Here I do that for Ted Cruz.

At least for now, this is my evaluation of Cruz; if others want to make use of the quotes and references here, fine with me.

Background

Okay; okay; okay; Cruz is a bright guy, ambitious, hard working, determined with an impressive background.

Cruz knows a lot of stuff.

Then there is a generic statement from a voter to a politician:

We don’t care how much you know until we know how much you care.

In life, I’ve had to learn, the hard way, paid “full tuition”, that just because a person is bright with a good education and a lot of good experience, sadly, we can’t conclude we know very much, really next to nothing, about how much they care.

Indeed, I’ve seen cases where a background along the lines of that of Cruz really means that they are ambitious for themselves and perfectly willing to stick it to, that is, hurt, others.

That background doesn’t mean the person is nasty, but it also doesn’t mean they are nice. To settle on nice/nasty, we have look at more.

BUT ON ISSUES:

Climate Change

There is a good interview for Yahoo by Katie Couric of Cruz on climate change at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_xVWfGjk0o

Cruz was good.

Climate Change: Grade B.

Since in that interview he consistently evaded some smaller questions, Cruz gets a grade of B instead of A.

Constitution

At

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w22fp0LXrQE

is a similar interview but on the US Constitution. Cruz was good:

US Constitution: Grade A.

Illegal Immigration:

As in

http://www.businessinsider.com/ted-cruz-immigration-washington-post-2015-11

reprinted from The Washington Post in an answer to NBC’s Chuck Todd, Cruz essentially refused to say what to do with the supposedly 11 million illegal immigrants.

So, Cruz doesn’t really want to solve the problem. So,

Illegal Immigration: Grade F.

Further, Cruz was evasive and not forthright. So,

Being Forthright: Grade F.

The article claims that Cruz

has supported a huge expansion of the H-1B visa program

Character: Grade F.

Illegal Immigration: Grade F.

Character

As at

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/30/iowa-official-criticizes-cruz-campaign-over-mailer/

and

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/04/ted-cruz-voicemails-ben-carson-exclusive-audio/

in the Iowa primary, Cruz acted like a dirt bag in two respects, (A), from the NYT piece, the e-mail with title “Voter Violation” and the (B), from the Breitbart piece, the claim that Carson had dropped out of the race.

As in

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/us/politics/ted-cruz-wall-street-loan-senate-bid-2012.html?_r=0

in his Senate race in 2012, Cruz received personal loans from Goldman Sachs and Citibank but neglected to report them as required:

Neither loan appears in reports the Ted Cruz for Senate Committee filed with the Federal Election Commission, in which candidates are required to disclose the source of money they borrow to finance their campaigns.

Character: Grade F.

Taxes

In the transcript of Republican primary debate, March 3, 2016, hosted by Fox News, by The Washington Post at

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/03/the-fox-news-gop-debate-transcript-annotated/

Cruz stated:

And we will pass a simple flat tax and abolish the IRS.

No he won’t. Not a chance. Total BS.

Tax Policy: Grade F.

Being Forthright: Grade F.

Being Honest: Grade F.

Being Truthful: Grade F.

Such a tax would totally stick it to the little guy and be a great gift to the rich.

Caring about the Voters: Grade F.

Judgment

Listening to Cruz in the debates, at times I got an impression that he is legalistic, that is, equates what can get away with legally as what is right, moral, and ethical and, otherwise, is like Javert in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables who believed that it was his Christian duty to enforce the law, “The letter of the law.”

So, as at

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/opinion/the-brutalism-of-ted-cruz.html

is in part

In 1997, Michael Wayne Haley was arrested after stealing a calculator from Walmart. This was a crime that merited a maximum two-year prison term. But prosecutors incorrectly applied a habitual offender law. Neither the judge nor the defense lawyer caught the error and Haley was sentenced to 16 years.

So, Cruz didn’t want the error corrected and took the case all the way to the SCOTUS trying to get the full 16 years. In the end Haley was released after 6 years.

So, the situation was not despicable, evil Javert with an OCD case going after Jean Valjean — the noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread — and, instead, was the entirely similar despicable, evil with an OCD case Cruz going after Michael Wayne Haley for stealing a calculator.

Judgment: Grade F.

Character: Grade F.

OCD Health: Grade F.

