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Why You May Not Like Ted Cruz's Face, According To Science (qz.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Ted Cruz pitches himself as an overcomer, an underdog, an outsider who beats the odds. While the Republic candidate has won four states in this nomination race so far, a neurologist says he still faces a big obstacle with voters: his own face. In an interview with Quartz, George Washington University's Richard E. Cytowic said the unusual movements of Cruz's face may make him seem less sincere to the human brain than other candidates. "The normal way a face moves is what's called the Duchenne smile, named after the 19th century French neurologist. So the mouth goes up, the eyes narrow and the eyes crinkle at the outside, forming crows feet," said Cytowic, a professor of neurology. "Cruz doesn't give a Duchenne smile. His mouth goes in a tight line across or else it curves down in an anti-Duchenne smile. So he doesn't come across as sincere at all." Visceral reactions probably drive a lot more of politics than anyone likes to admit; seeming trustworthy isn't the same as being trustworthy, but it sure helps win people over.

110 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. "Appears" Insincere? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    He appears insincere because, guess fuckin' what, he *is.*

    Cruz is a Dominionist. None of this means anything to him except insofar as he can grab the reins of power and usher in some dystopic nightmare fusion of 1984 and The Handmaiden's Tale. Dominionists have been a scary powerful group since the Nixon years and they went absolutely metastaticwhen Bush II was elected.

    If he is not stopped, we're going to end up ruled by the Christian Taliban.

    1. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Interesting

      How is voting for someone who denies what virtually every scientist has known to be a fact for over a century not voting for a religious zealot?

      That is if Cruz is a creationist. I suspect he understands his supporters well and simply apres their ignorance and prejudices.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re: "Appears" Insincere? by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      You are a nutjob who cannot form a reasonable argument against Hillary.

      You'd have to be a complete retard to be unable to form a reasonable argument against "Billlary" but nuts? That's a bit much, don't you think? :)

    3. Re: "Appears" Insincere? by Type44Q · · Score: 5, Funny

      I very much suspect that Cruz's "insincere face" is a case of causation rather than correlation.

    4. Re: "Appears" Insincere? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      It's odd and sad to see us tear one another apart here - ALL the choices on the menu are bad. Not a good apple in the bunch - it just becomes a matter of finding the least-rotten one, and that is truly just as sad as we citizens bickering at each other.

    5. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by um...+Lucas · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I suspect he understands his supporters well and simply apres their ignorance and prejudices.

      No, that's the reality show star.

      Cruz actually believes what he says.

    6. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Over the past decade abortions have become unobtainable in large swaths of the country, and the education system in the USA has been rendered useless. And there may not be creationism in many schools, but evolution is de facto banned in most schools. The fact that the "war on Christmas" is even a thing that people have heard of shows they're doing something right [wrong].

    7. Re: "Appears" Insincere? by WaffleMonster · · Score: 1

      People are quite capable of compartmentalizing contradictory portions of their beliefs. Cruz's craziness is pretty much limited to abortions and chemical birth control, and it's unlikely he'll be able to overturn existing law (nonetheless, it is a risk).

      By way of contrast, consider the other major candidates. Hillary is corrupt and nasty, physically ill and has probably suffered brain damage. Sanders seems genial, but he's a communist who will lead the country to poverty and probably the military loss of parts of the 50 states. Trump is a corrupt and nasty populist flibertigibbet, with a grossly exaggerated opinion of himself. Rubio is a moderate-conservative with principles that probably will not stand up against strong opposition, and who doesn't understand the border control problem.

      Look at those candidates and ask who will do the least damage and who will repair the most existing problems. Cruz is far better than the rest.

      The overriding issue when selecting a president is foreign policy/war. Most everything else of real consequence requires serious effort on behalf of other branches of government to achieve.

      Cruz is against Iran nuclear deal and wants to carpet bomb ISIS controlled territory. I'll pass.

    8. Re: "Appears" Insincere? by Stonent1 · · Score: 1

      Cruz and Rubio were both born in the 1970s. And we'll he's of Cuban parentage so not white in the sense of what we think of (European caucasian)

    9. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by BonThomme · · Score: 1

      On the Department of Education front, I'd add that they've done a fine job of crafting crypto-Christian schools using the charter route.

    10. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      You left out the final conclusion to "That includes anyone they consider God's enemies." and of course if they want your money, they consider you God's enemy. Hardly the first atheist to use religion as a masquerade to gain money and power. They seriously can not believe in the religion they claim to believe in and behave the way they do, quite simply logically impossible.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    11. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by Grishnakh · · Score: 2

      BS. You are not the arbiter of what religion is and isn't correct, or who is practicing their religion "wrong". There's nothing remotely logical about religion in the first place, so calling their practice "logically impossible" makes no sense at all.

      Every Christian sect is based on selective interpretation of an ancient book that's compiled from many volumes from various sources over several thousand years, most of it just written-down versions of oral lore. The Bible is completely contradictory, so of course different sects are going to interpret it differently. The Dominionist version isn't any more wrong than whatever interpretation you choose to believe, if any. However, their beliefs *are* real, and very disturbing, and anyone who isn't one of them should be doing whatever they can to make sure these wackos don't gain any power over them.

    12. Re: "Appears" Insincere? by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You can be white of pure European ancestry and be Cuban, Mexican, Columbian, etc. It's actually pretty common from some hispanic countries. That's why "hispanic" is not an ethnicity more than it is a social grouping.

