Here's a question for the lefties of this forum. Let's say you have the power to magically change the results of the 2016 election so that instead of Trump winning it was Ted Cruz instead. Do you take it or stick with Trump? I think I prefer Trump.
@Jack V Savage @Fawlty @Trotsky @HomerThompson
I've actually had this discussion and teased out the considerations many times, as my thinking was very much in line with Jack's up through the GOP primary: that Trump (i) would be less effective at passing policy, (ii) wouldn't be as far-right as Cruz, (iii) might actually achieve some populist objectives like reducing corruption, lobbyist influence, and corporate influence on executive agencies, and (iv) would have a worse chance of winning regardless. However, I've completely flipped my thinking on the matter in the wake of Trump's actual presidency, where he was been farther right, more corrupt, more divisive, more incompetent, and more a diplomatic stain than (I think) could be reasonably anticipated.
Really, in terms of policy, I don't think Cruz would get
that much more done. The tax plan would have passed earlier, but that's all the comes to mind. The AHCA was dead no matter who was manning the ship, on account of the GOP having absolutely no fucking plan. Meanwhile, Trump has been undoubtedly worse than Cruz would have been on three areas: (1) the effect on the political disposition of the country internally, (2) the global image of the country externally, and (3) the appointment of brazenly incompetent Cabinet members.
The biggest one (by far in my opinion) is #1. Cruz wouldn't have lied constantly and then just pretended he was in a different reality when presented with proof of the lie. Cruz wouldn't reflexively scream "FAKE NEWS!!!" every time a fact was reported about him. Cruz wouldn't subsequently usher in an era in which American conservatives are actively and
indisputably living in a post-fact, post-principle, and post-thinking age. This will be perhaps the longest lasting effect of Trump: the complete liquidization of reverence to institutions generally and the basic recognition of facts. And that's dangerous.
The other two seems trivial by comparison, and that's fucking insane because they're
really not trivial at all. With regard to #2, he's completely embarrassed us on the national stage countless times and ceded
huge swaths of influence to countries like China. The ceding of power/influence isn't a huge deal to me personally, but it's a consideration of objectively great gravity. The effect of empowering Xi, Jong Un, and Putin is just icing on the cake (I personally think him getting absolutely played by Jong Un was hilarious - and it's also hilarious that that would have probably ended in Obama's impeachment). And his appointment of crooks and profiteers like DeVos, Pruitt, and Mulvaney? Plus just utterly incompetent political hacks like Perry and Carson? The former three have done irreparable harm to our country through actively trying to undermine the purposes of their agencies. The latter two (well, at least with Carson) have done damage just by being completely incompetent and running their departments like shit.
In short, Cruz is smarter and more evil. But Trump's stupidity and superhuman lack of self-awareness or capacity for shame has proven to be a wrecking ball unlike any one.
