As Trump slumps, Cruz's play in convention speech looks smarter

[libertybele]

As Trump slumps, Cruz's play in convention speech looks smarter

...with each fresh outrage or misstep from the nominee, Cruz may be cementing his position as the one big-name Republican nervy enough, or savvy enough, or with enough integrity, to show up and snub Trump rather than quietly avoiding the convention or loyally setting aside misgivings to deliver the "I support the nominee" incantation.

Cruz's personal animosity toward the nominee is well documented and, by all appearances, unabated.

His ambitions for 2020 are as obvious as his disdain for Trump's philosophical malleability.

Also well-documented is the Texas senator's eagerness to make and maintain political enemies.

Even so, it took an extraordinary amount of chutzpah for Cruz to take the stage in Cleveland knowing full well, according to aides, that he would face blowback when delegates realized he was refusing to endorse....


Texas Republicans vented their anger at Cruz in a series of extraordinary, tense exchanges the next morning in Cleveland.

Top Cruz donors were outraged enough to chastise Cruz in public, too. Robert Mercer, a reclusive Long Island billionaire who had been a key donor to a pro-Cruz Super PAC, issued an astonishing rebuke to The New York Times, saying he was "profoundly disappointed" that Cruz had set aside his pledge to support the party's eventual nominee.

...Cruz could have taken the path of House Speaker Paul Ryan, the party's last vice presidential nominee, or Sen. John McCain, its 2008 presidential nominee. Both have said they'd support the party's nominee, while carefully avoiding such sentences as "I like Donald Trump," or "I support Donald Trump" or "I think Donald Trump would make a great president" — any of which would invite a lightning strike in Cruz's vicinity.

Keep in mind that Trump and his minions knew exactly what Cruz was going to say that night.

Negotiations went down to the wire, but they knew at least 90 minutes before Cruz took the stage, because that's when GOP convention staff blasted out embargoed text of the speech to journalists.

So, was it an accident that Trump appeared in the arena while Cruz was speaking? Plausible deniability: He wanted to be in place to hear his running mate, Mike Pence.

Were the boos and jeers of Cruz organic or instigated as the speech wore on and it became apparent that he wasn't going to go any further than he had at the top, when he congratulated Trump on becoming the nominee?

Hard to prove, but journalists on the floor witnessed convention whips stirring up delegates to boo Cruz.

Trump knew what was coming. He decided to make the best of it by discrediting his rival and inflicting as high a price as possible; he's a politician who sees value in enemies and foils.

But consider the possibility that Cruz, too, got exactly what he wanted out of that episode.

Sure, he alienated many Republican stalwarts by refusing to show fealty to the party and its nominee. He angered some of his own constituents and key donors.

But whether Trump wins or loses, Cruz is the guy who kept his hands clean.

Before the night when an ovation turned to catcalls, he was the most popular Republican in Texas. He can weather the 2018 primary for re-election to the Senate.

By the time the Iowa caucuses roll around in early 2020, either President Trump will be riding high and Cruz will have no choice about sitting on the sidelines anyway — or the junior senator from Texas will be cast as the conservative Republicans should have picked in 2016. If only they had listened.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20160804-as-trump-slumps-cruz-s-play-in-convention-speech-looks-smarter.ece

[Cripplecreek]

I just started reading "A Time for Truth" and was pleased to find that Ted Cruz and I are of the same mind on Sam Houston.

Houston was a good man who rise to the governorship of Texas based on the people's love for him and his refusal to retreat from his principles. He was later driven from power by those same people who had become an angry unthinking mob. He refused to simply go along with the mob or tell them what they wanted to hear. The last time he publically addressed a crowd it was to boos, catcalls and yells of "Traitor".   Unfortunately it took the deaths of a half million Americans including Houston's own son to prove that Houston was right.

[bilo]

By the time the Iowa caucuses roll around in early 2020, either President Trump will be riding high and Cruz will have no choice about sitting on the sidelines anyway — or the junior senator from Texas will be cast as the conservative Republicans should have picked in 2016. If only they had listened.

I think it will be the latter.

After the convention it sure looked good for Trump and then the clintoons "banged him like a drum". The khan setup couldn't have gone better for hillary. I'm sure next month when the media is done beating Trump over the head with that fiasco the clintoons will get some other sympathetic figure to criticize Trump and the cycle will be repeated.

I don't know how many times I pleaded with Trump supporters to reconsider if for no other reason than Sen. Cruz is experienced dealing with the media and controversy. He doesn't give the enemy more to work with and more often than not he turns the tables on the instigator.

