Senator Ted Cruz is scheduled to give a speech tonight at the GOP convention in Cleveland Ohio. The open question is whether Cruz will openly endorse Donald Trump for President. As of the time of this writing, around 6:00AM Wednesday morning, the morning of Cruz’s speech, the third day of the four day convention, Cruz has yet to decide.
It is crucial that Ted Cruz announces an endorsement of Donald Trump. Ted Cruz has said that he finds himself “in a tough spot” when it comes to Donald Trump. If he thinks he’s in a tough spot now, he should imagine what it will be like to attempt and explain how he can withhold his endorsement, while still being willing to vote for Trump. I’m sick of watching politician stumble their way through an incoherent answer to this question.
Opposition to Trump was demonstrated by Never Trump forces in the first two days of this convention. We cannot afford to have these last two days marked by such divisions. However, with the scrutiny being given to convention speeches, anything short of an endorsement will be exploited by the media to push a narrative that our party remains divided. This narrative will permeate the fourth day, the most important day of any convention.
The purpose to the convention is to unite the party. Unity is essential to presenting an appealing message towards the general public. After all, if members of Trumps own party refuse to vote for him, what reason does a general electorate have to support him?
An endorsement does not mean a person must automatically agree with everything a candidate says or does. Believing differently runs contrary to ordinary life experiences. We all have people we admire, support, or believe in. Whether that person is a friend, celebrity, or politician, none of us automatically assume we must agree with everything those people say and do, do we?
Ted Cruz is seen as the leader of the Conservative movement. For better or worse, what he says is more influential then what anyone else says, including Limbaugh, Levin, or any of us talk radio hosts. Holding such influence requires leadership.
Leadership is the ability to recognize common interests in others, and to side with them when doing so will help you achieve your goals. Despite major disagreements, Trump is the vehicle to ensure Hillary doesn’t win the White House. Leadership is the willingness to set aside ones pride and ambitions for the greater good. Leadership is the ability to demonstrate humility on the level shown previously by Ted Cruz, when he gracefully step aside after losing Indiana, an action that made me proud to have a man like Cruz in our party. It is now up to Ted Cruz whether he will, in the words of Donald Trump, make us proud again.