The 2016 presidential campaign is a mere three years away, so it’s none too soon for the media to speculate about would-be candidates. And the wingnuts are coming out of the woodwork to explore their chances.
First it was Rand Paul. Now it’s Senator Ted Cruz, the Republican from Texas, who is everything the GOP base loves. In short, he’s obnoxious, homophobic and, in the words of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, “a schoolyard bully.”
And he’s bankrolled by a gay billionaire.
Yes, Peter Thiel, who singlehandedly kept the Ron Paul presidential campaign alive through massive infusions of cash, is one of Cruz’s biggest backers. Hard as it is to believe that something could be worse than Paul’s crazy-uncle-in-the-attic act, but Cruz’s McCarthy-like slimeliness may succeed.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Thiel, who made his money by starting PayPal and investing in Facebook, started pumping money into Cruz’s campaign coffers starting in 2009 and was the largest donor to the super PAC that backed Cruz in a tough primary battle to win the Senate nomination last year. What Thiel sees in Cruz is anyone’s guess, since Cruz is not a libertarian in the Paul mode but a fire-breathing right-winger who considers his fellow Republican Senators “squishes.”
Whether Cruz can get anywhere in a presidential campaign is an open question. The Latino name will appeal to Republicans desperate to change the party’s image, although Cruz is opposed to immigration reform. The base will love him, but they loved Rick Santorum too, and unless we’ve missed something, Rick isn’t carving his initials on a desk in the Oval Office.
That Cruz can even think about running for president is a scary thought. Thank Peter Thiel for making it possible.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore
tdx3fan
Thiel has every right to spend his money however he chooses. If you do not like that, then do not use PayPal. I have to say that there are countless other reasons not to use PayPal anyways. However, since Hillary will never over come Benghazi and the fact that she is old enough to be most of the voting block’s grandmother, it will be interesting to see who gets the Democratic party nomination.
Snapper59
Nice MSNBC smear job. I voted for him and I’d vote for him again.
Caliban
Cruz was born in Canada. As such he is NOT able to run for President since he isn’t a natural-born US citizen unless the rules are changed, which hopefully they won’t be.
marc sfe
@Caliban: Do your research. Cruz’s mother was born in Delaware, thus by American statute, he is an American though born outside the U. S. John McCain was born in Panama but to American parents, thus he was able to run for President.
2eo
Watching that video was like watching old videos of the lunatic McCarthy, with the millions and desperation from the religious right this is a very serious problem for the good people in America.
Dangerous and vicious rhetoric is fashioned and goes hand in hand with violent supremacist violence, funnily enough the type of crime explosion Texas is undergoing right now.
Is it mere coincidence that these are of the same cloth, or is there something a lot more sinister at work.
jeff4justice
All 2partys system funders have blood on their hands. Obviously Republicans are more anti-gay but as more and more Republicans realize fighting LGBTs is a losing battle once it’s no longer a wedge issue perhaps more LGBTs will see how much the Democrats have become more and more Republican like.
Regarding alternatives to PayPal there’s Dwolla. Otherwise just do an online search: alternatives to PayPal.
Anyway, isn’t it impossible not to do business with one evil company or another?
These 10 Companies Control Enormous Number Of Consumer Brands
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/consumer-brands-owned-ten-companies-graphic_n_1458812.html
Do Corporations Rule The World? – Facts & Infographic
http://www.mapsofworld.com/poll/do-corporations-rule-the-world-facts-infographic.html
JoeWatchesTV
I would suggest we all withhold sex from Peter Thiel, but who am I kidding, there’s always a wealthfucker out there willing to lay with pigs like this guy.
It does make me happy that Texas knows he’s friends with a “European Homo” however. Can we leverage that? No, we’re too ethical for that. Or are we?
2eo
@JoeWatchesTV: It isn’t about ethics, these people have abandoned all moral values and integrity to even be in the position they are in. The fact members of our own community can support these nutcases is proof that these people are mentally defective.
Everyone should do everything to tear down these people from civilised society, in pushing these mentalists they also push through “moderates” who are nothing of the sort.
The example is always back to christianity, you have westboro spouting of all thier usual christian drivel and other groups of christians are “well we’re not as bad them, we don’t have signs, we won’t accept you, we’ll relegate you but at least we don’t protest at funerals for soldiers” like their compromise is anything but a complete reinforcement of what they already so.
It’s pathetic, every step can and should be taken to eliminate these people. And yes that is calling for those measures if necessary.
rand503
@marc sfe: Do yours.
The issue isn’t settled, and an argument can be made he is not eligible. Although he is LIKELY eligible, the fact is that the issue is not clear cut. Should he actually win the presidency, it would be an issue for SCOTUS to resolve.
KevinG
@rand503: It’s not entirely settled, but 95% of Constitutional scholars would agree that he’s likely able to run. Your original statement was:
Cruz was born in Canada. As such he is NOT able to run for President since he isn’t a natural-born US citizen unless the rules are changed, which hopefully they won’t be.
The emphasis was in your original. You didn’t hedge or put in any equivocating words like “might not be able.” You flat made it sound pretty definitive. That’s wrong. An argument could be made, but the odds according to judicial scholars are overwhelmingly that marc sfe is correct and your statement is not.
Jonty Coppersmith
@KevinG:
If, as you say, it doesn’t matter where one is born as long as one parent is an American citizen, then why in the world dis we suffer so much with the whole “Obama was born in Kenya” BS?
