Subscribe
Subscribe


That Dog (Whistle) Don’t Hunt

By Jim Swift

At last night’s GOP debate in South Carolina, Texas senator Ted Cruz painted himself into a corner.

Praised by many in the conservative press for beginning to shed his image as Donald Trump’s best friend, the Ivy League debate champion got, well, “schlonged” by Donald Trump.

A few days earlier, Cruz began to unleash the timid beginnings of a Trump offensive when he said that the brash New Yorker “embodies New York values.”

Plain and simple, this was a clumsy attempt at dog-whistle politics that, one assumes Team Cruz hoped, would generate lots of press. (It did!) Heck, saying controversial things has worked for Trump, so why not? Better put, this was Cruz turning a dog whistle into one of those lifeguard whistles that leave your ears bloody. It was loud and clear: New Yorkers are not like “us.” (John Podhoretz, writing at Commentary has a great piece on this.)

As one might predict, during the debate, Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo brought up Cruz’s comment:

BARTIROMO:… let me follow up and switch gears. Senator Cruz, you suggested Mr. Trump, quote, “embodies New York values.” Could you explain what you mean by that? CRUZ: You know, I think most people know exactly what New York values are. (LAUGHTER) BARTIROMO: I am from New York. I don’t. CRUZ: What — what — you’re from New York? So you might not. (LAUGHTER) But I promise you, in the state of South Carolina, they do. (APPLAUSE) And listen, there are many, many wonderful, wonderful working men and women in the state of New York. But everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro- gay-marriage, focus around money and the media. And — and I would note indeed, the reason I said that is I was asked — my friend Donald has taken to at his events playing Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”, and I was asked what I thought of that. And I said, “well, if he wanted to play a song, maybe he could play, ‘New York, New York’?” And — and — you know, the concept of New York values is not that complicated to figure out. Not too many years ago, Donald did a long interview with Tim Russert. And in that interview, he explained his views on a whole host of issues that were very, very different from the views he’s describing now. And his explanation — he said, “look, I’m from New York, that’s what we believe in New York. Those aren’t Iowa values, but this is what we believe in New York.” And so that was his explanation. And — and I guess I can — can frame it another way. Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I’m just saying. (LAUGHTER) BARTIROMO: Are you sure about that?

What you just read was a transcript of Ted Cruz, perhaps unknowingly, further digging the hole he is in.

Donald Trump’s response?

TRUMP: So conservatives actually do come out of Manhattan, including William F. Buckley and others, just so you understand. (APPLAUSE) And just so — if I could, because he insulted a lot of people. I’ve had more calls on that statement that Ted made — New York is a great place. It’s got great people, it’s got loving people, wonderful people. When the World Trade Center came down, I saw something that no place on Earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York. You had two one hundred…(APPLAUSE)… you had two 110-story buildings come crashing down. I saw them come down. Thousands of people killed, and the cleanup started the next day, and it was the most horrific cleanup, probably in the history of doing this, and in construction. I was down there, and I’ve never seen anything like it. And the people in New York fought and fought and fought, and we saw more death, and even the smell of death — nobody understood it. And it was with us for months, the smell, the air. And we rebuilt downtown Manhattan, and everybody in the world watched and everybody in the world loved New York and loved New Yorkers. And I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made.

It was perhaps one of Trump’s best exchanges in what was, for him, not exactly a bombastic night. Even more befuddling, it was a response Trump tested in public just before the debate!

Whether Cruz was aloof to the clearly visible beat-down looming on the horizon, or that his staff failed to warn him not to double down is anybody’s guess. Regardless, it was a black eye for Cruz, and probably the worst part of his night. Trump stole the paint brush and used Cruz’s own paint to depict Ted Cruz as a jerk — a masterful turning of the tables.

This was a doomed attack from the start. Rather than attack Trump’s past directly, Cruz chose the “guilt by association” route. (Everybody hates New Yorkers! What could go wrong?!) Cruz appears sensitive to being seen as violating Reagan’s 11th Commandment when it comes to his 2016 opponents, despite having called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a “liar” in a floor speech. Chastising McConnell, to Cruz defenders, is no such violation because “telling the truth about McConnell” is not the same as speaking ill of a fellow Republican. (Besides, McConnell is a “RINO” anyway, right?)

Accepting that line of thinking, Cruz would be justified in “telling the truth” about Trump, but that’s not the route he chose. Is it because he’s afraid to attack Trump directly? Perhaps, since he’s counting on courting Trump supporters should Trump implode. Even then, lots of those supporters the like Donald precisely because he’s from New York: It’s a huge part of his strength as a candidate.

The only city in America you can get away with insulting without fear of serious repercussion is Washington, D.C., and Ted Cruz already occupies that space. Probably best to stick to that one.

Related Content


Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

NEWS

POLICY

COMMENTARY

RESTORING AMERICA