Voters in Iowa upset the political wisdom tonight by picking a weasel over a blowhard.
The success of Ted Cruz was in keeping with the suspension of political rules this campaign season. By all accounts, Cruz was on a downward slide in the weeks leading up to the caucuses. Ostensibly, the reason for Cruz’s decline was related to questions whether he was allowed to become president, since he was born in Canada. That feeble argument allowed the GOP establishment to pile onto Cruz, whom is universally loathed by party leaders. Meanwhile, support for Donald Trump — at least in polls — was growing.
But Cruz was running a very smart — and very homophobic — campaign in Iowa. He counted on the support of the state’s evangelicals, who turned out in record numbers for him. In his stump speech, Cruz called his supporters “the body of Christ,” which apparently resonated in a way that the rhetoric of a thrice-married casino magnate from New York could not.
Cruz also had the backing of the fringiest of the right wing fringe, amassing an impressive number of homophobes to back his campaign. Right up to the last minute, Cruz was playing on his antigay credentials, appearing at a rally with Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson, who blasted marriage equality as “evil.”
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Notably absent from his campaign so far is gay PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel, who bankrolled Cruz’s Senate race. Thiel has been sitting out the current election cycle, preferring to focus on initiatives to revive nuclear power and detect bad steaks.
Just as surprising as Cruz’s victory was the strong showing of Sen. Marco Rubio, who is a kind of Stepford version of Cruz. Rubio finished a strong third, far above expectations. That’s solace for the political establishment, desperate for an alternative to Cruz and Trump.
So where do things go from here? Trump’s support in the polls didn’t translate into support at the polling place, which could mean that his huge (or in Donaldese YUUUGE) polling lead in next-to-vote New Hampshire might be a mirage. Cruz can claim a solid victory, but Iowa’s winners often go on to lose everywhere else (Rick Santorum won in 2012, and Mike Huckabee in 2008). Rubio has some much-needed momentum now, but he faces a lot of other establishment alternatives, including fellow Floridian Jeb Bush, the forgotten man of 2016.
If Trump had won, his path to the nomination looked clear. Now it looks like the GOP primary season will be another long slog, much like 2012.
Which will allow the Democrats time to settle their own disputes. With a neck-and-neck finish in Iowa, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will be debating each other for a while, allowing the political press the chance to write about a horse race that exists only in their imaginations. Barring a catastrophe, Hillary is bound to be the party’s nominee. As for Republicans, the catastrophe will be whoever the nominee is.
Raul Antonio Gonzalez
Self-hating homos helped fund his campaign.
Kieran
The bottom line is that the alternative to Donald Trump as GOP nominee is Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio, two avowed and enthusiastic homophobic bigots.
Michael Scott
He won? OMG!
Mary Ellen Trella
Agree
Mili Raki?
He just looks like the type of dude that puts mayonnaise of everything
Jayne Rogers
I hope he falls off a bridge .
Mason Boggs
Stupid pig
Keith Whitehead
God help us if he wins!
Brian
I wonder if Rubio has any skeletons in his closet. There have been rumors….
Jon Carsello
His candidacy and win is a nightmare for gay people. He is obviously out to cause us great harm and it’s terrifying
martinbakman
When Vice President Biden buried a second child, Cruz was belittling Biden in the press. He has no class. There is a reason why people want to punch his creepy face.
Iowa Repubs are fundies and never get it right. Can you really imagine Cruz being nominated? For cripes sake.
The Blue part of Iowa is where to pay attention.
Luis H. Lopez
What did you expect from this antigay jerk.
Jim Wright
Better than trump
ingyaom
Isn’t Iowa the kiss-of-death for Republicans? Where are past “winners” Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee now? And didn’t Michelle Bachmann win a “straw poll” there, too?
Jay Emerson
I can’t fucking believe he could become president
Jim Young
Just so ugly and obnoxious!!
Melinduh Kaye
Ugly inside and out.
