Posted on 07/22/2016 9:40:02 AM PDT by Kaslin
Ted Cruz essentially gave a career-ending speech at the GOP convention on Wednesday night.
Cruz's speech was a slap in the face to GOP nominee Donald Trump. "Vote your conscience" is a wonderful-sounding phrase. But we all know what he meant: Don't vote for Donald Trump.
I was in the convention hall and the crowd's reaction was unbelievable. It started out as a few hands waving in the air and some booing, and then it just grew and grew throughout the entire convention hall. And then boom! It was absolute bedlam.
I've been to most of the GOP conventions since 1980, and I've never seen anything like it. These people stood on their feet and booed. These are Republicans! They don't do this. They don't know how to stand up and boo. And yet, Cruz so divided them and worked them into such frenzy that it happened.
Cruz tried to pass it off as just the New York delegation acting up. But that is wrong. The whole hall was in an uproar. You couldn't even hear the last two paragraphs of Cruz's speech because the booing had reached such a crescendo.
Cruz left an absolute disaster in his wake when he finished that speech. Everyone was dispirited, as one might expect.
And then came Trump's running mate, Mike Pence. Pence delivered a terrific speech. He touched on all the major themes -- the economy, shaking up Washington and Trump's outsider roots. He talked about how Trump understands that middle-class wage earners have been hurt; they haven't had a raise in 15 years. That's something that Cruz, in all of his years of political experience, still doesn't understand!
Really, within the first 10 minutes of his speech, Mike Pence turned a demoralized, dispirited, depressed, negative convention into an upbeat and united one. He hit all the right notes and had a lot of optimism in his speech. The Cruz disaster, which had left the convention hall spinning just moments before, was suddenly swept away.
The entire hall started applauding Pence. Then they started cheering and got on their feet for Pence. Amazing.
Trump couldn't have made a better choice. Mike Pence single-handedly pulled the convention back together and united attendees with an optimistic message. He gave great support to Donald Trump and the ticket. He basically snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. He turned destruction into positive hope.
I've never seen anything like that.
Ted Cruz will never politically recover from this. His delegation from Texas wanted him to play ball with Trump -- and he wouldn't. He was freelancing in that speech. His political career is over. He's finished.
Donald Trump and Mike Pence are just beginning.
We have to wait and see what Trump does tonight in his speech; it could make or break his presidential campaign. I personally hope that he puts a lot of focus on positive changes for America. I want to see a lot of growth in that speech. I want to hear him talk about lowering taxes and curbing regulations.
But here's what I want to see most of all: a follow-through from what Pence started. One of Pence's messages on Wednesday night was that we -- meaning the ticket -- can turn this nation around. It's an American malaise right now, from the economy, to civil unrest, violence and the threat of terrorism. And that is what Trump must prove to the nation and the world -- that he can turn it around. He's got to convince them.
It's kind of like Ronald Reagan redux. Reagan was able to do this. He proved that he could do the job. That's what Trump needs to do.
That's huge. It's more important than any policy detail.
And that's the spirit Pence invoked on Wednesday night. Let's hope Trump does the same.
I agree, Newt adeptly got things back on track.
He’s a brilliant, fast thinker.
I hope Trump finds a place for him.
Trump’s biggest talent seems to be putting the right people in the right job.
When his coup attempt on the first day of the Convention failed so miserably, it may have put him in shock and he didn't know what to do...He had acted like he really thought he could pull this coup off...I wouldn't hire him as an attorney if he thinks he's the smartest one out there...Always someone just a little smarter...As Trump and his team has proven...
It's actually kind of funny that a two bit player like Cruz thought he could take out someone like Trump...
I’m sure Trump knows he needs Gingrich more than Gingrich will ever know. Newt’s outstanding speech reinforces this.
Not to worry, the billionaire, international business tycoon Donald will “Art of the Deal” Mike Pence. :-)
Bookmark.
Let’s not forget that Eric Trump was on right after Cruz and because of Cruz’s antics and the distraction it caused, it totally took away from the young Trump’s moment to shine.
Btw -- Trump doesn't seem to be your typical Thurston Howell III type, does he?
Ignorant? It is highly debatable as to what the definition of natural born is. It is not ignorant to posit that one must be born of two citizen parents to be natural born.
What is ignorant is to act like it is not a legitimate argument.
Ted sounded like a typical, slimy lawyer - It all depends on what the meaning of the word “pledge” is!
ToasTED!
Both are good points.
Your theme needs to be retold again and again and again.
