The Establishment Moves Toward Ted Cruz

The establishment is starting to begrudgingly move toward U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) as the guy who is the last man standing against Donald Trump.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was one of the first.

CNN reported Thursday that he is doing a fundraiser for Cruz.

Graham told CNN that while the Texas senator is not his preferred candidate, he’s “the best alternative to Donald Trump,” and he said he will “help Ted in every way I can.”

A draft of the invitation, obtained first by CNN, invites guests to “honor and support a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people,” at a meet-and-greet event that will take place during the AIPAC policy conference in Washington next week.

Not a glowing endorsement, but flying pigs are on the loose since the South Carolina senator recently joked, “If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you.”

Politics makes for strange bedfellows and apparently Graham dislikes Cruz less than he dislikes Donald Trump.

Today Mitt Romney announced that he will vote for Cruz in the Utah Caucus on March 22 and encouraged others to vote for Cruz in future contests.

This week, in the Utah nominating caucus, I will vote for Senator Ted Cruz.

Today, there is a contest between Trumpism and Republicanism. Through the calculated statements of its leader, Trumpism has become associated with racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia, vulgarity and, most recently, threats and violence. I am repulsed by each and every one of these.

The only path that remains to nominate a Republican rather than Mr. Trump is to have an open convention. At this stage, the only way we can reach an open convention is for Senator Cruz to be successful in as many of the remaining nominating elections as possible.

I like Governor John Kasich. I have campaigned with him. He has a solid record as governor. I would have voted for him in Ohio. But a vote for Governor Kasich in future contests makes it extremely likely that Trumpism would prevail.

I will vote for Senator Cruz and I encourage others to do so as well, so that we can have an open convention and nominate a Republican.

The establishment is starting to move toward Cruz, not vice versa. Cruz has not had to sacrifice his principles for their support.