A bit of live-blogging…
8:15 Tonight’s chant appears to be “Because America Deserves Better!” if Governor Walker of Wisconsin is following the script. Which, oddly enough, happens to coincide with a trend in advertising of the last few years of telling consumers that they deserve this product or that product, with an intimation that what they’re getting is inferior.
So … what’s this deserve word? What has this target group done to deserve this upgrade?
OK, so it’s a thought we’ve all had, and we all know it’s just an advertising ploy, right? But here’s the flip side – it’s a victimization ploy. You know, someone has withheld something you deserve and, well, doesn’t that make you a victim? Of someone?
And resentful? Because your problems are someone else’s fault, someone’s intentional action has made your situation worse and it’s not your fault!
And ready to do something out of the ordinary to get it back?
Now I know why I loathe that particular advertising ploy. It virtually begs for supinity, for the strongman to take over and make it all better. The opposite of American self-sufficiency, no?
8:35 Now Senator Ted Cruz, who reportedly is maneuvering for the 2020 Presidential nomination even now, is giving his speech. Cloying, as he uses the recent tragedies. “We the people constrain government.” Now he’s telling us that “I want to be free” are the five most important words. How about “No more religious government“? (His father wishes to institute a theocracy.) Now we’re off to the lying races … too much to type … “choose your own doctor without Obamacare” … that is, if you can afford it at all. Does he know what health care prices were doing before Obamacare? And how rates of growth have dropped, while rates of insured have risen?
Now “don’t give it away to Russia!” He does know the Donald thinks Putin is great?
“States should be able to choose policies that reflect local values” … careful, Ted, isn’t that how the Civil War started? Not that my response is nuanced 🙂 Now to tar Hillary – she wants to control speech, even, according to him? Now a transition to Brexit … is he calling for secession? I hope he knows what Lawrence Wilkerson thinks of such an action.
8:51 Now he talks about the AME murderer, and I notice the applause is muted when he says the survivors forgave their attacker. What does that mean?
8:52 A desperate plea for voters to show up in November. Down-ballot fearfulness.
8:55 The audience sure sounds upset as Cruz wraps up a speech about some little girl. Cruz is about 4 steps above most of the other speakers, but his voice makes me cringe, and his willingness to lie makes it hard to take him – a Senator – seriously. And, according to Andrew Sullivan, who must be watching (I’m only listening):
Now, open war is breaking out, as the crowd is beginning to shout Cruz down. Watching Cruz get booed at this event is quite something. He’s being heckled and jeered – as Trump appears at the side of the stage as if to distract attention. Cruz leaves to a massive wall of hostile noise.
Well, well, well. Or is that part of Cruz’s master plan? He was definitely the most intellectually impressive of the 17 GOP candidates this season. I could see him making this part of his long game. Although upon reading earlier today that he’s already planning for 2020, it occurred to me that he might not be far enough right for the 2020 GOP – if it even exists.
9:30 I return to hear Newt is employing the shameful but traditional tactics of fear-mongering. He throws his net wide, leaning on some alleged historical expertise.
Too busy tonight for the rest, and tomorrow will be busy again. Apparently the folks in the donor suite are enraged at Cruz:
From @DanaBashCNN: Some people on donor suite level so angry at @tedcruz they called him disgrace to his face; one man had to be restrained…
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) July 21, 2016
Via Andrew, again.