    13. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      You seem to lack a grasp of logic. They make a claim about the contents of the religion they claim to believe in, they then act contrary to those claims proving they do not actually believe in those claims. I made zero judgement of any religion or any act, just completely arbitrary comparison of actions versus claimed beliefs, what ever those actions might be and what ever the claimed beliefs might be. If you claim a belief as fact and the act contrary to the fact, then your claimed belief of that fact is false and is just a pretence used for other reasons. There is logic behind religion, is has basis, perhaps not always in spirituality but most certainly in social engineering via the application of psychological principles whether those principles are known or not.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    14. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by um...+Lucas · · Score: 1

      Not everyone who knew him in school thought great things about him. His college roommate, in particular, has taken to twitter to let the world know what he had to live with during that time...

      Check it here:

      https://twitter.com/clmazin

    15. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by um...+Lucas · · Score: 1

      I voted for Cruz in the primaries, because i have more faith in the American people that they would actively not want Cruz win if Hillary was the other option, than if it was a Trump v Hillary contest...

      Of course, I failed - i'm in Massachusetts, Trump got 49% of the vote.

    16. Re:"Appears" Insincere? by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 1

      I watched O'Reilly post-debate ask Cruz if he believed Trump is an honest man, Cruz hesitated for a sec and then admitted he thought yes, Trump says what he believes. But then he added that Trump believes two opposite things in the span of two minutes, and would pass the lie detector test on both.

      I had to give Cruz points for being honest himself. In a way he also confirmed that much of Trump's appeal is the "no filter", saying what's on his mind without calculation, which is what some said people are craving after decades of the opposite.

  2. Sincerity by Indigo · · Score: 5, Funny

    The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
    -- Jean Giraudoux

  3. Less sincere than a politician? by penguinoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    may make him seem less sincere than other candidates.

    I'm not sure that's possible.

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    1. Re:Less sincere than a politician? by mobby_6kl · · Score: 1, Funny

      I'm not sure that's possible.

      It is when he is quite possibly the Zodiac killer

  4. Oh c'mon by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

    Who couldn't like his face?

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  5. He looks like by hduff · · Score: 4, Funny

    Grandpa Munster
    i.imgur.com/G8LGrnY.png

    --
    "I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
    1. Re:He looks like by Simulant · · Score: 1

      Grandpa Munster's evil twin.

  6. Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Affordable health care has been an issue for most of my adult, working life. Republicans and Democrats alike have proposed solutions, but until six years ago no one delivered.

    We had a vote. The majority, the fricken majority chose the winner, and the winner delivered on a campaign promise to deliver affordable health care to everyone.

    The fricken majority.

    And he and his ilk have spent six years since then trying to over turn what the fricken majority voted for.

    Is it any wonder nobody likes him?

    1. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You mean the majority that after that abomination was passed has been trying for the past six years to get rid of it? The majority that's currently supporting candidates who will get rid of it?

      People wanted health care reform, sure. They didn't want to be forced to be overly expensive health plans.

      All we needed was tort reform and a little loosening of the ridiculous FDA restrictions, but no, Obama dumped even more regulations into the system.

      There's a reason Trump is winning and winning big.

    2. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Just reversing the rule prohibiting buying prescription drugs from Canada would dramatically lower the costs for millions of Americans who, despite being forced to buy "affordable health care", are stuck with ridiculously high deductible policies that don't even provide co-pays for drugs until they meet their deductible, which they can't do because their premiums are ridiculously high.

    3. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by NicknameUnavailable · · Score: 2

      When you go with majority rule the minority still get fucked over. When the "majority" is 51% it's not even a majority, it's a statistical fluke.

    4. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Affordable health care has been an issue for most of my adult, working life. Republicans and Democrats alike have proposed solutions, but until six years ago no one delivered.

      We had a vote. The majority, the fricken majority chose the winner, and the winner delivered on a campaign promise to deliver affordable health care to everyone.

      The fricken majority.

      And he and his ilk have spent six years since then trying to over turn what the fricken majority voted for.

      Is it any wonder nobody likes him?

      If Obamacare does get repealed, it will have been repealed by the fricken majority.

      The will have been a vote. And Obamacare will have been overturned by the majority, the fricken majority.

      And if the winner this November is Trump, he will have delivered on a campaign promise to overturn Obamacare.

      I just hope the Republicans ram the overturning through using every shady legislative trick possible just to teach the Democrats a lesson.

      And then the Republicans keep going and use every damn legislative dirty trick to ram through laws that prevent government employee unions of any sort from making any campaign contributions to any politician.

      Because there's NOTHING more corrupt than forcibly using union dues that come from taxpayer-funded salaries to make hundreds of millions of dollars of campaign contributions - that's GOVERNMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE GOVERNMENT. Also known as "tyranny". And it's the modus operendi of the Democratic Party in the US.

    5. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 1

      All we needed was tort reform and a little loosening of the ridiculous FDA restrictions,

      And this brilliant plan helps families that have someone with a preexisting condition obtain insurance, HOW?

    6. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So essentially, you advocate the standard Republican health plan: "Don't get sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly."

    7. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Martin+Blank · · Score: 1

      Genetic conditions have been legally barred from consideration as a factor for insurance costs since 2008 when Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondescrimination Act of 2008.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    8. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Martin+Blank · · Score: 1

      Sometimes "playing the lottery" isn't a choice. There are plenty of people who fell between the cracks of being eligible for Medicaid and having parents able to afford medical insurance. There are also many cases where someone had insurance but lost their job, couldn't afford COBRA, got diagnosed, and then later tried to get insurance and was denied.

