[guest post by Dana]

This is the last night of the convention. Ivanka Trump will be introducing her father, Donald Trump, who is expected to accept the Republican nomination for the presidency.

A talking head on Fox News said that various campaign people are saying that they hope Trump stays on point, sticks to the speech, and does not go off on his own.

You can peruse an annotated version of the prepared speech here.

Anyway. Buckle up.

And get your adult beverage of choice ready.

–Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Was there ever a more dreadful thing said by a politician ?

And to those listening, please, don’t stay home in November. Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.

This isn’t hard: If Donald Trump has indeed convinced voters that he will guard our nation, protect our freedoms, and honor the Constitution from all enemies, then the collective conscience of America-loving voters will naturally be turned toward him on November 8. But, ironically, when freedom of thought and freedom to stand on principle is encouraged in the public square by a bold politician, it results in a fierce outcry of protest. Not the conscience! Anything but that! (One almost gets the impression that there are those who wouldn’t object too much if a political body compelled the individual vote… just this once, you know, because so much is at stake.) Clearly, a lot of Americans have not bought what’s being sold, and as a result, an appeal to the individual conscience becomes a dangerous thing with which to contend.

Unvelieveably, this is America, right here, right now. And this is the pro-liberty side of the aisle.

A lot of us still believe that all of our freedoms should be celebrated, our liberty treasured, and that working hard to protect them is a calling for every American. So when I hear a politician imploring me to vote my conscience and to think and decide as an individual, I’m not going to scream at him to shut-up. I’m going to celebrate, because the last thing I want is apparently the first thing others need: to be told what to do.

–Dana

I have said since May 3 that refusing to endorse Donald Trump would be smart politics for Ted Cruz. Here are my thoughts from May 3:

For the first time this campaign, I think Cruz may not support Trump. Not out of principle (alone), but also because of calculation.

— Patterico (@Patterico) May 3, 2016

Cruz calculated it was in his interest to take on GOP leadership. Why not calculate that it's in his long-term interest to oppose Trump?

— Patterico (@Patterico) May 3, 2016

When you can combine principle (which I believe Cruz has) with a long-term (2020) calculation, you may have a recipe for opposing Trump.

— Patterico (@Patterico) May 3, 2016

Later that day, Cruz pulled out of the race. He remained mostly silent about Trump. As the other toadies like Rubio, Scott Walker, and (sadly) Rick Perry fell in line, I mocked them without mercy — and pledged that I would do the same to Cruz if he endorsed Trump.

I remained skeptical that he would endorse — but when I heard that Cruz planned to speak at the convention, I worried. To me, any endorsement of Trump, even half-assed or tepid, would have been an act of disrespect to Ted Cruz’s family. Even if he didn’t endorse, I worried that Cruz would try to walk a line and end up being too clever by half.

It still could have played out that way. But then Donald Trump’s people orchestrated the booing of Ted Cruz, for not explicitly endorsing Trump.

I was standing in a sea of whippers motioning to turn up the volume with boos. #thuggish #scarry https://t.co/gPnly4JC6d

— Melanie Sturm (@ThinkAgainUSA) July 21, 2016

It was a wholly premeditated spectacle. The bully Trump planned it this way. It was to be the final humiliation of “Lyin’ Ted.”

And yet, Ted Cruz stood firm.

And with that, a speech that could have been perceived as a standard-issue extolling of constitutionalism was transformed into an epic stand on principle.

I opened this post by noting that standing on principle is Cruz’s brand. His speech last night was calculating, I believe — but the calculation was: I am the sort of person who stands on principle. My supporters like that. I am going to continue to be that sort of person.

That’s my kind of “calculation.” Especially when it comes to defending family.

Anyone criticizing Cruz today has to be willing to say: “Donald Trump could mock my wife’s looks, and slander my dad, and I would support him.” If that’s the sort of person you are — the sort of person who does not respect his family enough to stand up for them, regardless of the cost — then stand up and say so. Be proud. Own it.

And then get off my site.

If you’re voting for Donald Trump because you think he’s the lesser of two evils; because you think Hillary is clearly worse; because you reject leftism and know Hillary will foist leftism on us and only suspect Trump might . . . then you and I are cool. I respect that position. It’s not my position — but if it’s yours, I respect it, and I respect you.

But if you’re going to knock Ted Cruz for standing up against a man who bullied his family, I don’t respect you. I don’t want you here. Feel free to leave. It may make this place smaller, but it will make it better.

I do not want to see this site turned into a replication of what I watched on the convention floor last night: a group of howling apes flinging poo at a good man who stood on principle and refused to kiss the ring of a man who repeatedly insulted his family.

The GOP ought to be taking out the trash, but they’re not. I can’t control that. But I can control my space. If you can’t respect a man who stands up for his family, get out of my face.