The Donald is no Marianne. Or come to think of it, given who was following her to disaster, maybe he is
Ted Cruz: Our Last BestChance. The entire piece should be read, but here are excerpts:
Our elites, to be sure, have sold us down the river. There’s unlimited capital for investors to buy foreclosed homes, while half of Americans can’t raise a down payment or qualify for a home mortgage. The Pentagon and the defense contractors slated a trillion dollars for the F-35, the biggest lemon in the history of military aviation, crowding out every other acquisition program in the military. Our tech companies have become a conspiracy to suppress innovation, managed by patent trolls instead of engineers. The financial industry ran the biggest scam in history, the subprime bubble of the 2000s, and the Obama administration hasn’t sent a single miscreant to jail (it just slapped multi-billion dollar fines on the banks’ stockholders, that is, your pension fund or 401k). The Clintons are a criminal enterprise, as Peter Schweizer showed in his book Clinton Cash. The foreign policy establishment treated the world like a giant social experiment and wasted blood and treasure to make the world safe for democracy.
The result is the most corrupt and cartelized economy in American history. For the first time since numbers were kept, new business has contributed next to nothing to employment recovery since 2009, as I reported here March 2. But Donald Trump encourages magical thinking. Repeating, “We’re going to make America great again” by kicking out Mexican illegals and repatriating jobs from China is nonsense.
…
Donald Trump’s popularity rests on his knack for handling politics as reality television. Americans always have distrusted elites, but today’s popular culture takes this to a pathological extreme. We find it oppressive to admire anything that is better than us. Instead, we identify with what is like us. That’s why we listen to singers who sound like an average drunk with a karaoke machine instead of Frank Sinatra. That’s why reality TV is so popular. Everybody gets to be a star. We like to watch ourselves in the mirror. This blend of narcissism and resentment is toxic. Trump’s bling-and-babes lifestyle has become a national paradigm for success. We’re not Trump’s constituents; we’re a virtual posse.
We keep hearing that Trump is a businessman who will “get things done.” That is utterly wrong: the most successful businessmen are very good at very limited number of things. Great entrepreneurs, as George Gilder wrote, are the kind of people who sit up all night thinking of better garbage routes. Trump is not even a particularly successful entrepreneur; if he had put the $100 million he inherited in 1978 into an index fund, he’d have twice as much money today. As a casino investor, he doesn’t compare to Sheldon Adelson, who came from poverty and now has ten times Trump’s wealth. In fact, Trump has the worst possible kind of background for a president: as the child of wealth running a private company, he is used to saying “Jump,” and having his lackeys say, “How long should I stay in the air?”
Trump doesn’t read. He brags about his own ignorance. Journalist Michael d’Antonio interviewed Trump at his New York home and told a German newspaper:
“What I noticed immediately in my first visit was that there were no books,” says D’Antonio. “A huge palace and not a single book.” He asked Trump whether there was a book that had influenced him. “I would love to read,” Trump replied. “I’ve had many best sellers, as you know, and ‘The Art of the Deal’ was one of the biggest-selling books of all time.” Soon Trump was talking about “The Apprentice.” Trump called it “the No. 1 show on television,” a reality TV show in which, in 14 seasons, he played himself and humiliated candidates vying for the privilege of a job within his company. In the interview, Trump spent what seemed like an eternity talking about how fabulous and successful he is, but he didn’t name a single book that he hadn’t written.”Trump doesn’t read,” D’Antonio says in the restaurant. “He hasn’t absorbed anything serious and profound about American society since his college days. And to be honest, I don’t even think he read in college.” When Trump was asked who his foreign policy advisers were, he replied: “Well, I watch the shows.” He was referring to political talk shows on TV.
And this sad, but inevitable conclusion:
Unless Hitler or Goebbels were to rise from the grave and run for president, I will not vote for Hillary Clinton; in a Trump-Clinton race, I will vote for Trump without a second’s hesitation. One can’t exclude the possibility that Trump might be a good president; he knows little and makes things up as he goes along, and might conceivably stumble on good solutions. But it is much more likely that he will preside over America’s continuing decline while saturating us with self-consoling rhetoric.
