The Radicalization of Ted Cruz (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Ted Cruz Walks Back January 6th 'Terrorist' Comments in Heated Exchange with Tucker Carlson (VIDEO)."

From Amanda Carpenter, at the Bulwark, "Ted Cruz’s Humiliation Isn’t the Worst Part":

By now, you’ve heard about the clip of Ted Cruz groveling for Tucker Carlson’s approval on Fox News. Every last member of the punditocracy has taken a turn dunking on the Texas senator whom everyone loves to hate.

Hope they enjoyed it.

Because once you really understand what Cruz is apologizing for, it’s not all that funny.

The worst part of that interview wasn’t Cruz’s abject humiliation, but his radicalization. And yes, that’s saying something considering that Cruz was one of the leaders of the charge to object to the Electoral College count on January 6, 2021.

At issue is Cruz’s use of the phrase “violent terrorist attack” when talking about Jan. 6th protesters who assaulted police. For this, last Thursday Carlson accused Cruz of “repeating the talking points Merrick Garland has prepared.” Burn. Lord knows, the worst thing a potential 2024 GOP presidential contender could do is be on message with the Biden administration about Jan. 6th.

It’s worth remembering that when Cruz was coming up in Republican politics, being tough on crime was a good message. He likely clings to the notion that the typical GOP voter wants to “back the blue” and that a successful politician should be consistent in denouncing criminals on the left and the right.

Hah.

That’s just not true of Carlson’s Trump-obsessed, conspiracy-driven viewers. And the fact that Carlson created a three-part series titled “Patriot Purge” that describes Jan. 6th as a government “setup” and jailed rioters as “political prisoners” should have been a clue.

Carlson said the attack could be called a “riot” but “it was not a violent terrorist attack. Sorry.”

He went on:

So why are you telling us that it was, Ted Cruz? And why are none of your Republican friends who are supposed to be representing us and all the people have been arrested during this purge saying anything? What the hell’s going on here?

You’re making us think maybe the Republican Party is as worthless as we suspected it was. That can’t be true. Reassure us, please. Ted Cruz?

Cruz decided to come on Carlson’s broadcast the next evening, so he could help make clear how eager he is to represent the people arrested during the “purge.”

Right out of the gate, Cruz was all concessions and backpedaling. His phrasing, he said, was “sloppy” and “dumb,” and he claimed that he only meant the word “terrorist” to refer to “the limited number of people who engaged in violent attacks against police officers.”

I’ve drawn a distinction. I wasn’t saying that the thousands of peaceful protesters supporting Donald Trump are somehow terrorists. I wasn’t saying the millions of patriots across the country supporting President Trump are terrorists, and that’s what a lot of people have misunderstood.

He thought that distinction would be acceptable.

Nope...

More.

 

Ted Cruz Walks Back January 6th 'Terrorist' Comments in Heated Exchange with Tucker Carlson (VIDEO)

This was going around on Twitter yesterday. Cruz is looking more and more like a buffoon.

At Politico, "The senator brushed off his previous phrasing as “sloppy” and “frankly dumb.”

Ted Cruz's Cancún Blunder

Following-up from yesterday, "Ted Cruz Flew to Cancun with His Family Amid Power Crisis in Texas (VIDEO)."

I wanted to highlight this NYT piece on Senator Cruz, which is kinda shocking in its details. What's so interesting is the text messages Cruz's wife sent out before the trip, to some of her neighbors and friends in Houston, which were later leaked to the press, which I guess seems both naturally appropriate and gross and sleazy at the same time.

See, "Ted Cruz's Cancún Trip: Family Texts Detail His Political Blunder":

Like millions of his constituents across Texas, Senator Ted Cruz had a frigid home without electricity this week amid the state’s power crisis. But unlike most, Mr. Cruz got out, fleeing Houston and hopping a Wednesday afternoon flight to Cancún with his family for a respite at a luxury resort.

Photos of Mr. Cruz and his wife, Heidi, boarding the flight ricocheted quickly across social media and left both his political allies and rivals aghast at a tropical trip as a disaster unfolded at home. The blowback only intensified after Mr. Cruz, a Republican, released a statement saying he had flown to Mexico “to be a good dad” and accompany his daughters and their friends; he noted he was flying back Thursday afternoon, though he did not disclose how long he had originally intended to stay.

