# Ted Cruz is pretty crafty **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 25, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609 "2013-09-25T00:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/21 "2013-09-25T15:35:47Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It’s clean against Leary’s Law (“Thou shalt not alter thy brother’s mind without thy brother’s consent”), but, oh! I can’t help wishing I were a page, and in a position, when Cruz starts his filibuster, to slip about a hundred hits of LSD into his water-pitcher . . . 😃 The real pity is that “truth drugs” (as opposed to disorientation drugs) only exist in fiction. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/22 "2013-09-25T16:11:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’ll probably play great with the far right. Other people may notice that it made no difference and never stood the least chance of making a difference. I think that’s part of why other Republicans are annoyed at Cruz: they get to make (for them) a difficult vote while he gets to grandstand and make them look like jerks. It is playing great with the far right, take a look at redstate if you can stomach it. They are eating this right up and asking for more. This is genius, Ted Cruz doesn’t care about pissing off the establishment and sinking the party because he knows if he wins the presidential primary they will have to suck it up and back him anyways. Of course he is counting on rallying the teahadist behind him and winning the nomination on that alone, I wouldn’t count on that being enough. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/23 "2013-09-25T17:32:07Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > No need for psychoactives. A laxative would do. Would there be anything left after it kicked in? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/24 "2013-09-25T17:35:57Z")
Every single senator, including Cruz, voted for cloture on the continuing resolution. I guess he’s assuming nobody will remember that even though just yesterday Cruz said a vote for cloture was a vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/25 "2013-09-25T17:57:30Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Every single senator, including Cruz, voted for cloture on the continuing resolution. I guess he’s assuming nobody will remember that even though just yesterday Cruz said a vote for cloture was a vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act. That is surprising you would think that given that it was going to pass he would at least vote “no” symbolically. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/26 "2013-09-25T18:04:59Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > That is surprising you would think that given that it was going to pass he would at least vote “no” symbolically. Exactly. I opened this post expecting it to be dripping in sarcasm. I’m from the left, so I know I have a bias, but I cannot comprehend how that doesn’t look bad even to his base. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/27 "2013-09-25T18:09:27Z")
If there’s one thing that we’ve seen in politics in the last few decades, it’s that truth is no road block. Cruz doesn’t seem to realize the same dirty politics he’s using can be used against him. He may think he’s secure with his base in his district. But if the conservative machine decides he’s causing problems for the movement as a whole, they’ll crush him. The word will go out and stories will be spun and rumors will be whispered and Cruz will find that his base is wavering. Sure, Cruz can deny the gossip but his base is built up of people that believe nonsense. Some other safer conservative Republican will challenge him “for the good of the country” and voters will swing away from Cruz. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/28 "2013-09-25T18:17:37Z")
I don’t know how safe it would be for Cruz to piss off the non Tea Bagger base. The last few nominees were not the from the fringe right. Cruz may be dumb enough to try it, but he’ll flame out like Santorum or Rick Perry will and the nomination will go to someone like Jeb Bush ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/29 "2013-09-25T18:21:09Z")
They voted for it because otherwise opponents would have been factually accurate when they accused them of “voting against a bill that defunded Obamacare” and there was nothing to be accomplished by voting against it. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/30 "2013-09-25T18:53:37Z")
How did Rick Perry lose his Tea Party Darling title to Ted Cruz? The Bush family started Cruz’s political career–how did he come to repudiate the Bush Era? Will Texas Democrats ever get energized? Abby Rapaport used to write for the Texas Observer. Read [what she had to say](http://prospect.org/article/ted-cruzs-deceptive-triumph)… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/31 "2013-09-25T18:58:14Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > Exactly. I opened this post expecting it to be dripping in sarcasm. I’m from the left, so I know I have a bias, but I cannot comprehend how that doesn’t look bad even to his base. > [@DigitalC](#): > > They voted for it because otherwise opponents would have been factually accurate when they accused them of “voting against a bill that defunded Obamacare” and there was nothing to be accomplished by voting against it. I’ll repeat this: “yesterday Cruz said a vote for cloture was a vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act.” Today Cruz voted for cloture. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/32 "2013-09-25T18:59:56Z")