      There are people who gambled by not buying insurance when they thought they wouldn't need it, but that's where the idea for the individual mandate came from. It's a system with significant problems, but I don't see anyone coming up with a better idea that can actually get through Congress.

      --
      You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
    9. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      You do not have the right to force me to pay your medical bills. That also applies to your relation with the other 300 million people in the US.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    10. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      We had a vote. The majority, the fricken majority chose the winner, and the winner delivered on a campaign promise to deliver affordable health care to everyone.

      I don't like Ted Cruz either, but there's no such thing as "final" in a democracy.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    11. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      And this brilliant plan helps families that have someone with a preexisting condition obtain insurance, HOW?

      If you have a preexisting condition, that means you were betting on not getting sick and not paying into the pool. You played the lottery and you lost. Your problem, not mine.

      Dead wrong.

      I changed jobs. The insurance company of my new employer denied benefits because I "now" had a pre-existing condition.

      Had I stayed with my old employer, my old insurance company would have continued to pay. Instead I had to cough up a large chunk of cash out of my own pocket, because it was only after being treated that it became known that they wouldn't pay.

      I know someone who spent 30 years at the same employer, whether it was good or bad because of his cancer and their insurance. Back when you could spend 30 years with the same employer, of course.

      That's one of the reasons Obamacare had to kill the pre-existing conditions loophole. The old rules were designed when people had job security.

    12. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by dmr001 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Or it means you had diabetes (and there are plenty of thin, otherwise people with diabetes) and didn't work for a company that offered health insurance;

      Or it means you had a (now illegal) plan that "covered" well child visits, just not more than 2 in the first two years of life (out of the 9 that are the standard of care);

      Or it means you fell off a ladder painting your house and broke your back;

      Or it means you have congenital heart disease —

      SORRY SUCKERS! You shouldn't have had Pacific Islander grandparents/been a kid/painted your house/been born — not my problem! I'm not saying "Your problem, not mine" isn't a valid viewpoint, but I do think that letting people who have treatable medical problems through no fault of their own drop dead in the streets is a bit more individualistic than all but the most libertarian viewpoints in the US. Not to mention every single other developed nation on the planet, that somehow manage to have popular support for their universal health care systems yet still spend about half of what we do.

    13. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Grishnakh · · Score: 2

      The government has been forcing you to pay other peoples' medical bills ever since the VA, Medicare, and Medicaid were passed into law.

      If you don't like that, I suggest you move to Somalia, where you don't have to pay for any socialized services.

    14. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by riverat1 · · Score: 1

      Not only that but I think there's a program that helps hospitals when their emergency rooms have to treat too many people who are uninsured and can't to pay. That's your tax dollars paying for medical care as well.

    15. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by pnutjam · · Score: 1

      Commented above, but this is no flamebait, just the Gospel truth.

    16. Re:Never mind his face, I don't like him. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      However, since we are not actually willing to let people die like that, they go to the emergency room with crisis level conditions and wrack up huge bills which they cannot afford to pay-- and then those unpaid bills go into the costs for everyone else's insurance premiums.

      Universal care means most of those cases get treated with inexpensive pills and doctor's office visits.
      And the charges for procedures are at covered rates instead of the up to 20x more expensive 'uncovered' rates for procedures and tests done and required under emergency conditions.

      The ACA is more fiscally responsible than what we were doing. Universal health care would be even more fiscally responsible.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  7. It's not the face itself that turns me off by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's what comes out of it when he opens his mouth.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:It's not the face itself that turns me off by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Indeed.
      The fact that he's won elections, and quite a number of votes in the current election shows that people are willing to overcome their smile prejudices and vote for him anyway.

      Incidentally, this post can be seen as a propaganda attempt to get people to feel sorry for Ted Cruz and vote for him.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re:It's not the face itself that turns me off by dywolf · · Score: 1

      http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3vzZLWBJ...

      no, that face is pretty scary.
      like....stephen king's clown scary

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
    3. Re:It's not the face itself that turns me off by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I can't help, it looks like smiling puts him in quite a bit of pain.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  8. Does the smile make you a prick, or vice-versa? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Ted Cruz, by all accounts is a prick. So which came first? Is he just a prick who's neurology makes him smile that way, or did he smile that way, and everyone treated him like a prick so he became a prick?

  9. Re:Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by hey! · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well it doesn't take much of a study to show Hillary Clinton is not good at projecting warmth and sincerity on the stump. She's at her best in debates, where she she seems a lot more real. On the stump she seems really phony, and the big smile that doesn't reach to the eyes is a big part of that.

    Now does that actually mean anything? Imagine you're a politician giving a campagin speech before a group. This may be the twentieth time you've given this exact speech before a similar group in the last week, but you've got to make it fresh for them, make your response to them seem spontaneous and authentic. It's well nigh impossible, but some people can do it. Bill Clinton can do it.

    You know who else can do it? Donald Trump. If you think about what he's saying even a little bit he's clearly en epic bullshitter, but he makes a genuine-seeming emotional connection with crowds. And I think it seems genuine because on a certain level it is genuine. He's morbidly narcissistic and craves the admiration they're giving him.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  10. The real truth of Ted Cruz's birth certificate by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 2

    What is undisputed is that he was born in Canada. But as you can tell by the way his face looks more like skin slapped over lumpy clay, his weird un-smile, the way that nobody who has ever worked for him likes him - it all points to one conclusion:

    Ted Cruz is half Sasquatch!

