Posted on 12/11/2015 5:40:01 AM PST by VinL
One day after a report that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) questioned Donald Trump's "judgement" in a private event, Trump called out Cruz for criticizing him behind close doors but refraining from negative comments in public.
Looks like @tedcruz is getting ready to attack. I am leading by so much he must. I hope so, he will fall like all others. Will be easy!
.@tedcruz should not make statements behind closed doors to his bosses, he should bring them out into the open - more fun that way!
Cruz has so far refrained from bashing Trump in public. After Trump announced his proposal to ban Muslims from coming to the United States, Cruz disagreed but stopped short of condemning Trump's remarks.
But the Texas senator spoke about Trump and Ben Carson during a Manhattan fundraiser on Wednesday, according to the New York Times.
"Who am I comfortable having their finger on the button? Now that’s a question of strength, but it’s also a question of judgment. And I think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them," Cruz said of Trump and Carson.
Cruz has started gaining on Trump in the key primary state of Iowa, which may be making Trump uneasy. The real estate mogul has a habit of attacking his Republican rivals when they rise in the polls, as both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal noted this week. Trump may have released his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country in an attempt to boost his support with evangelical voters in Iowa.
“Who am I comfortable having their finger on the button? Now that’s a question of strength, but it’s also a question of judgment. And I think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them?”
“challenging question for BOTH of them”? You mean, they each have only two supporters. And the challenging question? Answer: finger on the button.
That is going for the jugular.
Nothing, nothing at all. “mole hill into a mountain”.
Questioning Trumps judgment on the nuclear trigger is going for the jugular.
That’s it in a nutshell. Cruz is going to lose the VP if he ever had it.
Indeed. It's one of the massive delusions of this campaign.
Cruz called for a moratorium in refugees from ISIS countries. He never called for an immigration moratorium, and even said "That is not my plan" when told about Trump's. It's clear Trump has gone farther than they. Though I heard someone say that Trump had discussed a refugee moratorium a week before Cruz and Paul did, though I am unsure.
Good analysis.
This is what drive me crazy about Trump and his supporters - the tendency to see anything other than full-fledged support as an attack of some kind. Cruz did not jump on any 'bandwagon' attacking Trump - he went out of his way to avoid criticizing Trump, and got attacked himself for it. All Cruz said about what Trump proposed was "that's not my policy," and went on to say how he would address the issue.
You are not as smart as you think. It's virtually accepted by even the RINOs that Trump's Muslim moratorium was a masterstroke of political genius, forcing his opponents to side with Obama... even Cruz now, with his "judgment" question obviously a reference to Trump's Muslim Moratorium, or at least coming on the heels of it so closely that you can't help but expect that that is what Cruz has in mind.
“I believe, Cruz, in the past, always fought the establishment tooth and nail and long before Trump came along, unfortunately, he jumped on the media bandwagon screaming about the unrelenting attack about Trumps temporary halting of possible terrorists entering to our country.”
Almost well said, but Cruz did not exactly ‘jump’ on the bandwagon. He respectfully disagreed. But then? ‘Good judgment is a challenge for Trump.’
I hope Cruz will admit that good judgment is always a challenge for EVERYONE. That would diffuse this.
And Al Sharpton, although his supporters ignore those donations, too.
Cruz is not going to take the bait, he seems to smart for that
Ditto. I don’t want someone who acts purely on emotion being the leader of anything.
Cruz was not talking about political “judgement” he specifically said “finger on the button”, “judgement challenged”. The man with his finger on the button is the Commander in Chief (CIC) President of the USA.
At this point, I have to wonder if Trump’s ego will always be the dominating factor in every decision he makes.
Well at least he hasn’t breached protocol and gone straight for the “Triple Dog Dare.”
Thank you. There is a serious problem with banning certain countries, especially when those countries are where Christians are treated the worst.
You nailed it:
” ... his ‘judgment’ question obviously a reference to Trump’s Muslim Moratorium, or at least coming on the heels of it so closely that you can’t help but expect that that is what Cruz has in mind ... “
Right. Good judgment is a challenge for EVERYONE. If Cruz is willing to admit that, then this becomes a minor blip in his career. It will hurt him a little, but the claws on both sides can then retract.
I personally never expected the US people to ‘get it’ so well that they would support a temporary muslim immigration ban. So I never had the nerve to suggest it. It is understandable if Cruz is equally pleasantly surprised. Trump had the guts to say what few in talk radio ever did, let alone presidential candidates.
There should be little shame in such a thing.
I suspect that the debator in Cruz might nitpick Trump over minor specifics of the ban [which can easily be refined] in the effort to come out on top. That would be risky. He would sound like he is fundamentally opposed and doesn’t have the guts to say it.
You’re confusing Trump’s lack of political judgment with his vastly superior business and leadership judgment.
No doubt that Trump was the winner with his call to ban muslims. Even Ted has come around on that matter.
But the topic here - and the quote - centered on who’s finger should be on the button?
Ted wins that judgment call all day - every day.
It’s a strategy to inherit their supporters. But it doesn’t constitute an attack on either Trump or Carson. It is simply another example of Cruz promoting Cruz as the best choice.
That is who I would expect him to promote...wouldn’t you. Wouldn’t you?
I don’t see how saying you have the best judgment of all the candidates is an attack on the other candidates any more than saying you have the best tax plan.
I think you’re finally getting it.
And who has far greater judgment about “finger on the button” issues than Ted?
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