Posted on 11/13/2015 11:18:05 AM PST by Isara
Rich wrote an excellent piece on Ted Cruz this morning, on why the Texas senator, in the face of bombproof organization, policy chops, and top debate performances, can't seem to generate media buzz. As Rich notes: "The Atlantic tracks candidate mentions on cable TV. In the past 100 days, Cruz ranks ninth among all presidential candidates from both parties, well behind Chris Christie and just above Kasich, both of whom are throwing Hail Marys for the nomination."
I agree with Rich. Ted Cruz gets no respect. But here's why that's a good thing.
Right now, in terms of coverage, the media's preferred GOP lineup - Trump, Carson, Rubio, and Bush - are in the throes of internecine strife. Maybe not intentionally. But media outlets like to pit front-runners against one another, and they do it well. I remember a month or so ago when Jeb Bush, on Morning Joe, criticized Rubio for his youth and inexperience, comparing his campaign to Barack Obama's back in 2008. Hope and change, and all that.
Talk about sparking the wires! I can't think of a single political reporter (including yours truly) who didn't pounce on that moment. It's the perfect drama: the mentor and his protege, a long-simmering feud at last breaking into the public square. The online ecosystem has followed the story obsessively since.
And then, of course, there's Trump and Carson. The media's not orchestrating that one so much as it's been handed to them on a platter. Take yesterday in Iowa: when Trump should have been touting his candidacy in forward-looking terms, he wasted all of his oxygen on Carson. "How stupid are the people of Iowa...to believe this crap?" he ranted. It was media gold. If you don't believe me, just take a few moments to scroll through Twitter.
Anyways, my point: you're not seeing this obsessive coverage of Cruz, because his campaign isn't tethered to that sort of narrative. (At least not yet.) And that's not an accident: From day one, Cruz has been playing the long game, and it's starting to pay off. He's gone through the majority of this primary season unscathed, playing nice with others, hanging back until he finds his window. He's letting others pick the fights, a strategy demonstrated pointedly during Tuesday's debate. As Rubio and Rand Paul fought it out over defense spending, the camera suddenly panned to Cruz. Maybe we'd have more money for defense spending, he said with a feigned casualness, if we'd get rid of, oh, I don't know, corporate welfare like sugar subsidies.
It was a direct jab at Rubio, albeit it unnamed. Cruz knows he's catching on with voters, and he's provoking his challengers accordingly. Subtly, but just enough to catch fire.
Rubio knows this, and he's now centering his line of attack on Cruz's immigration stance. For Rubio, who's stayed mum on immigration for most of this primary - Gang of Eight, and all that - it's a gutsy move.
But Rubio is doing exactly what other candidates - and what the media - will soon realize is vital. Finding Cruz's weak spots, taking real notice of the candidate who could upend every narrative we've become accustomed to this cycle. And that's harder to do when caucuses loom nearer and nearer.
Is that disrespect? Maybe. But it's exactly the kind that Cruz has preferred all along.
Sure. The media has no bias and Reuters plays it straight.
And to observe the media's bias over many decades is paranoia.
In fact we should cancel elections and just use media paid-for polls. They certainly can't be corrupted and it's paranoid to think that they might.
LOL.
After the past to debates, Reuters and several others have come out with polls that absolutely crushes any Cruz support.
None of that changes the fact that in 2015 the vast silent majority is supporting Trump and that currently he is the only candidate running that can actually beat Hillary.
For now that is.
Don't get me wrong. I think Cruz has a lot more support than what shows in the Reuters poll.
There is no way Cruz has only 7%.
Be patient its coming.
“None of that changes the fact that in 2015 the vast silent majority is supporting Trump.”
Where is the evidence for that? I’m not sure there is any evidence that Trump is growing his numbers, and the more statements like the ones he made yesterday are going to make him more unpopular.
I like Trump for not being politically correct, but he stretches that beyond the pale sometimes. This personal attack against Carson is going to backfire, just like all the media attacks against Carson have.
If anybody has a silent majority, I think it’s Cruz. The people are looking for an “outsider”, but Cruz is the only insider who has a record of fighting like an outsider in practice, with a record to prove it. Once the dominoes start falling (candidates drop out), I can see Cruz collecting voters like crazy.
It’s a long haul. Trump has not won anything yet. Let’s see how things go when votes are cast and counted. I respect Trump’s success, and his hard-nosed persona - but on policy substance, Cruz is by far my favorite candidate.
Somehow, I don't think it changes anybody's mind.
So far.. Trump is the ONLY candidate speaking TRUTHFULLY to the people, and they're acknowledging it with their support.
I keep saying.. "He's the MAN with the PLAN" that people are buying.
“Where is the evidence for that?”
Simple - the unmatched numbers and energy at Trump’s rallies. Anyone who has taken the time to pay attention to that knows no other candidate except Sanders pulls in crows like Trump does.
Policy substance won’t guarantee a win against Hillary. If there is no win against Hillary no amount of policy substance will matter.
I don’t believe it’s that simple. If those crowds were really out of the norm, we’d see much bigger numbers from Trump. He’s been in the mid-20s for months.
We’ll see what happens when candidates start dropping off.
Cruz is a planner - he HAS to be, that's what good litigators do. He is also a deep thinker - and I think that he's the brightest person running for President by quite a lot. A deep-thinking planner who loves this nation - that's my choice for POTUS, bar none.
BUT...
...if you can't win, you don't get a chance to do what all of that deep thinking and planning tell you to do to fix things. I am extremely concerned that he can't win - it isn't that the media hate him (of course they do, but the same will apply to ANY candidate running against Hillary). It is that his appeal isn't generally to the broad masses - he doesn't resonate much with the Reagan Democrat type, simply because he is known as a very partisan, very right-wing, politician. That he would be widely admired like Reagan was is, IMHO, likely - after being elected...and that's the problem.
Trump is electable, and at this point I fear that Cruz isn't. I pray that Trump picks Cruz as his Veep - that'd give Cruz phenomenal exposure to foreign affairs, etc., and lots of exposure to the public. He'd be a shoe-in in 2024.
I would, however, be extraordinarily happy to vote for him - he really is my first choice, and I've donated to him (and will do so again).
Check post 12 then link a video of any other candidate drawing the vast and energetic crowds Trump does.
Trump is part entertainer. It’s what he does. That’s a lot of the appeal.
I’m not surprised they’re rabid, because he attracts that kind of crowd. They reflect his boisterous personality.
It’s obviously working for him in a big way - SO FAR. But we have a long way to go.
Also, keep in mind that I believe he has the lowest “likeability” ratings of any other candidate.
Correction. His “favorable” ratings are high, but his “unfavorable” ratings are probably the highest of any Republican candidate.
Then why does Trump draw the largest and most energetic rally crowds?? It’s is an undeniable fact he does.
“Trump is part entertainer. It’s what he does.”
Why is Trump labeled a “celebrity” candidate when he’s bought tens of millions of dollars worth of John Deere equipment?? It’s ignorance that spawns that label, ignorance of what Trump has actually done in the business world. It’s ignorance of Trumps economic intelligence.
As I just said, he has the highest favorable, but I believe he also has the highest unfavorable rating of the Republican candidates.
People either love him or hate him.
Notice I said “part” entertainer. Can you deny he has that aspect of him?
I never said he wasn’t intelligent, and I’m not ignorant. I like what he’s been able to do in the business world, and I like a lot of what he brings to the table, but not everybody thinks so.
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