Like Donkey Kong. Ted Cruz scored a surprising third-place finish in New Hampshire in yesterdays first-in-the-nation primary, and now it looks like hes going for a knockout before South Carolina. Cruz tweeted out the campaigns latest web ad after his victory, one that takes aim at the winner, Donald Trump. The ad depicts children playing with their new Donald Trump action figure, and says what he does most is pretend to be a Republican:
Its a tour de force of counter-Trump arguments. The ad manages to mention Trumps friendship with Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid (and adds in a shot at Anthony Weiner, too). Bailouts and Too Big To Fail get mentioned, but its Trumps support for eminent domain that gets most of the attention:
GIRL DOLL: Check out my house, Mr. Trump!
TRUMP DOLL: Thats a lousy house! Im gonna take your house with eminent domain and park my limos there.
VOICEOVER: We wouldnt tolerate these values in our children. Why would we want them in a president?
Ridicule can be a powerful tool in politics, and it might be the only kind of attack that will work on Trump. His supporters dont appear to care much about Trumps lack of policy substance and consistency; they like his attitude and his ability to shift the Overton window on acceptable debate. Trump has a thin skin, though, and Cruz does not. If he can force Trump to demonstrate that thin skin, it might undermine the perception of Trumps toughness, while still appealing on policy grounds to other voters.
This still holds some risk. Some voters might not appreciate the use of children to make these points (perhaps especially the reference to Anthony Weiner, considering the context). Cruz got some media heat for using his own kids in a Saturday Night Live skit, which was ludicrous, but this might reopen that debate. Trump and his supporters will complain that its a low blow, but since Trump himself often ridicules his opponents with personal attacks, thats a non-starter. In fact, Cruz might be counting on that reaction to counter Trumps recent attack on him as a pussy, to demonstrate that Trump might be suffering from a case of projection.
Its a good time for Cruz to go on the attack. It got lost in the John Kasich shuffle last night, but Cruz far outperformed expectations in New Hampshire, beating out Jeb Bush for third place. Combined with his win in Iowa, Cruz has significant momentum, and is aiming to take over the race by beating the other leading candidate rather than punching downward or sideways, as Team Jeb is doing. This ad could steal some of the post-primary buzz from Kasich, and set up a real fight in South Carolina.
Poster Comment:
Cute ad, maybe a little too cute.
Cruz may need stronger ads than that to dent Trump. I would guess we'll see Bush unload on Trump too. Bush has nothing left to lose by doing so and will certainly lose if he can't find a way to take on Trump.
I think you're wrong. And I think Cruz would do a lot more on all those issues than Trump ever would.
We will find out some of this, because Trump is going to be the next President, but Cruz will never be President.
So, what we will discover is that Trump will use the media to stay popular, while hitting immigration and trade issues hard.
After all, Congress GAVE the President "fast-track" authority. He HAS tremendous authority over trade. That authority was given with the idea he was going to FACILITATE it for the economic masters. But HE can use that power to DERAIL it where it's bad for his constituency. And he will.
The Chief Executive has control over the INS, the Border Patrol, the Attorney General, and Federal Law enforcement. He can reverse the policies that have tried to keep locals from enforcing the law. He doesn't have to go to Congress or court to do that. He has the authority ex officio.
Trade and immigration are two areas where President Trump will have nearly plenary power to act to enforce existing law without having to consult with anybody. Every President has had that. None of them have WANTED to, so the Border stayed open. Trump WANTS to. And he will. Nobody can stop him.
And that right there: a closed border, a wall, deportation of illegals, and the kebosh on bad trade agreements - that Trump will move on at once, and won't need Congress to do it.
Rubio was for the wall and for deportation too. Until he got to D.C.
Cruz was pretty average on legalization/amnesty back when he was a legal wizard for the Bush administration. He got a lot more anti-illegals when running for office.
