This is directed to all you Cruz supporters, and I suspect I'll get a bunch of negative feedback, but that's OK. I trust you'all, if you are going to skewer me, to do it with a smile on your face...I'm only telling you what I believe.
I've never liked the sound or look of Ted Cruz. He usually has an odd smirk on his face, and his voice hasn't struck me as that of a leader...it sounds more like he's wheedling for something...approval, support, funds, agreement...whatever. And yet up to now I've supported him, even though his facial expressions and voice have been off-putting.
I suppose that I thought, why shouldn't I support him...just because I don't like the way he looks or sounds? He has the support of people I respect, like Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh. I shouldn't be so judgmental, I need to go with a proven conservative, regardless. But there was always that subconscious voice telling me not to trust him. ...For one thing, he's a lawyer. [How do you know when a lawyer is lying? When his lips are moving.] I hate lawyers so much that I almost feel like being a lawyer should disqualify you for ANY elected office, let alone the Presidency.
Now, as I read and hear more about Cruz from various sources, I am giving more weight to my feelings. Funny, because I criticize my wife for voting on her "intuition"...she's been a rabid Trump supporter from the beginning...me, I'm slowly coming to agree with her...grudgingly...I still don't really like Trump, but now he looks like a horse that maybe can win. My wife says I should learn to trust her instincts...maybe she's right.
But back to Cruz -- he talks a good conservative line, but has accomplished little or nothing since his election...unless you count pure disruption as an accomplishment. He fights a lot, and blames all lack of progress on RINOs who go along with Obama, but I'm not so sure. Seems like a lot of his fights have been to no purpose, with no chance of winning, getting nothing done, and alienating everyone on both sides of the aisle. OK, I admit, I haven't done enough homework and research to state my opinions as fact. Not nearly enough. But I listen to what people are criticizing about Cruz - and some of them are people I trust. They are saying that Cruz' belligerent stances have been less directed at real conservative goals, and more aimed at: a) getting attention and news coverage (b) solidifying a (bogus?) reputation as the
only "true Constitutional conservative"; (c) his own aggrandizement; and (d) enhancing his presidential aspirations.
There is a good article about Cruz by Joe Cunningham, Jan 26, on "Red State", a purely conservative blog, and a long-time Cruz supporter. Here's a long excerpt:
"It is one thing for Kelly Ayotte, Mitch McConnell, Orrin Hatch, and other quite useless Senators to hate Cruz with every liberal fiber (read: every fiber) of their being, but it is another for your closest friend and ally in the Senate [Mike Lee] to not endorse you.
...Let’s not call into question the conservatism of...Cruz... [he's a] RedState-backed Senator, ...with a great history of fighting for the right things. [But] That nature of alienating even your closest allies, however, is something that Cruz will have to deal with, whether conservatives think it is a challenge or not. It will be hard to pass conservative reforms when your own party is lined up against you and your allies waver even slightly at how you go about championing your causes."
Michael Medved is a conservative talk-show host...yeah, I admit he's not as conservative as others, but he is definitely aligned squarely against progressive liberals, and he has been loud and long with his criticism of Cruz. I've often disagreed with Mr. Medved, but in retrospect he has usually been right, so I tend to trust his views...he may not always be right, but I believe he always gives you his honest opinion. From what I can tell, his view is that Cruz is poison, would fail as a President, and would do irreparable damage to the Republican Party.
Some of you guys may think the Republican Party isn't worth salvaging, but I believe it is. It holds a widely diffuse group of people and beliefs and tenets...but it gives us a brand, a tent under which we can gather the forces of anti-progressive voters. It ain't perfect, but it's the only game in town. And, like Mr. Medved, I think Cruz may be a poison pill for the party.