Originally Posted by Sidd Finch (Post 500519)

Before, I thought you underestimated his stamina, perseverance, or whatever you call the quality that allowed a single painful and partially-ingrown hair to survive near my butt-crack for months, even while the hair on my head is gone to the breezes of history.

Now, I think you underestimate the strength of his ambition, and also the powerful effect of having a horde of people fawning over you. I doubt that Cruz expected to get anywhere close to the nomination, and the confluence of events -- mainly, Trump picking off anyone who was within screaming distance of sanity, leaving Cruz the unlikely savior of the GOP establishment -- was something not even he anticipated.

But he's in this for the long haul. It is a mission. Run this year, lose. Run in four years, blame everything bad (and everything good that you spin as bad) on the country's failure to vote for you, and (if applicable) blame the party's loss last time around for their failure to nominate you. Repeat as necessary. Eventually, your moment will come, for you are God's chosen one, the flame on his sword, and so forth.

After all, Ronald Reagan didn't win his first presidential campaign, or his second.

He thought that he SHOULD be president because he's on a mission from Jesus. He thought that he COULD be president because he found so many vacant-eyed Jesus freaks and Tea Party whackjobs, plus SEC Chick who is nice, to sing his praises, i.e the people running the ground game that you rightly acknowledge.

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield (Post 500545)

If there's one thing I might find positive about Cruz it's that he doesn't believe he's on a mission of any kind. The man's one true compass is ambition and acquisition of power. And in a strange way, I prefer that to "faith." A nihilist can be controlled with incentives. He runs an offense for which you can set a defense. A guy with "God on his side" is a suicide bomber. You can't reason or bargain with them.

It doesn't matter because his bid for the Presidency was stillborn to all but a select crowd of truly shit-for-brains Jesus Freaks, sun-stroked TX inbreds, and John Birch Society cardholders. But as a requiem for what thankfully never was or could be, and the only gracious send-off I can muster for this creature, I'll offer Ted a compliment: He was lyin' about believing. An awful man to his bones, but at least a man of reason.

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield (Post 500545)

If there's one thing I might find positive about Cruz it's that he doesn't believe he's on a mission of any kind.

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall (Post 500554)

Give me one piece of evidence that makes you think he isn't as big a religious freak as his psychotic father?

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan (Post 500504)

Texans only vote for the R, not the name. Cruz would have to be beaten in the primary to be kicked out of the Senate. If he's on the ballot, he'll be in the Senate.

Our current Attorney General is under two indictments and one civil charge by the SEC, and he was under investigation at the time of the election. No. One. Cared. because of the R next to his name. The Ag Commissioner is under investigation for misuse of state funds (he went to Mississippi to compete in a rodeo) and for looking into the "Jesus Shot" (google, I can't bear to explain it), and the first thing he did in office was to un-ban deep fryers in schools. And he'll win again, because he has an R next to his name.

The Democrats in the this state are an unorganized, ineffective mess, and they've all but given up on state politics, focusing instead on the cities. In part, that's because local races don't have Rs and Ds on the ballot, so voters have to actually do a little more research to figure out who they hate.

Ted Cruz is a tea party guy here, and the Tea Party guys have tended to do rather well. Until the Rs get that faction under control, he's not going anywhere.

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy (Post 500441)

very nice.

Originally Posted by Not Bob (Post 500461)

This from John Hodgman is a pretty good essay on why someone who likes Bernie Sanders might still decide to vote for Hillary Clinton.

I encourage Wonk and my niece attending grad school who was pissed when Hillary won the primary in her home state to read and consider it.

Originally Posted by taxwonk (Post 500567)

Okay, for the last fucking time because this fucking horse died two fucking weeks ago. I am not voting for Bernie Sanders. I like a lot of the ideas he has and think they make for great aspirational, albeit impractical goals.

The reason I may not vote for Hilary is because she irritates me and she has cynically flipped on a number of issues to the point she has a credibility issue with me. I am reading more about her current platform and beginning to lean her way. However, I may still write in someone WHO WILL NOT BE BERNIE because I am not yet convinced she won't drop any of her good ideas in a heartbeat to cut a deal that will benefit wealthy Americans. Anybody who has a problem with me not voting for someone I don't trust is more than welcome to think I am part of Ted Cruz's secret Fifth Column. And I am free to feel I have said enough about how I feel Cruz and Trump are both enemies of the state to feel that anyone who thinks that of me has their head far enough up their ass they are chewing their meals twice.

And that, Forrest, is fucking all I have to say about fucking that.

Originally Posted by taxwonk (Post 500567)

Okay, for the last fucking time because this fucking horse died two fucking weeks ago. I am not voting for Bernie Sanders. I like a lot of the ideas he has and think they make for great aspirational, albeit impractical goals.

The reason I may not vote for Hilary is because she irritates me and she has cynically flipped on a number of issues to the point she has a credibility issue with me. I am reading more about her current platform and beginning to lean her way. However, I may still write in someone WHO WILL NOT BE BERNIE because I am not yet convinced she won't drop any of her good ideas in a heartbeat to cut a deal that will benefit wealthy Americans. Anybody who has a problem with me not voting for someone I don't trust is more than welcome to think I am part of Ted Cruz's secret Fifth Column. And I am free to feel I have said enough about how I feel Cruz and Trump are both enemies of the state to feel that anyone who thinks that of me has their head far enough up their ass they are chewing their meals twice.

And that, Forrest, is fucking all I have to say about fucking that.

Originally Posted by taxwonk (Post 500567)

Okay, for the last fucking time because this fucking horse died two fucking weeks ago. I am not voting for Bernie Sanders. I like a lot of the ideas he has and think they make for great aspirational, albeit impractical goals.

The reason I may not vote for Hilary is because she irritates me and she has cynically flipped on a number of issues to the point she has a credibility issue with me. I am reading more about her current platform and beginning to lean her way. However, I may still write in someone WHO WILL NOT BE BERNIE because I am not yet convinced she won't drop any of her good ideas in a heartbeat to cut a deal that will benefit wealthy Americans. Anybody who has a problem with me not voting for someone I don't trust is more than welcome to think I am part of Ted Cruz's secret Fifth Column. And I am free to feel I have said enough about how I feel Cruz and Trump are both enemies of the state to feel that anyone who thinks that of me has their head far enough up their ass they are chewing their meals twice.

And that, Forrest, is fucking all I have to say about fucking that.

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy (Post 500569)

I know we see a regular stream of false equivalencies about the left and right being equally crazy.

But, Sebby, you'll be happy to know I'm not fighting you on this.

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall (Post 500573)

Did you read this after I responded to it on facebook or did you come across it on your own? Because I would hate to be responsible for anyone being exposed to this stupid shit.

TM

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower (Post 500568)

Minneapolis last night:

http://video.startribune.com/video-s...lis/376661591/