Posted on 12/14/2015 3:36:55 AM PST by markomalley
When the school bully starts glowering in your direction, the worst thing you can do is hold up your hands and say, “Please don’t hit me.” It’s a lesson most of us learn in the schoolyard, but one that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz seems to have forgotten.
Now, here comes the knuckle sandwich.
Cruz, who is making a strong run in Republican presidential primary polling, has done everything he can to put off an inevitable showdown with frontrunner Donald Trump. The reluctance is understandable – Trump’s attacks on other candidates in the race have been devastatingly effective. To avoid them, Cruz has refused to seriously confront some of the billionaire’s most outrageous statements, and he has repeatedly said how glad he is to have Trump in the race.
Late last week though, the mask slipped ever so slightly. In a closed-door meeting with supporters last week, according to a recording obtained by The New York Times, Cruz suggested that voters might be concerned Trump doesn’t have the “judgment” necessary to be in charge of nuclear weapons. Further, he said that his repeated praise of Trump has been calculated to assure that when the former reality television star falters, he will collect “the lions share” of trump voters.
Cruz at first tried to cast doubt on the accuracy of The Times story, but when the audio was released, he could no longer deny it. Instead, he took to social media to proclaim that he doesn’t want to fight with Trump, whom he referred to as “terrific.”
Trump took a few lazy swipes at Cruz on social media heading into the weekend, but it was in two taped interviews for CNN’s State of the Union and Fox News Sunday that he revealed the line of attack he’s planning to use.
And, in keeping with the schoolyard bully metaphor, it boils down to: “Nobody likes you!”
Okay, even Trump is more subtle than that, at least sometimes. What he went after Cruz for was his “temperament,” saying that the Texan doesn’t have the personality to be president.
Many will no doubt view it as beyond parody that a thin-skinned former reality television star, who lashes out on social media and in public remarks at the most trivial of slights, should be talking about his opponent’s temperament. But, as with a lot of the attacks Trump has leveled on his opponents in the past, there’s a grain of truth in his criticisms that he will, by constant repetition, try to force into the minds of Cruz supporters.
In this case, it’s that people who know Ted Cruz just don’t like him.
By most accounts, Cruz is loathed by many of his fellow Republicans in the Senate, to the point where he is now often refused common legislative courtesies. Journalists have done multiple pieces exploring Cruz’s background, and with few exceptions they find former colleagues and acquaintances practically standing in line to say they can’t stand him. Now Trump appears to have made the decision that Cruz’s inability to make people like him is his biggest vulnerability.
Asked by CNN host Jake Tapper on Sunday morning why voters should prefer him to Cruz, Trump said, “Because I’m more capable. Because I have a much better temperament. Because I actually get along with people much better than he does.
“People don’t know that about me. I actually have a great relationship with people. In fact I was criticized at the beginning because I get along with Democrats and liberals and Republicans and conservatives. I get along with everybody...”
“And he doesn’t?” Tapper cut in.
“No, I don’t think he does,” Trump replied.
He went further in a conversation with Fox News, after host Chris Wallace asked him about comments Cruz made
“Do you notice he said it behind my back?” Trump began. “Look, I don’t think he’s qualified to be president, because I don’t think he has the right temperament. I don’t think he’s got the right judgment.”
“When you look at the way he’s dealt with the Senate, where he goes in there, frankly, like a little bit of a maniac. You’re never going to get things done that way. Look, I built a phenomenal business. I’m worth many, many billions of dollars. I have some of the greatest assets anywhere in the world. You can’t walk into the Senate and scream and call people liars and not be able to cajole and get along with people. He’ll never get anything done, and that’s the problem with Ted.”
It’s a criticism that works on two levels. First, the fact that many people who know Cruz genuinely dislike him is seeping into the public consciousness, and could have an effect on how he is viewed by voters who haven’t yet made up their minds. However, it points out that Cruz has a relatively skimpy list of legislative accomplishments, in part because he is a first-term senator, but also in part because his colleagues don’t want to work with him.
As one observer on Twitter put it Sunday morning, “Trump is like a heat-seeking missile for the other candidate's fatal flaw.” We’ll see how many hits Cruz can tolerate.
Fascinating. Trump is honing in on Cruz’s main vulnerability - his stiffness of personality coupled with his extreme intelligence. These should not be crippling, but in today’s world where many vote are won on personality and popularity, Cruz has a problem.. While Trump’s conservatism will never match Cruz’s, he far surpasses Cruz on popularity and possess a more winnable magnetic personality than Cruz. Always keep in mind, it is the national election that must be won, not just the Republican primary.
Sundance doing more good work this weekend.
