Just watched the Beto-Servile Dog (Cruz) debate in Texas

[BannonsLiver]

Last edited Fri Sep 21, 2018, 08:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Observations:

- Cruz is a strong debater. I think he was on the debate team at Princeton.

- He landed some punches early in the debate but I thought Beto was the bigger statesman over the last 30 minutes (it was just one hour)

- Beto’s passion shined tonight and he speaks in a way that is disarming and genuine. He would make a helluva hostage negotiator.

- At the end both were asked to say something they admired about the other. Beto was great with the question while Cruz turned it into an opportunity to call him a socialist, eliciting some murmurs in what was a relatively tame crowd. At the end Beto got in a great shot: “True to form.” he said when Cruz was finished.

After it was over I donated to Beto even though I don’t live in Texas. I hope many did the same. Because Cruz is Trump’s servile dog. And an asshole.

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[guillaumeb]

2. Unfair to dogs, servile and otherwise.

[BannonsLiver]

4. Agreed but...

Given the fact Cruz said he wouldn’t be Drumpf’s Seville dog at the end of their bitter primary, I thought it appropriate.

[nolabear]

3. Cruz always makes me dislike him even more. Beto will grow into a great debater.

Cruz’s gotcha style and smug self satisfaction is grotesque. Beto is clearly a Democrat-prepared, factual, unapologetic about trying to reach solutions while Cruz is hell bent on smearing and dividing. Beto isn’t quite perfectly polished and the go-to “I spoke with a mother recently whose child...” scenarios can sound forced if too many are used. But damn I like him and lots of people in the crowd did too.

Oh, and I wanted to strangle Cruz when he made noises while Beto was speaking.

[BannonsLiver]

5. I thought Cruz came off as more of a shitgibbon than usual

Particularly over the last half hour.

[lindysalsagal]

6. Ok I got it. Funny!!! Took me a few trys....

[VOX]

7. Good analysis, thanks. I will follow suit and shoot some bucks into the Beto kitty.

Appreciate your thoughts on this. I'm going find the debate on YouTube.

Personal bonus point: Beto is from my dad's hometown, El Paso.

[NewJeffCT]

8. Is it just me

or does Cruz look several years older than his 47 years old?

[BannonsLiver]

9. Yes he does

Ted has always reminded me of Nixon.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Don't no

but Beto reminds me of Jimmy Stewart, very plain spoken, aw-shucks, open demeanor

[NewJeffCT]

25. Back in 2016

I don't recall him looking that much older - it's like he's aged 10 years in the past 2.

[NastyRiffraff]

35. I think he was born looking like that

A baby face gone terribly wrong.

[cstanleytech]

10. "Cruz is Trump's servile dog" Someone should do a caricature of that with Cruz as a puppy

licking Trumps feet.

[peekaloo]

33. maybe a more accurate pic would be

Trump rubbing Cruz's nose in the doo doo he left on the rug.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. Oh shit I missed it..what channel?

[Awsi Dooger]

15. Replaying right now on CSPAN

Supposed to, anyway. Round table interview discussion still going on regarding another topic. I hope they didn't reschedule this

[SamKnause]

26. You can find it on YouTube.

I just watched it.

[Scurrilous]

12. ...

[Rizen]

14. Hope Beto Wins in Texas

It would be amazing if Beto would win in Texas, of all places. We need a blue wave.

[kag]

16. I think it will be very close, but I think Beto will win.

People just don't like Cruz, and with good reason. Aside from his policies he's just so whiny and unctuous.

Of course, the above only holds if the elections are fair, and I give it about 50-50 this year.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

29. I live in central TX and drove around the other

Day...maybe a 2 mile radius and counted 41 Beto lawn signs
This is a very non-political place. And always votes republican. However Cruz has the fear machine chugging along big time with lies.

