Things just keep looking worse and worse for Ted Cruz, who is now less than two weeks away from finding out whether his fake mailers and scare tactics worked on enough old people to reelect him, or if Beto O’Rourke has air-drummed himself right into Ted’s Senate seat. He’s already been shamed over his dirty campaign tactics, and there is hardly a pundit who watched the debate between the two men that didn’t think Beto won it decisively.
In fact, director Richard Linklater has made a series of political ads against Cruz that are so hilarious the phrase “C’mon… Ted” has become an internet meme.
But nothing cuts quite so deep as losing the support of people you thought were ideologically aligned with you, and that’s exactly what keeps happening to Senator Cruz. First, the Houston Chronicle, the metro Houston newspaper of record, endorsed his opponent amid only a tiny fraction of other candidates endorsed who were not Republicans. And maybe Ted thought that would be the worst betrayal, but now the biggest newspaper in Texas, the Dallas Morning News — a decidedly conservative publication — has endorsed O’Rourke as well.
In the editorial, in fact, DMN actually outlines a number of policy positions on which they are firmly in camp Cruz: The tax cuts, basing gun reforms only on existing laws, and the Trump-esque theme of cutting “job-killing” regulations.
But the newspaper recognizes in Beto something that Ted just doesn’t possess — an ability to listen to voices other than his own.
The pivotal issue before our country is public leadership, and here we believe O’Rourke’s tone aligns with what is required now. This inclusive and hopeful tone, along with O’Rourke’s approach of starting with shared principles and working toward solutions, offset any policy differences we have with him … In the divisive times in which we live, we believe that tone and leadership are the top issues with which to judge these candidates’ tenures in office. So we’re placing a bet on Beto.”
That bet is one not everyone would take. Chief Republicans in the Senate like Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn have voiced concerns about the race, telling reporters, “We’re not bluffing — this is real and it is a serious threat.”
The main strength that Ted Cruz possesses is the ability to deliver a line exactly the way he rehearsed it. We’re pretty sure he should start rehearsing a concession call.
Featured image via screen capture
