Cruz warms to Trump

[mystery-ak]

Cruz warms to Trump

By Burgess Everett

09/21/16 06:02 PM EDT


Two months after snubbing Donald Trump at the Republican convention, Ted Cruz is now praising the GOP presidential nominee for inserting himself in Congress's eleventh-hour negotiations over a government funding bill.

On Wednesday, Trump urged congressional negotiators to delay a U.S. hand-off of ICANN, a private-sector, non-profit organization which manages internet domain names. And that was enough to prompt Cruz to laud Trump — whom he pointedly declined to back in July when he urged Republicans to "vote your conscience."

"Appreciate @realDonaldTrump’s support of our efforts to keep the internet free," Cruz tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.

"And we appreciate @tedcruz appreciating @realDonaldTrump. Over to you, @jeffroe," responded Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, referring to Cruz's former campaign manager.

And those warm words came after Roe suggested at a Bloomberg event that Cruz may be rethinking his withheld endorsement.

"I think he’ll have an answer before Election Day." Roe said, according to Texas Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek. "To be honest ... watching Donald run a better campaign lately has been helpful to him."

Cruz has made blocking the ICANN transition his central focus of the fall and has urged Republicans to include a rider blocking the action in a must-pass spending bill this month. GOP leaders have been generally supportive of the effort, and negotiators are increasingly likely to include some delay in the government funding measure, which will fund federal agencies through Dec. 9.

"It's still being worked," said Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.). "I don't think it probably resolves anything beyond Dec. 9."

On Tuesday the Senate voted to advance legislation that will eventually become the funding bill. Cruz voted no.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/ted-cruz-donald-trump-budget-fight-228493

[Fantom]

All trump has to do to get my vote is to get Ted's endorsement.

Politics makes strange bedfellows... and I am sure Ted is enjoying the process of educating Little Donald about politics. 

[sinkspur]

This is why fellow Republicans in Congress despise Cruz.  He calculates and calculates. based on what is most beneficial politically to him.  How convenient that he decides to "warm" to Trump as Trump is gaining in the polls.

If Cruz waits until a week or two before the election and backs Trump, it will ruin whatever goodwill he built up by standing on the sidelines for the last two months. He's already endured the brunt of criticism.

Why endorse now? 

He's trying to avoid a primary challenger in Texas, that's why. 

I've never liked Ted Cruz and this is the main reason why:  he is a cold, calculating, unprincipled politician.  It it somehow benefits him, he'll throw his "vote your conscience" principle over the side in order to back a man who trashed his wife and insulted his father.

[musiclady]

I won't vote for Trump no matter what.  I would lose respect for Cruz if he endorses Trump.

I feel exactly the same way.

[Gov Bean Counter]

Giving credit where credit is due is hardly warming. It is a display of personal and professional character. Something Donny would know little about.

[INVAR]

It wouldn't matter if Cruz endorsed Trump and lauded all his reasons why Trump is the best person to sit on the throne.

I do not make up my mind on who to vote for based on what other famous people, newspapers or other politicians say.

There is NOTHING that will convince me to cast a ballot for Trump.

NOTHING.

If anything, nearly every single time Trump opens his yap and nearly every time I read something from the Trump Militant on fora like this - I become more incited to activism AGAINST Trump and encourage everyone I meet, talk to or interact with, to vote third party or write in an actual Conservative in November.

[sinkspur]

It doesn't look to me like he is endorsing or warming to him.  Cruz has an issue he cares about.  He said that he is glad Trump spoke about it.  That's it as far as I can tell.  The rest is wishful thinking by Trumpkins.

I suspect you don't like Cruz because he is more conservative than you are.

Cruz is out for Cruz.  That's what I don't like about him.  He's as transparent a politician as there is. 

That government shutdown did it for me with Cruz.  He knew he would lose it, yet went for it anyway to benefit himself. 

Before you conclude that Cruz has your best interests at heart, first check how it benefits him. 

[montanajoe]

All trump has to do to get my vote is to get Ted's endorsement.

Politics makes strange bedfellows... and I am sure Ted is enjoying the process of educating Little Donald about politics. 

If Cruz endorses Trump, then Cruz can forget about my vote in 2020....

Folks like me who are sick of this politics and strange bedfellow crap will never be persuaded to vote for a candidate who pretends to be a Conservative...

[XenaLee]

Giving credit where credit is due is hardly warming. It is a display of personal and professional character. Something Donny would know little about.

Exactly.  It's a trait that Trump can't get next to.   He just doesn't have it in him.

