Day: March 7, 2016

Another Reason We Don’t Believe Ted Cruz

Buck Banks

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. 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.

— Neurologist Richard Cytowic, telling Quartz that the unusual movements of Sen. Ted Cruz’s face may make him seem less sincere to the human brain than other candidates.

Biden’s Excellent Ted Cruz Joke

Buck Banks

An inspiration to every kid in America who worries that he’ll never be able to run for president because nobody likes him. He’s running. And look, I told Barack, if you really, really want to remake the Supreme Court, nominate Cruz. Before you know it, you’ll have eight vacancies.

— The Washington Post reports Vice President Joe Biden poked fun at Sen. Ted Cruz as the Gridiron Dinner.

Democrat Turnout is Down in States that Have Enacted Voter ID Laws

Buck Banks

37%

Amount Democratic turnout has dropped in eight out of the 16 states that have held primaries or caucuses that implemented new voter ID or other restrictive voting laws since 2010, reports Huffington Post. But turnout is down “just 13 percent in the states that didn’t enact new voter restrictions. To put it another way, Democratic voter turnout was 285 percent worse in states with new voter ID laws.”

Ben Carson Raised More than His Opponents and Blew It on Consultants

Buck Banks

$58 million

Amount Ben Carson’s failed presidential campaign raised — more than any other GOP contender. “But Carson’s campaign burned through much more of that money on fundraising and consultants than on mass media advertising, on-the-ground employees and other things that could have swayed voters. … Ben Carson ran for president, and his consultants won,” the AP reports.

In Case Pres. Cruz Needs a ‘Trans Abassador’

Buck Banks

I like Ted Cruz. I think he’s very conservative and a great constitutionalist and a very articulate man. I haven’t endorsed him or anything like that. But I also think, he’s an evangelical Christian, and probably one of the worst ones when it comes to trans issues.

— Caitlyn Jenner, in an interview with The Advocate, later adding that she would like to be his “trans ambassador” if he’s elected president.

Obamacare Has Insured 20 Million

Buck Banks

20 million

While the nation is transfixed with the spectacle of whether the Republican Party will nominate a racist demagogue who wants to repeal Obamacare and cut taxes for the rich, or a traditional conservative who wants to repeal Obamacare and cut taxes for the rich, it’s worth pausing to take note that Obamacare continues to make things much better. … In particular, in addition to surprisingly and historically low rates of health-care cost inflation, today the Department of Health & Human Services announces that a net 20 million people have now gained access to health insurance. — Jonathan Chait, in New York Magazine</h2>