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Bush the Least and Romney are leaning Lib.

Now that he's won, they've mostly all backed out of the pledge.

There are so many things to point out about this but I'll knock it down to two points:

1) Trump took competing politicians at their word. You may as well buy a bottle labeled "snake oil panacea" and hope it cures your cancer.

2) Between when they signed it and when they reneged, I like to think that maybe, just maybe a little bit of sanity crept into what passes for their brains. It's probably more "spite" than anything, but I'll take it. Keeping your word in an idiotic deal is usually a bad idea.

Leisher wrote:The Trump followers do have a solid point about that "pledge" they forced Trump to sign. They wanted his assurance he would support whatever candidate won, because they didn't think it would be him, and that he wouldn't run as an independent. Now that he's won, they've mostly all backed out of the pledge.

Right now only Trump people are discussing it, but you're crazy if you think people they'll run against in the future won't bring it up as well. "He lied to his own party!"

I think you overestimate the number of people that will see supporting him as a positive two years from now.

Though I do think this primary will ensure no such pledge ever gets brought up again.

The thing I kept hearing was "Cruz should honor his pledge and endorse. Blah blah blah blah." My brain kept translating it to, "Cruz should submit! Why is he the only one that gets to keep his dignity?"

Unless I'm mistaken, the pledge was to support. Not endorse. From where I'm sitting, getting up and saying bad things about Hillary and good things about party principles all while not pointing out what a flaming bag of dog shit Trump is was support in my book.

It was endorse.

I, ________ , affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is. I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party.

As much as I hate Trump, I do think Cruz broke his word by not saying the specific words "I endorse Trump". He may have kept some dignity, but at the cost of his remaining integrity.

If we're going to say that you must honour a contract to punch yourself in the balls and that word is law, I can lawyer my way out of this.

...regardless of who it is...

The denial of endorsement is not based on who it is but what he says. The pledge should have been more specific. Additionally, since I've just argued for a scenario in which I can void my endorsement, I also notice nothing in the pledge prohibits my endorsement of any other candidate from any other party.

I think you overestimate the number of people that will see supporting him as a positive two years from now.

It's a two-fer though.

You get to point out that your opponent doesn't keep his word AND you get to tie him to Trump via name association.

TPRJones wrote:It was endorse.

I, ________ , affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is. I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party.

As much as I hate Trump, I do think Cruz broke his word by not saying the specific words "I endorse Trump". He may have kept some dignity, but at the cost of his remaining integrity.

Honestly, being married and a Christian I give him a pass. You can honor your pledge to the party or you can honor the commandment to honor your father and mother and you can keep your wedding vows to love and cherish your wife. I think he preserved his integrity. Had Trump kept it at below the belt attacks just on Cruz, I would probably feel differently. You can't say marriage is a sacred religious ceremony on the one hand (via same sex marriage opposition) and then say it's okay to have someone piss on your bride and your marriage (the Enquirer infidelity stories). If anything, I think it shows his integrity is stronger than most.

And giving the speech he gave required the biggest balls displayed by anyone in either convention (at least on TV).

Malcolm wrote:If we're going to say that you must honour a contract to punch yourself in the balls and that word is law, I can lawyer my way out of this.

...regardless of who it is...

The denial of endorsement is not based on who it is but the what he says. The pledge should have been more specific. Additionally, since I've just argued for a scenario in which I can void my endorsement, I also notice nothing in the pledge prohibits my endorsement of any other candidate from any other party.

Look at Rubio (who endorsed). They asked him about his comments about Trump not being emotionally stable enough to hold the office of President. Did he stand by those statements? Yes. Yet you're endorsing? I signed a pledge.

He sounded like a crazy person.

He sounds like a person who kept his word, which is something. If Cruz didn't plan to follow through he shouldn't have signed it.

TPRJones wrote:He sounds like a person who kept his word, which is something. If Cruz didn't plan to follow through he shouldn't have signed it.

When keeping your word requires you to be an oblivious dumb-ass, then keeping it doesn't mean much except your pride is overriding your common sense.

There's better ways to go about it that have nothing to do with being an oblivious dumb-ass. Don't speak a the convention. Release a single very short statement that he is keeping his pledge and endorsing Trump. Absolutely refuse to comment on the election further in any way no matter how often he's asked. Nothing else need be said; everyone will know exactly what he thinks about Trump but he's done what he swore to do. That is unless he wants to start stumping for Hillary, which is the only other choice until Johnson cracks 20%. But I doubt he wants that.

He still ends up giving his stamp of approval. No matter how rubbery the stamp or thinly veiled the lip service, he's not willing to do it because he believes taking a stand now means more than following through on a promise that would make him look bipolar. He's especially thinking ahead four years because I can almost guarantee he'll try again.

