Author Topic: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger  (Read 9846 times)

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Offline sinkspur

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Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« on: October 17, 2013, 01:18:27 pm »
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/klein-ted-cruz-makes-the-democrats-stronger-1.6267023

Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger

Published: October 16, 2013 3:36 PM

By EZRA KLEIN


A true cynic about American politics would, at this point, be forced to one conclusion: Sen. Ted Cruz is a Democratic sleeper agent.

It is tough to appreciate just how much good Ted Cruz has done the Democrats over these last few weeks.

-- He convinced Republicans to shut down the government rather than wait and fight over the debt ceiling, where they would have had more - and more dangerous - leverage.

-- He splintered the Republican Party such that, from day one, it was clear that the GOP leadership opposed the strategy they were executing, and GOP senators were publicly blasting House Republicans. That also cut the GOP's leverage.

-- He made this a fight over defunding Obamacare, which polls showed was a wildly unpopular reason to shut down the government, and which united Democrats against him.

-- He shut the government down on Oct. 1, the same day Obamacare began, thus distracting the American people from the law's catastrophic rollout.

-- He drove the Republican Party to its lowest levels of popularity ever recorded in polls.

-- He actually managed to make Obamacare more popular at a time when, by all rights, the law's extremely troubled launch should've been eroding its standing in the polls.

-- The culmination of the strategy, today, is that Republicans are reopening the government and raising the debt ceiling in return for . . . nothing.

There are no policy concessions from the Democrats (income verification is already part of Obamacare). There are no procedural concessions from the Democrats. Just the opposite, in fact.

Democrats managed to get the budget conference they've been pursuing for six months. They got a CR of the length they wanted and ending before the next sequestration cuts rather than the six-month CR that Sen. Susan Collins proposed. They got a debt-ceiling increase all the way into February. This is far beyond what Democrats thought possible on Sept. 30.

But the strategy Ted Cruz managed to force on the GOP was so suicidal that Democrats felt comfortable forcing Republicans to cave completely. They were so confident that they managed to reject a deal proposed by Sen. Susan Collins and supported by many Senate Democrats because it funded the government for longer than the Democratic leadership preferred. That's a level of control over the outcome that Democrats never expected to have.

Going forward, not only will Republicans be afraid to shut down the government or threaten the debt ceiling again during this Congress, but if Republicans somehow end up doing it anyway, Democrats will be unafraid of the fight. As Democrats see it, if Republicans want to give a shutdown or a default another shot closer to the 2014 election, well, that's great news for Democratic congressional candidates.

Over the last 24 hours I've seen some Republicans complaining that President Obama and the Democrats are trying to break them. Their anger is misplaced. They should be angry at Ted Cruz for putting Republicans in a position to be broken.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline Lipstick on a Hillary

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2013, 01:19:27 pm »
Time for a third party. 

Online massadvj

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2013, 01:20:18 pm »
Time for a third party.

No.  Time for the Tea Party to take over the GOP in 2014.  If that fails, then it will be time for a third party.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2013, 01:20:45 pm by massadvj »

Offline sinkspur

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Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline sinkspur

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2013, 01:27:15 pm »
No.  Time for the Tea Party to take over the GOP in 2014.  If that fails, then it will be time for a third party.

Good luck with that.  "Take no prisoners" is out as a political strategy.  And we know Tea Partiers don't want any compromise.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Online mystery-ak

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2013, 01:40:47 pm »
LMAO....compromise?....still laughing....McConnell did such a great job in that department...
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Offline happyg

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2013, 02:25:32 pm »
The GOP makes the democrats stronger. The daily bashing of Cruz by the GOP, along with the MSM, who fear him, is the culprit. Cruz didn't lose one supporter during this period, and has gained many people who are waking up. The GOP won't give up its social club, and that is what is hurting the country. Once they are voted out, the country can begin to heal.

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2013, 02:26:45 pm »

Offline Lipstick on a Hillary

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2013, 02:29:18 pm »
Somehow I don't picture you as a Tea Partier.

Offline sinkspur

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2013, 02:29:32 pm »
LMAO....compromise?....still laughing....McConnell did such a great job in that department...

McConnell was playing a weak hand.  He had no leverage.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline sinkspur

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2013, 02:30:12 pm »
Somehow I don't picture you as a Tea Partier.

He's a Democrat.  He WANTS a third party to split off from the Republicans.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline sinkspur

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2013, 02:32:12 pm »
The GOP makes the democrats stronger. The daily bashing of Cruz by the GOP, along with the MSM, who fear him, is the culprit. Cruz didn't lose one supporter during this period, and has gained many people who are waking up. The GOP won't give up its social club, and that is what is hurting the country. Once they are voted out, the country can begin to heal.

Nobody's afraid of Ted Cruz but his disciples in the House.  Now that he's got that "loser" scarlet letter on him, even they won't fear him any longer.

What makes you think Cruz gained supporters?  If anything, he's alienated many Republicans who share his goals.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Liberal_Spy

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2013, 02:36:38 pm »
He's a Democrat.  He WANTS a third party to split off from the Republicans.

