Ted Cruz Comes Out Against Liberal Democratic Values
They're the real problem with New York, he says.

When Ted Cruz pandered to South Carolina conservatives by attacking Donald Trump's "New York values," he probably was not thinking about the moment, a few months later, when he would be pandering to New Yorkers. But that moment is upon him, and the much-mocked phrase has come back to haunt him. With the New York primary less than two weeks away, the Associated Press reports that "Cruz's use of that phrase as a putdown in a GOP debate in January has hung around his neck like an anchor, particularly in New York City, where's he's been skewered in the tabloids and repeatedly heckled at campaign events."
During that January 14 GOP debate, Cruz said "everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage, focus around money and the media." During a recent campaign stop in the Bronx, he tried again: "They are the values of the liberal Democratic politicians like Andrew Cuomo, like Anthony Weiner, like Elliot Spitzer, like Charlie Rangel—all of whom Donald Trump has supported. If you want to know what liberal democratic values are, follow Donald Trump's checkbook."
So now Cruz is against liberal democratic values? What happened to his reverence for the Constitution, the rule of law, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion? A.P. says "fewer than 100 people showed up at the event at a restaurant, and several of them were there solely to jeer Cruz."
John Kasich's performance sounds only slightly less embarrassing:
"We love New York values," Kasich, who is running a distant third in the delegate race, said during a campaign stop at a Bronx deli. "It means innovation, neighborhoods, great food, great people. It means everything."
Except for afforable housing. My wife and lived in New York (Manhattan and the Bronx) for seven years and might still be there if the rents were lower. I miss the pickles. Abortions you can get anywhere.
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i read that period as a comma
No good pickles in Israel? Or Texas?
"So now Cruz is against liberal democratic values? What happened to his reverence for the Constitution, the rule of law, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion? A.P. says "fewer than 100 people showed up at the event at a restaurant, and several of them were there solely to jeer Cruz.""
Jesus, Sullum, when Cruz said he doesn't like 'liberal democratic values' he obviously wasn't talking about the 18th century definition of those terms. He was coming out against the values *of people who call themselves liberal democrats today* which tend to be values that have nothing to do with liberal democracy as understood by Voltaire.
Yea, it's not liberal democratic values - it's American (i.e. social) liberal and Democratic party values. Those are two totally different things, as I'm sure most people watching the Republican debate are aware. It's a simple case of Cruz attempting to link Trump to the party his voters are supposedly against.
Precisely. Big D Democratic, not little d.
There are plenty of legit things to criticize Cruz for - why manufacture something as silly as this?
I'm going to go wayyyyy out on a limb here and take a guess that not many of the people showing up to jeer Cruz are doing so out of their sterling commitment to the Constitution, the rule of law, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.
The Reason Trump to Cruz pivot begins. /drink!
Oh, I shall...I shall.
Cruz's move was not stupidity, it was calculated. New York was Trump turf and Cruz knew it. He also knew that New Yorkers are despised in the South and Midwest because New Yorkers act as if they believe that if you look out over the Hudson river from Manhattan you can see New Jersey and just past there is California. Cruz probably picked up two votes in the Midwest for every vote he lost in New York.
I grew up in NYC and can assure you that it is among the most corrupt places in the US. If you want to get something done in NYC you need a "friend" in City Hall. New Yorkers like it that way because they all think that they have a special "piece of the action" and will endure anything so long as they get to keep their action. Whether it's bankers or cab drivers they are all protected by special interest laws. Corrupt scumbags like Trump thrive in that kind of environment.
I was scratching my head when I read that line. Disparaging Coumo, that stoopid Weiner, Spitzer and Rangle for their lack of democratic values is something we all do.
Maybe I'm not understanding Sullum here.
Yeah but when a socon does it? He can't even
I was scratching my head when I read that line.
I'm scratching my head at the Reason regulars who are scratching their heads at this. I'm scratching my balls at Reason's typical coverage of GOPers. This is 100% consistent with the half- and mis-quoting that Reason has consistently pulled against Cruz. Clinton can counter-factually say that Republicans tried to pass an abortion bill with no exceptions and Reason just parrots her statement without question. But if Cruz says, 'We don't have all the facts and shouldn't rush to judgement, for all we know this abortion shooter was just some crazy transgender whacko.' Reason reports, 'Cruz considers the entire transgender community to be crazy murders'.
murderers - damned Edit button!
Sadly, I have agree with this. I have a lot of misgivings about Ted Cruz. But, to put him in the same league of the Crazy Three (the Crook, the Clown, and the Commie) is a stretch Reason can't seem to resist.
spot on mad.casual
If La, Va, Co, and possibly Fla, just to name a few, are an indication, it doesn't matter who wins the 'vote', Cruz will get most of the delegates anyway because it's not up to the voters to determine who they want. What a great country we have knowing that even when the people don't want you you can say 'screw you, I'm taking most of the delegates anyway.' Thank you Trump for bringing to the lime light how corrupt the process is, that the elite establishment will always put in who they want. Funny to think that some libertarians actually think their guy may have a resemblance of a chance to ever win in this process. And please, don't bring up the "rules." The rules only apply when the establishment is getting their way, just as Ron Paul supporters in 2012, how the "rules" only apply for the last election cycle when people bring up rule 40b.
