Ted Cruz can’t cut a break. No matter what the Texas senator does, he always seems to step in it, not unlike Sideshow Bob and that sea of rakes. Whether he’s blocking a bill meant to save the lives of veterans, trying to feign toughness or picking fights with puppets, he’s always raked over the coals on social media. On the latest episode of the podcast he does with Michael Knowles, the young Republican and the only person on the planet who thinks he’s genuinely funny, Cruz tried to make fun of people stoked that Joe Biden made their lives better. And wouldn’t you know he only succeeded in pissing a ton of folks off.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) says there’s a “real risk” Biden forgiving some student loan debt will help Democrats in the 2022 midterms:
“If you are that slacker barista who wasted seven years in college … if you can get off the bong for a minute … it could drive up turnout.” pic.twitter.com/COjbho5tD9
— The Recount (@therecount) August 26, 2022
Like a lot of conservatives who hate when the government helps people, Cruz is hopping mad that President Joe Biden announced he’s cancelling a small amount of student debt, which has all but financially crippled a generation. He expressed his disdain by crapping on the young and/or working class.
“If you are that slacker barista who wasted seven years in college studying completely useless things, now has loans and can’t get a job, Joe Biden just gave you 20 grand,” Cruz, who went to Princeton and Harvard, told Knowles, who went to Yale. “And you know, if you can get off the bong for a minute and head down to the voting station… or just send in your mail-in ballot that the Democrats have helpfully sent you, it could drive up turnout, particularly among young people.”
Cruz’s tone was one of withering contempt for the people who prepare his coffee, and who probably weren’t going to vote for him before he slammed them anyway. But a lot of people noticed the classist overtones from a member of the party allegedly for the working class.
Nothing reveals a person’s true character then the way they treat servers (or anyone they deem “subservient”).
I wasn’t a barista/bartender; I was a bouncer. My Friday and Saturday nights were spent throwing smug, unctuous, jackasses out the door. Texas should do the same. https://t.co/YG8ogYFLbq
— W. Earl Brown (@WEarlBrown) August 27, 2022
It’s hard to think of a more elitist view of student debt. This is the way Republican Ivy League grads think about people who work their way through school. https://t.co/1xSJA55drd
— Lawrence O’Donnell (@Lawrence) August 27, 2022
Being a waiter was my first job. It was also my most important job. The quick-thinking, prioritization, and people skills I learned defined my career.
Food service workers are the biggest hustlers you will ever meet. Only a privileged out of touch fool would call them slackers. https://t.co/rscqcPE6cc
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) August 27, 2022
Hey, @tedcruz, everytime I’m at a @Starbucks all I see are folks busting their asses behind that counter. “Slackers”? Maybe you’d be more supportive of working Americans if they called your wife ugly. https://t.co/eYekrQ6l62
— ralphgarman (@RalphGarman) August 27, 2022
If you manage to convince yourself that you are superior to a barista that you’ve never met, you’re a f***ing scumbag.
There’s my political opinion for the year. https://t.co/XvDrZ5owCz
— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) August 27, 2022
Why do Republicans think that everyone who doesn’t have a lot of money or have gotten some bad breaks are “slackers?” And why do some of those “slackers” vote for them? And why is being a barista dishonorable? https://t.co/YFkBz3tc0h
— Stan Van Gundy (@realStanVG) August 27, 2022
Took me 10 yrs to get degree
Enlisted USAF
Got Associates Degree
Earned ROTC scholarship
Went to UVA
Worked as bouncer & door installer—graduated w/ DistinctionLife went from there…
I respect Baristas & folks that work. It’s hard when you’re not spoon fed. Bong hits or not https://t.co/HbqtXOrafX
— Denver Riggleman (@RepRiggleman) August 27, 2022
“Slacker barista”
The Republican party thinks the middle class is full of lazy slackers. Disgusting. https://t.co/usMTBE9shu
— Ally Sammarco (@Ally_Sammarco) August 27, 2022
Slacker baristas still make your fuckin’ latte, you contemptuous asshole. https://t.co/1MiG190X2P
— The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) August 27, 2022
After serving four years in the Army, I spent six years in college and earned my BA and MA in English.
I taught comp. and lit. for many years, but these days, I work as a diesel tech.
