Thunderous boos for Cruz for refusing to endorse Trump

[webfact]

Thunderous boos for Cruz for refusing to endorse Trump
By JULIE PACE and JILL COLVIN

CLEVELAND (AP) — Undercutting calls for Republican unity, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz stubbornly refused to endorse Donald Trump Wednesday night as he addressed the GOP convention, igniting thunderous boos from furious delegates as he encouraged Americans to simply "vote your conscience" in November.

In a surreal moment, Trump unexpectedly walked into the arena just as Cruz was wrapping up his remarks. Delegates chanted Trump's name and implored Cruz to voice his support for the businessman, to no avail.

"Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution," Cruz said. While he backed some of Trump's policy proposals, including building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, he mentioned the GOP nominee by name only once.

Cruz's defiance ripped open party divisions anew, on the summer's biggest political stage. Trump allies were infuriated, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said Cruz's decision was "totally selfish."

The remarkable moment upended what was shaping up to be the convention's most successful night, and overshadowed Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's national convention debut as Trump's running mate.

"You have nominated a man for president who never quits," Pence said. "Until now, he's had to do it all by himself against all odds, but this week, with this united party, he's got backup."

Trump joined Pence on stage, applauding his new political partner and humorously leaning in to nearly give him a kiss on the cheek.

The campaign had hoped Pence's address would quiet Republican doubts about Trump. Unlike the celebrity businessman, Pence is an experienced politician, favorite of conservatives and ally of party leaders.

But Cruz's appearance left the arena unsettled for the night's closing speakers. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tried to quiet the anger as he took the stage, going off script to try to explain away the senator's lack of support for the nominee.

"Ted Cruz said you can vote your conscience for anyone who will uphold the Constitution," he said. "In this election there is only one candidate who will uphold the Constitution."

Cruz told Trump in a phone conversation two days ago that he would not endorse him during his speech, according to Cruz aide Jason Johnson.

Still, Trump's campaign invited Cruz to speak — in a headliner role, no less. That decision was sure to spark a new round of second guessing about the campaign's management of the convention and preparedness for a bruising general election against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump did get a boost from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, one of the 16 Republicans whose White House dreams were vanquished during the primary. Still, Walker suggested he was driven as much by a desire to keep Clinton out of the White House as admiration for his party's nominee.

"Let me be clear: a vote for anyone other than Donald Trump in November is a vote for Hillary Clinton," Walker said.

After two nights of low-energy speeches, the crowd packed into the arena was noticeably more energetic Wednesday night, dancing in the aisles and waving signs reading, "America Deserves Better Than Hillary."

Lynne Patton, a longtime Trump employee, spoke movingly about the businessman's strong family. Patton, who is black, said she was proud to support Trump "not just in spite of the color of my skin, but in fact because of the color of my skin."

Trump's campaign had hoped that by the convention's end, voters would look past the gathering's rough start, including the plagiarism charge involving Melania Trump's opening address. After 36 hours of denials, the campaign moved to put the matter to rest Wednesday, releasing a statement from a speechwriter who took blame for including lines from a Michelle Obama speech in the remarks.

Trump and Cruz have had a complicated relationship throughout the presidential campaign. Cruz first allied himself with the businessman, banking that Trump's campaign would collapse and he would be able to scoop up his supporters.

But as Trump rattled off primary wins, tensions rose between the candidates. Trump sparked rumors about Cruz's wife and father. Cruz criticized Trump as a "pathological liar" and "utterly amoral." Trump began calling Cruz "Lyin' Ted" at every opportunity.

Cruz arrived in Cleveland with an eye on his own political future, holding a rally with hundreds of supporters who greeted him with chants of "2020" — suggesting his backers have no interest in seeing Trump become a two-term president.

In his convention address, Cruz spoke at length about the recent stretch of violence across the country. He urged Americans to fight for the families of five police officers killed in Dallas, as well as the family of Alton Sterling, a black man killed by police in Louisiana.

Republicans kept up their harsh attacks on Clinton, painting an apocalyptic vision of America if she should win and aggressively challenged her character. While Clinton has been a target of GOP ire for decades, the harshness of the attacks has been striking.

For a third straight night, the crowd repeatedly chanted, "Lock her up." Though anti-Clinton sentiment is an easy way to bring Republicans together, the negativity crossed the line for some in the party.

"Certainly races can be won based on focusing on the opponent," said Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee. "But I think we're at a place in our country's evolution where it's particularly important now, with all that's happened and the concerns that people have, for a positive vision to be laid out."

Trump's family also kept up their efforts to rebrand the brash candidate as a warm husband and father. Eric Trump, the candidate's 32-year-old son, took the stage near the evening's end, praising his father as other family members had earlier in the week.

"Vote for the one candidate who does not need this job," he said.

