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Cruz: You Realize Democrats Are 'Very Eager' to Run Against Trump, Right?
Townhall.com ^ | January 13, 2016 | Guy Benson

Posted on 01/13/2016 8:10:07 AM PST by Kaslin

Of course they are. I've spoken to some of them. They're mostly keeping their powder dry for the moment, but they're so ecstatic over the Trump phenomenon that they're practically prepared to don "Make America Great Again!" hats throughout primary season.  For what it's worth, they also say they see Cruz as another easy demonization mark ("extreme" conservative, "Senator Shutdown," etc.), but they seem less smug about that assessment as Hillary stumbles and polls like this become the norm.  Why the Trump "enthusiasm" among professional Democrats? Because they know that a match-up against Trump would virtually guarantee that their team retains the White House, even with a wheezing corrupt liar as their standard-bearer. Trump's fundamentals are atrocious among the broader electorate; his loose canon schtick obviously doesn't wear well with most voters -- who'd be...highly susceptible to the tsunami of negativity Democrats' billion-dollar attack machine would unleash against him if he's nominated.  Trump is an opposition researcher's dream come true. The teflon effect goes down the tubes in a general election setting. The good news for the celebrity billionaire is that he enjoys universal name recognition. The bad news is that his political brand is horrifically bad, especially among moderate, female, young, and Hispanic voters, among whom Republicans must improve in order to win. Plus, one can't help but wonder if some Democrats may privately be pondering whether Trump will resort back to embracing the liberalism he's espoused for most of his adult life just as soon as leading certain voters around by the nose is no longer in his immediate interests.  All of this is obvious to conservatives who've consistently opposed Trump's candidacy.  What's newsworthy is that Ted Cruz is now advancing this line of argument:

.@tedcruz also suggested Democrats are "very eager" to support Trump because they want to run against him in the general election.— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) January 12, 2016


What seems to have finally -- finally! -- forced the Cruz to abandon the "we're besties!" routine is Trump's relentless, intentional amplification of the birtherism narrative, the premise of which is that the Texas Senator is ineligible for the presidency because he was born in Canada.  For reasons that we have outlined over and over and over again, this is incorrect.  Based on a commonsense reading of the constitution (US citizens who've never been naturalized are by definition natural born) and explicit federal law, Cruz can be president.  This should be a non-issue, tortured re-definitions of what "naturalization" means notwithstanding.  Trump pretends he's merely asking questions for Cruz's own good, and says that he'd "hate" to see this become a problem for Cruz.  Hey, people are talking about it, Trump shrugs with a twinkle in his eye, before warning that the controversy could lead to lawsuits and uncertainty.  And by "people" he means "Donald Trump" --  in tweets, on television, and in speeches.  Behold, a charming vignette from a recent Trump rally in Nevada:

Ted Cruz has a real cloud hanging over his head," Trump said. "So the question is: Is Ted Cruz, is he a natural-born citizen?" The crowd again shouted, "No!" "I just heard this: He was a citizen of Canada for a long time," Trump said, referring to Cruz having citizenship in the United States and Canada until recently. "He was a citizen of the United States, I believe, and Canada simultaneously. How do you, how -- what's going on here? So, he's got to straighten these things out." Trump questioned why Cruz didn't revoke his Canadian citizenship years ago, especially when he became a U.S. senator. "Does he get a pass from that?" Trump asked. The crowd again answered, "No!"

But he'd surely hate for any of this to damage his dear, dear friend, you must understand.  Cruz is punching back harder than usual because there's some evidence that this story is hurting him, among his own voters, and among the Trump base he hopes to inherit if and when the real estate mogul fades. Today's new Des Moines Register poll indicates this is less of a potent issue than PPP does, but Cruz's standing has eroded by seven points since the last survey. Yesterday afternoon, Cruz lobbed initial salvos at Trump on this, including floating the idea that Democrats would love to face Trump in the general (message: he'll lose to Hillary), and hitting Trump for citing a liberal law professor to advance this storyline (message: Trump's a say-anything non-conservative).  Then there were the additional indications that a high-octane Trump/Cruz "cage match" the latter candidate has long attempted to avoid might be coming soon, via RealClearPolitics:

Although Ted Cruz has insisted he will not personally attack Donald Trump as the race for the Republican nomination heats up, supporters of the Texas senator appear to be weighing how best to target Trump in Iowa, where Cruz holds a narrow lead. A message-testing phone call in Iowa on Monday floated seven distinct lines of attack against the national frontrunner, asking whether each one would make the listener more or less likely to support him.

