Fox News Trump Cup Runneth Over With Misinformation

I’ve heard about all I need to hear from the Trump cabin boys and girls on Fox News. This is why I decided to stay clear of recent political commentary, at least domestically.

But to the victors go the spoils and one of those spoils is the rewriting of history. Yes, those who win the day – those who conquer have the advantage of the “bully pulpit,” and as such are able to wantonly make false claims with very little blowback from the truth-telling minority.

These false claims quickly gain traction with the ill-informed or purposely ignorant until, over time, the false claims become what pass for true historical account.

I’m speaking specifically of the Republican convention, Ted Cruz’s speech, the crowd’s coerced reaction and the obvious and calculated effort by Trump to upstage Cruz. I am also speaking of the pitiful display by Fox News “analysts” in their attempt to crush Cruz and his supporters once and for all.

As an aside: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We Cruz “supporters” are not sycophantic supporters of a man. We are supporters of ideas and ideals. Unlike the Trump rump-swabs, if Cruz betrays these, we’ll run from him as we have done from others.

Let me first touch on the claim put forth by Brit Hume that Cruz could have at least endorsed Trump as Reagan had done for Ford at the 1976 convention. This may have worked for Hume back in the day, before the interweb and YouTube. Now, anyone can watch Reagan’s speech and clearly see and hear that he did no such thing. Reagan never endorsed Ford –at any time!

However, there was one stark difference between the two convention speeches. Gerald Ford stood at the podium and introduced Ronald Reagan and at least for that moment, was gracious and magnanimous toward then governor Reagan and his wife Nancy – calling Reagan his good friend – which was certainly not.

Juxtapose what happened on Wednesday night. The Donald was no where to be found as Cruz strode to an empty stage amid thunderous applause. Of course, I would have been surprised to see Trump greet Cruz on stage, nor would it have, like Reagan, make a difference to Cruz. An endorsement would not be forthcoming.

For Cruz, just like Reagan, the damage had already been done. Trump had personally attacked him and his family and had not done what Brit Hume appeared so adamant that Cruz do – which was to remember Reagan’s 11th commandment to not speak ill of another republican candidate.

As Reagan historian Craig Shirley emphatically told Mark Levin on the radio Wednesday night, Reagan did not endorse Ford. And in fact Regan left the convention very bitter about Ford, as the Ford campaign had for months prior, run negative ads attacking Regan, not only on policy, but personally as well.

It was Ford who broke the commandment – not Reagan – just as it was Trump who broke it – attacking Cruz, not on policy, but personally. Hume is either misinformed and merely repeating what some other talking head said without checking, or attempting to rewrite history.

Shirley added that Nancy Reagan almost surely did no even vote for Gerald Ford and he doubts that Ronald did either. There was just too much animus between them, personally and professionally.

Now, regarding the booing of Cruz started by the New York delegation – Rush Limbaugh described it innocently as them just figuring out that no endorsement was coming. At that moment of consciousness the delegation spontaneously erupted – raining boos down upon Ted Cruz. That’s total crap!

Ted Cruz’s speech was vetted by the Trump campaign and I’m certain that Trump’s inner circle of operatives were made aware of the entire text and that he would not endorse. This inner circle would surely include Newt, Chrispy Creme and hack New York Congressman Peter King, who by sheer coincidence is also a New York State delegate and present that night.

Peter King knew exactly the time to start riling up his delegation. And it was into the gutter from there. The demonstration was not spontaneous as Limbaugh described. In my opinion it was fully premeditated and perpetrated by the Trump people.

Finally – Trump. What can you say about a man who is obviously so insecure and immature that he feels the need to upstage Cruz by making an appearance like some conquering Roman hero – and at just the right time. It’s almost as if he too knew ahead of time. What another odd coincidence.

I, like Levin, am not a Never-Trumper, but at this point and after this pathetic display, he and his campaign will have to work very hard to bring us Constitutionalists into the fold. Unfortunately, I very much doubt he will try, nor do I believe he even cares.