Posted on 07/21/2016 4:03:01 AM PDT by detective
“That went well,” she probably said rolling her eyes.”
“I’ll just drop you off. I’m going to see Carly,” said Ted.
“Again. I guess I didn’t push her hard enough.”
I used to think that Ted Cruz was a very smart guy. Now? Not so much.
Cruz, in his speech last night and in today’s speech/Q&A in front of the Texas delegation, said that he set a standard for his endorsement of a President - that the person in question would defend the Constitution and defend our liberties. There is nothing is wrong with that, and it is what I want to always hear from ANY candidate for office...in an absolute vacuum. But we don’t live in a vacuum. Right now, there is a binary choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump - one of them will (barring a severe health problem, death or civil war touched off by Obama trying to cancel the election) be the next POTUS. There is no other choice - the primaries are OVER, we no longer have the ability to choose THE perfect candidate...now it is about stopping whomever we DISlike the most.
Cruz did recognize that simple fact in 2012 - he endorsed Mitt Romney, hardly a doctrinaire conservative and defender of the Constitution (just look at his stance on the 2nd Amendment, as just one example among many). Here’s the source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mitt_Romney_presidential_campaign_endorsements,_2012#U.S._Senators Cruz is listed under the category of “State, Local and Territory Officials.”
Further, Cruz indicated that the Tea Party (a group founded explicitly by conservatives who value the Constitution and felt betrayed by the typical politicians running things in DC) would likely endorse Romney, with the following quote: “Conservatives will stand united in November. The stakes are too high,” Cruz said. “The Tea Party will show up en masse to support Mitt Romney.” Source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/08/ted-cruz-newsmaker-gop-convention-texas-senate/1#.V5DWsLuAOko
So what is different in 2016? Why would Cruz endorse Romney, no stalwart defender of the Constitution and our liberties, against Obama - the diametric opposite of a stalwart defender of the Consitution and our liberties? Well, because it makes sense to have done so. He recognized THEN, a mere 4 years ago, that we faced a binary choice - it would be either Romney or Obama, and “Conservatives will stand united in November. The stakes are too high.” THAT was a sensible, logical and good decision. But this election is really no different - Trump may (emphasis on “MAY”) not be the perfect defender of the Constitution and our liberties, but we as a nation face a binary choice between him and Hillary Clinton - who is a political carbon-copy of Obama, being the nearly perfect ANTI-defender of the Constitution and our liberties. Why is Cruz not endorsing Trump against Clinton, when he endorsed Romney against Obama?
The answer is simple: He’s got an ego the size of an aircraft carrier, and it is interfering with Cruz’ logic function. He’s butthurt, badly, and simply cannot rise above his own personal feelings and do what is best for this country, and fight with every fiber of his being against Clinton. That is sad and incredibly disappointing - because outside of this Presidential election season, I have been a genuine admirer of Cruz and what he has stood for (well, I’m not thrilled about his trade votes, but no one is perfect). Now I can’t be. Now he looks small, like most politicians. He looks and sounds like a walking, talking ego. THAT is not principle, that is not high-minded, that is not serving the public and defending the Constitution.
You know, not that long ago we had a Presidential election that was decided by 538 popular votes in a single state. Cruz knows that, particularly since he worked his tail off to help preserve George W. Bush’s victory (oh, and BTW, Bush was hardly the perfect defender of the Constitution that Cruz pretends to want as a candidate - but he was head and shoulders above Al Gore). He also knows that such a circumstance could happen again, and that he has a pretty large and very loyal following. He knows that many among this loyal following of his will not vote for Trump unless he gives a full-throated endorsement of Trump. So what Cruz is doing is putting this country at risk of losing a very close election, should we be in that scenario again. All because of his ego.
Unless this is some strategy cooked up between Trump and Cruz to have Cruz go through all of these machinations and then later come out with a full-throated endorsement (which I don’t think is likely), I’m done with Cruz as a possible POTUS - forever! I’ll wait and see if anyone tries to primary him in 2018, and evaluate that person (and, NO, I won’t be voting for a David Dewhurst/John Cornyn kind of candidate). Before last night, I would have reflexively voted for Cruz, but not now, not after that performance. The time for personal feelings is OVER, the time to look for a perfect or near perfect candidate is over. Now is the time to unite behind the better candidate - and Donald J. Trump is the better candidate, and will be the better POTUS, by every single measure that is important. Cruz has utterly failed to understand and implement this idea by endorsing Trump, and I cannot forgive him - because “the stakes are too high” - YOUR words, Senator Cruz, not mine.
“His insult to the people of NY last night, the bland, oblivious look on his face when he said it, makes me think he’s either autistic or mad as a hatter”
Or maybe he just has an ego the size of an aircraft carrier and cannot deal with losing.
Either way, not someone you want to wield great power, let alone a massive nuclear arsenal. He not only destroyed his 2020 chances (assuming a Trump loss AND that Hillary doesn’t suspend the Constitution by then), but he destroyed his political aspirations forever.
Very true.
To add to that Cruz said that [sic] the Constitution provides that all can live according to their conscience.
What about the Unabomber’s conscience?
That would solve the issue brought out early by Trump, that Cruz being a “natural born citizen” would no longer be an issue to gum up any future presidential election.
or he could be like my ex-boss said about me: an idiot-savant minus the savant...
Lol.....good one.
He should never EVER be addressed as anything other than Lying Ted... For the rest of his life.
Seems like Mark has become the self described statist himself.. Only he has the answers and everyone else is wrong and some kind of neo agrarian.
All Trump did was hand Lying Ted some rope and then Cruz went and hung himself with it. When someone is destroying their own career just get out of the way.
The LIAR didn’t need to be played since he is the one always sneakily pulling strings.
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