Come Home, Ted -- Repent and Ask for Forgiveness

On Wednesday, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Republican Vice President nominee, gave the 2016 GOP National Convention a taste of the Donald Trump presidency. "The change will be hu-uu-uge," Pence said, mimicking Bernie Sanders. “Indiana is a state that works because conservative principles work every time you put them into practice,” he told delegates chanting, “We like Mike!” ~~~~~ Pence brought the GOP delegates to their feet after the outrage caused by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, whose eloquent speech was well received until it became obvious he was not going to endorse or recommend voting for Trump, the man they had, a day earlier, overwhelmingly chosen as their nominee. The furious delegates booed Cruz as he told them to vote their conscience in November, instead of naming Trump. “We want Trump,” they chanted, “Say his name!” ~~~~~ Pence had perfunctorily endorsed Cruz before Indiana’s May primary. But, Trump’s big win there ended the Cruz campaign. Calling for party unity, Pence told the delegates and TV audience that it has come down to two names on the ballot : "So let's resolve here and now that Hillary Clinton will never become President." ~~~~~ Pence was introduced by House Speaker Paul Ryan, the 2012 vice presidential candidate : "This man is a Reagan conservative....Pro-growth. Pro-life...pro-strong defense. There is no doubt in my mind he will bring real change to Washington." Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a VP finalist, spoke before Pence. Gingrich, a rare modern politician who is simultaneously maverick and insider, said : "Trump has a great running mate in Mike Pence. They will put our safety first, and they will defend America first." ~~~~~ Ohio Governor John Kasich and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush are the only other losing 2016 GOP presidential candidates who joined Cruz in refusing to endorse Trump. Kasich and Bush stayed away from the convention. But, Cruz accepted Trump's invitation to be a speaker, and his refusal to endorse Trump was seen by the delegates as a betrayal of the GOP and its principles and a betrayal of their trust. Governor Chris Christie : "Awful, selfish speech...showed himself tonight to not be a man of his word." Michael Reagan : "Cruz is worse than Kasich by not endorsing Trump..." Representative Peter King : "Ted Cruz is a 'disgrace'....He's a total fraud." CNN's Dana Bash reported immediately after Cruz's speech that "a state party chairman was yelling at Ted Cruz so angrily that they had to be restrained.....Some people on donor suite level so angry at Ted Cruz they called him disgrace to his face…" ~~~~~ Newsmax reports that when Ted Cruz met with the Texas delegation on Thursday morning, he was again booed after "one of the delegates...demanded to know why Cruz pledged to support the eventual nominee, but now refuses to do so. 'If you're not a man of your word, what are you, then?' she demanded to know, telling him that she turned her back to him when he walked onto the convention stage, 'because you lied to me. And don't take my vote for granted because you lied to me. I came to this convention as a Cruz delegate and I'm leaving supporting Donald Trump as the party nominee.'" ~~~~~ Dear readers, Larry Kudlow, conservative GOP financial and political analyst who was in the convention hall when Cruz spoke, wrote on Thursday : "Cruz tried to pass it off as just the New York delegation....that is wrong. The whole hall was in an uproar. You couldn't even hear the last [part] of Cruz's speech because the booing had reached such a crescendo!.... Mike Pence single-handedly pulled that convention back together...with an optimistic message. He gave great support to Donald Trump....He basically snatched victory from the jaws of defeat....Ted Cruz will never politically recover from this." ~~~ Ted Cruz -- a Prodigal Son, whose exceptional talents are imprisoned in an exceptionally pride-filled soul. Will he find the humility to repent and ask us to forgive him? Will we be merciful? Shakespeare said : "in the course of justice none of us should see salvation." Come home, Ted.