Like virtually everyone in politics, 2016 did not proceed as Texas Senator and presidential hopeful Ted Cruz had likely hoped. During the Republican Presidential Candidate Primary, Cruz faced Donald Trump, representing a more conservative establishment to Trump’s outsider popularity contest.
Cruz lost.
As depicted in a recent Politico profile, the knack against Cruz was he wouldn’t play nice with anyone. He was a known bulldog, a conservative guy challenging the system from within, though “that same reputation starved him of establishment support against Trump at a critical juncture of the campaign.”
To play nice and become ingratiated, Cruz has developed a pickup basketball game to try and mend some fences.
Cruz appears intent on building—and in some cases repairing—personal relationships with Republican senators. He started a weekly basketball game in the Russell Building, for example, and has been urging colleagues to attend. (Cruz is said to be a surprisingly good jump-shooter with miserable form.) Tim Scott has played, and Marco Rubio is said to be joining soon.
Absolutely incredible mental image. So we all may witness his “miserable form,” Deadspin asked readers to forward footage or photos of Cruz hooping.
Send us proof of Ted Cruz playing basketball https://t.co/MgGLnsscPf pic.twitter.com/mpxI5EBQkK
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) January 23, 2017
To which Ted Cruz responded from his personal account:
what do I win? pic.twitter.com/9XuRmmIkJS
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 25, 2017
For those unaware, a frequent sports joke on the internet involves Duke star Grayson Allen is Ted Cruz’s illegitimate son. Or that they’re related somehow. The resemblance, honestly, is uncanny.
the circle of life pic.twitter.com/NOZ6QzDpda
— Perry Kostidakis (@perrykos) March 2, 2016
It begs the question: What is even happening? Why are politicians suddenly knowledgeable and fluent in internet humor? Or more likely: How 20-something interns given this much range on Ted Cruz’s personal account? Has the internet’s own shorthand of memes and GIFs turned against it?
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 25, 2017
These are truly strange times we find ourselves.
