It's pretty funny. These delusional fools are trying to build him into something they wish and hope for, this big scary guy to Dems, but it's not reality. Deep down, he knows it, hence he's running as far as possible from my proposed wager. If he even remotely believed what he's saying, it would be easy to accept, with the odds so stacked in his favor. The truth, and he knows this also, is Ted Cruz would be the absolute best opponent the Dems could wish for.
It's pretty funny. These delusional fools are trying to build him into something they wish and hope for, this big scary guy to Dems, but it's not reality. Deep down, he knows it, hence he's running as far as possible from my proposed wager. If he even remotely believed what he's saying, it would be easy to accept, with the odds so stacked in his favor. The truth, and he knows this also, is Ted Cruz would be the absolute best opponent the Dems could wish for.
The artifice and artificiality of Ted Cruz
By Scot LehighGlobe Columnist March 24, 2015
Ted Cruz, the 44-year-old Texas Republican who announced for president on Monday, is a politician who presents a set of unappealing alternatives.
In a Senate where professed “good friends” frequently disdain each other, he’s a particular object of scorn, a pariah even in his own party caucus. That’s because he has used his Tea Party popularity to pressure Republicans into budgetary brinkmanship without any plausible prospect for success. Witness the 2013 government shutdown that Cruz precipitated in an attempt to defund Obamacare, a gambit that left the government gasping and may have injured the economy, but otherwise accomplished nothing — just as his colleagues had warned.
So how to view that sort of senator? Cruz’s explanation is that he has stayed true to Texas and not allowed Washington to change him. The charitable perspective, then, is that Cruz is committed to his cause, but simply clueless as a political tactician.
The alternative view is that Cruz cared more about making himself a hero to Obama-loathing Tea Party Republicans than he worried about hurting the country or putting his GOP colleagues in a spot that they could extract themselves from only through an embarrassing retreat. That would speak to an egoism, ambition, and obliviousness enormous even by Washington’s monumental standards.
But let’s hold judgment in abeyance for a moment and consider Cruz in fuller frame.
Although he’s a polished political orator, the Texas senator admits to little or no complexity. He says the debate on climate change should follow science — and then ignores the strong scientific consensus. He calls for a flat tax to foster tax-filing simplicity and relieve burdens on struggling families, with no acknowledgment that such a scheme would either explode the deficit or shift the tax burden dramatically downward. For him, the Affordable Care Act is a simple usurpation of liberty rather than a complex attempt, replete with both winners and losers, to extend affordable health coverage to everyone.
He views the state-led Common Core endeavor to raise education standards as the federal government dictating school curriculum. He considers efforts to ban armor-piercing bullets an attempt to undermine Second Amendment rights. He declares that, when it comes to erosion of liberty, the United States is near the point of no return.
Here, again, an observer appraising Cruz is left with a choice.
Perhaps the conservative Texan is so much the ideologue, perhaps he sees the world in such black and white terms, perhaps he’s so unaware of fiscal, economic, and policy facts, that he truly believes all that. And yet, profiles of Cruz are full of accounts about his brilliance at Princeton University and Harvard Law School; about his range and dexterity as a debater; about the suppleness and originality of his arguments as an appellate lawyer.
And then one reads Cruz elaborating on his political and legal philosophy. “In both law and politics, I think the essential battle is the meta-battle of framing the narrative,” he told The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin last year. “As [Chinese military strategist] Sun Tzu said, Every battle is won before it’s fought. It’s won by choosing the terrain on which it will be fought.”
That doesn’t sound like either a political naif or a man with a simple, dichromatic view of things.
And then one listens to his rhetoric.
There’s something so overwrought about his tropes, so melodramatic about his warnings, so histrionic about his exhortations, that Cruz seems more like a soap-opera actor auditioning for a role in a new cable TV series about Washington than a finely honed intellect contemplating the issues of the day.
Put all the puzzle pieces together, and the picture that takes shape is of artifice and artificiality.
Now, it’s possible that Cruz could emerge as a force in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus contest. After all, Rick Santorum, a man whose political approach is not dissimilar, eked out a razor-thin victory over Mitt Romney there last time around. And Mike Huckabee, another silver-tongued southern orator, won there in 2008.
But Cruz is the kind of candidate who usually falls flat when the campaign moves to New Hampshire. His rhetoric is too humid, his message too simplistic, his thespianism too obvious to wear well in a state that likes things real.
Scot Lehigh can be reached at lehigh@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeScotLehigh.
Good read. Peter King is a rarity: a fairly reasonable Republican, and he minced no words about Cruz:
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rep-pete...ump-off-a-bridge-if-cruz-gets-gop-nomination/
I rarely, if ever, add anything of any value down in this forum. I'll be the first to admit that. But let's be totally honest here. Who does??
I'm sure you are a nice guy in real life. so my apologies for any careless insults or shots I might have taken against you.
I just can't get over how other people (left, middle or right) can't see the tunnel vision you have and how stale your posts are (the ones you don't copy and paste.)
Have a great day....maybe you will get a Republican president next election. Seems like it should be a slam dunk if this country is really as bad off as you claim it to be...