Jenny Griffin Sunshine Moore
SLIMY is the first word that comes to mind……..
Low Country Boy
@ingyaom: Exactly.
Brian
We need to talk about Rubio’s sexuality….
Leonard Woodrow
At his age it will be difficult to educate him, but his antiquated views are foul, and he will be rejected by all intelligent people.
Eric Carr
Calm ur tits, he will Never be a President in this Country.
Alex Rothwell
In Iowa all the voted for him are zealots like himself.
Donnie Anderson
This just shows that we have to get out and vote. We have to wake up the gay Log Cabin Republicans.
AzLights
@Keith Whitehead: Just what I was thinking.
AzLights
@Jon Carsello: You are correct. With his tacit approval of remarks by homophobes like Swanson and Robertson, it is very obvious what he and his fellow haters want to do if they win.
Ferrario Carlo
Omofobi, gente che odia se stessa…
Martin Talbot
It will hurt him on the national level !
Marshall R. Krug
Joseph McCarthy in mind, body and spirit.
Rob Michaud
SCAAAAARY!!!!!!! Happy i don’t live in the States.
DCguy
This is why the political parties need to stop this crap of Iowa and New Hampshire being first.
Glücklich
@DCguy:
THANK YOU!
Chalk it up to my being bored to tears in Civics class waaay back but I do not understand the reasoning behind the early importance of these flyover states. There are other, more representative Middle American states to stump in; Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana come to mind.
Nor do I understand the inability to locate whatever port-a-potty under which creatures like Cruz breed and throw some Sluggo under it.
Marcus Troy
RAFAEL ted Cruz. His name is RAFAEL.
chris_clb614
Now let’s go see him try to win the GOP nomination- 49 more states to go says he won’t. Funny how he got the “win” in a state that stuck out like a sore thumb (only phrase I could think of) with allowing gay marriages.
RIGay
THANK GOD HE WON!!! I hope and pray to [insert deity here] that he remains the winning GOP Primary candidate!
He is almost as far into the unelectable category as you can get! No matter WHO the Democrats put up against him, the Democrats have won!
Oooo… and if TRUMP splits off into his own party….!!!!
Now if we can only clean house at the lower levels of government…
E PLURIBUS UNUM! Take back government from these right-wing hacks!
Michael Claypoole
Here we go again.
David Barenz
He looks like a rat but that’s offensive to rats. Sorry guys.
Kangol
@RIGay: I wish this were true. I cannot see him and Trump running as a pair, but a nightmarish scenario would pair him with Marco Rubio (who is as extreme, but not as smart), or Nikki Haley (who is Asian American but calls herself white, and who won the governorship in very conservative South Carolina).
Republican establishment and elite figures HATE Ted Cruz, but if he ends up being the nominee they will pour money into supporting him, because they see the end game: massive tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and financial regulations like Dodd-Frank, far more visa-style immigration of lower income workers, gutting of unions, etc. And, as a sop to the evangelicals and anti-gay nutcases, more homophobic judges and possible attempts to repeal marriage equality.
Freddie Gary
Get out democrats and whip those toxic trash republicans
Ridpathos
I read that Super Tuesday article, about how Bernie couldn’t win, and the author’s main crux to his argument is that only white liberals will vote for Sanders and if that’s the case, here is this fancy graph showing how he will lose. His argument is nothing short of a silly straw man.
It’s been proven that Sanders has pulled in huge amounts of black and hispanic support. Even his base of women voters is growing rapidly.
Chris Gardner
Why am I not surprised
Daniel Moroni
Shut up ASSHOLE. STUPID ASS BIBLE BEATERS TOO.
Daniel Moroni
Desert Boy
Texas has a gift for finding filth like Ted Cruz. It’s a talent unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Keith Perdue
Just his expression is one of a guy who is taking it up his wa-zoo….and feeling guilty ‘cuz he likes it….UGH…
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
This smcubag piece of subhuman filth appeared with Mike Schmuckabee at an event sponsored by Kevin Swanson the twisted smcubag who openly calls for the execution of Gays…..
