Let me preface this post by stating that I still have not, as yet, made up my mind as to whether the 2016 Presidential Election means anything in this post-Constitutional country, but I do believe the events of the past day or so have offered us, The Remnant, some small bit of fuel to keep the lamp of Hope burning.
Over at the Belmont Club, Richard Fernandez offers some dead solid perfect analysis:
Michael Van Der Galien has tried to understand why the Ted Cruz presidential candidacy announcement has set social media on its ear and advances a tentative theory. “But why are leftists’ heads exploding as well? I’ve got no doubt I know the answer: they fear him. Tremendously even. He is everything they oppose: a true, small-government conservative.”
If that were all Cruz were guilty of it wouldn’t be half bad. It’s far worse. His “Imagine” speech seemed calculated to ridicule every Leftist shibboleth with predictable effect. The Left lost no time characterizing him as a Christian bigot, a patriarchal supremacist, an uneducated, crazy, anti-poor, anti-abortion “uppity loudmouth” besides being that supreme abomination, a White Latino. If there’s some sacred cow in the Leftist canon Ted Cruz has left undefiled, he will soon enough defile it. That’s the plan.
Cruz was intentionally provocative because he intends to make the Left itself the main issue. People of all shapes and sizes were rising to their feet, clapping their hands raw and shouting themselves hoarse not because they necessarily agree with his policy positions, but because he was sticking it to the Man….
…
…The power of Ted Cruz’s speech stems from his refusal to bow before the liberal hat. If you were to re-write his speech into its essentials it might sound like this. “Imagine if we could tell all the stuffed shirts in the media to buzz off. Imagine if we could tell the busybodies to butt out our lives. Imagine if we could actually tell the IRS we want to keep our money. Imagine if we could the tell the NSA you need a warrant to tap my phone. Imagine if we didn’t have to feel guilty of being Americans. Imagine that we could call Islamic terrorism by its name.”
Of course Cruz put it more cannily then that, but that was the message. We can continue.
“But you don’t have to imagine because I’m doing it right now. I am standing right here, committing what is accounted political suicide saying every damned thing you ever felt like saying but couldn’t. I’m on YouTube giving every bit of lip you were afraid to give for fear you might lose your job. Do you see that hat over there my friend? I’m going to knock it down. All I am asking you to do is take out your cellphones and punch in this number and by that ever so negligible act, join in the fray!”
Yippee. There’s not a few who would rise to their feet under the sting of that message and bang their palms together not out of the love of Ted Cruz, but under the impetus of shame. Shame that it took so long for someone to say what was obvious; shame that they hadn’t said it themselves.
[I hope it’s Shame they were feeling because they deserve to. For eight years, there’s been a small group of us who have been trying to warn Americans about the Evil about in the land and we have been pilloried, ridiculed, labeled ‘nutjobs’ and ‘wackos’, and ignored.]
As for the Left’s reaction, RF remarks:
The intellectual establishment has predictably taken the bait. Bearded so openly, they have sneered and they snorted and cast aspersions down like ordure from their high towers upon the rabble beneath. That’s exactly the expected response and they’ve only confirmed Cruz’s message. By and by the worst of these taunts will be withdrawn by canny media analysts who understand the trap as laid, but the damage is done. Ted Cruz wanted the aristocracy to show its upturned face and that, it has done.
Yes, it has, but was anybody watching and noticing?
In that post’s Comments section, Tharkun writes:
I’m also in agreement with [Belmont Club regular commentator Subotai Bahadur] that we’ve probably passed the point where a peaceful, electoral solution to these matters is possible. That does not mean, however, that we should cease our efforts. Our honor and duty require no less.
I’m listening.
Mr. Bahadur remarked in response:
The real, immediate danger to Cruz is the DIABLO’s [Democrat In All But Label Only]. HuffPo will have the vapors, the RNC will have daggers.
…
I will hereby state for the record that as things now stand, I consider Ted Cruz to be a Patriot; for now the first among several Patriots, and I will be supporting him. And I expect to be saying a few words to our local TEA Party group at our next meeting in a couple of weeks. It may be helpful, if only because in several counties, including my own, the TEA Parties have taken over the Republican organization from the DIABLO’s.
Now, this support is given with the full realization that the full weight of the DIABLO’s will fall on him. Supporting Ted Cruz is an act of violent sedition/revolution as far as the DIABLO’s are concerned. And they may well defeat him in his run for the nomination. We have all seen that the only time that the “Republican” party goes into full war mode is against Conservatives in their own party.
We have seen vote fraud by the “Republican leadership” in primaries and at conventions. We have seen open collaboration with the Democrats by the “Republican leadership” in primaries, and in General Elections. We have seen the “Republicans” attack their own nominees and support Democrats, because their own nominees who won the votes of the “Republican” voter base were Conservatives.
ALL of this will happen again. We must expect it. It is the nature of the enemies of our country, TWANLOC [Those Who Are No Longer Our Countrymen] if you will.
If we are defeated. If Ted Cruz, or other Patriot who takes up the banner of Freedom, Country, and Constitution is blocked by those enemies; that is not the end.
As I said, I do not expect electoral means to redeem our country. Those who rally to freedom will not be done. They will hopefully form what will be a SECOND Party, electoral or otherwise, which can carry on the fight.
For the fight for Liberty under Law and Constitution will not be over. We have children and grandchildren….
I’m listening still.
I wish Mr. Cruz well and Godspeed in his effort, as long as it isn’t an act [and I’ve seen no evidence so far to indicate it is] and as long as his efforts do not hurt the more important effort to Restore Freedom and Ordered Liberty.
For now, it seems, he’s an OUTLAW.
