Ted Cruz Criticized for Naming "Watchmen" Character as One of His Favorite Superheroes

[Lot 49]

I just went into my kitchen and found Ted Cruz eating beans out of the can.

[Shawn Hopkins]

There are interviews from way back in the 1980s that have Moore himself saying Rorschach was his favorite character in Watchmen.

Obviously, Rorschach is a scary person, and anyone who says they're just like Rorschach probably would cause any sane person to back away. But that doesn't change the fact that Rorschach is a sympathetic character and intended by Alan Moore to be sympathetic, despite being also a complete nut. Rorschach's whole background of being abused by his mother is intended to portray him as sympathetic and present us with reasons for him to be so screwed-up.

He's pitiful. Not sympathetic. Two different things.

[cactusmaac]

He's a Republican. He could say he was a huge Firefly and Dr Who fan and some liberal with a stick up their behind would construe it as indicative of a warped personality.

[Rockstadt]

Cruz probably decided to just stick with characters who had been in movies, and figured out that if he had said one of his favorites was Matter Eater Lad, a superhero who had also become a senator, he'd be mocked even more in the press.

Didn't Matter Eater Lad once eat a machine (Omega machine?) to save the solar system/galaxy/universe? He ate the machine even though he knew it would hurt him, I think it made him crazy, to save others. So while he wasn't a very cool or intimidating hero he sacrifised himself when it mattered, showing real heroism. Not a fighter but someone who would do the right thing for the good of the people are characteristics I could accept in a president. Though I agree most people wouldn't be impressed.

Ted Cruz' love for Rorschach is a little ominous to me. Rorschach wasn't willing to compromise even after Veidt's plan had succeeded. He said he was going to go back and reveal all about the plan, ruining the peaceful future millions had been sacrificed to make possible. It's kinda like the Republicans wanting to cancel the Iran peace talks just to piss off Obama even though everyone know it's the best/only deal that's possible (US sanctions aren't very effective if Europe, Russia and China drop theirs, so breaking the deal in 2017 won't bring a better deal, just antagonize the rest of the world). Some of them might actually be deranged enough to believe their own arguments, but most of them would probably rather have propaganda points with their public than actual results, much like Rorschach only wanted peace on Earth on his own terms.

It's also a little strange to me that a former District Attorney (or General Attorney?) lists a "hero" that breaks more legal standards than most other supposed good guy characters. Breaking fingers of innocent (in that specific case) people and threatening others were within Rorschach's modus operandi, so were illegal searches planting evidence. But iidolizing the extremists at The New Statesman and homophobia is probably right up Cruz' alley. He has quite a few things in common with Rorschach, though I think the Comedian might have been a better fit. But I guess the rape thing, the killing of pregnant girlfriends and the possible/probable assassination of JFK may be a little too questionable for the public?

Hmmm. I see the love for Batman and Spider-Man as they are loved by most, but they both have an aversion to guns, and when I read Batman he still had a no-killing policy, as Spider-Man may sometimes take too far (Did he have to try that hard to save Massacre, something that lead to Massacre killing half a dozen people before Doc Ock put him to sleep?). This kind of pussy philosophy isn't really the Texan Way, is it?

Wolverine probably had to be included as he's Canadian. Cruz is born in Calgary and the Flames are one of the two teams Wolverine has been shown to support. Not sure if Cruz would agree with most X-Men philosophies, but a badass homeboy is hard to resist.

It was no big surprise Green Arrow wasn't on the list as he was rather left leaning when Cruz grew up, with those great stories about drugs, racism and borderline socialism. This actually reminds me of a scene from DK2 where Oliver Queen and the Question, Rorschach's role model, argues quite loudly. And come to think of it, Batman is an enemy of Reagan in the Dark Knight story. Has Ted really thought this through?

[Shawn Hopkins]

He's a Republican. He could say he was a huge Firefly and Dr Who fan and some liberal with a stick up their behind would construe it as indicative of a warped personality.

