On the heels of what was a fantastic speech, you would think Ted Cruz had just betrayed everything he believed in.
On the contrary.
Ted Cruz stood up for what he believed in.
Those of us who have supported Cruz for doing exactly that in the Senate… are left wondering what the rest of you thought would happen?
While it would have made terrific TV if Cruz had walked out and said, after releasing his speech earlier which he did, “I endorse Donald Trump for President!” and shut up for the ten minutes of applause, Ted is not about Great TV.
Trump is about great TV.
Which is why he made his unnecessary appearance at the end of Cruz’ speech.
Well… I’m not sure it was great TV. It might have been a bit more sage to ask Ted for a video, like the one Rubio provided, and then determine whether or not to run it.
Cruz stood up for the very principles the rest of us have been searching the words of Donald Trump for. Donald has yet to provide any of us the firm ideological foundation those of us who think about these things daily would like to see, feel, hear… something. Ted Has.
I will vote for Trump only because Clinton is a known entity… and Trump is not.
I will not be voting for Trump because of his well thought out admiration for Enlightenment Governing Theory and his steadfast resolve to promote the individual above a rightly, constitutionally, restricted government.
Want to argue with me? Please do. I invite it.
All this being said… the predictions from the Establishment Republican Mouthpiece Karl Rove that Ted’s career (an elected position I will remind you) is Over, are being tossed around as if Rove had the ability to fire him personally.
What you need to remember, because I know you already know this, is the Establishment RINO wing of the Republican Party HATES Cruz. They Hate Cruz more than they hate Trump. They view Trump as a buffoon, a clown, PT Barnum, a cartoon character who can be manipulated and ‘led’ to the ‘pragmatic’ point of view. They see him as a deal maker, in his own words, and nothing more. Ted on the other hand is an individual who does principled things like not endorse a guy who leveled personal attacks on him and his family when summoned to do so at the GOP Convention. Did you think the guy who filibustered for over 14 hours on the Senate Floor making his opposition clear to the Establishment Republicans that he would not bend a knee to them would do anything else. You did? Then you need to think more.
In the end, the Trump crew knew what Ted was going to say. They had the ability to stop it. Instead they permitted Ted the Prime Time spot, in my opinion, with the hopes of embarrassing him.
I’m not entirely sure that happened. But what I do know happened is they put him, I believe intentionally, in a box. His decisions were limited to three options. Refuse and look like Kasich… Endorse and be roundly criticized for compromising his values… or refuse to endorse and be roundly criticized for not supporting Trump. In the end, I do not believe time will paint Cruz as having done anything but give a terrific speech. (Which it was. Don’t think so? Then you’re Trump blind… listen to it, better yet READ IT again. Or, find comfort in your intentional ignorance and remain the ass-hat you are. It was a great speech.)
Cruz has laid his principles, and his bets, on the table…. brilliantly.
If Trump Wins and turns out to not be what everyone has fantasized about, because no one, not you, not me, not anyone on Earth has direct evidence of anything else… Cruz wins.
If Trump Loses and Hillary solidifies the complete Socialization of America… Cruz Wins.
If Trump Wins and turns out to be an Amazing Guardian of the Constitution as written, and rolls back the Socialist Schemes of the last 100-years… Cruz Wins, as do we all.
This is what happens when you have a firm footing in the Ideology of Personal Liberty and Freedom.
Ted Cruz has that.
The Establishment Hates him for it. (Because they are Leftists.)
Trump is mad at him for it. (Right now.)
The Democrats fear him for it. (Because they should.)
Can there be any better endorsement for one’s future in the politics of American Exceptionalism?
Of course not.
Ted Cruz was invited to the Convention to be Embarrassed.
He still showed up.
And, he delivered an Amazing Speech based on the principles that those demonizing him today would profess to be their own.
Are they?
makeaneffort 
July 24th, 2016 at 9:42 am
Outstanding as usual, Mike! I liked the “Cruz wins” section. I think that Senator Cruz made the same analysis and came to the same conclusion as you. Furthermore, Cruz is, until something else comes along to show otherwise, a man of convictions and honesty. Absolutely right about the “Elightenment Governing Theory and the elevation of the Individual above a Constitutionally Limited Government.”
The Democrat Party long ago abolished from their ranks any notion of respect for limiting the role of government in American life.
Let’s face it: there’s nothing anywhere to indicate that they, the Democrats, have not been taken over by a totalitarian mindset, waiting only for their relentless leftward pressure to make the conditions possible for a totalitarian system… with them at the helm.
I would defy anyone on the left to provide me with any indication that what I just said is not true. I won’t hold my breath.
The upcoming Democrat Party convention will, I suspect, confirm my conclusion. Look for claim after claim after claim of how the government must act to resolve something that can either (1) be resolved locally, or (2) is not actually a problem, or (3) if it’s a problem, it’s not remotely a big deal.
