January 26, 2016

Why did Donald Trump say Ted Cruz "looks like a jerk"?

It certainly wasn't — as the headlines might make you guess — a comment on the aesthetics of his facial features. It wasn't — as Politico says — "about the Texas senator's appearance," as I can tell from reading the Politico article that doesn't deserve to be linked to.

Trump was on "Morning Joe," where he was asked to comment on that new Cruz ad, which includes a clip of Trump saying "How stupid are the people of Iowa?" Trump said that in the context of mocking Ben Carson's old story of a guy's belt stopping a stabbing attack. Trump was saying that Carson must think Iowans are stupid, because only stupid people would believe that. To present Trump's "How stupid are the people of Iowa?" as if Trump were saying Iowans are stupid is to lie about Trump.

Accordingly, Trump's response to the ad was: "He's a liar." With that, Trump continued:
"That's why nobody likes him, that’s why his Senate people won’t endorse him, that’s why he stands in the middle of the Senate floor and can’t make a deal with anybody. He looks like a jerk, he’s standing all by himself. And you know, there’s something to say about having a little bit of ability to get other people to do things. You can’t be a lone wolf and stand there. That’s sort of what we have right now as a president." 
"He looks like a jerk," seen in context, refers to Cruz's standing by himself and being a "lone wolf" person in the Senate. It's an attack on his governing style — not his face! — and Trump neatly connected it to President Obama's go-it-alone style.

The co-host, Mika Brzezinski, understood what he was talking about. She broke in to ask a question, and it wasn't about the inappropriateness of attacking a man's looks. It was about whether he really meant to compare Cruz to Obama. Trump first said "they’re the same," then took it back on the ground that "Ted is more strident" and "At least some people like Obama."

91 comments:

Nonapod said...

What's wrong with being a jerk, Donald?

eric said...

This reminds me of some twitter stuff I was reading the other day.

The gist was, Trump is a liar. He said something about Cruz that was inaccurate and therefore, Trumps a liar.

Now Trump is saying Cruz is a liar. My response to people who are getting their undies all knotted up over this is, politics ain't beanbag.

tim in vermont said...

Deliberately mis-reporting or a genuine inability to comprehend, what difference does it make at this point?

rehajm said...

Remember the not so recent past when MSM would have taken Politico's assessment of 'How stupid are the people of Iowa?', repeated it a hundred times, and it would have been accepted by the public as fact? Thank Trump that doesn't happen anymore.

One presidential cycle too late.

David Begley said...

If voters want four years of this - and more - go right ahead and vote Trump. I, for one, would rather eat ground glass.

Michael K said...

Do you mean to tell me that Politico is not objective ?

Michael K said...

" I, for one, would rather eat ground glass."

And vote for Hillary ?

This is what looks to me like emotion and not an objective reading of the reality.

robother said...

Sizing up people quickly is key to real world negotiation success (as opposed to politics and show biz). Like his first shot deflation of Jeb (too low energy) this shrewd comparison of Cruz and Obama's lone wolf basic personae works because its dead on.

tim maguire said...

As with "schlong", Trump is using a second, less common but perfectly legitimate definition of the term. He's using "looks like a jerk" to mean "looks like a fool."

David Begley said...

Trump over Hillary, but that's a low bar.

And Hillary will soon be behind bars. (Rim shot sound insert here.)

jr565 said...

Trump will never look like a jerk, standing alone. Because he will be working with the democrats to enact big govt.
He has a great relationship with Harry Reid, a great relationship with Nancy Pelosi and even Chuck Shumer who he is close to in many ways:
"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is stressing his bona fides as a dealmaker who’d be able to enter the White House and work with congressional Democrats to hammer out agreements.

“I think I’m going to be able to get along with Pelosi – I’ve always had a good relationship with Nancy Pelosi,” Trump said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” referring to the House minority leader.

“Reid’s going to be gone. I’ve always had a decent relationship with Reid,” Trump said, referring to Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate minority leader. “I always had a great relationship with Harry Reid.”