Ha, this true! Something about how he misinterprets the Browncoats as the Tea Party and how he likes Doctor Who because he wants to return to the past.

[Arvandor]

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIKE HIM YOU TWIT!"-- Alan Moore.

Whatever the intent, Rorshach was right. As was the Comedian. They were the ones who figured out Ozymandias' plan.

Watchmen has a very confused message. The bigot and the psycho try to save the world from a mass murdering liberal. And at the end Rorshach refuses to accept the murder of millions as the price of world peace, while Night Owl and Silk Specter shrug and accept it, and Dr Manhattan just walks away.

Is it any wonder Rorshach is seen as the hero?

[Shawn Hopkins]

Whatever the intent, Rorshach was right. As was the Comedian. They were the ones who figured out Ozymandias' plan.

Watchmen has a very confused message. The bigot and the psycho try to save the world from a mass murdering liberal. And at the end Rorshach refuses to accept the murder of millions as the price of world peace, while Night Owl and Silk Specter shrug and accept it, and Dr Manhattan just walks away.

Is it any wonder Rorshach is seen as the hero?

Well, the mass-murdering liberal saved the world. Rorschach just refused to accept the compromise like the others. He'd rather have the world as a cinder that deviate from his cartoonish black and white worldview.

[ed2962]

Can't wait for someone to say "Ant-Man" and then have some one confuse Scott Lang and Henry Pym and interpret that to mean said candidate supports spousal abuse. This whole thing is such a non-issue, are we really judging politicians on what superheroes they like? What's next? What kind of shoes they wear? I love the access the internet give us but I swear, it's given access to make an issue out of every damn thing.

It's not like people are outraged. It's more like "Are you sure you want to call this character heroic?"

[Raptor13]

He's a Republican. He could say he was a huge Firefly and Dr Who fan and some liberal with a stick up their behind would construe it as indicative of a warped personality.

OMG this is so true. Honestly I come to many political pages, including the joke that is the news and politics thread on this site, to get a laugh out of how hypocritical the cult of liberalism is. Don't get me wrong, I love the people, they are a wonderful lot if you actually try to know them, and I support their right to free speech, but wow is some of it absolutely ridiculous how much their fervor against anyone who thinks differently than their messed up ideology

[Raptor13]

Well, the mass-murdering liberal saved the world. Rorschach just refused to accept the compromise like the others. He'd rather have the world as a cinder that deviate from his cartoonish black and white worldview.

his saving of the world wouldve crumbled eventually, and likely left it worse off with the resulting deception revealed. Don't get me wrong, I also loved the character of Ozymandias, but there's a reason he's the villain.

and cartoonish in referring to black and white is a cartoonish thought

[ed2962]

OMG this is so true. Honestly I come to many political pages, including the joke that is the news and politics thread on this site, to get a laugh out of how hypocritical the cult of liberalism is. Don't get me wrong, I love the people, they are a wonderful lot if you actually try to know them, and I support their right to free speech, but wow is some of it absolutely ridiculous how much their fervor against anyone who thinks differently than their messed up ideology

Let's not pretend that hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness is somehow unique to liberals...

[Arvandor]

Well, the mass-murdering liberal saved the world. Rorschach just refused to accept the compromise like the others. He'd rather have the world as a cinder that deviate from his cartoonish black and white worldview.

The compromise was wrong and evil. World peace is not worth the murder of millions.

The ends do not justify the means. It was Rorshach who stood up for that.

[Raptor13]

Let's not pretend that hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness is somehow unique to liberals...

oh heavens no, there's a reason i don't identify as a republican, either. I simply find that liberals are much, much more vocal about it and allow for much more entertainment

[daredeville]

He's a Republican. He could say he was a huge Firefly and Dr Who fan and some liberal with a stick up their behind would construe it as indicative of a warped personality.

