In various circles, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), has been assailed as a ‘malcontent’, a ‘Dirty player’. Also seen as ‘Not being a Team player’, and ‘Defiant’. Well, Yeah!
For Months during his campaign to be the G.O.P. Presidential Nominee, he has informed anyone paying attention that he viewed one Donald J. Trump, correctly, of being these very same things. So it should come as Little-to-No Surprise that he failed to endorse Trump, for the sake of Party Unity, as the Republican Party Candidate. At the pivotal moment, when Cruz was supposed to give his endorsement, he told his fellow Republicans to – ‘Vote their conscience, up and down the ballot’. At this point, Ted Cruz had little to lose, and had never given any indication that he would suddenly endorse Trump.
Whether Trump knew this was coming, or had merely anticipated that it might, is a matter of conjecture. That Trump was poised waiting in the wings to grab the spotlight is now clear. That Cruz was guilty of playing a Dirty Trick, or being disloyal, should hardly startle any observers. Dirty Tricks and ‘Disloyalty’ have a long history in Presidential Politics, and Cruz has long been viewed as an experienced practitioner of ‘The Game’.
Cruz has been accused of ‘Not playing by the rules’. Can someone remind me please, of what exactly ‘The Rules’ are here? And for that matter how well Trump has adhered to whatever theoretical ‘Rules’ there are in this ‘Game’?
Most of us can agree I believe, that a certain decorum had been observed when it comes to Convention ‘On-Stage’ conduct. However, On-stage decorum kind of fell by the wayside when Clint Eastwood mocked a current President in the form of an empty chair. And Truth be told, both Trump’s and Cruz’s, (as well as a few of the others), Conduct, on-Stage and Off, has defied accepted Norms.
Trump has engaged in everything from Posting unflattering photos of Cruz’s Wife, to asserting Cruz’s Father was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. And lest we forget the multi-dozen times Trump referred to him as ‘Lyin’ Ted’. Now we’re startled that Cruz didn’t endorse Trump? Please.
Sen. Cruz made it a point of emphasis to highlight his Father’s presence at the Convention, speaking about how he’d fled persecution in Cuba, with $100 ‘sewn into his underwear’.
All said and done, Cruz didn’t forfeit much by his Convention ploy. If as expected by many, Trump suffers a loss which is, well, uh, Huge, the Republican Party as we know it today, will have to undergo a major reorganization and refocusing. In which case, Ted Cruz will be very much in an ‘I Told Ya’ So…’ standing.
If as some expect, Trump is able to eke out a victory, the GOP as we know it will undergo a major reorganization and refocusing. One in which Ted Cruz was going to be left on the sidelines anyway, so there was little at stake for him there. Either way, despite dramatic appearance, it involved little risk all along.
One final conclusion – following Mitt Romney’s substantial defeat in contesting President Obama, the GOP had promised an ‘Autopsy’, and a commitment to Learn from missed opportunities. Yet, somehow they wound up with Donald Trump, and the ‘Dirty Trickster’ Ted Cruz vying for the Top Spot. So, What were the lessons learned?
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