Yet Cruz’ appearance was hardly covered by the media………..I urge any and all to spread the word…………..
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Last two Iowa winners were DICK Santorum and Mike Schmuckabe. The faaaaar right evangelical lunatic nutbags come out in force to support their favorite lunatic……..
John Douglas
Prediction – Ted Cruz, Joe McCarthy, Larry Craig. Anyone as twisted as Mr. Haney is hiding something.
1EqualityUSA
gerrymandering let pillow-biter, Ted cruz slither in fluke-like. Get out and vote in 2016 and let the GOP know that their message is obsolete.
Robert Becker
“I do not like him, Sam I am, I do not like this awful man.”
Thomas Riccobuono
Let’s just see how well he does in states where people think
Eugene White
If this man get to be the president of the USA we are all in trouble you have been worn. …
Windsor519
I’d rather see Trump win. Cruz is nothing less than a snake. At least with Trump you know he can be obnoxious – but deep down – regardless of the stupid things he’s said – he’s not a mean-spirited person like Cruz is. Cruz’s actions speak volumes and they aren’t good for gay people.
With that, gay people really need to start giving a shit about something other than their own personal lives…all these comments on here either suggest something about Rubio’s sexuality (why? because he is attractive and youngest looking? how come you don’t care about the sexuality of an ugly, older white guy?) or suggest something about how Cruz winning will affect YOU PERSONALLY – its’ NEVER about how it will affect the gay community as a whole.
1EqualityUSA
I’d rather see Cruz win because everybody hates him….even his own party and likely his own family.
Ron King
It couldn’t have been rational human thought process,it had to be disgusting evangelical hate mongers……they luv to Caucasus
Raúl Hernández
You know what to do people…Vote, vote,vote. Don’t let any of them crazies win.
Jack Conklin
Ted Cruz looks like a HOMOPHOBIC WEASEL….
Jaroslaw
I don’t think it helped any that Trump bowed out of the debate. Rubio got more consideration. But as others have pointed out, many Iowa winners go on to lose.
Kick me in the head for hoping against hope that someday, somehow things will be fair but wouldn’t make even more sense to randomly pick each four years which of the larger 8 or 10 states has the first primary?
Jaroslaw
meant to add “and the next several would be random too.”
Mary C Scohera
beyond frightening
CWM85
I think Rubio or Cruz maybe nominee. They both will roll back what Obama has done for the glbt community. I know people don’t like Trump too but he is no where near anti gay like the rest of the gop field. You folks better pray Anti gay cruz does not be in office.
The Tower of Power
I don’t vote on gay issues as much as I vote on economic issues. I don’t think the LGBT community can be successful in a country in which workers’ rights are not well protected, higher education is out of reach for most families, and public benefits are cut for LGBTs and others who need them.
RoughCutLumber
Thinking of that quote from a few years back…something about the most homophobic people are people nobody would want to have sex with anyway. Certainly applies to Cruz. He’s ugly inside and out.
Charli Girl
Still don’t think you should bring a BOAT LOAD of blue voters with you when you go to vote??? This guy is a psychopath!
Charli Girl
@The Tower of Power:
If you have no rights TO BE IN THAT JOB,then you won’t have to worry about any bargaining to begin with sweety! Economic voting is great,however if you don’t have have the BASIC CIVIL rights that others take for granted,then you have no foundation to stand on to fight for the rest….There are about 150 anti gay religious laws trying to squeeze their way in as we speak,ya might wanna look them up and after reading them i guarantee you will reconsider and you will be as pissed as you ” should ” be.
The Tower of Power
@Charli Girl: Oh I agree with that. I was just saying I think a strong economic base gives us more room to advocate for those things.
corey
@Raul Antonio Gonzalez: any miniroty, when they are self-haters, it is worse for their group than the non-minority, because they do so much more damage.
