Patterico's Pontifications

8/8/2012

Cruz vs. Castro in Texas

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:34 am

At the conventions, that is:

U.S. Senate nominee Ted Cruz is looking like Mitt Romney’s new best friend, in what some call a smart move by the presumed GOP presidential nominee to tap into tea party enthusiasm and showcase Latino support.

On Tuesday night, it was reported that Cruz would be a speaker at the Republican National Convention late this month, and he tweeted that he is honored.

The move puts another prominent Texan in the spotlight of the presidential race to November.

It was announced last week that San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, a national co-chairman to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, would deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in September.

We win.

66 Comments

  1. Cruz = the man.

    Comment by Patterico (8b87cf) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:48 am

  2. Don’t get into it with you know who about that, Patterico.

    Comment by Simon Jester (e5aad8) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:49 am

  3. the last prominent San Antonio mayor was that guy what had some hooker on the side or whatever and lied and lied about his hooker payments, which, one mustn’t judge

    Henry Cisneros

    but still it makes you wonder about this next one

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:03 am

  4. Whoah, whoah, whoah… if I recall my 2008 talking points correctly, Mayor trumps U.S. Senator every time. So we win. Boo ya!

    Comment by Leviticus (e923df) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:21 am

  5. Plus, he’s a lowly nominee.

    Comment by Leviticus (e923df) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:22 am

  6. Well Leviticus, remind me again, who you voted for.

    Comment by narciso (ee31f1) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:33 am

  7. Leviticus,

    Third tier law school talking points don’t trump much…well, maybe just fourth tier law school talking points. Boo yah ! :)

    But actually, Mayor trumps “community organizer.”
    A Mayor is like a “community organizer”—only with actual responsibilities.

    Comment by Elephant Stone (65d289) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:45 am

  8. Cruz is a Harvard liberal lawyer that has never. Other for a republican and has no record and only won because of Dem crossovers.

    Comment by JD (30f261) — 8/8/2012 @ 9:17 am

  9. #8 Cruz is a Harvard liberal lawyer that has never. Other for a republican and has no record and only won because of Dem crossovers.

    Comment by JD — 8/8/2012 @ 9:17 am

    JD – I presume you are trying to be funny.

    Comment by Joe (a00dc1) — 8/8/2012 @ 9:22 am

  10. Ya think?!

    Comment by JD (30f261) — 8/8/2012 @ 9:29 am

  11. A City-Councilmember/Mayor/Regulatory Commission Chairman/Governor (who fought political corruption at every rung of that ladder),
    trumps a Community Organizer/State-Senator/Senator (who didn’t, but profited from a corrupt system that advanced him);
    but Sarah Palin was completely unqualified to be Vice-President of the United States.

    It might not be 1984, but it’s damn close.

    Comment by AD-RtR/OS! (b8ab92) — 8/8/2012 @ 9:47 am

  12. “Cruz is a Harvard liberal lawyer that has never. Other for a republican and has no record and only won because of Dem crossovers.”

    - JD

    I think what Joe is saying is that that comment was kinda gobbledegook.

    Comment by Leviticus (e923df) — 8/8/2012 @ 12:09 pm

  13. I was mocking somebody else’s gobbletygook

    Comment by JD (bcf1b6) — 8/8/2012 @ 12:15 pm

  14. Comment by Leviticus — 8/8/2012 @ 12:09 pm

    JD was perfectly clear as Simon Jester knows.

    So we win. Boo ya!
    Comment by Leviticus — 8/8/2012 @ 8:21 am

    That’s what doesn’t make sense. If you hate all politicians, you don’t have a “we” to win.

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 12:16 pm

  15. Cruz seems believable when you listen to him, unlike most republicans.
    Jersey Pumpkin for v.p.

    Comment by mg (44de53) — 8/8/2012 @ 1:23 pm

  16. Ryan for VP

    Comment by JD (bcf1b6) — 8/8/2012 @ 3:14 pm

  17. Democrats must be heartbroken to have to settle for Julian… you know it’s Fidel they really want.

    Comment by malclave (1db6c5) — 8/8/2012 @ 3:23 pm

  18. Bravo

    Comment by JD (bcf1b6) — 8/8/2012 @ 3:25 pm

  19. I like Ryan to a fault. He is a superb congressman and would be a great v.p.
    Can the gop afford to lose him in congress?
    Romney needs someone to handle the press. Thats where the pumpkin glows.