Trump would make more sense if he’d criticize Cruz’s hair. That’d be more in keeping with his lack of self-awareness about the irony of his attacks on Cruz.
I think the comment “nobody likes you” is a good and above the belt shot, as is Cruz’es “right temperament” comment.
Trumps should be putting out feelers to members involved in house and senate races, seeing if he can convince them his coat tails will be long and broad ... even if he has to go outside the party and gin up tea party candidates to run against establishment candidates. He needs to show the GOPe that if they broker him out of the convention they may be brokering the Senate out as well.
Something like that. He needs to put pressure on Rank and File house and Senate members up for re-election or are challenging an entrenched incumbent.
Trump has no PAC, but I’m pretty sure his word is gold in some quarters and if he helps direct campaign contributions to his supporters running for house and senate seats it will help him too. A rising tide lifts all boats.
Cruz doesn’t need to throat-punch Trump.. yet. Ted will apply exactly the right response... at a time, venue and method of his choosing.
Well stated
Cruz told the truth. Trump is a nut case with money. He has never been conservative and never will.
He is pushing all the right buttons cause he wants this. Tried to get GHWB to let him be VP.
i will reply to you this one time.
HORSEFEATHERS!
Both are galaxies more likeable than hrc.
Ted has a lot of people fooled...
Curious that the audio was leaked from a closed meeting of supporters. Either someone was a mole, or Cruz wanted it leaked.
Work magic with THIS Congress as a Senator who isn’t on the take from Mitch and his gang? No one could. A revolution starts with one man of conviction. Here, he wasn’t alone. Remember, Utah Senator Mike Lee stood with him and others, of somewhat lessor courage stood nearby.
BUT, as President? How about two or three REAL Conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, appointments to the Federal bench and running the administrative agencies with a free hand.
It will be awesome!
Does going against the political establishment, RINOs we all disdain, practically alone and not being able to make a deal they will never support mean you are a failure? Is not the act of rebellion what we need? Where are all the Tea Party politicians? Are they failures?
The fact that most in The Senate don’t like Cruz is a MAJOR SELLING POINT
I don’t like most of THEM...
Trump did not actually say that- this is the reporters words
I tend to think that Trump has gone to the well way too often. Now, in addition to Ted Cruz, he has attacked Bibi Netanyahu and Antonin Scalia. And without any real provocation. Oh, and ... he pandered to Iowa corn farmers by promising more government bailouts (subsidies).
I think Trump has jumped the shark. And for a guy, who's negative rating (-30%) is as high as his positive ratings (and it' gonna climb after this), to say that nobody likes Ted Cruz is laughable.
Another reason to dislike the calculated Cruz......who is not a very likeable person to begin with. An honest candidate campaigns on his own strengths. Cruz believes he cant win on his own.....and he's right bout that.
you are deluding yourself - he took a damned swipe at Cruz and American oil that comes out of Rachel Maddow’ most lurid leftist fantasy.
Dude, you need to quit being obsessed with WHO and think WHY for a reason. He attacked FROM THE LEFT FROM THE LEFT FROM THE LEFT.
Ethanol is NOT part of any sensible all of the above. And no, Cruz is not against all energy subsidies. You are cherry picking because you cannot handle reality.
not nearly as many as Trump.....
And here's a few more discouraging words. Trump might start hitting Cruz on his votes for the lefty Corker bill and fast-tracking Obama's beloved TPP.
<><> Cruz's fast-tracking TPP vote......knowing Obama considers TPP central to his presidential legacy and to his foreign policy and economic legacies.
<><> Cruz's vote on the Corker bill is a landmine....Corker rallying the radical left to protect Obama on the $150 billion Iran nuclear deal giveaway.
<><> Cruz calling for a 500% increase in H1b work visas.
_____________________________________________
American workers DESPISE H1B Visas. A massive expansion of H1Bs puts struggling Americans out of work.
No 'conservative' in their right mind would ever vote for deals which put Americans out of work. Cruz will not change his position on H1B visas....b/c pro-amnesty Goldman Sachs contributes to his campaign (Cruz's wife is a Goldman Sachs exec).
Club For Growth likes Cruz - they are also for amnesty open borders. ===========================================
Cruz also has highly suspect ties to those Hillary lovers, the Democratic-centric, Goldman Sachs, and, the Council on Foreign Relations.
Cruz's wife is a Goldman Sachs exec.
Mrs Cruz served on the North American Union task force, and supported their report called---'Building a North American Community."
The North/South border effort was sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations in association with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales.
Translated into English, that means forget US sovereignty....just eradicate US borders.
To be fair, Cruz renounced his Canadian citizenship....recently.
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