Posted on 04/04/2016 12:54:39 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In this crazy GOP primary season, I have come out frequently for John Kasich although I could have lived with Marco Rubio as well. Given the available choices, a Kasich/Rubio ticket would be a pretty formidable duo to face either Clinton or Sanders in November.
For me, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are non-starters. In this post, I want to outline why I cant vote for Ted Cruz.
Cruz promises to deport 12 million illegal immigrants
Not only does Cruz hold a morally reprehensible policy, in my view, but he toughened his position to pander to the pro-Trump crowd. In February, Cruz told Bill OReilly that he would deport all undocumented immigrants who are in the U.S. However, in January, he said he wouldnt send immigration authorities to homes to round them up. Furthermore, he made a point to say that those he evicts wont be allowed to try for legal entry later as favored by Trump.
Watch Cruz on the OReilly Factor:
In practice, I believe the forced eviction of 12 million people would be a humanitarian disaster, comparable to the forced migration of Native Americans during the Trail of Tears between 1830 and 1850. It is conceivable that some will resist deportation setting up possible violent stand-offs with authorities. Many have children who were born here. I can imagine children left behind in makeshift arrangement with many tragic stories. I can also imagine myself taking some kind of action to protest mass deportation; I certainly wont vote to make it more likely to happen.
In addition to the logistical and moral problems, it would be quite costly, Forbes Magazine estimated that the deportation of approximately 12 million people would cost $114 billion. More recently, a Wall Street Journal analysis pegged the cost at around $400 billion, In addition, the hit to the GDP would be about $1 trillion.
I have to believe that Cruz is aware of the costs but is making the pledge to deport anyway for political reasons. This leads me to my next problem with Cruz
Cruz surrounds himself with people who have a problem with truth
David Barton and Glenn Beck immediately leap to mind. Barton was one of those who anointed Cruz in 2013 and Glenn Beck has been Cruzs surrogate in the media and on the campaign trail since Beck endorsed Cruz during the Iowa primaries. Space doesnt permit an examination of Bartons historical and current misadventures but you can read about them here.
At Cruzs rallies in Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada, Beck floated several fraudulent stories about George Washington (see here, here, and here). Beck issued a statement admitting the deception to Huffington Post, but he blamed HuffPo for his mistakes on his own website and never apologized or admitted the truth to Cruzs supporters.
Barton and Beck arent peripheral figures in the Cruz universe. Barton heads one of Cruzs Super PACs and Beck has become a spokesman for Cruz. Along with foreign policy advisor and conspiracy theorist Frank Gaffney, Beck and Barton as close advisors call into question Cruzs judgment. An administration full of these appointments is unthinkable.
Despite Cruzs religious tones, I dont trust him In part because of his advisors, I dont trust Cruz. Their claim that Cruz is Gods candidate is icing on the distrust cake. His father, his wife, David Barton and Glenn Beck have all expressed in one way or another that Cruz is divinely anointed to be president. In Israels history, God intervened and chose kings. However, America is not Israel and those who claim to know Gods will on this matter immediately arouse my suspicion.
I became more keenly aware of how little I trust Cruz when he recently said in a town hall meeting that one should be skeptical of a candidate who claims Gods favor. He was essentially holding himself up for scrutiny since he is the only candidate with that platform in this campaign.
Cruz has not spoken much about how his belief in special knowledge would inform his policy decisions. There is no religious test to become president but since Cruz has previously gotten direction through interpreting words given to his wife, I want to know if he will continue getting directions on big decisions in this manner as president.
To me, how he makes decisions is important because Cruzs willingness to compromise (something he hasnt shown much willingness to do) might be hindered by a believe that his position is Gods position. One of his advisors, David Barton, believes mans law cannot contradict Gods law. He also believes the Bible speaks authoritatively on public policy. It is a fair question to ask: Will Cruz run the country as a pastor or politician? Given his rhetoric and advisors, I cant support a candidate who thinks his positions are gospel rather than the offerings of a fallible man who is open to give and take.
Cruz dismisses climate change as religion
He has made several false statements about climate change science, including that the Earth has not warmed over the last 18 years (it has) and that there was a scientific consensus about global cooling in the 70s (not true). He seems to be on the same page as that great climate scientist David Barton.
He does with climate science what Barton and Beck do with history and social science. I simply cant trust someone who consistently mishandles the evidence.
Cruzs behavior toward Arab Christians
For the American Conservative, Rod Dreher wrote about a Cruz appearance before an Arab Christian audience where Cruz walked off in the middle of his speech. Dreher wrote:
Personally, I strongly believe in the US-Israel alliance. But it is not unlimited and unconditional, and you have to be out of your mind to expect Arab Christians to share the views of American Christian Zionists on the Israel issue. The idea that Ted Cruz would take the opportunity of these Arab Christians meeting in Washington to raise awareness of the genocide being perpetrated on their people sorry, our people, the Arab Christian people tells me everything I need to know about his sorry character. Whenever people talk about what a sleazebag Donald Trump is, I find myself nodding along in agreement, but then I remember that Ted Cruz did this to some of the most desperate people in the world. His own people! Christian people!