Among the criticisms tested were messages about Trump's past support for abortion and single-payer healthcare (which he still defends), as well as a line "[depicting] Trump as 'a New York liberal pretending to have conservative values.'" RCP couldn't confirm for sure that these calls were sponsored by Team Cruz, despite several context clues. Well, how's this for confirmation?

Ted Cruz Says Trump “Embodies New York Values” https://t.co/nz3oVjj3yX— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) January 12, 2016

In NH @tedcruz takes direct shot at #Trump.Warns voters-be weary of any "NY billionaire" or "influence peddler" tied to Clinton @ABCPolitics— Tom Llamas (@TomLlamasABC) January 13, 2016

Welcome to the fight against Trump, Cruz supporters https://t.co/hnnqjwoO29— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) January 12, 2016


Oh, it's on. And Thursday's Fox Business Network debate in South Carolina could be rather memorable indeed.  I'll leave you with this Iowa anecdote that may warm the hearts of anti-Trump Republicans everywhere -- presented with the requisite caveat that rival campaigns underestimate The Donald at their peril:

At Trump event in Cedar Falls; Trump staffer asked crowd how many had definitely decided to caucus for Trump. Only about 5% of hands go up.— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) January 12, 2016


UPDATE - This escalated quickly, via last night's Hugh Hewitt Show

Sen Cruz on Trump and nuclear triad, 'Understand not just based on Sunday Shows' #glovesoff https://t.co/NqcOFNCCHe— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 13, 2016





TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cruz; elections; immigration; trump; trumpwasright
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To: turducken

Let me guess you don’t believe Trumps using contractors association with organized crime to get his building built will be a problem.


41 posted on 01/13/2016 8:35:19 AM PST by IMR 4350
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To: yuleeyahoo

“They will make a big deal out of his holding Canadian citizenship until May of 2014.”

The average American likes Canada (even though Canadians do not reciprocate!), so having Canadian citizenship isn’t much of a hot-button issue.


42 posted on 01/13/2016 8:35:54 AM PST by doug6352
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To: Kenny

He also said Hitlary would make a GREAT S.O.S.

His vision is outstanding! /s


43 posted on 01/13/2016 8:37:16 AM PST by VRWCarea51 (The original 1998 version)
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To: yuleeyahoo

They will make a big deal out of his holding Canadian citizenship until May of 2014.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Some very powerful ads could be made with the centerpiece being that Cruz was born in Canada. I can think of a couple that, in this world of sound bites, would greatly damage Cruz. It concerns me a lot.


44 posted on 01/13/2016 8:42:25 AM PST by bramps (It's the Islam, stupid!)
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To: Kenny
Ha you haven't seen anything yet. That Weather Vane ad Bush is running against Dondi is mild compared to the ads that will rip Trump apart. No need for moderation. Just Trump's own words...used against himself.

For gun control-against gun control
For Health cAre-against healthcare
For limiting Immingration-against limiting Immigration
Advocating Hillary-ripping Hillary
Promoting Bill Clinton-Blaming Bill for Osama
He will be destroyed like they did Perot. Bank on it.

45 posted on 01/13/2016 8:43:05 AM PST by VRWCarea51 (The original 1998 version)
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To: Ted Grant

Re:”A Breitling watch man? Man of the people.”

You must support Donald “DRAFT DODGER” Trump.
Trump is truly a man of the people.
Just make sure you don’t get in his way or he will eminent domain your s*** away.
And how many bankruptcies did he file?
Guess those people he screwed over wish they could buy that Breitling.


46 posted on 01/13/2016 8:43:57 AM PST by brickdds
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To: V K Lee

Does he wear a Rolex or something? Did you see that in one of his pics? (just curious)


47 posted on 01/13/2016 8:44:25 AM PST by georgiegirl
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To: Kaslin

It appears Trump is moving beyond the party politics divide, because there truly is a Uniparty in Washington and Americans are done with it.


