Posted on 01/22/2016 2:56:32 AM PST by John W
Robert Reich January 20 at 11:40am
5 reasons Ted Cruz is even more dangerous than Donald Trump.
1. He's more fanatical. Trump is a bully and bigot but doesn't hew to any sharp ideological line. Cruz is a fierce ideologue: He denies the existence of man-made climate change, rejects same-sex marriage, wants to abolish the Internal Revenue Service, believes the 2nd amendment guarantees everyone a right to guns, doesn't believe in a constitutional divide between church and state, favors the death penalty, opposes international agreements, embraces a confrontational foreign policy, rejects immigration reform, demands the repeal of "every blessed word of Obamacare," and takes a strict "originalist" view of the meaning of the Constitution.
2. Cruz is a true believer. Trump has no firm principles except making money, getting attention, and gaining power. But Cruz really does detest the federal government, and has spent much of his life embracing radical right economic and political views. When Cruz said "we are facing what I consider to be the epic battle of our generation," he wasn’t referring to jihadist terrorism but to Obamacare.
3. He's Smarter. Trump is no slouch but he hasn't given any indication of a sharp mind. Cruz is razer-sharp: It's not just his degrees from Princeton and Harvard Law, along with an impressive record at Harvard, or even his winning arguments before the Supreme Court. For his entire adult life he's been a fierce debater with a intensely-logical debater's mind.
4. He's more disciplined and strategic. Trump is all over the place, often winging it, saying whatever pops into his mind. Cruz hews to a clear script and a carefully crafted strategy. He plays the long game (as he's shown in Iowa). Cruz's legal career entailed a sustained use of the courts to achieve conservative ends, and he plots his moves carefully.
5. Cruz is a loner who's willing to destroy institutions. Trump has spent his career using the federal government and making friends with big shots. Not Cruz. Most of his Republican colleagues in the Senate detest him. And Cruz is eager to destroy: He has repeatedly crossed to the other side of the Capitol and led House Republicans toward fiscal cliffs. In the Fall of 2013, Cruz's strident opposition to Obamacare- including a 21-hour talking marathon-led in a significant way to the shutdown of the federal government.
Both men would be disasters for America, but Cruz would be the larger disaster.
What do you think?
You didn’t even read Reich’s “endorsement”...
Five reasons to like Cruz? They had me with the first reason put up there, the rest are just icing on the cake.
And by the way, RobertReich vastly underestimates the depth of The Donald’s intellectual capacity. The Donald does not use a teleprompter of any kind, just keeps feeding it out sort of free-associating, but gets cheers on almost every line. The Donald is probably the world’s premiere player of hot buttons.
Actually, I did. He’s slamming Cruz for being doctrinaire against the establishment. I agree, it isn’t an “endorsement” by way of “endorsing.” But conservatives are generally opposed to the established order, and Reich is laying out a case that Cruz is against the established order - making Cruz in good alignment with conservatives.
But no, you have made a host of allegations with a lot of speculation. Maybe he used the money to communicate with space aliens and get them ready for the final takeover of planet Earth.
Maybe he used it to buy lollipops to rot the teeth of schoolchildren and make the Dentists rich, guaranteeing their vote. Sheesh.
Think the poster was being sarcastic.
I think 1. That my opinion of Robert Reich isn’t speakable in polite company. 2. that the democrats would definitely rather face Cruz over Trump. Cruz would give them a landslide.
If so, in this election year it is best to mark it. But then, I was being sarcastic about space aliens...
If you were being sarcastic, my apologies.
DAmn good arguments for us to support Cruz!!!!!
I wish Trump were more like Cruz esp in abolishing the IRA.
I’m from GA too. Would love to see Trump speak at our new outdoor theater this Spring....
I think you meant the IRS. By the time Obama is out my IRA will likely be worthless or stolen, and the Irish Republicans may still be out there.
I’ll take either one of them, frankly. I’m depressed at the rancor here at FR between Trump and Cruz factions. I’ve always said in the run up to the 2016 election my purpose here is to keep Jeb Bush from getting the nomination. That goes for Rubio, Kasich and all the rest, too. I’d prefer to let Ted and Donald work out their own differences and not get us sidetracked from keeping the RINOs down.
If Trump embraces and expands the kind of abuse of office through executive orders and memoranda that Obama has employed he'll institutionalize that precedent. With kind of power, the next liberal President could well provoke a civil war when those means are turned to advancing the liberal agenda.
I agree. I can’t get worked up to go after someone personally for their views, but the Cruzers sure will. I got into one about this time yesterday. The moderator deleted four of his posts to me. Very funny.
What bothered me was that he said I am not a donor...and that I should ‘pony up’ like everyone else. I don’t flaunt my donations, but when I went to a monthly donation pledge they posted it on the donors wall. He didn’t bother to even look.
I suspect you are North of Atlanta? I was Newt last time. Saw him in Newnan.
hahahaha...
Now that is an endorsement!
At least the liberals realize who the real conservative is.
I remain wary of wolves in sheep's clothing.
To think for a New York Second that Trump didn't do his market research thoroughly before embarking on the campaign trail is just naive. He knew exactly what angles and actions, what buzzwords and hot topics would sell with a disgruntled electorate. And he is a master of the deal. A consummate pitchman.
I find eleventh hour epiphanies to be questionable at best, and what passes for Conservatism in New York often falls far short of the mark in flyover country.
There are those here who support him unquestioningly because he slaps all the right faces, steps on the right toes, and are starry-eyed over that. The part I don't get is their lining up and foaming at the keyboard attacks on someone who has been consistently in the trenches fighting the fight against the GOPe for years.
We've seen guys with minstrel shows selling snake oil in the hinterlands before. Cutting deals with the GOPe and pandering to the Iowa ethanol lobby look like the beginning of a long term sell-out to me.
Robert Reich definition of “fanatical”:
1. Believes satellite data over “adjusted figures” on “climate change”
2. Holds the same position on marriage as Obama did until 2012.
3. Sides with the large majority of ordinary Americans that the IRS is corrupt, out of control and should be abolished.
4. Agrees with 5 out of 9 Supreme Court Justices on the individual right to own guns, in fact, he made the argument right to their faces, and they bought it.
5. Believes that the Constitution does not allow the government to encroach upon freedom to practice one’s religion.
6. Stands for U.S. interests in foreign policy.
7. Is against immigration amnesty
8. Sides with the majority on Obamacare
9. Takes the same opinion of the meaning of the Constitution as the men who wrote it.
Robert Reich’s definition of “fanatical”.
I’m 5’5”, so I can say this: Reich, you little s&*t, shut up and play with your toys.
I see a lot of short-term feelgood, and a lot of potential for long-term misery from the hangover.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.