Ted Cruz Calls His Decision To Back Trump 'Agonizing'

[DonViejo]

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Ted Cruz appears uncomfortable defending the man he says he'll vote for in November, Donald Trump.

Addressing a policy forum organized by The Texas Tribune, the Texas senator said Saturday it was "agonizing" making the decision to back Trump, whom he once called a "pathological liar" and "serial philanderer." He denied he caved in to pressure from top Republicans nationally and in his home state, saying he would have faced an outcry no matter what. "Any path we took, if I supported Donald, if I didn't support Donald, the criticism was going to be there," Cruz told a packed auditorium.

Cruz offered little defense of Trump's past comments on Muslim-Americans. He also said his two young daughters, while campaigning with him in the primaries, had felt the sting of Trump's comments about women. Asked whether he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was a better leader than President Barack Obama, as Trump suggested, Cruz said, "I have no intention of defending everything Donald Trump says or does."

Cruz rocked the Republican National Convention in Cleveland by avoiding an endorsement of the nominee and instead urging delegates to "vote your conscience." He held out for several months afterward, even as some polls suggested his popularity was slipping nationally and in Texas, where he could face a Republican primary challenge for re-election to the Senate in 2018.

-snip-

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CAMPAIGN_2016_CRUZ?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-09-24-18-59-23

[Protalker]

1. The Power of Prayer

Ted prays about going to McDonalds, he wears his faith like a banker 3 piece suit. What was God thinking?

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. There isn't much on the face of the earth more agonizing

than Ted Cruz.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. To Quote Lost in Space's Doctor Smith;

Oh, the pain, the pain.



I have NO sympathy for the "Calgary Kid."

[PJMcK]

4. I hope Ted Cruz is in "agony" (n/t)

[global1]

5. My Theory Is That Cruz Did This Because He Knows That....

Trump is going to lose and that he wants to run again in 2020 and wants the support of the RNC. This was just a calculated political decision on his part to say he backed the Repug nominee and endear himself to the threatening Rence. Cruz wants to be first in line to board the 2020 clown car.

[Monk06]

16. He wants a career after the GOP capsizes with Trump at the helm

The GOP with Trump at the wheel is like the story of the Titanic written by Shakespeare

It isn't Greek tragedy, where the fates rule the outcome and humans are helpless

It's more a puritan Elizebethan tragic form where the protagonist has full knowledge of the cause of his downfall but fails to alter his behaviour in order to prevent it

Trump is Richard III, fully aware of his physical and psychological deformity and unfitness to rule But vanity carries him irresistably to the battle field where hes is bashed to death for lack of a horse to ride out on

[underpants]

6. Aha! This explains a lot "pressure from top Republicans...and in his home state"

Clinton-Kaine are pushing hard in Texas. Tim had a rally there just the other day. They are opening new offices there too.

Sounds like both sides have internals telling them that Texas is closer then we would think. Maybe not actually turning blue this election but too close for comfort/not that far out of reach.

[hatrack]

7. Who cares?

Fuck you, Ted.

You've got the principles of an eel and the spine of amoeba, and all the Jeeezus-Thumping in the world isn't going to change those simple facts.

[3catwoman3]

11. Very well said!

I may borrow this, if you don't mind.

[hatrack]

14. Be my guest!

[Orsino]

8. Therefore it wasn't.

That was easy.

[DrDan]

9. I sure would like to know how his wife feels about this endorsement

[JHB]

10. Well for some people it is agonizing to admit their caluclations were off...

Cruz mostly avoided attacking Donald in the primaries to position himself to pick up Con Man Don's supporters after the expected Trump flame-out, but that never came.

Afterward, he positioned himself as the "true conservative" who could say "I told you so" after a Trump loss and be the champion the party would then rally around. But most of the Never Trumpers are floating around Gary Johnson, quietly grinding their teeth, or even with more teeth-grinding will vote for Hillary. To those people, Cruz is just an insider version of Donald (and on that particular point, they happen to be right).

As things look now, by being ostentatiously anti-Trump, Cruz is more likely to end up as a scapegoat of a Trump loss instead of the guy to lead them back out of the wilderness.

He's jumped the wrong way twice. He's jumped the wrong way again (it's not as if Trump will forgive him) but for the time being it looks like a more ... shall we say ... "politically correct" position.

[canetoad]

12. I always thought

Cruz looked just like the robot woman from Total Recall.

[BigDemVoter]

13. I bet it hurt.

He got sodomized with no helpful lubricant.

[stillers4ever]

15. The only way it makes sense is if...

He calculates that Trump will win and fears that "King Donald" will take retribution on him when he has the power to do so. Trump has made it pretty clear that he is the not above taking revenge against any and all perceived "enemies."