Ted Cruz - A Real Life "Greg Stillson" - From the 'Dead Zone'?

Ted Cruz has recently announced his presidential candidacy but there is no doubt that anyone who knows about this guy's background ought to be nervous, especially if he manages to bamboozle enough dopes to vote for him in primaries.  Given the stupidity of too many American voters it's quite possible this zealot could be the Reepo's candidate come 2016.

The New York Times, in a recent piece, describes him as "a conservative with sharp elbows" but he is more than that, he's a damned narcissist - which we certainly don't need occupying the White House.  The Times also described one incident in 2000 in which his inability to take orders became manifest while a junior Bush campaign aide. Cruz had originally secured a ticket to be present in the Supreme Court for Bush v. Gore but was asked to relinquish it to Donald Evans -long time Bush buddy. Cruz "chafed at the very idea, refusing to hand over his ticket and only backed down after an angry phone call from a senior staffer."

"Classic Cruz", according to the Times, but also classic narcissist and egomaniacal zealot - who believes his own ego, desires and pride dominate all other issues. The fact this renegade went so far as to shut the government down with his Tea Party crazies shows where his interests lie, and they aren't invested in the nation's welfare.

The more I saw of Cruz speeches and demagoguery the more they evoked the zealot fictional presidential candidate Greg Stillson, from the science fiction flick. 'The Dead Zone'.  In the movie, Stillson was a junior  Senator  whose messages of "personal responsibility"  and "small government"  combined with firebrand speeches and charisma catapulted  him to the top as a presidential candidate.

Poll after poll showed him locking up the nomination, again, because too many morons bought into his shtick.  The only suspicious  citizen turned out to be a former school teacher: Christopher Walken's crippled character.  However, after a nasty car accident he came away with an unusual talent: being able to see the future merely by making hand contact with a person.

Thus it was during one Stillson campaign stop, the teacher stands in line for the glad-handing and when he does make contact the image of Stillson as President takes hold.   There Stillson is, with a gun pointed at the head of his VP,  demanding he enter his own nuclear codes to complete Stillson's aspiration for a first strike missile launch   "sending the missiles forth to launch Armageddon."

The Veep complies as the new Prez receives the call that "the missiles are flying" and he screams in a voice eerily resembling Ted Cruz': "Hallelujiah! We have made history and fulfilled Bible prophecy!"

Of course, that would be the future had Walken's character not made contact. But he did. Thus, the film ends with the teacher making an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Stillson at a local confab.  Stillson survives, but only by snatching an infant from a supporter- which he holds up in front of his head. In the next instant the would-be assassin is felled by bullets from bodyguards, and Stillson leaves with his entourage,  shaken. However, the media are there with cameras at the ready and catch him using the infant as a shield. He (baby held up in front) makes the cover of all the major news magazines the following week.

The day after, staring at his cowardly image on the cover of Newsweek, he blows his own brains out, his Armageddon dreams unfulfilled.

But, of course, that movie was fiction. There are in reality no such things as crippled school teachers with precognitive powers who can see a presidential candidate's future actions.  If, indeed, Ted Cruz is a real life "Greg Stillson" (even in some limited but disturbing ways) it will be up to the American electorate to ensure he doesn't progress to the stage of being a GOP 2016 nominee.

Then there is the matter of funding. Will the GOP's deep pocket contributors really be prepared to back a zealot like Cruz? I doubt it.  But hey, the "race"  is still early so we will see. I somehow think Cruz jumping the gun on the rest of the field will show them what a narcissist he is and why his claim  to history will be short-lived. If nothing else, the debates next year should expose him to the nation as the Sen. Joe McCarthy-like creepazoid he really is.