Yeah, this is beneath ya, Sullum. You had to have known what he meant.
The non-sequitor really leaps off the page and smacks you upside the head, doesn't it?
Just a single change makes it clear what he meant, as Chipwooder points out.
This is Trump-level pettifogging.
"liberal democratic values" include "reverence for the Constitution, the rule of law, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion?"
Really? Somebody needs to alert Bernie and Hillary because their policy positions are all wrong.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that means "liberal" in the sense of prog or even socialist, and "democratic" in the sense of "Democratic".
It's weird to me that the Republicans now have to fight over northeastern states which haven't gone for a Republican Presidential candidate since Reagan. If NY is in play in November, the election will be a blow-out.
Same for Hillary's victorious race-pandering march through the South. Not like she would even book a campaign stop in those places during a general election.
Got nothing to do with the general - NY isn't in play at all. It's because the race for delegates is unusually close this year, that's all. Normally, by the time the NY primary rolls around, the nominee is decided.
Oh, I know why. But it's still odd to watch. The local media has a great time mocking these guys - and pretending NY isn't a fucking corrupt basket-case of a state.
Jacob, this is just weak sauce. Are you under the mistaken impression that people like Andrew Cuomo, Charlie Rangel, Anthony Weiner, and Elliot Spitzer are in favor of classical liberal values?
I miss the alt-text.
"Spit or swallow"
Spitzer swallows?
W
T
F
Kasich?
If you can't speak coherently then don't speak at all. New York values means 'neighborhoods'? What the hell does that even mean? It means innovation? Where? Great food? So only NYC has great food?
If you listen to NYers, yes, only NYC has great food.
If you remember, Trump pointed out that NYC after 9/11 proved how special NYC was because no city in history had ever survived a bombing and come out stronger like that. If you listened closely, you could actually hear the face-palming out of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden, London, and Beirut.
Or Tokyo. As Curtis LeMay said, "We scorched and boiled and baked to death more people in Tokyo on that night of March 9-10 than went up in vapor at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined."
Or Hamburg or Rotterdam or Warsaw....
Switzy, Why are you bombing upstate New York!?
It's the only way to be sure.
DOWNSTATE! Downstate houses the rot! The City is the infected boil on the ass of the state.
Why don't we compromise and nuke Albany?
I'm IN Albany - at least wait until I'm on vacation.
Yes, I know.
Well, "mom, baseball and apple pie" were already taken and he had to think fast.
It means New York style pizza, you deep dish-loving freak.
Wait, when did reverence for freedom of speech, for example, start meaning that you have to agree with that speech?
There's nothing inconsistent about saying one is free to speak and saying that speech is mendacious bullshit.
My wife and [I] lived in New York (Manhattan and the Bronx) for seven years and might still be there if the rents were lower.
The rent's too damn high. And so is Sullum.
I'm sure his Ohio friends will be glad to know they were a distant second choice.
If Ohio is Sullum's second choice, then why does he live in Dallas?
"The rent's too damn high"
I blame classic liberalism
I laughed
The Rent Is Too Damn High party trademarks are up for sale. Sad. But not as sad as Reason.com not having a copy editor.
OT: uh oh
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s.....8-10-35-00
...when 13 people were killed and 31 were injured.
They're still going with the passive on that one, eh?
When did people stop being wounded and start being injured? Injured is what happens when you slip on the stairs and sprain your ankle, not when you take a bullet.
A completely gratuitous shout-out to the Fort Hood shootings. These weren't at the same place, or for the same reasons. WTF, AP?
But they happened within 160 miles and 6 years of each other! Do I have to connect the dots for you??
TEEEXXXXXAAAS!!!!!!
The fatal shooting of two people at an Air Force base in Texas appears to be a murder-suicide, authorities said
Thank God it wasn't workplace violence!
"They are the values of the liberal Democratic politicians like Andrew Cuomo, like Anthony Weiner, like Elliot Spitzer, like Charlie Rangel?all of whom Donald Trump has supported. If you want to know what liberal democratic values are, follow Donald Trump's checkbook."
So you could actually hear the capital D in the first 'liberal Democratic' and the small d in the second 'liberal democratic'. That's some sharp ears you got there. And a New Yorker is offended by anybody criticizing New York - except the New Yorker is from New York City and isn't even aware that there's a part of New York that isn't New York City. I'm surprised.