Text messages sent from Ms. Cruz to friends and Houston neighbors on Wednesday revealed a hastily planned trip. Their house was “FREEZING,” as Ms. Cruz put it — and she proposed a getaway until Sunday. Ms. Cruz invited others to join them at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancún, where they had stayed “many times,” noting the room price this week ($309 per night) and its good security. The text messages were provided to The New York Times and confirmed by a second person on the thread, who declined to be identified because of the private nature of the texts.

For more than 12 hours after the airport departure photos first emerged, Mr. Cruz’s office declined to comment on his whereabouts. The Houston police confirmed that the senator’s office had sought their assistance for his airport trip on Wednesday, and eventually Mr. Cruz was spotted wheeling his suitcase in Mexico on Thursday as he returned to the state he represents in the Senate...

Now who was it who leaked those texts to the New York Times? I mean, if you can't trust your "friends and neighbors," who can you trust (that is, if you should be trusting these same "friends" and "neighbors" with this kind of bombshell "vacation" planning in the first place)?

That said, for the second day this story's headlining at Memeorandum, so you know hated-addled leftists can't get their fill of their hateful demonic schadenfreude. *Shrugs.*

ADDED: Via Ashley Parker on Twitter, and yes, it is funny. "Cancún-gate," lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

Ted Cruz Flew to Cancun with His Family Amid Power Crisis in Texas (VIDEO)

At Fox News, via Memeorandum.

The surprising thing is Senator Cruz is a really smart guy, so this "vacation" to Cancun was a huge "own goal" on his part. 

And, while I haven't seen them, apparently some "top" conservatives on Twitter have been defending the Texas senator, for behavior that is political indefensible. 

Not me.

I like Ted Cruz, but he's failing his constituents by taking "his children" on vacation, away from the state's weather disaster, while Texas residents are literally freezing to death.

Emily Miller is Ted Cruz's Campaign Spokeswoman

I've been following Emily Miller for a long time. She used to be on Fox News as a D.C. pundit. Then she was on a local network newscast. She had her book come out, Emily Gets Her Gun, which was widely publicized, as was Emily obtaining her concealed carry permit in D.C., which is a bureaucratic nightmare.

In any case, I saw her tweeting all the time about Texas and I wasn't paying that much attention. But then she was getting picked up by the media while on the campaign trail with Ted Cruz and I googled it. She's Cruz's spokeswoman.

A good lady. She's really taken to the Lone Star State:

How we roll... #CruzToVictory #CruzCrew #Midterms2018 #KeepTexasRed https://t.co/FDAWFb1Ghu pic.twitter.com/cfFRhTZ7dA

— Emily Miller (@EmilyMiller) November 4, 2018

Ted Cruz Owns Deadspin

Heh, this is pretty good.

At Red State:

Ted Cruz Owns Deadspin in Hilarious Tweets - This might be one of the best Twitter exchanges in a long time. De... https://t.co/LW259DYSWQ

— RedState (@RedState) January 25, 2017

Pam Bondi Speech to the Republican National Convention #RNCinCLE (VIDEO)

I love her accent, and always have.

And she gives a fairly policy-oriented speech:

Republican National Committee Won't Post Ted Cruz's Full Speech to RNC’s YouTube Page

They've posted a snippet here, "We The People Constrain Government" - Sen Ted Cruz 2016 Republican National Convention."

But they're not posting the entire speech.

At Politico, "Cruz's full speech missing from RNC YouTube channel."

It was posted, however, at ABC News 15 Phoenix, "FULL SPEECH: Senator Ted Cruz BOOs & Cheers at the Republican National Convention."

Texas Delegates 'Disappointed' in Ted Cruz Snub of Donald Trump at #RNCinCLE (VIDEO)

Some Texas delegates stressed their disappointment to CBS News, which I posted earlier, "Ted Cruz Unleashes Fury with Donald Trump Snub at #RNCinCLE (VIDEO)."

But here's an even more detailed account, at Fox News, with Martha MacCallum, "Texas delegates 'disappointed' in Ted Cruz."

Bwahaha! Juice Box Ezra Klein's Afraid for the First Time in His Life!

Because Donald Trump!

Look, we've been living a nightmare for nearly eight years under the Hussein administration. A Trump presidency's going to be like walking out of prison into the cool, cool breeze of freedom and prosperity.

