Opinion of Ted Cruz's convention speech

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Great speech.  One of the best.

Why should Cruz endorse a candidate who viscously attacked and maligned his wife?

Did McCain endorse W in 2000?

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Yep.  Ted Cruz has made a political living on being the bad boy.  He went into the Senate with a chip on his shoulder, managed to alienate pretty much everyone in the party, and somehow emerged as the last best hope of the establishment to stop Trump.  This speech is Cruz being Cruz.  He's not going anywhere, and he will probably be a folk hero to conservatives when this election is over.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

As you all know, I was the one of the first Cruz supporters active on Atlas, supporting Ted. I have always stood by him, but tonight he was horrible. He broke his word. I hope he doesn't run again, as he is a disgrace, but I will support him in 2018.

Trump disrespected his family. Coastals don't get that in Flyover Country you don't disrespect family. That is sufficient grounds to not endorse. Did you hear the part about forgiveness in his speech? Just because he forgives does not mean he is obligated to endorse him.  

Beef, Cruz is as hated by many pro-Trump people as he is by the establishment wing. Last nite, until the NY delegation heckled him, it was looking like a collective #OhCrapWeNominatedTheWrongCanidate

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Beef, Cruz is as hated by many pro-Trump people as he is by the establishment wing. Last nite, until the NY delegation heckled him, it was looking like a collective #OhCrapWeNominatedTheWrongCanidate

The establishment wing is dead.  Gone.  The battle for the soul of the GOP will be fought by the Trumpers and the far-right/TPers who adore Cruz.  For them, Cruz will be the True Conservative who fought the establishment AND was the only guy with the guts to stand up to Trump.  If Trump loses and the Trumpers dissipate, the far-right of the GOP is in the driver's seat, and Cruz will be their guy.

[SillyAmerican]

Freedom Speech.

I'm certainly no supporter of Cruz, but the man has guts.

Guts? The guy is just looking ahead to 2020. He doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself. Perfectly legitimate of course but let's not turn him into another Mandela just because he's setting himself up for the next presidential race.

Yes. At least Governor Kasich had decency and class enough to stay out of the way of Trump's convention; by doing what he did, Ted Cruz has shown himself to be a huge political weasel of the worst kind, someone who believes himself to be at the center of all things. In that sense, he is not unlike Hillary Clinton. I hope Texans remember his antics down the road, and treat him appropriately...

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Yes. At least Governor Kasich had decency and class enough to stay out of the way of Trump's convention; by doing what he did, Ted Cruz has shown himself to be a huge political weasel of the worst kind, someone who believes himself to be at the center of all things. In that sense, he is not unlike Hillary Clinton. I hope Texans remember his antics down the road, and treat him appropriately...

When has Cruz ever not been a self-serving weasel? That's always been his MO, and if it didn't hurt him before it's not ever going to.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Great speech.  One of the best.

Why should Cruz endorse a candidate who viscously attacked and maligned his wife?

Did McCain endorse W in 2000?

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Yep.  Ted Cruz has made a political living on being the bad boy.  He went into the Senate with a chip on his shoulder, managed to alienate pretty much everyone in the party, and somehow emerged as the last best hope of the establishment to stop Trump.  This speech is Cruz being Cruz.  He's not going anywhere, and he will probably be a folk hero to conservatives when this election is over.

John McCain endorsed George W. Bush in 2000 (A) before the convention, (B) unequivocally, and (C) repeatedly.  I remember McCain once getting irritated with the press before the 2000 convention, and asking the press how many times he had to make that clear.  He then said to the reporters, "I endorse Governor Bush.  I endorse Governor Bush.  I endorse Governor Bush.  I endorse Governor Bush . . ." sarcastically, to make his point that he supported Bush and had already made it clear.

Those who think Cruz has a bright future after publicly refusing to endorse the Presidential candidate in the way he did seriously underestimate the importance of regularity in supporting one's party's Presidential ticket in politics.  The end of the seniority system in Congress ensures that a Representative or Senator that bolts the Presidential ticket has a tough time getting committee assignments worth a crap.  The majority of Republicans DO back Trump, and Cruz made their row harder to hoe.  

