Ted Cruz Is Going Down In Flames, Even Dubya Leaves Him Out Of Fundraiser

Ted Cruz is the opposite of Sara Lee, everybody doesn’t like him. Or, at least it seems that way. George W. Bush, for one, has never made any bones about his feelings. Dallas Morning News:

Cruz once worked for the former commander in chief, both on Bush’s presidential campaign and then in his administration. The senator also met his wife, Heidi, while working for Bush’s campaign, leading him to say that he “will always be grateful” to the former president.

But Bush hasn’t reciprocated many warm feelings for Cruz, who made his name by rebelling against the GOP establishment that Bush represents.

Bush reportedly dissed Cruz at a private fundraising event in late 2015 by saying, “I just don’t like the guy.” Bush and his wife, Laura, also haven’t given to Cruz’s campaigns, despite supporting other Republicans since leaving the White House, according to campaign finance records.

Bush has scheduled a number of private fundraising events for other embattled Republicans, but Ted Cruz’ name is conspicuously absent from the list. Meanwhile, Mick Mulvaney is not exactly waiting to pop champagne corks for Cruz on election night. Washington Post:

“Do people like you? It’s a really important question. It’s a very important question. There is a very real possibility we will win a race for Senate in Florida and lose a race in Texas for Senate. I don’t think it’s likely, but it’s a possibility,” he said. “How likable is the candidate? That still counts. When you’re voting for president, you’re voting for . . . the big issues. When you’re voting for your member of Congress, you want to have looked that person in the eye and decide whether you like that person or not.”

Comically, Ted Cruz is depending upon Donald Trump, the man who used to revile him, and his wife, and his father, to save him from himself.

Unless you are a Republican running for a seat in a deep-red area (and, therefore, shouldn’t theoretically need presidential support), you’d have to be foolish to either identify with Trump or, worse, be seen with him. Even in places, such as Texas or Missouri, that traditionally vote Republican for president and went for Trump in 2016, the president’s appearance is going to light a fire under the people who strongly disapprove of him (48 percent nationally). Trying to pump up his narrowing base is counterproductive if Trump is going to inflame multiple groups that Republicans do not want showing up at the polls.

Republicans who appear on the stump with Trump risk being associated not only with his hateful rhetoric and negative personal qualities, but with his unpopular policies. Indeed, if they cannot talk about immigration, trade or foreign policy without inciting the voters who dislike those Trump efforts — and cannot convince voters in most areas (unless they’re talking to members of the super-rich donor class) that the tax plan is the greatest thing to happen to them — what are they going to talk about?

What indeed? It’s not like the usual old saw, “I support the president’s agenda,” is going to automatically work in this particular case. Not to mention, that when Cruz and Trump are stumping together in “the biggest stadium in Texas we can find,” Michael Avenatti will be holding a counter rally at exactly the same time. Plus, trucks will be driving around the city displaying blown up placards of Trump’s most famous tweet about Cruz, “Why would the people of texas support Ted Cruz when he has accomplished absolutely nothing for them. He is another all talk, no action pol!” and that same tweet will appear on a billboard which David Hogg has crowdfunded, outside the stadium in question. Avenatti and Hogg are going to throw Trump’s carnival barker act right back in his face.

All things considered, it looks like Republicans have already accepted their fate, that Ted Cruz is going to lose. And all Cruz has been able to do for himself, besides schedule his certain-to-be-disastrous joint appearance with Trump, is to cobble together a few attack ads dissing Beto O’Rourke for using salty language and accusing him of being a flag burner.

Maybe Beto O’Rourke can make up a batch of Texas toast with Ted Cruz’ face on it. Now seems to be the time.