In 1976, after falling just short of winning the Republican Party presidential nomination, Ronald Reagan gave a speech that still echoes in the memories of many Republicans.
It was a speech in which the California governor played the peacemaker. Rather than continuing to fuel the existing divisions in the GOP, he called for unity while continuing to champion the conservative cause.
Four years later, his political ambitions were far from crushed. In fact, he led a conservative revolution that still reverberates even today.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a product of that revolution, finds himself in a similar situation 40 years later. The question that remains unanswered, however, is whether or not he wants to play the role of peacemaker.
A speech he gave Wednesday afternoon in Cleveland offered no real insights, either. Cruz offered no support whatsoever for Republican nominee Donald Trump, but didn’t attack him. He suggested he was seeking a conservative victory in November, but told his supporters they needed to follow their conscience.
The senator will be one of the prime time speakers Wednesday night, but gave no hint as to what he will say, other than to declare he would be championing conservative principles. Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort said that even if Cruz doesn’t actually endorse the party’s nominee, he suspects it will be clear that he supports Trump’s candidacy.
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