Posted on 01/06/2016 8:20:35 PM PST by Isara
The only thing funnier than Donald Trump’s birther claims about Ted Cruz is the media’s demand that Cruz take them seriously.
Trump’s suggestion that Cruz’s birth potentially presents a “precarious” situation for the GOP should Cruz become the nominee is silly. And a silly attack deserves a silly response, which Cruz delivered in the form of a tweet of the Fonz from “Happy Days” jumping the shark.
However, Trump has every reason to have the word “precarious” on the brain
“Precarious” means “dangerously likely to fall or collapse.” That doesn’t describe the circumstances of Cruz’s birth; it describes Trump’s inflated position that is “dangerously likely to fall or collapse” as soon as the primaries begin next month.
Trump, who doesn’t hesitate to attack anyone, hasn’t figured out how to successfully attack Cruz who is his biggest threat, according to the polls that Trump depends on as the lifeblood of his campaign.
Last month, Trump attempted hitting Cruz from the left by criticizing him for opposing ethanol subsidies and calling him a “maniac” for failing to make enough friends in Washington. That backfired as the conservative base of the party defended Cruz on both counts. So now Trump is toying with the idea of going full birther against Cruz; a ploy Trump used to great media effect against Barack Obama in the 2008 election.
Trump, after all, was the biggest, most-well known Obama birther in the world. He takes credit for forcing Obama to finally produce a birth certificate. (Something Cruz has already done, by the way. Cruz gave it to the Dallas Morning News in 2013.)
Crazy birther claims got a crazy amount of media attention in the 2008 election, and Trump, the unabashed maestro of media controversies, is all too happy for a repeat.
Why let the truth get in the way of a tried and tested conspiracy theory?
Although, to his credit, this time around Trump isn’t going all in. (Yet.)
Trump is suggesting, very loudly, that this is something other people may be concerned about. Those other people, however, aren’t putting their names in public. Except for known kook Alan Grayson and Trump-defender Ann Coulter, who in 2013 said Cruz WAS eligible to be President.
If anyone is interested in the legal merits of Cruz’s citizenship, President Obama’s Acting Solicitor General Neil Katyal and President Bush’s Solicitor General Paul Clement co-authored a piece in March 2015 for the Harvard Law Review titled “The Meaning of Natural Born Citizen.”
In it, they wrote:
Senator Ted Cruz, was born in a Canadian hospital to a U.S. citizen mother. Despite the happenstance of a birth across the border, there is no question that Senator Cruz has been a citizen from birth and is thus a “natural born Citizen” within the meaning of the Constitution. Indeed, because his father had also been resident in the United States, Senator Cruz would have been a “natural born Citizen” even under the Naturalization Act of 1790.
There you have it. Top lawyers for both the Obama and Bush administrations say there is “no question” about it.
In fact, Trump seemed to agree with these top lawyers when he was asked about Cruz’s citizenship at a rally Trump and Cruz appeared at together last September. “I hear it was checked out by every attorney and every which way and I understand Ted is in fine shape,” Trump said.
Odd, huh? Both Trump and Trump-supporter Coulter once believed Cruz was eligible and now they don’t think he is.
What changed? Is Trump getting different legal advice today? From Ann Coulter, perhaps?
No. The only thing that’s changed is Cruz’s position in the polls as the calendar approaches the GOP primaries.
Trump is still searching for a way to knock Cruz off his game. Unfortunately for Trump, and all the campaign reporters hanging on his every word, Cruz is too smart to take the bait.
There are much more important things going on in the world besides Trump’s latest outburst. How about North Korea’s newfound nuclear capabilities? ISIS? The growing Saudi-Iranian hostilities? The stock market declining? President Obama’s latest gun grab? The frightening list goes on and on.
It’s refreshing to see that someone running for president has higher priorities than taking out Donald Trump.
According to Mark Levin, she doesn’t qualify. She hadn’t been a US citizen and resident in the US for 5 years beyond the age of 14.
Lol! But we gotta be careful, because the Team Cruz purists here won’t be able to laugh at that: It completely violates their “Cruz or lose” mantra.
since Trump supports single payer, wealth tax and kelo that makes him no Conservative.
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I never have said Trump is a dyed in the wool conservative. He is a brilliant businessman and that is what this country needs at this point in our history. We have been sold on “Labels” which are applied to people in order to sucker us into supporting them in their quest for unending power. That is what politicians do! I take the time to research the contestants and to make my choice based on what I hold as the issues of the day. NOBODY is going to tell me what i am supposed to think. NOBODY is going to insult me into believing as they do. NOBODY is going to sway me with labels and you can take that to the bank. I make my own decisions and in my opinion, you are being led to the slaughter if you support Cruz. He is NOT a conservative. He is a lifelong lawyer-politician like ALL the others in Washington. You who believe in labels can do as you please. I am voting for the man with substance and proven ability to lead this country. I don’t have to agree with everything he says. REALISTICALLY, the MAJOR ISSUES are the ones that count. IMO On the MAJOR ISSUES, Cruz comes up WAY SHORT!