[Cripplecreek]

By the time the Iowa caucuses roll around in early 2020, either President Trump will be riding high and Cruz will have no choice about sitting on the sidelines anyway — or the junior senator from Texas will be cast as the conservative Republicans should have picked in 2016. If only they had listened.

I think it will be the latter.

After the convention it sure looked good for Trump and then the clintoons "banged him like a drum". The khan setup couldn't have gone better for hillary. I'm sure next month when the media is done beating Trump over the head with that fiasco the clintoons will get some other sympathetic figure to criticize Trump and the cycle will be repeated.

I don't know how many times I pleaded with Trump supporters to reconsider if for no other reason than Sen. Cruz is experienced dealing with the media and controversy. He doesn't give the enemy more to work with and more often than not he turns the tables on the instigator.

I think that in 4 years you'll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't claim they were cheering and chanting his name at the convention like many of those who claim to revere Reagan today.

[GrouchoTex]

I think that in 4 years you'll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't claim they were cheering and chanting his name at the convention like many of those who claim to revere Reagan today.

I had a discussion on this with a friend of mine.
He said he thought Cruz screwed up by not endorsing Trump.
I argued that Cruz looked principled, something that is sorely lacking.

We all want our politicians to stand for something, even if they may be wrong (I do not think Cruz was wrong, however).
Yet, when they do, we wonder what's gotten into them.

Cruz has gone against the establishment, and yes, Trump is now part of that establishment.
Just ask Boehner.

[ScottinVA]

Cruz gets nothing but respect from me for taking that stand.  He's been crapped on more than anyone this year and has manned up like no other.

I would REALLY like to see Ted lead an exodus of conservatives from the GOP to the U.S. Constitution Party.

[libertybele]

I just started reading "A Time for Truth" and was pleased to find that Ted Cruz and I are of the same mind on Sam Houston.

Houston was a good man who rise to the governorship of Texas based on the people's love for him and his refusal to retreat from his principles. He was later driven from power by those same people who had become an angry unthinking mob. He refused to simply go along with the mob or tell them what they wanted to hear. The last time he publically addressed a crowd it was to boos, catcalls and yells of "Traitor".   Unfortunately it took the deaths of a half million Americans including Houston's own son to prove that Houston was right.

An excellent book!  I found it fascinating and couldn't put it down.

[libertybele]

Cruz gets nothing but respect from me for taking that stand.  He's been crapped on more than anyone this year and has manned up like no other.

I would REALLY like to see Ted lead an exodus of conservatives from the GOP to the U.S. Constitution Party.

Yes indeed.  He has been crapped on more than anyone during this election process and yet he continues to stick to his conservative principles despite all the ridicule, booing, lies, attacks and whatever else has been thrown at him.  He has backbone, tenacity and integrity like no one else in Congress.  He will continue to have my support as I am confident he will always have my back.

Cruz Reigniting the Promise of America!!!

[skeeter]

"Also well-documented is the Texas senator's eagerness to make and maintain political enemies."

What garbage.

Seems its de rigueur to sneer at the rare politician processing principles.

[Cripplecreek]

"Also well-documented is the Texas senator's eagerness to make and maintain political enemies."

What garbage.

Seems its de rigueur to sneer at the rare politician processing principles.

Given the quality of most politicians its nice to see one that isn't there to make friends.

[libertybele]

Well, it didn't take long, Trump has made such an azz out of himself that Cruz is beginning to look even smarter:

http://www.redstate.com/streiff/2016/08/04/panic-hits-gop-donor-class-ted-cruzs-convention-speech-vindicated/

[Gov Bean Counter]

Well, it didn't take long, Trump has made such an azz out of himself that Cruz is beginning to look even smarter:

http://www.redstate.com/streiff/2016/08/04/panic-hits-gop-donor-class-ted-cruzs-convention-speech-vindicated/

This is what Cruz was predicting would happen in the private meeting that was leaked to the press. Multiple times Cruz got under Trump's skin in debates, but Trump somehow kept himself together. I figure he was drugged up.

[Emjay]

I just started reading "A Time for Truth" and was pleased to find that Ted Cruz and I are of the same mind on Sam Houston.

Houston was a good man who rise to the governorship of Texas based on the people's love for him and his refusal to retreat from his principles. He was later driven from power by those same people who had become an angry unthinking mob. He refused to simply go along with the mob or tell them what they wanted to hear. The last time he publically addressed a crowd it was to boos, catcalls and yells of "Traitor".   Unfortunately it took the deaths of a half million Americans including Houston's own son to prove that Houston was right.

