Cruz just ended his political career. And I say that as someone who supported Cruz in the primaries.Well, that's a great bad analogy. A good chunk of the assembled group were delegates pledged to Cruz, not supporters of Trump. And a convention is not necessarily a celebration focused on one couple. Even the couple's kiss was not a thinking-alike sort of thing ....
There is a time and a place for everything. You don’t accept an invite to a woman’s wedding and then give a toast to the groom’s ex-girlfriend. It is bad enough that he has gone back on his promise to support whoever won the GOP nomination. ... What he did tonight was beyond rude — and then standing there at the podium with a smirk on his face.
Until tonight I thought the rest of the Senate hated him because he would not play ball. While that still might be partly true, tonight I discovered another reason: he is a jerk. I will never support him again.
July 23, 2016
"You don’t accept an invite to a woman’s wedding and then give a toast to the groom’s ex-girlfriend."
One of the top-rated comments from the past week at the NYT:
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It was a melancholy chunk, not good.
My guess is that the comment contains at least one lie. Cruz always has a smirk on his face. If the commentator supported Cruz before, why is it even worth mentioning now?
I bet the comment came from someone who not only did not support Cruz in the primary, but probably didn't even vote in the Republican primary.
I say this as someone who did vote for Cruz in the Republican primary.
I think Cruz is still smarting from his loss. He can't believe people didn't pick him - and worse, they chose that idiot over him.
Cruz's senate victory here in Texas was what some would term miraculous. I honestly think he thought that would carry over to the presidential bid - and a victory there as well. He miscalculated because of his "Texas miracle" and made a dumb move. He got manuevered into that agreement because he couldn't conceive that he would be on the losing end of it.
The wedding is to explain guy rules to women, as nearly as possible.
Guys have grace and a former enemy or opponent, not a grudge. That's what Cruz failed to have, a very basic guy rule.
Taking pride in having a mocking sense of humor is not the only remedy for the discomfort that too often accompanies having to live in a world where everyone is so very much less intelligent than yourself.
Mobies abound.
The whole "I promise to support the nominee" pledge was aimed at Trump, thinking he wouldn't be the nominee. Came back and bit the losers.
Not sure if anyone caught Limbaugh the day after the Cruz debacle on radio, but he said Cruz's speech "was the longest suicide note" he ever heard. Later that night on Special Report on Fox News, Mara Liasson used exactly the same line. Hmm.
It was definitely a mistake by Cruz. He faced a binary choice: (1) suck it up and support the Donald (Walker) or shut up and skip the convention (Kasich). He chose a squishy third way, which backfired and actually helped Trump, because it made Trump seem magnanimous in victory.
Oh well.
This part is stupidly lacking in self-awareness
Until tonight I thought the rest of the Senate hated him because he would not play ball. While that still might be partly true, tonight I discovered another reason: he is a jerk. I will never support him again.Well, that's a great bad analogy. A good chunk of the assembled group were delegates pledged to Cruz, not supporters of Trump. And a convention is not necessarily a celebration focused on one couple. Even the couple's kiss was not a thinking-alike sort of thing ....
Cruz refusing to endorse Trump is an example of 'not playing ball'. The author seems to feel that, now that Cruz didn't play ball in an instance where the author thought he should, that this makes Cruz a jerk.
Funniest line I heard regarding Cruz.
On a panel discussing Cruz, someone asked: "Why do people instantaneously hate Cruz?". To which someone responded: "Saves time".
My hubby was a major Cruz organizer in our state and he helped send an All Cruz delegation to Cleveland (including himself). But the delegation was chosen before our primary and the votes were dictated by the primary - Cruz suspended his campaign two weeks before the primary. We weren't alone - there were a number of delegations that were composed of Rubio/Cruz/We Hate Trump delegates - but they were required to vote for Trump on the first ballot. I estimate that over 1/2 of the delegates on the floor were anti-Trump in their hearts.
Some of the delegation is still 100% behind Cruz - and others wish he had said just one more sentence (along the lines of "if you follow your conscience, you won't be voting for Hillary") and it would have been fine. He tried to play Reagan in 1976 and he couldn't pull it off.
"A good chunk of the assembled group were delegates pledged to Cruz, not supporters of Trump."
No, by the time Cruz hit the stage, the voting was over, the nomination of Trump was complete, and their "duties" as Cruz delegates had been discharged.
This was the REPUBLICAN Convention. Not the Trump show. A lot of Republicans don't like Trump and Manafort decided to fuck over Pence to harbor a grudge with Cruz.
It was definitely a mistake by Cruz. He faced a binary choice: (1) suck it up and support the Donald (Walker) or shut up and skip the convention (Kasich). He chose a squishy third way, which backfired and actually helped Trump, because it made Trump seem magnanimous in victory.
...except Trump is also attacking Kasich and threatening to set up a SuperPAC to defeat Cruz and Kasich...
