The third night of the 2016 Republican National Convention featured an attempt by Ted Cruz and Donald Trump to “big dog” each other. Trump flew his jet over the Quicken Loans Arena during Cruz’s speech. Cruz urged delegates to “vote their conscience,” in other words, not necessari;y Donald Trump, the party nominee. Chaos ensued.
Ted Cruz Strikes Back Again
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
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Smartest thing Cruz has ever said. (Which brings his total to one)
I agree. The smartest thing Cruz has ever done. He is now the only person who has publicly opposed Trump in such a way. When everyone has buyer’s remorse, Cruz will use that to win the next nomination cycle. Unless someone else ascends to supplant him. But if Cruz is planning for 2020, he’s playing just about the only move available.
I hope Elizabeth Warren’s up for the nomination in 2020 too. Sanders had me, then he swung to Hillary.
«I hope Elizabeth Warren’s up for the nomination in 2020 too. Sanders had me, then he swung to Hillary.» You might want to keep in mind, alex_the_tired, that Ms Warren «swung to Hillary» before Mr Sanders did, nor did she, as he did, dare to challenge her anointment as leader of the Democratic Party. A bit of a credibility problem there, methinks….
Henri
This might be the first time we’ve agreed.
“When everyone has buyer’s remorse, Cruz will use that to win the next nomination cycle. Unless someone else ascends to supplant him. But if Cruz is planning for 2020, he’s playing just about the only move available.”
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That sounds to me as if you think Michael Moore’s prediction of a Trump presidency is wrong….
🙂
«That sounds to me as if you [i e, alex_the_tired] think Michael Moore’s prediction of a Trump presidency is wrong….» Interesting that you should refer to Mr Moore’s predication, mein verehrter Lehrer ; i just received a link from a friend in Rome who sent me a link to an Italian version of Moore’s article and asked me what’s going on, But what does a foreigner like myself know ? It’s a tad early, of course, to place any greater reliance on the polls, but I suggest that it would not be wise to utterly ignore surveys like this fresh one from CNN. What do you people who reside in the belly of the beast think ? I shall plagiarise your responses shamelessly – and without attribution – in my reply to my Italian friend…. 😉
Henri
I’m not entirely certain we’re still in the belly of the beast, but somewhat further down the alimentary canal.
I think MM has got a good read on things. Trump may carry a minority of the electorate, but those he does carry are fired up. Even Killary’s biggest supporters are lukewarm at best.
Why? The Angry White Man is indeed, part of it – but the GOP party line for the last forty or so years has stoked that fire AND promised more than they can ever deliver. We aren’t going back to 19th century values any time soon; voodoo economics simply don’t work; and humans have had a drastic effect on the environment.
But the GOP electorate has been so well conditioned that reality no longer matters to them. They believe what they want to believe and Trump tells ’em what they want to believe.
Killary will slaughter him in the debates, but it won’t matter one whit. The nitwits on the right will pump their fists at every insult and bumper-sticker platitude to come out of Trump’s pie hole. Afterwards they will gleefully tell everyone that their man won.
I am not foolish enough to make any predictions at this point. I was merely pointing out that referring to the “next nomination cycle” and “planning for 2020” indicate a presumption that Trump will lose the election, which is not a foregone conclusion. Should Trump win this 2016 election, it is to be expected that he would be nominated for a 2nd term.
I am on Moore’s mailing list and he followed with a (very) long email that listed steps to be taken to prevent his prognostication from becoming reality.
Judging from the division within the GOP and that witnessed at the DNC — anything is possible. If enough of each cast votes for a 3rd party, we might finally see an end to the 2-party system.
I’m not in the “belly of the beast” because I reside in Mexico. I vote in the U.S. elections simply because their politics have repercussions around the world.
«I’m not in the “belly of the beast” because I reside in Mexico. I vote in the U.S. elections simply because their politics have repercussions around the world.» Leaving aside the vexed question as to which part of the beast’s anatomy is occupied by Mexico (or, for that matter, Sweden). many thanks, mein verehrter Lehrer, for your perceptive comment. Like you, I hope – in my case, against hope – that many who are dissatisfied with the «choices» offered them by the two major parties in the US will exercise their franchise and vote for a so-called «third-party» candidate, rather than simply abstaining….
Come November we shall see how the cookie has crumbled….
Henri
@ mhenriday –
One does what one must do in order to be able to live with oneself. I couldn’t possible vote for Trump, and Clinton — as the lesser of two evils — has not earned my vote, either. 🙁
A reference to Rafael Edward Cruz and «conscience» in the same sentence ?!! Talk about the degradation of public language !…
Henri