The best Cruz article I've read so far:

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/ted-cruz-has-been-plotting-1305876417003574.html

Quote
But here's the thing: Ted Cruz has always been more of a mastermind than a wacko bird.

Every politician plans, plots or schemes (depending on how pejorative you want to be about it); that's part of the job. But not every politician is a prodigy at it.

Ted Cruz is. Since adolescence, Cruz has invested the vast majority of his time, energy and boundless ambition in endeavors that require and reward long-term strategic thinking — aka the fine art of making a plan and sticking to it. He honed his skills as a champion debater at Princeton University. He perfected them as one of the most effective appellate lawyers in the country. He relied on them during his first long-shot race in Texas. And now he is deploying them in the national arena as a senatorial troublemaker and presidential candidate. With the possible exception of Frank Underwood, the fictional star of Netflix's House of Cards, there may be no shrewder, more calculating figure in American politics than Cruz — and so far, nearly all his calculations have paid off.

"Ted has a remarkable talent for strategic thinking," says Charles Cooper, co-partner of the D.C. firm where Cruz first practiced law. "He understands that the things you say and do today can lay the groundwork for the things you want to accomplish in the next breath, a year from now or beyond. That's crucial in both law and politics."

Quote from: taxed on November 24, 2015, 01:44:12 PM
The best Cruz article I've read so far:

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/ted-cruz-has-been-plotting-1305876417003574.html

Do you get the impression the author sort of dislikes Cruz personally, but has an intense admiration for his abilities?

QuoteWhat truly distinguished Cruz, though, was his knack for strategy.

"It's chess to him," says Sacha Zimmerman, a Columbia debater who knew Cruz from the circuit. "He's a machine. He sees all these options — plan Bs and Cs. 'If this move happens, then this move happens.'"

Instead of responding to his opponents' arguments, Zimmerman explains, Cruz would simply "reframe the whole debate."

The example...

QuoteTo see Cruz execute his signature maneuver, rewatch last month's CNBC debate in Boulder, Colo. At one point, moderator Carl Quintanilla asks Cruz whether his opposition to the recent bipartisan budget deal shows that he is "not the kind of problem solver American voters want." In response, Cruz doesn't just decline to answer; instead he transforms Quintanilla's rather docile question into damning proof of the mainstream media's alleged bias against Republicans.

"The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media," Cruz thunders. "This is not a cage match. And you look at the questions: 'Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain?' 'Ben Carson, can you do math?' 'John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?' 'Marco Rubio, why don't you resign?' 'Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?' How about talking about the substantive issues people care about?"

The audience roars. According to Frank Luntz, who has been focus-grouping presidential debates for more than 15 years, Cruz's response received a 98 out of 100, the most favorable rating ever recorded.

Very interesting stuff...

QuoteFrom the start, Team Cruz has divided the 2016 primary into four lanes—an establishment lane, a tea party lane, an evangelical lane and a libertarian lane—and, as the senator told Politico in a recent interview, "the players that were expected to be formidable in those lanes have not got the traction they had hoped." 

And here it is, either we got some really smart people running this Forum, or they're already aware of Ted Cruz's stragety.

Quote"The most encouraging thing I would say," the senator continued, "is that I think three of the lanes are collapsing into one. ... The evangelical lane, the conservative tea party lane and the libertarian lane are all collapsing into the conservative lane, and we're seeing those lanes unify behind our campaign."

I'll admit, so far, the execution has been pretty darn good!  The rest of the article attempts to paint Cruz as a scheming, calculating dude - like that's a bad thing for the Presidency?   Honestly, I WANT a president with a foreign policy, fiscal, health care, etc., PLAN and the will to execute it!   I am sick and tired of the current appeaser-in-chief, lead-from-behind, etc.... 

Quote from: Hoofer on November 24, 2015, 03:47:09 PM
Do you get the impression the author sort of dislikes Cruz personally, but has an intense admiration for his abilities?


The example...

Very interesting stuff...

And here it is, either we got some really smart people running this Forum, or they're already aware of Ted Cruz's stragety.
I'll admit, so far, the execution has been pretty darn good!  The rest of the article attempts to paint Cruz as a scheming, calculating dude - like that's a bad thing for the Presidency?   Honestly, I WANT a president with a foreign policy, fiscal, health care, etc., PLAN and the will to execute it!   I am sick and tired of the current appeaser-in-chief, lead-from-behind, etc....

It's Yahoo, of course they hate him, but even libs are curious what a true Conservative might do in fixing the mess both party's have made.
I read this early this morning and almost posted it, but it's so long, I didn't think anyone would read it, but it really is a good summary of Cruz' abilities.
I just don't buy the claim that it's also his weakness and trying to claim jealousy could ruin his chances, if anything, it's the establishments fear more than jealously that is being exposed.

It must infuriate leftists that Cruz is so bulletproof. Clean background, soaring intelligence, nearly-cosmic organizational ability.

He'll be getting his money's worth at those campaign offices which actually are set up. Leftists can't manage to do that. Funny how that stuff works out.

Quote from: quiller on November 24, 2015, 05:04:56 PM
It must infuriate leftists that Cruz is so bulletproof. Clean background, soaring intelligence, nearly-cosmic organizational ability.

