And let's not forget the likes of Michael Bloomberg who is busy spending money in an effort to defeat pro 2nd amendment legislators across the country.
Posted on 01/15/2016 1:41:05 PM PST by Brices Crossroads
Watching the Fox Business News debate last night, in particular Donald Trump's savage rejoinder to Ted Cruz's attack on "New York Values", I was reminded of a debate over twenty five years ago when another young Senator found himself on the receiving end of a similar shiv in the ribs from a more seasoned competitor.
In the 1988 Vice Presidential debate, Senator Dan Quayle was attempting to allay fears that he was too young (41) for the job. He compared his level of experience to that of John F. Kennedy at a similar point in their careers. His opponent, Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen, stood and watched until Quayle finished and then uncorked among the most memorable lines in American political history: "Senator, I knew Jack Kennedy, I served with Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Quayle stood frozen at his podium, head down as Bentsen slowly and deliberately delivered the line, as if waiting for the blade of the guillotine to drop. When is was over with Quayle could only respond weakly, "That as uncalled for, Senator." Perhaps it was. I certainly thought so. But that single line, perfectly delivered, spelled the end of Dan Quayle as a political figure of consequence.
Fast forward to the debate last night. Ted Cruz set forth his bill of particulars against New York's sins of social liberalism (which actually afflict the entire country in varying degrees) in a rather transparent attempt to pander to the evangelicals in Iowa. When Cruz had finished Trump slowly and deliberately, in hushed tones, painted a picture of New York and New Yorkers as resilient and brave in the aftermath of 9/11. As Bentsen had hearkened back to a martyred President, Trump channeled the New York Fire Fighters and other heroes of September 11. The reaction was so electric that Cruz actually joined the audience in clapping for his opponent. By the time Trump turned to look at him and call him out to his face, Cruz just stood there mute with a sheepish smile on his face, like a beaten puppy. I was embarrassed for him. The optics of the exchange were so devastating for Cruz that it is hard to see how he recovers. The fact that Trump had telegraphed earlier in that day that he intended to allude to 9/11 made it all the more perplexing that Cruz, a reputedly seasoned debater, was unprepared for it and in fact doubled down on his earlier statements, leaving himself wide open to Trump's thrust. While Quayle was caught by surprise, Cruz was hoisted by his own petard.
Finally, pandering on social issues, such as abortion and gay marriage, is standard fare in a GOP primary. GOP candidates have been doing so for well over a quarter of a century. On the the rare occasions when the GOP has won elections in the last 25-30 years, the results for social conservatives have been underwhelming. I must confess that I have been taken in by this pandering more than once, because of my desire to see Roe v. Wade consigned to the ash heap of judicial history. No more. The candidates who shout the loudest and promise the most on this score never get around to the fact that a President's power to affect these issues is severely limited. From now on, it is not who yells the loudest about abortion that will get my vote, but the candidate who, I believe, will fight the hardest and most effectively to get his court appointments confirmed. Donald Trump has said that his favorite Supreme Court Justice is Clarence Thomas, the most conservative Justice on the Court and among the most conservative in history. I have no doubt that Trump would use his powers of persuasion and negotiation, including brass knuckled threats of political retribution against Senators, in order to get his nominations confirmed.
While Ted Cruz is certainly willing to talk about the social issues, at least in Iowa (if not at his fundraisers in Manhattan), I do not believe he would be nearly as effective in nominating conservative judges and, more to the point, getting them confirmed.
In a way we will MISS something when Trump wins the race for POTUS.
We will miss seeing what a GoldbalzSac Owned GOP squish like Cruz would do as POTUS... how he would waffle on his promises and stab us all in the back to cowtow to his contributors.
Cruz is such a statesman but not near so smart as he lets on.
Alienating every NYer in the USA is just part of the proof.
NYC isn’t as liberal as some other big cities. They elected Rudy and NYC had a Republican Mayor for 18 of the last 20 years. Houston where Ted is from is all Democrat Mayors. Mark Levin’s hometown or what he calls his hometown Philly all Democrat. Is Cruz going to call out Houston and Philly values? Cruz was stupid to single out any city.
That is what I remember thinking when I watched that debate
If Hillary ran as a Republican there’d be some people supporting her just because she has an (R) after her name.
those who do not understand Ted’s meaning are the ones who are antagonized by those words.
While framing the words differently would have been somewhat better, Ted knows that the GOP has been destroying itself by not embracing social conservatives as well as fiscal conservatives.
NY’s values are summarized by its Governor’s words
http://politistick.com/flashback-gov-andrew-cuomo-explains-ny-values-conservatives-not-welcome/
Cruz knows full well that the south will embrace his intent to return this country to morality.
Totally devastating exchange, never seen anything like it. TEXTBOOK takedown. I felt bad for Cruz too, he shrank.
Primaries matter and many coming up are winner take all. If Cruz keeps this up, he's going to be very sorry and so are you! It was a stupid thing to say to begin with and worse for the now tripling down on it.
Like the little boy who cried wolf, Teddy is going to be ignore and savaged at the end, if he keeps this up.
New York is a huge state, you don’t win the presidency by insulting a damn state of any size. I couldn’t believe Ted went there it wasn’t smart.
Well, there’s one thing wrong about that calculation. Anecdotally, from people I know in several states, the ‘new’ New York residents in flyover country haven’t exactly endeared themselves to their new communities. If I were to bet, I think Cruz’ comment (or at least the way the lefty media has decided to play it) might actually resonate fairly well.
That’s : Donald Trump’s New York Times liberal values.
Trump now owns NY values. He can’t blame anyone but himself.
Good luck with that in blue America.
You’re right of course. He should also work in California values, oh and Washington also. Pound on it. He might even win Iowa. /s
Your post has to be viewed with the “YMCA” song.
Hmm. Lovely parade photos.
Where’s an ISIS suicide bomber when you need one?
Florida Snowbirds.
Think that Trump can snag these votes? (yep)
How ‘bout CruzerLoser? (nope)
If anybody out there is still for Huckabee or Santorum or Paul it may be because they've already decided they don't like Ted. Ditto for Carson voters.
One of the things we've seen in previous elections is that conservative voters don't necessarily go to the most conservative or next most conservative candidate if they're own choice drops out.
I'm not saying Ted won't get any of them, but there's no great bonanza of voters that will flock to Cruz because he disses New York. Cruz has already taken votes from Carson, but even if he gets most of the rest (which he may not) it still won't put him ahead of Trump.
Fundamentally.... we’re talking about whether or not a conservative can win the nomination, and the election. That’s what this all boils down too. Can a person who says NYC is a liberal bastion like San Francisco, and details what is wrong with them get elected? If he can’t in this election, then they never will. That much is certain.
You can google the same pro abortion and gay pride and occupy images for Austin, Dallas and Houston, Texas. You don’t win by insulting states in debates.
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