Ted Cruz suddenly concerned that people think he's a jerk

Now that Ted Cruz is gaining in the polls by drawing growing support from “very conservative” voters, the guy who has touted endorsements from anti-abortion extremists and asserted that the “overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats" is trying to "soften" his image, reports Niall Stanage:

The senator, normally a buttoned-down, intense presence, acted out a scene from the movie “The Princess Bride” during an event in New Hampshire last month, much to the amusement of voters gathered around a table.

His campaign created a social media stir when its online store began selling a garish Christmas sweater, which featured an image of the senator wearing a jaunty Santa hat, for $65.

Heh. Sorry Ted, it’s gonna take a lot more than a Santa hat to put a lid on the ignorance you spew. Cruz’s favorability rating is seven points underwater according to Huffpost Pollster, which only looks good next to the abysmal numbers of Donald Trump, who's at -20.

Look, Ted Cruz is the guy who was perfectly willing to shut down the government, costing taxpayers billions, without even a prayer of achieving his stated goal—twice. Once in his quest to repeal Obamacare, and again to defund Planned Parenthood.

And here's a reminder of what the people who know him think, courtesy of Frank Bruni:

“As Cruz gains, GOP senators rally for Rubio” said the headline of a story this week in Politico, which explained: “The idea of Cruz as the nominee is enough to send shudders down the spines of most Senate Republicans.” Support for Rubio is the flower of anyone-but-Cruz dread.

Anyone but Cruz: That’s the leitmotif of his life, stretching back to college at Princeton. His freshman roommate, Craig Mazin, told Patricia Murphy of The Daily Beast: “I would rather have anybody else be the president of the United States. Anyone. I would rather pick somebody from the phone book.”

Just guessing Mazin isn't buying any Santa-themed Cruz paraphernalia.