See, that's part of the "New York Values" we're talking about - assholes from NYC think NYC is the center of the universe and rightfully so since NYC is the greatest city ever, with more bigger and better everything than any yokel city like the yokels in Yokeland have to live in and they're all just jealous of how great New York - what the fuck you looking at, asshole? You want me to come over there and punch your fucking teeth right down your fucking neck you fucking piece of shit, motherfucking faggot asshole? - City is what with all it's great shit that's the greatest shit ever.
Step away from the keyboard and count to 10...
That seems dishonest of you, Mr Sullum. You just previously used a quote showing the capital D on Democratic before asking it.
Do you literally think he was talking about "liberal democracy" and not "liberal Democrats" ?
Lyin' Ted should just tell New York he was Lyin' to the dumb sisterfuckin', sheet-wearin', hicks of South Carolina
Why? The people who will be voting are well aware of the kinds of 'Values' that waft out of New York city's deep blue districts and give Preet a rich hunting ground of convictable politicians to further his career ambitions.
For the rest of my life, I will picture Al Swearengen whenever I read/hear the word "waft".
New York is a closed primary, and the cutoff date to change part registration for the primary was October of 2015.
This registered Republican New York voter heard what he actually meant rather than the tortured contextless distortion that would conflate an attack on Team Blue with an attack on classical American values.
Tell me, are you registered? of so, what party? There are about a dozen or so in this state.
Ok, Weiner, Rangel etc. are Liberal Ddemocrats. Whatever. I gotta get to bed. Any predictions on the weekly reason contest question?
Weekly Reason Contest Question: Donald Trump came up with 5 different positions on abortion in 24 hours - come up with a sixth.
My answer: It was a faulty ear-piece and Trump thought the question was whether or not women should buy furniture if they got an apartment.
I'd ask why Cruz is bothering with the Bronx and NYC, but maybe there are more GOP primary voters here than I thought. Still, I'd think he would be spending most of his time outside the city, away from all the Trump towers.
It's because of the way the New york primary works.
Each congressional district elects three delagates regardless of the number of republicans within it. Cynically, a deep blue district will be easier to sway as it requires reaching fewer voters.
NY is proportional by congressional district unless someone gets 50% so this is only relevant to the extent that Cruz thinks NYC districts will go over 50% for Trump. However this will be key for California which is winner takes all by district. I've read some stories on this strategy with Pelosi's district for example have practically no R primary voters but will award the same 3 delegates as the ones around San Diego.
"We love New York values," Kasich, who is running a distant third in the delegate race, said?. "It means everything."
Sheesh, no wonder he's running a distant third.
If it means everything, it means nothing.
I miss the pickles. Abortions you can get anywhere.
In the remaining places where they aren't being regulated out of existence. Five states are down to only one provider. Which means, no, you can't just get them anywhere.
Regulating things out of existence is definitely a value for the likes of Cuomo and Spitzer.
And, if I'm not mistaken, the pickles now come with a salt/sodium warning, right?
What the fuck are you talking about? I've yet to walk into a state where Vlasic has a monopoly. In fact, I bought a jar of Clausen spears the other day and the person in front of me had a jar of Best Maid hamburger slices.
::hears whispering in ear::
Oh, never mind.
..."I bought a jar of Clausen spears the other day"...
Dude, the euphemisms are supposed to be abstract.
"Abortions you can get anywhere."
Uh, really? I'm guessing, you don't have a womb.
Fortunately you do, and can relate, eh?
It's chained up in his basement. You try getting an abortion in that scenario.
Straw man basis, no alt text, emotional appeal to New York, just an all around clusterfuck of an article, Sullum.
At this point, it seems like Kasich is just running to be Trump's VP nom. He doesn't realize that Trump has already promised that slot to whoever wins the last American Idol.
Is this a joke or does Sullum still have his feelings hurt by any criticism of the type of politics NYC generates?
The context of what Cruz meant us right there where he names the politicians who exemplify what he is referring to as "liberal democrats" . Does Sullum think Andrew Cuomo is at all a devotee of the Constitution, the rule of law, or freedom of religion?
Look, you're free to buy soda. It's just limited to 5 ounces. For your own good. That's *the* definition of classical liberalism.
Ted Cruz Comes Out
LOLZ
TL;DR: Sullim goes full retard even though you never go full retard.
The Jacket has spoken, the closest candidate to libertarian ideals and the Constitution needs to be demonized.
Ted Cruz is maybe a couple inches closer to libertarian ideals than the others but they're all miles away and Cruz edges further away every day. I had some hopes that somebody from the Taxed Enough Already party might focus on fiscal conservatism, but the TEA's morphed fast enough into the Thoroughly Evangelical Army. They're not anti-government, just anti secular government.
Cruz should use that picture for the rest of the campaign. My urge to punch his smug weasel face dropped from a 10 to a 5.
He still speaks like Joel Osteen trying to sell me a car.
Are you single tonight? A lot of beautiful girls waiting for you to http://goo.gl/X6JhyG
what are you doing tonight Annini?