It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And by that, I mean it’s debate season. I usually love the presidential debates. Give me a nice cup of tea, some politically aware friends and a good presidential debate, and I’ll have the perfect evening. I also find the debates relatively helpful in trying to figure out whose views I agree with most.
This election season, however, the debates have been anything but helpful. Instead, each debate is becoming more and more ridiculous than the last. Instead of actually debating with each other, it seems like the candidates are simply trying to outdo each other with their nonsensical or outlandish statements.
The trend continued Thursday at the sixth Republican primary debate, featuring the highest polling Republican candidates. At one point in the debate, moderator Maria Bartiromo asked Texas Sen. Ted Cruz what he meant by stating that opponent Donald Trump embodied “New York values.”
Cruz first responded with, “You know, I think most people know exactly what ‘New York values’ are,” which prompted laughter from the audience.
He then elaborated, “Everybody understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal and pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage.”
Trump then responded by defending New York, reminding Cruz about the city’s response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“No place on earth could have handled that more beautifully, more humanely than New York,” Trump said.
The exchange between the two sparked a firestorm of resentment from New Yorkers. The next day, the cover of the New York Daily News featured a picture of the Statue of Liberty with its middle finger in the air and the headline, “Drop Dead, Ted.” Hillary Clinton, a former New York senator, tweeted, “Just this once, Trump’s right,” and “Saturday Night Live” poked fun at Cruz’s comments on its episode this past weekend.
Some even accused Cruz of being anti-Semitic, such as Jezebel’s Joanna Rothkopf in her article, “Ted, Just Say ‘Jewish.’”
The comments also spurred the trending hashtag #NewYorkValues, which featured twitter users’ perceptions of what New York values are. Most of the tweets praised New York for being a city of acceptance and diversity.
In a statement released Friday, Cruz apologized “to the millions of New Yorkers who have been let down by liberal politicians in that state.”
In my opinion, the most infuriating thing about this whole fiasco is how divisive Cruz’s words are. He encouraged laughter and playfulness from the debate’s South Carolina audience in an “us-against-them” type of moment. This kind of separation works for him, because it makes him seem like some kind of conservative knight in shining armor.
But what about everyone else?
Cruz’s apology is relevant to New York’s conservative population, but it purposely slights all of the city’s liberals and Democrats. Cruz does not seem to understand that if elected president, he will not just become the president of the conservative Republicans of the United States. He has to lead and respect all citizens — even those whose views do not align with his own.
For the record, I watched the debate with my parents. My mother considers herself a liberal Democrat and my father describes his political views with phrases like, “I like to think I’m a Republican, but when I listen to these guys talk, I really don’t know.”
We live about 25 miles outside of New York City in New Jersey. Both of my parents lived in New York City for about 10 years, and my dad’s family originally hails from the neighborhood of Canarsie in Brooklyn. My brother and I were both born in New York City. Whenever anyone in my family is sick or needs some kind of procedure done, we choose New York City hospitals that have some of the best doctors in the world.
New York is special to my family and me. Surprisingly, I was not personally offended by Cruz’s comments at the debate. If he views New York as a place where people are okay with women receiving reproductive healthcare that might cover abortions, I’m proud. If Cruz views New York as a place that supports letting people marry each other regardless of gender, then I’m proud.
It sounds to me like Cruz is understandably threatened and afraid of New York City. To him, it is a center of progress, acceptance and diversity. Well, Sen. Cruz, if you have a problem with these citizens whom you hope to lead, maybe you aren’t an ideal candidate for president of the United States.
Very well-written. Sadly, the feeling is mutual. Growing up in the Northeast, I have heard and read my fair share of truly elitist comments and social media posts (see YallQaeda), which feeds into a vicious cycle of unhealthy regional rivalry.