Posted on 08/08/2015 10:48:49 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Atlanta — Ted Cruz praised Megyn Kelly in a gaggle with reporters Satuday, but declined to say anything negative about Donald Trump or address the comments Trump made about Kelly.
“That was a decision for RedState to make,” Cruz said of RedState Gathering host Erick Erickson disinviting Trump from the event.
“I think every candidate should treat everyone else with civility and respect. That’s the standard I try to follow, it’s a standard I hope all of us aspire to. I also think that we’re not gonna solve the problems in this country, we’re not gonna defeat the Washington cartel by obsessing over the politics of personalities. This is about real challenges facing the American people. This is about bankrupting our kids and grandkids, defending the bill of rights, and restoring America’s leadership in the world. That’s where my focus has been and it’s where I intend to keep it.”
Asked to directly address the comments, Cruz praised Kelly, calling her “a terrific journalist.”
“I think she does a great job; I think she did a very good job moderating the debate,” he said. ”And I’m not gonna engage in the back and forth on personalities.”
And with that, Cruz shamelessly changed the subject.
“Let me give you a story that is infinitely more important than the momentary bickering between different political candidates, which is what has happened with Gen. Soleimani,” Cruz said, and continued to discourse on the subject for several minutes.
Cruz has been perhaps the most reluctant of the GOP field to criticize Donald Trump. His response to Trump’s comment that McCain was “not a war hero” was similar to his response today: Cruz praised McCain, but declined to say anything about Trump or his comment.
Cruz reached out to Trump and met with him in July. If Trump were to leave the presidential race at some point, many of supporters might choose to back Cruz. Asked Saturday if he was seeking to woo Trump’s voters, Cruz said he was seeking to win over every other candidate’s supporters.
I <3 Cruz.
Meghen is not really all that civil.
Big deal.
Anyone making an issue out of what Cruz said has another agenda.
The fact that he’s praising Kelly is bad enough.
There, fixed it...
In defense of Smegyn Kelly.. she likely was not the originator of any questions.
She’s just the reader of them.
On the other hand, to hell with her.
This is how these questions should be answered: don’t make unforced errors on petty issues that the MSM can attack you with later, and turn the discussion to what matters.
I have no use for Trump and I have no use for the gotcha games of trying to get statements about what other candidates have said. Screw that.
The added snarky tone was an unscripted bonus for her handlers.
Even Mark Levin had harsh criticism for Megyn.
And I'm sure she's been handled a lot.
Cruz is a lot smarter than people think....
I think: he and trump have something planned, I don’t know what, but he won’t attack Trump and Trump won’t attack Cruz and neither one of them have said anything about Palin except Trump and it was really gentlemanly nice...
It’s best for Cruz to step away from all of this...
Go Trump/Cruz...
You need to give her more credit - she was a litigator at a top firm. Writing these questions is not beyond her.
She was smart enough to pretend to be a conservative - this is where the ratings are. But from now on she can count me out - the one thing I can do about this is not watch her.
Monkey girl?
Well see Cruz is not a big baby that rages on twitter at every perceived sleight like Trump.
Cruz has good temperament, understands that going to war with some Fox anchor is exceptionally dumb, and knows how to be polite.
I don't know why a true conservative would go to the forum when Trump but not Jeb was dis-invited. And there were a lot of others far more conservative than is Jeb that weren't invited.
Cruz keeps becoming more establishment and Kasich, a gritty, smart campaigner, for all of his flaws, could be the one to say and do the smart things and move up.
Cruz is a class act.
Cruz “shamelessly” didn’t criticize Trump. These people are so pathetic.
BTW, anyone who thinks they aren’t prepping Cruz for the Trump treatment is delusional. Cruz will be far easier for FOX news to take down.
Trump is unique in that he’s a brand. He is a celebrity. His name is on buildings and hotels in NYC, Chicago, DC, etc. He does not need politics. He’s almost 70 years old. If he gets out, he lives life of a billionaire. The media/celebs forget about everything. And he’s back on The Apprentice.
Cruz has far less celebrity. He’s far less liked outside of conservative politics. Being only 43, he has far more to lose. Politics is his life.
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