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Cruz Is Playing the Media Perfectly
NatRev ^ | 12/28/15 | S. Miller

Posted on 12/28/2015 3:20:21 PM PST by 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)


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016election; 2016winner; american; authentic; canadian; conservative; cruz; eligible; fearless; fighter; ineligible; intellect; strategy; strength; tedcruz
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To: CatherineofAragon

“If you ask me, there’s only so much “excitement” that should revolve around a politician, because it’s assumed people understand that they’re hiring an employee to do a job.”

????

That doesn’t even make any sense. I can only assume you dont see the orgasmic posts from the Cruz base on FR based on a poll showing him ahead in Iowa. But that excitement is ok? Some of these people were calling for everyone to drop out and endorse Cruz back in October!

The problem with Cruz’s supporters is that they act too arrogant and entitled by virtue of them proclaiming themselves the one true conservatives and that Trump doesnt deserve the support he has because he just came out of nowhere.

“So Trump has said some things. He’s an entertainer”

God this canard again. Thanks! I hear the same retarded line from the leftist press. Good to know the Cruz base is showing their “true conservatism” and adopting the same crap.

“Cruz is effective without yelling and railing and acting like a buffoon”

WHERE?!?!?!

Where is this series of fricking achievements that you people have? All I get is that he muddled the “Gang of 8” bill and THAT”S IT! If he had this long list of accomplishments I can guarantee you that you people would be posting it every 3 damn minutes! But all we got is you folks just repeating how effective he is because....well dont ask for details

“... and proposing we tear up the Constitution and install him as dictator.”

A thing that exists NO WHERE. But we hear tons of posts that Cruz will “restore the constitution” with then no details. Nothing! No plan, No idea, No indication as to how a guy with no support in congress for even the simplest darn thing will “restore the constitution”. He just will!

“Well, of course for those of you so emotionally invested in him, you’re going to rage. And he knows that and he plays to it; he understands his audience. Note how he fills his speeches with “me against the world” references. “

More of that crap you could have easily lifted from HuffPo or MSNBC. Oh he’s just tapping into rage, right?

“Personally, he isn’t my candidate and I recognize him as a liberal celebrity, so I don’t care.”

For a “liberal” he seems to do a damn better job of pushing conservative issues than many of you supposed “true conservatives”. I can guarantee you that none of the stuff we are talking about today would have been remotely part of the conversation if he was not there. But hey that stupid “liberal carnival barker” makes it easy for you guys to run around with your noses in the air thinking that all of this is being done for the benefit of Cruz, so who can blame you guys for being bitter at him upstaging all of these other guys.


61 posted on 12/28/2015 4:53:40 PM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: CatherineofAragon

Trump needs to do something he has never, by his own admission, done before— ask God’s forgiveness.


62 posted on 12/28/2015 4:56:00 PM PST by conservativejoy (Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God ...We Can Elect Ted Cruz)
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To: LS

Daily “Build Up Cruz” piece in National Review. Predictable as clockwork.
****************

You mean like- Cruz can’t win”?

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/427613/ted-cruz-republican-primary-polls?target=author&tid=8374

or

Cruz/Paul tax plans Courts disaster

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/428964/ted-cruz-rand-paul-tax-plan-vat-bad-idea


63 posted on 12/28/2015 4:57:18 PM PST by VinL (It is better to suffer every wrong, then to consent to wrong.)
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To: Bryanw92

“The sad thing is that every Trump supporter is ready to support Cruz if he wins..”

The thing is that before the Cruz people went on their mission to get Trump because he didn’t “implode” like they bet on, few Trump people were remotely against Cruz in any way. Many of us started on the Cruz side!

Now that they are using many times talking points from leftist media outlets to go after Trump and his supporters. So for a great deal of us, we are near washing our hand s of them, and wishing the best of luck against Hillary if he manages to win the nomination, because the crap they do in the primaries wont work on the left.

Cruz could have had the Trump position, and he didnt take those positions early. Thar’s not our fault.


64 posted on 12/28/2015 5:03:00 PM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: CatherineofAragon
Until Trump became his object of worship, he used to spend time in the Religion forum acting sanctified.

I still go there to whip ass every now and then, and to look sanctified of course :).

It’s all too easy to post information about Trump’s doings with Copeland

All "too easy" but you will run into some serious problems nevertheless :)

65 posted on 12/28/2015 5:03:07 PM PST by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: odawg

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

Totally depend? Those are divine prerogatives he listed.

**************

Divine? In my life, those same assessments have been made of me, I’m certainly not Divine.

-:)


66 posted on 12/28/2015 5:05:16 PM PST by VinL (It is better to suffer every wrong, then to consent to wrong.)
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To: VinL

Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust in princes.