48 posted on 01/13/2016 8:44:33 AM PST by browniexyz
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To: IMR 4350

Realistically, it probably won’t be.

Trump is pretty open about his “I do what’s necessary to get the job done” attitude. It’s a big reason why people like him so much and support him.

Everytime I hear Trump’s associate with organized crime come up I remember that scene in Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School” movie where Dangerfield’s character lectures the Freshman Business Management 101 professor on how things happen in the real world. The professor, although technically correct, comes across as a naive and arrogant elitest pr*ck.

Trump is riding a wave - a tsunami, actually - of societal and political dissatisfaction in this country thats making a lot of what would be campaign-ending charges completely irrelevant.


49 posted on 01/13/2016 8:44:44 AM PST by tanknetter
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To: Kaslin; All

Ha!

The MSM, including Fox, has been in complete meltdown / attack mode over Trump.

Hildabeast and Socialist Sanders have attacking him.

Paul Ryan parroted Obama and said Trump is ‘not who we are’ as Americans.

Trump scares the sh*t out of Democrats. He’s polling 20% of the black vote.

20%!

That alone would get him in the White House.

Trump has Union support, police officers, and blue collar whites.

Trump polls better then Romney did with Hispanics.

The Uniparty’s biggest threat is Trump. They’d be fine with Hillary winning, or Cruz running and they’d starve him of money.


50 posted on 01/13/2016 8:45:02 AM PST by TigerClaws
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To: Kaslin

Cruz is my first preference but he is wrong. Drastically so.


51 posted on 01/13/2016 8:45:03 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: turducken

But why should that be? It never plagued Obama much...


52 posted on 01/13/2016 8:45:15 AM PST by browniexyz
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To: patq

Re:”Should Trump ask Cruz about building codes or project financing or meeting payroll?”

Maybe he could ask him which chapter he should file his next bankruptcy under.


53 posted on 01/13/2016 8:47:06 AM PST by brickdds
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To: browniexyz
But why should that be? It never plagued Obama much...

Because the democrats play hardball while the GOPe plays footsie

54 posted on 01/13/2016 8:49:20 AM PST by turducken
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To: exnavy
Trump is all about Trump and getting richer

He's not just about getting richer, he's about getting praise for his accomplishments. When he's President, he won't be selling out or cutting corners. He'll assure his place in US history as the best President we ever had, the one that saved western civilization.

Won't it be nice to have a President who doesn't even have to deal with fundraising or assuring his financial future?

55 posted on 01/13/2016 8:49:20 AM PST by grania
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To: Col Frank Slade
Hillary seems to have come out of her cave coma.
56 posted on 01/13/2016 8:51:19 AM PST by Salamander (I made friends with a lot of people in the danger zone...)
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To: grania

Strange to see all of the sudden ‘wealth envy’, on this forum, isn’t it?

Used to be, building a successful business, having the ability to pay for ones own nice homes, etc was a conservative feather, around here.

Trump is smoking out closet libs, everywhere....you know, the kind who have chosen to live off of the govt trough. Govt employee/career politician = the ‘new’ conservatives. LOL.


57 posted on 01/13/2016 8:53:48 AM PST by Jane Long (Go Trump, go! Make America Safe Again :)
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To: tanknetter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlVDGmjz7eM

Here is the clip from 1986’s Back to School where the scene you reference is


58 posted on 01/13/2016 8:54:26 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: libbylu
Proceed with your usual Trump/Alinsky model of trashing me. I see through it.

I'm with you. A)Trump doesn't have enough conservative cred to claim to be one, B)Trump will disappoint even his most rabid fans, C)Trump will not fair well in the federal government and, I predict, would resign before the end of a single term.

59 posted on 01/13/2016 8:55:42 AM PST by cowboyway (We're not going to be able to vote our way out of this mess.)
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To: SteveSCH
No Ted, it’s you they want. They know Ted won’t hit the Clinton’s like Trump would.

That's just crazy talk, newbie. Go to the Youtubes and pull up a few videos of Cruz crucifying leftwingnuts in Senate committee hearings.

He'll do the same thing to The Bish if he gets the chance.

Trump is 'spray and pray' whereas Cruz is more like a surgeon.

60 posted on 01/13/2016 9:00:30 AM PST by cowboyway (We're not going to be able to vote our way out of this mess.)
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