We are in deep trouble. We need a president who can lead us out of our economic and moral slump. I fear that Ted Cruz is our last, best hope before we follow former superpowers like Britain down the slippery slope to national mediocrity.
For What It's Worth 
Ah, LyinTed. Called the allegations in the Cuban Mistress Crisis ‘garbage’, but, did not say they were untrue or false. Nor did he threaten the NE with a defamation lawsuit.
I made the same point in the comments here about a month ago and was roasted for it by Trumpers who can’t accept that his entire appeal is being just as vulgar, crass, cynical, uninformed, and deluded as his supporters.
You mean like Obama?
Trump is a human grenade being carried into the Republican convention. Half of his supporters are saying to the party: “if you keep pushing forward weakling lightweights, we’ll give you the ugliest candidate we can get our hands on.”
It’s like when vote for the worst and Howard Stern looked to mock “reality” talent shows by picking people who suck and trying to make them win.
Earlier in the campaign, I more or less agreed with Spengler here: I thought Cruz was the best hope for a good president who could turn things around, but was prepared to vote for Trump on the “least worst” theory in any contest between Trump and Cankles or Bernie the Red, or even Slow Joe. (Webb might have been a different calculation, but I digress)
Having watched Cruz more closely lately, looked into his hyper-fundamentalist background and his wife’s odd combination of 7th Day Adventist background, Harvard MBA and close ties to the Bush administration and Goldman Sachs, and observed how he has handled Trump’s schtick, I’m not at all sure Cruz is preferable to Trump. And (with a hat tip to Walt), I damned sure I’d rather see Melania as First Lady than Heidi. Heidi in fact looks like a conservative fundamentalist GenX version of Hillary (MBA rather than JD). I didn’t like Hillary as a “two-fer” and I don’t want Heidi as a “two-fer”. Melania, from all reports, is well-liked (often not the case with ‘trophy wives’), gets along with all of Trump’s kids, and has little ambition to be a political power in her own right. Gotta say that sounds refreshing even without noting how easy she is on the eyes (at two years older the Heidi….).
With Trump, when he does something outrageous, you know it’s his schtick and take it with a grain of salt. When Cruz trashes Trump, it sounds like he means it. Cruz brings himself own, sounds petulant and un-presidential.
Not to mention that the Establishment seems to have coalesced around Cruz. Not a recommendation in my book, because the GOPe is the reason were in the mess we are now, from their stupidity at the public feed trough under Bush II to their limp-wristed opposition to Obama, from his first election through the latest omnibus bill. I want to see the GOPe writhing in the streets, I want to hear the lamentations of their women, and the fear in their eyes as they’re hauled off to ….
Not necessarily disagreeing with much of what you say, but do you find it as amusing as I do to see the Republican “Anyone but Cruz” establishment discovering to their horror that there IS someone to be more feared and hated than Cruz?
It’s turning out to be a fun year.
Non-stop bitter acrimony, National Enquirer level of discourse, exploding talking heads everywhere – at a time when the fate of our nation hangs in the balance. It almost doesn’t matter anymore whose fault it is, and an alarming number of intelligent people are losing hope. Definitely NOT a “fun year.” Oldtimer
Oh, the irony of the AnyoneButCruz types who were peddling “The Thing” – the story about Cruz’s alleged affairs – are now huddled around Cruz as they crouch in fear of The Donald!
More and more I see Trump as something like an incarnation of Heath Ledger’s interpretation of “Joker” and America as falling into a vortex of vicious corruption a la Gotham City, not at the hands of men or women like dons Falcone or Moroni, but of more pasty “civilized” villains like Jon Corzine, Obama and Hillary. Unfortunately, like Cato, I don’t see Cruz as Batman, nor can I see anyone in the current mix taking on that role, especially not Jeb!
Check out the comments on the featured articles @ PJ Media. Lots and lots of Trump supporters. Cruz lost me when his campaign leaked “insider info” on Carson withdrawing. He’s really smart – smartest candidate in the race for sure, but he’s slimy. Last week he blamed Trump for the Brussels attack. Also: What’s the word on his eligibility? I think the Dems aren’t talking about that because they relish bringing it up when/if he’s the candidate.