Trump is not afraid to here from all sides. He trusts his people to hear others and come to the correct decision. (as we have done)
So Lyin Ted is still butthurt about a retweet trump sent with a picture of Heidi and that he pointed out the fact that Cruz’s father was hanging out with Lee Harvey Oswald in the months before JFK assassination. Those familiar with the campaign know that Lyin Ted’s campaign manager is Jeff Roe, an individual who plays the hardest of hardball in campaigns. So Ted wants to play hard and dirty, and then go all whiny b-tch on us when things get a little tough. Poor Ted.
I would get more upset about it, but when someone you dislike is doing themselves in, it’s better to just stand back and watch.
Not the way we learned it in school back when they used to teach it.
And not the way the framers ever would have called it since the father's citizenship was the one bestowed to the offspring, not the mother's.
The loose way it is being interpreted to suit today, they may as well just eliminate the NBC clause from the constitution. Just words ...
Both our son and daughter were born in Germany in the same US Army hospital seven years apart (1963 and 1970) when my husband was stationed in Germany and I was still a German Citizen. We drove to Munich when our son was 6 weeks old in 1963 and my husband registered his birth with the American Consulate and they issued an American Birth certificate for my son. They did the same in 1970 for our daughter.
“Pence Saves Republican Party After Cruz Disaster really? Which convention were you watch Larry? Cruz helped by his suicide he brought Republicans together.
Like it or not, you are ignorant regarding natural born citizenship. You need to dig a little deeper about his mother and her American citizenship. Do your homework, and then come back with some true facts - not your opinion.
I was a Cruz supporter early on in this election. There are still many Cruz supporters here at FR and across America. But when Trump hit the magic 1237 number the jig was up. I don’t fully trust Trump and I know at some point in a Trump administration I am going to be furious with something he’s done. I also know in a Hillary admin I am going to be furious at everything. She is a known quantity and I can’t put the country through the hell klinton will cause because Cruz is mad over his wife and daddy being slighted.
To those who think this was about Ted’s principles bullpuckey! He blew that argument when he slipped about his wife and daddy being the reason why he didn’t endorse. If this were Little Jebbie as the nominee I would be with those in opposition to the GOP nominee, because Bush is Hillary and Hillary is Bush, but Trump at least for now is something different. He might very well blow up in our faces but is there any doubt that Little Jebbie and Hillary wouldn’t.
This never Trump pouting by adults who claim to be intelligent, Constitutionalist is getting old fast. With Hillary you KNOW she is going to totally ignore it day one but people like Levin whom I really enjoyed listening to before this election seem to be busily shoveling tons of manure on Cruz’s petulant national suicide in the hopes something good will grow. Only problem is Ted is done, he’s not Reagan and by 2020 what’s left of the country under Hillary won’t be worth a warm bucket of horse piss. Time to act like adults never Trumpers unless you really want to hear the words president clinton
People of character, who tell the truth and try to treat other people as they would be treated, don’t fear anyone’s idea of the truth. God gave us the gifts of an opinion and a choice. The liberals have been trying o take those wonderful assets away for 75 years and because of it have destroyed the founders idea of a democracy.. And our party has reached the pinnacle of our power and the time is now just as Trump has said to make our country strong again..
I, for one, am tired of being told what I can do when there’s more. I’m tired of having the possibilities limited because of situations that are not in this country’s best interest. I’m tired of being lied to and laughed at as I am an American retired disabled vet being overlooked because I am hated for what I represent while my brothers and sisters cries are being ignored while others that have not earned the right to help are being pandered to with tokens that they didn’t earn or need. And all they give back is death, pain, and fear. And lies just like their sponsors.
You want real change? It will have to be taken from those that changed us into the horrible tyranny we are slowly being morphed into. I’ve heard the term wipe the slate clean and start all over. We are past that point now. But by electing Trump, I hope we are scaring the absolute HELL out of every lying, stealing, liberal terrorist alive to include those working for our government with the words, “YOU’RE FIRED!!”. As Trump said, we need to make America strong again. So the first thing is to get rid of the disease. It’s got a few names but the main two are liberalism and socialism. Everyone out of the pool folks. The party’s over.
red
Good point about Newt’s reaction saying what Cruz meant to say: Vote Trump.
He should have known that not supporting Trump was a bad move in that hall.
What happens to all of us in political circles from time to time. We sit in a circle all talking and agreeing and thinking most people are with us. Then we find out like a hammer to the head that we are out in left field. This happened to the Cruizers/Never Trumpers.
If Trump loses, they can say “We told you so” as if Cruz or Jeb would have won. Trump is the best chance we have to win. Cruz or Jeb stood no chance.
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