Many outraged Republican voters said over the weekend that they were switching their votes from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to Donald Trump because they were concerned that the Texas senator may support the rights of Black Lives Matter protesters after he admonished the billionaire GOP front-runner for encouraging violence at his rallies. After Trump chose to call off a rally in Chicago on Friday because of organized protests, Cruz said at a press conference that the “campaign bears responsibility for creating an environment where the candidate urges supporters to engage in violence.”…. On Sunday, Cruz told ABC host George Stephanopoulos that it would be wrong for protesters to try to shut down a political rally, but he said that it was also Trump’s responsibility not to incite violence among his supporters…. “In any campaign, the responsibility starts at the top,” the senator opined. “And it is not beneficial when you have a candidate like Donald Trump who is telling his protesters, ‘Punch that guy in the face.’ You know, I don’t think you should be encouraging people to violence.”
Imagine my shock and surprise when I found myself agreeing with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Mordor)…on ANYTHING. In this case, though, he’s spot on…though I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit to thinking there might just be more than a wee bit of self-interest in play here.
Apparently I’m just that cynical. Who knew?
Cynicism and self-interest aside, there’s a very real concern ALL Americans should be having right about now. We’re seeing the front-runner for the GOP nomination not only condoning but INVITING and inciting violence at his rallies. He’s encouraging his supporters to attack those who dare voice their dissent. I’ve seen some scary candidates with some abhorrent views in my life, but I’ve never seen anyone openly advocate that his supporters beat down those with the temerity to speak their mind.
Perhaps the saddest and most ridiculous commentary on the sorry state of the Republican Party is that some of Cruz’ own supporters are rethinking their to the Senator from Jesusland…because they think he’s gone all soft and mushy and become some sort of bleeding heart Librul. Yes, you read that correctly.
i am seeing a continuing steady exodus of cruz voters to trump based on the sale of his soul to Neil Bush and BLM defense!
— KellyLee (@jasian12345) March 13, 2016
@marcorubio I hate hypocrites. It used be the democrats-now Cruz and Rubio have joined in with George Soros and the left.
— SAC (@sac12910) March 13, 2016
I've been poring over social media, seeing what effect Cruz siding with violent Soros protesters cost him. Huge. @IngrahamAngle @AnnCoulter
— FaithFamilyFreedom (@AmericaMarches) March 13, 2016
Move On -BLM -liberals attacking Trump so now Cruz is liberal backer along with Rubio and Kasich vote these out https://t.co/49SvYomwii
— Echo75 (@Seirra75) March 13, 2016
Man, just when you might have cause to believe that Republicans had finally reached the bottom of the barrel, we learn once again that Republicans live in a barrel which has no bottom. Surely, I’m not the only one unsurprised by that revelation? When a candidate’s highest purpose is the pursuit of their own self-interest, we’ve entered a world that looks a lot like something cut from a “House of Cards” script.
Many conservative voters, however, saw Cruz’s attack on Trump as de facto support for Black Lives Matter. In fact, Cruz has constantly opposed Black Lives Matter or any left-leaning group. He accused Black Lives Matter last year of “literally… celebrating the murder of police officers.
“So Ted Cruz blamed Trump for the MoveOn.org, Black Lives Matter and all other hate organizing groups protesting in Chicago because Trump stands up for calling things what they are?” blogger Dianne Marshall wrote. “It is now obvious to all that Cruz stands more for the progressive left leaning extreme thinking who stand up in support for those who want to ignore the laws, create strife, spew hate, and destroy America from within.”
On Saturday, a Breitbart headline declared: “Voters Slam Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio for Blaming Chicago Rally Shutdown on Donald Trump.”
That decrying the incitement of violence could be in any way viewed as sympathizing with Liberals is astonishing. Has the Far Right gone so far over the edge that they’d implicitly (if not overtly) condone violence against those who dare speak out against them? Is the 1st Amendment now held to protect only those who march in lockstep with reliably Conservative voices and who believe that White Makes Right?
Have we really sunk that low? Are Conservatives really so ideologically and morally vacant that their default response to dissent is suppression? Have we reached the point where violence is no longer the exception but the preferred and expected response to those who dare exercise their free speech rights?
I’m gobsmacked that Cruz supporters could possibly associate their candidate with Black Lives Matter, George Soros, and Bill Ayers. Either they’ve simply given up critical thinking and relying on rage and hatred (no surprise there), or they really do expect their candidate to approve of inciting and condoning violence against dissenters.
When you’re as totally devoid of ideas as Conservatives, violent suppression of dissent and opposition probably starts looking like a viable option.
Welcome to America in the 21 century. WE ARE AT WAR WITH OCEANIA!! WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT WAR WITH OCEANIA!!!
How can ANYONE be a Cruz or Rubio supporter at this point? They took the side of the fascist, anti-American left over Republicans. Sell-outs
— Little-Marco (@RubioRoboto) March 13, 2016
@SandyEgoCali Perhaps. #Cruz stood with #Soros & https://t.co/8PU8RjV6a7 & against Freedom of Speech. He is disqualified! @ThomasWictor
— Cindy Boots (@CynthiaStillBB) March 13, 2016
Never thought I'd support Trump, but when I realize the racist left would shut down Cruz/Rubio, too, I do now. https://t.co/xVBimjCiSH
— Charles Rutherford (@superchachi) March 13, 2016
Cruz sided w/ Bill Ayers, BLM and MoveOn agitators over thousands of law abiding citizens - not a decent move. https://t.co/D4z40Yog06
— Boris Ryvkin (@BRyvkin) March 13, 2016
This sort of anti-intellectual, reactionary ignorance almost makes me ashamed to call myself an American. Then again, this country belongs to me as much as it does to those incapable of or unwilling to engage in critical thought. I categorically reject the notion that violence against those with the temerity to raise their voice in dissent is an acceptable response. The 1st Amendment doesn’t apply only to those willing to beat down those who happen not to believe in their vision of an authoritarian White Conservative America. It also belongs to those who occupy places all along the racial/sexual/ideological/religious spectrum. Being White, Conservative, and Christian makes a person no better or worse than those they feel justified in holding to be “less than.”
The idea that Ted Cruz is now in league with George Soros, Bill Ayers, and other “radical lefties” is patently absurd…which should serve to demonstrate just how intellectually bereft so many on the Far Right are. The Republican Party has gone so far off the rails that there doesn’t appear to be any hope for bringing it back into the mainstream. The devolution of the GOP has made for what may well be the worst, most depressing election campaign in American history- proof that “Idiocracy” was more documentary than comedy.
As much as I enjoy watching Republicans eat their young, I despair of the lack of a credible, coherent loyal opposition. The rational exchange of opposing ideas is an important feature of a vibrant, functional democracy. That the Far Right now views dissent as worthy only of utter destruction is distressingly abject proof of the sclerotic state of American democracy.
Democrats were once forced to disavow George Wallace because the party didn’t want someone who stood for virulent racism to be its standard-bearer in 1968. 2016 may well become a case of history repeating itself; the Republican Party will likely have little choice but to repudiate and disavow Donald Trump should he win the nomination. That’s if they want to remain a credible political entity, of course.
In the meantime, it really does appear as if the inmates are running the asylum, doesn’t it?