Best,
— x
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July 24th, 2016 at 9:55 am
What’s interesting to me is the slash, burn and salt the fields mentality of the Trump supporters. It’s eerily similar to the Leftist Mindset in all things. I’m not a Ted Cruz supporter specifically… I’m a Ted Cruz supporter as an ideal. He is the shadow on the back of the cave. He represents that which we need 535 of at the Federal level and another 50 across the nation. Yet the Trump folks sound like he’s the Devil. It begs the question “Why?”. I don’t want the reason to be that his visibly foaming at the mouth contingency are actually a bunch of Eurasian Fascist types. But they are actively influencing our elections, as they always will. I have only hope when it comes to Trump, and I will be here as a Trumpet when he does what the founders intended. Until then I reserve my judgement and my cynicism. I do not think I’m alone. Drunk maybe… but not alone.
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July 24th, 2016 at 10:01 am
I’m in complete agreement. I agree that Ted stands as an unattainable ideal at this point.
He’s kind of what you hope your kids will see as commonplace in the country 50 years from now.
At this point, though, his supporters are doing their level best to “make the ideal the enemy of the good,” to paraphrase just a bit.
That does mean, though that we need lots (and lots and lots and lots) of Ted Cruz-types around, but that they also need to understand that their efforts really shouldn’t contribute — John Galt-style — to the elevation of a gangster like Hillary to the Presidency.
Best,
— x
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July 24th, 2016 at 10:05 am
I’m with you. He was as I stated ‘forced’ to do what he did. Now he would be wise to lay low and go back to being who he was in the senate. There’s no upside for him to do anything else.
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July 24th, 2016 at 10:12 am
Agreed! And I’d amend what I said just a bit in paraphrasing the old maxim: “The Cruzers are in danger of letting the ideal be the enemy of preventing the awful,” might be a better way to express it.
Best,
— x
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July 21st, 2016 at 4:18 pm
What’s the matter, Mike – my previous comment not Ted-PC enough for you and that’s why it hasn’t shown up more than an hour later… or are you just Cruz blind?
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July 21st, 2016 at 4:47 pm
Deb, I apologize for the time it took me to see your comment. As far as being Cruz blind, possibly. While I don’t think so, I would be the last to know… right? Cruz lost the primary. Trump is the Candidate… I think I stated that I would be voting for him, but I will have to go back and re-read the post. It’s fine to dislike Cruz. But what interests me is the deep belief in somemone who has been intentionally vague. (What’s funny is that I’ve given Trump the benefit of the doubt, and still do, as being intentionally vague worked extremely well for both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama during their elections cycles. Perhaps that’s the secret to winning and all of this is a carefully thought out plan by the Trump folks. We’ll see.)
But I can tell you thought it was a great speech too… or you wouldn’t be taking my comments so personally. Good for you.
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July 21st, 2016 at 4:56 pm
Great speech or not – ALL is lost in the quagmire of the final outcome…he pulled a Comey. He took what could have been an incredible opportunity and he blew-it BIG TIME!
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July 21st, 2016 at 5:03 pm
I think you’re in good company with this assessment. But I’m not sure I see the upside for him had he done anything else. We will have to chat again in a few years and see who, if anyone other than folks like us, remembers this event. Someone was talking about Ted Kennedy and his refusal to endorse Carter… it was not career ending, although I wish it was.
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July 21st, 2016 at 2:53 pm
Principles – well, let’s see…what about his Pledge to support whomever became the Republican Nominee? Cruz just proved to me who he actually cares the most about – himself! And since he has also proven his word is totally worthless, he’s also proven he’s about as trustworthy as Clinton! Sadly, Cruz was my original choice but – NO more! I will NEVER vote for him EVER again…Period. And I WILL stand by my word.
You wanna know WHY I think the Trump campaign let Cruz speak last night knowing FULL well what was in his speech? To show the entire world EXACTLY who Ted Cruz is! And now, we know, don’t we?
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July 21st, 2016 at 4:42 pm
You may be right Deb. But if you watched his response to the Texas delegation this morning he explained clearly why he went back on his pledge to support the nominee. It was the direct attack from Trump upon his wife and father… two people who had nothing to do with the principles of Elightenment Governing Theory and the elevation of the Individual above a Constitutionally Limited Government.
I agree, as I stated, that Ted Cruz demonstrated “who (he) is!” I do not, however, believe that standing up for one’s principles is an indictable offense.
You do.
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July 21st, 2016 at 4:53 pm
I watched his response… A politician who’s shocked and shaken his family would be attacked during a Presidential political campaign…are YOU and Ted serious? And Ted drew first blood when he/Super-PAC attacked Melania in Utah w/those unspeakable ads and billboards. I have friends who live there – we saw what they did, absolutely atrocious! So Teddie can dish it out but can’t take it. And when those he attacks first double-down and Teddie cries fowl? OMG – my brothers used to try and pull that old dodge. It didn’t work then – my parents were smarter than that, and “the rest of us enlighted voters”, are smarter than Teddie and those who seem determined to keep gulping the Cruz Kool-Aid…
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July 21st, 2016 at 5:00 pm
Well none of us are going to get any ‘Cruz Kool-Aid’ for a few more years. But I clearly need some of what is energizing you. I like Kool-Aid…. but never the grape Flavor-Aid.
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