Ted Cruz Is the Zodiac Killer

2016

Date: February 2016 · Place: Twitter · Public Policy Polling survey, Florida · Figures: Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator (Texas) · @RedPillAmerica and others, originating accounts · Tags: Twitter, GOP Primary, Absurdist 01. The Joke A 2013 tweet by comedian Red Pill America claims Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer, the unidentified Northern California murderer active 1968 to 1969. Cruz was born in 1970. The joke is the math. It sits dormant until Cruz runs for president in 2016. The premise spreads as a recurring Twitter format: any Cruz news item gets a Zodiac reply. Cruz's wooden public manner does the rest. 02. The Poll On 18 February 2016 Public Policy Polling asks 1,118 Florida voters whether Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer. 38 percent of Florida voters are not sure. 10 percent say yes. The poll result is itself meme-shaped, treated as data confirming the joke. Cruz is asked about it at a press conference on 26 February. He declines to deny. The meme outlasts the campaign. Sources • Public Policy Polling, 'Trump leads Florida; Clinton edges Sanders,' 18 February 2016 • Amy B Wang, 'Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer? Maybe, say 38 percent of Florida voters,' Washington Post, 19 February 2016 • Know Your Meme, 'Ted Cruz Is the Zodiac Killer'