Cruz Is Playing the Media Perfectly

NatRev ^ | 12/28/15 | S. Miller

[VinL]

One thing that frustrated even the most ardent supporters of George W. Bush's administration was his refusal to hit back hard at over the top, abominable personal attacks against him and his family, including his daughters, by those in the media and in the culture at large.

Bush revered the office of the president and, unlike his successor, held it to a higher standard than did gutter snipes such as Sean Penn or the New York Times. This is why Newt Gingrich drew cheers and praise during the 2012 election cycle when he hit back at the media for its open bias.

Who can forget that CNN's John King opened a primary debate by asking Gingrich questions about his ex wife (something to remember every time we're told Bill Clinton is off limits)?

This election cycle, the role of credible media tormentor has been notably filled not by Donald Trump but by Ted Cruz, and it's resonating more because Cruz has a clearer path to the nomination than Gingrich did in 2012.

What started out with Internet memes and social-media snickers at Cruz culminated last week in Ann Telnaes’s cartoon at the Washington Post in which she depicted Cruz's daughters as trained, leashed monkeys. The Post withdrew the illustration but did not apologize. Even primary competitor Marco Rubio, a father of young daughters himself, took a break from his fight with Cruz over immigration to defend the Texas senator.

Telnaes, whose Twitter wallpaper features a Charlie Hebdo cartoon, played the victim and censorship cards when criticized by Cruz and his supporters. What Telneas and our other brave truth tellers in media somehow don’t understand is that we on the right don’t care about the attack on Cruz as much as we care about the double standard of the media.

Telnaes has the courage to satirize Ted Cruz’s children but not Mohammed. That’s why she’s not Charlie Hebdo. For my part, I wish the Washington Post had left the Cruz cartoon up. Cruz’s response to Telnaes may have caught some pundits off guard, but for those following him and his campaign, it was vintage Cruz.

He did not respond with bomb throwing tweets or statements that generate page clicks or mentions on cable news, and the Post's attempts to anger Cruz enough so he’d hulk out into The Incredible Trump failed. He responded simply by defending his daughters, then by posting a cartoon of his own that portrayed the Washington Post and the New York Times as Hillary Clinton’s leashed lapdogs.

It's perfect red meat for his supporters, and the media fall into their own trap. This has to be painfully frustrating for pundits and personalities who are attempting to goad Cruz into a fight that would prove he's not as culturally savvy as Buzzfeed and IJ.com are making him out to be. This is becoming a pattern for Cruz.

Whether he's halting the debate antics of an obnoxious moderator, responding to the incoherent Twitter rant of a pop star, or debating a Hollywood actress attempting to ambush him with cameras for her own show, Cruz is proving that he's a savvy professional with a deft ability to handle the media.

For those who are eager to see just how far they can push conservative candidates, how far they can go in attempting to Palinize conservatives out of mainstream culture altogether — Cruz must come as an unpleasant shock. (snip)

[VinL]

It's not even a fair contest. Cruz is far the intellectual and tactical superior to any of the current dwarf candidates. Just a matter of counting the delegates now.

The Establishment is so right in fearing Cruz more than Trump. In Cruz, one has a pro life, anti LGBT, limited government conservative with a proven conservative record since he was 14 years old.

Absolutely incredible that some on FR have caved and forsaken their conservatism -- but that's why I support Cruz-- he has solid principles, he'll never cave.

[Navy Patriot]

Cruz Is Playing the Media Perfectly

And the Enemedia so well deserve being played. I would hope, until their heads explode in frustration.

[conservativejoy]

I agree with Rush...

WALLACE: Ted Cruz.

LIMBAUGH: Brilliant, and conservative through and through. Trustworthy, strong, confident, leader, and somebody in whom you can totally depend.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Cruz has survived years of bashing from the MSM, Dems, and GOPe. That is one of the reasons he scares them all. As many of us thought, once he was able to get out of DC and actually start a conversation with America his numbers would move.

Despite what some say, the media hasn't even gotten started on his main competition. And why would they? They want him for the ratings right now.

[sagar]

Forget the stupid media, Cruz needs to hit back at Trump. With just a month remaining before the primary starts, he needs to kick ass and take names. There are too many candidates right now. Make it Trump vs Cruz and all conservatives will have to think hard between a twice divorced populist megalomaniac versus a rock solid conservative.

[demshateGod]

Why are there no Cruz threads in Breaking News/Front Page News?

[dforest]

Yeah, 3 whole years! Oh, the agony.

[VanDeKoik]

"It's not even a fair contest. Cruz is far the intellectual and tactical superior to any of the current dwarf candidates. Just a matter of counting the delegates now. "

Oh please.

Why dont you just anoint him the 2nd son of God, avoid the whole primary, swear him in tomorrow for as president for life and promptly chisel a face on a mountain.

For a guy that leads in 1-2 polls in Iowa, and literally no where else, you guys seem to have mouths bigger than what you say Trump is supposed to have.

"Absolutely incredible that some on FR have caved and forsaken their conservatism "



And this concludes the hourly Cruz supporter Virtue Signal. Remember, if you dont support Cruz, you are a fake conservative that doesn't believe in the constitution.....because reasons.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Which is two and a half more than his major competition.

[dforest]

How is Cruz supposed to “hit back” at Trump when Trump isn’t hitting Cruz?

Perhaps you mean “attack” Trump.

[dforest]

His major competition has many years on Cruz. Cruz was still crapping his diapers.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

*snort* hahahahaha! Cruz is the master of the media now. How many millions has Cruz paid for advertisements and in how many states is he leading?

[gov_bean_ counter]

How old are you?

[Bryanw92]

>>Absolutely incredible that some on FR have caved and forsaken their conservatism

Oh geez. How often does this meme have to repeat? You sound like the 13 year old girl who writes the MoveOn.org emails. (”Oooh. Like, it’s such a SHAME that everyone doesn’t agree with us. They’re baaaad people.”)

It isn’t 1988 anymore! The world that your brand of perfect conservatism exists in is like a town in a model train layout. We aren’t the Center-Right nation on the Left=Socialism/Right=Free Market scale we once were. We are a Far Left and Far Right nation on the European model (Left=Globalism/Right=Nationalism).

Look around. Your middle class neighbor is living on unemployment since his job went to China. His 30 year old son is living at home. Your paycheck buys less every year but the stock market hits record highs.

Cruz is a great guy, but we need someone who can steer this ship away from the rocks. That might require a leader who knows when to issue Ahead Flank on some screws and Back Emergency on the others in addition to the rudder orders. Cruz is a rudder only guy.

[Redbob]

"And the Enemedia so well deserve being played. I would hope, until their heads explode in frustration."

Must be what happened to that CNN anchorbabe "Poppy" Something-or-other...

[CatherineofAragon]

"Yeah, 3 whole years! Oh, the agony."

Spoken in total ignorance of Cruz's career going all the way back to Texas.

And in stark contrast with Trump's six months of "conservatism."

[gov_bean_ counter]

And all those years he was the darling of Democrats, so what is your point?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Is that your way of saying: "He's spent millions and isn't leading anywhere except, MAYBE, Iowa"?

How much has Trump spent on ads? 250,000.

The numbers don't lie. Cruz the master of the media? Only in the dreams of the same people who spam Trump threads to defend a candidate who lies about his immigration position.

[gov_bean_ counter]

No, how old are you?

[Bryanw92]

>>And this concludes the hourly Cruz supporter Virtue Signal. Remember, if you dont support Cruz, you are a fake conservative that doesn’t believe in the constitution.....because reasons.

Love it!!