Posted on 07/25/2015 12:14:29 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
For conservatives, intellectualism can often be a stumbling block.
A politician may be a gifted orator with a logical, detailed message, but reason cannot be forced on those with an agenda, especially when that agenda is wrapped up in bromidic insults instead of facts.
Once distracted from the flow of their thought processes, and unwilling to engage in emotional demagoguery, conservative often stumble when accosted or caught off guard.
Which is why it is gratifying to see presidential candidate Ted Cruz perform so well in a recent standoff with leftist activist group Code Pink.
Protestors stormed a campaign event where Cruz was speaking against the Obama administration’s Iran Deal. After being shouted down, Cruz listened, calmly, to insinuations that those attending were “religious zealots” in the same vein as jihadists and suggestions that he had no right to his opinion since it clashes with the opinion of world powers.
He then completely dismantled the idea that he was anti-peace, stating that such a bargain could not come at the price of emboldening rogue regimes and jeopardizing the safety of Americans, touting the Reagan mantra of “peace through strength.”
The intolerance of fringe groups disrupting civil political discourse is hardly anything new, or even that newsworthy since such demonstrations are the work of a tyrannous minority, so why is this exchange worth parsing?
Simply because Cruz handles himself so deftly. He stands stoically and listens as he and his supporters are insulted. And when he is cut off, he does not lose his temper and snap back at the protesters, which makes them look wronged, but takes up the banner of First Amendment protected speech and asks for equality, a word much relied on by the left.
He can cite specific historical examples from memory and remembers the personal details of American hostages in Iran, demonstrating a sense of awareness, caring and indefatigable spirit.
In short, he behaves like a true diplomat- deferential but not obsequious, phlegmatic but not apathetic, intellectual but not priggish. It’s the same style of leadership as practiced by Ronald Reagan, whose example of leadership Cruz frequently cites.
With all the talk of Americans not wanting another one-term Senator as a president, it is crucial that candidates like Cruz, Paul and Rubio can demonstrate their dynamism and qualification despite having little formal leadership experience.
That is precisely what Cruz has accomplished here, and it makes his domination of Code Pink activists more than a moral victory for conservatives. It adds another impressive qualification to a resume already replete with demonstrable skill.
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I actually pity the fools in the rest of the field when the debates start. I might actually watch one this time around.
I wonder how many frequent flier air miles the leaders of CODE PINK rack up every year?
DO they get to keep it?
Shame.
He is smart, poised, quick minded, and presidential. A leader and not a follower. Others have picked up on issues that Ted Cruz was leading on for a while now. The Johnny-come-latelies know that Ted knows the hot button issues.
Most of all, Ted is the only one knowledgeable and willing to steer the ship of state back along constitutional paths.
None of the others have the smarts or the will to bring the state machinery back to the constitution. It is simply not a priority for them for multiple reasons.
If you feel that liberties are being eroded, and you want that to change. You should back Ted Cruz.
That was amazing. At the beginning they were heckling him and at the end they had nothing to say.
He took them apart like a bunch of lego blocks. In the end the Code Pink leader had nothing to say. She couldn’t even respond to his points. Frankly, I think he actually convinced her of the error of her ways.
Ted Cruz will win a lot of independent voters if he continues to take on the hecklers like that. I don’t think anyone has ever done that in a presidential election. Usually they just have their goons escort the hecklers away. Cruz invited them to speak and then took them apart piece by piece until there was nothing left.
I think he might even surpass Reagan in his ability to handle the opposition.
It was par for the course for Texas Senator Ted Cruz. His Aristotelian logic utterly devastates the left. Not long ago, Chris Hayes, a communist commentator on MSLSD, had this to say about our outstanding Christian, Conservative Senator, proving that the left fears and is awed by Cruz:
In October 2007, I sat in the media gallery of the United States Supreme Court and watched the Solicitor General of Texas [Ted Cruz] argue on behalf of the state that he should have the ability to put to death a Mexican national who had been convicted of raping and murdering two teenage girls in Houston. He won that argument and he was executed by Texas on August 5th, 2008, despite the objections of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
At the time, I had no idea who this man arguing on behalf of Texas was. but all I could think was holy c**p, this guy is good. It was one of his nine times arguing before the Supreme Court and he was witty, incredibly fast on his feet and clearly had a brilliant legal mind. It is to this day one of the most impressive displays I have ever seen before the Court and I have had the good fortune to spend a lot of time there.
Here's the link to Hayes' comments about Senator Cruz.
Code Pink provided aid and comfort to the enemy, they provided monetary funds to terrorists.
They were never made to suffer due penalties for it.
I disagree with Cruz that the Iraq War was a mistake. The mistake lay in how it was engaged in.
Ted Cruz is the man
That was impressive.
Just watched the video. Wow! Cruz kept calm and heard them out and proceeded to deliver a complete refutation of Code Pink’s arguements. Cruz or lose!
We need this man for President.
Such unbelievable patience Cruz has. I was not even there and I could feel my temper boiling.
So glad I was not next to the odious Code Pink harridan Medea Benjamin, as I cannot be sure that I would not have done her some violence. Lord! How I loathe these people.
I agree, I have no doubt I would have punch Medea and the pink dressed up dude. They were both disrespectful. Yet Cruz kept his cool, I do not think I would have.
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