And now the latest front-runner for the Republican nomination. Is there anyone out there who’s not creeped out by Ted Cruz?
It seems his own party is something less than enthusiastic. He could be useful. For instance, he may well annoy an equally creepy colleague — Mitch McConnell — into an early grave. (Give Cruz credit for trying.) And now he’s replacing Trump as the front-runner.
Chris Cillizza writes in the Washington Post that Cruz has substantial financial backing and solid footing among the most conservative (aka radical) voters. And, to repeat, a pile of money. And backing in early primary states. And the glamorous reputation — some people just love this about him — of being an unremitting shit. Wow! A winner!
Cruz has begun his ascent up the early state and national polls at just about the right time. (The race will go into deep freeze from around next week through the beginning of 2016.) His campaign is perfectly positioned to make him the last man standing. Believe it. …Cillizza,WaPo
At the top of front page of the Post this morning is Tom Hamburger with a report on (talk about “creepy”!) how Cruz plans to stack up the votes. He could be Karl Rove’s perfect candidate.
Cruz has largely built his program out of his Houston headquarters, where a team of statisticians and behavioral psychologists who subscribe to the burgeoning practice of “psychographic targeting” built their own version of a Myers-Briggs personality test. The test data is supplemented by recent issue surveys, and together they are used to categorize supporters, who then receive specially tailored messages, phone calls and visits. Micro-targeting of voters has been around for well over a decade, but the Cruz operation has deepened the intensity of the effort and the use of psychological data. …Hamburger,WaPo
Cruz really, really doesn’t like NSA’s explorations into our private lives. I guess it’s okay when he does it, right? His own website is a lesson in “yes, but…”:
Senator Cruz is dedicated to providing the highest level of protection for your online privacy and security. This web site collects no personal information about you when you visit the site unless you choose to provide that information to us during your visit so that we can contact you about an issue you have raised or help you with a problem. You will always be able to decide how much, if any, personal information you’d like to provide. …
But, on the other hand…:
Finally, we reserve the right to change our privacy policy at any time. We encourage you to check this page occasionally for the most current information. If you have any questions, please contact the Senator’s Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-5922.
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Hillary Clinton has a stake in this, of course:
Many of Mrs. Clinton’s advisers say they believe that Mr. Cruz is the most likely nominee, according to people briefed on their views. That idea is not unanimous, but it is prevailing, and, as Politico reported, it is said to be the view of Bill Clinton, among others.
But even discussing that view, as have two of Mrs. Clinton’s allies — David Brock, who runs a “super PAC” that is coordinating with the campaign, and John D. Podesta, her campaign chairman — could also have the effect of minimizing Senator Marco Rubio, whom her campaign views as a more formidable general election rival than Mr. Cruz, but who has not yet gained serious traction in any early states. …FirstDraft,NYT