Thursday, October 17, 2013

Ted Offensive

When all else fails, do it again. And again. And again. And again.
That way madness lies.

Be reasonable; do it my way.

   Even when you know that truth, fact and reality don't conform to your preconceived notions of what is right, keep going, because that's the road to power. Keep swimming against the tide in the belief that eventually, the tide will turn. And yes, the tide will turn, and you will be swept out to sea, alone.
   For Sen. Ted Cruz, the tide has changed, and old hands in the Senate will find ways to isolate the freshman senator to desert islands of subcommittees, where those with no seniority are stranded, with no voice.
   Meanwhile, the TV cameras and microphones will move on to the next mouth, to the next flashy topic roused by the next flashy speaker.

   Sen. Cruz is a fine orator. He has a strong, pleasant, clear voice, with a confident manner and delivery, calculated to rouse the faithful into following his lead. However, no matter how convincing his manner and how assuring his delivery, sometimes he's just plain wrong.
   Keep in mind that half-truths can equal whole lies, when part of the information is left out and the context is incomplete.
   Example: Yesterday, Sen. Cruz repeated his charge that UPS had canceled spousal health insurance for 15,000 of its employees because of Obamacare, thus implying that all those people will be without health insurance. He left unsaid the fact that these spouses are employed elsewhere, and already have health insurance through their own employers, so there was no need for duplication.
   Hammering away at a half truth is an old technique that demagogues have used for generations.

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