Posted on 07/21/2016 8:18:20 AM PDT by Drango
Less than 12 hours after he was booed for not endorsing GOP nominee Donald Trump during his late-night speech before the Republican National Convention, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz isn't backing down.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential nominee, headlined Wednesday's event. But all eyes were on Ted Cruz earlier in the evening for his refusal to endorse Donald Trump. POLITICS Pence Makes The Case For Trump After Cruz Is Booed At an emotional event with the Texas RNC delegation Thursday morning, Cruz defended his decision to withhold his endorsement at a time when Republicans are trying to rally around their nominee ahead of the general election.
Sen. Ted Cruz leaves the stage after speaking during the Republican National Convention on Wednesday. POLITICS Trump-Cruz Feud Flares Anew On Third Night Of Convention "I am doing what millions of Americans are doing. I am watching and I am listening. The standard that I apply is, which candidate do I trust to defend the Constitution?" said Cruz.
"I can tell you I am not voting for Hillary," said Cruz, who also said he was "watching" other candidates.
As the GOP primary came down to the two candidates this spring, Trump and his surrogates attacked Cruz's family. That including tweeting an unflattering photo of Cruz's wife and alleging without any firm basis that Cruz's father, Rafael, was involved in the plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
"I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my family," said Cruz, who added he would not be "a servile puppy dog" to the Trump campaign.
Vanquished Republican presidential hopefuls, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, also addressed the convention's third night, delivering lukewarm endorsements of Trump.
Cruz said Trump should not have been surprised by the content of his Wednesday night address because the campaign "knew exactly what I was going to say." A preview copy of Cruz's remarks was released to reporters earlier in the evening.
He said it was "dismaying" that Trump supporters booed him from the floor when he encouraged Republicans to "vote their conscience" in November.
The first-term senator emphasized that he has no plans to campaign against Trump this fall. "I don't intend to say negative things about Donald Trump," said Cruz.
Meanwhile on Twitter, Trump criticized Cruz implying that he's encouraging people to vote for Democrats:
Follow Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump Ted Cruz talks about the Constitution but doesn't say that if the Dems win the Presidency, the new JUSTICES appointed will destroy us all! 8:12 AM - 21 Jul 2016 3,349 3,349 Retweets 9,324 9,324 likes Wednesday night Trump wasn't so harsh, tweeting that he let Cruz speak even after seeing his remarks and that it was "No big deal!"
Follow Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn't honor the pledge! I saw his speech two hours early but let him speak anyway. No big deal! 9:45 PM - 20 Jul 2016 17,801 17,801 Retweets 50,522 50,522 likes Cruz is already positioning himself to run again for the White House in 2020 and discouraged supporters from casting a vote for him this fall. "I am not encouraging anyone to write my name in."
Cruz Says He Won’t Be A ‘Servile Puppy Dog’ To Trump Campaign
Don’t even try it Ted, Hillary’s got you on a short leash
Remember that you are HER servile surrogate sycophantic puppy dog.
He’s down to a small number and a few nutters plus super Trump haters. He gets any decent challenge for his senate seat in 2 years, Cruz will lose.
I encountered a poster on another thread that insists Cruz was not booed off the stage, but was set up by the Trump campaign.
And that Cruz' behavior now is justified because of all the vile personal attacks against Cruz, his family, and others.
I watched last night as it unfolded. I've seen numerous interviews since of folks who were on the floor.
The boos were nearly universal...and even many from the Texas delegation were engaged in it.
It's hard to hide the fact that 1800 of 2000 people are booing you loudly. And there's no sense at all to the claim this happened because "Trump set him up".
Once the NY Delegation started, everyone joined in.
Because Cruz is the most hated man in America, surpassing even Obama. All Democrats Hate Cruz and a LARGE MAJORITY of Republicans hate him too. Visceral hatred.
Yet he still has deluded supporters on Free Republic.
What’s all the 2020 talk on this thread?
President Trump will be running for re-election.
The AH Limbaugh just said exactly what I stated Limbaugh would say last night.
El Rushbo: “Ted Cruz was standing on his principles”.
In reality this dishonorable fraud was standing on the pledge.
After an early mild infatuation with Cruz, Trump won me over.
Having said that, if Cruz had publicly renounced his pledge to support the nominee (if it turned out to be Trump) immediately after the Heidi/father insult episodes, I would have been fine with that. Give the primary voters a chance to decide the pledge validity.
Having waited ‘til now, however, the ‘use by’ date on outrage has long passed and Cruz’s original commitment went back into effect.
You can’t go back to Arby’s for a free refill the next day.
He can always go to Hillary’s side and bark with her....what a schmuck!
Even if Trump loses, Cruz is finished politically. He will never get the GOP nomination.
I was excited about Cruz at first, as well. However, through the campaign, I was drawn away from Cruz and towards Trump. By the end of the Cruz campaign, I was relieved to see him go!
Last night, I watched parts of the Cruz speech - but honestly, I muted the rest. I saw him read what seemed to be his nomination acceptance speech, when he wasn’t the nominee! It was so bizarre. It came to me afterwards what it reminded me of. It was “Norma Desmond’s final speech to the press” in the movie “Sunset Boulevard”! Cruz’s speech also seemed devoid of reality and off-kilter. I think he needs to go away and take a long rest somewhere.
There are 3 things Cruz did that I think preclude him from further political office:
1) He didn’t put America first - For the good of the GOP and the election, he could have mouthed a few platitudes (like Rubio) and been seen as a hero
2) He didn’t keep his written vow to support the GOP nominee - His word should have been but was not his bond. How can he ever be trusted again?
3) He gave comfort to, aided and abetted the Enemy (Hillary and the DNC)
There’s not much left to say after that. I think the Republicans dodged a bullet when Ted Cruz wasn’t nominated for President! Last night showed what he is really like, and it was ugly.
” Cruz, who added he would not be “a servile puppy dog” to the Trump campaign.”
Hmmm...can we extrapolate from this statement and make the assumption that Cruz might also have had a problem being a (public) “servant” to the American people?
[At least with Trump, there’s a chance. Small, but a chance.]
TRUMP is destined to be the next POTUS.
I don’t think his sack is that big...
Looks like "lying Ted" fits and he is now as trustworthy as Hillary.
It's "principled" idiots like him that allowed Obama a second term - he has become the enemy ...
AMEN!!!
So NPR wants us to focus on infighting and attacking each other. So here at FR we are happy to oblige.
Here’s a thought... Attack the left!
“I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my family,” said Cruz,”
You started this Ted, lest anyone forget. You just haven’t had your dirt served back at you before. It’s not like you were universally loved by your colleagues before this. Further, if Trump wasn’t in the race, it is unlikely you would have been the nominee anyway - and IMHO it is likely you would have burned bridges and developed grudges with one or more of the other candidates in the process.
It’s not a small chance. It’s a very, very real and reachable chance.
Further, if successful this year, there will never again be a ‘conventional Republican candidate’. The face of the party has changed, and new coalitions are opening up. The more savvy among the left understand this, and are very, very afraid of it. The Democrats are looking like the ‘old’ party with ‘old’ ideas. Politics is very much about emotion, and the Democrats ‘feel’ old and stale, not to mention the corruption they have to try to explain.
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