    Comment by mg (44de53) — 8/8/2012 @ 3:56 pm

  20. Romney needs someone to handle the press.

    If she wasn’t making so much money over at Fox, I’m sure Dana Perino would be interested if she hadn’t already been in that pressure cooker.

    Comment by AD-RtR/OS! (b8ab92) — 8/8/2012 @ 4:00 pm

  21. Jim Geraghty has a good summary of Castro’s pros and cons. The only thing I would add is that, while San Antonio is a great place to visit, its poor roads and leadership keep many businesses from relocating there.

    San Antonio could be a powerhouse, but too many other Texas cities are better planned and managed for that to happen. In addition, San Antonio’s leaders don’t seem to care. Apparently they’re satisfied with being dependent on the military. It reminds me of El Paso, and not surprisingly both are dominated by Democrats.

    Comment by DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/8/2012 @ 4:39 pm

  22. Castro plans on spending his way to d.c.
    San Antonio will benefit from his departure.

    Comment by mg (44de53) — 8/8/2012 @ 4:56 pm

  23. JD – oh. Didn’t realize. Thought you’d just mistyped in an on-the-go setting.

    MD – I was just kidding. I couldn’t give a single solitary rat’s a** who utters what disingenuous garbage at which utterly hollow bullsh*t-festival that is a two-party political convention.

    malclave – 10 point Zing.

    Comment by Leviticus (102f62) — 8/8/2012 @ 4:57 pm

  24. JD – were you making reference to an “I work here is done” moment or what?

    Comment by Leviticus (102f62) — 8/8/2012 @ 4:58 pm

  25. Leviticus – that was an accurate paraphrase of an EPWJ rant a couple nights ago.

    Comment by JD (1979fe) — 8/8/2012 @ 5:00 pm

  26. From Jim Geraghty’s link,

    In May 2010, The New York Times Magazine ran a lengthy profile portraying Castro as “The Post-Hispanic Hispanic Politician,” with explicit comparisons to President Obama and predictions that he will be the first Hispanic president of the United States. NPR notes he’s been called “the great Latino hope.” CNN’s Soledad O’Brien featured Castro in a documentary about Latinos in America. He’s given a TED talk on “The Power of Education: How It Changed My World.”

    Castro is indeed a lot like the Barack Obama of 2004: a subject of endless glowing media profiles, touted as the voice of an entire ethnic group, charisma by the bucketful . . . and a short record of quite modest achievements. The vast majority of the discussion about Castro focuses on his enormous potential and what is to come, not on his accomplishments and what he has done.

    That is not an accident. Castro was elected by a populace facing serious problems, and in his time in office, the city has made very little measurable progress in addressing those problems.

    The DNC is certainly a one-trick pony act. It will be interesting to see if their loyalists take notice. It’s odd they haven’t yet.

    Comment by Dana (292dcf) — 8/8/2012 @ 5:06 pm

  27. Well it is almost a textbook parallel with Cisneros, who was proposed as a VP candidate in 1984, C V’s are nearly thesame, except the former
    had foreign policy experience due to his stint on
    the Kissinger Commission,

    Comment by narciso (ee31f1) — 8/8/2012 @ 5:09 pm

  28. Er…one trick pony act.

    Comment by Dana (292dcf) — 8/8/2012 @ 5:13 pm

  29. it would say something good about Romney if he picked Ryan and it would say something good about Ryan if he said no

    Comment by happyfeet (a55ba0) — 8/8/2012 @ 5:14 pm

  30. Mr. Feets – Mrs. Romney owns a horse what was in the lympics. She might give you a pony ride. She’s nice that way.

    Comment by daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/8/2012 @ 5:29 pm

  31. I wonder how castro and his twin brother paid for college?
    They both graduated from Stanford and Harvard.

    Comment by mg (44de53) — 8/8/2012 @ 5:42 pm

  32. mg,

    Castro has been quoted as saying that affirmative action got him and his twin brother into college, and I assume diversity programs also paid their way. I don’t know about Harvard Law.