But don't miss Ezra "juice box" Klein, at Vox:

Donald Trump’s nomination is the first time American politics has left me truly afraid https://t.co/EsB1fWq1Nc

— Vox (@voxdotcom) July 21, 2016

Tonight, Donald J. Trump will accept the Republican Party’s nomination for president of the United States. And I am, for the first time since I began covering American politics, genuinely afraid.

Donald Trump is not a man who should be president. This is not an ideological judgment. This is not something I would say about Mitt Romney or Marco Rubio. This is not a disagreement over Donald Trump’s tax plan or his climate policies. This is about Trump’s character, his temperament, his impulsiveness, his basic decency.

More.

So, I Guess Jim Hoft is Now Dead to Dana Loesch

Actually, I thought things were getting more or less back to normal on the right side of the polit-o-sphere, but I guess not. Ted Cruz really upended things last night:

. @gatewaypundit You are ridiculous. I never pledged anything. I regret ever being your friend. You are a horrible person.

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) July 21, 2016

'If you were new to the scene, you could be forgiven for thinking that National Review is some sort of leftist site that was created for the sole purpose of howling about Trump...'

I just don't read National Review. It's never been one of my favorites, but it's been forever dead to me since that anti-Trump special edition last years.

But see Bill Quick, "NRO: “Some Sort of Leftist Site…Created For the Sole Purpose of Howling About Trump”."

And I guess Jonah Golberg and his minions have launched some "I Choose Ted" hashtag.

Bleedin' idiots, the lot of them:

Indignant @JonahNRO is the best @JonahNRO. The day's must-read on Trump/Cruz. "I Choose Ted." https://t.co/rJ0Y3bSAUP #RNCinCLE

— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) July 21, 2016

Ted Cruz Unleashes Fury with Donald Trump Snub at #RNCinCLE (VIDEO)

Following-up from last night, "Ted Cruz Booed, Shouted Down After Refusing to Endorse Donald Trump at #RNCinCLE (VIDEO)."

At the New York Times, "Ted Cruz Is Heckled Again the Morning After His Non-Endorsement."

And at Breitbart, "Exclusive - Sarah Palin to Ted Cruz: Delete Your Career - Breitbart."

Also, at the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Ted Cruz Stirs Convention Fury in Pointed Snub of Donald Trump."

And here's Major Garrett, for CBS This Morning:

Ted Cruz is Dead to Me

Well, if you've been watching the Republican convention, you know what's up.

If not, this LAT headline pretty much nails it, "Republican convention dissolves into boos as Ted Cruz withholds endorsement of bitter rival Donald Trump."

There's video here, via AP, "Boos Fill Hall as Cruz Ends Convention Speech."

And on Twitter:

.@BreeSrsly Selfish prick Ted Cruz. He's dead to me. #RNCinCLE

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 21, 2016

Ted Cruz Wants His Reagan Moment (VIDEO)

Well, it's going to be interesting, no doubt.

Watch, Fox News, "Lisa Boothe: Ted Cruz wants RNC to be his Reagan moment."

Donald Trump in Control After Ted Cruz Exits GOP Presidential Race (VIDEO)

Boy, what a night.

My earlier comments on today's developments here, "Charles Krauthammer: The 'Stop Trump' Movement Died in Indiana (VIDEO)."

And here's the Wall Street Journal, "Donald Trump Gains Clear Path to Nomination":

CARMEL, Ind.—Donald Trump rolled to a decisive victory in Indiana’s Republican presidential primary Tuesday and his chief rival, Ted Cruz, dropped out of the race after earlier calling the front-runner a “pathological liar.”

Mr. Trump was on pace to win all of the state’s 57 delegates to the Republican National Convention, leaving him in a position to clinch the party’s nomination when the final primary contests are held June 7. Mr. Cruz finished in second place and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who made a deal with Mr. Cruz to not campaign in the state, was third.

Mr. Cruz told supporters Tuesday night that he was suspending his campaign. “Together we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we got but the voters chose another path,” he said.

Earlier in the day, he launched a fusillade of attacks, calling the front-runner “utterly amoral,” a “narcissist,” a “serial philanderer” and a “pathological liar.”

Mr. Trump responded on Twitter: “Lyin’ Ted Cruz really went wacko today. Made all sorts of crazy charges. Can’t function under pressure—not very presidential. Sad!”

The extreme remarks reflected the stakes as the candidates turn to the final laps in a nominating contest that has defied convention, splintered the party, and left nearly two-thirds of all general election voters with a negative view of the likely standard-bearer before an expected showdown with Mrs. Clinton in November.