No, by the time Cruz hit the stage, the voting was over, the nomination of Trump was complete, and their "duties" as Cruz delegates had been discharged.
Doesn't mean they like Trump.
The two guys who ran for the Republican nominee nation, lost, and have no chance at a future nomination, are JEB and Cruz. They lack grace and are bad losers. I think that it is a guy thing. Guys don't trust, or really even like, guys who aren't team players. Guys who weren't good team players got people killed when we were running around in hunting groups in the savannah. But if Trump loses, these two guys are going to get some of the blame, and from a guy's point of view, it will be warranted. They tried to sabotage the team when they lost, and that is not appreciated.
Mostly, Trump showed that he understood these rules. Even after Cruz shit on him at the Convention, Trump said nice things about how well Ted competed. As a guy, that is what you are supposed to do - be gracious in both winning and losing. Trump, for the most part, was both. A far cry from Obama and the Dems in 2009, who essentially said "we won", so deal with it, and didn't offer any face saving to the Republicans (like including them in the Porkulous or ObamaCare negotiations).
Let me add that every time Trump complimented Cruz on the race he had ran, one of the things that I heard from that was that he understood boy world rules. Part of winning gracefully is recognizing the merits of your closest competitors. You can't recognize everyone who competed, but recognizing the closest competitors is just good male world etiquette. And, it says that you don't fear them, which makes you look even more powerful.
This was just Ted Cruz being Ted Cruz. He has a habit of publically undercutting (stabbing in the back?) party leadership for principle that happens to coincide with personal gain (personal gain that happens to coincide with principle?).
When Ted Cruz did this to the Republican "establishment," a certain sort of Republican cheered. Those same Republicans now have murder in their hearts.
Meh. Cruz's problem now is that he has shown loyalty to no one but himself. There are few left to betray.
It is a kind of condign irony that it was an anti-establishment hero who carefully measured and poured into a spoon the taste-of-your-own brand medicine. A related irony is that the same Republicans who attacked and "primaried" fellow Republicans are now demanding party loyalty over conscience. Lots of hypocrisy on display these days.
People angry about a rigged system are whining that somebody wouldn't just shut up and play along...which leads to rigged systems. Amusing.
In reality, eventually there comes a time to shut up and play along. Perhaps Cruz should resign from The Republican party if he can't 'shut up and soldier, soldier.'
Another Republican who shot himself in the foot with that convention was Kasich. Ohio's governor made a big deal about not showing up to the convention just to snub Trump. Dumbass. I expect him to announce he's become a Democrat any day now.
It would be wrong, I suppose, to accept an invitation from Trump to attend the Trump Convention for the Trump Party. But the REPUBLICAN Convention is a convention for the REPUBLICAN Party. They are not one and the same.
Trump is not our Supreme Leader. And it is disgusting and corrupt that people -- who should know better -- are acting like he is Supreme Leader and that the party is HIS party.
Ted Cruz, as a candidate with several hundred delegates elected by people in Republican primaries and caucuses, had a right to address the REPUBLICAN convention. And he had a right to say to voters to exercise their conscience. OF COURSE people should follow their conscience, that is, to act according to their informed prudent judgment so as to do good and to avoid evil. But apparently now it is controversial -- and worthy of condemnation -- to suggest that we do good and avoid evil.
He had a right to say to voters to vote for the person they thought would best protect and defend freedom and our constitutionally-protected rights. HOW COULD ANY DECENT PERSON OPPOSE THAT in a free civil society?? Only in totalitarian systems is that considered unacceptable. And yet, it is unacceptable to Trump and his people.
There is a dark cloud and cold wind blowing in the former Republican Party.
You know, after years of being a dedicated Republican, including serving as chairman of the College Republicans when I was in college, as a conservative, I could no longer in good conscience officially call myself a member of the GOP after Bob Dole's candidacy and when the party reneged on certain of its Contract with America promises. Yet I still voted Republican and supported the principles of the party, objecting mostly to the leadership's violation of those principles.
Never before did I even think of considering the Republican Party to be an enemy of freedom. I'm beginning to think it now.
(And, no, I will never support the Plantation Party of Slavery, Secession, Segregation and Socialism.)
Concerning Cruz and Trump, which is worse a bad loser or a bad winner?
Has it ever crossed any of your fucking minds that some of us who voted for Ted Cruz are PLEASED that he did not endorse Trump, but rather made a case against the other side? I would have been disappointed in him if he HAS endorsed Trump. Ted's career is far from over. What the fuck do you think Texans who voted for him for the Senate are going to do now? Vote for a Democrat instead?
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Trump's air kiss of the conservative Pence was exactly the kind of unscripted, out-of-the-box behavior people like about the guy.
If Ted was so offended by Trump's treatment of his wife and father he should have punched him in the nose at the first opportunity.
Instead he went to the party and pissed in the punchbowl. I wasted a vote for Ted.
