The Endless Convention of 2016 Continues *Open Thread*

 

Last night at the “Trump” Convention could as well have been titled “Mr. Cruz comes to Cleveland.” He came, he spoke and he did not endorse.

The Ted Cruz speech was the highlight of the week for his disappointed supporters. I thought that he should have just stayed away. I couldn’t see what possible good he could do at this 3 ring circus of lies, thuggery, sycophancy and all the trappings of a reality show extravaganza. Except not so much the extravaganza as promised. In fact much has just been a snoozer. (-_-)zzz But in all fairness, most Conventions are snoozefests.

I’m still on the fence wondering if his speaking was the right thing to do. If nothing else he proved to all of us that supported him that he is his own man. He proved that he doesn’t knuckle under and that he will not endorse a man unworthy to be president.

His speech is either being hailed as a great speech or the greatest betrayal since Marc Antony to Caesar. I didn’t watch, because I refuse to watch the Trump Convention, but I’ve read the text. As did the RNC. According to Katie Pavlich, who’s reporting I trust, the RNC ” approved and sent out Cruz’ prepared remarks more than an hour before the speech was delivered. Cruz didn’t change any of the text during delivery. ” Then after the speech was done and Cruz was booed loudly as he left the stage without endorsing Trump they began “calling Cruz’s speech “classless.”

Chris Christie, the Don’s hit man and valet, is calling the speech “selfish and awful”. Poor Christie, he still thinks people care what he says. He might best try to shore up his position in New Jersey in case Trump disappoints him again and doesn’t promise him a position in a Trump Administration that may never come to pass. In fact I would say there are pretty good odds a Trump Administration never comes to pass.

Here’s Katie’s post: Ted Cruz Loudly Booed Off Stage After Refusing to Endorse Trump at RNC Convention

Ted Cruz Knew Exactly What He Was Doing The Federalist thinks Cruz’s speech was masterful. “Not only did Ted Cruz refuse to endorse Trump, in a master stroke of rhetorical understatement he urged Republicans to vote your conscience in November. ”

That voting “your conscience” is the line I liked best. Because amongst all the vote for this, vote for me, vote for him, vote for her I like something that tells me what I want a person of integrity should say i.e. “vote your conscience”. Most others said vote Trump because Hillary is unthinkable. They said it over and over and over. Boring.

Cruz also encouraged people to go to the polls and vote “up and down ticket”. Another way of saying not to punish good Republicans who are running just because Don the Con is at the top.

According to Erik Erickson “The Trump camp knew this morning Cruz would not endorse and told Cruz’s camp they’d orchestrate booing if he refused.”

Tomorrow the Trump Convention will once again belong to Don the Con – but at least last night, it belonged to Ted Cruz.

I do know one thing for sure – if Cruz had endorsed Trump I would have lost all respect for him.

Poor Mike Pence. He is the Vice-Presidential nominee and he is almost the forgotten man. Trump media is trying their best to make his speech appear triumphant.

Cruz Speech Upstages Pence’s Big Night

According to RCP: “Trump selected Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate in part to promote unity among Republicans. Pence, formerly the fourth-ranking House GOP leader with credibility among conservatives, is well respected by a broad swath of party loyalists in Washington, D.C., and nationwide, who last week greeted his selection with praise.”

This morning I had to search to find anything about Pence. He definitely was upstaged. But from all accounts he gave a workman like speech. He was cheered as he “introduced” himself to many who still didn’t know who he was. And I thought this line: ““And my fellow Republicans, when Donald Trump becomes president of the United States of America, the change will be huge “, was clever. Too clever for me to think it originated with Pence. But I could be wrong. It’s just that Pence is so damn vanilla.

Governor Scott Walker and  Senator Rubio also gave speeches that no one is talking about.

It’s all Cruz. The vitriol is spewing forth as well as the ecstasy from the Cruz supporters that are all in for 2020. What they think will change by then I don’t know. How they think the establishment and media can be beaten then I don’t know. But not ever falling in love with any candidate there is a lot I don’t know or understand.

What did you see or hear that I missed this morning? Or do you have a different perspective? In other words Rev Amy fans, whazup?