Nationwide, Mr. Trump is viewed unfavorably by 65% of voters, according to last month’s Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. That is higher than Mrs. Clinton, who is seen unfavorably by 56% of voters.

A sweep of the state’s delegates would leave Mr. Trump just 225 delegates short of the 1,237 required to clinch the party’s nomination. With nine states to go, including Nebraska and West Virginia next week and California on June 7, Mr. Trump would require less than half of the remaining bound delegates to become the nominee.

Katie Packer, who leads an anti-Trump super PAC that spent $1.3 million against Mr. Trump in Indiana, said in a memo that her group will continue to fight against the front-runner. “There is more than a month before the California primary—more time for Trump to continue to disqualify himself in the eyes of voters,” she wrote.

And John Weaver, the chief strategist for Mr. Kasich’s campaign, said the Ohio governor will soldier on. “Gov. Kasich will remain in the race unless a candidate reaches 1,237 bound delegates before the convention,” he said.

For Mr. Cruz, Tuesday’s contest had been his strongest opportunity to change the momentum of the GOP campaign. His team for weeks had pointed to the Midwestern state, comparing it to Wisconsin, where the Texas senator won a convincing victory over Mr. Trump last month.

But Mr. Cruz never gained traction in the state. A series of decisions designed to boost his prospects, including naming Carly Fiorina as his running mate, were seen by many voters more as acts of desperation than smart maneuvers...

Still more.

Charles Krauthammer: The 'Stop Trump' Movement Died in Indiana (VIDEO)

There is no "Stop Trump" movement, or "#NeverTrump" hashtag tantrums, after this.

Ted Cruz dropped out of the GOP race a little while ago. It's very big news, but considering the full-on explosion of vitriol on the campaign trail today (with Donald Trump smearing Raphael Cruz as an alleged Lee Harvey Oswald accomplice), I don't think fences will be mended any time soon, and that might not actually be helpful as far as the general election is concerned. But we'll see. We'll see.

The video's from earlier this afternoon. Krauthammer predicted that the "Stop Trump" movement would die in the case of a Trump win tonight. Well, it's dead as far as Ted Cruz being the movement's main vehicle, that's for sure.

Indiana: Last Stand for the 'Never Trump' Movement

At the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Indiana May Be #NeverTrump's Last Stand."

Everybody's talking about the WSJ poll out yesterday, "Donald Trump Holds 15-Point Lead Ahead of Republican Rivals in Indiana Poll."

And here's the Cruz campaign's last gasp, at LAT, "Ted Cruz barnstorms Indiana as state's primary proves pivotal in GOP race."

Ted Cruz's Delegate Support Weakens (VIDEO)

You're starting to see the stampede toward Donald Trump, and it's going to be an epic crush following Trump's expected win in the Hoosier State on Tuesday.

At the New York Times, "Ted Cruz’s Support Softens Among the Delegates He Courted" (via Memeorandum):

Even as Donald J. Trump trounced him from New Hampshire to Florida to Arizona, Senator Ted Cruz could reassure himself with one crucial advantage: He was beating Mr. Trump in the obscure, internecine delegate fights that could end up deciding the Republican nomination for president.

“This is how elections are won in America,” Mr. Cruz gloated after walking away with the most delegates in Wyoming.

But it turns out that delegates — like ordinary voters — are susceptible to shifts in public opinion. And as the gravitational pull of Mr. Trump’s recent primary landslides draws more Republicans toward him, Mr. Cruz’s support among the party’s 2,472 convention delegates is softening, threatening his hopes of preventing Mr. Trump’s nomination by overtaking him in a floor fight.

With each delegate Mr. Trump claims, he gets closer to the 1,237 he needs to clinch the nomination outright, and Mr. Cruz’s chances of stopping him — even if he pulls out a victory in Tuesday’s Indiana primary — shrink...

Keep reading.

And tellingly, at Politico, "Inside Cruz's camp, confidence crumbles" (via Memeorandum).

Amanda Carpenter's Emotional Denial of Ted Cruz Affair (VIDEO)

I'm not loving American politics too much of late.

I seriously doubt the least bit of impropriety on Amanda's part, and yet, she's worn down and groveling over her treatment, and rightly so. It's actually kind of sad.

Read all about it at Hot Air, "Amanda Carpenter: No, I didn’t have an affair with Ted Cruz."



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