Congratulations are in order for Ted Cruz, whose unrequited crush on pop culture has officially reached a fever pitch. On Thursday, the onetime presidential hopeful dropped the following Simpsons reference at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC): “I think the Democrats are the party of Lisa Simpson, and Republicans are happily the party of Homer and Bart and Maggie and Marge.”

This questionably accurate assessment is far from the first time Cruz has attempted to strike a chord with the people by referencing the beloved Fox comedy. Already, it has drawn scorn and derision from the people who actually make The Simpsons; show-runner Al Jean quickly shot back on Twitter, writing, “Ted Cruz says Maggie Simpson would vote for him. I think Ted’s the one who could use a pacifier in his mouth.”

Cruz has to be used to this by now. He’s been an emphatically on-the-record Simpsons fan for years, even as the show itself has not returned his ardor; in fact, one could argue that Cruz’s fervor for The Simpsons was an integral part of his brand as a presidential candidate. In the spring of 2015, Cruz discussed some of his favorite episodes with Federalist publisher Ben Domenech during a radio program, just days after doing some Simpsons impressions for Good Morning America.

In a moment that was too perfect to make up, Cruz misquoted his supposed second-favorite episode, 1996’s “Treehouse of Horror VII,” during the radio interview. The episode follows aliens Kang and Kodos, who abduct Bill Clinton and Bob Dole; Cruz botched a very famous line, uttered by the aliens’ fake Clinton, about “twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.” Jean shot back at Cruz then, too, saying, “To paraphrase Kang, ‘Ted Cruz?’ Go ahead, throw your vote away.”

Months later, in the summer of 2015, Cruz put his love for the show out there again—this time by faux-auditioning for a role via BuzzFeed video, as news continued to develop about Harry Shearer’s potential departure from the series. Just like the first time Cruz tried to capitalize on his love for the series, Jean shot the senator down: “He didn't ask permission, we don't endorse a specific candidate, and probably most disappointing for him he's not getting the part,” Jean said at the time. To add insult to injury, Shearer himself mocked the “audition” a year later.