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    1. Re:The real truth of Ted Cruz's birth certificate by Grishnakh · · Score: 1, Insightful

      That is a really despicable things to say. How dare you insult Sasquatches like that. Sasquatches are peaceful creatures that go out of their way to even be seen by humans, let alone bother them. Ted Cruz is a religious loon who wants to take over the world and make Christianity the only religion.

  11. Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 5, Informative

    I wrote this for another forum which was focused on trump. But basically only 21% of Ted Cruz's statements are true or mostly true. He lies twice as often as Clinton and Sanders and almost twice as often as Rubio. He's facile at lying. Lying is a tool in his tool box. It has little to do with his face.

    From politifact, the Pulitzer prize winning political fact checking site.

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...
    51% of Clinton's statements are all true or mostly true. Another 21% are half true.

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...
    48% of Sander's statements are all true or mostly true. Another 21% are half true.

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...
    35% of Rubio's statements are all true or mostly true. Another 22% are half true.

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...
    21% of Ted Cruz's statements are all true or mostly true. Another 13% are half true.

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...
    8% of Trump's statements are all true or mostly true. Another 14% are half true.

    yes.. 8% is yoooge.

    Trump is saying mostly false statements to outright lies 78% of the time. When caught in a lie, he just lies again.

    I was suprised to see Cruz had such a high lie rating given that he's christian and christians are against the lord of lies but his particular sect does approve of lying in the service of the lord so that may be playing a factor here.

    Trump is almost a full order of magnitude more dishonest however.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  12. Doesn't matter... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I don't like him because he's religious crazy...

    http://www.politicususa.com/2015/03/23/ted-cruz-launches-2016-campaign-proclaiming-god-healthcare.html

    >God wants a massive tax cut for the rich

    Really damm crazy.

  13. Re: Ted crux by pchasco · · Score: 1

    And the "VOTING VIOLATION" mailers he sent out.

  14. Re:More likely reason by readin · · Score: 2

    From what I've seen and heard, Cruz is a darling too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  15. Re:Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    When it comes to facial expressions,just ask Hillary - Botox is a bitch.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  16. Re:Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by readin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When I think about it, this makes Hillary seem more trustworthy. I'm much more willing to trust someone who can't fake sincerity than I am to trust someone who can looks sincere no matter what they're saying.
    But based on their positions and history I'm voting for Cruz.

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  17. Re:More likely reason by readin · · Score: 1

    He looks more like Lou Costello to me.

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  18. I'm not watching this video by mikeabbott420 · · Score: 1

    I've already seen the video where Cruz eats his booger on stage and I won't risk seeing it again.

    --
    This program was made possible by a grant from the Ultra-Humanite, and viewers like you.
  19. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 2

    Oh yea...

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...
    48% of Bush's statements are all true or mostly true. Another 22% are half true.

    1% better than Sanders.

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...
    39% of Christie's statements are all true or mostly true. Another 26% are half true.

    The site gives perfectly good ratings to honest republican candidates.

    I think most of expect politicians to shade the truth a quarter of the time and lie a quarter of the time while being honest the rest of the time. that's the stardard for politicians.

    Cruz and Trump are something exceptional and their low ratings were due to their own statements (which you can check by following the links).
    If any would care to show that "pants on fire" lies were actually true or "mostly false statements" were actually true, then I'll cede that politifact is biased.

    However, when I've checked it- it has been as reliable as snopes.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  20. Cause and Effect by quantaman · · Score: 3, Informative

    That creates an interesting question assuming you agree with the empirical evidence that Ted Cruz is very dishonest.

    I basically see three main possibilities:

    1) It's just a coincidence that a very insincere face is coupled with a very insincere man. The researcher suggests this though he's basically just repeating the null hypothesis.

    2) Cruz's face behaves the way it does because he's so dishonest. The brain uses different circuits when lying or manipulating (ie fake smile vs genuine smile). If he's spent years being highly manipulative the circuits that control how his face move might work subtly different.

    3) Finally he might be lying so much because he realizes he looks dishonest and has come to identify as such (or he's learned people won't believe him regardless).

    I suspect it's one of the latter two, our brains don't do perfect heuristics but they're often based on something real.

    This reminds me of the study that found hockey players with rounder faces were more aggressive. Of course that doesn't tell you if the aggression and round face were both caused by the same underlying factor (ie testosterone) or if the players were acting more aggressive because they looked more aggressive.

    --
    I stole this Sig
    1. Re:Cause and Effect by Heart44 · · Score: 1

      Interesting points. If Cruz's face shows the effect of long-term lying it means he knows that he is lying and he has limited control over his body as it is showing the long-term effects of lying.

  21. Exodus 33:20 describes his mug by paiute · · Score: 1

    And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  22. Delivered what? by zerofoo · · Score: 3, Informative

    "delivered on a campaign promise to deliver affordable health care to everyone"

    After my last company meeting on healthcare benefits, 6 years into the affordable care act, I can say for certain that "affordable" healthcare has not been delivered to "everyone".

    Every single person I know is paying significantly more for healthcare than they were 6 years ago. Even worse, many are paying for plans with such high deductibles, that their so-called health insurance is never used.

    The ACA did absolutely nothing to contain cost increases that have been outstripping inflation and wages by many many times. At best the ACA can be credited with bringing catastrophic coverage to some folks who never had any coverage at all - at a significant cost to everyone else.

