Cruz: I won’t be ‘servile puppy dog’ for Trump

Source: Politico | July 21, 2016 | Katie Glueck

At a Texas delegation breakfast that erupted into chaos, Cruz sticks to his guns.

CLEVELAND — The Texas Republican delegation breakfast erupted in chaos Thursday morning as Sen. Ted Cruz explained why he was still not backing Donald Trump, even as he pledged not to vote for Hillary Clinton.

He didn’t intend to “go like a servile puppy dog” and back Trump after his the nominees attacks on his wife and father, Cruz said in one of his many passionate remarks during the breakfasts.

 

Cruz’s doubling down on his refusal to endorse Trump followed his spellbinding speech Wednesday, in which he urged Republicans to vote their “conscience” rather than calling on them to back the nominee, his bitter primary rival. That decision sharply divided even his home-state delegation, which has long idolized Cruz.

As the senator walked the Texas delegation through his thinking in giving Wednesday’s speech — he wanted to outline core conservative principles, he said, and the Trump campaign knew not to expect an endorsement (“Why not?” yelled a man) — his remarks were punctuated by a mix of heckles, cheers and anguished questions from the party activists who know him best.

“Are you going to vote for Trump?” one delegate demanded.

….

“This isn’t just a team sport, we don’t just put on red jerseys, blue jerseys, and yay! This is about principles, ideas, standing for what we believe in,” he said. “I have to say it was somewhat dismaying that apparently some of Donald’s biggest partisans right down front, when they heard ‘you should vote for someone you can trust to defend freedom … immediately began booing. I gotta say, that’s a little bit troubling.”

Cruz spent several minutes explaining why he gave such a controversial speech the night before, stressing the need to champion conservative principles and to hold all candidates to those expectations.

….

“The day that became abrogated was the day that became personal,” Cruz said, referencing Trump’s comments about his family during the primary. “I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father. And that pledge was not a blanket commitment that if you [attack] Heidi I’m going to nonetheless go like a servile puppy dog” and stick to the pledge anyway.

“You gotta get over it!” one man in the audience yelled.

“This is not a game … right and wrong matter,” Cruz shot back, as he also argued, “I would note, sir, you might have a similar view if someone was attacking your wife. I hope you would.”

….

“What I wanted to do last night was lay out principles I believe we should stand for as Republicans,” he explained. “In that speech last night I did not say a single negative word about Donald Trump,” he continued to applause.

Cruz did, however, obliquely criticize the nominee’s handling of the convention speeches and agenda.

“If we go to November and the dominant word voters hear is Trump,” he said, “Or … if it’s Hillary or [her] email server, we’re going to lose. You want to know how we win? We win if the dominant message voters hear is freedom.”

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  • Consistent #8402

    Consistent #8403

    Consistent #8404

    Consistent #8406

    Consistent #8407

    slhancock1948 #8434

    Yay for Ted! We see a principled man. We have not seen such like him, Lee, Brat, and a handful of others because the rest have bowed the knee to the party elites so that they retain power. Well, it’s time for a new party. I am now #NeverGOP!

    I’ll vote GOP down ballot to retain House, Senate and state, but I am not voting Trump, and this will probably be the last time I vote R. I pray that we form a new party alliance and get it ready soon.

    Pray for righteousness to be restored and for the peace of Jerusalem

    ConstitutionalConservative #8441

    Ted is right, he is right to voice righteous indignation towards all those who violate common decency and value tested principles, those who spout unwarranted undeserved vitriol continually and despise diplomacy, statesmanship and common decency.

    We need to somehow encourage Ted to start a new party; the republicans are as dead as the Whig Party they replaced it is true absolute power corrupts absolutely, true of the democrats and true of the republicans.

    I was very proud of Ted’s speech at the convention it was brilliant and one of the greatest convention speeches in the history of the RNC as far as I’m concerned and one more thing it is the last speech of its kind you’ll ever hear again if we the people don’t revolt against these treason oriented slugs known as republicans. Ted can’t do it all himself and the occasional help from one or two others is no grand sign of unity.

    And another thing I am thinking now I will not vote in the 2016 election, maybe there are some good people on the down ticket, but the evidence demonstrates that they will be immediately corrupted by the GOPe or rendered powerless by default relegated to sitting quietly in the corner where they might be given a few crumbs to sprinkle around to their constituents if they behave. Ted Cruz is an anomaly he does not fit in this scheme and never will, he will be destroyed completely if he remains a republican.

    I am going to revolt even if nobody joins me or thinks me a fool… REVOLT IN THE FACE OF TYRANNY IS A CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE… NO VOTE IN 2016 AND A NEW PARTY FOR 2020!
    It is this or one helluva bloody revolution somewhere down the road for our descendents to battle in, we whine about kicking the can down the road, let us not be guilty of doing the same. #NEVERVOTEREPUBLICAN… DESTROY THE CURRENT TWO PARTY EQUALS ONE PARTY SYSTEM it just doesn’t add up except maybe in common core.

    Yeah I know it is radical crazy not to vote at all in 2016 but in the current political climate crazy radical gets all the attention, and I don’t want to kill anybody I want to bury a corrupt tyrannical political system and return to liberty, freedom, reason and common sense demanded of a Constitutional Republic that is all, how is it such in any sane mind would be considered crazy. Ted Cruz is being treated as Crazy Man, a Traitor and by extension so are we who support him, go figure. (common core aside)

    ConservativeGranny #8443

    I agree with you. Cruz has no future with the GOP. They have nothing in common any longer and will only seek to destroy the man.

    As far as voting down the ticket, I haven’t identified with the GOP for years now. There are very few conservatives on the ticket for me to vote for. Our state senate race is very much a lesser of two evils race as well. I won’t vote for a liar no matter which party they represent.

    I will only vote for conservatives that do not compromise my values. Just like Ted Cruz suggested.

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