[EtX]

This is why fellow Republicans in Congress despise Cruz.  He calculates and calculates. based on what is most beneficial politically to him.  How convenient that he decides to "warm" to Trump as Trump is gaining in the polls.

If Cruz waits until a week or two before the election and backs Trump, it will ruin whatever goodwill he built up by standing on the sidelines for the last two months. He's already endured the brunt of criticism.

Why endorse now? 

He's trying to avoid a primary challenger in Texas, that's why. 

I've never liked Ted Cruz and this is the main reason why:  he is a cold, calculating, unprincipled politician.  It it somehow benefits him, he'll throw his "vote your conscience" principle over the side in order to back a man who trashed his wife and insulted his father.

You would do yourself a big favor by looking at Ted Cruz's Senate campaign history to see that one thing for certain is that Cruz is not afraid of is any Primary challenge.

Whether or not Cruz make an endorsement of tRump, I could care less, even as a staunch Cruzbot. Trump has seemed to mellowed or learned how to campaign better than during the Primaries and as a pure neverhitlery patriot, I will put on my big clothespin and vote Trump, regardless of who endorses him.

[HoustonSam]

That government shutdown did it for me with Cruz.  He knew he would lose it, yet went for it anyway to benefit himself. 

@sinkspur could you help me with your thinking here please.  How do you figure that Cruz felt he would benefit from the shutdown, and do you think he actually did benefit?  Do you feel like anything would have been better if Cruz had not pursued a filibuster? Would any other Republican have similarly benefited if they had filibustered? 

I'm not arguing that the shutdown was successful; obviously it was not.  I'm just interested in learning more from your perspective.

Thanks sink.

[austingirl]

I wouldn't call it warming up either. Trump supported an issue that Cruz cares about.

Cruz is a true Constitutional Conservative who believes in traditional values. He had taken abuse from the Uniparty who want to keep the feeding trough full. Of course he would be despised by the liberals on this board.

It is a shame that he is not the nominee but this appears to be the year of disruptor candidates-Sanders and Trump. The fix was in for Hitlery but at least Bernie, the sell-out socialist, got a lake house out of it.

[Fantom]

If Cruz endorses Trump, then Cruz can forget about my vote in 2020....

Folks like me who are sick of this politics and strange bedfellow crap will never be persuaded to vote for a candidate who pretends to be a Conservative...

Fair enough.

He would , however, have mine. As well as me maxing out again to Ted. Under the right conditions.

Politics, after all, is about the possible. And it ain't bean bag.

I would love to have 60 Senators like Ted and Ben Sasse.. we do not. Given the right conditions, I will trust any "backroom" deal Ted makes which moves the limited government ball forward.

A Simple Bricklayer

P.S. Shame on you.. Ted is no pretender.

[Fantom]

I wouldn't call it warming up either. Trump supported an issue that Cruz cares about.

Cruz is a true Constitutional Conservative who believes in traditional values. He had taken abuse from the Uniparty who want to keep the feeding trough full. Of course he would be despised by the liberals on this board.

It is a shame that he is not the nominee but this appears to be the year of disruptor candidates-Sanders and Trump. The fix was in for Hitlery but at least Bernie, the sell-out socialist, got a lake house out of it.

Right.

[skeeter]

All trump has to do to get my vote is to get Ted's endorsement.

Politics makes strange bedfellows... and I am sure Ted is enjoying the process of educating Little Donald about politics. 

I will neither think more nor less of Cruz if he ends up endorsing Trump. Although I would prefer he do it after Trump apologizes to him personally for being such a perfect slandering assh*le during the primaries. But thats between the two of them.

All I want Cruz to do is to keep up what he's been doing since he was elected to the senate - loudly representing conservative issues.

[Cripplecreek]

I wouldn't call it warming up either. Trump supported an issue that Cruz cares about.

Cruz is a true Constitutional Conservative who believes in traditional values. He had taken abuse from the Uniparty who want to keep the feeding trough full. Of course he would be despised by the liberals on this board.

It is a shame that he is not the nominee but this appears to be the year of disruptor candidates-Sanders and Trump. The fix was in for Hitlery but at least Bernie, the sell-out socialist, got a lake house out of it.

An issue that people have been wondering why Trump has remained silent about till now.

[jmyrlefuller]

I've never liked Ted Cruz and this is the main reason why:  he is a cold, calculating, unprincipled politician.  It it somehow benefits him, he'll throw his "vote your conscience" principle over the side in order to back a man who trashed his wife and insulted his father.