___

AP writers Jonathan Lemire, Kathleen Hennessey and Steve Peoples in Cleveland, Barbara Rodriguez in Des Moines, Iowa, John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-21

[ilostmypassword]

Well, one good thing came out of this. Cruz has a campaign slogan for 2020: "Boos for Cruz"

[american12bthai]

I blame trump and his books for making thaksin such a bad guy. Thaksin has always followed trump esque business practices. Jus tlook at EVERY SINGLE THAKSIN SCHEME PLAN. and then LOOK AT EVERYSINGLE TRUMP COMPANY. see the similarities? books are as destructive as the men themselves.

only benifit the family and friends?? everyone else is screeewd.

Id like trump presidency simply cause .... biggest troll on planet, hell start wars, famine, economy collapse... all under 1 year, with an expected 15 year recovery compounded by its self for each year in presidency.. I didn't believe in the Apocalypse... but i kind do now. I want everyone to finally see how usless paper currency can get. If you were starving would i trade my last can of spam for you porche? ferrari? house? family? nope. but im sure you can entertain me with fighting.

[spidermike007]

I am no fan of Ted Cruz, but I applaud him for this. Anything or anyone that makes Disgusting Donald look bad, is good in my eyes! So far, the entire convention has been hijacked by one mistake, after another. I am loving it. Talk about great drama.

[Boon Mee]

The smart money on Cruz is he overplayed his hand...

[kamahele]

Okay, nickname him "Lyin Ted", insinuate his wife is ugly, insinuate he cheated on his wife, insinuate his father was involved in the assassination of JFK, this knowing what type of person Cruz is.... What did Trump expect?

[kamahele]

The smart money on Cruz is he overplayed his hand...

There is no "smart" money when it comes to Cruz and Trump...

[Boon Mee]

^

Checked with Vegas lately have you?

[mamypoko]

sh*t booing crap

[Buzzz]

I'd boo Cruz just because he thinks planet earth is 6,000 years old & climate change is a hoax.

He wants to teach our children the creation story in science class!

This is preposterous but here he is, at the top of the republican food chain. Beam me up.

[dunroaming]

On the other hand would you really want to be endorsed by Cruz, a buffoon in his own right endorsing another buffoon?

Even our very own right wing nut job Nigel Farage has said that Trump's rhetoric makes him wince!

But it doesn't matter because the blinkered Trump supporters cannot see or hear anything negative about their boy! It's water off of the duck's back to them.

[Buzzz]

I am no fan of Ted Cruz, but I applaud him for this. Anything or anyone that makes Disgusting Donald look bad, is good in my eyes! So far, the entire convention has been hijacked by one mistake, after another. I am loving it. Talk about great drama.

You can be sure Cruz was astounded when Trump wanted him to speak.

"Isn't this the same guy that recently said my dad was in on the Kennedy killing and also mocked my wife?"

"Sure, i'd love to speak at your convention old buddy"

Trump is a bigger fool than this guy, maybe.

[spidermike007]

After all of the animosity of the campaign, all of the name calling, all of the insults about wives and families, and the relative lack of credibility that Cruz brings to the table, you would think Trump and the Republican party would be smart enough to figure this out in advance. Oh, there I go again giving them too much credit. If there was ever any question about whether or not Trump has the intellectual capacity to be a good strategist, in time of war, here is the answer. An emphatic NO!

Anyway, it is making for good drama, and some of us are finding it all terribly amusing.

Edited July 21, 2016 by spidermike007

[Buzzz]

After all of the animosity of the campaign, all of the name calling, all of the insults about wives and families, and the relative lack of credibility that Cruz brings to the table, you would think Trump and the Republican party would be smart enough to figure this out in advance. Oh, there I go again giving them too much credit. If there was ever any question about whether or not Trump has the intellectual capacity to be a good strategist, in time of war, here is the answer. An emphatic NO!

Anyway, it is making for good drama, and some of us are finding it all terribly amusing.

Imagine that, the prime time speaker refusing to endorse the candidate.

[iReason]

@Post 5

Boon, Is that the smart money you withdrew from the table when you flip-flopped and abandoned your hero Ted Cruz, when he started losing?

And you then hopped on the Clown Train of your adversary?

Ol' Ted's got more principles than you...

[MZurf]

A nut case refuses to endorse a clown. How appropriate!

[spidermike007]

How quickly all is forgotten. How could the GOP and Trump have forgotten all of the water under the bridge, during such a nasty campaign? Of course Cruz would accept the invitation. The enormous question is, why invite him?

Just a few excepts from the campaign that was about as colorful as this convention is becoming:

“If Indiana does not act, this country could well plunge into the abyss,” he said. The senator’s tirade against his rival came only a few hours after Trump suggested that Cruz’s father was somehow involved in the 1963 assassination of John F Kennedy, using a tabloid story as his source. “Nobody even brings it up, they don’t even talk about it,” Trump said.

