I thought @SenTedCruz was quoting Dylan Thomas here, but something bugged me. Turns out he's quoting actor Bill Pullman playing "President Whitmore" in the 1996 sci-fi film "Independence Day." #IndependenceDay https://twitter.com/Cleavon_MD/status/1347425703902367745

Here's the scene. In this scene the stakes really _are_ high, as far as the fantasy goes. There's a rag-tag group of US fighter pilots that have to destroy a Death Star-like alien craft. The survival of the human race itself is at stake.

It's scary. In the speech, President Whitmore says (paraphrasing a bit) "soon we'll be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind." He says "you will be fighting for our freedom not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from annihilation."

He says "we're fighting for our right to live, to exist … we will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We're going to live on; we're going to survive." Powerful in a Hollywood action movie way.

What did this evoke for the crowd @tedcruz was yelling at in Georgia? Did they catch the reference? Did some President Whitmore (or Bill Pullman) charisma rub off on Sen Cruz? Is Sen Cruz studying Hollywood Presidents from action movies to develop his speaking style?

Last couple notes here. Let's talk about Whitmore's speech a little more. Whitmore is getting the crowd amped up for battle, but he's also bringing them together. He says "we will join others from around the world." He says, "mankind should have a new meaning for all of us today"

He says "we can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests." And he says, this will be the day "when the world declared in one voice … we're going to survive."

President Whitmore is strong AND he's a uniter. He appeals to man's highest principles. He wants to beat a common enemy, a true threat to all of humanity. Not false grievance, intentionally fostered. Ted Cruz will never be the leader that President Whitmore is even on celluloid.