He'll be getting his money's worth at those campaign offices which actually are set up. Leftists can't manage to do that. Funny how that stuff works out.

This is why I say Trump will fade out without a whimper, he hasn't done even 1% of the ground preparedness work Cruz and team have done.

Quote from: Solar on November 24, 2015, 05:15:05 PM
This is why I say Trump will fade out without a whimper, he hasn't done even 1% of the ground preparedness work Cruz and team have done.

He's got to make a better showing in New York state than Alan Keyes did in Illinois or else he is *&@&+$!  He MUST run a good shop under the very noses of the VERY lazy media. That NYC office will be the prototype they can damn near clone on the bus ride out, and unpack whole out of numbered crates.

But it won't be cheap. Rentals aren't easy to find in unfriendly districts. Media group-buys go dearly the tighter the deadline. The Donald's got the bucks...or he doesn't. The closer to primaries, the easier it will be to see which.

Quote from: quiller on November 24, 2015, 05:27:10 PM
He's got to make a better showing in New York state than Alan Keyes did in Illinois or else he is *&@&+$!  He MUST run a good shop under the very noses of the VERY lazy media. That NYC office will be the prototype they can damn near clone on the bus ride out, and unpack whole out of numbered crates.

But it won't be cheap. Rentals aren't easy to find in unfriendly districts. Media group-buys go dearly the tighter the deadline. The Donald's got the bucks...or he doesn't. The closer to primaries, the easier it will be to see which.

I don't think Trump ever had a front-line prep team out ahead of him more than a week at a time, while Cruz had been at it nearly a year.

Quote from: Solar on November 24, 2015, 05:53:16 PM
I don't think Trump ever had a front-line prep team out ahead of him more than a week at a time, while Cruz had been at it nearly a year.

Again, we'll know come primary time. I don't expect Trump to survive. Delegates however may disagree with Cruz and so the true finalist is not yet guaranteed. Media hacks crave RINOs and the TV talk shows will be their playgrounds, going up to that same election.

I like it. Yahoo makes Cruz out to be a comic book character. Doctor Theodore Cruz and his nefarious master plan to rule the world...

Quote from: The Boo Man... on November 24, 2015, 08:49:01 PM
I like it. Yahoo makes Cruz out to be a comic book character. Doctor Theodore Cruz and his nefarious master plan to rule the world...

With no super leftist to stop him and the Dim party in shambles, connected to a broken life support machine, not even the League of Establishment RINO has the ability to stop the evil Con.
Stay tuned for next weeks episode, when CRUZ, the evil Con, states he wants people to stop food stamps and return to work.
Ohhhh the Horror!!!

Quote from: Solar on November 25, 2015, 06:16:42 AM


With no super leftist to stop him and the Dim party in shambles, connected to a broken life support machine, not even the League of Establishment RINO has the ability to stop the evil Con.
Stay tuned for next weeks episode, when CRUZ, the evil Con, states he wants people to stop food stamps and return to work.
Ohhhh the Horror!!!

The leftist internet warriors are cranking up the "ted cruz greatest racist ever" meme on youtube. That's the only strategy they got left, but I think they will be repeating that lie so much it will dominate the media coverage.

Quote from: Mountainshield on November 25, 2015, 07:55:07 AM
The leftist internet warriors are cranking up the "ted cruz greatest racist ever" meme on youtube. That's the only strategy they got left, but I think they will be repeating that lie so much it will dominate the media coverage.

Sooner or later they'll have to prove it, or else that lie collapses as well.

Quote from: Mountainshield on November 25, 2015, 07:55:07 AM
The leftist internet warriors are cranking up the "ted cruz greatest racist ever" meme on youtube. That's the only strategy they got left, but I think they will be repeating that lie so much it will dominate the media coverage.

MSNBC: Mr Cruz, with no proof that you still beat your wife, how do you respond to the evidence you're a racist?

Yeah, the left will be relentless, but regardless of what they throwup, the base knows it's all lies and will continue to ignore the BS, knowing the LSM and GOP are in league with the smear campaign.
Honestly, I don't believe there is anything they can do to dissuade the base this time around, we/they have made up our minds that it's time for a true Conservative to take the WH.

Quote from: Solar on November 25, 2015, 08:18:08 AM
MSNBC: Mr Cruz, with no proof that you still beat your wife, how do you respond to the evidence you're a racist?

Yeah, the left will be relentless, but regardless of what they throwup, the base knows it's all lies and will continue to ignore the BS, knowing the LSM and GOP are in league with the smear campaign.
Honestly, I don't believe there is anything they can do to dissuade the base this time around, we/they have made up our minds that it's time for a true Conservative to take the WH.

We knew this would happen when the left figured Cruz is for real. As smart as Cruz is, he knew it as well and is prepared. for them. The left is not familiar with a GOP candidate fighting back and they will not know how to handle it.

I said it a dozen times before...Trump is his own worst enemy and will implode.  It's only a matter of when.  He's no match for Cruz and the rest are going nowhere...fast!   

I mentioned a day or so ago about the meeting Trump and Cruz had a month or two ago. 

I still think an agreement was made to avoid directly taking each other on and when Trump implodes, Cruz steps in.  In the unlikely event that Trump gets the nomination then Cruz gets the V.P. slot, prepping him for a future run after Trump decides to be a one-termer.