Cruz then poured sarcasm, disbelief and derision on the man who stands poised to secure the Republican nomination: “Yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard. “This is just kooky,” he continued, calling Trump “a narcissist at a level I don’t think this country has ever seen. Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and says, ‘Dude, what’s your problem?’” The businessman “describes his battles with venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam”, Cruz said, alluding to a radio interview, in which Trump likened his sex life to the war. “Morality does not exist for him.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/03/donald-trump-ted-cruz-jfk-assassination-indiana-primary-philanderer

[bassman]

Good ole MSM and Thai Visa. The GOP had a fantastic day, terrific damaging speeches to the Dems. and direction policy explained well. Pence, Gingrich, Eric Trump and more hit it out of the park.

The only problem with Cruz is MSM. They spin the whole convention about the worst event of the each day. MSM will hide the Dems screw ups in a one liner near the middle of an article. The rest of their story will be just how cool the Secretary of the Status Quo is. All in a year when the people of America demands the changes the elite press and politicians fear, as they globalize our country and import a one party majority with immigrants.

Americans have had enough, change is coming.

[slipperylobster]

I am no fan of Ted Cruz, but I applaud him for this. Anything or anyone that makes Disgusting Donald look bad, is good in my eyes! So far, the entire convention has been hijacked by one mistake, after another. I am loving it. Talk about great drama.

Tiny Ted and his Tiny brain.

He blew any chance for Republican Support in his "now uncertain" political career.

Pettiness....and just bad manners.

Sore L.o.s.e.r.

[keemapoot]

@Post 5

Boon, Is that the smart money you withdrew from the table when you flip-flopped and abandoned your hero Ted Cruz, when he started losing?

And you then hopped on the Clown Train of your adversary?

Ol' Ted's got more principles than you...

I seem to remember one new Trump supporter whose adoration for Ted Cruz was so immense that he had a photo of him on his forum nickname pic for years I think.

Why I would ever bother remembering such an unimportant detail of a poster who posts such inane, trollish, and forgettable posts is beyond me.

Edited July 21, 2016 by keemapoot

[bassman]

I am no fan of Ted Cruz, but I applaud him for this. Anything or anyone that makes Disgusting Donald look bad, is good in my eyes! So far, the entire convention has been hijacked by one mistake, after another. I am loving it. Talk about great drama.

Tiny Ted and his Tiny brain.

He blew any chance for Republican Support in his "now uncertain" political career.

Pettiness....and just bad manners.

Sore L.o.s.e.r.

Cruz is done as a presidential candidate, he will keep his senate seat and that is a good thing. Donald played Cruz like a fish on a string, he was there to fire up the crowd. Trump has more than replaced the few folks who will follow Cruz. Trump made a point, the party is behind Trump as they ran the sniveler out of the room. Party is more united and powerful than anytime since Reagan.

[Pinot]

Good ole MSM and Thai Visa. The GOP had a fantastic day, terrific damaging speeches to the Dems. and direction policy explained well. Pence, Gingrich, Eric Trump and more hit it out of the park.

The only problem with Cruz is MSM. They spin the whole convention about the worst event of the each day. MSM will hide the Dems screw ups in a one liner near the middle of an article. The rest of their story will be just how cool the Secretary of the Status Quo is. All in a year when the people of America demands the changes the elite press and politicians fear, as they globalize our country and import a one party majority with immigrants.

Americans have had enough, change is coming.

Wait...are you watching the same convention I am? MSM? What does MSM have to do this dumpster fire? Fantastic day? The direction policy explained well??? It's all MSM and ThaiVisa fault, eh?

You just knew this was going to be a disaster, but who could have written this complete melt down scenario.

I love it. I love every moment of this disaster.*

*In all honesty I have to admit I can't stand watching any of this bullshit but the highlights have me rolling on the floor. Cruz getting booed off. Wait till the comedians get a hold of this. No, not Fox News, the actual comedians.

Speaking of Fox News, what a shame about Roger Ails... Icing on the cake.

[Mansell]

So now that self proclaimed genius Donald the Mouth contradicted his VP candidate and stated he would basically throw the EU to the Wolves, (Russia) if they didn't toe his imaginary line. What a complete nitwit. The demagogue he admires Putin the Nasty, will look upon that as an invitation to march into the Baltic countries and any others he is pissed off at that week. Now the USA the policeman of the world, will have to come lately to the battleground of Europe and save every bodies asses for the third time in a 100 years. Donald the Mouth is digging his grave and maybe a few million other people's in this world. It is staggering to me how many people have checked their brains and are supporting this walking disaster. Just on opinion.

[Mansell]

Party is more united and powerful than anytime since Reagan.

