Ted Cruz: Statesman
Contrary to media reports this morning, Heidi and I have not made any decisions about political plans past the mid-term elections. Clearly we have an overzealous supporter out there making freelance comments, but to be clear, no decision has been made. Whoever this “anonymous advisor” was, he or she had no authority to speak, and doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
It is a time-honored tradition, of course, to kick-off your presidential campaign by the ceremonial throwing of an unnamed staffer under the bus for following instructions and leaking details of your plans, you know, on schedule.
But is Ted Cruz really in it to win it? Does he need plausible deniability about his plans for total global theocratic domination 2016? Perhaps the National Journal can shed some light:
According to sources close to the Texas senator, Cruz could be preparing for an end-of-year announcement and is now dedicating considerable time and effort to cultivating a foreign-policy foundation that might help his candidacy stand out in what is guaranteed to be a crowded field.
“At this point it’s 90/10 he’s in,” one Cruz adviser said. “And honestly, 90 is lowballing it.”
Ted Cruz as foreign policy statesman. That’s going to take some Kissinger-fu.
It is not as if Cruz is doing much to hide his aspirations, which mostly seems to take the form of poking Schroedinger’s Candidate Rand Paul:
“I will leave it to Rand Paul to characterize his own views,” he said. A moment later, he added: “In the Senate there is a wide spectrum of views on foreign policy. On one end of the spectrum you have Rand Paul; on a very different end of the spectrum you have John McCain. Both have been forceful about their views on foreign policy. I would characterize my position as a third point on the triangle.”
Cruz calls this “the sweet spot.” By his own calculation, Republican voters who soured on endless war in Iraq and Afghanistan drifted in recent years from McCain’s pole toward Paul’s but are suddenly reconsidering that move after seeing American journalists murdered by jihadists.
This is on the record. This is not some vague statement of ideals; Cruz’ “sweet spot” is a naked calculation that he can occupy that eye-level shelf position in the supermarket of wingnut ideas. Yes, it is cynical, but give Cruz some points here: there is no hiding his ambition.
Of course, what really is amusing is that the birther-favorite foreign-born Cruz seemingly is trying to position himself as the foreign-policy candidate. Sure, he’s shut down our own government, but what are his plans for other governments?
Cruz’s foreign policy profile captures this conflict. In one breath he says, “It is not the job of our military to occupy countries across the globe and try to turn them into Democratic utopias,” and in the next he calls the Islamic State “the face of evil” and argues they must be defeated with overwhelming military force. These principles are not inherently in conflict, but as many presidents have come to realize, they are often difficult to marry.
So the professed Christian Sen. Cruz wants to blow away the heathen Muslims and let the chips fall where they may because it’s not our job to pick up after ourselves? That sounds like a winning message for the would-be foreign policy candidate. But you know, given Cruz’ public piousness, we’re sure he means it in the most Christian way possible.
Bless his heart, as they say in Texas.
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Tengrain
Fully caffeinated with twice the sugar, unabashedly liberal. Award-winning Americans United blogger, blogs at Mock Paper Scissors, and sometimes at Crooks and Liars.
You can follow @Tengrain on Twitter, or you might see him enjoying coffee somewhere in Seattle at any given moment of the day.
Budda September 30th, 2014 at 13:37
For a guy who is supposedly so smart why is he always wrong?
Budda September 30th, 2014 at 13:37
For a guy who is supposedly so smart why is he always wrong?
Carla Akins September 30th, 2014 at 13:42
All presidents have had embarrassing relatives while they were in the White House, but can you imagine his dad? They’d never be able to have state dinners, and tours would have to be cancelled. I cannot imagine the country if Cruz Jr were elected, but I’m guessing some version of Handmaid’s Tale.
fancypants September 30th, 2014 at 13:42
With the ambiguous goal XL pipeline or BUST !
Go get em ted
Carla Akins September 30th, 2014 at 13:42
All presidents have had embarrassing relatives while they were in the White House, but can you imagine his dad? They’d never be able to have state dinners, and tours would have to be cancelled. I cannot imagine the country if Cruz Jr were elected, but I’m guessing some version of Handmaid’s Tale.
fancypants September 30th, 2014 at 13:42
With the ambiguous goal XL pipeline or BUST !