    The ACA needs to be put in the trash and replaced with something that actually controls cost increases.

    1. Re:Delivered what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      After my last company meeting on healthcare benefits, 6 years into the affordable care act, I can say for certain that "affordable" healthcare has not been delivered to "everyone".

      Well, that'd be hard, since it wasn't about delivering affordable health care, as it was not a national plan for a healthcare infrastructure.

      Would that that had been the agenda.

      Every single person I know is paying significantly more for healthcare than they were 6 years ago. Even worse, many are paying for plans with such high deductibles, that their so-called health insurance is never used.

      Sounds like they need to re-examine their choices then, but how do you expect us to help strangers?

      The ACA did absolutely nothing to contain cost increases that have been outstripping inflation and wages by many many times. At best the ACA can be credited with bringing catastrophic coverage to some folks who never had any coverage at all - at a significant cost to everyone else.

      Hmm, some sources differ with your contentions.

      The ACA needs to be put in the trash and replaced with something that actually controls cost increases.

      Go ahead and suggest it. The Republicans sure haven't.

  23. Re:Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    Maybe she's faking not being able to fake sincerity?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  24. Like Al Gore by wherrera · · Score: 1

    Some said that Gore's Botox treatment of his aging forehead and crowsfeet wrinkles made his facial expressions look fake on TV, and lost him many thousands of votes in the presidential election.

  25. Re:Why I don't like Ted Cruz by shadowrat · · Score: 1

    TLDR: ted cruz is bad.

  26. Re: Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    I didn't say honest as a priest.

    All politicians lie. My point was that cruz and trump lie much more than the standard for politicians.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  27. I see your source and raise you mine by zerofoo · · Score: 2

    Rising health care premiums:

    http://www.politico.com/story/...

    Anyone who actually pays the bill for their healthcare is reporting the same thing - higher premiums and even higher deductibles. Our company has multiple insurance brokers competing for our healthcare policies - every single one, every year, has come back with significant cost increases.

    This issue is going to hurt the Democrats during this election cycle. They pushed for the ACA, and told everyone that it would control costs and increase coverage. They can't blame Republicans for this as not a single Republican voted for this mess.

    1. Re:I see your source and raise you mine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      The actual statistics do not agree with Politico.com (you'd be on firmer ground citing Wikipedia, by far):
      http://kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/analysis-of-2016-premium-changes-in-the-affordable-care-acts-health-insurance-marketplaces/

      The sticker shock is higher - but not after the tax credit. If you make over 4x the federal, then yeah, you're not eligible for the tax credit and you're probably going to pay more. But that's the whole point. It's a progressive legislation, designed to subsidize health insurance for people with low incomes.

      Also worth pointing out that overall health care costs are growing much more slowly than the decade prior to the ACA.

    2. Re:I see your source and raise you mine by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 4, Interesting

      A question: Would health insurance premiums have risen over the past 8 years even if Barry O's healthcare policy hadn't been enacted? I suspect an angry middle-class will be disappointed if they expect premiums to stabilise or fall under President Trump.

      Here in Australia, the government attempted to 'Americanize' health care by offering tax incentives to take out private health insurance. Yet premiums are expected to rise 5.6% this year and no one bats an eyelid.

    3. Re:I see your source and raise you mine by dryeo · · Score: 1

      I live in a single payer jurisdiction and the same thing is happening, medicare premiums keep climbing, healthcare takes a bigger and bigger chunk of the governments budget, with no end in sight.
      There's a combination of factors, not even counting the greed of the insurance companies that you guys have to deal with. Aging population, which needs more care. Drug prices keep climbing, due to a combination of the pharmaceutical companies BS with patents and such (only going to get worse with the trade deals you guys are pushing) and more expensive drugs coming online. Even the diagnostic stuff keeps getting more expensive, with more and more expensive machinery. Then there is just other capabilities that have come on line. Need a new hip or knee? Well now we can deliver.
      I'm sure there is a lot more that I'm forgetting.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
  28. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by penguinoid · · Score: 2

    I'm not sure how Politifact decides which statements to rate, but I'm pretty sure Trump has told the truth more than that one time.

    I rate their "All True statements involving Donald Trump == 1" to be "pants on fire".

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  29. Re:who cares Cruz it out by Martin+Blank · · Score: 1

    Cruz may not be able to win the nomination, but he's not out of the race yet. He can still spoil it for what chance Rubio has left.

    Of course, the reverse is also true. If either Cruz or Rubio dropped out, the remaining candidate would have a far better chance against Trump.

    --
    You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
  30. Re:More likely reason by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

    Thanks, that's not a bad physical comparison. The fat in Cruz's face bothers me more than a weak smile.

    --
    Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
  31. Re: Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

    The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. ... Reason and free enquiry are the only effectual agents against error.
    -- Thomas Jefferson

    Cruz's religious beliefs beliefs are unlikely to cause significant harm. Remember, Carter was also a religious loon, and the damage he did came from his political beliefs, not his religion.

    --
    Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
  32. Re:Why I don't like Ted Cruz by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    TLDR: ted cruz is bad.

    No.

    Ebola is "bad".
    Nuclear war is "bad".
    Sliding down a razor-blade banister into a pool of iodine is "bad".
    Being shot out of a cannon into a barbed-wire fence factory is "bad".

    Ted Cruz is far worse than any of those things.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  33. Tax credits? What about the tax penalties? by zerofoo · · Score: 1

    I know a few young people who have bailed out of the health insurance system entirely. They simply can not afford the premiums - even with the subsidies.

