Ted Cruz was booed, insulted, and criticized for his convention speech last night.
I’ve never been happier with him.
“I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father,” Senator Cruz commented afterwards.
The recently anointed Leader of the Republican Party, Mr. Donald Trump, attacked Senator Cruz harshly and repeatedly throughout much of the Republican primary campaign, including mockery of Mrs. Cruz’s physical appearance and several accusations that Senator Cruz’s father was complicit in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
For most normal people, I suspect, that’s quite enough to explain Senator Cruz wasn’t inclined to sign on as a Trumpist. But not in today’s Republican Party, which plainly discounts the normal human virtues of a husband’s fidelity to his wife and a son’s loyalty to his father.
The booing began when Senator Cruz exhorted his convention audience to vote according to their consciences. Many there immediately and quite correctly realized that “voting according to one’s conscience” is code language for “not voting for Trump.” And that, in itself, speaks volumes about the malignant force that has seized control of the Republican Party.
“Conscience of a Conservative”
“Defiant Ted Cruz stands by refusal to endorse Trump after being booed during convention speech”
And, in related news:
“Trump: The Constitution Isn’t Always Relevant”
Now, I was more a Marco Rubio guy than a Ted Cruz guy, for various reasons. But Ted Cruz memorized the Constitution as a very young man. By contrast, Mr. Donald Trump, the new Leader of the Republican Party, seems to care very little about it — despite his professed readiness to defend its non-existent “Article XII.”
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