Trump said he thought he’d get along with “just about everybody,” including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), likely to be the next Senate Democratic leader, who Trump said he was “close to … in many in ways.” [sic]

Isn't not getting along with the other side one of the hallmarks of what the Ta Party was asking for? Stop cooperating with Democrats! Fight them.
Trump didn't get the memo when he was donating to dems. but apparently he is making it a feature of his govt.

Which may be good. I don't think Nancy Pelosi has a great relationship with him as he says, but maybe compromise is where its at. I'll note that Obama didn't compromise, I'll note that Repubs have 2 branches of govt, so there would be no reason to compromise or make deals since you can basically run the table (until you go to far and the dems retake one or more branches)I'm just shocked that people say they are sticking it the establishment beacause the repubs always capitulate to the dems, and then say they'll vote for a guy that says he's really good at reaching across the aisle and compromising.
If you are not a tea partier or an Andrea Tantarros, or a Hannity, or a Sarah Palin, who has been arguing against such things, and you in fact want such compromise, Trump may be your guy. (even though he has alienated so many people on the right and left I don't know who hes going to work with)But not if you are or were a tea partier.

traditionalguy said...

Trump spots the weaknesses. In both Obama and Cruz the weakness is that they Lie fully expecting to get away with it. This art of taking cheap shots is what makes Cruz a jerk like the Smilng Barry, our Liar-in-Chief.

grimson said...

"At least some people like Obama."

A Gallup poll this month showed Cruz with 61% favorability rating (among Republican and Republican-Leaning Independents). His unfavorability was 16%. Trump's unfavorability was more than double that, at 35%.

jr565 said...

"Trump spots the weaknesses. In both Obama and Cruz the weakness is that they Lie fully expecting to get away with it. This art of taking cheap shots is what makes Cruz a jerk like the Smilng Barry, our Liar-in-Chief. "

WE're seeing that same lying from Trump though.

mccullough said...

Obama and Cruz are always the smartest guys in the room. Just ask them. Assholes from Harvard Law

David Begley said...

I would love to see Jeb say, "Hey Donald. What's that on top of your head? A dead raccoon?"

That will define this campaign.

At this point, why not? That's what Trump has done to politics in America.

jr565 said...

hey, if we accept compromise anyway, lets go with Rubio. He is Hispanic. He is much more conservative on issues than trump in everything except immigration. and even there only if you don't listen to trump talking about letting all the good people back in as legals. Which is amnesty. NO different than The Gang of 8 bill ultimately.

He doesn't put his foot in his mouth every minute like Trump and he isn't as unlikeable as Cruz.

Limited blogger said...

When does the voting start?

Etienne said...

He looks like a jerk in Congress, and he is a naturally born Canadian, unqualified for that office.

People giving him money to run for President, are contributing to a crime. He is taking money from people, and can never be President.

Full stop.

jr565 said...

coupe wrote:
He looks like a jerk in Congress, and he is a naturally born Canadian, unqualified for that office.

People giving him money to run for President, are contributing to a crime. He is taking money from people, and can never be President.

There's a reason birtherism never went anywhere with Obama either. Because there's little to it. I notice Trump is the one that keeps pushing it over the course of two elections. In a really smarmy way, I might add. He's not saying it outright hes simply saying OTHERS are saying it.

He was told that he would have standing to bring a case against Ted Cruz and we could actually have this in court. He said he'd consider it. Hasnt' done so yet.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

jr565 said...

Isn't not getting along with the other side one of the hallmarks of what the Ta Party was asking for?

Nope. Tea Partiers have no problem with getting along with the other side. They have a problem with going along with the other side.

Tea Partiers want the best deal possible for the country, with the understanding that in some cases no deal is a better deal than whatever is being offered. Trump is an experienced negotiator. He understands that some deals should be walked away from. A lot of us believe that Trump has the negotiating skills to get us the best possible deal.