Cruz did a stupid thing. Lots of Trump supporters had him as a 2nd choice. His refusal to be a team player, and his putting personal pique ahead of the good of the country won't be forgotten.
If Reagan in '76 had refused to support Ford, he never would've been nominated in 1980. And Rockefeller earned the undying hatred of the conservatives when he stabbed Goldwater in the back in '64.
Trump didn't cover himself with dignity the following day when he started with his stupid tinfoil crap about Cruz's dad. It's that kind of jerky move that can result in a lot of Trump voters getting a case of Alien Hand at the voting booth. As for Cruz, I voting for him in the primary and gave him money (and will give to his Senate campaign) but for a guy that smart that is surely one of the dumbest political moves ever. I get him not wanting to openly endorse Trump, however this is a party convention and the party chose Trump. Period, end of story. He could have made nearly the same speech using Comey's indictment style, and made a case why no one in good conscience could vote for any Democrat this year; from president to mayor from congress to city council and without formally endorsing Trump but leaving the podium with thunderous applause. Ted, you blew it.
Oso Negro
Totally agree with you. Of Course we could be wrong, remember how Ron Reagan's non-endorsement of Ford in 1976 and his refusal to campaign for Ford ended Reagan's political career.
The most disappointing thing about Cruz’s decision to withhold his endorsement of Trump was that it was based on personal pique. Politics is a blood sport and campaigns have been filled with mud and slander for time out of mind. At the birth of the Republic references to wives, parents and personal behavior were a great deal harsher than those thrown at Cruz. A statesman does not allow himself to take these things personally. A President faces many more serious issues than the accusation that his wife is plain.
If he had left it alone he would have survived this debacle. As it was, when he revealed that it was about him, not about issues, that he lost the respect of a lot of people.
Mr. Trump is playing New York rules. Cruz was warned. Now Trump is handing him his head.
It would be amusing, if it did not have such ominous ramifications for the nation, that so many people are making an ass of themselves in continuing to demand the endorsement of someone who persists in implying that Cruz's father was involved in the JFK assassination.
Trump is the nominee. Hillary is the opponent. And the Trump people are showing their support for him by ignoring Hillary and obsessing about Cruz.
Bruce Hayden nails most of the problem. This election will be about "the team' winning or losing. If you are on the team you support the team whether you are on the first squad or the hamburger squad. Whether you win or lose you line up at center ice, or in the infield and shake hands with the opposing side. Much to my surprise- and delight - Peggy Noonan ended her description of Cruz' performance with "What a jerk!"
I posted the other day that Cruz is the perfect example of a megalomaniac: " a person obsessed with their own power; a person who suffers delusions of his own power or importance". Nailed it.
Mark, if you would shut up about Cruz, we would shut up about Cruz.
Heidi will be SO glad to get back to work at Goldman.
Cruz burned all his bridges except the "Trump Fails" bridge. Trump might well fail, but Cruz does not necessarily own that bridge either. Cruz seems to have a talent for making bad bets and making enemies. That Trump has gotten this far coming from where he began makes the "Trump fails" a dubious bet. Cruz should have gone fishing instead.
The best bargaining chip Cruz had to offer was his ground game operations. I wonder how you go about taking that away from him.
Cruz should figure out why his chin looks like a single ballsack. Is it an implant? Can't he sue the plastic surgeon? Papa Cruz was a Castro-stooge, as he himself admitted. Papa Cruz handed out flyers for Castro in Dallas [said he didn't know that Castro was a Communist.] Lee Harvey Oswald handed out flyers for Castro in Dallas for the same group at the same time. The National Enquirer ran a picture of Oswald handing out flyers with someone they identified as Papa Cruz. Trump was asked about the National Enquirer story and said maybe we should be concerned about those details. He did not mention that Papa Cruz vamoosed for the Canadian Border after 11-22-63. Or if the FBI had been questioning him, and how many times. Or why Ted knows all the verses to "O Canada."
"Much to my surprise- and delight - Peggy Noonan ended her description of Cruz' performance with "What a jerk!"" Trump's deep, deep play was to give Cruz his moment, have him commit political suicide--and thereby unity the party behind "what a jerk." It's the Dems' (and the country's) misfortune that they did not have a candidate of sufficient creativity and stature to produce a similar "what a bitch" moment for Hillary.
The very notion that Cruz's father could have been involved with Oswald or Castro is preposterous on its face. No one could take it seriously.
So why did Cruz fold like a cheap camera when Trump whipped that one out?
Cruz for Supreme Court! Trump's first nominee!
Not only will it put Cruz out of our misery, it will result in rather immediate confirmation by the entire Senate just to get rid of him, and probably cause at least two, maybe three, senior Justices to stroke out during their first meeting with him.
Enormous jerks have their uses, and their useful occupations. This seems like a jerk of a peg going into in a hole shaped just right for a jerk.
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