Friday, April 29, 2016

Why other pols loathe Cruz

I loved this article from the headline all the way through. It explains the very simple ways that Ted Cruz pretends he's a hero, when he clearly isn't. [Short version: Ted is the lone brave Republican who wants to exercise legislative leverage. But he completely ignores how that strategy failed in 2013.]

As I've said before, I think Cruz is a charlatan. He purposefully fools people. I'm not sure what his goal is in this. Maybe it's just money, but it feels like something more than that, and that's scary. Hopefully Cruz will keep fooling the small minority, and the rest of us will prevent whatever scary future Cruz would bring.

Image: tedcruziscreepy.tumbler.com

Extras. Maybe, someday, someone might write a gothic novel of what the world under Cruz would be like. I can read it and get my dark forebodings fleshed out. Until then, these articles will feed my anxiety: strange Christian supremacist theology and Cruz's father; does Cruz dogwhistle to the same theology: how a racehorse winning the Triple Crown signals the ascent of this weird theology. Alternatively, don't be silly-- Ted Cruz is just a very principled Constitutionalist.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Desperate Cruz chooses 'The Face' for VP

I am not impressed. Cruz is lean on experience, and he chose Carly Fiorina, someone even leaner on experience.

But, then again, he doesn't have a large pool to choose from. He's pissed off much of Congress except of the 'not ready for prime time' Freedom Caucus. Cruz may have fawning fans, but he doesn't have many friends. How many friends have good credentials? Maybe none.

Thinking about it, Fiorina may the best choice he has. What a bad reflection on him.

Image: foxnews.com

Extras. There is the speculation that Cruz needed to do something to capture a newscycle after his dismal showing in five primaries on 4/26/16. Two decent articles about this.

This also adds to the pile of evidence that Cruz isn't a serious politician or statesman. My personal guess is that he's a charlatan. Serious looks like this.


Sunday, April 17, 2016

Short: What is the 1%?

If you work hard, save your money, and don't run into bad luck, can you propel yourself into the 1%? Those characteristics describe my family (along with having good education and middle-class jobs). So, I wondered, could I possibly be in the 1%? There are times when I feel maybe I could be or should be. (One of those times is right now, after a hard week at work and me finishing up my tax returns. Shouldn't my hard work and careful ways have raised me up?)

Well, not according to this. You need at least $5 million not including your house and $500K of income yearly. Oh well... maybe in the next life if there is one.

Mercedes Benz - favorite car of the 1%
Image: malligadu.com

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Best summation on the Mideast



To all of those who claim we should have done this or that in the Mideast, this is plain truth. What's more, it's the truth in 140 characters. For a change, the truth is short and the lies are longer.

Obviously untrue: Politician claims every word is true

It's hilarious just reading the headline:

Ted Cruz On McConnell Accusation: 'Every Word I Said Is True'

I didn't read the article yet, so please wait while I do so...

Well, there's not a lot in the article. Lyin' Ted (a great nickname for him) trying to pin his type of misdeeds on someone else. Even if another politician lies (and of course they do), that doesn't make Ted honest and truthful.

Yawn. I should have stopped at the headline, and enjoyed the irony.

Image: bbc.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Short: Running like Trump

Here's the best analysis of the way Trump is running. It's a post-hoc analysis, so the campaign moves weren't predicted, but explained at cogently as possible after the fact.

Briefly, Trump is trying to appeal to the cultural conservatives, and he's not going for the libertarians, Koch-wing, or neocons. Nor is he trying to figure out actual policy (so he's not trying for the hundred or so policy wonks either).

My interpretation (which is not original but in the general American miasma), is that Trump is aiming for the Archie Bunker vote. He says exactly what Archie Bunker wants to hear.

Now, Archie Bunker isn't known as a deep thinker or insightful critic, so it's not hard to pass a bunch of bunk through Archie Bunker's ears. Talk radio hosts have been doing that for decades. However, it took a 21st century version of PT Barnum to do it as a presidential candidate.

Image:onecitizenspeaking.com