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.
Cruz’ team has a brilliant grasp on social media, electronic tracking, marketing, etc., the same kind of stuff that propelled Obama to victory. Trump has said “the RNC is going to help him” if he wins the nomination. Trump doesn’t have the kind of smart, advanced, cutting-edge infrastructure Cruz does. And he would need it because the RNC will try to destroy either one of their campaigns from the inside.
Which your candidate is the master of all masters.
Cruz has held one elected office. Does that mean if Trump gets elected, he’ll suddenly be a “politician” too? So I guess you won’t support Trump for re-election in 2020 because then he’ll be just another politician?
Cruz was a Tea Party candidate, one of us, who defeated the establishment to get elected to office, is hated by them and has fought them whenever they wanted to cave into the Democrats. Anything you say to the contrary is lies, lies and more lies from a committed Trump-a-maniac.
LOL!!
IMO, Cruz is the natural inheritor of most who abandon the Carson, Fiorina and Trump camps. IMO if he sticks it out and runs his own campaign, he should win the nomination. If it goes to a brokered convention he may even win the second vote but its very likely the insiders will push against him. But obviously the gop voters are (deservedly) anti-establishment. The leaders in the race are all basically outsiders: Trump, Carson, Fiorina all never held office and Cruz is young, newly elected (though he held statewide office it was an office that is elected but not very political in duties) and planted himself outside the main and pro small government. Combined these 4 garner huge majority leads. It tells us that the party is sick of the party. But the mainstream pretends it is not so.
Rubio IMO will amass most of the mainline support, eventually, as soon as Bush and his supporters accept they cannot win. But with his huge cash pile and country club support he is unlikely to quit the race before the convention. Indeed if it appears the convention will be brokered he will hang on hoping to cut a deal, as will many others.
IMO, Cruz need not respond to all of Trump’s taunts. I’ve seen him in interviews he’s gotten better at answering in ways that define his agenda and avoids pitfalls and traps. Media tries hard to get him to speak soundbites that they hope to isolate and use against him later. He knows it, so he avoids it to his credit IMO. I say this is one area (Trump, and MSM taunts) where he is wise to just run his own campaign.
..heard the recent Cruz speech at Heritage. It was a brilliant and detailed plan for foreign policy. I simply cannot understand the hostile statements against Cruz written by some Trump people on FR. At the end of the day, both camps need each other—policy and style differences between the candidates notwithstanding...
Except people actually liked Reagan.
I want you to ask yourself ONE question: What kind of judges would Trump give us...verses Cruz?
The longest lasting legacy of a president is the USSC appointee. It's also the most important job they have...ALL of the federal judges. If you think for one second that Trump would appoint CONSTRUCTIONIST judges because he is a principles conservative...you've had too much kool-aid. If you think Trump would appoint judges that are strong conservatives...you are delusional. He's appointments would be to the left of Kennedy and Roberts for certain. Your hopes of getting a Scalia or Thomas to replace the libs when they leave are ZERO.
Believe what you want. Cruz is not one of you or one of us. Cruz is for Cruz and he’s a politician that will say and do anything he has to to get elected. If you think he speaks for you, more power to you. I’m for Trump.
Trump says what’s on his heart...and on the heart of We the People....in public.
Some may not like it (like the MSM/establishment) but, he doesn’t hold back and tells it like it is.....publicly. Not in private with high $ donors, and then later try to back peddle or flat out deny saying it.
Sounds like your candidate is the master of pleasing his masters. And, American’s are tired of politicians who are beholden to their masters.
With deep pocket donors to the campaign who will demand something in return? It's just the opposite of what Mr. Trump's campaign is about.
Double ditto. Can’t understand why people here at FR would support a Democrat to win the GOP Presidential nomination.
Oh goody. Let’s support a candidate who intends to manipulate the voters just like Obama did. Do you suppose it will end as well as our current administration has? I won, I have a pen, I’ll do what I want.
What has Ted accomplished in Congress other than voting for TPA and the Iran bill?
Very well said. :)
He’s appointments would be to the left of Kennedy and Roberts for certain. Your hopes of getting a Scalia or Thomas to replace the libs when they leave are ZERO.
Only, Trump has publicly called out Roberts’ terrible decision. He’s also said he likes Thomas and Scalia. So, the chances of him appointing similar are closer to 100%.
What has he accomplished in Congress? Voted for the Iran bill ?
And this is used as a negative by Trump?
Let's look at how people who've dealt with Trump in his world see him:
"......Among people who have done business with Trump are many who feel they have been abused by him. Tama Starr, president of the sign-design company Artkraft Strauss (which lowered the Times Square silver ball that marked New Year's Eve for decades), has written about what she calls "the ugly art of Trump's deals." She and others have told me that it's common for Trump to pay 80 percent of a project, withhold the remainder of what is owed by claiming dissatisfaction with the work, and then force creditors to either give up on payment or engage in expensive litigation that might cost more than the money owed.
Donald Trump's big talk, braggadocio, and boldness have carried him far. But "gravity" - the wearing off of his freshness, the cumulative weight of his excesses, and voters taking a closer look at him before they actually cast a ballot - might well bring Trump down to earth, as Cruz recently suggested in a speech to a group of donors. Even Superman became weak and vulnerable when exposed to kryptonite, and in Trump's case, the equivalent could be exposure to a political environment in which his 91 percent name ID is "trumped" by voters' decision to finally compare him with other lesser-known candidates." Source
Reading the headlines this morning, and reading this post... we are in such a mess I fear for the future of our country and all of us. As a Cruz and Trump supporter, I find myself tired of Trump’s lack of being able to communicate in a manner that would put him so much above everyone else in the race. With so much going for him, he’s squandering his chances.. and we can’t afford to lose this time!!!!!
And Cruz is going into uncharted territory with his attacks on Trump. Both of these men work better if they refrain from the jabs. We can’t afford to lose this time!!!!
To have a felon on the dems side... and to have people who dismiss all of her bad points... is troubling and scares the heck out of me. We can’t afford to lose this time!!!!
With the dumb rocks who vote.. and the illegal activity that goes on in the voting booths.... we are in a heap of trouble and we can’t afford to lose this time!!!
We have many good men on the Republican side... and we cannot choose one who can win in all of this mess... none of them are a cinch to win... and I guess hillary has her dumb rocks and illegals who can overlook who she is.. and we can’t do the same or better to our good men? We are being ripped apart by the media, the perfectionists and the GOP.
We can’t afford to lose this time!!! And I fear we might.
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