asymmetric action.
And what was Trump doing with his billions all that time? Everything Trump wants to do he could have affected with his money all these years.
Bttt
BUMP.
If I thought ALL or MOST of Trump’s votes would go to Ted, that would be a different story.
But that is not the case, IMHO.
I think jeb the jerk would be in first.
MUCH rather have Donald. With Cruz as VP, though I know many want him on SC. Not too shabby either
Good analysis. Good information about the rules change.
I think Cruz saw this coming and he and Trump devised their own plan.
Probably before trump ever entered the race. I think Sarah is in the know on the plan too.
= :^)
Ted Cruz Plays the Trunp Car
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3335058/posts
Well Sundance, here’s some new calculus.
Trump is here to clear a path.
He will establish that Jeb is completely unqualified and undesirable.
Late in the game, after having trashed the field, Trump will exit.
(For any of a variety of reasons)
We’re headed for a brokered convention and that’s just the place for Ted to Cruz to victory.
The meetings between Trump and Cruz most assuredly included this convoluted RNC plan to deny Sen. Cruz the nomination. I believe Trump is wise and sees the path to victory would have to include a deep thinker and patriot such as Ted Cruz.
I neither like or trust Trump. Period. Cruz is clearly the better choice.
Bump
Some good points, a lot of pure BS. Cruz is toaste because he has no personal connection with voters in general (compare to Trump and look at the polls). Cruz played coy with amnesty when he should have been clear, he still supports a 500% increase in H1B to undermine American workers and support the GOPe and C of C. Cruz voted for Obama’s trade and his Iran deal. Politics maybe but disingenuous to complain afterward as most of us are not idiots. Cruz has fail at every major quest to stop Obamacare, to defund Planned Parenthood (still in play). He called McConnell a liar and has no followup. McConnell is still there. He rushed to KY this week and Huckabee ran circles around him and all Cruz got was an embarrassing video of being blocked by staff. Look, I was an early supporter of Cruz and donate hundreds of dollars to his campaign. He wore thin real quick. Cruz may be a great Attorney General and I would love to see him as Chief of the Supreme Court. But as president or Vice President, No. I want a winner, not a martyr. We lose elections with martyrs and weak candidates. Trump is a survivor, a winner, and anyone not seeing this and jumping aboard is instead setting themselves and the party up for defeat. I want the winning team, not the perfect team. Anyway my comment here is almost as long as the discussion post as I do think we need serious discussion on who best, why, and whether we want to win or are satisfied with martyrdom.
(Written on iPad with autocorrect, which is auto-muck up)
Bookmarking for future reference.
Ping to myself for later reading,…..
I saw ted on Hannity this evening, and I have to say his appearance was excellent.
Guy was truly on fire.
He did not take the Mike Huckabee bait question and remained classy, but I thought his answeres regarding Iran questions and Hillary Clinton e-mail questions were superb.
Trump was also on, and during his appearance he appeared to say no to taking in Syrian refugees.
Seems like he might have realized that we don’t want to do that, and neither do a bunch of other countries, and smartly so.
He also noted that muslim countries aren’t stepping up to help out, which is most curious.
I can see this primary boiling down to Ted and Trump. I am not sure who might win out there, Ted is incredibly smart, and Donald has considerable gravitas and brass balls.
Ted appears to have picked up his game, so that makes me very happy, but I am still troubled by his vote for the Corker bill. But ah, I don’t really know what to make of that.
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