Ruben Navarette: Mark Halperin’s Interview of Ted Cruz Was Embarrassing
Ruben Navarrette: Halperin interview of Ted Cruz was painful.
Imagine the following pep talk that a young Ted Cruz might have gotten from his father, Rafael, about 35 years ago.
“My son, I was tortured in a jail cell in Cuba, but I managed to come to the United States and build a life so that you could live your dreams. I grew up speaking Spanish, but I made sure you spoke English so you could go far. If you study hard, you can attend great universities. You can clerk for the chief justice of the Supreme Court, become a great trial lawyer and argue nine cases before the high court, get elected to the U.S. Senate, and someday run for president.
“Then, after all the family’s efforts and sacrifices, one day, you can go on an interview program and be asked by a smug and clueless white journalist if you’re authentically Cuban.”
It’s one minute and worth your time:
Navarette says: “I kept waiting for Halperin to ask Cruz to play the conga drums like Desi Arnaz while dancing salsa and sipping cafe con leche — all to prove the Republican is really Cuban.”
My favorite part is Halperin asking Cruz to welcome Bernie Sanders “on Español.” (The “on” is not a typo; watch the video to see what I mean.)
Ding.
Patterico (9c670f) — 5/10/2015 @ 11:49 amsdferr says May 10, 2015 at 9:05 am
We can assume that in the edited moments Cruz didn’t invite Halperin to ask his question in Hebrew.
As Fausta says, too polite.
happyfeet (831175) — 5/10/2015 @ 11:52 amSometimes the hypocrisy and mendoucheity of the MFM exceeds even what we have come to expect from them.
JD (3b5483) — 5/10/2015 @ 11:52 amA Democrat liberal Media operative reveals himself to be a bigot and stupid.
jakee308 (49ccc6) — 5/10/2015 @ 12:27 pmWe’ll be hearing soon that his comments were “misconstrued” or taken out of
context.
The context being that Republicans aren’t real people so they can be treated
just like the Democrats treat all “non-persons” (i.e. those who don’t believe
what they believe and/or vote Democrat) regardless of race color or creed.
Because Democrats are all about equality and fairness.
jakee308 (49ccc6) — 5/10/2015 @ 12:30 pmIntolerable.
mg (31009b) — 5/10/2015 @ 12:37 pmAs long as he treats Hillary like Lucy it’s all good.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/10/2015 @ 12:37 pmWhat a pitiful interview. Halperin embarrassed himself. Cruz should’ve bluntly asked him to defend his line of questioning. Too much patience in this interview; I would’ve liked to see him argue the premise.
Rob Westbrook (4870a6) — 5/10/2015 @ 12:40 pmHappy,
I would have preferred Cruz responded in Yiddish. Such a fine language to correct morons in.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/10/2015 @ 12:41 pmNot to me , JD. They are filthy, vile, repugnant pigs. Their hatred and venom knows no limit and I’m to the point where it’ beyond time to eliminate them. Life is too short to have to look at, listen to, tolrate and now celebrate these heathen dogs. Kill’em all.
Hoagie (58a3ec) — 5/10/2015 @ 12:55 pmThe thing is I liked Cruz in his not being baited into acceptance of bigotry, or over reacting to the scripted words of an idiot.
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/10/2015 @ 1:06 pmImagine the reaction had a conservative done that instead of a liberal. Or if the target of his racisms was a liberal.
Halperin has repeatedly beclowned himself the last month.
JD (3b5483) — 5/10/2015 @ 1:10 pmFor the life of me I do not understand why conservtives don’t turn around and say ;” You do realize you are talkig racist hate speech to me and I don’t appreciate it. Treat me with respect or don’t talk at all”. Hell, I tell people that all the time and guess what? It works.
Hoagie (58a3ec) — 5/10/2015 @ 1:36 pmSenator Obama, did you list your national origin as “Kenyan” when you applied to college and law school? What are your favorite soul food dishes? Did you have any trouble getting watermelon when you lived in Indonesia?
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/10/2015 @ 1:40 pmHoagie —
Rather than have the story be “Cruz walks out of interview”, it is now “Mark Halperin makes an ass out of himself.” Never interfere when your opponent is beclowning himself, lest people get things confused.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/10/2015 @ 1:42 pmThis is like back in 2008 when Obama was asked where he stood on the East Coast vs. West Coast rap battles. Oh wait, that didn’t happen?
