Trump vs. Cruz

Cruz has been pretty careful to keep out of Trump's way. And while there have been some cracks in Cruz's facade, Freepers have also been careful to keep their particular cults of personality from clashing too much. But it's hard to ignore the growing storm. Jim Robinson has stopped adding "Go Cruz" to his Trump cheerleading posts. More and more Trump supporters are adding asides bashing Cruz, and the dwindling Cruz folks are doing the same.

No zottings yet, and who knows how things will end, but despite their best efforts to love them both (and spend as much time as possible on the unifying ritual of hating Muslims), Freep's reaction to Cruz and Trump's disagreement over the awesomeness of a ban on Muslim immigration is not a good sign:

Steely Tom thinks Trump's ability to ignore what's possible is why he's so Presidential:

Senator Cruz is trying to have it both ways. Half-way measures NEVER work. Giving governors more power? Why? So the courts can overturn their power?

He's a legislator. They try to be on both sides of any fence, until it's clear what the consensus is going to be.

Trump is an executive.

Carl Vehse doesn't get that not all Muslims are ISIS, so he's confused about Cruz's distinction from Trump:

Ted Cruz stated:
"The President should place an immediate moratorium on refugees from countries with a significant al Qaeda or ISIS presence, such as Syria. I've introduced legislation to make this happen; it is not a desired step, but a necessary step for the security of the United States."

The Washington Times claims:
"GOP presidential contender Ted Cruz said Tuesday that he disagrees with rival Donald J. Trump's plan to ban Muslims from coming into the United States until the federal government can ensure that those coming into the nation do not pose a threat to the country."

Who's telling the truth?!?

JEDI4S is sure Trump will be proven right once the spin hits home:

Cruz and everybody else have yet to learn that patience is required when dealing with statements from Don-Don.

He throws a grenade into a fireworks factory and waits to see what happens when the smoke clears. A few days after the “inflammatory” statements...Trump is somehow vindicated.

The rush to condemn Trump without allowing some time to let it play out is a mistake made over and over by the one worlders and now some on our side.

You would think they would learn....

C’mon Ted. Patience.

dragnet2 wants everyone to know that he's really angry and in California:

The irony and the way things happen... This attack in CA has really fed fear to the people

Try boiling anger. CA is crawling with Muslims not to mention millions of government sponsored illegal aliens.

You have no idea the level of anger in CA and much of the rest of the country.

CodeToad gets into it with a Freeper who points out that Islam isn't illegal in Japan:

Why do you try to deceive FReepers with false claims?

Why do you support islam???

austingirl is done with Cruz:

You lost me, Ted. The Syrian refugees go to the EU and get their passports so they don’t come from Syria or Iraq on paper.

Lazamataz is also all in for Trump now:

This is an issue of survival.

Ted Cruz, I hereby wash my hands of you.

You caved to the globalists.

You would cave more if elected. I have one candidate left. Trump.

FerociousRabbit's support for Cruz is wavering:

Syria and Iraq? The latest murdering terrorist came from Saudi Arabia via Pakistan. They are all the same. A terrorist muslim nation is a terrorist muslim nation.

I am a Cruz supporter but that support has just taken a sledgehammer of a blow.

Giving governors more power over refugees being resettled in their states? Mr. Constitution needs to pull his copy out and look at it again.

Say it ain’t so, Ted. Say it ain’t so!!!!

RinaseaofDs still thinks Trump is selflessly acting as a stalking horse for Cruz:

Like anybody who can’t self-fund his own election, Cruz is going to be compromised by his donors, as he likely is in this case.

I’m convinced he’s a rock-ribbed conservative. I’m also convinced he has to operate under rules Trump doesn’t.

Trump is taking the arrows for Cruz and knows it. I also think Cruz knows Trump will back him, if he can, if Trump has to leave the race, or is forced from the race.

At this point, I believe Trump will be forced from the race.

Trump will continue to say things Cruz can’t until Cruz doesn’t have a choice and has to say them himself.

Trump is the candidate, if Trump can make it in one piece to the convention.

jpsb wants to love them both, but has made his decision:

I like Ted Cruz, he is definitely someone you want on your side. If Trump was not in this race I would be all in for Cruz with Paul my second choice. But Cruz is not the leader Trump is. Cruz is a brilliant lawyer, he will make a fine Supreme Court justice. Or a very good VP to President Trump.

Salamander thinks they would make a great team!

Trump would be Kirk and Cruz would be Spock.

Epic.

Bones was a pussy anyway.

dragnet2 thinks Cruz has sold out:

Cruz had to fall in line with all his corrupt insider professional politician associates.

So there ya have it.

INVAR wonders if Cruz has gotten caught up in political feasibility. Fat chance:

Beginning to worry that Ted Cruz has been infected with the Establishment’s “We Can’t” sickness.

You know, we can’t stop Obamacare; we can’t stop illegal immigration; we can’t shut down the government; we can’t oppose Obama’s agenda…. etc., etc.

C210N is still in for Cruz, because only he is clever enough to deal with Muslim taqiyya:

Cruz doesn’t have to agree with every suggestion that Trump throws out.

I would trust Cruz more than anyone to keep our nation safe.

Agreed.

Just how would a no-muslime-entry be implemented? Does the immigration agent ask the traveler potential ISIS terrorist "Are you a Muslim?"? Remember taqiyya. Does the agent ask the traveling to recite some phrase from the Koran - and when he/she does, prevent entry? Just looking like a more workable plan is to prevent entry from muslime countries - and Cruz here is being only too restrictive, with just Syria and Iraq. It should be expanded to the 57 states.

hal ogen explains the facts to a Freeper who actually knows Muslims:

I have worked with many Muslims over the years. None of them have, nor will they ever commit terrorism. The university I study/work at benefits from them because they generate new knowledge, publish papers, and work hard. Most of the American students are...dilettantes by comparison. Your moozlum friends are waiting for other moozlums to murder you and your family. Watch your back.

