Is Cruz crazed?

Some straight talk from Jonathan Tobin of Commentary, who was as stalwart as anyone on blaming the debt crisis on Obama but still recognizes facts when he sees them:

"...after weeks of suffering the opprobrium of the mainstream media as well as increasing the distrust felt by many Americans for their party, what exactly did the GOP accomplish via the shutdown tactic?

"Did trying a government shutdown defund ObamaCare? No. Did it force President Obama to make a single tangible concession to Republicans or give way on something that would help them fight the battle against growing deficits and debt or the ObamaCare fiasco further down the line? No. Did it weaken and further divide the Republican Party? Yes.

"That leaves us with one more question: Are those that egged Boehner on to force a shutdown fight happy with these results?"

Well Ted Cruz took the gamble of his career. He's betting that his party is as nutty as he is. He will either be proven right and ride this sorry episode to the GOP nomination in 2016, or he will be the object of a huge and richly deserved backlash. I honestly don't know which will happen.

© Michael Huggins, 2013. All rights reserved.