I guess @tedcruz thinks that I’m a slacker. https://t.co/TEAjmp70Au
— Jason Rogers (@Rogers4Texas) August 27, 2022
Being a barista is hard. You have to juggle multiple drink/food orders, operate machines correctly, maintain the public area and take care of other customer needs.
Indeed, any food service job is hard. There’s just a lot to keep track of, usually with little assistance. https://t.co/yFF03hIo2c
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) August 27, 2022
Working at a busy Starbucks is harder than every corporate 6 figure job i’ve ever had besides maybe one. https://t.co/9TfNQShU5o
— Brandon Bradford (@BrandonLBradfor) August 27, 2022
I know all the nurses and teachers in Texas who are working hard to pay off their loans don’t need this comparison from a guy who looks like his mom still buys his clothes. https://t.co/Ft1VhMLeQi
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) August 27, 2022
Others felt it wasn’t a great way for the GOP to court the youth vote.
How not to win young voters https://t.co/uFX8guCBk1
— MM (@adgirlMM) August 27, 2022
RT if you smoke bongs AND you vote. https://t.co/Wn3QZihYTz
— Tom Angell ⓥ (@tomangell) August 27, 2022
Again, doing our messaging for us. Are you a college grad who’s in a minimum wage job? Ted Cruz thinks you’re lazy! https://t.co/UE5LQSk4er
— Elizabeth Spiers (@espiers) August 27, 2022
Some were concerned that Cruz was about to get a lot of spit in his coffee going forward.
Ted Cruz is never going to get a spit-free coffee for the rest of his life lol https://t.co/d1MNdnxm0s
— Imani Two-Kitchens Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) August 27, 2022
Hey, Rafael!
Regular bong user here. I’m doing fine.
Also…
Would you like your latte with mucus or spit? https://t.co/mZYwRi3YPb
— Greg Baldwin (@GregBaldwinIroh) August 27, 2022
I wonder how many boogers await Ted’s next oat milk latte https://t.co/TisnmZJOzY
— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) August 27, 2022
And of course, there were a fair amount of references to his little Cancún trip from last year, when he abandoned his job to go on vacation then blamed it on young people (i.e., his kids).
Dear @tedcruz,
IMHO, a « slacker » is someone who flies off to #Cancun when his voters are surviving with no heat or power in middle of winter.
Have you ever seen how hard #Baristas work? If you worked as hard as they do, you would say more intelligent things.
Sincerely, Peter https://t.co/ZSWCyQ1LPD— Peter Julian (@MPJulian) August 27, 2022
Can anyone remember the name of the slacker who ditched Texas during the #texasfreeze 2 years ago and flew to Cancun, then blamed it on his kids? https://t.co/qFpAuUlXUA
— Joel Montfort (@jmontforttx) August 27, 2022
Reminder that this is the same @SenTedCruz who deserted the people of his state in a crisis and the guy who, when Trump called his wife ugly and his father JFK’s assassin, planted his treasonous tongue onto Trump’s taint and hasn’t let go. Ted Cruz is a gutless piece of garbage. https://t.co/BYen4z8sdj
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) August 27, 2022
Maybe, some postulated, the real slacker is the senator who doesn’t do much except raise various stinks, get into social media fights with stars of his favorite movies, and record podcasts.
Love to be a senator who spends most of his time podcasting and slagging off on low-wage Americans.
A truly winning message. https://t.co/fCwn8JoDL7
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 27, 2022
Hard-working barista > blow-harding senator. https://t.co/hxHntYFMlL
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) August 27, 2022
Ted Cruz has never worked a blue collar job in his life. He went from the air conditioned lecture halls of Princeton and Harvard, to the office chair of a law firm—and now he blabbers on a podcast & can’t even be bothered to be a Senator.
Yet, he dumps on American wage workers. https://t.co/3xSlxz7Uni
— Heath Mayo (@HeathMayo) August 27, 2022
Maybe Cruz was just jealous that Democrats keep doing popular things that will make their lives better and perhaps ensure that they retain power.
A dim warning sign flickers on in the heads of Republicans like Ted Cruz: “Democrats appear to be doing things that make their voters happy.” https://t.co/zSWBnw1LQv
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) August 27, 2022