Wow! I don't know what you are smoking, but your hallucinations are really wild.

[bassman]

Good ole MSM and Thai Visa. The GOP had a fantastic day, terrific damaging speeches to the Dems. and direction policy explained well. Pence, Gingrich, Eric Trump and more hit it out of the park.

The only problem with Cruz is MSM. They spin the whole convention about the worst event of the each day. MSM will hide the Dems screw ups in a one liner near the middle of an article. The rest of their story will be just how cool the Secretary of the Status Quo is. All in a year when the people of America demands the changes the elite press and politicians fear, as they globalize our country and import a one party majority with immigrants.

Americans have had enough, change is coming.

Wait...are you watching the same convention I am? MSM? What does MSM have to do this dumpster fire? Fantastic day? The direction policy explained well??? It's all MSM and ThaiVisa fault, eh?

You just knew this was going to be a disaster, but who could have written this complete melt down scenario.

I love it. I love every moment of this disaster.*

*In all honesty I have to admit I can't stand watching any of this bullshit but the highlights have me rolling on the floor. Cruz getting booed off. Wait till the comedians get a hold of this. No, not Fox News, the actual comedians.

Speaking of Fox News, what a shame about Roger Ails... Icing on the cake.

Comedy central comes next week, when the Dems try to balance their cop killing allies, while trying to hold the blue line. Well, really won't be comical, more like pathetic. America's socialist movement springing from the party of Jackson, Wilson, FDR and JFK is a sad day for the USA.

[Berkshire]

I am no fan of Ted Cruz, but I applaud him for this. Anything or anyone that makes Disgusting Donald look bad, is good in my eyes! So far, the entire convention has been hijacked by one mistake, after another. I am loving it. Talk about great drama.

You can be sure Cruz was astounded when Trump wanted him to speak.

"Isn't this the same guy that recently said my dad was in on the Kennedy killing and also mocked my wife?"

"Sure, i'd love to speak at your convention old buddy"

Trump is a bigger fool than this guy, maybe.

I can't stand Cruz. But in this case, gotta admit he's got more integrity than Ryan, Christie, Rubio, Walker, Gingrich, and all those other ass-kissers in the GOP.

[Pinot]

^

Checked with Vegas lately have you?

Looks like 70/30 Clinton. Oh...you mean Fox News odds, Trump in a landslide.

[Pinot]

I am no fan of Ted Cruz, but I applaud him for this. Anything or anyone that makes Disgusting Donald look bad, is good in my eyes! So far, the entire convention has been hijacked by one mistake, after another. I am loving it. Talk about great drama.

You can be sure Cruz was astounded when Trump wanted him to speak.

"Isn't this the same guy that recently said my dad was in on the Kennedy killing and also mocked my wife?"

"Sure, i'd love to speak at your convention old buddy"

Trump is a bigger fool than this guy, maybe.

I can't stand Cruz. But in this case, gotta admit he's got more integrity than Ryan, Christie, Rubio, Walker, Gingrich, and all those other ass-kissers in the GOP.

Yeah, who would have thunk it? Cruz with some integrity!

Edited July 21, 2016 by Pinot

[keemapoot]

I am no fan of Ted Cruz, but I applaud him for this. Anything or anyone that makes Disgusting Donald look bad, is good in my eyes! So far, the entire convention has been hijacked by one mistake, after another. I am loving it. Talk about great drama.

You can be sure Cruz was astounded when Trump wanted him to speak.

"Isn't this the same guy that recently said my dad was in on the Kennedy killing and also mocked my wife?"

"Sure, i'd love to speak at your convention old buddy"

Trump is a bigger fool than this guy, maybe.

I can't stand Cruz. But in this case, gotta admit he's got more integrity than Ryan, Christie, Rubio, Walker, Gingrich, and all those other ass-kissers in the GOP.

By Jan. 20, inauguration day, 2017, Christie will either be preparing for Senate confirmation hearings as the newly appointed US Attorney General..., or will be preparing his bank loan papers for a franchise purchase and to run a small Dunkin Donuts store in Newark.

[iReason]

The Clown Train goes off the rails more and more day by day.

Chaos in Cleveland.

Lovin' it.

Cruz booed after Refusing to Endorse Trump

"Cleveland (CNN) Ted Cruz sensationally withheld an endorsement of Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention Wednesday,

earning a chorus of boos from the floor before he was upstaged in a power play by the GOP nominee himself."

"In a dramatic development, as Cruz wrapped up his speech, Trump suddenly appeared in the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland."

"He walked to join his family in a VIP area and flashed a thumbs-up -- a gesture that transmitted clear anger at the Texas senator's behavior."

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/20/politics/ted-cruz-republican-convention-moment/index.html

The Bloviator appears from the wings desperately attempting to put out the wildfire. In vain:

The Bloviator gets Trumped.