Did the Cruz campaign just squander an opportunity to appeal to a younger and more free-thinking population?

”a younger and more free-thinking population”
Why would he want to appeal to liberals?
His target demographics are religious fundamentalists, social regressives and racists.

@ragingloli – there aren’t enough of them to beat Clinton

Rafael Cruz can’t get anyone to naturally love him, so he hired a sex worker to be a stand in for a constituent.

Why the statement about “Political correctness”? Cruz is as far from politically correct as one can be. When one calls a statement as “politically correct” one is actually saying “I don’t respect you or your opinion, and I will not respect your beliefs, race, ethnicity or anything else.”

Obviously, he has taken Matthew’s admonition Lead us not into temptation to heart.

Satan, keep thy bimbos behind _away from me._

It’s obvious the woman got the gig because no one knew of her former “work”. She probably flashed a sag card and as with her previous “work” simply was trying to earn a living. I wonder if she’ll ever be cast in another commercial again.

lol. And I wonder, @stanleybmanly, if she still has any openings in her schedule.

I can’t think of many more appealing ‘15 minutes of fame’ catapults than being dissed by Cruz for being a soft-porn actress!

She’s practically a Kardashian!

As for Cruz himself, it’s a bitch when you decide to cast yourself as the pious “holier than thou” candidate. You can’t turn a corner without some potential for a crap ambush despoiling that image. As it is, we just have to watch and see who among Cruz’s competition has the bad taste to exploit the poor woman’s misfortune.

Catapulted from obscurity:

Ted Cruz Pulls Rubio Attack Ad Featuring Ex-Softcore Porn Actress Amy Lindsay

Amy Lindsay Drops to her Knees in Thanks!

Amy Lindsay

In case anyone here is casting.

>>“Lindsay has said she’s a supporter of Cruz’s conservative Christian values.”
>>“conservative christian values”...
>>A porn actress…

I wonder what percentage of wannabe models and actresses, trying to pay the bills while pursuing careers that might never happen, don’t pose for nude photos or make soft-core porno movies. I’m guessing that the “dos” far outnumber the “don’ts.” It seems to me that any intelligent, aware person should be neither surprised nor shocked by this sort of thing.

Cruz isn’t going to appeal to a younger, more free-thinking audience no matter how many ads he runs with former porn performers. However, in continuing to run the ad he would risk alienating the base he does have.

As an aside: I love that after so many years of hearing some folks whine about the supposed foreign-born Communists in the White House, many of these same folks are now throwing their support behind a guy who actually is foreign-born and who’s father was a Communist revolutionary. The hypocrisy is incredible.

Probably wouldn’t have made a difference. The ad was amusing but I don’t think people will see him as being progressive for having a former porn star on his commercial. They would just see him as a hypocrite. He could have let it go and tried to appeal to the younger crowd but I don’t think it would’ve got him any extra votes and would’ve lost him the puritan voters who are also the one bank rolling his campaign.
Personally I think this was a gimmick. They put this out there to try to put Rubio down and then generate conversation about how he is true to his values.

The ad itself is pretty clever and rather mild to be labeled an attack ad.

@stanleybmanly I agree. Plus, it only confirms what other candidates think. Rubio is pretty and they are not. Makes them sound jealous and petty. LOL

This is hysterical. Of course he had to pull that ad. I have to wonder if shee was put in in on purpose to sabotage his campaign.

@JLeslie

Why would his campaign deliberately sabotage itself?

Whoever supposedly vetted her could be a plant in the campaign. Lol. Think about it. I don’t really think that was the case, but it’s pretty funny that they missed this in her background.

I think this girl is getting unfairly thrown off the bus because of all the stink about her past. I googled her and almost all her roles contain racy scenes but they all are TV movies and TV shows essentially made for cable programs on Cinemax and the like. She is topless and in hot and heavy scenes but you see the same kind of stuff on police TV shows nowadays. She is an actress not a porn star. If you look at here acting Bio it is all racy stuff so whoever booked here HAD to know what kind of acting she did. I wonder what kind of reaction there would be if Cruz had used Dakota Johnson from 50 Shades of Grey instead?

What possible use would the Cruz campaign have for a “free thinking” population?

@stanleybmanly Free thinkers are also known as conservatives and independents…those voters who can make up their own minds on what’s best for them. ;)

That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in quite a while. You’ve earned a GA

Only a a free thinking conservative would consider an aspiring actress’ name being in the nationwide headlines, being “unfairly thrown off the bus”.

And hey, if the acting gig doesn’t work out, surely Palin has a place for her on staff? We’ll just declare porn “off limits”.