Much as I favor Cruz over Trump on a broad range of issues, I see no guarantees Cruz won't go soft again on illegals too if he became prez. Same as I think Trump would be. With Trump, I'm certain he'll betray us. With Cruz, I think he would seriously consider it and do a calculus on whether he could get re-elected if he did it.
It's a lot easier to pander to voters than to actually get things done as president. But I think Cruz is far more devious than Trump and far better at grasping what he could (and could not) get away with before the courts reeled him in.
Cruz is more of a True Believer, an ideologue. And Trump only believes in himself and his desire to be prez. Trump would cut deals Left and Right. I think mostly Left because he has been a Dem for a long time in a big Blue Dem city/state.
If you think Trump is a liar why would you vote for him?
That makes no sense for a "Christian".
I think all people are liars. And I'm pretty sure all politicians are. If I didn't vote for liars, I wouldn't vote.
In Trump's case, his lies are lies to conceal what he is going to do (like all politician lies are). In his case, what he's going to do is what I AGREE with.
Deceit is part of warfare. Politics is war by other means. We're in a titanic struggle for the future. That a political leader is misleading the enemy is part of the fight.
Politicians lie, because our system does not elect honest men.
Aspects of his ideology are repulsive, and the people are not going to vote for that ideology, or for him.
So, this election cycle is going to be pretty bitter from your standpoint. You're destined to lose no matter what.
You don't like Trump, so when he wins the nomination and then the White House, you're going to be unhappy.
You don't like Hillary or any other Democrat, so if Cruz somehow gets nominated, when he loses, you will be unhappy.
I'm actually happy about American politics for the first time in my adult life. Trump gets it on just exactly the life and death issues, and he's winning. So there's hope, from my perspective, for the first time.
I guess the sunshine breaking out for me means that darkness is falling on people who disagree. Oh well.
I'm actually happy about American politics for the first time in my adult life. Trump gets it on just exactly the life and death issues, and he's winning. So there's hope, from my perspective, for the first time.
Yeah, finally a Republican you can give your heart to without reservation.
You realize I've seriously downgraded my estimates of your intelligence. I mean that. I'm not just saying it to be mean. I actually think less of you for falling for this shameless con man.
You realize I've seriously downgraded my estimates of your intelligence. I mean that. I'm not just saying it to be mean. I actually think less of you for falling for this shameless con man.
Oh well, I'll just have to live with that I guess.
They mention that remittances from illegals and green card holders (resident aliens) now exceeds Mexico's oil revenue. And that Trump could move to seize those remittances, especially if they're from illegals.
Anyway, HotGas doesn't post much pro-Trump stuff so you might want to skim through this one.
Sorry, forgot to ping you to my previous post in case you want to consider whether Trump really could make Mexico pay for a wall. Anyway, they discussed it and HA is not very friendly to Trump.
Oh well, I'll just have to live with that I guess.
I think you know he's a con man. Yet you just keep supporting him.
I think you're hoping he utterly destroys the GOP so your imaginary pro-life Popery party will rise to reign supreme or some other daft fantasy like the ones where the Latinos will turn America Catholic (instead of America turning the Latinos godless which is what has happened across the board).
My apologies I ping you to the same video. Been traveling and missed this thread.
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
#36. To: buckeroo, Too Conservative, A K A Stone (#34)
You are an incredibly whining puppet, controlled by the powerful forces you are happy about.
Not hardly.
I simply do not share your ideology.
If we were to list out the points of ideological difference between us, we would start with religion and move on down from there through concepts of of the sanctity of life, of war, of economics and finance, protection of the weak, etc.
We have different values, with only few points of intersection. And I am no more likely to embrace your ideals - because I think they are wrong - then you are to embrace mine.
In this, you and Too Conservative and A K A Stone are similar.
I think you're hoping he utterly destroys the GOP so your imaginary pro-life Popery party will rise to reign supreme or some other daft fantasy like the ones where the Latinos will turn America Catholic (instead of America turning the Latinos godless which is what has happened across the board).
