THOSE “NEW YORK VALUES”…

Let me start by saying that I don’t have a problem when Cruz brings up the fact that ‘The Donald’ exhibits what Cruz refers to as “New York values.”  Honestly, I think it a pretty fair, and quite accurate, description.  And, ya know, I thought to proclaim some faux outrage and to then use 9/11 as part of your retort was really more than just a little tacky.  Look, it’s sad to say but most Americans hardly even remember the events of that horrible day, and sadder still is the fact that a great many New Yorkers choose to no longer remember. 

And how can it be anything other than faux outrage when New York now considers itself to be a ‘’sanctuary city’?  So just how offended can Trump really claim to be over Cruz’s morals comment?  It was during last night’s GOP primetime debate on the Fox Business Network that Cruz also told Trump that “not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan”.  A debate in which, I thought, the two Fox moderators much more closely resembled something that I might have been watching on CNBC.  Strangely enough the best actual debate so far was on CNN.

It was Cruz who, in responding to a ‘question’ asking what he might have meant when he said Trump “embodies New York values,” stated, that “values in New York City are socially liberal” and “focus around money and the media. He continued, “Not too many years ago, Donald did a long interview with Tim Russert, and in that interview he explained his views on a whole host of issues, that were very, very different from the views he’s describing now.”  There’s a lot of truth in what Cruz says.  Which causes me to be a little slow in coming to trust Trump.

Cruz went on to say, “And his explanation, he said, look, I’m from New York, that’s what we believe in New York. Those aren’t Iowa values, but this is what we believe in New York. And so, that was his explanation.”  He then added, “I guess I can frame it another way, not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I’m just saying.”  Which was apparently a reference to Trump having said, “not many evangelicals come out of Cuba.”  And, again, Cruz was right.  Conservatives, while they may be easier to spot upstate, are a pretty rare breed there in ‘The Big Apple.’

And I thought it was a bit sanctimonious on Trump’s part to respond to Cruz in the way that he did, in what was an obvious attempt to score cheap political points at Cruz’s expense.  Trump said, “So, conservatives actually do come out of Manhattan, including William F. Buckley and others, just so you understand. And just so — if I could, because he insulted a lot of people. I’ve had more calls on that statement that Ted made, that New York is a great place, it’s got great people, it’s got loving people, wonderful people.”

Trump went on to say, “When the World Trade Center came down, I saw something that no place on earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York.  You had two 110-story buildings come crashing down, I saw them come down, thousands of people killed, and the cleanup started the next day, and it was the most horrific cleanup, probably in the history of doing this, and in construction, I was down there.”  But nothing demonstrates ‘New York values’ better than the fact that it has now declared itself to be a ‘sanctuary city.’

Trump finished up by saying, “And I’ve never seen anything like it. And the people in New York fought, and fought, and fought, and we saw more death and even the smell of death, nobody understood it, and it was with us for months, the smell. the air. And we rebuilt downtown Manhattan, and everybody in the world watched, and everybody in the world loved New York, and loved New Yorkers, and I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made.”  Insulting? Really?  Come on, Donald, give a break!  I’m just not buying the theatrics.

Ya know, big deal, if Donald thought it was insulting. I could care less.  Frankly, Cruz was spot on in making his point that New York City is one of the most liberal enclaves in the entire country.  They even voted themselves in a Communist for mayor.  So don’t start throwing 9/11 in anyone’s face as way of somehow trying to deflect criticism that is rightfully deserved.  As far as I’m concerned, the only time that 9/11 needs to be mentioned during these debates is when a candidate vows to do whatever is necessary to prevent another one from happening.

My primary issue with Trump comes down to trust.  While he may say all the right things, I simply don’t trust him to follow through with much of it.  So when primary time comes to my home state, I’ll be casting my vote for Cruz.  However, if when the dust settles Trump is our last man standing, then, come November, I’ll cast my vote for him, and hope for the best.  I must admit though that I will do so with much trepidation, but feeling like I have no other option.  Because I can’t vote for Hitlery or Bernie, and I won’t be staying home.