Younger people tend to be more liberal. If any GOP candidate makes a move to get the votes of even right-leaning Independents, they risk being crucified by the party base. And there is no way I can see a demographic that thinks Hillary is too conservative voting for Cruz period.

@Cruiser “Free thinkers are also known as conservatives and independents…those voters who can make up their own minds on what’s best for them. ;)”

And that’s why Cruz is trailing Trump by only ~10 points.

And that’s why Cruz is trailing Trump by only ~10 points. (See what happens when you are not a free thinker!)

Um…@jerv…the latest polls show Trump leading Cruz by 27 percentage points. I live by the motto…expect the unexpected. Don’t procrastinate….you only have 9 months to denounce your citizenship before Trump ends up winning the whole enchilada~

@Cruiser I’m glad you explained she isn’t a porn star. It does sound like they are being very unfair to her.

Ted Cruz simply does not have a platform that appeals to a young generation that’s mostly liberal. Ted Cruz is also the most conservative candidate running for office in my opinion, though I believe Trump is the scariest of them all.

If anything, Cruz risks turning away traditional conservatives with that approach. Younger, more liberal voters are not even a factor here in my opinion.

@JLeslie IMO this little incident by Cruz was intentional. How can anyone cast an actress in a presidential commercial and not know about her previous acting history? Me thinks Cruz has stolen Trumps play book and attempting to end run his chief opponent. Cruz like Trump IMO is intentionally creating controversy that will incite his opponents AND the sharks in the water media all to garner front page news on all forms of media feeding off this current Presidential primary. Sleezey, cheezey but it rakes in ratings.

Bernie wants to give you free health care and free college and apparently Cruz thinks he can one up Bernie by offering up T&A….what’s next?

@Cruiser One big difference; Cruz doesn’t have a decades-long record of advocating T&A.

I think it was just a glitch. The girl had a minor role in a minute long commercial. She was just one in a group of folks in a room. The entire thing was probably handled by some ad agency that just didn’t budget in the vetting of the actors. Anyone else but Cruz and nobody would give a shit. As it is, he missed an opportunity to back the girl up by claiming to give her decent work where she could keep her clothes on. He would appear magnanimous and compensate for that impression of that perpetual stick up his pious butt.

HS @stanleybmanly A waterlogged mannequin could Google Amy Lindsay and see what her acting skills bring to the table for a shoot in a presidential candidates video ad…I again assert this was no accident.

@Cruiser I’m inclined to agree. Now the right can say, “the liberals made a big deal out of nothing.” Or, even say, “liberals lied! They always tell lies. She isn’t a porn star.” Plus, everything you mentioned about media coverage, etc.

Anything depicting a sex act is porn. Penetration not required.

Or @JLeslie people can say Cruz is a slimy snake who will stop at nothing and put forth cheaply made low budget ads created just to create false controversy just to get a few moments of attention from the media.

@Cruiser Do you think Republicans are likely to think that? Do you think people who already support him will think that? Do you think Trump supporters will think that?

@JLeslie I do think all the above will think that….but sincerely doubt they will speak publicly about it as it would only bring more attention to Cruz’s desperate attempt to get attention. All the top contenders are doing this…Trump, Clinton…Cruz…are all pulling stunts in the media just to get attention and the only one it is working for is Trump because that is who he is and the rest just look lame and silly for trying way too hard to get even a modicum of the attention Trump gets.

@Cruiser A few weeks ago during a debate I felt Cruz was mimicking Trump, but I don’t remember what he did that made me think it. Isn’t Cruz supposed to be an Evangelical playing that card to get votes? It’s so ick to me when people use their religiousity to promote how “good” they are, and then do slimy things.

@JLeslie Both Cruz and Hillary are famous for changing their vocal intonations and messaging to pander to their respective audiences and is failing them, as voters see this pandering as disingenuous at best. Fewer and fewer are falling for this C ruse

@Cruiser I see some of it as pandering (I’m not talking about any specific candidate) and some of it as genuine. For instance, concerning Hillary, 8 years ago she was criticized for changing her accent in different parts of the country. That is not pandering to me. Most people do change a little if they have lived in many parts of the country. It’s natural to mimic and confirm. I speak with a heavier NY accent with my mom, and while in NY. I speak more Midwestern in the Midwest. I use some southern in the South. Hillary grew up in the Midwest, she lived half of her adult life in the South, lives with a Southerner, and now has lived many years in the Northeast. She is all of those people. She is genuinely all three.