TPRJones wrote:He sounds like a person who kept his word, which is something. If Cruz didn't plan to follow through he shouldn't have signed it.

I would have had less respect for him if he'd endorsed after Trump went after his family. Family are off limits, at least as far as personal attacks go. Sad part is, I think it would have been different if Trump had come out at some point and simply said he was sorry if anyone was offended. I think Cruz would have been in a tougher spot.

As I stated before, I think Cruz did follow through. He supported the party (and by extension the nominee).

Trump? Sorry?

Ahahahahahhhahahaaaa!

TPRJones wrote:Trump? Sorry?

Ahahahahahhhahahaaaa!

Fonzie has an easier time admitting he's wrong.

TPRJones wrote:Trump? Sorry?

Ahahahahahhhahahaaaa!

I know. That's maddening. I still don't understand why the party is willing to accept unacceptable behavior simply because it's not in his nature.

Interesting thought exercise here though. Which candidate supported their party? Or was it only supporting the party's nominee? The one that said to vote for party principles without endorsing and remained in the party, or the candidate that endorsed the nominee and then immediately left the party?

No fucking way.

Apparently, Republican officials and the promoter who pushed the deal told Justin the event was "not political," and the Biebs was going to get the $5 million up front (!) without having to endorse Donald Trump or anything like that, but thankfully, smarter heads prevailed in the Bieber camp

Times a million, no fucking way.

Maybe the most surprising aspect to all this is that Braun gave Bieber an ultimatum about the show: if you perform here, I walk away from repping you.
WOW!!!
Even worse, the promoters putting it all together claimed to the Purpose star that LeBron James was attending an event in Cleveland around the RNC, but wasn't taking a political stand about it, either.
Justin's crew got in touch with James' and found out THAT was a lie! LBJ revealed he wasn't going to be in Cleveland at all for the event, and allegedly also urged the Biebs NOT to do the show!

The fuck?

Which candidate supported their party?

Oh, Cruz was absolutely supporting the party. The party that Trump is tearing apart. The party that is no longer supporting the party. If only they'd signed an agreement to support the party instead of the person then he wouldn't have had to break his pledge.

Vince wrote:

TPRJones wrote:It was endorse.

I, ________ , affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is. I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party.

As much as I hate Trump, I do think Cruz broke his word by not saying the specific words "I endorse Trump". He may have kept some dignity, but at the cost of his remaining integrity.

Honestly, being married and a Christian I give him a pass. You can honor your pledge to the party or you can honor the commandment to honor your father and mother and you can keep your wedding vows to love and cherish your wife. I think he preserved his integrity. Had Trump kept it at below the belt attacks just on Cruz, I would probably feel differently. You can't say marriage is a sacred religious ceremony on the one hand (via same sex marriage opposition) and then say it's okay to have someone piss on your bride and your marriage (the Enquirer infidelity stories). If anything, I think it shows his integrity is stronger than most.

And giving the speech he gave required the biggest balls displayed by anyone in either convention (at least on TV).

I think it's reasonable that at the time, Cruz felt that he would endorse the eventual winner. But given the personal attacks Trump made, Cruz did the right thing. Someone keeps kicking you, you tell them to fuck off.

Paul Ryan says he's going to be a fucking dumb-ass ... for now.

"None of these things are ever blank checks, that goes with any situation in any kind of race," Ryan said in a radio interview with WTAQ's Jerry Bader in his Wisconsin district.
Ryan added his reason for backing Trump is that "he won the delegates, he won the thing fair and square it's just that simple."
The speaker also shrugged off Trump saying earlier this week he wasn't "there yet" on endorsing Ryan in his upcoming primary next Tuesday.
"The only endorsements I want are those of my own employers in the first congressional district, that's really what my focus is," Ryan said.

Good job shirking away from and backing off on any real leadership there, Paul.

Realtiy TV Party looking forward to looking the House this November.

Here's what Ryan said when Costa asked whether he'll keep the largest majority Republicans have enjoyed since World War II:

“Mitt [Romney] and I lost by four points and we lost eight seats. [Arizona Sen. John McCain] lost by seven [in 2008] and we lost 21 seats,” he said, referencing the past two presidential elections. “If you’re speaker of the House, it’s your job to worry about the Republican majority, no matter what the circumstances are.”

Ryan didn't predict a Democratic landslide or anything -- but he didn't rule it out. And the mere fact the House changing parties is a possibility should give you an indication of just how concerned Republicans are about Donald Trump dragging them down in November. Way down.