Cruz appeared on Meet the Press on February 28, 2016 with transcript at

http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-february-28-2016-n527506

and was talking about releasing tax returns, his and Trump’s, and said in part

And it’s natural to wonder, “Well, what is it that he’s hiding in his taxes?” Maybe it’s that Donald Trump doesn’t earn nearly as much as he has so loudly told everyone. Maybe he’s not as rich as he says he is. Who knows, maybe it’s the case that Mitt Romney is richer than Donald Trump. He can answer that by releasing his taxes. On the other hand, maybe it’s the case that he has given large sums of money to left-wing groups like Planned Parenthood.

You know, he praises Planned Parenthood in the debates over and over again. Maybe he’s been a big financial supporter of that. All of those questions Donald can put to rest. Or you know, maybe it is the case that Donald, there have been multiple media reports about Donald’s business dealings with the mob, with the mafia. Maybe his taxes show those business dealings are a lot more extensive than has been reported.

So, Cruz is saying that Trump might be guilty so should prove that he is innocent.

Character: Grade F.

We have to correct the grade

US Constitution: Grade A.

to

US Constitution: Grade F.

Cruz seems to be against funding Planned Parenthood, apparently even if Planned Parenthood has abortion services stopped or very separate. Planned Parenthood does a lot of women a lot of good. Bummer.

Caring, Compassionate: Grade F.

Cruz was on Face the Nation on Sunday, March 6, 2016 with transcript at

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-the-nation-transcripts-march-6-2016-trump-cruz-clinton-priebus/

There Cruz said in part:

And then I think an awful lot of reporters — I can’t tell you how many media outlets I hear have this great expose on Donald, on different aspects of his business dealings, or his past, but they said, you know what, we’re going to hold it to June or July. We’re not going to run it now.

So, Cruz is accusing Trump of doing something that will be the subject of an “expose” but won’t say what that something is or (later in that interview) what were the “outlets” or “reporters” who told him.

So, Cruz is saying that Trump is guilty and has to prove that he is innocent and without knowing what he is accused of being guilty of. To, Cruz learned this dirt in law school?

The same law school the lawyer of “Fat Tony” Salerno went to?

So, to defend, Trump has to take the set of all possible topics of an expose and for each one prove that he is innocent?

US Constitution: Grade F.

Cruz doesn’t actually believe in the spirit of the US Constitution. Apparently what he believes is right, moral, and ethical is whatever he can get away with legally. Bummer.

Character: Grade F.

Judgment: Grade F

Lying

In the transcript of Republican primary debate, March 3, 2016, hosted by Fox News, by The Washington Post at

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/03/the-fox-news-gop-debate-transcript-annotated/

was the exchange:

BAIER: Mr. Trump…

TRUMP: So we’re listening to the all-talk, no-action politician, and he was the primary supporter of John Roberts, who gave us Obamacare.

CRUZ: That’s flat-out wrong.

TRUMP: No, it’s not. You take a look. He was the primary supporter. He pushed John Roberts, and pushed him, and pushed him, and Bush ultimately appointed him. He got appointed. And when it came his time to raise his hand and kill Obamacare, not once, but twice, he let us down, and he did the wrong thing.

This is the man that was the primary supporter. And you can read law journal, you can read whatever you want to read — I’ve read plenty of it. There was no stronger supporter of John Roberts than him. And it was a very, very big mistake.

BAIER: Quickly, Senator Cruz.

CRUZ: You know, Donald has a tenuous relationship with the truth.

(LAUGHTER)

I wrote one op-ed supporting President Bush’s nomination after he made it. I would not have made that nomination. But let me point out…

TRUMP: Not what you say in the op-ed.

CRUZ: … if Donald actually cared about…

TRUMP: That is not what you said in the op-ed.

CRUZ: But, Donald, please, I know it’s hard not to interrupt. But try.

TRUMP: Yeah, I know it is. But it’s not what you said in the op-ed.

CRUZ: Breathe, breathe, breathe.

TRUMP: Lyin’ Ted.

Trump was exactly right; Cruz was lying. For the details, see the Cruz op-ed

Ted Cruz, “The Right Stuff”, The National Review, July 20, 2005.

with the first sentence

John Roberts should be a quick confirm.

Cruz went on with unrestrained, unqualified, glowing praise of Roberts — just have to read it to fully appreciate it.

Cruz was lying — flat-out, total lie.

Being Truthful: Grade F.

Dirt Bag: Grade A

Now with the Internet and various transcripts, actually can compare what candidates say now with what they said and did before. The result should be much better government for the US.

For Cruz being smart, he doesn’t look that way here.

Maybe Cruz is really campaigning for a SCOTUS slot.