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Ted Cruz and his supporters did something interesting: His Super PAC’s called “Keep the Promise” offered to donate $1.5 million to veteran’s charities if Donald Trump would debate Mr. Cruz one on one before the Iowa caucus. This has a couple of interesting promises according to NBC:
“Not only would this be a heck of a debate, but it would also be a terrific opportunity to generate millions of dollars for the veterans,” the donors backing the pro-Cruz “Keep the Promise” entities said in a joint statement on Wednesday night.
Trump claims to care about veterans. One might say they are a YUUUUUGE issue on twitter. Ted Cruz and his campaign even set up a venue for this event:
Cruz laid out a specific proposal to Trump at a rally in West Des Moines on Wednesday evening, telling the crowd his campaign has reserved a venue in Sioux City, Iowa, for 8 p.m. local time on Saturday night. He said 800 seats are available for Iowans — and Trump can choose to do what he likes with half of them.
And let’s see if Trump has more than one liners and insults to offer. Or if he actually cares about the veterans and voters to show up and debate with Ted Cruz one on one.
Trump as you know refuses to attend Thursday’s debate because he is mad that Fox will not pull Megyn Kelly as moderator. The drama filled Trump Tantrum was discussed by my fellow Victory Girls here and here. Trump has a chance to show he has more than Tweets and sales pitches to offer and as Ted Cruz said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0Kl-3mb4Rg
“I promise you Putin is a lot scarier than Megyn Kelly,” Cruz said on Tuesday. “I’d like to hear Donald explain to the American people and to the people of Iowa how he is prepared to be commander-in-chief if he’s terrified by a television host.”
Just to be sure Trump and his campaign saw it, here is a Twitter message:
.@realDonaldTrump: debate #TedCruz one-on-one in Iowa before the caucuses and we will donate $1.5M to vet charities #iacaucus #greatdeal
— KeepThePromise1 (@KeepPromise1) January 28, 2016
To the Trump followers and their Dear Leader: This is serious. This is not a scripted pseudo reality show where content is controlled 24/7. Domestic and foreign allies, enemies, frenemies and crises could care less about PMS or a bad hair day or a mean TV host. And bravo Ted Cruz for seeing if Mr. Trump can walk the walk or just talk the talk and bloviate. So far Trump is all bluster and bluff with less substance than cotton candy. 8 PM Sioux City Mr. Trump if the veterans and voters mean anything more to you than ratings that is.
Jodi says: Given Trump’s mocking of a journalist’s disability, I’d caution any veteran, particularly the disabled he claims to revere, in supporting Donald Trump.
And remember what he said when he mocked McCain: I prefer those who weren’t caught (paraphrasing).
My two: He’s using our vets as props to duck Ted Cruz. And I find it appalling.
Gail Boer says: Exactly. And it looks like the Cruz PAC’s are calling him out on this. What he said about John McCain is deplorable and unacceptable. Another reason Palin and his other hangers on lost my respect.
Chris in N.Va. says: Easy for Trump hide behind a surrounding phalanx of Special Forces (pick your favorite flavor) while safely lobbing verbal sound bite grenades and glib one-liners from behind the protective shield of heroes.
It’s another thing altogether to put his mouth where the money is being offered (in support of his new-found pet beneficiaries du jour) and engage in a face-to-face, rough and tumble debate that gets down to the meat, muscle and sinew of solid substance. We haven’t actually heard much from The Donald on that front, yet.
It’s a comparison wetween the short answers allowed in the current ersatz debate format and having to more fully outline some of one’s specific, hard decisions and guiding philosophies of governance.
Anyone remember good ol’ Ross Perot who vainly imagined he’d march into D.C. and match his own massive ego against the other equally-massive 535 political egos (435 Congress and 100 Senate) on Capital Hill and force them to bend to his will? Gee, that was an adorable, but wholly naive little boast.
(Although, in hindsight, Obama the First has actually done rather well for himself [but not the country] in that regard.)
Gail Boer says: Nicely put!
jim says: Something that many are missing is that if Ted and Don were to put on their own debate, per the RNC rules, they would both be disqualified from appearing in any subsequent RNC sanctioned debates. The Cruz camp knows this; they are merely misleading the ignorant. Maybe that’s you? Very nice of Ted to offer $1.5M of OPM as a bribe though. If Ted were sincere he should just donate the money; he won’t and he’s not sincere!
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