    So they go without insurance at all.

    Guess what happens to them this April? That's right - they will have to pay a tax penalty. The people falling into this pit are primarily young, low-income earners.

    Exactly who the Democrats need to vote if their candidate is going to win.

    This is going to be a massive problem for them.

  34. Re:Obama didn't come across as white by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

    They see his soul.

    --
    Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
  35. Re:Ted crux by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

    Cruz and "his campaign" are not the same thing. Also consider that the original disinformation came from CNN.

    --
    Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
  36. Tricky Dicky by Knightman · · Score: 1

    First time I saw a photo of Ted Cruz I thought that he looked like Richard Nixon for some reason, go figure...

    --
    --- Reality doesn't care about your opinions, it happens anyway and if you are in the way you'll get squished.
  37. It's not his face I care about by kimvette · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't care about politicians' faces. Really.

    I don't dislike Cruz because of his smile; I dislike Cruz because he's an asshole.

    --
    The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  38. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by phantomfive · · Score: 2

    You should probably dig deeper into politifact's system before relying on it in a heavy way......

    At the very least, politifact doesn't even attempt to get 100% coverage of every statement of the candidates, so using it to determine who lies a higher percentage of the time is questionable

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  39. Just wait by Xabraxas · · Score: 4, Funny

    While his face is eminently punchable wait till you see his policies. You'll want to kick him in the nuts.

    --
    Time makes more converts than reason
  40. What is Dominionism by rsborg · · Score: 2

    Here are some primers:

    Courtesy of Wikipedia:

    Dominion Theology is a theocratic ideology that seeks to implement a nation governed by conservative Christians ruling over the rest of society based on their understanding of biblical law

    Courtesy or DailyKos:

    Dominionism, also called Christian Reconstructionism is, simply put, the belief that Christians must take over the planet, and only then can/will Christ return. It is the duty of the Church to take power, and use that power to establish “biblical law” across the globe over time.

    As Gary North (previously mentioned) said "So let us be blunt about it, we must use the doctrine of religious liberty to gain independence for Christian schools until we train up a generation of people who know that there is no religious neutrality, no neutral law, no neutral education, and no neutral civil government. Then they will get busy in constructing a Bible-based social, political and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God."

    --
    Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
  41. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by dywolf · · Score: 1

    hes the best liar in politics today.
    better even than Slick Willy was ever given credit for being.

    --
    The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  42. Re: Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    Jimmy Carter was a Southern Baptist, not a Dominionist. Carter's religion didn't involve trying to take over the nation and then the world and institute Christianity as the sole religion, and it certainly didn't consider non-believers to be "enemies of God" as Cruz does.

  43. Re:More likely reason by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    I'd rather we not care about faces or looks at all in politicians. And not just because it would shorten Trump's speeches by half an hour. The reason is if we continue to care about looks and style and mannerisms then politicians will put up puppets for us to vote for while they control things from behind the scenes. A popularity contest like that of high school rather than a debate on ideas and plans. Certainly we've already gone down this road a bit. Possibly a reason for JFK winning out over Nixon, Obama over McCain, etc.

  44. I don't like his face because by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He's a Theocratist Shit-Sack. Anyone that even HINTS that the Bible should win out over the Constitution can go get fucked sideways with a bandsaw. Keep your church out of my life you christian taliban motherfucker.

    --
    "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  45. Re:More likely reason by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

    I don't see either of those results as being bad in the slightest.

    --
    "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  46. Re:Ted crux by unixisc · · Score: 1

    And also his insistence on bringing up Trump's past Liberal views despite Trump repeatedly asserting that he has evolved. If Cruz wants to challenge that, it's one thing. But he brazenly makes up claims about Trump's positions that are not supported by any of the latter's statements.

  47. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 1

    On the grounds of equal time, Trump ain't exactly being honest.

    http://www.politifact.com/pers...

  48. Re:Ted crux by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

    As long as the Republitards implode and neither of those imbeciles reach the White House, that's fine with me. Wish the alternative was Bernie and not Hillary, but I don't want Hitler 2.0 or Nehemiah Scudder-lite anywhere in power.

    --
    "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  49. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    I think you have a valid point. They may be ignoring some truthful statements that he has made.

    There is an article here...

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12...

    They've only fact checked 75 trump statements but close to 140 hillary clinton statement.

    OTH, they've fact checked 71 jeb bush statements and he has a much more favorable rating than Trump which would argue against bias.

    I don't perceive Politifact as being particularly against Trump so the fact his ratings are terrible and Bush's are good would support the fact that Trump statements which can be fact checked are not true more often. Trump also has a very high "pants on fire" rating which they reserve for statements which are not only untrue but also ridiculous.

    But your point is valid- they could be ignoring (thru intentional or unintentional bias) some of trumps truthful verifiable statements.

    .

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  50. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 2

    You may need a refresher on the bible being against lying generally.

    https://www.openbible.info/top...

