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Title: Ted Cruz Is the World’s Most Condescending Elitist
Source:
New York Magazine
URL Source: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligence ... ivies-harvard-law-elitist.html
Published: Sep 23, 2014
Author: Dan Amira
Post Date: 2015-05-18 02:00:53 by GeorgiaConservative
Keywords: cruz, elitist, ivyleague
Views: 3007
Comments: 24
What Cruz doesn't mention is the next step in his father's American Dream: raising a son who would attend the very best schools in America and look down upon everyone else with a nauseating, unthinkable smugness. GQ reports: The elite academic circles that Cruz was now traveling in began to rub off. As a law student at Harvard, he refused to study with anyone who hadn't been an undergrad at Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. Says Damon Watson, one of Cruz's law-school roommates: "He said he didn't want anybody from 'minor Ivies' like Penn or Brown."
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#1. To: All (#0)
Ted Cruz has the Senate's worst attendance, as he's too busy running around the country pretending he's going to be President.
Cruz and a few others realized that they can use their office not to be legislators but to be talk show stars which they then parlay into power. That is the future of America and it is not a good one.
I don't see it. Cruz is aiming higher than some guest slots on Fox News shows. He would have more power than that by returning to his legal practice (argued 9 cases before the Court).
The whole point of Harvard Law is elitism. And Harvard and Princeton and Yale are the most rigorous programs for law students with the most influential instructors. I don't blame Cruz. This is how he ended up being praised by Tribe and Dershowitz (for his top legal ability though they hate his politics) and it is how he grabbed the brass ring of clerking for Chief Justice Rehnquist, another mark of his top legal scholarship. He actually was something of an expert on Rehnquist's legal philosophy and tendencies. At this level of legal studies, they study the Supremes, past and present, as much as they do the law itself. It's an odd criticism to make of Cruz. The whole point of Princeton and Yale and Harvard is elitism. The minor Ivies are wannabes by comparison and you find this sort of thing written routinely in elitist circles. What's next, criticizing Cruz for not taking time to tutor nighttime law school students at some city college? The horror.
What I meant is they strive to be talked about by talk shows - make them their built in cheerleading section.
I think the critique is that he is in a long line of conservatives like Bill O'Reilly who criticize the "elite" institutions they went to sometimes act like they never were alumnists.
Smugness? What a joke! I don't find Cruz to be condescending at all. Rand, yes. He talks down to conservatives constantly. It really ticks me off when he does that, and I no longer listen to a word he says because of it. He comes on tv, I change channels. He has flip-flopped too many times. He seems to think he is somehow entitled to the presidency. He is a spoiler and will syphon off half of the Libertarian vote to deny Cruz or Walker the victory, the ole divide and conquer ruse. 51% of them will vote ONLY for Libertarians masquerading as Republicans. They brag about it when the Republican loses. If they'd joined behind the best conservative candidate with a chance of winning the primary, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in. Kudos the the 49% that will vote Republican, trying to denying the Democrats and their agendas the chance to further destroy what is left of this nation. Libertarians hate Republicans more than they hate the Democrats. They are constantly attacking. Libertarians out themselves because they constantly bring up Romney. Why? That was 7 years ago and they still bring up his name every chance they get. Interesting that. Look at the damage that has occurred in the second Obama administration! Can they seriously believe that a Romney would have been worse? Really? Evil has become so entrenched, we might never be able to turn this nation around. Some victory. I wish they would turn that criticism on the Democrats and their agenda...but they rarely do. All of their contempt seems to fall on Republicans, even tho the Pauls run on the Republican ticket. If you don't want Jeb to win, wake up. You will be the reason he will be the nominee. Kudos to Libertarians who have come out in support of Cruz. “I’m a libertarian, and I’m supporting Ted Cruz” That is just one example.) It is simple jealousy by the lesser candidates. Plenty of Democrats and Rinos in that jealous group as well. Why is it "elitist" to have attended Harvard Law School. It is the best law dept. in the country. How does attending Harvard Law make him an elitest? This is nothing but a hit piece, an epic fail at that. Cruz is a true maverick, unlike McLunatic. He is a constitutionalist, confident, more than competent and runs circles around any of the candidates with his brilliance and knowledge. He is the only candidate that has kept his promises to those who elected him. The only one to do so. I don't like some of his issues. ie H1B visas are an example. I may end up supporting Walker. That said, the race will be between Walker and Cruz. The rest are simply spoilers who will divide the primary vote so losers like Jeb can slip thru the cracks. "I'll stay home" is the mantra of fools. They would rather see Democrats win than join with others in the primaries to ensure that a decent conservative can win the nomination. That is exactly why we get stuck with losers for candidates. Virginia comes to mind. Remember that? Terry McCauliff? Really? The lesser gifted are simply jealous of Cruz.
http://www.tedcruz.org
It's FREE PUBLICITY and counteracts the huge war chests of a Hillary and Jeb. Reince Pribus will steer all the RNC money to the GOPe candidates.
http://www.tedcruz.org
Well, if Damon Watson said it, it must be true. Just curious. How much did Damon Watson contribute to the Clinton Foundation?
