[[I am not in agreement with your “most people†thesis]]
Are you suggesting most people are deep careful thinkers who parse their words precisely before they make a statement? Do you honestly think Ted felt that everyone in NY is a godless creep?
You may not agree with my ‘thesis’ but the fact is most people talk in generalities- it’s what we do because we’re lazy- that’s a fact- we speak rapidly and in generalities- you hear it all the time when you listen to conversations- This isn’t some novel ‘thesis’ I’m making up- it’s fact- We’re programmed to think and speak quickly, to take shortcuts- to generalize-
Now- of course what I just said is a generalization- obviously NOT everyone speaks generally- there are some of course that weigh each word out before speaking to see if it will offend anyone or not- but most people are not like this
I guess on this point we must agree to disagree. I do expect people to say what they mean. Especially Cruz, a lawyer and a debater, should be able to carefully parse his words almost reflexively. If I catch myself generalizing I correct myself. I think there is a place for generalities. but on National TV or in front of a roomful of cameras his comments were perhaps better phrased more precisely unless he was looking to have a sound bite to play at a later date.
On another note whether Trump is right or wrong in the instance linked below he was careful not to generalize and had sources he thought adequate to support his conclusions.
http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-epic-statement-on-mexico-2015-7