# The Republican national Convention **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 18, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729 "2016-06-18T21:53:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 49
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/962 "2016-07-21T17:43:22Z")
Cruz’s speech was definitely out there beforehand. Newt Gingrich was on the Sean Hannity show shortly after his speech. Hannity asked him if he quickly scribbled in his line about “the only candidate who will support the Constitution” after hearing Cruz speak. Newt said that it was part of his prepared remarks because he had read Cruz’s speech a few hours earlier. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/963 "2016-07-21T17:44:44Z")
Well, there you have it, from the very font of unalloyed candor! ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/964 "2016-07-21T17:50:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Uh, I don’t think so. He is a RINGMASTER and this is his circus. Every good show has a villain. exactly, ZipperJJ nails it. it’s ALL scripted, it’s a reality show. it’s World Wide Wrestling. or whatever. :dubious: and everything that looks terrible to normal people looks GREAT to Trump’s supporters. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/965 "2016-07-21T17:55:02Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Do you really believe some West Virginian in a dying coal mining town voting for Trump because s/he thinks it’s how things will somehow get better would be impressed by him being a Nazi? Yes, because that means the immigrants will no longer be coming to take his jerb! ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/966 "2016-07-21T18:16:39Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > ETA: And you all, stop it with the puns! Bad! He who would pun would pick a pocket! Anyway puns are only funny when I tell them. 😃 Well, one of the big issues that often induces heated debate in elections is pun control. ---
**Author:** ![67java89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/aeb1de/32.png) [@67java89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/67java89)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/967 "2016-07-21T18:32:47Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This was an actual speech delivered on national primetime TV. It’s actually worse than the Clint Eastwood empty chair! > > The opening minutes go into a bizarre and pointless tale of a childhood “circus”, but the last two minutes is where it gets cray-cray. You do not want to miss this, I promise you! > > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/michelle-van-etten-trump-is-ultimate-ringmaster/2016/07/20/ac3b1bec-4ec0-11e6-bf27-405106836f96\_video.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/michelle-van-etten-trump-is-ultimate-ringmaster/2016/07/20/ac3b1bec-4ec0-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_video.html) Wow! This was so, so bad you just have to see it for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/968 "2016-07-21T19:02:35Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Cruz’s speech was definitely out there beforehand. Newt Gingrich was on the Sean Hannity show shortly after his speech. Hannity asked him if he quickly scribbled in his line about “the only candidate who will support the Constitution” after hearing Cruz speak. Newt said that it was part of his prepared remarks because he had read Cruz’s speech a few hours earlier. More than that, every news report at the time, weeks ago, said Cruz told Trump he wasn’t endorsing him when he accepted the speaking slot. There was never any push from the Trump camp AFAIK saying those reports were false. Nor was there anything really shocking in the particular words of the speech given Cruz’ direct statement to Trump that he was not agreeing to endorse him by accepting the invitation. Trump somehow seems to have expected Cruz to change his mind, and apparently he or his campaign sent out word to boo Cruz after his people read the speech. Definitely not a shock to any Trump people in the know, nor an actually spontaneous response by pro Trump part of the crowd. And what an incredibly stupid thing to do, to call more attention to party disunity by having people boo an already vanquished rival. Just tepidly applaud and maybe there’d be any attention media today to some other speeches which might have been a positive for Trump. Trump seems unable to get past the primaries in his own mind. ---
**Author:** ![67java89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/aeb1de/32.png) [@67java89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/67java89)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/969 "2016-07-21T19:08:48Z")
I woke up from a nap to the sound of Cruz’s meltdown on CNN. Wow, that man is seriously ANGRY, all joking aside. I wouldn’t be surprised if he snaps. I just hope no one gets hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/970 "2016-07-21T19:09:36Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > All of Trump’s children have turned out remarkably well. […] Donald and his wives did something right. _Nice guy? I don’t give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna lead this country - close!_ ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/971 "2016-07-21T19:13:45Z")
Here’s the Tedster’s comments on why he said what he did: > [@](#): > > “I am not in the habit of supporting someone who attacks my wife and attacks my father,” Cruz told the Texas delegation at a breakfast in Cleveland. > > He added, “That pledge [to endorse the eventual nominee] was not a blanket commitment that if you go and slander and attack Heidi, that I’m going to nonetheless come like a puppy dog and say, ‘Thank you very much for maligning my wife and maligning my father.’” I can actually respect that. Trump campaigned on a platform that anyone who opposed him was stupid, lying, crooked or slow. And then he expects them to support him in the end, after all those personal attacks? Reagan’s 11th commandment comes to mind: “Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.” Trump chose to break that, spectacularly, and then is upset that people return the compliment? Feh. [Ted Cruz ‘Not in the Habit’ of Endorsing People Who Attack His Family](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ted-cruz-defends-endorsing-donald-trump-rnc-speech/story?id=40765519) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/972 "2016-07-21T19:14:17Z")