Cruz has won the respect. Not an easy thing to do. Dershowitz claimed that Cruz was the most brilliant of all the students he taught in his lifetime. That is quite an accomplishment when it comes from an avowed extreme leftist.
http://www.tedcruz.org
O'Reilly is a lamer compared to Cruz. Cruz is creme-de-la-creme type. He was a smart kid and worked very hard to get there. He knew better than to associate with those who settled for good-enough or the second-tier. I don't mind the elite types if they earned what they got and don't get arrogant about it. My main criticism on Cruz is that he still seems weak as a general election candidate outside of Texas. He doesn't seem to have the broad kind of appeal and he makes rash remarks from time to time. Impolitic. And there was that shameless and despicable grandstanding at that historic event where all the persecuted churches of the Mideast came together in America and Cruz showed up and told them to go to hell if they didn't put Israel at the top of their list of concerns. I know you recall it.
At this academic level, they distinguish between politics and the law. They could undoubtedly lecture us learnedly on the topic for hours without notes or preparation. These guys think about these issues structurally and with historical nuance.
I feel Cruz is a grifter - like a demogogue.
Nice post with interesting points of view. Like I told a friend last night over the telephone, I don't give a crap about politics any more. Of course, it is impossible to avoid the headlines and story lines on all of it.
As a follow-up, tomorrow in the state of Kentucky are the primary elections. I'm studying on candidate positions. I do believe in voting even if I leave some of the races blank - due to my own lack of information about which one might be the best candidate. I'm still a registered Pubbie and the big race of for GOP governor candidate - 4 candidates and 3 of them are in the too close to call category. Lots of mud slinging and attack ads here in the final weeks. Politics is a contact sport in Kentucky. One guy is running on the platform to eliminate the office and merge it within another department. I think I'll vote for him.
I see why you say that. Certainly, his outburst at the persecuted Mideastern church leaders was opportunist as he shortly after got a private interview with Sheldon Adelson. I saw Cruz as giving a shameless audition for Adelson and his repulsive cronies. Overall, I'm not sure that episode alone gives us a complete picture. For a brilliant jurist, he seems to make elementary mistakes about the extent to which any Senate freshman can budge the entrenched party interests in the Senate. They don't just turn on a dime because some freshman insists on it. Too many oxes in the process of being gored, too many interests opposing any change, let alone any reductions, etc. By comparison, Rand Paul has been just as radical at times but doesn't just offend everyone in the Senate and then fall on his face. Cruz is better suited to be on the Court, not in the Senate or White House. And, given his age, 30-40 years on the Court may be a more powerful position than a 4 or 8 year presidency. And the Court deals directly with Cruz's first love, the Constitution.
Overall, I'm not sure that episode alone gives us a complete picture. I am also adding in there his Senate filibuster stunt - or was it stunts? I in no way imply Cruz is not brilliant - he probably is the smartest guy in the room - and being smart may mean he is highly ambitious. The other episode is him announcing he is running for president at Oral Roberts university (or some such) and hiding the fact he is a Harvard grad. That is kind of Bill Clinton tricky. I do see Cruz like the Bill Clinton of his party - remember when Clinton cried for the cameras and then switched it off when he thought he was out of range. I kind of see Cruz being like that. Again, I maybe too cynical in that regard
Keep in mind, he is the smartest guy in the room, especially in the Senate which has a lot of failed lawyers that would never have qualified for Cruz's study group at Harvard either. And they know it. So the dislike of Cruz may have an element of jealousy. OTOH, Cruz needs to become more of a legislative eagle than a legal eagle. Robert Byrd and Lyndon Johnson never dominated the Senate by lecturing the Senate on constitutional law. Politics is politics and the law is the law and they are not the same. Cruz certainly knows this, the puzzle is how he has failed so regularly at political performance. And politics is a performance art, not an intellectual exercise in the way that the law is. Cruz doesn't have Xlinton's raw acting talent or shamelessness.