JVW (8278a3) — 5/10/2015 @ 1:43 pmI can’t wait until fauxcahantis enters the race. the LHMFM will be all over her supposed ties to ethnic Indians like white on rice.
What is your favorite Choctaw (or whatever) song, Senator Warren?
What is your favorite Choctaw dish, Senator Warren?
Can you welcome your colleague Bernie Sanders to the race in your native Choctaw language, Senator Warren?
Show us that Ghost Dance, b***h!
Oh, wait….
Not gonna happen…
Have I mentioned I got kicked in the head by a mule when I was a kid?
Steve57 (e468ba) — 5/10/2015 @ 2:01 pmOK, the mule didn’t actually connect with my head.
Which is why I don’t walk behind mules anymore unless I first walk in front of them and introduce myself.
Horses, too.
Steve57 (e468ba) — 5/10/2015 @ 2:08 pmSteve,
I think she claimed Cherokee and Delaware. Ask her about Sequoia. In southern state primaries, ask her about Andrew Jackson.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/10/2015 @ 2:33 pmfoolishness seems to run in the family, and I’m charitable:
http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/1993/11/22/return-to-sender-thirteen-reasons-why-clinton-should-take-senates-hint-drop-halperin-nomination-2/
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/10/2015 @ 3:17 pmGo Ted.
DRJ (e80d46) — 5/10/2015 @ 3:32 pmAt least it wasn’t Brian Williams asking TC to reflect on the Bay of Pigs disgrace which BW witnessed on the ground.
I have absolutely had it with progressives and statists and leftists who demand “authenticity” in their opponents whilst they are the furthest thing from such. And the polity lets them get away with it.
Boy, oh boy, did Pogo have us pegged.
Ed from SFV (3400a5) — 5/10/2015 @ 4:42 pm¿Habla Mark Halperin español?
What an enormous PUTZ!!!
First, he wasn’t eligible because he was Cuban. Now he isn’t authentically Cuban? I wish these morons would think before they speak. I would really enjoy the ensuing silence….
WarEagle82 (d35bad) — 5/10/2015 @ 5:10 pmes muy vergonsoso,
he seems to have taken the same spanish class that Ted Kennedy, paid someone to audit,
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/10/2015 @ 5:14 pmI believe I divulged some of my own personal childhood experience with curious Texans that would inquire if I liked “Mexican food” and if so, what dish? No offense was offered and none was taken. But this treatment offered to a Senator? It only amounts (IMHO) to a test of “authenticity” with which no professed Liberal need bother .
“Authentic,” ugh! It ranks right up there with “organic” in its redefinition.
felipe (56556d) — 5/10/2015 @ 5:46 pmWe already know that: crabs with tomato mayonnaise.
Milhouse (bdebad) — 5/10/2015 @ 7:24 pmdeja vu all over again,
In 1976 Halperin accused the FBI of “murdering” Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. In 1977 Halperin joined forces with the National Lawyers Guild to form a legal resources center to oppose “police spying” and became Chairman of the Campaign to Stop Government Spying (CSGS). The conference that launched CSGS was co-convened and controlled by a steering committee of several leftist organizations, among them the Institute for Policy Studies, the National Lawyers Guild, Halperin’s CNSS, Philip Agee’s Organizing Committee for a Fifth Estate, and the Socialist Workers Party. That same year Halperin co-authored the book The Lawless State: The Crimes of the U.S. Intelligence Agencies.
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/10/2015 @ 7:29 pmnarcisco,
I doubt that was Mark Halperin, who was 11 in 1976. Maybe his dad Morton?
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/10/2015 @ 7:46 pmBut acorn, oak, not far from.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/10/2015 @ 7:46 pmyes, in connection to the earlier link,
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/10/2015 @ 7:47 pmfor Hampton replace any ‘innocent’ victim, for Agee, put Snowden,
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/10/2015 @ 8:07 pmMaybe if batista and the mafia hadn’t murdered and tortured so many cubans cruz’s dad would still be working for the mafia in cuba!
fidel is swell (32d738) — 5/10/2015 @ 8:10 pmmaking the point explicitly,
http://americasurvival.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Edward-Snowden-and-Philip-Agee-.pdf
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/10/2015 @ 8:20 pmfidel is swell:
So, communist murder and oppression is better than fascist murder and oppression? Let’s ask the dead for a full report.