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Zit - You insult people just as much as anyone down here and you know that, so let's not make some issue out of this.
I was having a bad day at work yesterday so I pulled up the RX knowing the thought of college hoops Thursday would probably help out. I hit new posts or something and popped into a political thread and started busting on Russ.
I already apologized in one of the other threads earlier. He just totally rubs me the wrong way.
But whatever you do, please don't confuse me with many of the regular posters in this sub-forum. I will admit when I'm wrong and truly will try to listen to any thoughtful argument, political or otherwise, as long as I'm even mildly interested in the topic.
The problem down here (it seems,) is one can rarely, if ever, find a rational, stimulating "discussion" where all (or most) parties act like adults.
So the option then (at least to me,) is to treat it as humor and fun. Come down here, pop off a little, mess with people, get some laughs and then move on....
It seems to me that's a pretty solid approach to this forum. Agree?
Sure, I insult the idiots in here, but I wasn't complaining about people doing such, as I dished it out... Anyway, you seem in a much more reasonable mood today.
I also am quick to admit when I'm wrong, and have done so countless times.
You sound like a reasonable, and good guy (even though you're a fucking liberal douche) hahahahha. j/k
Holy shit! There are snowballs freezing in hell.
Mark Levin agrees with Vtard, sort of.
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/03/24/levin-slams-fnc-neophytes-for-cruz-criticisms/
Mark Levin agrees with Vtard, sort of.
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/03/24/levin-slams-fnc-neophytes-for-cruz-criticisms/
LOL...yeah, much better mood today..
And yeah man, I've seen you admit when you are wrong plenty of times, something many others have a hard time doing in here.
I'll admit I'm a liberal but definitely not some far left wing nutjob.
Hey, at least I love the Celtics and Larry Bird is my all time favorite player (and childhood idol.)
Nothing Like a Captive Audience to make a Presidential Announcement:
Liberty University students "were mandated" to attend Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential announcement "or they would be fined."
— Jess McIntosh on Tuesday, March 24th, 2015 in a broadcast of MSNBC's "All in with Chris Hayes"
[h=1]Liberty University students faced $10 fine if they skipped Ted Cruz presidential speech[/h] By Jon Greenberg on Wednesday, March 25th, 2015 at 6:01 p.m.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, with his wife and daughters at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Student attendance was mandatory. (New York Times) Every politician likes a packed house, and when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced that he was officially running for president this week, he got one. About 11,000 students at Liberty University in Virginia were on hand when Cruz came to their campus. But as Jess McIntosh, the spokeswoman for the abortion rights group Emily’s List noted, they weren’t there necessarily by choice.
"Students were mandated to be in attendance or they would be fined," McIntosh told Chris Hayes on MSNBC on March 24, 2015. "Not as much as they would be fined for possessing R-rated movies or practicing witchcraft, but still, they had to pay money if they didn’t want to see him."
McIntosh wasn’t the only person to make this point, and a reader asked us to see what was up at Liberty University.
In this case, McIntosh gets an A for accuracy, although there was no special rule related to Cruz.
The university, founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell, requires its 13,500 residential students to attend as many as three events each week as part of a program called Convocation. There are sermons by guest pastors, performances from Christian entertainers and talks by leaders in many fields.
What happens if you don’t go?
The university’s student appeals court handbook has the list of consequences for various infractions. Missing Convocation is on the list. (A reprimand is a formal mark against a student’s record.) Here’s what the handbook says:
Each student should be familiar with these sanctions.
1 Reprimand:
Late for curfew (1 additional reprimand for each 30 minutes late)
Late for Convocation (1 additional reprimand for each 15 minutes late)
4 Reprimands + $10.00 Fine:
Absence from required meeting (Convocation, etc.)
Disturbance/non-participation during Convocation
Dress/hair code violation (male or female)
Cruz’s presidential announcement was scheduled as a Convocation event by the university, therefore the penalty for a student’s absence would be four reprimands and a $10 fine.
Liberty University issued a statement about Cruz’s speech that confirmed that "missing Convocation is only a minor penalty, a $10 fine."
University President Jerry Falwell Jr. addressed the Convocation requirement in a separate statement after Cruz’s address. "Convocation speakers do not all line up with traditional Evangelical Christian viewpoints or even Liberty University’s doctrinal statement. A fundamental part of the college experience is being exposed to a variety of viewpoints so students can better understand why they hold their own beliefs and be better prepared to defend them."
Students were aware of the rule. One of them posted about it on her Facebook page. Citing another student, she wrote, "Students will either attend Convocation and lend to the illusion of widespread support for Sen. Cruz, or they will be subject to administrative punishment -- specifically, four reprimands and a $10 fine -- if they are absent."
We have plenty of questions about the fine system, but Liberty University officials didn’t get back to us before our deadline.
Among our unanswered questions:
If the crowd at Cruz’s announcement was 11,000 -- as reported by Liberty -- does that mean at least 2,500 students skipped the event and are subject to a fine?
How does Liberty University take attendance? (We did find this seating chart that might begin to explain that question.)