The Tower of Power
@corey: I don’t believe gay Republicans are self-haters; they are self-haters; I think they are naïve and don’t believe their fellow conservatives really mean what they say.
They also seem to think public benefits for people harms the economy, when the money they receive in food stamp and housing benefits goes right into businesses.
Juanjo
Cruz like his father is a Dominionist Christian. That is he believes that the ultimate authority on all matters is Biblical law as HE INTERPRETS IT and all secular laws are subservient to Biblical law. He made this perfectly clear in his speech last night in which he stated God is the won who won the victory and repeated his constant refrain of how all rights come from God and not from secular law.
Dominionists believe that women are subservient to men and must obey their fathers until they marry and then they must obey their husbands. They believe that homosexuality is a sin which must be punished by death. Of course no same sex marriage or equal civil rights for gay people and certainly no divorce for straight couples either. The difference between them and ISIS is that ISIS has better access to automatic weapons.
Mack
@Donnie Anderson: They’re brain dead so good luck with that.
The last two “winners” of the Iowa Caucus didn’t even get the nomination so I don’t put a whole lot of faith in that. But when you look at it, there is not a Republican a gay person can support. The Log Cabin Republicans are only after money-that’s the only reason they vote for Republicans. It’s kind of sad to support someone who actually hates your guts.
dwes09
@Juanjo: I suspect the more primaries he wins (unless this was a total fluke), the more he will allow his dominionist beliefs to show. Thankfully that will hurt his chances. But Rubio is just as bad, especially on such things as abortion where he is just fine with forcing rape victims to bear the child of rape, or allowing “God’s will” to be done where the life of the mother is in danger. It is incredibly important that democrats get out at the general election, regardless of who is the ultimate democratic nominee. And republican in the white house will not only set back lgbt rights, but will bring back all those failed policies of theirs and kill the limited economic growth we have enjoyed.
Jim Guinnessey
Homophobia, ye, but hatred in general, too. Cruz is probably the most hateful American Republican politician in the USA today. He has aligned himself with every sector of the bigoted Religious Right as has other super panderers Rubio and Trump. They seek to create a divisive America, promising a theocratic realm for all their ignorant and superstitious constituents. They are no better than the Islamic fanatics pushing for sharia law.They are assisted by the fanatical and mendacious FOX SPEWS as well as by crazed evangelical leaders like Cruz’ nutty father and madman egotistical and self promoting Huckabee. And let’s not forget the silly Roman Catholic EWTN Catholic network which is fast becoming another arm of FOX SPEWS. The sensation seeking USA media, ever desperate for headlines, has become an insatiable thrill seeker and promoter for the vacuous significance of the arcane and meaningless Iowa and New Hampshire polls– all controlled by idiotic Republican yahoos. The USA is fast becoming a nation of stupid people promoted by a corporate funded GOP which fosters ignorance and seeks to destroy the America of the Founding Fathers. If there is an anti-Christ afoot today look no further than Ted Cruz and his allies in the narrow-minded GOP.
Desert Boy
Ted Cruz is the new Richard Nixon. His politics are filthy and he’s universally hated by his senate colleagues.
money718
He won one more delegate than Trump. Not bad for Trump. Look for Trump to rebound BIG in NH.
joebatch
Donnie Anderson, The log cabin repugs are just as repulsive,self loathing and greedy as the rest of cruz and his ilk. They’ll vote for the likes of anyone in that party because they are just as greedy and their main concern getting tax cuts and anything and everyone else be damned.
jbqueernews04
Thank God for Queerty. You will never read a more accurate assessment of how, or whether political races impact gay Americans than HERE. If Cruz had even the simplest understanding of how many gay voters there are in the states he faces ahead [outside of Iowa], and how pissed off they are, he would change his tune very very quickly. “God, Guns, and Gays” seems to be the current rallying cry for the religious right. Indeed.
For perhaps one day every gay person will have decided they should have a gun…………