You stinking putz.
Ag80 (eb6ffa) — 5/10/2015 @ 8:26 pmPerry’s rantings are becoming increasingly insane.
JD (3b5483) — 5/10/2015 @ 8:27 pmit’s the perrybot,
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/10/2015 @ 8:28 pmI think Cruz’s calm responses with a hint of “what the heck are you thinking” are more effective than a full on retaliation. It more effectively shows the stupidity of the “journalist’s” approach. It also shows that Cruz is a calm cool customer even when pressed with bizarre lines of questioning.
Ken in Camarillo (061845) — 5/10/2015 @ 10:22 pmPlease fidel is swell, the mafia killed almost no cubans and tortured an inconsequential number. The mafia was making too much money from smuggling, money laundering, and gambling to bother with the hands-on type of criminal activity which results in people being killed and tortured, so the mafia left it for the locals (Scocarras’ family controlled a fair amount of the hands-on crime with the army taking over some after Batista’s coup). The Commission limited how many mafioso could work in Cuba, and why would one bother running a policy racket for the locals when for half the work one could run a racetrack for tourists and make 20 times as much? Not that the mafia in Cuba was without blood, but most of it was the type where some other mafioso tried to muscle in on Lansky and contracted lead poisoning in a New York city barber shop.
max (4fdf98) — 5/11/2015 @ 12:37 amYou really have to wonder at the kind of person who bottom feeds the internet like these serial trolls. I have no doubt that he plays a right-wing troll on leftie sites. It’s all about the ruckus — his life is so empty that the only way he gets noticed is to piss on our shoes.
Probably living alone in a third-rate trailer park in rural Arkansas on SSDI.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/11/2015 @ 1:18 amthat sounds like a little slice of heaven this morning
happyfeet (831175) — 5/11/2015 @ 3:43 am32.Maybe if batista and the mafia hadn’t murdered and tortured so many cubans cruz’s dad would still be working for the mafia in cuba!
12,000,000 non-minority voters (58a3ec) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:26 amthese are just hypotheticals
not useful
happyfeet (831175) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:35 amSupprise, Kevin M. I’ve met the troll. He is a well offf retired person living in an undisclosed gated community in an upper class neighborhood of Lewes Del. He’s your cassic red-diaper baby and typical communist propagndist. The says he was a “childs advocate’ whatever the hell that is and to this day makes tons of money in the stock market. IOW, typical leftist hyppocrite!
Oh, and he rarely misses a chance to shoot me down for driving a Bentley or having a few houses because you see, I did it in business, he did it by the purity of his soul. I’m a bad capitalist!
12,000,000 non-minority voters (58a3ec) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:37 amAn stimated 300,000 Cubans murdered or missing since the 60’s ain’t hypothetical. The river of communist blood runs deep, Grasshopper.
Hoagie (58a3ec) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:40 amfailmerica doesn’t care about stinky dead cubans Mr. Hoagie we get to go on a boat ride!
happyfeet (831175) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:57 amFausta:
Besame el culo!
DNF (208255) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:28 amCruz seemed to take it well and not get trapped by it.
But I think he could have rattled off a little Spanish to the effect of,
“What in the world is this silly gringo thinking”?
so it could go viral on youtube for Spanish speakers.
Where do we have this guy asking then candidate Obama what his favorite soul food is and who is his favorite rapper?
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:46 amWell, I guess they did talk about him playing basketball.
But it is true that many 2nd and 3rd generation Cuban Americans do not have first hand knowledge of Castro and they think “change is good”.
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:48 amWhere can you get the best Matzo ball soup in Atlanta, Mr. Halperin? How about lox and a bagel wit a schmear?
Oy vay, that facacta interview was so embarrassing, even on English.
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/11/2015 @ 6:58 amI suspect that google translate is not your friend here.
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/11/2015 @ 6:59 amDo you think he realizes how embarrassing it was carlitos?
