The New American Politics thread

[Thor]

Ted Cruz intentionally didn't endorse Trump, no way that was anything but intentional.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

This convention is such a train wreck. It went off the rails on day 1, and hasn't recovered.

Tomorrow we get Trump-maybe he can pull a rabbit out of a hat, but so far his campaign looks utterly incompetent.

The Cruz snub is really interesting, and it had to be 100% deliberate, right down to the pregnant pauses where he could have endorsed him, and then didn't. A lot of people are speculating about Cruz' long term plans, and he may well be eyeing 2020 right now. However, I also wonder if this is on some level personal: Trump insulted his wife, repeatedly called him a liar, implied that Cruz was less American and might not be eligible for the presidency due to his place of birth and insinuated that Cruz' father was involved in the Kennedy assassination.

All of which is to say, maybe the Cruz snub was about his long term political ambitions--but maybe, just maybe, some part of Cruz was also thinking "payback is a bitch."

It's bizarre to hear that Cruz advised Trump a couple days ago that he wouldn't be endorsing, and they decided to let him go on anyway, and worse, Trump came into the arena just in time to be there for some awful reaction photos.

[Drak]

Originally Posted by nik-

Honestly, Cruz is done nationally. He can still get a Senate gig I'm sure, but this election loss (which I assume is happening) is going to shatter the Republicans and really cause a change in their methods I think. They can't just keep going further and further to the right and losing the big chair by more and more.

Cruz has shown what he always has, that he can't work with others, no one likes him in his party. That was fine for Trump this cycle because he was just so loud, but that's not Cruz and after this beating, things will change and he'll be left out.

If it literally shatters the republicans and spits the party he can always try there.

[killer_carlson]

Trump just found a Republican that makes him look like a more palatable option.

Cruz made Trump look better tonight.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Drak

If it literally shatters the republicans and spits the party he can always try there.

It's pretty unlikely that happens, and if it does it would just be for a cycle. They'd basically be handing the Dems that entire election with a split right. They'd all come back under the tent after that.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Trump just found a Republican that makes him look like a more palatable option.

Cruz made Trump look better tonight.

That was true during the primaries (and in fact Cruz is somewhat notorious for being singularly unlikeable) but tonight I think Cruz underscored the division in the party, and gave political cover to conservatives if they want to vote for someone else this time around. "Vote your conscience" could not be a clearer dog whistle in that regard and that wasn't lost on the delegates that were booing Cruz and (allegedly) threatening his wife as she left the building.

[wontondestruction]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Trump just found a Republican that makes him look like a more palatable option.

Cruz made Trump look better tonight.

Tonight is the only time I've had mild respect for Cruz. Endorsing someone you think is loathsome and dangerous for the country, just because of a pact? At least he stood up for what he thought was right. Consequences be damned.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by wontondestruction

Tonight is the only time I've had mild respect for Cruz. Endorsing someone you think is loathsome and dangerous for the country, just because of a pact? At least he stood up for what he thought was right. Consequences be damned.

He stood up for what he thought might get him elected in 2020.

[Thor]

This is pretty funny, Trump's plane upstages Ted during his own little rally outside.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/0...-trumps-plane/

[flylock shox]

Originally Posted by wontondestruction

Tonight is the only time I've had mild respect for Cruz. Endorsing someone you think is loathsome and dangerous for the country, just because of a pact? At least he stood up for what he thought was right. Consequences be damned.

Yeah, Cruz is horrid and slimy, but at least he stood up for something tonight unlike most of the spineless cowards in the Republican party.

He's playing the long game here. When Trump implodes, Cruz will be in a position to say he was on the right side of history. Which is worth something IMO.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

Yeah, Cruz is horrid and slimy, but at least he stood up for something tonight unlike most of the spineless cowards in the Republican party.

He's playing the long game here. When Trump implodes, Cruz will be in a position to say he was on the right side of history. Which is worth something IMO.

I almost think that Cruz is acting as a martyr. He is making a stand and suggesting or giving some Republicans a way out of this election but at the same time I think he is killing his political career and any future runs for Presidency.

I wonder if Cruz can align and endorse the Libertarian Johnson?

[nik-]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...72015249645568

haha

[wontondestruction]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

Yeah, Cruz is horrid and slimy, but at least he stood up for something tonight unlike most of the spineless cowards in the Republican party.

He's playing the long game here. When Trump implodes, Cruz will be in a position to say he was on the right side of history. Which is worth something IMO.

I totally agree. It's a gamble. Cruz is all but done, politically. He basically needs Trump to have a horrible presidency (maybe get impeached), so he can say "I told you so."

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

So this happened

[Thor]

Dr Strangelove is one of my all time favorites, Peter Sellers is a genius in that film.

[nik-]

The look of horror desperately hidden behind a smile on her face makes it so awesome



"Oh #### oh ####, stop it, wave normal, act natural ... smile ... SMILE. Point! ... yeah that's it, I was pointing!"

[CaptainCrunch]

All I know is that under Donald Trump, America and the terrrorists will rest in peace

https://www.facebook.com/nodqdotcom/...3128680740529/

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by nik-

Honestly, Cruz is done nationally. He can still get a Senate gig I'm sure, but this election loss (which I assume is happening) is going to shatter the Republicans and really cause a change in their methods I think. They can't just keep going further and further to the right and losing the big chair by more and more.

Cruz has shown what he always has, that he can't work with others, no one likes him in his party. That was fine for Trump this cycle because he was just so loud, but that's not Cruz and after this beating, things will change and he'll be left out.

Both parties have lost ther way. The "government is broken argument". A rebel won the Republican primary. Another rebel nearly won the Democratic primary against someone who was practically acclaimed.

If the rebel becomes president everything changes. maybe we get new political parties or new rules.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Both parties have lost ther way. The "government is broken argument". A rebel won the Republican primary. Another rebel nearly won the Democratic primary against someone who was practically acclaimed.

If the rebel becomes president everything changes. maybe we get new political parties or new rules.

This is a narrative I honestly don't get. I see how Sanders is a "rebel." But how is Trump a rebel? He's a former billionaire who squandered most of his inheritance on foolish real estate investments, who runs on a policy of "I'll make the bad stuff better, just you wait. It's going to be beautiful."

He has not presented one single key idea that I'm aware of. He stands for nothing, has no ideas and is utterly empty of any vision.

Now his supporters may want a rebellion, that I can agree with. But they are being duped by a charlatan who has managed to get deep into this election process without providing a single reliable clue as to what sort of leader he intends to be.

It's as if some people just woke up one morning and said "yeah, that windsock person outside the car dealership is getting my vote. I mean, he flops around a lot, but man he sure tells it like it is."

I don't think "rebel" describes Trump at all. "Pathological liar"? Sure. "Sociopath"? Quite possibly. But "rebel" implies that he is in some way ideological, or devoted to some kind of cause. There is no "cause" here--there is just a thin-skinned narcissist spewing feeble nativist nonsense while pitifully hoping that the cult of personality he has somehow erected around himself doesn't come crashing down around him like every other business venture that he has touched.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I'll correct myself: there is one thing Trump believes in: racism. Or if he doesn't, he is really good at faking it.