My concern is that Trump is not a conservative, and as such I have no particular reason to believe that he will use those skills to get the sort of deal I would want.

madAsHell said...

Cruz reminds me of the Snapping Turks in the Yellow Submarine.
I wish the Donald would embrace his inner male pattern baldness.

traditionalguy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jr565 said...

ignorance is bliss wrote:
Nope. Tea Partiers have no problem with getting along with the other side. They have a problem with going along with the other side.

Tea Partiers want the best deal possible for the country, with the understanding that in some cases no deal is a better deal than whatever is being offered. Trump is an experienced negotiator

When Obama's stimulus was passed Obama thought it was great. Is that an example of the best deal that Tea Partiers wanted?

Appalled said...

Trump is a target rich environment -- or would be, if anyone really cared what he says, as opposed to what he depicts.

Ann buried her lede to the very end of her post:

It was about whether he really meant to compare Cruz to Obama. Trump first said "they’re the same," then took it back on the ground that "Ted is more strident" and "At least some people like Obama."

In Trump world, Cruz is worse than Obama...But the crickets chirp and continue to chirp in Trump right-wing world because there can be no criticism of Trump, even when he crudely slanders actual honest to gosh conservatives.

I wait for the veil to be listed and the Trump romantics actually finally see this guy. I'm afraid it will be in 2017, when he cuts a pretty little deal with Nancy Pelosi introducing single-payer healthcare.

wendybar said...

Cruz has ideas that could strengthen our country. He is fiscally conservative. He won't win, with the big mouth Trump, and the MSM (including Fox and right wing radio) against him. If they ever really listened to him, they could learn something. He may not become president, but he is more respectable than anybody else running.

jr565 said...

Ignorance is bliss,
Even if you say that Trump is a great negotiator what he's negotiating for is kind of important. Look at the deals he praises. Obama stimulus was praised on Greta Van Susren's program:

“I thought he did a terrific job,” Trump told Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren. “This is a strong guy knows what he wants, and this is what we need.”

“First of all, I thought he did a great job tonight,” said Trump. “I thought he was strong and smart, and it looks like we have somebody that knows what he is doing finally in office, and he did inherit a tremendous problem. He really stepped into a mess, Greta.”

Van Susteren then asked Trump if a simple payroll tax holiday might be a better way to stimulate the flagging economy. Trump, however, held firm in his support for Obama’s plan, which he praised for the wide breadth of approaches it took to combatting the crisis.

“Well, I think taxes are very good. I think it goes quickly. It is easily done, and etc., etc.,” Trump told Van Susteren, “but building infrastructure, building great projects, putting people to work in that sense is also very good, so I think you have a combination of both plus he is doing a rebate system and I think that is good also.”

Van Susteren tried again, questioning whether Trump thought that “the breakdown between spending projects and taxes” in the president’s plan was the right one. And again, Trump offered praise for Obama’s proposal.

“Well, I have analyzed the bill as closely as it can be analyzed in this quick a period of time, but he’s really got a combination of both,” Trump replied. “He is doing the taxes, he is doing rebates, and he is also doing lots of public works.”

Trump went on to qualify his enthusiasm slightly, noting that a “couple of things slip in there which are bad.”

In the end, however, he returned to his strong support for the president and his plan.

“It is a bad sound bite,” said Trump, “but I thought he did a terrific job. This is a strong guy knows what he wants, and this is what we need.”


he was carrying Obama's water. He was saying we need these great big stimulus packages with shovel ready jobs that build infrastructure. I could have told you that this was not a stimulus package that would bring in any jobs. In fact I was making that complaint when it was passed. If Obama really wants to stimulate the economy push pro growth policies,not infrastructure projects which at best are temporary only affect a few segments of job force and do nothing to foster growth and hiring.

But Trump actually was stumping for Obama

So when I hear Trump is a great deal maker and I then hear him say This is a great deal, I wonder if this is the kind of deal Trump would broker.
Am I wrong to think that?

Even amongst the RINO's we all are supposed to hate (who are running now) how many went on Fox news and praised the stimulus package?

