Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) may not be in the presidential race, but he can still affect it! Although the GOP's presidential nomination may not be on the table at the RNC National Convention in Cleveland, something equally important will be: the party platform. And while some would argue that Donald Trump has already reshaped the Republican Party, conservatives are determined not to let him overhaul its guiding principles too. With Trump firmly in control of the GOP ticket, several conservatives -- myself included -- are gearing up to hold the line on key policy goals in the platform committee. And Senator Cruz has been instrumental in making sure his delegates are not just present in Ohio -- but prepared -- for any attacks on the conservative core values reflected in the GOP platform.
"To do that, it is imperative that we fill the Rules and Platform Committees with strong conservative voices like yours," wrote former Cruz aid Ken Cuccinelli in an email to delegates. "That means you need to come to the national convention and support others in coming, too!" Cruz supporter and FRC friend Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has been trying to mobilize the troops for the July event, tweeting: "@TedCruz Delegates. We need all of you in Cleveland to defend our platform and protect the rules. We don't know what Trump will do by then."
In a Trump campaign where positions have been known to change, this will be a true test of the presumptive nominee. Already, Donald has raised some eyebrows suggesting that the party doesn't need to be unified. Of course, the party platform is important every election cycle -- but 2016's will be a bellwether for Donald Trump and the GOP. If he chooses to use his energy and limited political capital trying to move the party away from its longstanding conservative principles, he will have deepened the already dangerous divides. It will signal that Trump's GOP is leaving behind a large swathe of Americans who only vote Republican because the party is more aligned with their traditional values and conservative views. Where will they go? Certainly not to the Democratic Party, where even God isn't welcome. They might opt to become Independent if a conservative Third Party candidate emerges, but that campaign would be doomed from the start -- and most know it. Most likely, they'll go hunting or shopping, but they won't go to the polls. And every Republican down the ballot in congressional and local elections will suffer.
