Ted Cruz sounds different behind closed doors
Ted Cruz is selling himself on ‘authenticity’ and saying things even if it is not popular. Unfortunately, he forgets there are recording devices. Who can forget when he had less than kind words for Donald Trump even though in public he praised Trump and completely avoided attacking him. He denied doing so. But unfortunately for him, all of it was on tape. He justifiably questioned Trump’s judgement.
“Who am I comfortable having their finger on the button? Now that’s a question of strength, but it’s also a question of judgment. And I think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them,” Ted Cruz said referring to Donald Trump and Ben Carson.
Well, he was caught going against a pillar of his narrative, his objection to same-sex marriage. Politico reported the following;
During the question period, one of the donors told Cruz that gay marriage was one of the few issues on which the two disagreed. Then the donor asked: “So would you say it’s like a top-three priority for you — fighting gay marriage?”
“No,” Cruz replied. “I would say defending the Constitution is a top priority. And that cuts across the whole spectrum — whether it’s defending [the] First Amendment, defending religious liberty.”
Soothing the attendee without contradicting what he has said elsewhere, Cruz added: “People of New York may well resolve the marriage question differently than the people of Florida or Texas or Ohio. … That’s why we have 50 states — to allow a diversity of views. And so that is a core commitment.”
The donor was satisfied, ending his colloquy with Cruz with a friendly: “Thanks. Good luck.”
It turns out that as opposed to being the straight talker that promotes his values irrespective of its popularity, like any other politician, he can be nuanced. That nuance is not what his voters expect. In fact it is the only reason a pathologically obstinate person disliked by most in Washington and elsewhere can garner a platform. How many more times will we see the Ted Cruz stutter?