St_Thomas_Aquinas thinks the problem is that Cruz just loves the Constitution too much:

We know that Cruz is a strict constitutionalist, so I'm guessing that he's misapplying the principle that underlies the First Amendment, which is religious freedom.

Ted needs to realize that it*s impossible to tolerate a religion that doesn't tolerate other religions, without ending religious tolerance for all but the intolerant group, in this case, Mohammedans.

Acknowledging this fact is problematic for Cruz, for whom the Constitution is a hallowed document. The framers of the Constitution should have qualified the First Amendment with regard to intolerant, militant, and seditious religions.

mquinn also thinks the Constitution has become an impediment:

I can’t agree at this point, it is long past time to strip Islamists of their religious protections. When the bedrock of a “religion” is a prophet who bedded a 9-year-old, thinks pictures of him are an abomination, advocates for the murder of nonbelievers, and so on and so on, then it is no longer a religion, it is a murderous cult.

Bar Islamists from entering the country, mark the ones that are here now, and deport them.

On this fraught issue, Jim Robinson's one comment is off topic paranoid speculation about dem Muslims:

How many jihadis are the Saudis flying in daily on charter flights and having them processed here by Muslim infiltrators working for our government and where are they coming from and going to?

Duchess47 isn't a fan of Muslim citizens:

I would suggest that Muslims who are citizens walk a very fine line. Treason includes giving aid and comfort to our enemies.

HiTech RedNeck thinks Muslims even screwed up the Inquisition:

This is what happens when people aren*t taught history.

Until 9/11, the Crusades had a bad name even around here.

People will change their position on the Inquisition, too, when they learn that it was a fundamental aspect of Spain*s 400 year effort to drive the Mohammedans out of Spain.

I’ve heard some of the more horrible parts of the Inquisition came from flawed efforts of the Catholic Church to swallow Islamic peoples into its membership but not being too careful about what they believed. The result is that they still followed the Koran and were perfectly on board with medieval torture methods because of it. Of course Jesus was aghast.

Finny wants some concentration camps:

They will also rethink their squeamishness over relocation camps comparable to ones in the U.S. during WWII for Japanese Americans. It was necessary at the time. Cruz will need the fortitude to stand by his last name, "cross," in defense of America. I like to think his name is a good portent of the right guy for the chore. One thing, he looks a lot better than a patriotic old celebrity-seeking billionaire. Hey, if Trump can talk "politically incorrect," so can I.

Finny thinks the best solution is to bring back Christian discrimination:

You want a better solution? Make it LEGAL for people to discriminate against burka wearers, hijab wearers, overt Muslims. Make it legal for landlords to say, "Go somewhere else." Make it legal for restaurants and stores to say, "We don't serve your kind." Make it legal for parents to say, "We don't want Muslims around our kids in school." Sure, there would be areas where they found shelter -- but it would be tough and they would be on defense.

If they want to live in America, then they live here on American terms. Otherwise, they leave.

It's the Christian way and the Constitutional way. The right to peaceful, civil discrimination is God-given and the key to peace. ONLY government, that great salve-all and solve-all, has caused the lopsided mess we have now, where veterans who risked their lives for America are frisked by Muslim immigrant security agents in airports.

The Constitution is where the solutions to our problems lie. Cruz knows the Constitution.

Theo suddenly doesn't like dog whistles:

Will Rafael Edward Cruz support Loretta Lynch arresting and prosecuting Trump?

There you go calling Ted Cruz by his full birthname. Why do you do that? Do you think it makes Ted Cruz sound more sinister? It really is an odd affect.

HiTech RedNeck is pretty happy with Trump's plan:

If popular uproar ends up forcing this, do you think Barack Obama might quit in a fit of pique?

Yep, HiTech RedNeck's Trump-boner is getting out of control:

Why am I getting the idea that Donald Trump would wangle a way to pick up an AK47 and defend us. While Ted would be busy doing what? Arguing the fine points of gun control law, to appear before an eventual hearing at the USSC, 2 years from now.

The great thing about God (the real one) is that He can change people. But Ted has struck me as a bit green here and now we can see it. Maybe he does make more sense as Robin to Trump’s Batman.

Noted faith-based asshole HiTech RedNeck explains that if he likes what Trump says, then Trump counts as Christian:

Might not fear God in the way you do (or say you do) but the bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and Trump has some pretty wise ideas. God manifests in many ways to many people. The bible says the entire creation witnesses to Him. This looks a lot like a path that a future open believer would be on.

I.e. it looks like something good may be going on beneath the hood of the Trumpmobile.

HiTech RedNeck also thinks God will make any screening process for Muslims work like a charm:

Therefore your statement is just a statement of pride about yourself. It does not acknowledge Jesus’ own power to screen.

Later in the threat, Freepers begin to coalesce around a solution they can all agree on. dforest lays it out:

We just shut all immigration down until the muzzies are defeated. We don’t need anymore immigration anyway for a long time.

It is all very easy.

Read Write Repeat agrees that Islam isn't the problem - immigration is.

Open borders and importing the third world regardless of religion will import Democrat voters.

We have enough of a welfare state already. Help them in their own country. We already spent billions to do so.

Alas, I suspect such purely distilled xenophobia won't get as many takers as good old-fashioned demonization: