No.
I still think Cruz and Trump are by far the two best options we have—though neither is perfect.
I long wanted a Trump/Cruz ticket because I didn’t think Cruz could win outright without slipping in after being VP.
But now I am convinced that Cruz is a GOPe shill, just as W ultimately was. W thought he learned how to fool the base by playing up his tough-Texan act, and Cruz has double-talked as the far-right outsider in an escalation of that strategy.
Moreover, Cruz is willing to hand the nomination over to the GOPe in a floor fight, rather than let Trump win. So no, Cruz is not dedicated to the cause, he is dedicated to his own ambition—and, as we’ve seen, he’ll pull dirty tricks to try to get his way.
Trump might insult, but he fights very, very fair and clean.
I trust him much more than Cruz at this point.
Just heard that a quarter of Cruz’s Twitter followers unfollowed him in the last 15 hours.
I switched to Trump a couple of weeks ago. Glenn Beck (who I used to like) helped change my mind. This crap last nite cemented my decision.
I was all for cruz or Trump when the primaries were starting. Now I wouldn’t pull the lever for him.
You seem to ask an honest question, and therefore I will try to give one guy’s honest answer.
The comments don’t change my mind, and I don’t think I have ever even been a terribly passionate Cruz supporter. I honestly am far more wary of giving the nomination - and perhaps presidency - to a man I sincerely see as a natural-born authoritarian with no historic evidence of underlying moral or philosophical conviction.
That is not to say the whole thing isn’t conflicting. Those protestors have no right to prevent free speech, or to accost, threaten, and bring harm to the person or property of a peaceful assembly. When I see the sort of thing I saw last night, I get angry and feel a tendency toward, let’s say, “countermeasure” myself.
But it is undeniable that Trump has sewn the seeds of such conflict. People have a right to defend themselves of course, and vigorously so. A leader should certainly not repress that right. But Trump has done more than affirm individual self defense and it is disingenuous of him now to play coy about his past words.
One should never blame a victim, but normally at Freerepublic, people don’t seem to shirk individual accountability either. Those organized, and possibly paid, protestors last night are accountable for the crimes and offenses they committed... But Trump taunted them and encouraged violence as a flippant way to fire up his crowds and seem tough. Personally, his toughness has always seemed more like a rich guy hiding behind his lawyers to me - I question whether he has ever thrown a real punch in his life - and I have long felt he has been playing with fire.
It is a pity, because he clearly understands and is tapped into the deep frustration that conservatives in this country feel. But rather than channel that into constructive action, he has just stoked the fires of passion into rage and offered no solutions. I truly wish he was less Tom Pain and more James Madison. But that’s not what he is.
I wish Cruz had maybe phrased it differently, and his tack does strike me as more opportunist than out of genuine concern for social order. Sometimes he annoys me like everyone else; he is not a perfect candidate. But he had a point, and as such did not change my mind.
I listened to the entirety of Cruz’s remarks, not just an out-of-context soundbite. I support Cruz as much as ever.
I was staunchly in Cruz corner. Being from Chicago and seeing the fiasco last night and the bloodied cop, I waited for Cruz’ comment. Cruz deeply dissapointed. I felt his comments were strictly self-serving and he missed the big picture. This was organized chaos, brought and paid for by George Soros.
That said, I am not a Trump fan, but will vote for Trump on Tuesday.
No but I wish he would have blamed Obama and soros more than trump....
Trump has called Cruz a lot of nasty names. I understand no one coming to his defense....but this was to all of our defense not just trumps
Go Cruz!
Although I thought the Trump campaign tone did contribute somewhat over time to the mob thug disrupter mentality, Trump handled it very impressively last night.
Cruz needs to remember that he tagged onto Trumps fiery rhetoric early on and claimed solidarity on certain issues.
Cruz tried to take a tasteful jab to his advantage and point out a contrast. I don’t think it was effective.
Cruz would have the same problem, if he had the crowds Trump gets.
How about d). I now support Cruz even more than before.
Cruz supporter here, and I’m still supporting him.
I would have preferred a stronger defense of the First Amendment from Ted so I am disappointed in the overall balance of his remarks. Mob rule should not be allowed to overcome Freedom of Association and Freedom of Speech, *and* Trump should stop saying, even in jest, that he would like to hit protesters or pay the legal fees of those who do.
To my knowledge no one on these threads has recalled that Trump criticized Pamela Gellar for sponsoring a “Draw Muhammad” contest in Garland TX last May, which was targeted for attack by Islamic terrorists.
Trump and his supporters did not instigate the confrontations in Chicago last night, but Trump has not distinguished himself as a defender of free speech rights. In fact he came pretty close to blaming Pam Gellar for the attack because she was “taunting” people. Does that reminder change the opinion of any Trump supporters?
2. Ditto for TPA . A real conservative would never consider giving up the Senate's Constitutional duty to check the executive on treaties or trade deals. But Cruz this . This was showed me initially that Cruz was a fake.
3. Ditto for the Corker bill. I real conservative would never consider allowing Iran to build nukes which the Corker bill did which Cruz voted for.
3 Strikes . Canadadian Cruz is out.
I have 100 more strikes though but no time to put them all here.
B for me.
I have long had Cruz as my #1 choice, but I am seriously rethinking that. No excuse for what he said last night.
I thought he was different. Instead, he is signaling he would back down from the BLM crowd as well.
I’ll be honest. I don’t think Trump has a prayer in the general election, but I am very tempted to vote for him just to send an FU to the GOP-E and the rest of the Left.
No, But Trumpsters, you need to heed Obama’s advice circa 2008. If they hit you hit them back twice as hard
A) Still would vote for Cruz if election was today.
I’m not thrilled with any of the candidates, but I certainly wouldn’t choose Trump. And as far as blaming the victim goes, he isn’t exactly innocent.
http://www.teaparty.org/trump-blames-geller-attacked-jihadis-drawing-muhammad-97404/
A full quarter of Turn Coat Cruz’s Twitter followers have un-followed him in the last 15 hours.
First amendment states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...
in other words, the GOVERNMENT can not suppress free speech but it doesn't guarantee that there will be no non-governmental consequences to you when exercising your free speech. Trump does bear some responsibility for reactions to his big mouth.
B) for me, and I may even be writing a vanity later on, my first. Letting this percolate in my head a while, and seeing what else happens the next few days. But it has certainly changed my feelings about my #1 guy, Cruz.