I think that hits it on the head - he went to the Senate to demonstrate not legislate and voilated the Senate gentleman agreements doing so I think. I know a lot of people are all for not following the rules and bringing pitchforks to the senate but if you are a student of history and favor tradition you know how wrong doing so is.
It's not wrong. It just doesn't work. And Cruz really should know that, given his vast studies of legislation and court decisions. Which is why I grasp your accusations that he grandstands. You'll notice he is a lot less inclined toward that these days; I think he's learned the limits of those tactics as a legislator.
Can you imagine the Justices he would appoint? I pray that none of them dies on Obama's watch.
http://www.tedcruz.org
Bingo.... and the proof is in the LF pudding. There is a plethora of posters here that serve up that pudding.
Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy
Maybe it's because Republicans lie about being for liberty, smaller government and globalism. At least Dems are up-front about their big government, NWO goals.
He reminds me of an oily televangelist.
#2. To: GeorgiaConservative (#1)
Ted Cruz has the Senate's worst attendance, as he's too busy running around the country pretending he's going to be President.
#3. To: Pericles (#2)
Cruz and a few others realized that they can use their office not to be legislators but to be talk show stars which they then parlay into power.
#4. To: GeorgiaConservative (#0)
The elite academic circles that Cruz was now traveling in began to rub off. As a law student at Harvard, he refused to study with anyone who hadn't been an undergrad at Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. Says Damon Watson, one of Cruz's law-school roommates: "He said he didn't want anybody from 'minor Ivies' like Penn or Brown."
#5. To: TooConservative (#3)
don't see it. Cruz is aiming higher than some guest slots on Fox News shows. He would have more power than that by returning to his legal practice (argued 9 cases before the Court).
#6. To: TooConservative, GeorgiaConservative (#4)
It's an odd criticism to make of Cruz. The whole point of Princeton and Yale and Harvard is elitism. The minor Ivies are wannabes by comparison and you find this sort of thing written routinely in elitist circles
#7. To: GeorgiaConservative (#0)
#8. To: Pericles (#5)
What I meant is they strive to be talked about by talk shows - make them their built in cheerleading section.
#9. To: GeorgiaConservative (#0)
"Says Damon Watson ..."
#10. To: TooConservative (#4)
Tribe and Dershowitz
#11. To: Pericles (#6)
I think the critique is that he is in a long line of conservatives like Bill O'Reilly who criticize the "elite" institutions they went to sometimes act like they never were alumnists.
#12. To: out damned spot (#10)
Cruz has won the respect. Not an easy thing to do. Dershowitz claimed that Cruz was the most brilliant of all the students he taught in his lifetime. That is quite an accomplishment when it comes from an avowed extreme leftist.
#13. To: TooConservative (#11)
#14. To: out damned spot (#7)
#15. To: out damned spot (#7)
#16. To: Pericles (#13)
I feel Cruz is a grifter - like a demogogue.
#17. To: TooConservative (#16)
I see why you say that. Certainly, his outburst at the persecuted Mideastern church leaders was opportunist as he shortly after got a private interview with Sheldon Adelson. I saw Cruz as giving a shameless audition for Adelson and his repulsive cronies.
#18. To: Pericles (#17)
(Edited)
I in no way imply Cruz is not brilliant - he probably is the smartest guy in the room - and being smart may mean he is highly ambitious.
I do see Cruz like the Bill Clinton of his party - remember when Clinton cried for the cameras and then switched it off when he thought he was out of range. I kind of see Cruz being like that.
#19. To: TooConservative (#18)
OTOH, Cruz needs to become more of a legislative eagle than a legal eagle. Robert Byrd and Lyndon Johnson never dominated the Senate by lecturing the Senate on constitutional law. Politics is politics and the law is the law and they are not the same. Cruz certainly knows this, the puzzle is how he has failed so regularly at political performance. And politics is a performance art, not an intellectual exercise in the way that the law is.
#20. To: Pericles (#19)
I know a lot of people are all for not following the rules and bringing pitchforks to the senate but if you are a student of history and favor tradition you know how wrong doing so is.
#21. To: TooConservative (#16)
#22. To: out damned spot (#7)
Libertarians hate Republicans more than they hate the Democrats.
#23. To: out damned spot (#7)
Libertarians hate Republicans more than they hate the Democrats.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
#24. To: Pericles (#13)
I feel Cruz is a grifter - like a demogogue.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
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