Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Ted Cruz Might Be the Only Republican Who Understands Donald Trump
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/21/magazine/ted-cruz-might-be-the-only-republican-who-understands-donald-trump.html
Viewed through the lens of conventional politics, Ted Cruz’s performance last night was the sort of thing you just don’t do at the Republican National Convention. But we’re pretty far removed from conventional politics by now, aren’t we? If that wasn’t clear before the lights went up in the Quicken Loans Arena on Monday, it certainly was by the time Trump made his from-the-shadows entrance that night. Within minutes, you could find photos of the scene paired with shots of “the Undertaker” entering a crazed arena that made overt what we already suspected: that this week’s festivities were going to be as much W.W.E. as R.N.C.
And that’s what I like about what Cruz did last night: He embraced the professional-wrestling ethic that Trump has so fully imposed on this campaign. He leaned full-on into the spectacle. The half-baked conciliatory gestures that erstwhile Trump antagonists like Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan and Scott Walker have offered so far have been the work of mere politicians; Cruz proved himself to be the only one among the defeated who is truly playing Trump’s game. On some level, I think Trump must have respected it. The nominee’s entrance into the hall just as the hecklers were getting going at the smugly grinning Cruz was a cinematic nod — not quite a wink between the combatants, but something awfully close.
“Party unity” is a lie. Everyone here in Cleveland knows that. Any attempts to disguise the obvious with another hostage-video testimonial like Rubio’s last night just makes your teeth hurt after a while. If voters really crave “authenticity,” why not just be authentic? Is there really anyone that would not see as “authentic” Cruz’s response to a man who had insulted his wife, questioned his citizenship and accused his father of being complicit in killing John F. Kennedy?
In most cases, being booed offstage on national television is not a great look. But we’re well beyond “in most cases” in this campaign. Yes, Cruz’s nonendorsement speech won him the ire of Trump delegates, “party loyalists” (what even are those now?) and the Donald’s political butler, Chris Christie; Christie called Cruz’s speech “awful” and “selfish,” which in turn led Cruz’s former campaign manager, Jeff Roe, to say that Christie had “turned over his political testicles long ago.” But Cruz played the arena, as Triple-H or the Donald would. He understood that Trump doesn’t just want his former opponents to endorse him — he expects them to submit to him. This nominee does not consider it his job to reach out and favor his vanquished opponents with magnanimity and grace. His willingness to humiliate the likes of Christie, mocking his weight (“No more Oreos”), among other things, should make that obvious.
Viewed through the lens of conventional politics, Ted Cruz’s performance last night was the sort of thing you just don’t do at the Republican National Convention. But we’re pretty far removed from conventional politics by now, aren’t we? If that wasn’t clear before the lights went up in the Quicken Loans Arena on Monday, it certainly was by the time Trump made his from-the-shadows entrance that night. Within minutes, you could find photos of the scene paired with shots of “the Undertaker” entering a crazed arena that made overt what we already suspected: that this week’s festivities were going to be as much W.W.E. as R.N.C.
And that’s what I like about what Cruz did last night: He embraced the professional-wrestling ethic that Trump has so fully imposed on this campaign. He leaned full-on into the spectacle. The half-baked conciliatory gestures that erstwhile Trump antagonists like Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan and Scott Walker have offered so far have been the work of mere politicians; Cruz proved himself to be the only one among the defeated who is truly playing Trump’s game. On some level, I think Trump must have respected it. The nominee’s entrance into the hall just as the hecklers were getting going at the smugly grinning Cruz was a cinematic nod — not quite a wink between the combatants, but something awfully close.
“Party unity” is a lie. Everyone here in Cleveland knows that. Any attempts to disguise the obvious with another hostage-video testimonial like Rubio’s last night just makes your teeth hurt after a while. If voters really crave “authenticity,” why not just be authentic? Is there really anyone that would not see as “authentic” Cruz’s response to a man who had insulted his wife, questioned his citizenship and accused his father of being complicit in killing John F. Kennedy?
In most cases, being booed offstage on national television is not a great look. But we’re well beyond “in most cases” in this campaign. Yes, Cruz’s nonendorsement speech won him the ire of Trump delegates, “party loyalists” (what even are those now?) and the Donald’s political butler, Chris Christie; Christie called Cruz’s speech “awful” and “selfish,” which in turn led Cruz’s former campaign manager, Jeff Roe, to say that Christie had “turned over his political testicles long ago.” But Cruz played the arena, as Triple-H or the Donald would. He understood that Trump doesn’t just want his former opponents to endorse him — he expects them to submit to him. This nominee does not consider it his job to reach out and favor his vanquished opponents with magnanimity and grace. His willingness to humiliate the likes of Christie, mocking his weight (“No more Oreos”), among other things, should make that obvious.
So much for party unity!
I am loving this infighting in their party. They should tear each other apart.
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
