Posted on 07/18/2015 6:54:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
So what are we to make of the Cruz/Trump meeting this past Wednesday? Many have reported on it, but both candidates are fairly mum. Prior to the meeting, Trump said: "I don't know why I'm meeting with him, to be honest, but I do have respect for him."
Some would say that the comment is a bit of a swipe at Cruz, but I believe it's just Trump being Trump. I think he likes being the maverick by portraying his candidacy as him against the entire Republican Party. And, for the most part, at least thus far, he's been pretty successful. Not that he necessarily has a strategy, but if this is it, it's working.
I also think he may have been a bit taken aback by Cruz's support of his illegal immigration "straight talk." I'm guessing he expected the entire field to run away from his stance, if he thought about it at all.
But then Ted Cruz stepped up to defend him. So now, it appears they are unlikely allies, at least on this one issue. And as far as The Donald saying what he said about the meeting with Cruz - I don't buy it.
Sure, Cruz can definitely use an ally like Trump at this point, and he's certainly intelligent enough not to go all in with Trump. But The Donald will need Cruz, also. He can possibly be Trump's voice of reason if and when he starts going off the rails - especially in the debates.
The first debate is rapidly approaching, and everyone is expecting a showdown between Trump and his immigration detractors - which appears to be the entire field, less Cruz.
I fully expect for the eight others to try to hammer Trump over his comments. I also fully expect at least a few to purposely take those comments out of context, just as the left, the establishment, and the entire pundit class has done.
And, at that point, Cruz, the brilliant debater, can take the reins and dismantle those who still wish to pander to illegals, figuring it will ingratiate them to Latinos and the spineless moderates. Moderates, as we know, are just liberals without the courage to admit it.
So for Trump, this meeting probably firmed up the ally status.
For Cruz, some have said that he went to New York just to kiss The Donald's ring. I don't believe that's either Cruz's style or his personality. He doesn't strike me as a groveler. I also think that Cruz has no problem as a maverick, and as Slate.com puts it: "the simple possibility of a loose partnership between the two will only add to the GOP establishment's Trump-related heartburn."
Also, many believe that Trump is simply not serious about the race, and Cruz figures The Donald will support someone if he drops out - so why not him?
Now, what I've yet to hear (and I'm a bit surprised not to have done so yet) is that the meeting was the initial strategy session to develop the framework of a Trump/Cruz ticket. Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but is it really that far-fetched? Frankly, is anything really that far-fetched anymore?
Ted Cruz is a smart guy, and as a former national debate champion, he must possess the power of persuasion. The Donald is a loose cannon who has changed his position on several issues over the years. Might Cruz believe it's possible for him to persuade Trump to adopt most of Cruz's originalist positions? It would be sort of like Cruz is the brains of the operation and Trump is the limelight-hogging mouthpiece. Frankly, I think Cruz would be good with that, providing he was confident enough that Trump would push his agenda.
But I doubt that this is what's going on, although it is an interesting possibility, and now is the time for fun spit-ballingbefore it starts getting serious.
Cruz + trump alliance is quite formidable. I am confident both will do well in debates as a team.
You Cruz, you lose. At this point Cruz will do anything to get out of single digits, and unfortunately, has done just that.
The writer posed a particularly interesting theory when he indicated that Cruz’ supportive remarks may have been a surprise to Trump, who was thinking the whole field would have a cow.
So, how about a piggy back theory that says maybe Trump played it well. He smoked out who he could work with on immigration, thinking about a possible ticket early? Immigration has been his ticket so far and if that is his biggest sincerity card, it’s important to him.
The Left wants him made toxic. Are we gonna bite?
If you saw the video of the remark that *onyx posted you see exactly how benign it was. The interviewer, Frank Luntz, didn’t even take note and the crowd did not boo. That’s for sure. In the moment, everyone there “got it”.
What is so odd about *that*? I've done it myself a time or three, depending on the style of pizza (a thick crust deep-dish variety would be most appropriate for this.)
the infowarrior
The Truth is always toxic and much ado was because of a "minor misquote" because those who hate and fear the Truth need to leverage every lie they can in order to get rid of Trump. He's not as toxic as you think especially if you look at those who are making the most noise - even former POWs and vets have come out against McCain as a traitor who killed a lot of his own comrades.
The Truth is out there and it will make Trump look a lot better than McCain if it is seen/heard by enough.
I dont know what they were talking about but I know what I hope they talked about.
Donald Trump used the Internet to broadcast his last speech. He circumvented the media. That was historic. The Republican Party is about to face debates run by the media to determine our presidential candidate. If the media controls that debate, they will arrange a circular firing squad that will benefit no one other than Hillary.
How much better it would be if the Republican Party used the Internet to set up a real debate among the candidates one that would talk about the issues and give each person a chance to say where they stand. Donald Trump and Cruz could push for that to happen. I hope and pray they do.
Cruz knows Trump has captured a good portion of Cruz’s voters—for now.
He just wants to make sure that there’ll be no reason to be other than supportive of Trump, so those voters hold no hard feelings against Cruz, once they tire of Trump.
Eating pizza with your hands is fine at home, but when you are out and about in NYC, your hands pick up a lot of germs. And there are LOTS of germs in NYC.
Seriously, I don’t what’s wrong with so many people.
This “Enemy of my enemy is my friend Bullcrap” needs to stop.
So the RINOs and GOPe don’t like Trump? Of course they wouldn’t because he challenges their leadership authority.
But RINOs and GOPe not liking Trump makes Trump a Conservative now? Utter BS.
People need to get their head out of their butt, dump Trump and support the only candidate in the race that has a prayer of turning this country around: TED CRUZ.
I’m alarmed at the number of people that are saying in threads out here “I don’t want a conservative as President” and just like the way Trump talks even though he’s a liberal.
Polls mean nothing right now. Otherwise we would have had Hillary vrs Rudy in 2008 and Bachmann vrs Obama in 2012. The debates will sort this out.
But Donald Trump should be nowhere near the nomination and anybody that casts a vote for him is wasting their vote on another liberal.
Trump is for Universal Healthcare.
Trump will NOT reign in the Courts and will probably pack the SCOTUS with more Anthony Kennedy’s if given the chance.
Trump will bash the Tea Party when they don’t want to raise the debt ceiling and he will bully the House members trying to balance the budget just like he did in the past.
Yeah, this sounds like the perfect guy for President /sarc
People should either vote for Cruz or just stay home because if they’re not willing to vote for the most solid, articulate, well-rounded conservative since Reagan, then they aren’t serious about saving the country and lack the necessary reasoning to make such an important decision.
I read somewhere that Ted was encouraging Trump to request Secret Service protection because of a “twitter” Trump had received from a relative of El Chapo.
Don’t know if that’s true .. have not seen another word about it anywhere.
words fail me...
same problem Rick Perry had.
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