> [@67java89](#): > > Wow! This was so, so bad you just have to see it for yourself. I kind of flew past this the first time, and just sort of randomly clicked the link without reading **Slacker** ’s post for comprehension. I swear, for the first minute of that video I figured it was some viral, “look at how delusional this poor woman who thinks she’s a good speaker is” YouTube thing. But that was actually a speech at the Republican National Convention? I’m shaking my head. I’m not entirely sure if I’m being punked here or not. What am I missing? Is this like an Onion thing that I’m too stupid to see through or something? I mean. Seriously? That actually happened? That was on national TeeVee? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/973 "2016-07-21T19:14:18Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This was an actual speech delivered on national primetime TV. It’s actually worse than the Clint Eastwood empty chair! > > The opening minutes go into a bizarre and pointless tale of a childhood “circus”, but the last two minutes is where it gets cray-cray. You do not want to miss this, I promise you! > > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/michelle-van-etten-trump-is-ultimate-ringmaster/2016/07/20/ac3b1bec-4ec0-11e6-bf27-405106836f96\_video.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/michelle-van-etten-trump-is-ultimate-ringmaster/2016/07/20/ac3b1bec-4ec0-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_video.html) That…bizarre presentation had a talking point I don’t really understand. Mingled in with the weirdness of the image of Trump “juggling” everything (hey, psst - the ringmaster doesn’t usually do the juggling- usually that would be a clown) is the statement that Obamacare needs to be repealed, and that this will “allow small businesses to provide health insurance for its employees again.” Repealing Obamacare seems like it will “allow small businesses” to NOT provide insurance for its employees. Is there some nuance I am missing? How does the ACA prevent small businesses from insuring their employees? Is it just because of the built-in regulations for acceptable insurance? If that is the case, doesn’t she mean allow small businesses to provide inadequate coverage again? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/974 "2016-07-21T19:19:48Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Repealing Obamacare seems like it will “allow small businesses” to NOT provide insurance for its employees. Is there some nuance I am missing? How does the ACA prevent small businesses from insuring their employees? Is it just because of the built-in regulations for acceptable insurance? If that is the case, doesn’t she mean allow small businesses to provide inadequate coverage again? Is this the woman who claimed to have 100,000 employees but actually had zero? I would guess she doesn’t actually know anything about how Obamacare works. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/975 "2016-07-21T19:28:56Z")
Ted Cruz is a bigot and a sleazebag, but I cannot for one instant begrudge him for punching back at a bully who slandered his family. Trump is a liar who intends to keep no promise he makes, and does not deserve to expect others to keep promises made to him. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/976 "2016-07-21T19:39:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Trump is a liar who intends to keep no promise he makes, and does not deserve to expect others to keep promises made to him. Had their roles been reversed, is there anyone who honestly believes that Trump would have given Cruz an unambiguous, enthusiastic endorsement? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/977 "2016-07-21T19:46:20Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Trump is a liar who intends to keep no promise he makes, and does not deserve to expect others to keep promises made to him. Worse than that, he is a _salesman_. Present company excepted. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/978 "2016-07-21T19:47:14Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Ted Cruz is a bigot and a sleazebag, but I cannot for one instant begrudge him for punching back at a bully who slandered his family. I don’t believe for a second that Cruz actually _cares_ about his family being slandered, so much as he realizes that _pretending_ to be offended will endear him to the marks he intends to trim in 2020. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Had their roles been reversed, is there anyone who honestly believes that Trump would have given Cruz an unambiguous, enthusiastic endorsement? “Ted Cruz was very unfair to me. OK? Unfair. It’s horrible. Everybody says I won the primary.” ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/979 "2016-07-21T20:05:05Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > I am reminded of the scene in _Julius Caesar_ where Cassius tries to talk Brutus out of his bright idea of letting Marc Antony speak at the funeral. Oh, this is good. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/980 "2016-07-21T20:18:08Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Is this the woman who claimed to have 100,000 employees but actually had zero? I would guess she doesn’t actually know anything about how Obamacare works. That’s the one: [Michelle Van Etten, Soon-to-Be RNC 2016 Star, Peddles Pills that Make Alex Jones ‘Crazed’](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/18/cleveland-rnc-star-sells-pills-that-make-alex-jones-crazed.html) ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/981 "2016-07-21T20:18:21Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Here’s a video.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACclN3UDrdo) > She holds the “salute” for just a split second-just long enough to be awkward. This is one of the rare times when one of these "What the hell - that looked like a Nazi salute 😕 " moments looks far worse in the video than in a carefully chosen picture. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=50)