Same with a candidate who uses Christian language to a Bible Belt audience if they are practicing Christians. I don’t fault them for it, if they really walk the walk, even though that in particular rubs me the wrong way because I don’t like religion in politics. I don’t think it’s pandering if they really are Evangelical Christians, and can relate to that audience.

@JLeslie One can make an argument both ways…it very well could be a natural adaptation to the cultural climate as every time I am in northern Wisconsin I will find myself saying “ya hay der” but it is hard for me to not call out the likes of Obama and Hillary who when in the deep South pontificate with a less than genuine Southern drawl.

Like watching George Clooney trying to act as a Britain….no matter how good an actor you might be some things just come across as transparent and phony.

I really think it’s just natural. The accent and dialect thing. Other things I’d probably agree with you. Like, I believe Obama is a Christian, but never believed him to be very religious. I think the same about Trump. They probably do believe in God if they say so, they seem to attend church here and there and for ceremonies, but I’d bet they think the people who let religion rule their minds and lives are ridiculous, and that making law or entertaining religion in government is a fine line. I have a hard time believing Obama was sternly against gay marriage like he said when he was first running. It’s possible, but I find it doubtful.

@JLeslie The gay marriage debate has come a long way in the 7 years since Obama uttered his opposition to it and it should come as no surprise that he or any politician flip flops on polarizing issues like that when the tide of populous opinion changes in the other direction.

@Cruiser But it makes not a bit of sense to deliberately hire a porn star, cast her in a bit part for a clever and effective commercial, then snatch it off the air. The only ” controversy” it engenders is the debate over just how big a fk up Cruz is. And even I don’t believe he would set out have THAT conversation.

@Cruiser I agree the gay marriage thing has come a long way, it’s possible Obama was telling the truth the whole time. It’s disappointing he was so behind the curve considering he is a minority, but I know a lot of black people who still are against it, and are pissed if you call it a civil rights issue. I know white people who are still very against the gay marriage thing, I’m just more disappointed when it’s someone who is a minority. The black people I know against it aren’t Harvard lawyers though. I would assume Obama’s social circles are very diverse, even before him being President.

@JLeslie I would not work up a sweat trying to determine what Obama truly believed when he said anything as pretty much everything he has said is directly reflective of what +51% of voters believed at that time. Only his drinking buddies know how he really feels about these issues.

@Cruiser Lol. Fair enough. Although, it does matter to me what I really think a candidate thinks and will do. For instance, Trump has said some racist sounding things, but I don’t believe he’s racist. Just like I had a hard time believing Obama would fight against gay marriage. I think Cruz is right, Trump is a NY Republican, and that makes me a little calmer about him. To me that means, he will lean liberal on social issues, lives and breaths in a diverse environment, and he himself is part of an international family, very close ties with new immigrants. His mom, grandparents, a couple of wives, and many many people he socialized with, works with, and employs. The world is extremely small when you live in NY, and especially if you have money.

I think his bigger mistake was the Office Space ad. To anyone who gets the reference, it looks like an ad for Hillary Clinton until you get to the last five seconds. The whole point of that scene is that it was awesome and that the people beating up the computer were cool.

And yeah, I get that the lyrics are the part that’s attacking her. But the only really memorable line is “Damn, it feels good to be a Clinton.” The rest is just lame.

Bizarre commercial, @Uberwench.
What is that thing they’re beating on? A PC?
It certainly makes Clinton look young, fit and hip.

I’m no Clinton fan, but the email thing is just pandering to her detractors, IMO.
It’s just a droning nuisance to everyone else. If there was scandal there, it would have come out by now.
Like the endless Benghazi war cry that ended in a whimper.
It’s the ceaseless droning on about these non-issues that ultimately let the crooks get by with most of what they do. Again, IMO.

@ibstubro Yeah, it’s a reference to this scene from Office Space where they beat the shit out of a fax machine (but using a parody of “Damn it Feels Good to Be a Gangsta,” which is more strongly associated with the movie than the actual song that plays in that scene). So he’s already catering to a very specific demographic about an issue that only older generations have had any interest in. I want to know how much Cruz’s media director is getting paid. Because I’m pretty sure I could do a better job of it while asleep.

OIC, @Uberwench.

My guess? Cruz thinks Bernie is the easier candidate to beat, so he bought Bernie a commercial?
At least he appears to be appealing to Bernie’s voters, IMO.
Strictly anti-Clinton, not pro anything?

@ibstubro You may be on to something there. It’s definitely a demographic that leans heavily towards Bernie, and trying to influence the other side’s election has a long, dirty history. Here is an article that backs up your guess.

And Cruz has proven that he doesn’t have a problem with dirty, @Uberwench.

I’m calling it. Cruz bought a commercial for Bernie.