Saturday, July 23, 2016

Palin and Carson Say Cruz Is Finished

Heh. You can't make this stuff up.

Sarah Palin is giving Ted Cruz advice on how he went wrong politically.
“Cruz’s broken pledge to support the will of the people tonight was one of those career-ending ‘read my lips’ moments. I guarantee American voters took notice and felt more unsettling confirmation as to why we don’t much like typical politicians because they campaign one way, but act out another way. That kind of political status quo has got to go because it got us into the mess we’re in with America’s bankrupt budgets and ramped up security threats.”
This from the woman who resigned as governor for what she said was the good of the people of Alaska even though she ran for a four year term. Donald Trump has pointed out that not running for an office you said you would run for is defrauding the voters. So, actually quitting an office you won is far worse.

Then, of course, there's Palin's absence at the Republican National Convention this year. Because . . . she lives so far away.
"She was asked," Trump told the Washington Examiner in a phone interview on Thursday. "It's a little bit difficult because of where she is. We love Sarah. Little bit difficult because of, you know, it's a long ways away."
Though, of course, she managed to campaign for Trump in Florida, which is a little farther away from Wasilla than Cleveland. But, nothing says you're politically powerful like not having even a minor speaking slot at the national convention which nominates the candidate you were the first major political figure to support.

Then there is the fall off in her PAC donations since she endorsed Trump. It's a 40% drop from the first half of 2015 compared to the first half of 2016.

Here's a contrast. Palin received $149,000 in donations for 2nd quarter 2016 compared to Cruz's senate campaign (not presidential) receipts of $290,000 almost double Palin's amount in the same period. Even more striking is that Cruz's first itemized receipts are dated May 11, 2016, after he dropped out of the presidential race. So, he raised almost twice as much as Palin in about half the time period.

Then there's Ben Carson who also assures us that Cruz is now a dead duck.
“Well, I was quite disappointed,” Carson said on Fox News radio. “I thought it was a splendid opportunity for him to bring significant unity to the party and also to enhance his own political career in the future. He was unable to bring himself to do that unfortunately.”
Carson said it would be hard for Cruz to recover.
“I believe it’s gonna be a very difficult task for him to recover from this, because of the alienation factor is significant at this point,” he said.
This from the guy who, after running on campaigning with civility, has said we have to accept the politics of personal destruction, political lies and offensive rhetoric as part of politics.
"And some people said but well you know he said terrible things about you how can you support him. Well, first of all, we buried the hatchet. That was political stuff. And you know that happens in American politics. The politics of personal destruction. All that is not something that I particularly believe in or anything that I get involved in. But, I do recognize that it is a part of the process."
Carson also has trouble understanding parts of the Constitution. For example, he wants to get rid of the electoral college and "a lot of different things" in our governmental system, including unneeded parts of the Second Amendment.

Too bad neither Palin nor Carson have figured out what went wrong with their own political careers, but are eager to help Cruz, the only one of them to currently hold high political office, figure out how to be a political success.

8 comments:

MAX Redline said...

Carson's remarks don't come as much of a surprise. That's rather disappointing to me, as I initially had some good feelings regarding him, but as things went on, he got worse rather than better. He seems to be continuing that pattern.

Likewise, Palin seems to have devolved into a nonentity. Neither are really in a position today to give advice, but both seem eager to speak whenever a microphone appears.

T. D. said...

"Neither are really in a position today to give advice, but both seem eager to speak whenever a microphone appears." Funny how often those characteristics team up.

I want you to know I was very disciplined and did not allude to the cover stories which that wonderful, Pulitzer worthy publication the National Enquirer did on both Palin and Carson to show how successful they were even in their political prime.

OregonGuy said...

Look at this, and let me know what you think, please:

http://opinion.ijr.com/2016/07/258245-need-better-not-bitter-trumps-opponents-start-hopping-bandwagon/?_ga=1.177976742.2099975396.1467064796

.

MAX Redline said...

I did not find it impressive. Just my view.