Then, too, Cruz's entreaty to "vote your conscience" applied to candidates up and down the ballot; it was not limited to the Presidential race.  This point was not lost on me, and was not lost on a large number of party regulars whose job it was to shepherd an entire slate of candidates to victory.  Ted was too cute by half, and he'll pay for it.  I wouldn't rule out David Dewhurst in a rematch.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Those who think Cruz has a bright future after publicly refusing to endorse the Presidential candidate in the way he did seriously underestimate the importance of regularity in supporting one's party's Presidential ticket in politics.  The end of the seniority system in Congress ensures that a Representative or Senator that bolts the Presidential ticket has a tough time getting committee assignments worth a crap.  The majority of Republicans DO back Trump, and Cruz made their row harder to hoe.  

I would agree with you, except that we're talking about the GOP at this moment, which is in utter disarray, and we're talking about Ted Cruz, who has done nothing but burn bridges from the moment he arrived in Washington, and yet still had a career and was able to mount a serious campaign for President.  Now, I will grant that he's in the Senate, not the House, where he could gather a force of TPers and threaten anyone who makes it difficult for him with primary challenges.  But the party apparatus has already disintegrated, as evidenced by Cruz and Trump being the last candidates standing in the first place.

If Trump loses, the GOP is in chaos and ruin.  There will be a massive contingent of the GOP base who will shout and scream that Trump was a terrible mistake, and when will we finally have our "true conservative" candidate?  And who will they look to for a true conservative who did everything he could to avert disaster?  The 2020 GOP nominee is going to be a far-right extremist.  If not Cruz, then someone like him.

The lessons of history are important, but this is a singular moment for the GOP.  Normal rules do not apply.

[Hermit For Peace]

I didn't watch the convention and I have no interest in it at all. But I can't help seeing the headlines about Cruz snubbing Trump and not endorsing him.

It's the only thing about Cruz that I applaud. Trump attacked his family: his wife and father. And so now Cruz is supposed to say oh that's ok, Trump didn't mean it? Phooey on that.

But on the other hand, the fact that Cruz agreed to speak at the convention cancels out my applaud for him because he shouldn't have accepted the speaking gig in the first place if he didn't want to back Trump.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Finally watched the speech and I have one question. Why are Trump supporters upset? 

[Fargobison]

Finally watched the speech and I have one question. Why are Trump supporters upset? 

Because he didn't bend the knee for their god-king.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Finally watched the speech and I have one question. Why are Trump supporters upset? 

Because he didn't bend the knee for their god-king.

He didn't bow to the GOP establishment either.

[ProudModerate2]

Yes. At least Governor Kasich had decency and class enough to stay out of the way of Trump's convention; by doing what he did, Ted Cruz has shown himself to be a huge political weasel of the worst kind, someone who believes himself to be at the center of all things. In that sense, he is not unlike Hillary Clinton. I hope Texans remember his antics down the road, and treat him appropriately...

When has Cruz ever not been a self-serving weasel? That's always been his MO, and if it didn't hurt him before it's not ever going to.

Sounds like a disgusting thing to say about Cruz ..... but it is true.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Finally watched the speech and I have one question. Why are Trump supporters upset? 

Because he didn't bend the knee for their god-king.

But... he did. How else could they possibly interpret,

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I'm sure TrumpMiller supporters don't think that their guy would destroy our freedom and wreck the Constitution, do they?

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Yes. At least Governor Kasich had decency and class enough to stay out of the way of Trump's convention; by doing what he did, Ted Cruz has shown himself to be a huge political weasel of the worst kind, someone who believes himself to be at the center of all things. In that sense, he is not unlike Hillary Clinton. I hope Texans remember his antics down the road, and treat him appropriately...

When has Cruz ever not been a self-serving weasel? That's always been his MO, and if it didn't hurt him before it's not ever going to.

Sounds like a disgusting thing to say about Cruz ..... but it is true.

It's not true.