> [@i\_am\_a\_scientist](#): > > Cruz is a smarter Rick Perry Come on now. He’s nothing like Perry. First of all, Cruz legitimately believes what he is saying while Perry will say whatever it takes to get elected. Perry is also incredibly unethical (way beyond what is normal even for politicians); Cruz is probably slightly more ethical than your average politician. Finally, I know you said he is smarter than Perry, but they’re not even in the same ballpark. Maybe you don’t understand how incredibly stupid Perry is? Whatever you think, he’s worse than that. Cruz is pretty damn intelligent. Perry is a good fundraiser, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get elected. That’s it. You may not like Ted Cruz, and I’m not really that big a fan either, but he does not warrant any comparison to Rick Perry. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/33 "2013-09-25T19:26:40Z")
> [@LonghornDave](#): > > Come on now. He’s nothing like Perry. First of all, Cruz legitimately believes what he is saying while Perry will say whatever it takes to get elected. Perry is also incredibly unethical (way beyond what is normal even for politicians); Cruz is probably slightly more ethical than your average politician. Finally, I know you said he is smarter than Perry, but they’re not even in the same ballpark. Maybe you don’t understand how incredibly stupid Perry is? Whatever you think, he’s worse than that. Cruz is pretty damn intelligent. Perry is a good fundraiser, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get elected. That’s it. > > You may not like Ted Cruz, and I’m not really that big a fan either, but he does not warrant any comparison to Rick Perry. Yep. It makes me sick to say this, but Cruz does have a sharp wit. I was listening to him speak at about the 14 or 15 hour mark last night (Or this morning rather) and he still sounded very sharply and concise. It kind of left me with the feeling that Hillary would not stand a chance debating with this guy. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cruz stutter or stumble through any hardball question ever given to him by reporters. That sort of talent gets votes. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/34 "2013-09-25T19:35:03Z")
Except he’s trying to appeal to a base that does not value intelligence. He would “lose” a debate with Hillary because the facts are on her side. They won’t care, they don’t recognize the same set of facts as _being_ facts. There are people that believe, to this day, that Clint Eastwood losing a debate with a chair was political satire worthy of the Rev. Swift. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/35 "2013-09-25T19:36:20Z")
A [pretty interesting article about Ted Cruz](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/me-ted) by John Marshall at Talking Points Memo. Turns out Marshall and his wife both went to college with Cruz. John doesn’t recall him at all, but his wife and classmates remember a lot about him. Mainly that he’s an enormous asshole, and also very very smart. > [@](#): > > And this is why I’ve been saying since Ted Cruz replaced Michele Bachmann as the King of the Tea Partiers that the reaction to Cruz in the senate is simply the reaction Ted’s gotten at least at every stage of his life since he arrived at college in 1988. An incredibly bright guy who’s an arrogant jerk who basically everybody ends up hating. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/36 "2013-09-25T19:54:22Z")
He doesn’t look right. The other Senator from Texas, Sen. Cornhole, looks the part, like a Senator from Central Casting. Kind of like Perry looks the part of Governor. As a recovering Texan, one point makes me ponder: Cruz’s accent. Doesn’t seem to have one, not even for show, he talks like the man from Nowhere in Particular. GeeDubya could talk like the Eastern snob he basically is, but he could drop into Texas vernacular at the drop of a hat. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/37 "2013-09-25T22:06:57Z")
well, the CNN headline is now “Cruz Votes With Democrats”. I have to think he miscalculated this pretty badly. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/38 "2013-09-25T22:18:13Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > well, the CNN headline is now “Cruz Votes With Democrats”. > I have to think he miscalculated this pretty badly. OMG! That’s got to be almost as bad as getting caught eating felafel and humus. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/39 "2013-09-25T22:59:59Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > It is playing great with the far right, take a look at redstate if you can stomach it. They are eating this right up and asking for more. This is genius, Ted Cruz doesn’t care about pissing off the establishment and sinking the party because he knows if he wins the presidential primary they will have to suck it up and back him anyways. Of course he is counting on rallying the teahadist behind him and winning the nomination on that alone, I wouldn’t count on that being enough. Of course Ted Cruz cares about pissing off the establishment. How is he going to win the primary if Fox News and Rush Limbaugh campaign against him? Without the money and professionals behind him, Cruz cannot hope to succeed. Look at how the grassroots searched desperately for a candidate other than Mitt Romney, the anointed candidate of the establishment. Each one lasted for five minutes before being dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609/40 "2013-09-25T23:32:54Z")
I wonder when “Tea Partiers” are going to be brave enough to let go of the Republican’s coattails, stand on their own, and form a party. (OK, that was hypothetical.) Tea Partiers, Ted Cruz, etc… are fooling themselves only, no matter how educated they are. They believe that most Americans will not hold them accountable for a possible government shutdown, and will somehow blame Democrats. Delusional. In need of medication delusional. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-is-pretty-crafty/669609.md?page=3)