George Will: 'Constant Writing Off of the Tea Party' Is 'Journalistic Malpractice'

August 5th, 2012 1:18 PM

"Another example of journalistic malpractice in this country - the constant writing off of the Tea Party, which just goes about its business of electing senators."

So said George Will on ABC's This Week Sunday about Ted Cruz's victory in the Texas primary Tuesday (video follows with transcript and commentary):

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: Before we go, George, Ann Coulter talks about energizing the base. I think we saw one base that was certainly energized this week by the -- in Texas, the Tea Party had a big victory by the election of Ted Cruz. He's going to be the Republican Senate nominee, almost certainly the next senator from Texas.

GEORGE WILL: Another example of journalistic malpractice in this country - the constant writing off of the Tea Party, which just goes about its business of electing senators. They'll elect Cruz, they'll probably elect Mourdock in Indiana, they'll probably elect Deb Fischer in Nebraska. Often, George, the most interesting and important fights in American politics aren't between the parties, they're within the parties. People say about Ted Cruz, well, he's part of the anti-intellectual Tea Party. Well, Princeton, Harvard, clerked for Justice Rehnquist, I don't think so.

(CROSSTALK)

WILL: Then, they say, well, he doesn't play well with others. And people in Texas say, he doesn't play well with others? Send him to Washington.


Moments later Will added, "At Ted Cruz's victory party, they served Chick-fil-A."

Delicious.