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jr565 said...

What kind of great deal does Trump want on health care?

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-praises-canadian-healthcare/article/2569756

Not only do I have a problem with him praising Canada's system, I have a problem with him sayhing the insurance companies are making a fortune, as if he is Bernie Sanders.
They are huge companies, if that's the system in place, they will make money. Otherwise they will go bankrupt. Why would Trump have a problem with companies earning money?
And he says the insurance companies are in the politicians pockets? Kind of like the politicians are in HIS pockets as he BRAGGED. I don't get why he'd be ok with his own crony capitalism and say that's how the game works but then make a populist attack on companies that play the same game as him. That is either a lack of self reflection or rank hypocricy.
Finally, when he said he'd be fore universal health care and said the govt would pay for it, and when asked how he would pay for it he said he'd make a great deal with the hospitals.
Leaving aside that the president doesn't make deals with hospitals, congress passes laws thus suggesting he is actually ignorant of what his role would be as a president, what kind of deal is he even talking about. A hospital would pass a deal that gets them money. How then would the hospital not be in the politicians pockets?
I thought he had a problem with companies being in govts pocket.
Or, insurance companies bad, but hospitals good?
In short, he's all over the place. He supports things that repubicans probably shouldn't support. He has weird ideas about how govt works, and he denounces crony capitalism while saying he will achieve a great result by engaging in crony capitalism.


jr565 said...

"It's my understanding that Obama produced a birth certificate out of Hawaii, which was a territory of the United States (i.e., natural born). Cruz can't do that.

He was "naturalized at birth" because one parent was a citizen

Naturalized at birth is the same as natural born. If your parent is a citizen and meets the requirements at the time you are also a citizen. as opposed to someone who comes here and becomes a citizen.

Gabriel said...

which was a territory of the United States

If that were the standard American Samoans would be citizens, and they are not.

Big Mike said...

When Ted Cruz has the title "President" people will come to him. No problem.

jr565 said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause

Note how the founding fathers treated natural born citizens. it was based on English law. It seems that from the beginning, natural born meant you were a citizen if your parents or parent was.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

coupe said...

It's my understanding that Obama produced a birth certificate out of Hawaii, which was a territory of the United States

Hawaii became a state two years before Obama was born. ( Assuming he was born when he says he was. Me, I'm not so sure... )

pdug said...

The mainstream media seems to have trouble understanding an epexegetical relation of clauses.

"He looks like a jerk: [to whit] he stands by himself."

Etienne said...

jr565...Naturalized at birth is the same as natural born.

I'm going to have to differ on that. The Romans and the Greeks are on my side :-)

The Constitution was written, to attract newcomers to the new world. They could not be President, but their children (unless Black or non-taxed Indian) could. That was the distinction of being "natural born". You could be "natural" -ized (given all the rights to citizenship (except the Presidency).

It is my understanding that "jus soli" and "jus sanguinis" are two completely different concepts. It's just that the most of the new world uses both. The rest of the world thinks we are crazy for having "jus soli" as a method of citizenship.

Alas, the Constitution was written when the country was essentially void of citizens out west (Kentucky, etc).

machine said...

cruz knows that context is not easily understood by gop voters...

Etienne said...

Ignorance is Bliss said...Hawaii became a state two years before Obama was born

I don't know why I keep thinking he was born in 58...

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

His citizenship is in the bag. Cruz is a naturalized citizen through his Mother's citizenship.

But American citizenship IS NOT THE ISSUE. Being both a natural born American and a citizen is the Constitution's eligibility requirement for the President or Vice President...just like being both 35 or older and an American citizen is the other eligibility requirement.

Stop playing dumb, Cruzbots.

Fabi said...

Release the Kracken! I mean, the Tr8ers!

Etienne said...

