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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Ted Cruz Maintains His Perfect Record of not Being a Team Player

Good news and bad news here. Ok, first the bad news. At 8 pm I was set to watch the convention in its third day. That was the last thing I remember until I woke up 3 minutes ago.

Guess I was tired... Many probably would say that were glad to miss it, but I'm truly bummed.

But I do feel some sweet vindication from Ted Cruz. I had suggested he could go this way.

"But here is a reason why Cruz might decide to live with Christie calling him less of a person and why he furthermore may well not endorse Trump tonight."

"He wants to run in 2020 no matter what happens. If he would in theory be willing to run against a-God help us-incumbent President Trump-why would he feel he has to endorse him tonight?"

"Say what you want about Ted Cruz, but he certainly hasn't gotten where he is by being a team player. "
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/07/will-ted-cruz-run-in-2020-even-if-trump.html

He kept up his perfect of not being a team player in the GOP. Of just being about Ted Cruz. Like the time he singlehandely shutdown the government in 2013. The GOP didn't want that. But Cruz is about Cruz. Awesome.

It's nice to be right. It's even better to see Trump shafted so publicly.

"Behind Cruz's ultimate snub"

"He's made a career of defying the GOP, but never before on a stage like this.

"Ted Cruz could have done more than anyone on Wednesday night to unite the divided Republican Party by uttering a few simple words: Vote for Donald Trump.

"Instead, he chose payback."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/ted-cruz-donald-trump-convention-snub-225933#ixzz4F1K14XCH

Well he didn't say he wants payback, he wants everyone to vote their conscience. 

Tom Brown and I talked about this earlier. I suggested that it's precisely because of the Eric Ericksons of the world why Cruz may not endorse. After all, there is a sizable chuck of the GOP unhappy about nominating Donald Trump. As well they should be.

Trump is a stain on the party of Lincoln that won't be removed overnight.

"The man who’s made a career infuriating fellow Republicans on the Senate floor did the same thing on Wednesday night — on the floor of Quicken Loans Arena. Drowned out by cat calls and boos from the crowd, Cruz showed again that he has no compunction about being the lonely, unpopular naysayer. His stand won’t cause a government shutdown this time, but the chasm he refused to close could damage Trump’s bid for the presidency."

"But Cruz, again in keeping with his time-tested m.o., chose purity over accommodation. On the biggest stage in politics, he was unwilling to promote a man who attacked his wife and his father as the two battled it out this spring."

“Don’t stay home in November,” Cruz told the raucous arena. “If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand, and speak, and vote your conscience.”

"The act of defiance promises to be a defining moment in Cruz’s political career. He antagonized millions of voters who made Trump the nominee – whether the New Yorker wins or loses, the political cost of that move could be very steep indeed."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/ted-cruz-donald-trump-convention-snub-225933#ixzz4F1LOaK90

Again though. Cruz has not gotten where he has by being a team player. And you could argue that besides being a purist, maybe it really is an act of conscience. I have no doubt that he did it for self serving reasons. But in this case, it also serves the greater good.

And he can be proud. In a craven party of accommodation, of Vichy Republicans, a la Marco Rubio, he actually is the one Republican who can honestly say he didn't knuckle under.

Now he has made himself something of the leader of Eric Erickson nation-even Jennifer Rubin nation-and he will be someone to watch going forward in the movement.

I have to say it: good on Ted Cruz.



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