Cruz snubbed Trump at the convention. Good for him!
He didn't say don't vote for Trump. Instead, he said "vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution."
For that he was heckled and booed by the Trumpkins. Their reaction is self-incriminating. They can only boo his statement on pain of admitting that Trump isn't trustworthy to defend our freedom and be faithful to the Constitution. Why else would they assume that Cruz must be alluding to candidates other than Trump?
For the sake of the country Cruz should have urged people to vote for Rubio. That would have accomplished a few things:
ReplyDelete1. It would potentially unify all anti-Trump conservatives and Republicans behind one candidate rather than divided among many genuine conservative Republicans.
2. He wouldn't look as if he's just trying to get himself elected POTUS, but genuinely putting the country's best interest above his own.
3. By making such an unexpected endorsement and upsetting the Trump lovefest it would have created the kind of bad publicity that's actually good (Trump being the master of understanding that there's no such thing as "bad publicity"). So, the idea of actually voting for Rubio would catch on.
Unfortunately Cruz didn't fully take advantage of explicitly stating and arguing the fact that Trump is neither a true conservative or true Republican.
His endorsement of Rubio might have been perceived as manifestation of jealousy and bitterness for having lost to Trump, but that would have been mitigated by the fact that it's Rubio he's endorsing (another candidate he had friction with). Making his claim of #2 above credible and his motives sincere. Especially if he had pointed out that Rubio is at least genuinely a conservative and a Republican (contra Trump) even though he thinks he himself (Cruz) is more conservative than Rubio. At least (he could have argued) Rubio isn't a fraud like Trump.
Unfortunately, the speech Cruz actually gave just made him look like a sore loser who shamelessly hijacked the forum (in bad taste/poor etiquette) for the sake of self-centered self-aggrandizement. Since we all know what he really meant, "Vote for ME!"
DeleteI'm confused, why should Cruz have stepped aside and endorsed Rubio during the primaries? IIRC, Cruz was ahead of Rubio the whole time.
ReplyDeleteWho argued that Cruz should have stepped aside during the primaries?
DeleteI personally think Cruz would have made a better POTUS than Rubio, but that Rubio had a better chance at winning the general elections and therefore would have preferred Rubio be the nominee. According to rumor, Cruz (presumably through intermediaries) privately asked Rubio to be his running mate because some poles suggested that a Cruz/Rubio ticket would be popular. Unfortunately, Rubio declined. I think that could have lead to their eventual victory and lined up Rubio to run for POTUS 8 years later.
I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. There was a lot of chatter during the primaries about Cruz or Rubio stepping aside to allow the other to win. You're saying that he should have endorsed Rubio during the speech last night. I think you're right that he would have been viewed as unselfish then.
DeleteNo matter what though, Cruz would have been grilled.
I didn't take Cruze as alluding to other candidates by the vote your conscience remark. It's very possible that he wants Hillary to lose more than he wants Trump to lose yet without being able to endorse the most viable means to that end.
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