Earlier tonight in Iowa, Ted Cruz suggested that voters punish Hillary Clinton over Benghazi the same way he punishes his 5-year-old daughter when she lies — with a spanking!
.@tedcruz: Voters should spank Hillary Clinton like I spank my five-year old daughter. #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/FTdmrP4mTv
— Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) January 9, 2016
In IA, @tedcruz tells crowd that when his 5 yr old daughter lies "she gets a spanking." Suggests same for @HillaryClinton on Benghazi.
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) January 8, 2016
Uh. Did Cruz just say Hillary needed a spanking? Verbate: pic.twitter.com/75PDEkis5T
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) January 8, 2016
And actor Wil Wheaton was outraged over it:
Ted Cruz: "I hit my child. Hitting children is GREAT! I'm not a shitfuck at all. Vote for me!"
— Wil 'this account mocks fascists' Wheaton (@wilw) January 9, 2016
Hundreds and hundreds of replies from people who are appalled at the idea of parents hitting their children restores my faith in humanity.
— Wil 'this account mocks fascists' Wheaton (@wilw) January 9, 2016
. @Bass_JL no. It doesn't. It teaches children to be afraid of being hit by their parents. Fear is not respect.
— Wil 'this account mocks fascists' Wheaton (@wilw) January 9, 2016
Oh, come on. It. Was. A. Joke.
The quip, of course, has been turned into a larger commentary on Cruz’s parenting:
Folks standards of behavior have evolved over the last 5000 years. Many things that were ok before no longer are acceptable.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) January 9, 2016
Cruz: "I hit my 5 year old daughter, and i am going to make a joke about it." unreal. that isn't a real man.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) January 9, 2016
All the folks in Twitter defending hitting a 5 year old also probably think Adrian Peterson is a great guy.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) January 9, 2016
So now Ted Cruz is the same as Adrian Peterson?
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/685629367196725249
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/685630600607305728
Whatever, Vox. Stick to the spanking stories you know best:
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/567369561767305216
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/566695812844224514
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/566335443839778816
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