“Evangelicals and other conservatives have had their best influence on American politics when they have proceeded in a spirit of personalism — when they have answered hostility with service and emphasized the infinite dignity of each person. They have won elections as happy and hopeful warriors. Ted Cruz’s brutal, fear-driven, apocalypse-based approach is the antithesis of that.”
DAVID BROOKS/NEW YORK TIMES
In 1997, Michael Wayne Haley was arrested after stealing a calculator from Walmart. This was a crime that merited a maximum two-year prison term. But prosecutors incorrectly applied a habitual offender law. Neither the judge nor the defense lawyer caught the error and Haley was sentenced to 16 years.
Eventually, the mistake came to light and Haley tried to fix it. Ted Cruz was solicitor general of Texas at the time. Instead of just letting Haley go for time served, Cruz took the case to the Supreme Court to keep Haley in prison for the full 16 years.
Some justices were skeptical. “Is there some rule that you can’t confess error in your state?” Justice Anthony Kennedy asked. The court system did finally let Haley out of prison, after six years. Continue reading…
Indian River Guardian 
Great article. David Brooks is one of the few reasonable voices for Conservatives.
I have often followed and agreed with David Brooks, his frankness is sometimes hard to digest for extreme Conservatives as truth can have the same effect as a “toxin”.
Last evening’s GOP Debate really put him out on a fragile limb when he tried to challenge Donald Trump with the “monicker” of being a “New Yorker”! Trump all but buried Cruz, and I am sure that without help from New York he can kiss this election goodbye! Good job David Brooks, as always, Larry
A Republican winning in New York State is at best a long shot. With his “New York Values” remark ,Ted Cruz has zero chances of winning the state,but Donald Trump may have a shot because he is a New Yorker and because of his love of New York as well as his sensitive rebuttal of Mr Cruz,s statement.