“Just how DENSE are you ?”
Your name calling only reveals how desperate you are to convince me of the unconvinceable with your expedient argument, which I believe is animated by the same sort of dark impulse that gave us this hideous bas-turd Obama. This is comparable to the same sort of Alinskyite school yard demagogic bullying that the libs/progressives employed when we tried to point out the Obama inconsistincies.
Sec 5 of the 14th amendment only refers to the Congress having legislative power to enforce the plain text provisions of the 14th amendment. It does NOT refer to Article II sec 1 clause 5 in ANY way shape, form or fashion, as to alter that meaning can only be done by means of the Article V amendatory process. the 14th made you a US citizenship by virtue of your birth within a state (provided you were subject to the constitutional jurisdiction thereof), rather that being contingent upon you being recognized a s a US citizen by virtue of your STATE citizenship, as was the case at the time of the Dred Scott decision, which the 14th amendment was designed to REVERSE.
NBC has applicability for only one constitutional matter, and that is eligibility to the office of POTUS. Nothing else. The higher standard was intended to PROTECT THE OFFICE OF POTUS. The living breathing FAILURE to enforce that provision is now inhabiting the WHITE HUT. We need to stop allowing this protection to lapse by default inaction.
JUST HOW DENSE ARE YOU????
Quite inconsistent there. Labels dont matter when it comes to trump but it does matter when it comes to Cruz.
labels do matter. Ideology matters.
Being a businessman is not enough when one lacks Conservative principles
From the Senate of the United States, because that’s where he’ll be in 2017.
All you do with that comment is out yourself as not informed.
You are the one arguing about conservative principles which I do not see in Cruz. Conservative or not, I really don’t care. I’m voting for the person who in my opinion has the best skill set to get this country out of hock and our people back to work! I want someone who is intelligent and NOT beholden to the cheap labor express! I want someone with EXPERIENCE, not ANOTHER KNOW NOTHING so called “constitutional expert.” We already have one of those and look where it got us!
Ever hear of PRAGMATIC? Nothing in this world is perfect and i’m sick and tired of you snow white “principled” people destroying any chance to take our country back because you are not on board with someone who doesn’t fit your high brow criteria. Even George Washington wouldn’t be good enough for you because he once fought for the BRITISH!
It is comedic to watch some folks come away with assessments that don’t express a grasp of that at all.
Poor things...
I agree MollyPitcher1.
Exactly right.
Thanks DoughtyOne. These brain dead puppets for Cruz can’t even feel the strings maneuvering them, nor do they understand the difference between citizen and natural born citizen. And they don’t want to know! Sad.
Cruz supporters are just about everything they think Trump supporters are, but are not.
Cruz sells himself as someone he isn’t.
Cruz lies about his votes.
He lies about his Senate tactics, and what they meant.
His supporters gobble it up, never a question in their minds.
At least Trump tells you where he stands, and it’s true.
He changes his mind for the better. Darn him.
Trump isn’t “perfect” but he is far and away my choice to lead us out of the hell we are in. These Cruz people should call themselves Puritans the way they go around damning everyone who declines to accept their dogma with a scarlet letter.
If the show fits. I agree...
Actually, DoughtyOne, your comment reveals you as uninformed. Iv’e actually looked at the candidates’ records. Cruz has been consistent since he entered public life. Trump has been on both sides of numerous issues, including immigration.
Inform yourself and get back to me.
If Trump’s investigators looking into Obama’s birth certificate in Hawaii, the ones that Trump said “can’t believe what they’re finding”, finish their work there then maybe he can send them out to get to the bottom of Ted Cruz’s birth certificate?
I’ll grant you one thing. Cruz has been consistent during his public life.
And that constancy DID NOT revolve around solid Conservative ideals.
Glad you agree.
Ted Cruz is the most consistent conservative in this race.
Trump has a long progressive record. Everyone from Glenn Beck to Huffington Post to National Review to MSNBC to Michelle Malkin has noticed it.
http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=1&threadid=445638
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/beck-blasts-trump-progressive-republican
http://godfatherpolitics.com/23106/the-popular-for-now-progressive-populism-of-donald-trump/
I would suggest you go sell your sheist to someone who is inclined to agree with you.
Trump hasn’t always agreed to me, but he didn’t try to sell those beliefs to me as Conservative.
Ted has and still does.
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