A couple of readers sent me this clip of senator Ted Cruz getting booed off the stage at a gala dinner organized by a group called In Defense of Christians (IDC), a group of Arab Christians that is trying to raise awareness of the plight of Christians in some Arab countries where extremist Muslim groups are attacking them.
Cruz, no doubt working on the dubious assumption that the audience believed that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’, decided to use the occasion to provide a ringing endorsement of Israel and to call for everyone to stand in solidarity with that nation. This did not go down well and he ended up abruptly leaving the stage. Watch the debacle that begins at about the 2:30 mark.
This short video taken by someone in the audience captures more of the audience reaction.
What I found interesting is the passive–aggressive use of “God bless you” by Cruz as he left the stage. I have had religious people say that to me when it was obvious that they were angry or at the very least highly annoyed with what I was saying. I think that since they feel constrained to not use expletives, this has become a substitute for what they really want to say.
has been that way since at least Sister Act…. “I’ve got 2 words for you….. BLESS you!”
Cruz’s behavior was despicable enough in itself. The fact that he demanded unquestioning support of Israel from Christians concerned about violence against Christians, makes his antics despicable squared. What a babyish asshole.
Can this guy seriously win a national election?
That was a bit ugly. He was perfectly happy to use the mic he’d been handed to avoid having a conversation by letting the volume drown out objections. And his whole point was to try and hijack the topic. I guess that’s what it looks like when you’re tone deaf to the conversations around you and pushing an agenda.
Sadly, there are several commenters on these boards that would be all but indistinguishable from Cruz, had they been on that stage.
It’s despicable the way he slides from “you don’t fully support the state of Israel and consider it your best ally” to “you hate the Jewish people.”
Demagogue.
“Waiter, I’ll have the Judeo-Christian special, hold the Judeo.”