On Thursday, Republican senator Ted Cruz tried to insult his political opponents by comparing them to Lisa Simpson, and Republicans to Homer Simpson. But the dis fell flat when his targets agreed with him completely.
During a discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, conservative commentator Ben Domenech said the ongoing debate about gun control was similar to an episode of the Simpsons. To that, Cruz said “I think the Democrats are the party of Lisa Simpson and Republicans are happily the party of Homer and Bart and Maggie and Marge.”
The response was a collective arched eyebrow from Democratic fans of the long-running Fox animated series. Some pointed out that Lisa is the show’s smartest and most ethically consistent character. Others noted that Homer is a drunken idiot and arguably “the stupidest man in Springfield,” (which means comparisons to him are the real insult).
A still greater number noted the unintentional irony of Cruz’s comparison, thanks to a 2000 episode of “The Simpsons” called “Bart to the Future,” in which Lisa and Bart get a glimpse of their lives in the far-flung future of the 2020s. As it turns out, Lisa ends up being elected president, and specifically, she’s forced to deal with the fiscal and diplomatic disaster caused by her direct predecessor — Donald Trump.
Read on for some of the best responses.
https://twitter.com/ZachsRevolution/status/966776877343010816
this is not an insult https://t.co/qIWnYVGSRK
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) February 22, 2018
"Lisa Goes to Washington" https://t.co/tBSqJtq85C
— Elahe Izadi | الهه (@ElaheIzadi) February 22, 2018
okay this one might actually represent the modern GOP pic.twitter.com/E2njYzRAtC
— zeddy (@Zeddary) February 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/WineAndWin/status/966776407731810304
"We are the party of arguably the stupidest man in Springfield. Yes, even if you include Ned Flanders or Chief Wiggum" https://t.co/tJtCvPkU6k
— jeremy bearimy ✨ (@simplysope) February 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/FWE_Games/status/966776330799890432
Republicans are so high off their own anti-reason fumes they think saying "we're the party of Homer Simpson and Democrats are Lisa" makes them look good.
— Apocalypse Gallagher (@BostonJerry) February 22, 2018
Ted Cruz was spot on saying Republicans are the party of Homer Simpson though.
He thinks he's an "everyman" who has "common sense ideas" but really he's bumbling, irresponsible idiot who destroys everything he touches.
— Apocalypse Gallagher (@BostonJerry) February 22, 2018
Lisa Simpson is the smart one. Bart and Homer are the dumb ones. So, yeah, not sure where Ted Cruz is going with this. Maybe he should try actually watching The Simpsons. https://t.co/wyyAcgUG5y
— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) February 22, 2018
“You win friends with concealed weapons, not salad. Get it? Because you don’t win friends with salad like Lisa Simpson or the Democrats. Worked on that for a year.” — Ted Cruz
— Mustafa Redonkulous (@mredonkulous) February 22, 2018
Well, I don't know if you remember but Lisa Simpson was voted into office in a future-telling episode of The Simpsons right after "President Trump" had been in office.
— Papa Fargo (they/her/his) (@jmfargo) February 22, 2018
HIGHLIGHTS from [my Senator]Ted Cruz at CPAC: Dems are the party of Lisa Simpson, colleges are run by hippies and more! https://t.co/nunc0rRh4R via @twitchyteam
— FlameCCT (@FlameCCT) February 22, 2018
Lisa Simpson became president https://t.co/cKoVS5W24m
— spooky weiner season (@lookoutitsbbear) February 22, 2018
Remember the Simpson lore has it that Lisa Simpson is preceded by Donald Trump who leaves the country broke and Lisa is bullied by the country's foreign creditors until Bart comes in and drives them away https://t.co/LiAzJy7iUZ
— Farrukh K. Pitafi (@FarrukhKPitafi) February 22, 2018
Fun fact- Lisa Simpson grows up to be President. Ted Cruz does not. pic.twitter.com/6gekbH27Ay
— Kid Phantasm (@cbbruuno) February 22, 2018
Former “The Simpsons” animator Anna Maltese even dropped in to explain why Cruz was both right, and also very wrong.
Homer voted for Obama in 2008. And I personally worked on the gay marriage episode, in which Marge pleads with Reverend Lovejoy not to stand in the way of people who love each other. In fact, that's the episode I'm most proud of.
— Anna Maltese ? ? ? (@MalteseAnna) February 22, 2018
I think what this really comes down to is that @tedcruz is simply thirsty for a VO spot on the show and this – in addition to that Simpsons "audition" video he made – is another cry for help in landing that gig.
— Anna Maltese ? ? ? (@MalteseAnna) February 22, 2018
The 2018 CPAC conference kicked off Wednesday and runs through Saturday.