Let me pat myself on the back. (“So what else is new?” say readers.) I have commented here and there on the presidential campaign — especially on Donald Trump, the Big Story. And on the Democrats. (“Other Democrats,” maybe I should say?) But I have not pitched much for my man Ted.
I made my disclosure about Ted Cruz — my friend, whom I support — last summer.
But now I’d like to do a little pitching. I’d like to “advocate for” him, as moderns say (in one of the barbarisms of our age).
Irving Kristol had a famous formulation: About X, people know for sure. About Y, they know no such thing.
I know that Ted Cruz will do everything possible to repeal Obamacare and prevent Iran from going nuclear. I don’t know that either of these things can be done, frankly. But I know that, if Ted is president, he will go to the very last mile to do them.
And they are going to be hard. Very hard. I believe that people have no idea how hard they will be. “Just get a conservative Republican in there, and we’ll get it done!” No, it will be even harder than that.
Would the other candidates do everything possible to repeal Obamacare and prevent Iran from going nuclear? I don’t know, really. I hope so.
My admiration for Marco Rubio, I have stated many times. When people know I’m for Cruz, they try to lecture me on the virtues of Rubio. They can save their breath. I know his virtues better than they do, and I knew them earlier. I was pro-Marco before pro-Marco was cool.
But he has this handicap, if I may put it that way: He is used to being liked or loved, and praised. And if you’re going to repeal Obamacare, or keep Iran from going nuclear, you have to face tidal waves of scorn and contempt.
My man Ted is willing to stand up to pretty much anything one would have to stand up to. He has already proven it, to a degree. Maybe other candidates have the mettle as well. But I know — I know — that Ted Cruz will walk through fire and chew on glass to do what is necessary for the freedom of this country.
He is a true believer. He talks the exact same way in private — always has — that he does in public. Although in private, there are even more movie and theater quotations and allusions. Also, he likes video games, played on a phone. Go figure.
You can say that I should butt out of all this because I know him. And you would have a good argument. But one reason to give me a hearing on this is that — I know him. You know?
Ted Cruz is a wonderful man, and he’d make an excellent president. I’ll shut up now, for a bit.