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:08 amor is he commiserating with friends today that he didn’t succeed in making Cruz look as bad as he wanted to
or does he think he did, suggesting that Cruz’ refusal to speak to Sanders on Spanish is evidence that he can’t do it?
MD – Why are you asking me these questions?
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:17 am¡Pinche gringo!
Colonel Haiku (fa3dba) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:24 amAsi es.
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:33 ambecause you are the one who said “it was embarrassing” in #48,
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:46 amno dog whistles or triggers
I thought it was obvious
I speak Spanish, we often eat Costa Rican style frijoles negros (learned when in Costa Rica for language school) or red beans and yellow rice Puerto Rican style (learned from neighbors in a predominantly Spanish speaking neighborhood
obama could not name a white sox player.
mg (31009b) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:47 amMD – I think that you have some kind of issue with me, and I don’t know what it is.
Do I think that Mr. Halperin realizes how embarrassing this interview was? No. Well, maybe, now that he has read conservative blog posts. Do I think that he is commiserating with friends about how bad he made Cruz look? I have no idea. How could I know this? Why you are asking me?
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:51 amI was interacting with you because of your post at #48. I thought I was being friendly. I wasn’t arguing with you, I was asking you as a piece of conversation. I too think it was ridiculously embarrassing, but I think he was probably tone deaf to it and is likely still tone deaf to it.
if you think we have some pointed disagreements, that is certainly true,
as witnessed on the other thread
but here I thought I was taking an opportunity to be collegial.
I try not to be passive-aggressive and let people know when I’m in disagreement and why straight up.
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 5/11/2015 @ 7:59 am56. Well, i obviously have an issue with cetins generally.
DNF (208255) — 5/11/2015 @ 11:05 amclose but no cigar:
http://twitchy.com/2015/05/11/lame-as-hell-anyone-buy-mark-halperins-apology-for-his-racist-jackassery/
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/11/2015 @ 11:12 amI also have issue with cetins. And balsphemy.
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/11/2015 @ 11:14 am49. Those walking upright might recognize a direct quote of a Spanish-speaking blogger.
DNF (208255) — 5/11/2015 @ 11:17 amthe late Alvarez Guedes, might have a pithier response,
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/11/2015 @ 11:30 amshockingly, the folks from Crooks and Liars, miss the point,
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/11/2015 @ 11:57 amWhy do all the MFM sources keep quoting him as saying en espanol when he clearly said ON espanol?
SooperMexican tweeted that Halperin should apologize to Cruz in Halperin’s native tongue, idiocy.
JD (ef7925) — 5/11/2015 @ 12:24 pmbecause a white gringo from Haarvard, wouldn’t make that mistake, except Ted Kennedy who paid someone to take his test,
narciso (ee1f88) — 5/11/2015 @ 12:27 pmThat’s no excuse, MD in Philly. I have no first hand knowledge of George Washington and I still know Obama’s a douche.
Hoagie (58a3ec) — 5/11/2015 @ 2:12 pmHoagie, I didn’t say it was an excuse, and certainly not a good excuse,
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 5/11/2015 @ 2:50 pmbut it was a (surprising) observation of a friend.
“Mark Halperin is a serious and fair-minded journalist. Today he kindly issued an apology for some silly questions he asked me in an interview. The apology was unnecessary — no offense was taken, nor, I believe, intended — but is certainly appreciated.
I’m proud of my Cuban heritage, my father’s journey from oppression and prison in Cuba to freedom in America, and also my Irish-Italian heritage on my mother’s side. Both are integral parts of who I am today.
The 2016 Republican field is shaping up to be the most diverse in history, and I look forward to a robust and substantive conversation about how we work together to turn around our current stagnation and expand opportunity for everyone to achieve the America.”
JD (3b5483) — 5/11/2015 @ 2:54 pmMark Halperin is a serious and fair-minded journalist.
is this some sort of muy authentico Cuban euphemism or something?
someone pls to make the translate
happyfeet (a037ad) — 5/11/2015 @ 3:24 pmWell JD, Cruz is a better man than I. I thought Halperin’s questions were racist, slanted and stupid. I thought his delivery was immature and stupid as well. The difference is I would have called him on it then, not let it slide.
This is an eletion for the future (if any) of our torn Republic. Let every Republican and conservative know the word and the word is: Attack! Leftists love political corretness then every time they bring up race, religion, sex, wealth turn it around on them ad shove it down their racist throats.
