Photo Credit: From The Hill/Moriah Tatner.
Ted Cruz did not endorse Donald Trump during his speech before the National Republican Convention. He took the steam out of what was to have been a big night for Mike Pence, Trump’s selection for Vice President.
Did anyone expect him to endorse his primary opponent?
Perhaps not many given the nasty words hurled back and forth between the two men during a year long primary contest. However, GOP convention goers were probably hoping that Cruz would bury the hatchet and kiss the hand of the latest GOP Godfather.
Cruze did anything but kiss up to “The Donald.” His speech at the convention proves it is easier to kiss a rattlesnake in the mouth, than the hand of a man who called your wife ugly in public.
He said: “What if this, right now, is our last time? Our last moment to do something for our families and our country? Did we live up to our values? Did we do all we could? That’s really what elections should be about.”
What, then, does Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s non endorsement of Donald J. Trump really mean?
It means far more than a public embarrassment to the Trump campaign!
http://https://youtu.be/Zoi8GM9teJ0
Cruz’s “vote your conscience” appeal to the National Republican Convention is more than the discontent of a disgruntled primary opponent. Obviously, the Texas Senator is not suggesting that members of the Republican Party should vote for the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Most Republicans, perhaps including Cruz, hate Clinton with a passion and disdain her sense of “values.”
So, where would a values driven Republican find a candidate to vote their conscience?
Look no further than Gray Johnson the Libertarian candidate for President.
According to The Hill, a recent unscientific poll of “3,500 active duty, reservists, retired and former members of the military and their family members, 95.7 percent of which were registered voters,” chose Johnson over Trump and Clinton.
Among active troops, Johnson is favored by 38.7 percent, while 30.9 percent prefer Trump and only 14.1 percent wants Clinton as their next Commander in Chief.
This survey points out the fact that a significant number of conservative Americans are not happy with a choice between Trump and Clinton. Cruz is probably aware that Johnson is polling well among military service personnel and their family members.
Also, recent polling data has Johnson and Green Party’s presumptive nominee, Jill Stein favored by 17 percent of national voters. These are spoiler numbers and if both Johnson and Stein grow their support this could be a very close race.
Hold onto your hats American citizens, Cruz just threw a monkey wrench into Trump’s coronation. There are turbulent waters ahead before the November General Election.
SOURCES:
Harold Michael Harvey is an American novelist and essayist, the author of Paper puzzle and Justice in the Round. He can be contacted at haroldmichaelharvey.com.
No convention bounce for Donald Trump in the polls but a clear warning to Americans that early 20th century sentiments preceding World War I and II are still alive among a lot of men and women; but not enough to change values.
Ironically, the kinds of people who lavish praise on Trump for the pursuit of power, are not interested in empowerment of other Americans seeking to be empowered not great.