The founding fathers didn't want Hamilton to be President, so they wrote him out as being not natural born.

tim in vermont said...

cruz knows that context is not easily understood by gop voters.. - machine

I guess when "Pollock jokes" went out of style, and people like machine were despondent, they discovered that they could feed his racist, bigoted need for feeling superior by letting him imagine that everybody who disagrees with him or has different interests in a democratic society is racist and stupid and they could get him to vote the way they wanted to boot.

It's a brilliant strategy the Democratics have come up with, feeding off the worst in human nature and the need to feel superior so many of their voters seem to have.

Dude1394 said...

Interesting...In all the comments above, not a single one discussed the post that Althouse made.

Ted Cruz's ad is blatantly false, misleading and a lie. Trump called him on it and now his calling him on it get's sliced up by politico and is blatantly false, misleading and a lie.

The only truth teller in this entire episode is Trump.

Francisco D said...

Traditional Guy,

The Constitution spells out the "natural born" requirement in Article II, Section 1. However, it does not, to my knowledge, explain what that means.

Where have you divined your understanding of that part of the Constitution? Please point me to the relevant section.

Are there SCOTUS rulings in that regard? Unless you are a Supreme Court judge, I am not much interested in your interpretations. Just the facts, Jack ... or shut up.

Bobby said...

coupe,

"The founding fathers didn't want Hamilton to be President, so they wrote him out as being not natural born."

That may very well have been part of how it originated (though even that much is highly questionable), but by the time the Committee of Detail had completed the clause and it had been approved by the convention at-large it read: "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall . . ." Despite his Virgin Island birth, Hamilton would almost certainly have qualified as a Citizen of the United States at the time of the Constitution's adoption.

Dustin said...

We've had many presidents who weren't born on US soil and many fairly recent candidates who weren't.

The issue is resolved pretty solidly in Cruz's favor, but Trump isn't actually worried about eligibility. He's just passing rumors along, like he did for Hillary back when Obama was running, hoping it scares a percent or two from thinking he's eligible.

The courts are quite clear that this is a political issue, and determined by the states putting him on the ballot. So if he's on there he's good to go.

I think it's quite remarkable how quickly Trump is flip flopping around from being a statement against the corruption in DC to now being the one to end all that gridlock and getting more government enacted ASAP by making deals with Nancy Pelosi et al. Can you imagine what Trump's fans would say if Cruz made that flip flop?

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

The English speaking New World came together in a Uniting of the States that were not under control of the British King or the French King ( Canada,) nor were under control of The King of Spain.

To keep things that way, they created themselves a United government mainly to fight off invasions.

The specter feared was of a King being installed here by the foreigners using an invasion of Aristocrat foreign born settlers who could then sell us out the higgest bidder of those uber wealthy and powerful Three Kingdoms and families once they got one of them elected President.

If we ever needed that provision, it is now. Everyone Coming to America is the problem.

traditionalguy said...

Deals with Nancy Pelosi? Hell, Reagan made deals with Grobachov. Good deals. Bait and Switch deals. We Won and you lose deals.

Feel better now?

jr565 said...

In addition to being a natural born citizen (or born from parents who are citizens) there are eligibility requirements for your parents. That, apparenlty is the reason why if Barack Obama was born in Kenya he might not have been eligible. There was a requirement that in addition to being citizen you had to be in living in the US at least 5 years after age 14. his mother had left the states when she was 18. So, if Obama was born in Kenya she technically woudn't have met the residency requirements and thus he wouldnt be eligible.

The statute in place would determine that Cruz's mother DOES meet the residency requirements (at the time of the statute). So he is eligible.
Its not the being born in canada that would potentially have disqualified him. Its, did his mother meet the eligibilty requirements as well?

Fabi said...

I await Dustin's list of US presidents not born on US soil. This is going to be fun! And by fun, I mean a semantic clusterfuck.

Unknown said...

Trump is like Obama, saying what ever he wants whether there is an ounce of truth in it or not, doubling down when challenged. It is bizarre that he claims Crus is like Obama.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fred Drinkwater said...

Regarding the exchange with Mika, perhaps you should have a tag like Derek Lowe's "How to do it". for use when folks do their jobs right. It won't get much use though.