I'm not a Democrat. I don't vote Democrat and never will. I have never voted for anything but third party candidates. Regardless of whether or not I support his Tea Party and their ideas, I can still appreciate the American people taking a stand against our corrupt two party system.

Offline happyg

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2013, 02:38:06 pm »
I'm not a Democrat. I don't vote Democrat and never will. I have never voted for anything but third party candidates. Regardless of whether or not I support his Tea Party and their ideas, I can still appreciate the American people taking a stand against our corrupt two party system.

 :amen:

Liberal_Spy

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2013, 02:42:07 pm »
I also want to put it out there that I have been encouraging frustrated liberals to vote third party too. We need to break away from the monster that has taken over our political system.

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #15 on: October 17, 2013, 02:42:44 pm »
McConnell was playing a weak hand.  He had no leverage.

...still laughing....leverage..that's their own damn fault by not sticking together instead of all the infighting...you sure don't see the Dems do that!
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Offline sinkspur

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #16 on: October 17, 2013, 02:43:33 pm »
I'm not a Democrat. I don't vote Democrat and never will. I have never voted for anything but third party candidates. Regardless of whether or not I support his Tea Party and their ideas, I can still appreciate the American people taking a stand against our corrupt two party system.

Good grief.  You realize you'll play in the minor leagues the rest of your life, don't you?
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline sinkspur

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2013, 02:44:08 pm »
...still laughing....leverage..that's their own damn fault by not sticking together instead of all the infighting...you sure don't see the Dems do that!

Did you really believe Obama was going to agree to defund Obamacare?
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #18 on: October 17, 2013, 03:05:55 pm »
Did you really believe Obama was going to agree to defund Obamacare?

Absolutely not....but I had hoped he would negotiate on some of it's issues...instead by relenting Obama now knows he doesn't have to negotiate on anything in the future....Repubs now have a hard task now of trying to block anything the the Dems try to push through..which is even harder now since some Repub's can't be trusted to remain faithful to their own party.
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Offline sinkspur

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #19 on: October 17, 2013, 03:11:48 pm »
Absolutely not....but I had hoped he would negotiate on some of it's issues...instead by relenting Obama now knows he doesn't have to negotiate on anything in the future....Repubs now have a hard task now of trying to block anything the the Dems try to push through..which is even harder now since some Repub's can't be trusted to remain faithful to their own party.

Why would he negotiate?  He knew the GOP would be blamed for the shutdown, and they would be blamed for a debt default.

Hey, we can do the same thing.  We can refuse to negotiate on the sequester cuts.  The country supports the sequester cuts.  Yet the GOP is jumping offside to trade those cuts for entitlement reform (at some date in the future). 
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #20 on: October 17, 2013, 03:18:49 pm »
Why would he negotiate?  He knew the GOP would be blamed for the shutdown, and they would be blamed for a debt default.

Hey, we can do the same thing.  We can refuse to negotiate on the sequester cuts.  The country supports the sequester cuts.  Yet the GOP is jumping offside to trade those cuts for entitlement reform (at some date in the future).

They won't do that...they've lost their nerve...even if a few Repub's suggest it you can't count on the others to stand with you...this is their weakness...
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Offline musiclady

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #21 on: October 17, 2013, 03:44:19 pm »
Absolutely not....but I had hoped he would negotiate on some of it's issues...instead by relenting Obama now knows he doesn't have to negotiate on anything in the future....Repubs now have a hard task now of trying to block anything the the Dems try to push through..which is even harder now since some Repub's can't be trusted to remain faithful to their own party.

 :amen:
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Offline musiclady

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #22 on: October 17, 2013, 03:48:23 pm »
:amen:

Not really wise to trust that guy or anything he says, happy......
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #23 on: October 17, 2013, 03:51:52 pm »
Absolutely not....but I had hoped he would negotiate on some of it's issues...instead by relenting Obama now knows he doesn't have to negotiate on anything in the future....Repubs now have a hard task now of trying to block anything the the Dems try to push through..which is even harder now since some Repub's can't be trusted to remain faithful to their own party.
Some general questions:

1. Will the GOP follow Cruz' lead again soon?

2. Will those who followed him already, admit he led them to nothing?

Washington and Eisenhower waited until they were ready. Custer honestly didn't know the size of the forces he opposed at Little Bighorn (he failed because he SHOULD have known).

The French resistance was a temporary coalition of Republicans and communists. The US formed a temporary alliance with the Soviet communists.

Eisenhower, FDR and Churchill followed an plan of "Ready, Aim, Fire." The Tea Party seems to follow no plan, or a plan of "Fire, Ready, Aim."

Then retreat, regroup, observe the previous failure, and vow to do the same thing over again. All the while ranting about the battle field not being fair, their soldiers not being hardy enough, the other side using unfair tactics, the war reporters not telling their version, etc.
"God must love the common man, he made so many of them.�  Abe Lincoln

Offline happyg

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Re: Ted Cruz makes the Democrats stronger
« Reply #24 on: October 17, 2013, 04:11:03 pm »
Not really wise to trust that guy or anything he says, happy......

LOL! I liked the one comment. Don't worry; I'm not changing my stance on the issues.  :beer: