Rebel and Designated Driver: Ted Cruz and A Time for Truth

By Fritz Pettyjohn A

A Time for Truth doesn't tell us a lot about Ted Cruz that we didn't know or suspect. But the bare outline he gives of his personal story is enough to get a read on him. As a man, and a politician, he doesn't appear to be that complicated. As a young man, Felito Cruz had the same problem he has today. He had no social grace. He was geeky, a bit of a dork; awkward, contrived. He gave himself a new name -- Ted -- but it didn't help......He stands in awe of his father Rafael, an altogether admirable man, who put his life on the line in attempting to overthrow the Batista regime in Cuba.......That teenage boy, preaching the Gospel of America to Rotary Clubs across Texas, is the real Ted Cruz. It's who he is today. He creeps some people out. He's arrogant -- it's his great flaw. I don't think there's anything he can do about it. It's who he is. It doesn't make him a bad person. But it makes him hard to like.......

When Ted was hitting the books at Harvard Law, Marco Rubio was hitting the clubs on the Miami strip. A handsome, manly dog, you can picture him there, a rose clenched in his teeth, twirling around, doing flamenco. The ladies really liked Marco. And guys too. He's the kind of guy you want to be friends with. He doesn't take himself too seriously, and his eyes are kind. So, do you want a president that you'd like to hang around with, or do you want Ted Cruz?...... To Read More.......

My Take -  My first recollection of Cruz was right after the 2012 election where he was being interviewed on one of the Fox news shows, and I almost changed the channel because I thought he was an evangelist, and now I know why.  I wondered why Fox had an evangelist on a news show, but I listened long enough to realize he was a U.S. Senator - never heard of him before that - and he was straight talking, knowledgeable, brilliant - and very conservative.  Little did I know just how conservative he was.  

For a national politician he violates all the rules.   He's kind of odd looking, has odd mannerisms, and has an odd way of speaking, he's refuses to be a go along to get along guy, and I've seen the word arrogant to describe Ted Cruz for years.

Two things.  Once everyone gets over his looks and manner of speaking they will start listening and realize just how brilliant and focused this man is.  Secondly, why is he considered arrogant?  Because he won't go along to get along!  Did it ever occur to any of these people he's merely supremely self confident?   What's the difference between arrogance and self confidence you might ask?

An arrogant person is incapable of accepting the idea they're wrong, no matter the evidence.   A self confident person wants to be right because the evidence supports that position and is willing to admit to being wrong and change if necessary in order to actaully be right.   Is it possible he really is arrogant?  That hasn't been demonstrated thus far, but we know for sure - Cruz is stunningly self confident.