    Comment by DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:00 pm

  33. MD in Philly,

    I’d kindly say that our younger law school friend Leviticus reminds me of a mainstream media journalist—he likes to posture as if he’s merely an impartial observer of the “absurd” circus known as electioneering.

    He may claim to “hate politicians,” but at the end of the Election Day, he’s pullin’ that lever for those politicians who advocate for higher taxes, more spending, and a general expansion of government. He may allegedly “hate” those politicians, but for some philosophical reason, he sure as heck entrusts them to have increased control over his paycheck our tax dollars.

    That “we” slip and his light jab at Palin was his way of showing us a little ankle.

    Comment by Elephant Stone (65d289) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:03 pm

  34. Cruz being nominated is really the best political news of the year so far. It’s an amazing accomplishment that says a lot.

    Comment by Dustin (73fead) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:03 pm

  35. http://hotair.com/archives/2012/08/08/romney-spokesman-on-steelworker-ad-in-massachusetts-he-would-have-been-covered-under-romneycare/

    This is just awful

    but was some of my gooblygook from the other day

    Its nice to be backed up by other conservative voices

    Comment by EPWJ (d84fb0) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:14 pm

  36. He is, Dustin, makes me wish I lived in Texas,

    Comment by narciso (ee31f1) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:20 pm

  37. DRJ, I feel sorry for the people that scored higher than castro on the sat’s and received coal from stanford. Pathetic.

    Comment by mg (44de53) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:23 pm

  38. I could think of a good reason Obama and Castro cross paths more often, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

    Comment by BradnSA (980254) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:36 pm

  39. EPWJ,

    I agree with you, the Romney spokeswoman really layed an egg with that response.

    Comment by Elephant Stone (65d289) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:37 pm

  40. EPWJ,

    Yeah, that wasn’t a very clever response.

    Frankly, it’s foolish to dignify that attack on the merits. It is better to simply summarize the attack and remark how unbelievably dishonorable it was.

    Comment by Dustin (73fead) — 8/8/2012 @ 6:48 pm

  41. Comment by Elephant Stone — 8/8/2012 @ 6:03 pm

    Leviticus hates it (at least he used to) when things are said regarding age, but when I was younger I actually voted for Jimmy Carter’s reelection, and when I was not so much younger I said to heck with them all and voted for Perot.

    But since I saw Gore expose his pathological lying, even for a politician, I have only found increasing reasons to vote in ways to minimize the number of Democrats that get elected.

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:09 pm

  42. I’m a cowboy on a dancing lympic pony I ride

    I’m wanted

    wanted!

    deader alive

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:13 pm

  43. Was that Bad Company, feets, or who (not The Who, just who)?

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:16 pm

  44. that was the bon jovies I believe

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:17 pm

  45. feets you are right and I am so like face palm

    the problem is Bob Jovi came on the scene in 1983 and by then the hospitals had swallowed me and rarely let me come up for air and by the time I heard of Bon Jovi it was the 90′s and they were an old act and I thought the song was reminiscent of Bad Company’s cowboy motif and I keep going on for some odd reason because I’ doing a feets impersonation “talking” to feets

    I remember Boy George- who could forget- because he was around before the hospital swallowed me and he was somewhat right when he said (at least some) people are stupid

    And I remember Cyndi Lauper and…and…I’m blanking but it was a pretty song from her second album and I would hear it on the radio by the nurses station sometimes and a med student liked it. (Not “True Colors, but that was pretty too).

    I think I had better go to bed now.

