The Press Who Cry Wolf

David Harsanyi discusses the most recent effort by leftists to discredit a Republican politician, this time an allegation that Ted Cruz is an anti-Semite. Ted Cruz, you see, had the chutzpah to use a Yiddish term many other non-Jewish and non-conservative politicians use, and this term -- at least when he uses it -- is an "anti-Semitic dog whistle." Regarding the substance of that insinuation, Harsanyi notes:

If that's the case, Cruz has done an abysmal job. He's been about as pro-Israel as any politician. This doesn't mean Jews should automatically embrace him, but it'd be peculiar positioning for candidate vying for the Bircher vote. Guys who have actively sought the Orthodox Jewish vote -- "I share a great many values with the Jewish community and the Orthodox community," Cruz told one group not long ago -- don't usually use this kind of coded language. Then again, these imaginary dog whistles probably say more about how many liberals view the middle of America than it does about middle of America.

And perhaps that view is why leftists aren't attacking Cruz on substantive grounds, not that he hasn't provided them with plenty of ammunition.

That is a shame, just for starters.

-- CAV

P.S. My latest column, "In a World Without Regulations, Imagining Our Prosperity," now appears at RealClear Markets.

Updates

Today: Added PS.