Minutes after wrapping up my speech at the Republican National Convention, I ran into Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, who were walking into the Green Room backstage. “Hi Ted!” I said with a smile as he brushed by, barely mustering a “hello” in reply. I could tell by the sheepish look on his face that there was no endorsement coming. Perhaps he had heard my earlier exhortation for candidates to live up to their pledges, which sent the convention hall into an extended standing ovation.

The audience was speaking loudly. But Ted Cruz wasn’t listening.

Close

Today Cruz doubled-down on his defiant opposition to Trump. “When I stood on that debate stage and they asked every candidate there: ‘If you don’t win, will you support the nominee?’ I raised my hand and I raised my hand enthusiastically, with full intention of doing exactly that,” Cruz said during a session Thursday morning with the Texas delegation. “I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father and that pledge was not a blanket commitment that if you go and slander and attack Heidi, that I’m going to come like a servile puppy dog and say thank you very much for maligning my wife and maligning my father,” Cruz continued.

Translation: Cruz has indicated that if the campaign had played out exactly as it did — but Trump never said anything about Cruz’s wife or father — Cruz would have stuck to his pledge and endorsed Trump. Exactly what conservative principle does that sort of thinking represent? The principle that my feelings are more important than the good of the country? Exactly which of the Founders laid out that principle?

Think about this another way — in the form of a Ted Cruz Syllogism:

1.) I promised to support the GOP nominee

2.) But that pledge is no longer valid because Trump criticized my family

3.) Thus, Hillary Clinton should become president

4.) And the cause of the freedom will be advanced.

Huh?