I need to get that book..  My daddy was a lawyer in Oklahoma and knew Temple Houston (Sam's son).

[libertybele]

I need to get that book..  My daddy was a lawyer in Oklahoma and knew Temple Houston (Sam's son).

The book also reveals Ted's great sense of humor!

[Hoodat]

Well, it didn't take long, Trump has made such an azz out of himself that Cruz is beginning to look even smarter:

http://www.redstate.com/streiff/2016/08/04/panic-hits-gop-donor-class-ted-cruzs-convention-speech-vindicated/

From the article:

But Charles Koch bases all of his decisions — whether they're in business, politics or his personal life — on a set of "guiding principles" that underpin his free market philosophy. He is known to carry the checklist, which includes the words integrity, humility and respect, in his suit jacket pocket.

Looks like Trump is 0 for 3.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I said it then, when Trump either drops out, or gets royally bent over by Hillary in November, people will remember Ted Cruz's excellent speech and forget all the spineless Trump sycophants (including politicians and media).

[GrouchoTex]

I just started reading "A Time for Truth" and was pleased to find that Ted Cruz and I are of the same mind on Sam Houston.

Houston was a good man who rise to the governorship of Texas based on the people's love for him and his refusal to retreat from his principles. He was later driven from power by those same people who had become an angry unthinking mob. He refused to simply go along with the mob or tell them what they wanted to hear. The last time he publically addressed a crowd it was to boos, catcalls and yells of "Traitor".   Unfortunately it took the deaths of a half million Americans including Houston's own son to prove that Houston was right.

I bought "A Time for Truth" not long after it came out.
I also enjoyed the GHWB/Rove story in the book.

[libertybele]

I bought "A Time for Truth" not long after it came out.
I also enjoyed the GHWB/Rove story in the book.

In particular I liked the story of Cruz standing up to GWB and the UN in the Medellin v. Texas case.

Ted Cruz.  Reigniting the Promise of America!

[catfish1957]

Bravery, principles, honesty, conservative.

Things Cruz stand for, and Trump does not.

[Silver Pines]

The book also reveals Ted's great sense of humor!

@libertybele
@Emjay
@Cripplecreek

I liked the Bo Derek story.  Ted learned that a man needs to be sober when his wife asks him if he thinks another woman is pretty, lol.

[Cripplecreek]

@libertybele
@Emjay
@Cripplecreek

I liked the Bo Derek story.  Ted learned that a man needs to be sober when his wife asks him if he thinks another woman is pretty, lol.

I'm also enjoying his insights and stories about the supreme court justices.

I'm realizing why politics sucks so much these days. Its no longer good enough to have honest disagreements, you have to hate and destroy the opposition. Ted Cruz clearly doesn't do that and as a result, some far left liberals speak very highly of him like Alan Dershowitz who recommended him to clerk for the supreme court.

[Silver Pines]

I'm also enjoying his insights and stories about the supreme court justices.

I'm realizing why politics sucks so much these days. Its no longer good enough to have honest disagreements, you have to hate and destroy the opposition. Ted Cruz clearly doesn't do that and as a result, some far left liberals speak very highly of him like Alan Dershowitz who recommended him to clerk for the supreme court.

@Cripplecreek

That's right.  He never has operated like that and I can't see him changing.

IMO, some books written by political figures are nothing but throw-aways---simple regurgitation of things we've heard before.  But Cruz's book is really worth reading, if you want to find out how he came to be a solid Constitutional conservative and what a Cruz administration would look like.

[Cripplecreek]

@Cripplecreek

That's right.  He never has operated like that and I can't see him changing.

IMO, some books written by political figures are nothing but throw-aways---simple regurgitation of things we've heard before.  But Cruz's book is really worth reading, if you want to find out how he came to be a solid Constitutional conservative and what a Cruz administration would look like.

Some interesting insights into other people in the book as well. Like the fact that Clarence Thomas is beloved by people like the janitorial staff who work in the court. Or Antonin Scalia telling the secret service that he was Robert Bork when they were holding an elevator open for Ed Meese.

[libertybele]

@Cripplecreek

That's right.  He never has operated like that and I can't see him changing.

IMO, some books written by political figures are nothing but throw-aways---simple regurgitation of things we've heard before.  But Cruz's book is really worth reading, if you want to find out how he came to be a solid Constitutional conservative and what a Cruz administration would look like.

     Excellent recap!