Cruzs promise to carpet bomb ISIS is reckless
Cruz promised on more than one occasion to carpet bomb ISIS. Either he doesnt know what carpet bombing is or he intends to target civilians. Either possibility is a serious problem. I also think his uninformed tough talk does little to build alliances in the Muslim world just when we need them the most. This problem is probably the result of my next serious concern.
Cruz would have to learn on the job
The Republicans rightly criticized Barack Obamas lack of experience in 2008. Cruz is open to the same concern. When Barack Obama left the Senate in November 2008, he had served just shy of four years. If Cruz wins the presidency, he will have served the same amount of time in the Senate. Most of what Cruz talks about is theoretical since he has no strong record of legislative accomplishment. Shutting down the government and alienating most GOP colleagues doesnt seem like a solid foundation for the kind of wise, experienced leadership one hopes for in a president. As is true of Trump, Cruz would not be ready to be president on day one.
I could go on and I might add to the list. Generally, Cruz is to the right of Ronald Reagan while he claims to be a Reagan Republican. I would not trust or feel safe with Cruz as president. I do not believe a mass deportation is moral and I dont believe the economy would survive it. Imagining his advisors as administration officials is frightening. There is no reason to expect that the partisan divide in D.C. would do anything but expand. Cruz has been unable to forge a working relationship with his own party, let along the political opposition. He seems to put his religious ideology ahead of sound science and political compromise.
Besides all of these considerations, Cruz consistently loses to Hillary Clinton in polls asking about voter preference in the general election. It should not be hard to see why Cruzs positions wont be attractive in the general election.
For all of these reasons, I simply cant vote for Ted Cruz in PAs primary or in November.
Forbes Magazine estimated that the deportation of approximately 12 million people would cost $114 billion. More recently, a Wall Street Journal analysis pegged the cost at around $400 billion.”
$114 billion is $10,000 each. Are we paying for a private jet to fly each of them individually back to Mexico ?
$400 billion is $30,000 each. Maybe we will buy each of them a new car and let them drive themselves?
Yeah, curiosity cat thing. I wanted to know about the web site and what made it tick. I must admit though it is probable the biggest religious web site (ie. various religions) on the net I had not heard of it enough to register.
Anyway, if this is any indication of what is typically there, I will give it a skip in the future.
Says it all for me. No wonder why I like Cruz.
What would a Canadian know about the trail of tears? My ancestors walked that trail. Ask them how disingenuous this spoken statement appears to be from Sen Ted the bear. The fact he knows he is not illegible and seems to feel it doesn’t matter to voters who think he is the cat’s pajamas really assassinates my intelligence. Where once it was felt there would be no problem in voting into office an i American citizen with no NBC credentials....now find it beyond the impossible to even consider the possibility. Sen Ted not only jumped the shark, he killed. it. Typical politician. Typical criminal mind.
And if you wait 15 minutes he will share your view for about as long as it takes to mis-speak it.
Good call. The Cherokee weren’t “winning”-—they already won, and Jackson ignored the USSC decision to evict them in violation of several treaties we had with them.
That’s a world of difference between what happened to them and deporting illegals who are here, again, ILLEGALLY, and who have no law whatsoever on their side.
BS
Carson was poling in Iowa in the week and days leading up to the caucuses at between + 9% and - 10% and ended up at IIRC 9.3%.
Carson torpedoed his own campaign by leaving before the caucus voting had even started, basically saying Ive got to go home for a nap and to do some laundry. And at the time had no campaign events scheduled in SC or anywhere else. Even some people working for his campaign saw it as a sign he was about to drop out and left.
You may be interested to recall that Carson had been leading in Iowa earlier, that was before Trump attacked him, comparing him to a sociopath and a pedophile, calling him an OK doctor and not even a very good one, saying that Carson was big into abortion and questioning Carsons religious faith.
His buddy bought rights ton Mrs. Trump photo that was leaked to his PAC in Utah.
BS again.
Nobody had to buy the rights to that photo used as its been all over the internet for years. Even GQ and the photographer of Melanias photoshoot say that no one asked their permission to use it. And they arent going to do anything about it because the controversy has resulted in a lot more hits to GQs website.
The anti-Trump PAC simply took the photo off the web and put it through a meme generator for their Facebook post and they were not the first or only ones to do so.
Did Donald have to purchase or get permission this photo also from GQ before he posted it to his Twitter account?
Not with a made-up name like "Warren Throckmorton."
And they can hold the fight at #Neverthink
Where’s the Barf Alert?
This guy is a illegal loving, climate change leftist, from what is posted here.
And from the comments here, a lot of freepers must subscribe to the notion of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Wow.
#NoCreepyCanadians
Sure beats the fast-assed busybodies we’ve been having!
George Bush Jr’s wife killed her ex-boyfriend by running into him on a remote country road.
I’ll take a super model over that or the wookie.
To be fair you can go to any beach and see that.
Obama's father was from Kenya.
That would be a wise investment when you consider the cost of supporting and caring for those 12 million illegals.
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