Appearing on Fox News’ MediaBuzz on Sunday, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker demonstrated a complete 180 degree change of heart surrounding Senator Ted Cruz’ presidential prospects. At first, Parker argued that “he’s obviously not going to win the presidency” before insisting that when it comes to Cruz “the Washington media are really out of touch with real America.”
Parker’s comments came during a panel discussing surrounding the media’s treatment of Ted Cruz in which liberal journalist Juan Williams insisted that Cruz received just as much criticism from conservatives as he does from the liberal media.
Parker went on to argue that not only is Cruz never going to win the presidency, but that over the years he has moved far to the right:
But he's obviously not going to win the presidency. Okay, that's not going to happen. We know that. But I do think -- and by the way, I've spoken to people in the Bush administration who remember a different Ted Cruz. He is an actor who acts alone. And he gives maverick a bad name. But he used to be much more moderate in his views. But he recognized the Tea Party power and he latched on to that in the same way that Sarah Palin did. They do share that.
While Parker was quick to label Cruz’s presidential prospects as extremely bleak, she changed her tune and rushed to his defense later in the segment.
After Nina Easton of Fortune magazine noted during the government shutdown, Cruz was getting overwhelming support back home, Parker insisted that the Washington media were out of touch in their coverage of the Texas Republican:
And I think this speaks to the fact that the Washington media are really out of touch with real America. You know, the rest of the country has a completely different way of seeing things. And to those who feel like this Obama administration is characterized by government overreach and big government programs, if you’ve got someone like Ted Cruz, who as you say was a champion debater who is really very, very smart and he can articulate the opposite positions of Republicans and conservatives, they're delighted to have Ted Cruz.
See relevant transcript below.
Fox News’ MediaBuzz
March 29, 2015
HOWARD KURTZ: Juan Williams, it's not all the liberal media. Wall Street Journal editorial page criticizing him as a polarizing figure, self-centered. So he has a knack for stirring up these negative reviews.
JUAN WILLIAMS: I think he does. And I think I'll irritate Kathleen [Parker] and Nina this Sunday morning by saying I think it's conservatives who have really gone after Ted Cruz. Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal yesterday basically saying this guy is someone who is not only inexperienced and doesn't have much of a track record in the Senate, but someone who really does not have a chance to be elected president of the United States. And if you as a Republican care about beating the Democrats and claiming the White House, that you wouldn't be lining up with Ted Cruz.
KATHLEEN PARKER: Juan, what I said is not to the exclusion of what you've just acknowledged.
KURTZ: You’re supposed to be irritated--
PARKER: It takes a lot more than that to irritate me. But he's obviously not going to win the presidency. Okay, that's not going to happen. We know that. But I do think -- and by the way, I've spoken to people in the Bush administration who remember a different Ted Cruz. He is an actor who acts alone. And he gives maverick a bad name. But he used to be much more moderate in his views. But he recognized the Tea Party power and he latched on to that in the same way that Sarah Palin did. They do share that.
--HOWARD KURTZ: He's not a guy who is running as an establishment candidate. And in fact, there are ways in which he's ticked people off including some of his colleagues on his side of the aisle is part of what has attracted all this media attention. I mean, after all, the guy has only been in the Senate two years. I don’t say that as a disqualification. I say, look what a national figure he's become.
NINA EASTON: And again, when he was getting criticism by a lot of us over the government shutdown episode, he was getting standing room only applause, people standing on their feet in Texas. He was building a movement.
KATHLEEN PARKER: You’re so right. And I think this speaks to the fact that the Washington media are really out of touch with real America. You know, the rest of the country has a completely different way of seeing things. And to those who feel like this Obama administration is characterized by government overreach and big government programs, if you’ve got someone like Ted Cruz, who as you say was a champion debater who is really very, very smart and he can articulate the opposite positions of Republicans and conservatives, they're delighted to have Ted Cruz.
