Cruz A Useful Idiot At RNC Convention "Ultimate Reality Show", Poorly Educated Tumpeteers Successfully Duped

We need our fair share of villains every season. And now we're very careful in our casting... to develop characters that the audience is going to root for and root against ~ Mike Fleiss, creator of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

Ted Cruz may have thought he was taking a stand and that (in doing so) is setting himself up to be the 2020 nominee (he couldn't possibly think, at this point, that Trump could be prevented from getting the nomination). However, what he really did was to serve as the useful idiot. I'm referring to the FACT that both camps knew Cruz wasn't going to endorse Trump, but they let him speak anyway (Donald Trump Jr: We Knew Cruz Wouldn't Endorse Dad).

Pro-Trump delegates were enraged at Cruz's speech, shouting him down and booing him off the stage, in what was described by the New York Times as "the most electric moment of the convention". Convention security personnel and Cruz advisor Ken Cuccinelli escorted Cruz's wife Heidi out of the hall, fearing for her safety. (2016 Republican National Convention/Ted Cruz's speech).

"The most electric moment of the convention", huh? Perhaps because it was PLANNED to be?

Thom Hartmann (excerpted from the Thom Hartmann Radio Program, 7/21/2016): The storyline yesterday was that Ted Cruz blew up the Republican convention by refusing to endorse Donald Trump. Cruz has asserted, as has the Trump campaign, that they knew for several days exactly what Cruz was going to say. Which leads me to believe that this is just more reality show stuff. The fact of the matter is that reality shows are scripted. They're not real. People play roles in them... there's the "good guy", the "bad guy", the "poor sucker" [etc]... Literally, they come up with these roles and cast for them. Sometimes these shows are lightly scripted, sometimes they're heavily scripted. Trump is running this convention as a reality show. So, he gets the guy in who disagrees with him, and then makes a fool of himself. Because everyone booed Cruz down. Then Trump comes out and glares at him. It was pure reality show. And the media goes "oh, this is terrible for Trump". No it's not. It's exactly what he wants. He's manipulating the media cycle. In fact, he's OWNING the news cycle.

As Trump potus campaign chairman Paul Manafort said the "GOP convention will be ultimate reality show". I wouldn't have guessed, however, that Ted Cruz would willingly play along.

What's really funny is that, along with the low information poorly educated dupes that are buying this reality show baloney, there are idiots on the Right who think that Ted Cruz STOOD UP to Trump with his speech. These fools think that Cruz's plea to delegates to "stand and speak and vote your conscience" will make a difference (harm instead of HELP Trump).

Co-host Pat Gray: The only thing I could stand was Ted's speech, and that was difficult because they were booing him at the end, when he’s talking about the Constitution and your conscience. They boo him! Co-host Stu Burguiere: And that's the thing that's interesting about that, is the audience knows that if someone tells you to vote your conscience, that means don't vote for Donald Trump. The Cruz speech was great, but the crowd's reaction took it to another league. The booing turned it into a legendary speech. Glenn Beck: Legendary. Stu Burguiere: Was the Trump campaign so annoyed at Cruz they tried to ruin his moment? If so, it didn't work. The bottom line is, I think it backfired. I think it helped Cruz. Now, if Trump wins by 20 points and he's a great president, I mean, Cruz is done politically, surely. But if he doesn't, who else do you look to that stood up and opposed this man? Cruz's character was on full display last night. Who else can you find that stood up in front of 30 million people and did one of the most difficult and brave political things you will ever see in your life? Co-host Pat Gray: And they called him a coward for it. They're booing him, and he muscles through it. [Glenn and his co-hosts all agreed they were "damn proud" of Cruz]. Pat Gray: The easiest thing would have been for him to stand up, cave in, and say, "I'm a Republican, I signed a pledge, I endorse Donald Trump". Glenn Beck: I was saying the whole time, like the last five or eight minutes, "Don't cave. Don't cave. Don't cave". The reason I felt that way was because of the wave of hatred that was coming his way. It was a tidal wave. The tidal wave of hate became so real that Cruz's wife Heidi had to be removed from the convention floor. I said it in stump speeches for him, I said, "here's a guy who will plant his flag on the point, and no matter what storm or tidal wave comes his way, he knows his principles, and he will not move". You saw that last night. For him to get quieter and not shout over their boos, to not take a cheap shot, to do nothing but finish that speech the way he intended took remarkable courage, remarkable courage. (Ted Cruz Speech: A Legendary Turning Point by "Lori". 7/21/2016 glennbeck.com).

Remarkable courage to play the useful idiot? That's hilarious. Although, if Cruz had skipped the convention (what he should have done) instead of helping Trump, he wouldn't be remembered in 2020 as the man who stood against Trump. But he did, and therefore he'll definitely be selected to depose Hillary Clinton in 2020 (who will be the president due to the primary voters foolishly selecting Trump). That MUST be the Cruz/Beck fantasy scenario. And why Cruz's speech will end up being a "legendary turning point".

