Ted Cruz: Real, or Invented by Democrats?

Image from source, Washington Post

I love Ezra Klein, and have enjoyed his writing and his appearances on various programs. And I think this piece is a good one too (though I think he oversells the "disaster" that the ObamaCare rollout has been), except I can't imagine that a Democrat could invent a Ted Cruz. As with other right-wing heroes like Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Joe the freakin' Plumber, there is nothing appealing about Cruz to a Democrat. We can't fathom his popularity, even when imagining ourselves on the other side of the aisle. He's smarmy. He's creepy looking. He's a show-boater. He has no respect for the government, the President, the Senate or--apparently--much of anything beyond his own narrow views. As hard as Democrats try, I don't believe we could think up someone like Cruz, and that the ruse would be successful.

Part of the difficulty in thinking something like Cruz and his tactics, is that none of it makes a lick of sense. There was no end game. There was no logical connection between the Affordable Care Act law and the budget bill or the debt ceiling. It started as rather blatant extortion, and became. . .a muddled mess. Only a really bad writer or a drug-addled one could have come up with this storyline thinking it would go anywhere.

[Excerpt]

If Ted Cruz didn’t exist, Democrats would have to invent him

A true cynic about American politics would, at this point, be forced to one conclusion: Sen. Ted Cruz is a Democratic sleeper agent. . .

Read more at: Washington Post