Talk radio host Mark Levin argued GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is campaigning against fellow candidate Ted Cruz in a manner that is “Alinsky-ite” and “Nixonian” on Wednesday.
Levin said, “Here’s my concern, if he [Trump] becomes the nominee, a lot of people, who otherwise would unite under that tent may not. Because when you run a campaign of personal attacks, an Alinsky-ite campaign, wittingly or unwittingly, you turn people off.” He added that while Trump’s poll numbers might be high, he’s not at 51% and hasn’t “won anything yet.” He continued that if he was polling where Trump is he wouldn’t “keep going down, trying to beat the opponent into the ground and destroy their character, and do all these other things, like liberals do.”
Levin also turned to Trump saying that Washington’s problem is that “they don’t make deals, it’s all gridlock,” Levin countered that “Washington makes a lot of deals.” The problem is those deals are bad. Levin then wondered who Trump planned on making these deals with.
After playing the rest of the interview, where Trump criticizes Cruz, Levin further accused Trump of engaging in “dirty, lowdown politics.” And asked, “Is that Reaganesque, or more Nixonesque? Is that more Nixon or Reagan?”
Later in the segment, Levin said of Trump’s remarks about Cruz’s birthplace and eligibility, “Nixonian? Yeah. Nixonian vs. Reagan. Reagan with his 11th Commandment. Nixonian, we’ll do whatever we have to do. Pretty much, say what needs to be said.”
He concluded the segment with, “So, here’s Ted Cruz, one of the leading conservatives in the country. Here’s Ted Cruz, 30 days ago, was considered a solid conservative constitutionalist. And in 30 days time, you and I are supposed to believe the opposite. The opposite, that he’s a maniac, that he’s a criminal, that he’s Canadian, that he tried to hide his loans. Nixon.”
Levin also challenged Trump to sue Cruz on his eligibility and let people decide what they think about such a lawsuit.
He also argued Trump was running “two tracks” by claiming that he’s both an outsider, and someone who can make deals and work with the establishment.
Earlier, Levin stated, “Trump was just on Fox. You know, I have to say, I think Donald Trump on Fox more than Karl Rove. Have you noticed that? I don’t know why the other candidates don’t complain about, you know, we want fairness. Fair and balanced.” He then turned to Trump’s position on ethanol, which he said Trump is defending with the ” very spurious argument” that ethanol is needed to keep OPEC from getting strong. Levin argued that fracking, not ethanol, is weakening OPEC because fracking drives down the cost of fuel, while ethanol increases it. Levin added, “I’m very troubled by this. Because I have to believe he understands it, yet he wants you folks to believe that we ought to fight OPEC and this is one of the ways to fight OPEC.” He further stated that the money that goes into Iowa due to ethanol is “crony capitalism. Just say, ‘I support crony capitalism in this instance.’ That’s all.”
Levin then turned to Trump’s criticisms of Cruz for his loan from Goldman Sachs. Levin said Cruz didn’t hide his loan, rather he filed it on one form instead of another, “That’s hiding something in public view.” Levin further argued that Cruz didn’t get anything out of the loan aside from the loan itself, something most people have.
Later on, he argued that if there is evidence of criminality with regards to the loans, they ought to present it. He further called Trump’s accusation that Cruz sought to conceal his loans “a flat-out lie.” And stated, “Stop lying about it. But he won’t.” Levin also said, “He [Cruz] wasn’t laundering money through the Clinton Foundation, of which Trump gave $100,000.”
Levin also stated that Trump supported the TARP bailout while Cruz didn’t, and Trump’s argument that Cruz wouldn’t be tough on banks because he took out a loan doesn’t make any sense considering that almost everyone uses banks, and owns a car, but doesn’t support bailing them out.
(h/t Mediaite)
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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