How many attendance fines were issued in 2014, or any other period of time?
(If you’re a Liberty student or an alum, feel free to email us with your experiences at feedback@punditfact.com.)
Incidentally, McIntosh is also correct about the greater sanctions for worse offenses. There’s a penalty on the books of 12 reprimands and a $50 fine for seeing an R-rated movie, deception, and participating in an unauthorized petition or demonstration. Participating in a seance, witchcraft or other demonic activity carries a $500 fine, 30 hours of community service, 30 reprimands and possible expulsion.
Our ruling
McIntosh said Liberty University students "were mandated" to attend Cruz’s presidential announcement "or they would be fined."
Cruz’s speech was part of a regular program at the university called Convocation. By the letter of the law, students are required to attend or pay a $10 fine. The private university wouldn’t tell us if they issued any fines to students skipping Cruz’s speech, how the system works and how often fines are issued.
McIntosh’s claim is accurate. We rate it True.
Liberty University students "were mandated" to attend Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential announcement "or they would be fined."
— Jess McIntosh on Tuesday, March 24th, 2015 in a broadcast of MSNBC's "All in with Chris Hayes"
[h=1]Liberty University students faced $10 fine if they skipped Ted Cruz presidential speech[/h] By Jon Greenberg on Wednesday, March 25th, 2015 at 6:01 p.m.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, with his wife and daughters at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Student attendance was mandatory. (New York Times) Every politician likes a packed house, and when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced that he was officially running for president this week, he got one. About 11,000 students at Liberty University in Virginia were on hand when Cruz came to their campus. But as Jess McIntosh, the spokeswoman for the abortion rights group Emily’s List noted, they weren’t there necessarily by choice.
"Students were mandated to be in attendance or they would be fined," McIntosh told Chris Hayes on MSNBC on March 24, 2015. "Not as much as they would be fined for possessing R-rated movies or practicing witchcraft, but still, they had to pay money if they didn’t want to see him."
McIntosh wasn’t the only person to make this point, and a reader asked us to see what was up at Liberty University.
In this case, McIntosh gets an A for accuracy, although there was no special rule related to Cruz.
The university, founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell, requires its 13,500 residential students to attend as many as three events each week as part of a program called Convocation. There are sermons by guest pastors, performances from Christian entertainers and talks by leaders in many fields.
What happens if you don’t go?
The university’s student appeals court handbook has the list of consequences for various infractions. Missing Convocation is on the list. (A reprimand is a formal mark against a student’s record.) Here’s what the handbook says:
Each student should be familiar with these sanctions.
1 Reprimand:
Late for curfew (1 additional reprimand for each 30 minutes late)
Late for Convocation (1 additional reprimand for each 15 minutes late)
4 Reprimands + $10.00 Fine:
Absence from required meeting (Convocation, etc.)
Disturbance/non-participation during Convocation
Dress/hair code violation (male or female)
Cruz’s presidential announcement was scheduled as a Convocation event by the university, therefore the penalty for a student’s absence would be four reprimands and a $10 fine.
Liberty University issued a statement about Cruz’s speech that confirmed that "missing Convocation is only a minor penalty, a $10 fine."
University President Jerry Falwell Jr. addressed the Convocation requirement in a separate statement after Cruz’s address. "Convocation speakers do not all line up with traditional Evangelical Christian viewpoints or even Liberty University’s doctrinal statement. A fundamental part of the college experience is being exposed to a variety of viewpoints so students can better understand why they hold their own beliefs and be better prepared to defend them."
Students were aware of the rule. One of them posted about it on her Facebook page. Citing another student, she wrote, "Students will either attend Convocation and lend to the illusion of widespread support for Sen. Cruz, or they will be subject to administrative punishment -- specifically, four reprimands and a $10 fine -- if they are absent."
We have plenty of questions about the fine system, but Liberty University officials didn’t get back to us before our deadline.
Among our unanswered questions:
If the crowd at Cruz’s announcement was 11,000 -- as reported by Liberty -- does that mean at least 2,500 students skipped the event and are subject to a fine?
How does Liberty University take attendance? (We did find this seating chart that might begin to explain that question.)
How many attendance fines were issued in 2014, or any other period of time?
(If you’re a Liberty student or an alum, feel free to email us with your experiences at feedback@punditfact.com.)
Incidentally, McIntosh is also correct about the greater sanctions for worse offenses. There’s a penalty on the books of 12 reprimands and a $50 fine for seeing an R-rated movie, deception, and participating in an unauthorized petition or demonstration. Participating in a seance, witchcraft or other demonic activity carries a $500 fine, 30 hours of community service, 30 reprimands and possible expulsion.
Our ruling
McIntosh said Liberty University students "were mandated" to attend Cruz’s presidential announcement "or they would be fined."
Cruz’s speech was part of a regular program at the university called Convocation. By the letter of the law, students are required to attend or pay a $10 fine. The private university wouldn’t tell us if they issued any fines to students skipping Cruz’s speech, how the system works and how often fines are issued.
McIntosh’s claim is accurate. We rate it True.