I hope he successfully completes a hostile takeover of the GOP, turning it into a populist middle-class and working-class party that works to the benefit of American domestic national interests and not the interest of global financial elites.
Obviously when Trump deports the illegals and puts up the wall, that will be the end of the precipitous rise of the Latino proportion of the population.
I believe that economic prosperity for middle class and working class people will precipitate a baby boom - people decide to restrict childbearing for economic reasons - and given that whites are the majority, I think that means that the basic cultural/ethnic mix of America will be rebalanced.
I don't really care what the average skin color of America is, but I think that those further down the spectrum and suffering in joblessness are the ones having fewer babies, and who also skew religious.
Which means that I expect the fact of a baby boom towards the center/bottom is likely to increase the representation of pro-life sentiment, and bring about the political majority shift to the pro-life position, which is the only thing that will ultimately succeed in stamping out abortion rights. The minority cannot grab political control and cram down an abortion ban in America. It is impossible. A political majority is required to do it, and I think that restablizing the American economy, which Trump's policies will do, has the best shot of turning around the demographic decline.
Oh, and alliance with Russia instead of Cold War? Money thrown at the arms industry is corporate welfare. The better policy is to make peace with the ONE other nation that can really be a threat, and coordinate world hegemony in tandem with them. Trump is right about that. Divvy up the world with the Russians and cooperate with each other. The French and English FINALLY figured that out towards the end of the imperial period, and it worked out well for them - and ultimately saved their bacon in World War I.
But if it makes you feel better to think I'm just following a con-man, carry on.
In this, you and Too Conservative and A K A Stone are similar.
We are not thieves.
You support thieves taking peoples money. Money to give to idle sloths who don't deserve it.
By their fruits ye shall know them. Your fruit stinks like a thief.
God didn't say to rely on the governmenbt. He said to rely on him. You worship the state and the poop. Not God.
You are voting for someone you consider a liar and you have the values of a thief.
You don't take biblical correction. Because you believe it is just a book with words. You think the Bible is flawed and full of errors.
Your view of thievery and saying it is biblical turns people away from God. You are like the Pharisees that Jesus warned us about who stood over the door to block others from receiving his word.
You said Cruz can't win. But you are a liar from the catholic cult.
He already won Iowa. So you are a confirmed liar.
You claim to know the future. You remind me and probably everyone here more of a fortuen teller then a Christian.
Yuu claim to know the future, like some kind of false prophet. To go along with your many false teachings. But you predicted the future wrong many times. You are not someone to be listened to. Not someone to be elevated.
I mean you made a thread on the King James version and said you were only going to quote Kinj James version scripture. And I don't think you had but a couple of quotes. The rest was your long winded bullshit.
God isn't a communist. You support that ideology though. You're such a fool.
I hope he successfully completes a hostile takeover of the GOP, turning it into a populist middle-class and working-class party that works to the benefit of American domestic national interests and not the interest of global financial elites.
No populist has ever won the American presidency. Probably the closest any prez came to being a populist was Andrew Jackson. And I wouldn't really call him a populist either by the standards of his era.
The American system is designed as much as possible to defeat populists and demagogues. Like Trump.
Also the founders wouldn't consider Cruz natural born.
Takes one to know one.
The Founders weren't natural-born either. And that clause in the Constitution contained an exemption for the Founders, probably its primary purpose over the lesser intent to provide a native-born ruling class.
Despite many other disagreements and distrust (toward each other), the Founders were quite unified in legitimizing themselves as America's first ruling class.
When I was a lad my buddy used a similar one but it was a 10 not a 20.
He used to leave them on the floor of public buses and then watch the faces of the people who picked them up.
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
The American system is designed as much as possible to defeat populists
Yes. And the oligarchy that the system has produced has fouled the nest so badly that now a populist will win ANYWAY. It's a revolution. Trump's win will make it a bloodless one.
He's an elder in a church. I should be a guest speaker there and recount the story to the flock. :)
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)