Dustin said...

"Fabi said...
I await Dustin's list of US presidents not born on US soil. This is going to be fun! And by fun, I mean a semantic clusterfuck."

It's quite easily googled. I don't play fetch for people who swear like 13 year olds. Maybe when you get to Junior High School you will learn about who the US Presidents were.

"traditionalguy said...
Deals with Nancy Pelosi? Hell, Reagan made deals with Grobachov. "

When is the last time Pelosi or Schumer got on board with a deal that was in any way conservative? Just didn't happen.

For the record, Trump has blasted Gorbachev for being too weak while praising the more ruthless communist dictators. I kid you not... he praised Kim Jung Un for killing his uncle and praised the Tienanmen Square Massacre.

"What were your other impressions of the Soviet Union?

I was very unimpressed. Their system is a disaster. What you will see there soon is a revolution; the signs are all there with the demonstrations and picketing. Russia is out of control and the leadership knows it. That’s my problem with Gorbachev. Not a firm enough hand.

You mean firm hand as in China?

When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak … as being spit on by the rest of the world–"

When we see just how Trump reacts to criticism, by suing people or demanding he gets to pick the journalists, how often he has screwed over anyone he deals with, leaving billions of his debts unpaid, and how he admires some of the most brutal leaders in recent memory, it amazes me the guy picks up even a single voter. But the country has changed. It's normal for people to scream 'fuck' at strangers, ignore any facts that don't support their 'team', and admire the dumb bully over the hard working honest guy.

"That, apparenlty is the reason why if Barack Obama was born in Kenya he might not have been eligible. There was a requirement that in addition to being citizen you had to be in living in the US at least 5 years after age 14."

That concept doesn't appear in the constitution anywhere. Trump was saying that stuff when Hillary was challenged by Obama, but the constitution can only be amended by a specific process. The constitution requires presidential candidates to be natural born citizens, obviously as opposed to naturalized citizens. Mccain and Obama are both recent examples of how our legal system reads the law. They don't become inquisitors hunting for weird interpretations that enable them to wipe people off the ballot. That would be terrible.

dreams said...

Why wouldn't any Republican prefer Trump over any of the Dems, especially Hillary? Trump is clearly a capable man who has proven he has the backbone to stand up to the liberal media and also he understands the threat of Muslim immigration. Trump is a successful and well respected businessman who has had to deal with politicians his whole business life, obviously successfully.

To the elite who accuse Trump of being a Populist, is that really the greatest threat to our country?

Mark said...

At least for me, being on Trump's naughty list is a feature, not a bug.

And Dreams, I don't accuse Trump of being a populist, I accuse him of being another grifter who's figured out how to work the national mood to his own personal benefit. You would have thought we'd have learned our lesson, but apparently not, as long as the Grifter of the Current Cycle has the proper letter after his name.

Sammy Finkelman said...

At the time Trump spoke about Carson, Carson was high in the polls, next to him, in Iowa, so he really was saying they were stupid - or would be stupid - if they believed Carson. It was more an attack on Carson's story than people in Iowa. (after all, Trump was not giving up on them!!)

Actually Carson's mother had said "that really happened" although that referred to the attack itself, not why it failed.

"Looks like" has a very literal meaning and a descriptive meaning and Trump was using the descriptive meaning. Cruz is quoting him out of context and there are a number of such things in his ads.

Another thing is to pretend that Trump said he endorsed Bill de Blasio for mayor because he said some nice things about him at a cocktail party.

n.n said...

Breaking news: Trump.

Sammy Finkelman said...

@coupe. Hawaii was already a state at the time Barack Obama was born. It was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959 and Barack Obama II (as he was styled on the borth certificate) was born on August 4, 1961.

traditionalguy said...

Trump is an honorable warrior. Winning is all he wants. And he knows the fall back tactics too so he can preserve his force to keep fighting until he wins (See, the USMC at the Chosin Resevoir.)