But, like I said, Cruz was the useful idiot, in that "him doing that galvanized everyone". Which is the effect Donald Trump Jr thought Cruz's speech had. How pathetic is it that the rubes were so easily tricked by reality show theatrics? And Beck, instead of realizing that Cruz was played, thinks Cruz will end up the nominee in 2020?

By the way, Ted Cruz's role in the "ultimate reality show" that is the RNC Convention obviously was the villain. Remember that Trump also pulled the birther card on Cruz (although, with Cruz it has validity, given that he was born in Canada, while Obama was NOT born in Kenya). Point is, Cruz (according to Trump) is also an "other". A foreign-born usurper who keeps trying to steal the nomination from the (rich/white) man who rightfully won it.

Footnote
Quote at the top this post is from the 3/15/2010 20/20 special "Inside the Bachelor: Stories Behind the Rose", as reported in the 3/16/2010 Reality Blurred article Bachelors have sex with an average of three women, but Bob Guiney has the record with 5.5 by Andy Dehnart.

Video: Prior to reality TV, there was "professional" wrestling. And Donald Trump, prior to his Apprentice TV show, participated in a fake/scripted match where he faced off against Vince McMahon. Donald Trump bodyslams, beats and shaves Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 23 on 4/1/2007. Right. Anyone think Trump could possibly beat McMahon if the fight wasn't scripted? (3:33).

SWTD #340

Religious Nutjob Ted Cruz "Called & Anointed" By God To Be The Next President

The corporate right fires up the religious right against gay marriage and abortion and uses their votes to push their deregulation and tax cuts for the rich. It's an old trick. The House of Saud has the same arrangement with the Mullahs in Saudi Arabia ~ Adam McKay (dob 4/17/1968) a film director and screenwriter who has a creative partnership with actor Will Ferrell.

One of the most frightening things about the candidacy of the Canadian-born Ted Cruz is a what a Rightwing religious nut he is. Ted's father Rafael Bienvenido Cruz believes that his son was chosen by the Almighty to be our next president. Rightwing Watch notes that "earlier this year, Ted Cruz's father and primary presidential campaign surrogate... spoke at televangelist Kenneth Copeland's church in Texas".

Kenneth Copeland is a televangelist who preaches the prosperity gospel, which is a twisting a scripture under which good (Republican) Christians are rewarded by God with riches. Ignore that BS about what Jesus said about how hard it is for a rich man to get into Heaven. These prosperity gospel hucksters insist that God wants you to be rich. Fact is, you can tell that a person is right with God if he is wealthy (wealth being a blessing from above).

And according to Copeland and Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, Rafael Edward Cruz (AKA "Ted" Cruz) has been selected to be our next ruler (text below is a transcription from the video record of what took place at Copeland's TX church).

Rafael Bienvenido Cruz: The word from the Lord was "seek my face, not my hand". It was if the cloud of the Holy spirit descended upon the room. And all of a sudden, we were all worshipping. And the words that came out of Ted's mouth were "here am I Lord, use me. Let your will be done". I believe that the Lord has raised him up for such a time as this. (see video below).

There was a similar Mormon prophecy that some of Mittens' followers thought he was the one to fulfill. The White Horse Prophecy says that "the United States Constitution will one day hang like a thread and will be saved by the efforts of the White Horse". Some believe "Mormons expect the United States to eventually become a theocracy dominated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". And some believed that Mittens was that "White Horse", although Mittens himself said it wasn't "official church doctrine" and that he didn't "put that at the heart of my religious belief".

But Ted Cruz apparently DOES believe he is anointed by God to bring theocracy to the United States. Unless his father is lying about what he thinks God told Ted. But Ted was there (at Copeland's church) where he spoke for an hour. It might be possible that Ted is just going with his father's delusions (that have him believing the cloud of the Holy Spirit descended and spoke to his son)? Perhaps Ted decided he could use his father's delusions to dupe religious nutjobs into voting for him?

Anyway, if Rafael Edward Cruz were somehow elected president, I'd suspect fraud. And, if President Cruz attempted to steer our nation toward theocracy (I have no idea HOW he'd accomplish this, but let's say, for the sake of argument that he found a way) I'd suspect he was the AntiChrist. I say this seriously, as someone who identifies as Christian.

But I doubt any of this will come to pass. It's far more likely, IMO, that Ted Cruz won't be the nominee, let alone elected president (and then attempt to be a theocrat). And it's far more likely that Ted and his father are total nutjobs. Or liars who think they can take advantage of Rightwing "Christians" who think Ted is "the chosen one".

