Officially Withdrawing Our Cinematic Endorsement

It's old news by now, considering that it happened less than 48 hours ago, but we here at Cinema Romantico would be remiss in not also pointing out the Hoosier-land fiasco. That is, President hopeful Ted Cruz, politicking in Indiana, standing in the gym that "Hoosiers", my beloved "Hoosiers, made famous and employing my favorite scene in the movie, the famous scene near the end when Coach Norman Dale measures the court at Hinkle Fieldhouse, as a metaphor for his own campaign. Even here I begin to get suspicious because I always get suspicious when President hopefuls want to co-opt treasures of the cinema in an attempt to score political points. Except that in the case of Cruz it merely got worse.

"The amazing thing is, that basketball ring in Indiana, it’s the same height as it is New York City and every other place in this country."

That's what Ted Cruz said. In comparing "Hoosiers" to his own campaign he called a basketball hoop a "basketball ring." You want to give him the benefit of the doubt; you want to say he misspoke; you want to say it's not that big of a deal. And it's not that big of a deal, not in terms of actually electing a President, which I get. But. Cinema Romantico cinematically endorsed Ted Cruz. And Cinema Romantico cinematically endorsed Ted Cruz because we chose to believe that Ted Cruz's affection for "The Princess Bride" was real. Because who lies about their favorite movies?

I'm beginning to suspect that Ted Cruz lies about his favorite movies. He's trumped up "Hoosiers" as a favorite movie too, but this whole "basketball ring" seriously calls that into question. You can't have actually watched "Hoosiers" more than twice and not know it's not a basketball ring. Furthermore, you can't have watched "Hoosiers" more than twice and accidentally call a basketball hoop a basketball ring. Even a slip of the tongue wouldn't somehow convert basketball hoop to basketball ring. No, this stinks to high heaven of watch-a-Youtube-clip-quick-before-you-take-the-stage. And if Ted Cruz did lie about a favorite movie all in the name of political gain...well, there can be no higher act of treason in the eyes of Cinema Romantico.

Like the old West Wing poet-in-residence once said, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me...you can't get fooled again. And I won't. Cinema Romantico hereby withdraws its cinematic endorsement of Ted Cruz and bestows it, however pointlessly, on Jeb!, our fellow Ricky Bobby devotee, instead.