[kara37]

Delegates pledged to Cruz (or Trump) aren't pledged to them because they support or like them, but because they've been assigned to do so following primaries or caucuses. Most of these delegates are small-time political operatives and other hacks beholden to the RNC, and they will support an establishment candidate in the second round, when they're no longer pledged to Cruz or Trump. If we have a brokered convention, say hello to nominee Ryan, Bush, Romney, or Rubio.
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I understand they are bound on the first ballot. I was referring to lining up delegates for the second ballot.

However, lets say that I agree with you, that all the delegates will vote however the RNC tells them. Why are all the Trump people going nuts over Ted getting his preferred delegate slate? According to you, it doesn't matter anyway, and Ted is just wasting his time.

[ek_hornbeck]

However, lets say that I agree with you, that all the delegates will vote however the RNC tells them. Why are all the Trump people going nuts over Ted getting his preferred delegate slate? According to you, it doesn't matter anyway, and Ted is just wasting his time.

Most of the Cruz votes are anti-establishment votes. A reasonable fraction of these would go to Trump and give him the 1237 he needs for the nomination outright if Cruz weren't running in a race that (unlike Trump) he has 0 chance of winning. People are "going nuts" because the outcome of Cruz's candidacy will be to deny Trump the nomination, handing the RNC the brokered convention that it wants, and the nomination of Jeb, Paul, Mitt, or Marco.

If there was an actual chance that Cruz could get delegates he needed outright, he could at least say that he's running to win as opposed to running out of spite or in the RNC's service. Unfortunately, the latter two options are much more likely.