In his speech tonight, Senator Ted Cruz failed to endorse his party's nominee, Donald Trump. Instead, he said vote your conscience. No matter the justifications, that is petty. Such an open display of disunity and a failure to support the person the voters chose is a political blunder. Very early in the primary season, the Republican candidates were asked if they would support the eventual nominee. The whole purpose of that question was to prevent Trump from going rogue. JEB, Cruz, Rubio, et al. said they would support the nominee, whoever it was. Where are they now?
Let us suppose that Trump loses and Cruz runs in 2020. Has he given a speech that will draw the voters to him? No. He has disrespected their choice and expects them to choose more wisely next time around. Even those who voted for him might find this off putting. He could have learned some political maneuvering from Richard Nixon. Nixon went all in for Barry Goldwater in 1964. Though Nixon was no where near as conservative as Goldwater, the Goldwater voters remembered his loyalty to the party. Nixon won the nomination and the presidency in 1968.
Ideologically speaking, Cruz is probably closest to me. If he gets some sense, he will stump for Trump during the campaign and make an appearance with Trump to undo this political faux pas. It is not necessary to like your party's nominee but it is a requirement to support him. The Bush wing of the party is notably absent but, as JEB's fabulous showing demonstrates, that wing is almost dead. Don't go down that path, Ted. Even if the quarterback is a jerk, be a team player.
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