His eligibility is certain; his viability, less so. And Carson was withdrawing – no one goes home “for a change of clothes”
You’re wrong about that. He said he was going home after the election results were in. Cruz’s campaign announced his withdrawal early in the day.
Carson did irreparable damage to his own reputation when he threw his support behind Trump. Hard to see that Cruz really hurt him when Carson embraces the guy that called him pathological and questioned his faith and surgical skills. Nope, don’t feel sorry for Carson at all.
Before the Iowa polls had closed, Carson announced that he would not be going on to New Hampshire, he was “going home to get fresh clothes”. Washington Post.
That was interpreted as an announcement that he was quitting – no one who intended to continue a campaign would do that – indeed, as one of his own advisors commented, “there are dry cleaners in New Hampshire”. And in fact, Carson did officially quit the day after, without ever setting foot in the Granite State.
Ted Cruz is still a liar:
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/22/exclusive-disturbing-pattern-of-untruthfulness-team-kasich-says-ted-cruz-lying-about-new-york-ballot/
This article isn’t depressing. It has the clarity of truth.
Let’s hope and believe that the Republican party, which has the custody of the political ideas that work, won’t abdicate its responsibility to those ideas by nominating Trump.
His character includes conceit, lack of humility, ignorance, showiness, cheap aggression and worse manners than a rude 6 year old. If we were to nominate him, we turn this important election into a bad reality TV show. How can we nominate someone who decorates only in gold? How can we nominate someone who doesn’t READ?
The real establishment in this country is the democrat party with their intolerant allies, the media and the universities. We mustn’t play their game by nominating Trump. The media is rejoicing in this Trump cavalcade. For them, it means big ratings, sales and profits, together with confirmation of their biased view that Republicans are ignorant, rich, white, old, greedy and dangerous. When the busted media maintains Trump as THE story of the election, they also ensure his nomination, which in turn assures that Hillary will win, which of course is the devout hope of the media.
Just like capitalism is the worst system except for all the others, Cruz is the worst candidate, except for all the others. For voters who support capitalism and freedom, the choice has now become clear.
Not that I disagree with your assessment of Trump, but we managed to nominate and elect a community organizer who had no clue (and still has no clue) on how to run a country and be the leader of the free world.
… no clue (and still has no clue) …
Unemployment down, stock market up (probably to high), economic growth (slow but growing,) ….
And Cruz’s bug accomplishment? Shutting down the government costing billions. Trump’s big accomplishment? Trolling the republican party.
I’ll take the community organizer.
Cruz has no chance and Bernie would have no chance. Both parties need to figure out how to chose candidates who can win a national election. Hillary is a terrible candidate and is still the most electable. Sad indeed.
“Both parties need to figure out how to chose candidates who can win a national election.”
Every election one party chooses a winner. Do you ever think before you write such nonsense?
It is nonsense. Hillary will attract sufficient centrist and independent voters to win a national election. Cruz and Trump will not. Even though she is a poor candidate she will win.
^^ It is not nonsense
Neither Cruz nor Sanders are candidates who are likely to attract over 50% of the votes in the Presidential election. The Democratic primary voters are smart enough to select Hillary over Sanders. Although she is a deeply flawed candidate she has a strong chance of winning the election. Not hard logic.
Are you drunk? Or just stupid?
Both parties don’t need to do anything, as you stupidly assert. One party had gotten the majority of the votes in five out of the six last national elections. That party has “figure[d] out how to chose candidates who can win a national election.”
Both parties do not need to figure anything out; only the losing party does. The winning party has figured it it already. Do you understand?
Inagua I bet you are really fun at cocktail parties
Dude –
I am still “Anybody But Cankles”. I really can’t believe the DNC even nominated her. There is NOTHING about her to like. Even Francis, who pisses Democratic blue, and I think he squats to piss, must have to hold his nose to support her. The thought of watching her on TV, as the POTUS, YELLING AT ME makes me want to blow chunks. And not the dog. I CANT TAKE IT!! SHE IS FRIGHTENING!!
