Smart, Calculating, Unlikeable, and Worth Defending

(ABC News photo)

As one who has a moderate but not obsessive interest in national politics (I watched a couple of hours of the Republican Convention, will do the same this week for the Democrats, and rarely tune in to the Sunday talk shows), I don't see why Ted Cruz' speech has engendered so much controversy.

True, Senator Cruz did not endorse his party's nominee, but a transcript clearly shows he won't be tromping for Hillary Clinton. From his speech on Wednesday night:

Now, of course, Obama and Clinton will also tell you that they care about our children's future, and I want to believe them but there is a profound difference about our two party's vision for the future.

There's is the part that thinks ISIS is a J.V. team, that responds to the death of Americans in Benghazi, "What difference does it make?" And, that thinks it's possible to make a deal with Iran that celebrates its holidays, "Death to America Day," and, "Death to Israel Day."

My friends, this is madness....

Hillary Clinton believes that government should make virtually every choice in your life. Education, health care, marriage, speech, all dictated out of Washington. But, something powerful is happening, we've seen it in both parties, we've seen it in the United Kingdom's unprecedented Brexit vote to leave the European Union.

Voters are overwhelmingly rejecting the political establishment, and overwhelmingly rejecting big government.

Oh, the horror. It's as if a Best Actor nominee refused to smile and applaud the winner. Give Ted Cruz a break for being halfway honest.

(Disclosure: your humble blogger ranked him below a half-dozen other Republican candidates for President.)

Related: A lot of Republicans are angry at him, but Poker Theory Explains Ted Cruz’s Convention Speech.

Cruz is betting that Trump will fail, in which case he will be left holding the better hand than his remaining opponents—a record of speaking up against a terrible candidate, instead of meekly acquiescing.