Go get em ted
tiredoftea September 30th, 2014 at 14:01
Gee, be gentle. He has more foreign policy experience than any other right wing fringe candidate. He was born in Canada!
tiredoftea September 30th, 2014 at 14:01
Gee, be gentle. He has more foreign policy experience than any other right wing fringe candidate. He was born in Canada!
eddie1247 September 30th, 2014 at 14:23
Nice photo, that’s pretty much of what I think of the idea of you possibly considering to run in 2016. It stinks!
eddie1247 September 30th, 2014 at 14:23
Nice photo, that’s pretty much of what I think of the idea of you possibly considering to run in 2016. It stinks!
forpeace September 30th, 2014 at 14:29
Even if the pathological liar and crook Canadian Ted Rafael Cruz renounces his Canadian Citizenship, he is still a Canadian born.
But of course he claimed before that “he didn’t even know he had a Canadian citizenship!”
forpeace September 30th, 2014 at 14:29
Even if the pathological liar and crook Canadian Ted Rafael Cruz renounces his Canadian Citizenship, he is still a Canadian born.
But of course he claimed before that “he didn’t even know he had a Canadian citizenship!”
Bunya September 30th, 2014 at 14:46
I’m sure he’s going to produce his birth certificate if he decides to run. Of course we want to see the long form, so we can eventually reject it.
Tengrain September 30th, 2014 at 17:10
Well, to be fair, Cruz’ mom is American born in Deleware, so he has the same right to be preznint as the Kenyan Usurper. It will just be fun to watch the Birthers switch gears. Expect lots of grinding.
Rgds,
Tengrain
Bunya September 30th, 2014 at 17:57
Our Kenyan born, socialist, Marxist member of the Muslim Brotherhood president’s mom was born in Hawaii. Oh wait, I forgot. The birthers think Hawaii is a communist country. – Never mind.
Bunya September 30th, 2014 at 14:46
I’m sure he’s going to produce his birth certificate if he decides to run. Of course we want to see the long form, so we can eventually reject it.
Tengrain September 30th, 2014 at 17:10
Well, to be fair, Cruz’ mom is American born in Deleware, so he has the same right to be preznint as the Kenyan Usurper. It will just be fun to watch the Birthers switch gears. Expect lots of grinding.
Rgds,
Tengrain
Bunya September 30th, 2014 at 17:57
Our Kenyan born, socialist, Marxist member of the Muslim Brotherhood president’s mom was born in Hawaii. Oh wait, I forgot. The birthers think Hawaii is a communist country. – Never mind.
William September 30th, 2014 at 14:58
Always a little difficult to see just what side of his face Ted is talking from.
William September 30th, 2014 at 14:58
Always a little difficult to see just what side of his face Ted is talking from.
Obewon September 30th, 2014 at 15:16
Looking forward to 16+ anti-evolutionary GOP creationists forming their fundraising exploratory committees to fleece suckers, while tearing each repub apart debating their unpopular positions opposed by voter majorities nationwide.
Tengrain September 30th, 2014 at 17:12
I keep waiting for the obvious grift to start. I think his political ambitions are narcissistic at best, and Palin-esque at worst. “It’s too much work…”
Rgds,
Tengrain
Obewon September 30th, 2014 at 15:16
Late night comedy is looking forward to 16+ anti-evolutionary GOP creationists forming their fundraising exploratory committees to fleece suckers, while tearing each repub apart debating their unpopular positions, as opposed by voter majorities nationwide.
Tengrain September 30th, 2014 at 17:12
I keep waiting for the obvious grift to start. I think his political ambitions are narcissistic at best, and Palin-esque at worst. “It’s too much work…”
Rgds,
Tengrain
majii September 30th, 2014 at 20:44
The only thing Cruz really knows (based on my observations of him) is that he wants to be POTUS sooooo bad.
That’s it.
He doesn’t think he needs to be studying the things he so obviously doesn’t know. In this respect, he, Rand Paul, and Sarah Palin, have much in common because they think that their rhetoric and beliefs are enough to get them anything they want.
Their major mistake is in thinking that all of us are too dumb and stupid to realize the game they’re playing.
majii September 30th, 2014 at 20:44
The only thing Cruz really knows (based on my observations of him) is that he wants to be POTUS sooooo bad.
That’s it.
He doesn’t think he needs to be studying the things he so obviously doesn’t know. In this respect, he, Rand Paul, and Sarah Palin, have much in common because they think that their rhetoric and beliefs are enough to get them anything they want.
Their major mistake is in thinking that all of us are too dumb and stupid to realize the game they’re playing.