She is a lying, lawbreaking, hypocrital, jive talking, no substance, lezbo denying, outright fraud. She should be in jail.
Unfortunately, I don’t see either Trump or Cruz beating her. And I am not a big fan of either one of them. The only hope is she gets indicted, and the Dem’s nominate Biden. I would vote for him, and I have never voted Democratic. Except when I pissed my vote away on Francis. WHERE IS MY PBA CARD? The gold one.
Anyhows, Joe is great at saying inappropriate things, he is AMAZING at being all touchy feely and overly aggressive with the hotties, and is an all-around unabashed horn dog. He really likes women. Whereas Canckles destroys them. So what is not to like?
Your Pal,
Walt
She won’t be ” indicted “…….You all can just let go of that parallel world fantasy and move on to planning eight years of a woman president. If you can’t stand it, move to Cuba….You’d love the climate…
Walt, you and I are “at one” when it comes to “ShebelongsinprisonClinton”. Yet – it does seem that the odds are such that the woman with close to zero redeeming qualities will become our next president.
I have viewed so many historical events with amazed wonder. How did they ever come to be? How could mankind be so stupid, so inhumane – so readily willing to walk down a path to sure destruction?
I never could figure it out. But – here I am, in 2016, and watching it unfold in front of my eyes.
We are a flawed species, indeed.
Why are people concernec about Trumps manners? Manners were never part of the criteria before. Romney was Mr Nice guy in the debates with Obama and it hurt Mitt. And why are people concerned how good a biz man Trump is? Thats never part of the criteria. Mitt was weslthy biz man and it hurt him. Bern-me could run a car wash. What biz does Hillary run? And why should we care if Trump reads? The electorate doesn’t. Its not taught in school. We Americans actually think its more important to make kids lefties than to actually teach them anything. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Trump is popular because hd is a scapper. He fights back. Most repubs just take it from the dems and get hosed. Trump is popular because people are sick of paying for moochigrants. Hillary wants to extend Obamacare to illegals. Why wait till they get here? Why not just pick up all the medical bills in South and Central America? Trump takes a stand. Its rare.
I grow increasingly uneasy waiting for Trump to attack Hillary. He’s done a fine job of attacking and eviscerating Republicans – Bush, Rubio and now Cruz – which looks more like a stealth pro-Hillary strategy. Whatever the outcome of the election, Trump has built up his Brand. My BS meter keeps getting triggered.
Dems will ruin Trump if he is unlucky enough to be the candidate….
My point is that Trump seems more interested in attacking and destroying the Republicans. For that, he would be rewarded .
Yes yes yes…..And his fellow candidates were SO ” attackable”.
You are not the first person to underestimate him. He has no shame and therefore is capable of things that perhaps the rest of us would shy away from. He will not be an easy target for the Dems simply because he lashes out when attacked and the Dems are hardly innocents.
Cruz is a horrible sleazebag and apparently a serial adulter. He’s unfit in almost every way to be President.
Suddenly we’re worried about infidelity among our political leaders? I have larger issues to ponder.
Please don’t feed the retard. Thank you.
Cruz is too ugly and personality-challenged to have multiple serial voluntary girl friends. If he has gotten any on the side he is paying for it. Like Elliot Spitzer. Does paying for it count as adultery?
Only if Justin Bieber counts as a musician.
Correction: If he has gotten any on the side it is with a fellow closeted Poofter….. Sorry.
There might, and I stress might, be a couple of gay men who would have hate sex with him .But believe me, I would have to be out of my mind drunk to even consider it. My standards are pretty low, I might add…
Barack, you really shouldn’t be coming here to confess.
F-35 is a dog that was beaten head-to-head in aerial dog fight by 1970’s era F-16.
F-35 will significantly reduce our air superiority now the Rissian 6th generation fighter is available.
That plane is toast and should be a case study in crony capitalism.
Air-to-air fighters are not designed for dog fights…35nm is more like it. That said, the f-35 is a waste of $.