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:31 pm

  46. Bob Bon Jovi

    double face palm

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:32 pm

  47. Heh. I relate, MD. I was a SAHM with three babies in the 80′s – I missed an entire decade of pop music.

    Comment by Dana (292dcf) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:37 pm

  48. boy george was amazing he single-handedly opened the doors for so so many people like the annie lennox and the simon le bon and the you spin me right round baby right round like a record guy and the pet shop boys and the 99 red balloons lady and the riding on the metro o o lady and too shy too shy hush hush eye to eye and maybe like a million others

    before him the 80s were looking to be pretty much a Peabo Bryson/Kenny Loggins/Bob Seger affair with a little Blondie thrown in for edgyness

    he’s very unappreciated but he really should up and die so we can put him on a postage stamp already

    also, Prince

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:37 pm

  49. I heart Happyfeet

    Comment by JD (7782d6) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:38 pm

  50. Happy, all I know is that the Crying Game totally got me with the plot twist. I honestly didn’t see that coming.

    Comment by Dustin (73fead) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:39 pm

  51. back atcha Mr. JD

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:40 pm

  52. I knew very little about the artist formerly called Prince until I saw him play at a super bowl. He made playing his guitar look as easy as chewing gum and walking at the same time, but, still…

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:41 pm

  53. I never saw Crying Game … I remember Mr. George had musics in a movie called Electric Dreams I also never saw

    just listen to that and try to defy the smoovness

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:43 pm

  54. None of those pipl have anything on Bobby Goldsboro.

    Comment by daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:49 pm

  55. i will google the Bobby Goldsboro later I promise

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 7:54 pm

  56. Bobby Goldsboro was around in the 80′s?

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:01 pm

  57. I remember Cyndi Lauper and Time After Time.

    Good night for reals

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:03 pm

  58. DUSTIN

    No it wasnt the whole Romney thing isnt very pleasant

    But you’re right I should br nie and have to pay even more taxes

    Comment by EPWJ (d84fb0) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:28 pm

  59. be nice and pay more taxes

    Comment by EPWJ (d84fb0) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:30 pm

  60. I’d rather pay whatever tax level Romney has in mind than whatever tax level Obama has in mind.

    And if it’s Romney/Ryan, then I think I’m eating crow because that’s not who Romney as I understood him would nominate. That’s the choice of someone who is serious about getting spending under control. It’s too risky to just be a stunt. It’s a meaningful and excellent step that also grooms a successor candidate.

    It’s a very hard road to reform. People have to work together after bitter primaries, for example. People have to stomach nominations that feel like setbacks or, at least, not as much improvement as was hoped for. And yet it’s either this hard road or no road at all.

    Romney’s got a great campaign team. You have identified a mistake it made, but I don’t think they make too many of them. Things could be a lot worse.

    Comment by Dustin (73fead) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:35 pm

  61. Cyndi Lauper deserved better than what she got she’s too cool for school

    down here it’s our time it’s our time down here

    Comment by happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:38 pm

  62. Dustin

    face it its over – he’s just another obama

    I know its disappointing, no its shocking but not really I said from the beginning Romney’s a progressive

    Comment by EPWJ (d84fb0) — 8/8/2012 @ 8:57 pm

  63. This election is another plug your nose and vote for the progressive republican. Unfortunately, it’s the American thing to do.
    I pray for the day that made me feel like I felt when Mr. Reagan was re elected.

    Comment by mg (44de53) — 8/9/2012 @ 2:44 am

  64. You’re sure it’s not Fidel Castro who will be addressing the Democratic National Convention?

    Comment by The uncertain Dana (3e4784) — 8/9/2012 @ 6:23 am

  65. You’re sure it’s not Fidel Castro who will be addressing the Democratic National Convention?
    Comment by The uncertain Dana — 8/9/2012 @ 6:23 am

    Not until they have the convention in Madison, WI. Mayor Soglin already gave him the Key to the City.

    Comment by MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/9/2012 @ 9:12 am

  66. Castro is extremely popular here in San Antonio. And when he speaks on national issues he seems like the definition of a liberal Democrat. However, on local issues he sometimes shows he’s more than that.

    I’m a huge fan of Cruz and think it is incredible he’ll get a spot on the national stage. I expect him to do a great job.

    However, though I’m no fan of Democrats in general, I have to admit I like Julian Castro. He’s a very engaging person on the radio. If he comes across like that at the DNC, he might surprise you. Many have predicted he may be a Presidential contender at some future date. This may be his launch pad.

    Comment by Jeffrey (c78513) — 8/14/2012 @ 7:33 am

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