T. D. said...

OG, I think Palin is becoming unhinged. She complains about being mistreated and not getting jobs because of backing Trump. Probably right, but she has no compassion on Ted Cruz, who she thinks blew up his political career. (I think she's wrong, but that's not the point). She has become strident, calling conservatives who won't vote for Trump "traitors". This is the woman who lectured Chris Christie about getting his pants in a wad and helping the Dems by calling Newt merely an "embarrassment".

I think the drop off in her PAC funding hurts. She's wildly overspending what she's taking in, and the last quarter she only gave $10,000 to actual candidates (D. Glenn and Nehlen). And she's probably getting almost no speaking offers--bit even from Trump in a minor slot at the RNC. Of course, the strange, zigzag way she's been speaking isn't especially attractive. I wouldn't be surprised if a book offer might have been withdrawn.

Someone else has pointed out that it's significant that she identifies with a "nationalist" agenda ("this nationalist revolution") but never mentions conservative or constitution/constitutional.

This is so sad. Ostensibly she's trying to buck up other Trump supporters about all the people now getting on board, but there's a lot of personal crying here and no good news that Sarah Palin's future is better.

Max, again, we agree.

T. D. said...

Stats on PAC overspending income:

2013 & 2014 - 11.62% overspent
2015 1st half - 52.63%
2015 2nd half - 40.39%
2016 1st quarter - 83.67%
2016 2nd quarter - 64.25%

Current cash balance: $171,686
Cash balance first of year: $380,963


MAX Redline said...

She has become strident, calling conservatives who won't vote for Trump "traitors".

And yet she doesn't get even a minor speaking role on the national stage. I'm beginning to wonder if she hasn't developed early stage dementia. She's really devolved from the powerhouse she was just a few years ago. I'd hoped for better.

Palin, Carson...so much potential tossed into the landfill. Very disappointing.

T. D. said...

Max, I hadn't though of the dementia possibility. But, there is something basic wrong.

1. The sentence construction is often strange: "It’s important because time is short and lessons must be learned to avoid future catastrophic capture by status quo politicos." "A significant exposition is the billionaire Mercer family’s financial ties to Cruz ...." "Beck and his ilk showed they don’t oppose politics of personal destruction they used to rail against with lip service."

2. Not one word about what's wrong with the Democrats. It's all about what's wrong with her Republican and conservative opposition. The big enemies are: Cruz, Glenn Beck and the Mercer family. The problem: keeping them in their place when they start supporting Trump. "As you watch former haters hop aboard the Trump Train, it’s important to connect dots and understand my concern about a bunch of belated mea culpas with which we’ll now be inundated." This is the ultimate "insider" view of politics. Only original true believers can be trusted.

3. The strange concern about Trump supporters being destroyed even though they've won and even the big donor Mercer family has come over. "Friends, my concern here is all about the attempted destruction of Trump SUPPORTERS over all these months. I’ve zipped my lips long enough; it’s time to call out those who’ve tried to destroy you." Aside from Palin losing some "jobs", meaning one-off speaking gigs like "no longer [having] a seat at the talking heads TV table", Palin hasn't lost her income and position like she wants the "nefarious politicos and their media lapdogs" to lose "their titles, ratings, power, and [full] purses".

4. Her conservative opponents like Glenn Beck use the "politics of personal destruction". Even though Trump spewed lies to destroy not only Ted Cruz and his family but even Ben Carson (like a child molester, lying about the belt buckle anecdote in his book).

5. The point of this stream of consciousness piece is unclear. Is it to make sure that new supporters (like the Mercers) are kept in a second class citizen place? "They’ll never give you credit for being right, Trump Train engineers, because we’re still just peon passengers to them, but they’d like to join you now at the cool kids table. Just remember it’s YOUR table, patriots. YOU set it. They’d better behave as your guests." Or, is it to be "joyful" and win? "So now we must rise to the challenge of becoming better, not bitter, in the midst of what the obstructionists tried to do. You who knew we needed a revolution ignored the haters to find a revolutionary, and we nominated him to help make America great again. Now, validated, productive, joyful people will get our messenger over the finish line so we can begin the fight to restore America."

Not much joy in this piece. And sadly, no coherent thinking.

(I think I'll post this.)