    Proverbs 6:16-19 ESV / 824 helpful votes

    There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
    Proverbs 19:9 ESV / 690 helpful votes

    A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.
    Proverbs 12:22 ESV / 653 helpful votes

    Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
    Psalm 101:7 ESV / 448 helpful votes

    No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.
    Colossians 3:9-10 ESV / 406 helpful votes

    Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
    Luke 8:17 ESV / 319 helpful votes

    For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
    Proverbs 12:19 ESV / 253 helpful votes

    Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
    1 John 2:4 ESV / 233 helpful votes

    Whoever says âoeI know himâ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
    Ephesians 4:25 ESV / 210 helpful votes

    Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
    John 8:44 ESV / 196 helpful votes

    You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
    Revelation 21:8 ESV / 167 helpful votes

    But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.â
    1 John 1:9 ESV / 166 helpful votes

    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
    Exodus 20:16 ESV / 166 helpful votes

    âoeYou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
    Proverbs 24:28 ESV / 165 helpful votes

    Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
    Matthew 15:18-20 ESV / 132 helpful votes

    But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.â
    Proverbs 19:5 ESV / 127 helpful votes

    A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
    Romans 12:17-21 ESV / 119 helpful votes

    Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, âoeVengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.â To the contrary, âoeif your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.â Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
    John 8:43-47 ESV / 119 helpful votes

    Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning,

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  51. You are ignorant and/or insane by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    When the nation was founded, 12 of the colonies were OFFICIALLY protestant Christian, and the 13th colony was Catholic. The vast majority of the population was far more Christian than your typical modern-day Republican. THAT was the "Christian Taliban" that wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and created a government so small most people had no interactions with it - including there being no federal taxes on the income or property of average people.

    Ted Cruz is about as far left politically as John F Kennedy was (JFK was not for gay marriage, opposed Marxism, not for unlimited abortion rights, and for a very muscular foreign policy backed by a massive military and lots of nukes) - He's certainly not even as conservative as Reagan, but secular morons have been so successful at trashing American history and traditions that they now think anybody who could have been elected President by EITHER party in 1970 is going to plunge the nation into some imaginary dark ages of a "Christian Taliban" in America. You probably got that none sense from some idiot like Bill Mahr or Kos who makes a living plucking utter claptrap from his own posterior.

    If you had even the slightest clue about protestant Christian beliefs, as opposed to the comic-book view you display, you would know that a Christian Taliban is an oxymoron; the core beliefs of the religion are contrary to the very things you fear and presume they would do as you struggle with your foil hat. The most-fervent Protestant Christians would, if they could get their way, hack the federal government back down to the size it was intended to be when originally designed by protestant Christians, and would be more opposed to some sort of religious police running around enforcing religious edicts than you are.

    Try reading a history book. Try reading some of the writings of our founders. Try reading a Bible (NOT a numbered sentence chosen out of context, but the ENTIRE BOOK like any person who pretends to be literate actually does with any other book). You might accidentally learn something you won't otherwise get from Comedy Central or Facebook.

    1. Re:You are ignorant and/or insane by RespekMyAthorati · · Score: 1

      Unlike you, who is ignorant and insane.

  52. Let me guess, YOU are getting a subsidy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Most people who are not getting a subsidy (money stolen at gunpoint from his neighbor and filtered to him through the government) are getting worse policies and paying more for them. Every one of my immediate relatives lost his/her insurance and doctors as Obamacare kicked-in and ALL of us are paying more for worse policies.

    This is bad government "fixing" problems that resulted from an earlier wave of bad government "fixes" to an earlier wave of bad government policies.

    Most Americans lived their entire lives without health insurance. Doctors USED to make house calls, and yet most Americans paid their doctors in cash at the time services were rendered. Three things changed this: [1] in WWII President Roosevelt implemented "wage and price controls" and as a result the health insurance industry arose and healthcare became so lucrative that [2] lots of new tech flooded into healthcare and then politicians promising stuff to everybody caused [3] the rise of incredible systems of cost-shifting and delusional pricing.

    1) When FDR did that in WWII he was trying to control a fully-mobilized-for-war economy, but he failed to understand a basic truth: businessmen tend to be craftier than politicians because THEY have to meet a "bottom line", even in wartime. Employers, facing a huge labor shortage with millions of men off fighting a war, needed incentives to lure/keep valuable employees. They offered health insurance. By indirectly paying their employee's medical costs, they were in effect giving them a raise by letting them spend the money they would have spent on health on other things instead, while obeying FDR's wage freeze. By the end of the war, huge numbers of Americans had, and were used to, employer-provided health insurance. This had the additional side effect of shielding the average consumer from the actual prices of healthcare - this is now known as "the third payer problem"

    2) With insurers willing to pay the health providers more than an uninsured population previously could, the healthcare field became very lucrative and invited lots of expensive innovation. This is good in many ways, but there was little concern on cost controls as long as the insurers kept paying all the bills. It brought us to where we are now with some amazingly expensive and high-tech stuff and everyone believing they are entitled to have it all. Unlike most markets like computers or cars or clothes, the heath market with their-party-pay lacked a counter-inflationary impulse from the consumer himself with his limited wallet.

    3) As politicians promised to give healthcare to the poor and to seniors, but being unwilling to raise the taxes to get the money to have the government (the taxpayers) pay for it, and with the government writing laws ordering the health industry to provide that care, the health industry had little choice but to inflate the prices for everybody who had insurance - effectively indirectly making the health insurance companies provide the cash for a socialized health system. The average American employee with a health policy saw none of this directly, but as insurers tried to cope, they came up with all sorts of ways to ration for their policy holders (like HMO and PPO plans) to free-up the cash needed to cover the inflated costs from the providers of care and drugs who were doing the government-mandated cost shifting. Politicians LOVE this effect because they get the upside of bragging to voters about the benefits they are providing, while they get to blame the downsides of this crypto-socialism on big evil insurance companies - which they never actually punish because their campaigns are funded by those companies (Obama care did NOTHING bad to the health insurers who were invited into the rooms to help write the law, while Republicans were locked out). Obamacare actually is a boon to the insurers who helped fund Obama's election - it forces all Americans by law to buy their products.

