So much for principle

Yes, after over half a century of dabbling in politics, this election is making me cynical.

I've never had much time for Ted Cruz, whose rather-be-right-than-president style of politics led him to oppose Obamacare with a one- man filibuster at a time when the American people were furious about obstructionism and excessive partisanship. That rather impractical attitude sort of dominates my former party. And while I would have held my nose and voted for Cruz (especially against Hillary), he's the one exception (well, maybe Ben Carson, with his crazy talk and total lack of qualifications might be another) to my conviction that any Republican other than Donald Trump would have made mincemeat out of Hillary Clinton.

But when Cruz made his speech at the Nuremberg Rally Republican Convention in Cleveland and was booed off the stage by the Trumpkins for refusing to endorse the Orange God Emperor, I began to develop a grudging admiration for the Cuban-American with the bizarre theological background. My feelings softened further through contact with fellow Never Trumpers and McMullin supporters who had supported Cruz in the primaries. It actually scared me a little.

I needn't have worried. A few days ago he endorsed Il Duce after all. A depressing number of his supporters are playing follow-the-leader and turning overnight from Never Trumpers into worshipful acolytes of He Who Cannot Tell the Truth About Anything.

Today, the news gets worse. It seems that the Cruz campaign has been renting its mailing list to the Trump people for months.

So much for principle.

HT: FiveThirtyEight

Caricature by DonkeyHotey