67 posted on 12/28/2015 5:07:35 PM PST by odawg
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To: 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.”

I’m not so sure. I see them both as a “good cop, bad cop” right now, and I think Cruz will ultimately be getting a lot of support as the good cop because of many voter’s impressions of the bad cop. I think he should remain on his present course.


68 posted on 12/28/2015 5:08:03 PM PST by IAMNO1 (Enough with the divisions. Lets get somebody in there who'll fix this mess.)
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To: VinL

69 posted on 12/28/2015 5:08:39 PM PST by FourPeas (Chocolate, sugar and lots of caffeine. Hard to beat that.)
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To: Navy Patriot

Yes, absolutely. He’s playing on another level that the Media can’t even comprehend. It’s like playing checkers with someone else playing multi-dimensional chess!


70 posted on 12/28/2015 5:09:09 PM PST by JSDude1
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To: conservativejoy
"Trump needs to do something he has never, by his own admission, done before— ask God’s forgiveness."

Well, at least he got up on stage and waved a Bible around. /S

71 posted on 12/28/2015 5:09:16 PM PST by CatherineofAragon (("A real conservative will bear the scars...will have been in the trenches fighting."--- Ted Cruz))
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To: VanDeKoik

That’s just an excuse/ There may be a few Cruz supporters that attack you, Trump, but it’s not the majority.


72 posted on 12/28/2015 5:10:45 PM PST by JSDude1
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To: CatherineofAragon

They’re trolls, COA. They set up religious home pages, and spout religion, and/or they stand behind a military title-— but interestingly, they have not one good word to say about social conservatives like Cruz and Carson. In fact, they post attack articles against them.

They’re liberal trolls, hiding behind the Trump fig leaf.


73 posted on 12/28/2015 5:11:08 PM PST by VinL (It is better to suffer every wrong, then to consent to wrong.)
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To: VinL

Agree with you 100%.

This “Dominionist” garbage, which our resident troll is pushing in connection with Cruz, was popularized by none other than MSNBC’S Rachel Maddow. For a while there I noticed it popping up in the keywords on Cruz threads, most likely added by him.

He’s outed himself as a pure leftist.


74 posted on 12/28/2015 5:16:27 PM PST by CatherineofAragon (("A real conservative will bear the scars...will have been in the trenches fighting."--- Ted Cruz))
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To: CatherineofAragon

A man not humble enough to bow before God is not a man to be trusted with the Presidency.


75 posted on 12/28/2015 5:16:48 PM PST by conservativejoy (Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God ...We Can Elect Ted Cruz)
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To: odawg

Cruz says NAFTA was a mistake.


76 posted on 12/28/2015 5:17:44 PM PST by conservativejoy (Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God ...We Can Elect Ted Cruz)
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To: conservativejoy

You’re right. It ought to be obvious that we need a Godly man in office at this stage of the game.

Trump’s Christmas message wished his supporters a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays without any mention of the reason for the season.

Cruz’s message began with this:

“As we prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth, we thank God for redeeming the whole world through the gift of His Son.”

And ended with this:

“Families, churches, and communities continue to bring the light of Christ to our fellow citizens. Heidi and I are grateful for Americans’ generosity, and most of all, we are thankful for God’s willingness to send His Son to us. We pray that during this Christmas season, we remember that little child born in a manger, and we cherish the time we have with family and loved ones to reflect on the blessings the Lord continues to bestow upon us.”


77 posted on 12/28/2015 5:28:05 PM PST by CatherineofAragon (("A real conservative will bear the scars...will have been in the trenches fighting."--- Ted Cruz))
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To: CatherineofAragon

Such a contrast and yet, there are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see.

Thank God for Ted Cruz.


78 posted on 12/28/2015 5:41:40 PM PST by conservativejoy (Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God ...We Can Elect Ted Cruz)
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To: conservativejoy

Yep, I’m right there with you.


79 posted on 12/28/2015 5:47:38 PM PST by CatherineofAragon (("A real conservative will bear the scars...will have been in the trenches fighting."--- Ted Cruz))
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To: IAMNO1

Sorry, but the present course assumes that Trump will go down inflames within 1 month. That ain’t happening. Cruz has 5 options:

1. Wait it out and hope that Trump goes down in inflames before Super Tuesday.
2. Wait it out and hope that Trump picks him for VP.
3. Wait it out and hope that Trump picks for the SC.
4. Wait it out and hope that Hellary is a one term prez. Start all over again.
5. Go for broke. Kick ass and take name. Make Trump just another entitled billionaire like 50 others lining the pockets of politicians. No compromise and burn librul bridges.


80 posted on 12/28/2015 6:00:32 PM PST by sagar
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