  53. Re:who cares Cruz it out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The fact that everyone is plotting against Trump means we are already fucked, even if we don't get Trump.

    It should not take like 8 candidates, a bunch of ex candidates, ex presidents, and ex vice presidents of both parties to sink a guy who is baited by penis based insults. It should not be the only thing everyone is talking about. It means we are fucked, period.

  54. Re:Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by pnutjam · · Score: 1

    Judging from your signature, I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative., you must love Obama Care. Somebody finally touched one of those untouchable systems that clearly needed tons of reform. Almost any change is good because it starts the inertia moving towards something better (almost anything would be better).
    But...
    I'm guessng your a fooling yourself.

  55. Cruz looks like Colin Mockery who is well liked. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    It's not the face. Cruz looks a lot like Colin Mockery. Colin is well liked and a funny guy.

    It's how Cruz carries himself. He's not comfortable in his own skin.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  56. The appearance of his face ... by Rambo+Tribble · · Score: 1

    ... while hardly endearing, is decidedly less offensive than what comes out of it.

  57. Hilary Hitlery by unixisc · · Score: 1

    HILARY is Hitler 2.0. In fact, she is worse: Hitler at least did what he did hoping to make his country #1. Hilary leaked sensitive secrets that put the lives of US agents abroad at risk

  58. Tim Calhoun? by tmjva · · Score: 1

    Surprised no one has ever said it. He looks like the Saturday Night Live character: "Tim Calhoun".

    --
    Tracy Johnson
    Old fashioned text games hosted below:
    http://empire.openmpe.com/
    BT
  59. Re:Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by readin · · Score: 1

    I'm less hostile toward Obamacare than a lot of conservatives - but I would rather have seen smaller reforms first. For example we should end the connection between employment and healthcare. Why do people lose their healthcare when they lose their jobs? Because the government wrote the tax code to make people get healthcare through their employer. One reform Obamacare does that I think could and should have been done separately is the rule that you don't lose your insurance when you get sick. The plan ought to be required to cover the cost of the illness you got when you had the insurance even if the illness outlasts the insurance.

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  60. Re:More likely reason by readin · · Score: 1

    I agree we shouldn't be concerned about looks. But the sad fact is that most of our fellow voters will be swayed more by charm and looks than by talent so it is something we have to be aware of.

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  61. Re: Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by readin · · Score: 1

    A quick google search tells me that he generally evades the question of evolution. That's fine with me. A good politician tries to avoid offending people and anyway the question has little relevance to modern day politics. He says he's a Christian so I assume he believes God created the Universe (and whatever else there may be). HOW God did it doesn't seem to matter that much to modern politics. What matters to me, and what I assume was not asked, was whether he understands the theory of evolution, whether he understands the process of evolution, and whether he can see how such mechanisms happen throughout human history and modern day occurrences. Does he understand why overuse of antibiotics is a problem? Does he understand how societies evolve? Does he understand how market forces, survival of the fittest, and creative destruction create more 'fit' economic behaviors, and how 'fitness' can be both a good thing and a bad thing (that evolution doesn't always lead wo what we would call 'improvement'?

    But I don't expect anyone will ask him those questions. Even if the journalists were smart enough to form those questions, the general public wouldn't understand or care and the liberal journalists are more interested in trying to make Cruz look bad than in finding out how intelligent and well-informed he may be.

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  62. Re: Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by readin · · Score: 1

    Carter's religion didn't involve trying to take over the nation and then the world and institute Christianity as the sole religion

    Who are you suggesting wants to do that?

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  63. Re:Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by pnutjam · · Score: 1

    That's excellent. Coverage should not be linked to employers. Unfortunately, the only way to do that is a individual mandate or a single payer system. If we're going to force people to have something, why not make it most efficient and easiest by going to single payer? There is plenty of room for private insurance on top of a comprehensive standard policy.
    I agree, it should absolutely cover things that are discovered when you have insurance. That should spur research towards cures, not long term treatments.

  64. Doing something right by entropy01 · · Score: 1

    When you see this much visceral hatred, you know he's doing something right.

  65. Re:Un... goto politifact. Cruz really lies a lot. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    http://www.politifactbias.com/

    This is a great site for cross checking / validating for politifact bias.

    It's strongly conservative biased so it's only helpful for conservative statements.

    Those I checked seemed pretty reasonable. On example being where Obama called Bengazi a terrorist act- Romney later said Obama said Bengazi was a terrorist incident (or an incident of terrorism) and politifact jumped all over it as a false statement by Romney since "act" is different than "incident". Politifact seemed pretty biased in that case (quibbling).

    However- It only shows about 7% of politifacts ratings of falsehoods are dubious. So about 93% of the time, politifact gets it right.

    More tricky is the failure to rate true statements. Clearly any statement which is true but non-controversial won't be fact checked ("The sky is blue! I'm pro-american!"). And it's proving a negative (They DIDN'T choose to rate this controversial and true statement by my candidate so he looks less truthful!).

    Anyway, Politifactbias.com is one way to cross check Politifact.com.

    And ironically shows politifact bias is fairly small (7% of statements found to be incorrect/biased by a hostile audience of politifactbias.com users).

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  66. Re: Where are such analysis of Hillary!, anyway? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    Um, Ted Cruz. He's a Dominionist. Go read about Dominionism; that's exactly what they advocate.