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.
The audio of what Cruz said about Trump and Carson....
If your going to say something about someone, say it to their face, or say it in public, loyalty is something earned not given.....
Trump is death on loyalty and he doesn't put up with a liar either....
In either case, we don’t have to love the guy or even like him. We need someone who will kick ass and not waffle to be nice or ‘reach across the aisle’. General Patton was no sweetheart!
I like Cruz and will be voting for him.
I’m still praying for Trump-Cruz 2016.
“Temperament” is not a qualification Donald.
“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.â€
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That statement by Trump ought to slow down all the “Trump/Cruz ticket” posters..................but it won’t.
How could Trump ever ask Cruz to join him on the ticket when he just said, “I don’t think he’s qualified”?
We need to erase the Supreme Court panel and re-staff it with patriotic Americans.
Thomas and Scalia can stay, however.
Nutcase? Nutcases don’t amass billions of dollars through hard work and raise children who love and respect them.
Vote for Trump!
He can do magic!!!!!
Cruz told the truth. Trump is a nut case with money.
Oh, libby....here you go with the name calling and projecting again. Here’s how we have to make this understandable, for you....
TRUMP told the truth. Cruz is a nut case with PAC money.
Populist Demagogue vs Principled Conservative.
I need to double check my history and see how that has worked out in the past. I have this vague memory.....
Not to mention...Trump likely realizes that (majority of) Cruz’ base have said they’ll have nothing to do with Trump...even if Cruz were on the ticket. So, there’s that :- /
Thanks for pinging me to that link :)
Name me one conservative in the Senate or elsewhere who doesn’t like Cruz. He’s praised by all the conservative radio hosts and public figures like Palin. He has conservative allies in Congress like Mike Lee and Steve King.
It’s not his fault the Senate is packed with liberals, RINOs and generally corrupt people who hate him for exposing their dirty laundry and betrayals.
Jesus Christ probably had the same ratio of people who liked him vs. didn’t like him. No one who is trying to be an agent of serious, positive change in a corrupt system would have any different.
GO CRUZ!
More lies about Cruz from the Trump-a-maniacs. Cruz and Sessions just came out with a bill to reform the H-1B program with more restrictions on them:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3371276/posts?page=105
I like both Trump and Cruz and could vote for either over any other candidate. It baffles me that people are surprised that they eventually will clash- they are both running for ONE position. And that the bulk of senators don’t like Cruz is a compliment the same as that RINO and liberals hate them both.
How did that end? Ted Cruz/John 3:16; Kind of a different situation?
Cruz has said on TV many times that Trump won’t get the nomination and he expects to get the lion’s share of votes from Trump’s former supporters. This “secret” audio was nothing new.
Do we really need a 3rd grader in the White House?
Since Trump was talking about Cruz relationship with the senate I would say he is right.
The senate does not like Cruz.
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