[trc]

40. I too live in Central Texas

And have seen a few Beto signs and stickers around town. But out today picking up a few things I saw many many more, including yard signs and poster sized signs stapled to fences. It was very nice to see. Keep in mind that those signs are bought by the person displaying them, that is a big part of Beto's funding. I bought 4 bumper stickers and have donated to his campaign in cash. Please, all who can, donate a bit to this campaign, lets all fund Cruz's retirement party and swing the Senate away from the crazy.

[stuffmatters]

17. Cruz spoke to Texans' ignorance/fear (eg. "the death tax") Beto to Texans' intelligence/good heart

As the first of three debates, it was a good introduction for Beto to Cruz strategy & the twisted facts he's going to rely upon. Clearly Cruz' psych approach is to treat Beto's optimism as immature & hippieish,and scoff off his political positions as reckless and irresponsible.
Pretty much the only approach Ted can take because personality wise Cruz is so unlikable and politically he's voted 0% for
everyone but his RW donor class.
Beto hopefully will put many,many more Ted is Obnoxious Truths (like Ted voted against the 911 First Responders, Dallas News 2/16)) into his ready quiver for the next two debates. Beto also has the perfect podium to showcase the utter fiscal lunacy of pretty much all of the Trump-Ted Agenda...from incarcerating & deporting DACAns to the Republican Tax Scam.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

30. Cruz did have a zinger ready about Beto traveling

To most all TX counties calling that no big deal photo ops.

[catrose]

39. But then he went on to talk about all the disasters he's shown up for...

What great photo ops those are, unlike speaking in Tuna County, Tx, population 279. (Invented county)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

41. Just surprised Beto didn't have a zinger prepared because

Cruz would have to have had a way to turn Beto's travels into something bad before he got there

[True Blue American]

42. I bet that went

Over like the proverbial lump in a punch bowl.

Smart people would see how hard that is to do.

On another note the wife of a man running for State Senator here knocked on my door,handed me his Literature. I asked what party he was from. She said Democrat. I had been watching his ads, saw all the signs here. A very Republican area. None on my short street. I emailed for a sign last night.

Having lived here many years, most people know me, as I worked the Polls for several years. That is a great way to get to know your neighbors.

[Awsi Dooger]

18. Illinois governor debate was interesting also

Tonight on CSPAN. Not expected to be competitive but wow were the sparks flying. There is certainly no reluctance to use the word lie or liar this year. I suspect we'll see it in one debate after another.

Pritzker did fine but I thought the most surprising and effective answer was by the Libertarian candidate regarding the Colin Kaepernick situation. Any Democrat could repeat those words and do great.

[Cha]

20. Does that mean the Dem will win?

[Awsi Dooger]

22. Yes, Pritzker big favorite to unseat incumbent

Trading in the 90% range now on betting markets. Considered most likely governorship to change hands in our direction.

Not much polling recently. Older polls had Pritzker ahead in low double digits, like 10-12

[Cha]

23. Yay! I've seen so much on Twiiter about what a Liar Rauner is..

[Flash953]

47. what were the words

[Awsi Dooger]

19. Beto leading big in online poll regarding debate winner

No harm in bumping it up further. Poll is at bottom of article:

https://heavy.com/news/2018/09/who-won-first-cruz-vs-beto-debate/

[oasis]

21. Thank you, BannonsLiver for posting your account of the debate.

[Awsi Dooger]

24. Cruz cheated the format like Trump so frequently in 2016

The stated rules and format mean nothing. Just keep talking and force the moderator to cut you off, which they won't. The format tonight called for response, rebuttal and then a final remark from the person who originally got the question. Beto abided by that format. But Cruz time and again jumped in for a lengthy fourth reply, one that wasn't supposed to happen. So he ended up having the last word far more often than not, when it was intended to be flat even.

Beto could have called him on it or realized what was happening and done the same thing himself, but he was overly respectful.

I thought Beto was actually strongest at the beginning. His first few answers were masterful, IMO. If I had any criticism it was that he used too many references to his own experiences in the state, who he met, and what their situation is. Dozens of times. While that comes across as compassionate and thoughtful, it wastes time that could be used toward a big picture point.

Hillary, likewise, used too many door to door anecdotes in the 2016 debates with Trump.