What amazes me is anyone who is so hooked on Ted Cruz's Lost Cause self pity vibe that wants us to die politically with him to prove something...our faith in God or our Americaness.

Hint: Native born Americans are not dedicated to making stupid sacrifices for America anywhere near as much as Immigrants feel a need do it to prove they are Americans...and yes, better Americans than we are. (I.e., Ted Cruz becomes a nasty man.)

Fabi said...

It would have been more economical to name just one example than to whine about my language or to impugn what you incorrectly view as my educational shortcomings.

Here's the answer: Every single one was born on US soil.

Hagar said...

Ted Cruz is a Harvard lawyer wearing Tony Lama boots.

Hagar said...

Ted Cruz for Attorney General?

Spiros Pappas said...

Wonderful imagery of Ted Cruz as a "lone wolf" terrorist:a religous fanatic, unhinged and out of contact with reality.

Anonymous said...

"A lot of us believe that Trump has the negotiating skills to get us the best possible deal."

No, he has the skills to get TRUMP the best possible deal. When you realize that, his allure evaporates.

Kerry said...

My admiration for Ted Cruz comes from his follow through - he campaigned for Senate on certain promises and delivered on those promises. If all his "colleagues" had done the same, imagine the difference it would have made. Ted Cruz did what his constituents elected him to do. And he is vilified for it, not by the voters who elected him, but by his peers who found excuses to delay or abandon the promises they made.

Tim said...

Unknown said...
My admiration for Ted Cruz comes from his follow through - he campaigned for Senate on certain promises and delivered on those promises. If all his "colleagues" had done the same, imagine the difference it would have made. Ted Cruz did what his constituents elected him to do. And he is vilified for it, not by the voters who elected him, but by his peers who found excuses to delay or abandon the promises they made.

This X1000.
Go Cruz.

Drago said...

Mark: "And Dreams, I don't accuse Trump of being a populist, I accuse him of being another grifter who's figured out how to work the national mood to his own personal benefit"

Unbelievable.

This is where the supposed "conservatives" adopt the language of lefty trolls to demean Trump and where they completely lose me.

And I am a Cruz supporter.

So, according to supposed "conservatives", Trump is dumb and a grifter.

Sure he is. Uh huh. Tell me more.

holdfast said...

The Cruz commercial manipulated a really dumb thing that Trump said.

He could have said - "That Carson is such a loser - Carson believes that Iowans are stupid enough to believe his loser story. But that's not what he did - he created an ugly sound bite, and now it's being used out of context. Which is a staple of attack ads.

Anonymous said...

They're both jerks. The top two Republican candidates, what does this say about the majority of Rebublican voters?

jg said...

"Liar" is fair.

Phil 314 said...

Trump is Putin. Putin polls well too!

Birkel said...

How many Althouse commenters think bastards cannot be natural born Americans? This is getting really ridiculous.

Democracy may, indeed, give the voters what they ask for good and hard.

I will remind people after the fact.

Drago said...

Amanda: "They're both jerks. The top two Republican candidates, what does this say about the majority of Rebublican voters?"

Shh. I'm trying to listen to Hillary explain how she did not violate just about every law we have on the books pertaining to handling top secret and above-top secret documents during those few moments when she wasn't selling state dept favors for bribes to the clinton foundation.

Francisco D said...

Traditional guy,

Your lack of response to a specific question tells me that you just like to listen to yourself talk (or look at what you write). What a waste of time. Perfect Trumpster!

I have things to do in my life, reading your posts is not one of them. Listening to Donald Trump is another. BS artists waste my time and hurt my eyes/ears.

It goes without saying that listening to almost any Democrat or member of their media propaganda arm is at the top of the list.

Joe said...

"We've had many presidents who weren't born on US soil..."

Nope. There were none. Zero. Zip. Nada. Every single US President was born within the borders of the United States or what would become the United States.

traditionalguy said...

@Francisco D...I did not think you were serious. You demanded I supply authority in what you insist is a totally open question that cannot be answered without a SCOTUS ruling.

