Posted on 04/13/2016 10:47:24 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Candidates like Donald Trump are exciting. Trump is guaranteed to bring out thousands to his events and generate copious decibels of noise. He has built a campaign on telling it like it is and refusing to be politically correct.
Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is boring. He brings hundreds to his events and utters Ronald Reagan’s name a few times to get the crowd going. His demeanor is confident but not quite as in-your-face as Trump is. But for those afraid of what Trump stands for, Cruz may be the far more dangerous candidate.
For one, Cruz is much more reliably conservative. For instance, Trump donated money to the Carter campaign — against Reagan no less. While Cruz has consistently advocated against abortion, Trump was pro-life until the last few years, and has just recently gotten harsher on issues like gun laws and health care.
I’m sure he has changed as a person, but Trump seems to be saying exactly what the people want to hear. President Trump would act differently than candidate Trump. As Jimmy Carter put it, Trump is “malleable” while Cruz is not.
The biggest difference between the two is that Cruz knows what he’s doing. Take last weekend’s Colorado nominating process, for example. I call it a process because it was not a primary, nor a caucus. At the nominating convention, “voters” decided the 34 delegates who would attend the national convention (the one in Cleveland). Cruz ended up with every single delegate.
The Cruz campaign had volunteers on the ground handing out lists of the delegates it wanted. Trump’s organization was not quite as extensive. This is a problem he has had throughout the primary campaign. As a result, Trump’s difficult delegate math got even tougher, and the odds of a contested convention got even bigger.
Trump’s problem is one shared by a lot of far-right candidates of his sort. The enthusiasm and energy are easy; the organization is much harder. Furthermore, these sorts of candidates elicit a response from all parts of the political spectrum — Ted Cruz has become the anti-Trump.
This is why far-right candidates and parties struggle to make head way, both in the US and in Europe. In France for instance, the National Front (FN) can never quite knock either of the traditionally powerful parties out of office. French elections can go to a runoff between the top two candidates, and if the FN is one of them, the rest of France unites to keep it out of office.
While the US is of course different, I think we could see that effect in November if Trump wins. He would elicit the same type of response that the FN does. Moderate independents and even some Republicans would ensure a Democratic victory. But I’m not sure Cruz would elicit this response. Even though he is historically more conservative in his views than Trump, he won’t be perceived as an extremist. And that’s what should make a Cruz candidacy scary for liberals.
Yeah, I noticed that, too.
Good question
Yep, there’s something happening. It’s far too mechanical.
Just like CW - she worked it like a job, every stinkin’ day. An agitator, too, in the threads.
You don’t do that for fun. You do that for cash.
Oh goody. Political analysis from a sophomore in college with no declared major
May as well post some Kathleen Parker
Unlike Chicago these middle age folks holding signs never made it inside the rally nor did they try and anger people around them or rush the stage
lol
Team Cruz has been efficient in inching out teeny weenie victories in the caucus states known for their dismal voter turnout. He won the Virgin Islands by 30 votes; Wyoming by 480 votes; Alaska by 600 votes; and Maine by 2,500. Here are the rounded total votes Cruz won in his nine winning states. Wyoming 620; Virgin Islands 200; Alaska 8,400; Maine 8,500; Kansas 35K; Iowa 52K; Utah 122K; and Okie 158K. These eight states total to about 385,000 votes.
And then came Ted’s most substantive win, from his home state of Texas 1,239,393.
Cruz’s grand total of winning votes in the nine states he prevailed is 1,724,000.
Note: need to add the WI vote totals into the above.
Hundreds? Kasich draws hundreds. When’s Ted going to say, ‘Please clap’?
Ouch...
Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Cruz is not who he appears to be. I would much sooner have an in your face what you see is what you get than a hypocrite that talks in the cadences of a minister to manipulate followers.
He’s a Goldman Sachs puppet!
From the GOP website that shows the latest delegate count:
Trump has 755 and needs 482
Cruz has 521 and needs 716
There are 798 remaining
Trump needs 60.4% of the remaining delegates.
Cruz needs 89.7% of the remaining delegates.
How is Cruz going to win 89.9% of the remaining delegates? It is a very nasty and calculating deception on the electorate. Most people don’t bother to do the math. The fact of the matter is in black and white. Cruz and Kasich should drop out. All I see them doing is pocketing the campaign contributions and profiteering from the election process.
https://www.gop.com/official-2016-gop-delegate-count/
This is what Jim Robinson said the other day:
“He’s [Cruz] not winning. He’s lost the primary vote and is now aiding and abetting the enemy (the GOPe) in their treasonous attempt to deny the nomination to the winner [Trump]. Cruz is a sore loser turned traitor against the grassroots voters. And the foolish neophyte thinks the GOPe is going to let him have a shot at the presidency if he helps them block Trump? Laughable if it wasn’t so serious.”
The reality: “It is time to wake up, get out of bed, put on some pants, put on your red hat and go to work to elect Donald J. Trump as our next President of the United States. It is time to stop pussy footing around!
Did you notice that Cincinatus’ Wife has “disappeared”? :)
My guess is there is just so much crap one can take from people who one believes was on the same side.
Facts don’t matter to Cruz.
Aims to win at any cost.
Win at any cost: Loot the election system.
Yep.
Trump on Fox ‘n Friends at the bottom of this hour.
Good night! I was going to post on the FR just a few hours and now it is way past my time to sleep. I will take a look at Fox and Friends anyway.
Yeah, life's great when you "end up" the delegates and don't have to suffer through all those voter citizen party members giving their opinion through an open vote. Life's just grand.
Trump is a Narcissistic blowhard that has no principles! He would have just as easily run as a democrat if he thought that he could have won the primary.
Aren’t you tired of these uber-rich/celebrity people thinking that they’re somehow special because they have a few billion bucks and a recognizable name?
He’s spent his life with a head start from Daddy’s money, buys influence, threatens and sues everyone else who stands in the way of what he wants.
Donald is no leader of the normal people, he is no Robin Hood, his greatest principles and interest is Donald Trump!
If he doesn’t get his way he would burn down the RNC just so he doesn’t have to admit that he’s a loser who can only get 37% ....barely more than one in three to support him.
I’ll vote for him if he’s the nominee, just because I hate Hillary, but the Donald is a highly flawed man, and will be a highly flawed leader.
-—I’ll vote for him if he’s the nominee, just because I hate Hillary, but the Donald is a highly flawed man, and will be a highly flawed leader.-—
I am amazed that so many cannot see the looming disaster of a Trump POTUS...
Trump has many unique skills that does him very well in terms of the business world...
Those same skills will be very difficult to transition into governing...
Government leadership is about leading parties though consensus and compromise to reach the best solution for all involved...
Trump is used to being king...he will quickly get bored with the whole thing...
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