Sorry, MD in Philly. I didn’t think you were thinking it as an excuse. It was a blanket thought, that’s all.
Hoagie (58a3ec) — 5/11/2015 @ 3:24 pmMy thinking on it from watching the video is that Halperin was reading questions from a crib sheet. Did he write it up? Maybe. Maybe not. But talking heads follow the script generally.
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/11/2015 @ 3:28 pmRacist.
Milhouse (bdebad) — 5/11/2015 @ 3:29 pmTed Cruz should have said .. “Mark, I think you are playing games and trying to besmirch my back ground. When have you ask the President if he knows Kenyan? Or your boss Mike Bloomberg is he knows Hebrew????? But let me address something more important. The fact is I don’t know Spanish because when my father left Cuba and came to the USA his dream was become an American and for his kids to be American. He loves this Country because he understands just how great it is. He knew and I know that speaking the language is critical to success. And my father made sure that not only I speak it but that he learn it. I think if MORE PEOPLE had this mindset of learning what this Country is about and educating themselves to succeed, things would go a whole lot better for some folks struggling to attain the American Dream.”
Rodney King's Spirit (b31520) — 5/11/2015 @ 3:51 pmnarciso, I never heard Ted Kennedy speak Spanish, but damn if he didn’t belt out “Ay Jaliso no te rajes” in badly accented, español. ¡Echar, esta grito – qué lindo es Jaliso!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r958GpasFrM
On the other hand, Bush Jr. spoke Spanish pretty well, from what I heard.
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:02 pmMy keyboard doesn’t come equipped with the squiggly line over the n.
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:26 pmI could just copy an paste a squiggly n like so “ñ”, but that seems inauthentic, counterfeit, liberal practice.
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:29 pmpapertiger, the code for the enye is ñ (or Ñ for a capital one).
Milhouse (bdebad) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:41 pmOk, I understand, Hoagie. sorry too.
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 5/11/2015 @ 4:49 pm& ntilde;
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:11 pmñ
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:12 pmAh ha.
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:13 pmThanks Milhouse.
Yöû‘re wélçømè
Milhouse (bdebad) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:21 pmit’s weird how halperin and cruz are both harvard trash
but whereas halperin tried to throw cruz under the ethnic bus while cruz was gracious and polite
it’s probably cause of all that time cruz spent in canada
happyfeet (831175) — 5/11/2015 @ 5:53 pmTwo years? Maybe it was the time he spent in Texas. Or maybe he’s just a classier person.
Milhouse (bdebad) — 5/11/2015 @ 6:52 pmall good theories
happyfeet (831175) — 5/11/2015 @ 6:54 pmAlberto Gonzales. I mean this Halperin fiasco is another of the Obama Media’s coordinated efforts.
Their aim will be to color Ted Cruz as the Ricky Recardo candidate, and to make sport of his heritage in order to discredit him without engaging policies.
TO counter it Ted could come at it head on. Hell yes I’m Latino, and my running mate is Alberto Gonzales.
papertiger (c2d6da) — 5/12/2015 @ 12:02 amWhacha gonna do about that, CNN? Bloomberg?
I plan on answering any and all future LHMFM questions in Japanese.
Wakarimasen ka? Raaacists!
Steve57 (e468ba) — 5/12/2015 @ 3:58 amhttp://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/12/15/article-2523969-1A1DABFF00000578-53_634x360.jpg
And sign language interpreter.
While I finish my first pot of coffee I leave you with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=16&v=zbyqS5pk9GY
River patrol!
Steve57 (e468ba) — 5/12/2015 @ 4:52 amI don’t know what that “code” thing means. On my iphone, you just hold down the letter and it gives you options. On the Mac laptop, there are shortcuts – for an umlaut you hit apple + u, then the letter. For an accent, apple + e, then the letter. On the windows PC, I had the ASCII codes memorized since college spanish – ALT 0233 = é, ALT 0241 = ñ, etc.
Would “code” be faster than what I’m doing?
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/13/2015 @ 7:47 amAh, now that I pasted Milhouse’s post I see what the code did. I’m going to find a list of these.
carlitos (c24ed5) — 5/13/2015 @ 7:48 am