Video: Televangelist Kenneth Copeland (introducing Rafael Bienvenido Cruz) says, "I believe, with all my heart, that his son is called and anointed to be the next president of the United States".

SWTD #332

Donald Trump Just Telling The Rubes What They Want To Hear

When he called Trump a charlatan and a fraud yesterday I thought that was an endorsement ~ David Feldman; Emmy award winning comedy writer and standup comedian calling in to the 3/4/2016 airing of the Stephanie Miller Show. A reference to a 3/3/2016 Mittens R-Money speech at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Is Donald Trump just telling his supporters what they want to hear? In other words, is he lying about all the next-to-impossible promises he's making? All the other candidates on the stage at the 11th gop debate - Cruz, Rubio and Kasich - said they think he is.

In remarks made later in the debate (transcribed below), Cruz refered to a Trump "off the record" conversation that Donald had with the NYT that was apparently recorded. (The conversation with the editorial board wasn't an interview, but only to help the board decide who to endorse. Note that prior to the Cruz remarks Megyn Kelly asked Trump if he was willing to ask the NYT to release the tapes, and he said no).

Ted Cruz: Marco's dad started as a bartender. My dad started washing dishes. You know how many Americans wanted those jobs? [working in Trump's FL hotel]? Roughly 300 applied. Donald hired 17. That's why this New York Times tape is so troubling. What's been reported is that Donald told the editorial board of the New York Times, "what I'm saying on immigration, I don't believe. I'm not going to build a wall. I'm not going to deport people. This is all just rhetoric for the voters". Now, if he didn't say that, he has an easy solution. Simply release the tape. (3/3/2016 at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit MI).

Cruz's info is coming from a 2/29/2016 BuzzFeed article titled "Donald Trump Secretly Told The New York Times What He Really Thinks About Immigration. In this article it is mentioned that one NYT columnist who attended the meeting, wrote the following...

Gail Collins: The most optimistic analysis of Trump as a presidential candidate is that he just doesn't believe in positions, except the ones you adopt for strategic purposes when you're making a deal.

The Opinion Page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, however, says "the Times is not covering up any information related to the presidential campaign that would be crucial to the public's knowledge".

Yeah, I don't know about that. Not that I think Trump would say "yeah, I'm lying" to anyone. But I do think he's only telling the rubes (his "Trumpeteers") what they want to hear. I think that is QUITE obvious. And there is the fact that Cruz asked again (after the remarks I excerpted above), for Donald to release those tapes, and Donald (referring to Cruz as "lying Ted") again said NO.

So maybe he did tell the NYT he's a huge liar. Not in those words, of course. What he might have said was likely (if he said anything of the sort) that he would "negotiate". Although Marco Rubio, in response to Trump insisting he was "flexible", said "there is a difference between flexibility, and telling telling people whatever you think you need to say to get them to do what you want them to do", afterwhich Kasich inserted "that's right".

Which is what he did with his "Trump University" scam, as Rubio also noted (Yes, Trump University Was a Massive Scam). Now he's attempting to scam the American people into voting for him. An observation of Marco's that I *do* agree with. Not that I agree with him (or any of the other Republican candidates) about anything else (except for Kasich taking the Medicaid expansion).

SWTD #330

If You're Sick Of Unending War You Should Vote For Bernie Sanders Over Hillary Clinton

All war is a symptom of man's failure as a thinking animal ~ John Steinbeck (2/27/1902 to 12/20/1968) author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath.

Because Bernie Sanders applied for conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War some ask - how can be possibly be Commander In Chief of the US military? Me, I say that is a question that someone supportive of the MIC and unending war would ask. Apparently a Sanders spokesman confirmed that "as a college student in the 1960s he was a pacifist" but that he isn't now. Perhaps he isn't now because, even though the American people are sick of war, they still wouldn't elect a pacifist?

On the Republican side the front runner responded to (and repeated the words of) one of his supporters... who said Ted Cruz is a pussy because he said he'd bring waterboarding back (allbeit in a limited capacity). [Video]. The "you're fired" guy says we need to torture even harder!

Ted "Carpet Bomb" Cruz is (at least in regards to torture) the best it gets on the Republican side (with Randal Paul out of the race). For me (on the subject of who should be the CIC), I'd go with Bernie over any Repub, including Randal (ABSOLUTELY including Randal, given his opposition to the Obama Admin's deal to nuclearly disarm Iraq).

But, of the two candidates running on the Democratic side, I'd greatly prefer Bernie to Hillary.

