Vote 2016

Republican unity watch (continued)

21 July 2016

OK, let’s review.

–Donald Trump and Ted Cruz were rivals for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

–Trump strongly suggested that because Cruz was born in Canada, he was not constitutionally eligible to serve as president, even though Cruz’s mother was an American citizen.

–A PAC supporting Cruz posted a photo of Trump’s model-wife Melania posing provocatively for a magazine.

–Trump started calling Cruz “Lyin’ Ted” and threatened to “spill the beans” on Cruz’s wife Heidi.

–Trump then tweeted this:

— Cruz then called Trump a “sniveling coward” and a “pathological liar” and told him to leave Heidi “the hell alone.”

–Trump strongly implied that Cruz’s father Rafael conspired with Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate President John F. Kennedy.

–After Trump clinched the nomination, Cruz refused to endorse him. Nonetheless Trump invited Cruz to speak Wednesday night at the Republican convention without first extracting a pledge to support him.

–Speaking to the convention, Cruz again refused to endorse Trump, telling viewers to “vote your conscience.” Cruz was booed off the stage by angry Trump supporters and his wife had to be escorted from the hall as delegates shouted abuse at her. Here’s how Trump and his family reacted:

Did Trump actually think Cruz wasn’t going to use the opportunity to extract revenge?

Cruz is generally regarded as an awful human being, but politically, he’s no dummy. Clearly he has made the calculation that Trump is going to lose the election and lose badly, leaving the GOP a shattered and bloody mess. Nothing that has happened at this convention would suggest otherwise. And who better to pick up the pieces than Ted Cruz?

And what, pray tell, will Trump say in his speech tonight?

Update: Look who’s come to the rescue. And not a moment to soon.