Wait a minute . . . did Robert B. Reich make this anti-Cruz video to help Cruz?

You will of course remember Robert B. Reich, who served as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton and has remained outspoken ever since on all kinds of issues - but mainly economic ones - and from a decidedly left-wing perspective that made it no surprise to anyone when he came out recently in support of Bernie Sanders. (Besides, given his Clinton history, he probably knows Hillary too well.).

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From what we know of Reich, there's no doubt in my mind that he means every word he says in this video, which basically amounts to both Cruz and Trump are horrible but Cruz is more dangerous because he's an ideological fanatic, and not the kind we like. That's easy enough to understand. And if your point in making the video is to explain this to other left-wingers, my guess is that it's probably persuasive with that group. But what do you think is going to happen once you post it on YouTube and Facebook, as Reich did? I don't know if he's really this unaware of how conservatives actually talk and think, but if Reich had been trying to cut a pro-Cruz commercial for the GOP primary race, it's hard to see how he could have done much better than this: Cruz supporters have been gleefully sharing this on social media since Saturday evening, and why not? It hits all the points you'd want. Cruz is a real ideological conservative. Cruz isn't there to make friends. Cruz wants to get rid of the IRS. Cruz believes the Second Amendment actually guarantees you the right own a gun. Cruz is strategic. Cruz is disciplined. All this from someone who's trying to convince you Cruz is a dangerous lunatic. Let me tell you something I actually like about Reich: I agree with him on just about nothing, but I enjoy the fact that he simply says what he thinks rather than what he calculates will advance a political needle this way or that way. Maybe he completely understood how Cruz supporters would use this. Maybe he didn't care. It's still what he thinks so he said it. Ted Cruz should send him a cake. And if it's possible from a copyright perspective, Cruz should also make good use of this video. He'd be a lunatic not to.

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