Ted Cruz’s 'Secret' Skill That No President Has Likely Had Since Thomas Jefferson

Independant Journal Review ^ | October 29, 2015 | Britt D.B.

[Isara]

Ted Cruz's "Audiographic" Memory | "Glenn Beck Radio Program" (Video)

On Glenn Beck’s radio show, the pundit recently discussed a little known tidbit about Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Watch: How to debate like Senator Ted Cruz https://t.co/rIK6SOmQdq pic.twitter.com/0Fl5WAADrg

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 30, 2015

Apparently Cruz, whose famed 2013 marathon filibuster speech over defunding Obamacare jumped across a range of topics, has an uncanny capability to remember things he hears verbatim.

Beck claims the Senator possesses the rare ability to mentally lock down any conversation like a recorded audio file, a phenomenon known as "audiographic memory.”

According to The Blaze, Cruz disclosed to Beck that he has this special gift, but he reportedly isn’t overly vocal about it because he doesn’t want people to view him as “a robot,” and is just "not comfortable talking about it."

Beck says that this specific skill would be an amazing asset for a future president, especially during sit-downs with foreign dignitaries:

"To be able to sit down - if you could just watch all the tapes of Vladimir Putin, nobody is getting around him."

In a profile of Cruz in The New Yorker, one of the Senator’s early teachers, Winston Elliot III, remarked on Cruz’s impressive memorization skills:

"Ted was just an amazing speaker at fourteen, by far the most impressive student we ever had."

He added:

“Our program is very much committed to private property, free markets, and constitutionally limited government. When it came to the Constitution, Rolland was a great believer in original intent, and so the focus was very much on what the Constitution says.

We brought in a memorization expert. We wanted them to focus on the words. Ted was just an ideal student, because he just absorbed everything, and he came from a conservative family in the first place."

Co-host Pat Gray even posited that Cruz’s rare ability has likely only been shared by one president in U.S. history: Thomas Jefferson.

[Isara]

FYI

[huldah1776]

I’m visual. Remember what I see, not what I hear. Glad, too, because reading is so much faster than listening, especially to Carson.

[Politicalkiddo]

That’s fantastic. I’ve always wanted to have an ability like that.

[Wonder Warthog]

"I’m visual. Remember what I see, not what I hear. Glad, too, because reading is so much faster than listening, especially to Carson."

Ditto that, on all points. I am particularly bad with names. I never forget a person's face, but unless they happen to be wearing a name tag, I'm likely to not remember their name as soon as the next day.

[circlecity]

"Co-host Pat Gray even posited that Cruz’s rare ability has likely only been shared by one president in U.S. history: Thomas Jefferson."

Teddy Roosevelt was reported to have had a photographic memory and could recite verbatim long passages of text he had previously read.

[glorgau]

I used to have a photographic memory. When taking a test in school, I’d just re-read the page in the book or the answer from the quiz. Pretty much went away in my teen years but I still have a better memory for detail than most.

[circlecity]

This is a talent which can be developed. It was not uncommon in ancient days when most people did not know how to read and write. Messengers would memorize long speeches given by great leaders, or would memorize very long instructions to be conveyed to someone else. It was common to begin training people in this art at a very young age and it was a skill which could lead to a very lucrative profession.

[Spunky]

Ping for later

[catbertz]

I’ve suffered with this as well. I frequently forget peoples names in a matter of minutes. When I was younger, I would meet cute girls and sometimes forget their name while still talking to them. What a pain! I’ve researched and developed strategies to cope somewhat.

[Family Guy]

I also have a pornogra...I mean, a photographic memory. :)

[Politicalkiddo]

That sucks. :/

[Ben Ficklin]

So compare Cruz and Obama, each a first termer attempting using the senate seat as a springboard into the presidency.

Both men have top notch rhetorical skills, and both are telegenic.

The dems recognized Obama's potential so he was given choice committee assignments. Cruz was not.

Obama was given the keynote speech at the 2008 Dem convention. The 2012 GOP keynote speech went to the NJ fatboy.

Obama fitted well into the dem party. Cruz is at war with the GOP party.

[twister881]

As a kid, I just wanted a pair of X-Ray Specs to...well, you know...

[Politicalkiddo]

How’d that work out for you?

[mywholebodyisaweapon]

“Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life.”

[catnipman]

“I used to have a photographic memory.”

Me too, at least briefly when I intensely studied for my Masters Degree in Computer Science.

I suspect more children than we realize have photographic memories, but I also suspect that unless this facility is actively developed and kept tuned up by continuous usage, it can fade pretty quickly.

In other words, it can help a youngster pass tests without working hard and make them look like they are really smart, but if the youngster is a lazy student and doesn’t work to keep the facility sharp over the course of advanced studies, then they’ll likely use it.

[glorgau]

but if the youngster is a lazy student and doesn’t work to keep the facility sharp over the course of advanced studies, then they’ll likely use it.

So, you're calling me lazy youngster ;-)

[gattaca]

bump

[sparklite2]

The last person I recall who had audiographic memory was John Dean, and we saw how THAT worked out. BTW, if you come across a copy of Silent Coup, read it. You'll come away with a new appreciation of Mo Dean.

[twister881]

Aww, it was a gyp! ;)