In politics, it's better to be cold and calculating than what we have now: a completely aimless wreck.

I think the guy does have principles, more than your average politician, though.

[skeeter]

I wouldn't call it warming up either. Trump supported an issue that Cruz cares about.

Cruz is a true Constitutional Conservative who believes in traditional values. He had taken abuse from the Uniparty who want to keep the feeding trough full. Of course he would be despised by the liberals on this board.

It is a shame that he is not the nominee but this appears to be the year of disruptor candidates-Sanders and Trump. The fix was in for Hitlery but at least Bernie, the sell-out socialist, got a lake house out of it.

I see this more as Trump's staff attempting to reach out to Cruz, since Cruz has been so visibly associating himself with this specific issue.

[Fantom]

Cruz is out for Cruz.  That's what I don't like about him.  He's as transparent a politician as there is. 

That government shutdown did it for me with Cruz.  He knew he would lose it, yet went for it anyway to benefit himself. 

Before you conclude that Cruz has your best interests at heart, first check how it benefits him.

Well, that is the gope talking points alright. Yes 16 days...oh piddle, what a shutdown. Reagan said shut it down and lets see if the People notice.

In fact it showed obama/progs as the fascist they are. Remember obama spending monies to shutdown......put security to run Americans off from open air monuments. Remember Barrycades thrown over the White house fence.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trJA93yURxA

Ted did this.

It was chikenshit gope who lacked any manhood to fight.

[Fantom]

I will neither think more nor less of Cruz if he ends up endorsing Trump. Although I would prefer he do it after Trump apologizes to him personally for being such a perfect slandering assh*le during the primaries. But thats between the two of them.

All I want Cruz to do is to keep up what he's been doing since he was elected to the senate - loudly representing conservative issues.

I did say with the right conditions. 

And yes.. Ted is the man.

[unknown]

I will neither think more nor less of Cruz if he ends up endorsing Trump. Although I would prefer he do it after Trump apologizes to him personally for being such a perfect slandering assh*le during the primaries. But thats between the two of them.

All I want Cruz to do is to keep up what he's been doing since he was elected to the senate - loudly representing conservative issues.

That's exactly my take on this issue also.

[240B]

Said it over and over. A significant number of anti-Trump people are not anti-Trump per se, they are against anyone who would shake the tree.

These people are enriched by the status quo and fear change above everything else.

The Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton dynasty was just fine with them. They would have kept it going forever if they could have. And they still might.

My point is that NeverTrump is only indirectly about Trump. Many of these same people would have been as equally NeverCruz had he been the nominee. We can see that by the reaction to this report.

[sinkspur]

@sinkspur could you help me with your thinking here please.  How do you figure that Cruz felt he would benefit from the shutdown, and do you think he actually did benefit?  Do you feel like anything would have been better if Cruz had not pursued a filibuster? Would any other Republican have similarly benefited if they had filibustered? 

I'm not arguing that the shutdown was successful; obviously it was not.  I'm just interested in learning more from your perspective.

Thanks sink.

He was appealing to the far right who relished fighting Obama with a shutdown.  They actually thought Obama would fold.  Fold on his signature issue.

Cruz knew better, but he knew his Cruzbots would support him (like Trumpkins) no matter what.  Republicans were down in favorables by 12 points at the end of the shutdown, a shutdown which accomplished nothing and allowed the media and Democrats to trash Republicans. 

Had it not been for the disastrous rollout of the Obamacare, the shutdown would have had a far greater political effect, just as the one on 1995 did to Newt and the GOP.

Cruz showed that he was willing to throw the rest of the Republican Congress under the bus for his own ends.  Here he is a freshman senator, and he basically talked the rump Freedom Caucus in the House into shutting down the government.  Even when he knew he would lose.  Why pull such a ridiculous stunt?

Because he turned out to the hero of the far right.  Cruz had a helluva lot more support in the primaries than had he not shutdown the government.  That was his signature achievement and, even then, he was eyeing a run for the White House. 

I would have voted for him for president because he's not nuts but I don't like him.  His personal style is oily and sanctimonious and he doesn't connect with people easily.

W doesn't like him, and W likes everybody.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I take Cruz's statements at face value: He thinks this is an important issue and genuinely appreciates Trump's stance on the issue. that's it.

[Victoria33]

"'Appreciate @realDonaldTrump’s support of our efforts to keep the internet free," Cruz tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.'"

What was he going to say - "I wish Trump had not wanted to keep the internet free"??
Some are acting like Cruz is ready to carry Trump into the White House.