Cruz, like most Republicans, hammers the simple to remember big picture point every time.

High caliber debate, beyond what I gathered from reading online reviews

[True Blue American]

43. What was wrong with that?

Meeting people face to face, then hearing about it in a debate is very important to people.

That is an example of what President Obama did. Feet on the ground. Your wife, children, volunteers that have enough faith in you to get the boots, or sneakers now, out there.

Especially this year when people are so disheartened.

[Awsi Dooger]

44. It's fine in limited doses, but loses impact the way Beto did it

Beto offered too many of them, especially during the midsection of the debate when Cruz was cheating the format and finishing with the closing word every time.

Besides, those anecdotes don't score as well as the candidates think they do. I hosted debate watching parties in Las Vegas for a decade. People in my living room would look away or even go to the bathroom when those anecdotes were being abused. After the debate when we would discuss the most important and pivotal moments during the debate, I'm not sure I remember one time when that type of comment earned raves. Cruz was hammering the type of stuff that people care about, even if he was lying or misleading every time.

On CNN when they show the tracking wavelength at bottom of screen during debates, to display how their viewer panel is reacting, the anecdotal moments are invariably a flat line.

The practice is simply over done. This British debate analysis column describes it very well:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/11/how-to-argue-anecdotal-evidence

"Are such stories a good form of argument? They seem to be popular with political speech writers and advertising copywriters who often use them to lend colour and "human interest" to a speech. But as the leaders' debate demonstrated, they can also sound such a false note that they distract from the claims you want to advance. To work well, stories must be in harmony with, and contributing to, your overall argument."

<snip>

"Use your anecdotes sparingly
Even good witnesses should be used sparingly and carefully. Excessive and obvious reliance on them will make it seem as if you can't think for yourself. And it can easily seem pretentious. Someone trying to persuade you simply by dropping names of powerful people they have met or of authors they have read is, to put it mildly, annoying."

[True Blue American]

45. Fine, but

Do not lose sight of the people Beto met face to face, talked with personally,answered questions. Even went on his Jogging exercise with him. Face to face is much more personal than a debate on TV. It leaves a lasting impression on hundreds of voters.

You can not duplicate that. It is clear Beto has no handlers. And that seems to be working this year. He is energetic, full of enthusiasm,ideas.

[Lotusflower70]

28. I love Beto

Beto is so intelligent and compassionate. I love how he kept his composure when he was being baited by Cruz. He is hope and action. He wants to move Texas forward. 

I can't stand Cruz. He kept distracting and deflecting. And Cruz kept mentioning Hillary Clinton. The strategy was clear. He wants to keep the status quo or to go backwards.

[Gothmog]

31. Carnival Cruz is an ass

[The Liberal Lion]

32. I used to believe Cruz was a good debater

until he got whopped up on by trump, who is himself a terrible debater and a total moron when it comes to political issues.

[Garrett78]

34. I'm watching it right now. Democrats should never let slide the "party of Lincoln" garbage.

The message can be as simple as this:

Either my Republican opponent is stunningly ignorant or he wishes to exploit the ignorance of others. Today's GOP is no more the party of Lincoln (or the party of anti-slavery whigs who started the party) than today's Democratic Party is the party of pre-1964 Strom Thurmond.

[NastyRiffraff]

36. That and the old "Democrats were against the Civil Rights Act"

The response should be, EVERY TIME, that yes, but the "Dixiecrats" all became Republicans because of the Civil Rights Act. LBJ said after he signed the Act that "We have lost the South for a generation." He was wrong. It's been more than a generation.

But if we VOTE maybe we can start to turn that around. Do it, Texas.

[True Blue American]

46. Spoken like a true Democrat.:)

[joshcryer]

37. Cruz is a lying POS attack dog.

But he's good at it.

I cringed so much during that debate because Cruz really does punch hard as hell and the Texas crowd ate it the fuck up.

Beto is too good for Texas. I hope they do the right thing.

[ProfessorPlum]

38. Beto versus Beta

hat tip to TYT