To a degree this is true... but the same goes the other way with the Republicans against Democrats. However the Republicans never criticized Obama's love of Conan the Barbarian comics.

I think as others have pointed out, the issue is that Rorschach is a conservative himself and thus being claimed to be reflective of Cruz's beliefs... because certainly, again as others have pointed out, Wolverine should raise just as many eyebrows as Rorschach if we are really talking about a character's violent actions.

...
Ted Cruz' love for Rorschach is a little ominous to me. Rorschach wasn't willing to compromise even after Veidt's plan had succeeded. He said he was going to go back and reveal all about the plan, ruining the peaceful future millions had been sacrificed to make possible. It's kinda like the Republicans wanting to cancel the Iran peace talks just to piss off Obama even though everyone know it's the best/only deal that's possible (US sanctions aren't very effective if Europe, Russia and China drop theirs). They would rather have propaganda points with their public than actual results, much like Rorschach only wanted peace on Earth on his own terms.

It's also a little strange to me that a former District Attorney (or General Attorney?) lists a "hero" that breaks more legal standards than most other characters. Breaking fingers of innocent (in that specific case) people and threatening others were within Rorschach's modus operandi, so were idolizing the extremists at The New Statesman. Although homophobia is right up Cruz' alley. He has a few things in common with Rorschach, though I think the Comedian might have been a better fit. But I guess the rape thing, the killing of pregnant girlfriends and the possible/probable assassination of JFK may be a little too questionable for the public?

Hmmm. I see the love for Batman and Spider-Man as they are loved by most, but they both have an aversion to guns, and when I read Batman he still had a no-killing policy, as Spider-Man may sometimes take too far (Did he have to try that hard to save Massacre, something that lead to Massacre killing half a dozen people before Doc Ock put him to sleep). This kind of pussy philosophy isn't really the Texan Way, is it?
...

A couple good points here.
1. Yes, most politicians are going to use everything they can to derail the opposition as we have seen with your example of the Iran talks – how many Republican politicians spoke out against the deal without even having read the dang thing. So both sides are full of duplicitous individuals.
2/3. If we went with "heroes" that only never broke the rules we'd be left with a pretty short list.. maybe Superman & Captain America..? But even those two it depends on the timing and what version the public will interpret you are referring to. But if he wanted to win points with me, he would have said Daredevil... but politicians never like to admit liking or feeling a connection with differently-abled people.. that'd make them appear too soft and human. That pig-headed black and white bully philosophy is what will get us all done in as Americans someday. Yes, one has to be decisive, but you also have to be empathetic in order to make progress. I concede that this view of mine is why I am one who does not have interest in being a leader of many, which is likely for the best.

In the end, this has sparked some interesting conversation on what it means to claim someone as your favorite hero, and whether or not they are a hero. I for one do enjoy Hank Pym for an example of a hero who lives with a psychological disorder (bi-polar)... I don't condone his spousal abuse incident (obviously), but I do find his redemption arc interesting and that the incident came at a time of psychological peril for Pym. I find he and Janet's story to be a good awareness/cautionary tale that promotes the need for good mental & emotional health and psychological treatment, which as a country we don't actively support enough.

So one's interest in a hero is more complex than "they're cool." Maybe Cruz finds Rorschach's sticking to his code of honor admirable, maybe he finds it pig-headed and a cautionary tale... maybe he really does just think "he's cool." In any case, it's too bad that Cruz likely won't even have an intelligent conversation about his interest in the character as any further statement will likely be written by someone to make sure his answer will best appeal to whoever he is polling well with at that given moment...
This political election system really seems to undermine intelligent discourse and true progress in favor of sound-bites and gotcha-moments on all sides.

[RunnerX13]

Observers questioned Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz for saying that "Watchmen" character Rorschach was one of his top five superheroes.


Full article here.

Replace "Superhero" with "comic character" and there is no issue. Oh wait, there's no issue either way!!!