Ted Cruz got a prime speaking slot at Donald Trump’s Republican National Convention on Wednesday, but he came and went from the stage without endorsing the party’s newly minted nominee.
The Texas senator not only failed to endorse Trump at any point during his 23-minute remarks, he also encouraged Republicans to “vote their conscience.”
“To those listening, please, don’t stay home in November,” Cruz said, a plea that suggested he was about to endorse Trump. But he didn’t
“If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand and speak and vote your conscience,” Cruz said. “Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.”
When it became clear that Cruz was not was not offering a direct endorsement, the crowd broke out in boos that continued for the balance of Cruz’s remarks, shouting “We want Trump” as Cruz wrapped his speech.
I see where his wife Hedi got escorted out for some little reason or other Cruz is History
@Spurwing Plover:
Heidy Cruz was taken out of the convention center because Trump supporters were harassing her.
Those Trump supporters that booed those comments obviously think their candidate won’t defend our freedom and be faithful to the Constitution, or they would not have booed Cruz.
So Cruz made a speech where he stood by his principles, and he is attacked, just like he was attacked by the GOP elites when he filibustered against obamacare funding.
The unfortunate thing – from a principled standpoint – is that Cruz had previously signed the pledge to support the GOP nominee. Of course, that was before Trump posted his tweet (which has not been deleted, btw) calling Heidi ‘ugly’, and before attacking Cruz’s father.
So is Ben Carson -whom Trump referred to offhandedly as a pedophile – more principled than Cruz given that he supported Trump even after such a slur?
Cruz certainly looks to have destroyed his political future by telling folks to “vote your conscience”, without explicitly supporting Trump. I, myself, am holding my nose and voting for Trump because of how loathesome, criminal and despicable Hillary and the entire demofascist party is.
But what if Hillary wins (given the vile ruling of the 5th circuit court in favor of continuing leftist voter fraud) ? Another 4 years of leftist corruption and shredding of the Constitution may make Cruz’s speech last night appear more principled. Then again, given the deliberate dumbing down of the electorate via the gramscian maneuvers of the left, Cruz may be morphed into an even more potent version of Emmanuel Goldstein than he is currently being portrayed.
Either way, the evil progressive march to tyranny is going to bring horrendous violence.
@Pete: Interesting posit
Is Cruz attempting to position himself for another “principled” run in 2020? Can you blame him for not backing Trump after sleazy (syn.Trumpist) attack on his family?.
Dr. Carson lost my immense respect when he backed a guy that basically accused him of being a pedophile. He seems to need a job. As do Christie and Gingrich.
Rubio, Mac, Romney, Bush 1 and 2, Paul, Kasich and others won’t ride the Trump train.
The election will be close only because HRC is a rotten candidate. I refuse to vote for either.
A turkey named Cruz just crashed and burned
@Richard Wheeler:
Richard, as Cruz is a politician, I cannot help but believe his speech last night was a calculated political move – even if based on his principles. Whether or not it helps him in 2020 remains to be seen. Honestly, the only scenario in which I see it helping him on a future presidential race is if Trump wins, then blatantly betrays the positions on which he is currently running. If Hillary wins, I don’t see how Cruz’s speech does anything but set him up as a scapegoat, making it all but impossible for him to win the nod in 2020…particularly given how much the GOP elite despise him already.
And I say that as a Cruz supporter.
All kinds of GOP voters stayed home in 2008 and 2012 citing “principles” against McCain and Romney, resulting in 8 years of the worst ptesidential administration in our nation’s history. Trump is not an ideal candidate, but Hillary is so vile and corrupt that it is suicidal to refuse to vote for Trump in November. The republic cannot survive another 4 years of leftist insanity.
@Pete:” Principles” against Trump make more sense than those against Mac or Mitt.
You’ll see a large 3rd and 4th Party vote as well as a substantial number of principled write-ins.
This extremely distasteful choice will be decided in the rust belt by registered Dem. and indie workers. I rate it a toss-up. Trump should start to take the high road to appeal to more moderate voters—Let effective surrogates like Christie continue to bash HRC If he stays negative he’ll lose.
HRC must win 58%+ female 75% Latino and 88% African American–not that easy.
Trump has an epic melt down today over Cruz WTF cant he win gracefully?
Damn just when I began to accept this deepest hole of despair having him as the Nominee https://t.co/55C69Xwv1Y
He wants to unify my ass he is a fuggin democrat trying to get hillary elected deal with it trumpers.
The choice, distasteful as it is, is between the throughly contemptible criminal leftist tyrant, or the boorish, loudmouthed loose cannon. Sure, folks can choose to waste their vote on write-ins, 3rd party losers, or simply choose not to vote for anyone on their ballot. The reality is that any action other than a vote for Trump is a de facto vote for the despicable criminal Hillary, and continued destruction of the Constitution and the principle of the rule of law by the totalitarian left.
If Hillary takes the Oval Office we will see increased taxes, continued economic decline, continued worsening employment, further leftist SJW politicization of the courts, the miltary and the federal bureaucracy, further weakening of the US military, increased illegal immigration, demofascist push for the government takeover of healthcare and private pensions, increased efforts at eroding 2nd Amendment rights, criminalization of politically incorrect speech, and increased muslim terrorist activity within the US. There is nothing in Hillary’s record that indicates she has any interest in doing anything other than continue her corrupt influence peddling and amassing of political power. She and her cabal are, shockingly, going to supplant Obama as the worst, most criminal administration in our dying republic’s history.
It is a tragedy that Trump is the candidate upon whom we are left to support against the vile leftist tyranny that is the democrat party. The greatest crime of the GOP leadership over the last decade has been the failure to stand for conservative principles, and the backstabbing betrayal of the Tea Party movement.
I no longer laugh at the predictions from the former KGB analyst who forecast the collapse of the US. I only ponder how accurate his predicted date will be.
@Pete: Trump made an effective intelligent speech.
Today back to bashing Cruz’s father—” If the National Enquirer prints it it’s gotta be true”
Dr. Pete –how could a sane intelligent guy like you give your vote to this character? Seriously.
Semper Fi
@Richard Wheeler:
Only because of the totally corrupt nature of Hillary and the increasingly totalitarian acts of the left will I hold my nose and vote for Trump.
Certainly not a glowing endorsement, to be sure. But Hillary is that horrific. And 4 more years of the left shredding the Constitution is unfathomably frightening.