What's most awful about this is that Cruz's tactics work. Twitter is full of right-wing clones quoting him as they attack Jackson. He threw the mob the red meat he knew they wanted, and they're snarling and snapping over it.

When I say work, by the way, I mean they work for Cruz's personal political ambitions. His Texas base see him as a hero unafraid to speak their "truth," and that keeps him in power. Being a U.S. senator is a lucrative gig. Even senators from modest roots become millionaires, with a few notable exceptions.

Cruz is going to say and do whatever he needs to to hang on to power and wealth. If that exposes his racism, he probably shrugs all the way to the bank.

The systemic implications of this behavior speak to foundational problems in our democracy.