Hillary Is the Candidate of the War Machine [excerpt from an article by Jeffrey Sachs] The idea that [Hillary Clinton] is bad on the corporate issues but good on national security has it wrong. Her so-called foreign policy "experience" has been to support every war demanded by the US deep security state run by the military and the CIA. ... It is often believed that the Republicans are the neocons and the Democrats act as restraints on the warmongering. This is not correct. Both parties are divided between neocon hawks and cautious realists who don't want the US in unending war. Hillary is a staunch neocon whose record of favoring American war adventures explains much of our current security danger. ... Hillary's record as Secretary of State is among the most militaristic, and disastrous, of modern US history. ...Hilary was a staunch defender of the MIC at every turn, helping to spread the Iraq mayhem over a swath of violence that now stretches from Mali to Afghanistan. Two disasters loom largest: Libya and Syria. ... ...her tireless promotion of the overthrow Muammar Qaddafi by NATO bombing is the far graver disaster. Hillary strongly promoted NATO-led regime change in Libya, not only in violation of international law but counter to the most basic good judgment. After the NATO bombing, Libya descended into civil war while the paramilitaries and unsecured arms stashes in Libya quickly spread west across the African Sahel and east to Syria. The Libyan disaster has spawned war in Mali, fed weapons to Boko Haram in Nigeria, and fueled ISIS in Syria and Iraq. (Published on The Huffington Post 2/5/2016).

Foreign policy might be a weakness for Sanders; surely that is what HRC has (and will) continue to hit him on. And if he's the nominee, you can bet the Repub will attack him on this front. But I say the candidate who signed on to Dennis Kucinich's idea for a Federal Department of Peace, got the vote on war with Iraq right (whereas HRC got it wrong), and who has been a steadfast advocate for veterans (he is very aware of the human cost of war) is the right person for the job of CIC [1].

A dove instead of a hawk is JUST what we need, IMO. And Hillary Clinton has proven herself to be a hawk. Which is why I agree with what Sanders said on 12/19/2015 at the 3rd Democratic debate.

Bernie Sanders: I worry too much that Secretary Clinton is too much into regime change and a little bit too aggressive without knowing what the unintended consequences might be. Yes, we could get rid of (former Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein, but that destabilized the entire region. Yes, we could get rid of (former Libyan dictator Muammar) Gaddafi, a terrible dictator, but that created a vacuum for ISIS. Yes, we could get rid of (Syrian dictator Bashar) Assad tomorrow, but that would create another political vacuum that would benefit ISIS. So I think, yeah, regime change is easy, getting rid of dictators is easy. But before you do that, you've got to think about what happens the day after. (Hillary Clinton says Bernie Sanders voted for regime change in Libya by Lauren Carroll. PolitiFact 12/22/2015).

BTW, that HRC claims that Sanders "voted for regime change" (and PolitiFacts says "Mostly True") is mostly very misleading. As PolitiFact points out "the resolution [Sanders voted for] called for peaceful regime change". He didn't vote for military action. But, whatever he thought at the time, clearly he realizes now that when we kill dictators the result is not good. In fact, it creates worse problems. Hillary, on the other hand, hasn't come to this realization and would likely order more of the same as CIC.

Which means that under HRC (or any of the Republicans) we'd get more war and more destabilization (which so far has made terrorism worse). Obviously, given these facts, an informed person should conclude that the sane choice is to vote for Sanders (Gary Johnson will NOT be our next president). Problem is, most people don't bother to get informed. Or (worse), go out of their way to get misinformed (Fox Nooz viewers). Many more don't get informed, but also don't vote.

IMO, if everyone got informed and if everyone voted... the result would be a decisive victory for Sanders. Unfortunately we don't live in that world. IF Sanders wins it will be close. Although it's more likely we'll end up with a president HRC, which will still be a better result than if any of the Republicans win. But I'm convinced she will be another BHO. Mostly good, sometimes great. But also sometimes terrible (Obama's deal to extend the bush tax cuts, the so-called grand bargain that thankfully never came to pass, and now his pushing of the job killing TPP... all of which Bernie has consistently opposed).

Footnote
[1] Tyson Manker of Veterans For Bernie Sanders: [Bernie Sanders is] the only candidate who talks about, let alone understands, the "true costs of war". Frankly, he has demonstrated a genuine concern American Veterans and the issues we face. As President, I know Bernie will never rush to judgment on foreign policy issues, or lie about his intentions. I know that he'll never put troops into harm's way unless it's absolutely necessary to keeping America safe. (Why the anti-war candidate is so beloved by former soldiers by Zaid Jilani. Alternet 10/24/2015).

Image: Hillary Clinton and Henry Kissinger. According to Dan Froomkin (writing for the Intercept, "the sparring during [the 6th] Democratic presidential debate between HRC and B-S over whether Henry Kissinger is an elder statesman or a pariah has laid bare a major foreign policy divide within the Democratic Party. HRC and B-S stand on opposite sides of that divide. One represents the hawkish DC foreign policy establishment, which reveres and in some cases actually works for Kissinger. The other represents the marginalized non-interventionists, who can't possibly forgive someone with the blood of millions of brown people on his hands".

SWTD #323