It's been a tough week for Tailgunner Ted Cruz. He has picked a fight with the wrong vulgar talking yam, and the polls say he's the worse for it. Meanwhile, Young Marco Rubio is nipping at his heels. (Rubio has been criss-crossing Iowa with my new friend, Senator Joni Ernst. Did she give him new bread-bags to wear over his fancy boots?) And it's become plain that there may not be a single living Republican office-holder who wouldn't hit him with a bag of nickels if given the opportunity and no witnesses. But, luckily, the Tailgunner still has the political culture from which he first arose.

Ah, Mike Bickle. This guy is a real prize. He believes that Oprah is the forerunner of the Antichrist. (We all know that there's no way that guy can afford her.) He's tied in with the American friends of Uganda's "Kill The Gays" law. He also believes that Jewish people better get with the Jesus or really bad things will happen to them. This guy not only endorsed Ted Cruz, but Ted Cruz is out there bragging about it.

"Through prayer, the Lord has changed my life and altered my family's story," said Cruz. "I am grateful for Mike's dedication to call a generation of young people to prayer and spiritual commitment. Heidi and I are grateful to have his prayers and support. With the support of Mike and many other people of faith, we will fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith."

Ted Cruz is a religious fanatic who parlays with dangerous theocratic crackpots. That may be the least of the reasons why he shouldn't be president, but it's the one most basic to his entire political career. Anyone who thinks He, Trump is the extremist in this race has not been paying attention. Sure, the likes of Christie, Rubio, and Jeb (!) have been dancing to his tune because it resonates with The Base, but the Tailgunner is the genuine article. He was an extremist before He, Trump got into politics and he'll be one long after this campaign is over. And even some Trump-shy and reputedly respectable conservatives have a jones for the genuine article.

Only this truth can help us understand why Republican officials have started saying they prefer Donald Trump to Sen. Ted Cruz as their presidential nominee. Congressional Republicans would supposedly come out ahead with Trump because he would be a stronger nominee and a more cooperative president. These arguments are so weak that they can be understood only as rationalizations for a passionate hatred of Cruz felt by Republicans whom he has challenged. I'm a friend of Cruz, but you need not be one to see that anger is leading the officials to make a mistake—or, rather, three of them.

Ramesh Ponnuru and Mike Bickle should dance together at the inaugural ball.

Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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