John, we hate Ted Cruz. Ever since his starring role in the 2013 government shutdown, Cruz proved himself willing to blackmail the Democrats and the American people, leveraging the continued functioning of government. And though he won the minds of many Republicans, he hardly won their hearts.
Hating Ted Cruz has been a much-needed source of bipartisanship in our legislature over the years. Matt Dowd, chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney campaign, stated that “to know Ted Cruz is to dislike Ted Cruz”, while Al Franken said, “I like Cruz more than most, and I hate him.” Cruz has embraced this “maverick” persona, paving the way for an entirely less civil mode of American politics.
This year may be our best shot to unseat Cruz. Texans have literally created an urban legend around his appearance at recent Astros baseball games, blaming his presence for the team’s bad performance, and begging the senator to stay home. Recent polls have Cruz leading only by single digits, and Colin Allred has put together a strong campaign in Texas.
While there is a great satisfaction in thinking of Ted Cruz unseated, it also speaks to a worrying trend in the Republican party. The new generation of Ted Cruzes are so much better at being hated, at not caring whether they break our government. The Josh Hawleys and Matt Gaetzs of the world are waiting in the wings. They have entirely dispensed with party loyalty in favor of petty one-upmanship.
The rot forming within the Republican party, which pushes outwards until it corrodes the very institutions it is meant to service, is incredibly dangerous at this fraught moment in global politics. The stakes for unseating Republican radicals has never been higher.
But one thing is clear. This may be the end of Ted Cruz, and it would be a big relief. We're tired of hating one guy so much.
John: Chip in now to stop far-right MAGA-Republicans from taking the Senate >>> And start by defeating the most hated man in the Senate himself, Ted Cruz >>>