I’m certainly no constitutional scholar, but it seems to me that one has to be born either in the USA or in one of its territories. I believe Sen. McCain was born in the Panan Canal Zone which at that time was considered a US territory I believe.
Jonty Coppersmith
@Jonty Coppersmith:
Sorry for the typos. I need to learn to proofread.
RSun
@KevinG: rand503 wasn’t the original poster. You owe an apology.
marc sfe
@rand503: I did thus the tone of my reply.
Cam
@tdx3fan:
Remind me about Benghazi again? Oh yes, that’s right. It was after the GOP demanded that money for embassy security be cut, our embassy in Libya was attacked, and the State dept first came out and said it wasn’t organized and later changed that.
The Right Wingers main complaint is that it took the State dept. 24-48 hours to change their story. In other words, it’s after the fact and no lives would have been saved by telling one story or the other to the press.
Additionally Condi Rice, Colin Powell and James Baker have all come out and said it is a non-issue. All of whom were under GOP presidents.
Now lets look at Iraq, false information was given to the public by the Bush White House and because of that we have lost thousands of lives.
But yeah, Bhengazi is the problem.
Oh, and by the way, if Hillary can’t “Overcome” an issue that nobody is talking about outside of FOX News, then why is she running far ahead in polls in FL. of favorite sons, Marko Rubio and Jeb Bush among Florida voters?
Cam
Oh, and as for this guy being funded by a gay funder.
That is because the super wealthy don’t consider themselves part of any group but the super wealthy/famous anymore.
The same reason why Jodie Foster comes out in full support of Mel Gibson or Stacy Dash attacking black people for voting for Obama.
No different here.
Caleb in SC
@marc sfe: Exactly, this is the same arguments the Birthers have advanced against Obama. It doesn’t matter if Obama was born in Kenya, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Obama’s mother is American and so is he.
Snapper59
Cam, it was sure nice of Hil to say when the mob was dragging the body of the US Ambassador (who was gay) through the crowd that was a pack or rabid dogs and they were pelting the corpse that “they were bringing him to the hospital.” Such a fine Secretary of State, and that was sure nice of those little scampers. To bring him to the hospital.
I think she resigned because she was ashamed as a human being what BS she was told to parrot. And now she has to live with it. You haven’t heard the last from her if the heat gets hotter.
erasure25
@marc sfe: I thought for McCain, there was a Senate Resolution that said he was born on a US military base which is US soil and thus a natural born citizen? I think there is a case for eliminating people born in Canada even if their parents are US citizens from being considered natural born citizens.
FStratford
The February 2001 Child Citizenship Act (CCA) says that a child who is under the age of 18, was born outside the U.S., and has at least one U.S. citizen parent automatically acquires U.S. citizenship upon entry into the country ****as an immigrant****.
FStratford
not sure if that applies to older people though…
Harley
@Caliban: yea!!!!
Teleny
It makes me laugh at how right wing “straight” guys troll this blog. Probably j/I to the beefcake pics in secret!
2eo
@Teleny: Sadly a lot of them are just one person. He posts from a bank of addresses used by science hating violent lunatic Mabus. It isn’t Mabus though as he’s a long commenter.
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dennis_Markuze
This guy is someone I’m pleased to have wound up enough to receive a direct death threat from, needless to say he’s I believe the only person on the net [whom I do not see personally] who knows my actual name and where I live, because I gave them to him to see if he had any bottle.
He didn’t, obviously.
Joetx
As a Texan, I apologize for the fact that a majority of my fellow Texans were stupid enough to put this rabid extremist into the Senate. Alas, it doesn’t take much here to elect a RepubliCON – it’s always the same tired spiel: “I’m conservative, blah, blah. My opponent is a liberal, blah, blah.” And it doesn’t help that the Dems usually put forth a milquetoast candidate, which only ensures defeat.
Caliban
@marc sfe, no, you do your homework, thanks. John McCain was born on a US MILITARY BASE in Panama, which is considered American soil. When questions of his eligibility for the Presidency were raised in the 2008 election that point was made over and over. And pray tell, if having one American parent is all that’s required, then WHAT THE FUCK has all this “birtherism” been about?! Please answer me that.
It would be PURE blatant fucking hypocrisy for the GOP to suddenly claim that Cruz is eligible for the Presidency when they’ve been attacking Obama’s legitimacy from day one despite the fact his mother was born in Kansas and he himself was born in Hawaii.
FairyQing
oh god ppl ur soooooo crazy!
1.Libertarians where the first party that started to support gay equality and marriage rights. Many years before democrats first accepted an open gay to their party!
2.Ron Paul supports gay marriages and repeal of DADT
3.Most well known quote, criticizing DADT belonged to a republican/libertarian Barry Goldwater.
4.The anti-sodomy laws in US were struck down by libertarian justice Kennedy
5.Only libertarian party openly supports Bradely Manning
WHAT ELSE DO U WANT?
And what about this teabagger, do you know what bribe is? It is when u pay and hire a politician as your personal slave and make him do what U need. And it’s fine to me that this paypal guy buys teabaggers to be his slaves, good sense of humor.
Plus the fact, that u r a teabagger and u received money from a gay libertarian means, that you will lose the election. But if this guy wanted-he could hide his name and make donation through some company name and no one would find out. So may be he paid for losing?:)
Joetx
@FairyQing: That’s a LIE. That nut Ron Paul does NOT support same-sex marriages.