That means you must rely on a lawyer's best guess. Well, that is my best guess.

But I am intrigued by your assumption that before I support Trump I must first get your approval or forever remain silent. Are you totally nuts?

Drago said...

rancisco D: "Traditional guy,

Your lack of response to a specific question tells me that you just like to listen to yourself talk (or look at what you write). What a waste of time. Perfect Trumpster!"

You must share with us your technique of typing and submitting comments without looking at what you've written! Fantastic!

Drago said...

Francisco D: "I have things to do in my life, reading your posts is not one of them"

Then how can you be sure he did not answer your question?

Francisco D said...

Traditional Guy and Drago,

You are both totally evasive. What a waste!

Seems very Clintonian to me.

Francisco D said...

Joe,

Note that two US Presidents, after the US was established as a sovereign state, were born as British subjects. The first was Chester Arthur. Can you guess the second?

Drago said...

Francisco D: "You are both totally evasive. What a waste!

Seems very Clintonian to me."

So, let's see if I have this straight: there have been no questions posed to me and therefore I'm being "totally evasive" and "Clintonian" in not answering questions that have not been posed to me.

Yes, run with that one for awhile. That should work.

Drago said...

Let me offer up a "pre-apology" to Francisco D for the infinite number of questions that have not been posed to me that I have "evaded" in the last several minutes.

Drago said...

In other breaking news, I have evaded recording my caloric intake of foods I have not consumed.

I have also avoided paying taxes on fees I have not earned.

How very "Clintonian" of me.

Francisco D said...

Drago,

I accept your apologies for disingenuousness, although that was not your purpose.

You have a lot to learn grasshopper. Do not be ashamed. I am here to help you.

Drago said...

Francisco D: "Drago, I accept your apologies for disingenuousness, although that was not your purpose."

This "logic" thing really does have you flummoxed.

Do feel free to make note of the questions you claim I evaded, lest others find you disingenuous as well as falling short of the disciplined thinking mark.

cubanbob said...

Tradeguy you may have noticed that the Constitution while requiring a citizen be natural born doesn't define the term. Maybe it just might be that on the day the Constitution was adopted there already was an existing and in force legal system (the English Common Law) and statutes in place that defined the term. Several of the founders were lawyers, they knew what the term meant as defined in the existing statute and case law as well as the ratifiers of the Constitution. The law in effect at the time of Cruz's birth was that he is a natural born citizen through his mother who was a US citizen who resided fourteen years in the US as an adult (Obama's mother on the other hand was unquestionably born a US citizenship but at the time of Obama's birth she had not resided in the US as an adult the requisite fourteen years). Any objection to a dual citizen serving as president in the case of Cruz is mooted since he renounced his dual citizenship. Perhaps I'm mistaken but Obama on the other hand hasn't renounced any foreign citizenship. In short, the founders made the requirement but intentionally left it to Congress and the courts to define the term.

walter said...

"Altparse deduced:
"To present Trump's "How stupid are the people of Iowa?" as if Trump were saying Iowans are stupid is to lie about Trump.

David Begley said...
If voters want four years of this - and more - go right ahead and vote Trump. I, for one, would rather eat ground glass.
--
"this" being what? I get you I think in other instances of Trumping..but this one does seem on Cruz.
Let us note how quickly Cruz went from Trump bud to basher.
Welcome to the jungle, baybeee...

walter said...

By the way, was this ever clarified?
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/05/politics/donald-trump-bill-clinton-2016/

The call, the aide said, came after Trump reached out to Clinton "a few times" before the businessman decided to run for the Republican presidential nomination. Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton's wife, was already running for president at the time.

"While we don't make it a practice to discuss the President's private conversations, we can tell you that the presidential race was not discussed," the aide said, adding that the duo had not talked since the late May conversation.

The Washington Post first reported the call, noting -- according to Trump allies -- that the conversation came while the reality TV star was making his final decisions about a presidential run.

Trump's team declined to comment to CNN.