Day Three Of The Republican Convention Got A Little Wild

Well, earlier I mentioned Rubio’s unhelpful tendency to take half-measures. Cruz has a sort of variation on that problem, which is to play it too cute by half. Having a pregnant pause at a couple of moments where he could have endorsed Trump was a pretty risky strategy if Cruz wanted to keep the crowd on his side. It had the effect of emphasizing the non-endorsement. Better to plow through, deliver a good speech, and let people pick up on the text or subtext after the fact. Several of the previous speakers have barely mentioned Trump, without drawing so much attention it. A remarkable moment in convention history.

Ted Cruz had much bigger issues tonight with the crowd in the hall, but as for the crowd at home … if he wants to win the Latino vote in the future, his call to build the wall may alienate the majority of Latinos, who are Mexican-American. Cruz is of Cuban descent, and Cuban-Americans have an entirely different — and expedited — path to residency and citizenship, which has been causing trouble in border towns such as Laredo, Texas. It makes sense, then, for both parties that Trump would come in for the assist. Trump needs the religious and evangelical vote. I’m not sure it was planned.