Conscience of a Conservative

After nearly three full nights of boring, mediocre, and creepy speeches, some excitement finally arrived onstage at the Republican National Convention, courtesy of Texas senator Ted Cruz.

The big news of the night was that Cruz, toward the end of a well-crafted, well-delivered speech about freedom and conservatism, declined to endorse Donald Trump.

“To those listening, please, don’t stay home in November,” Cruz said. “If you love our country, and love your children as much as I know you do, 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.”

What made Cruz’s “vote your conscience” line not just a moment but a big moment were the loud boos that greeted him from pro-Trump delegates—on orders from the Trump campaign—who were infuriated by the perceived slight of the GOP presidential nominee.

Newt Gingrich spoke immediately after Cruz and said that the crowd “misunderstood” Cruz’s remarks about conscience. “Ted Cruz said, ‘You can vote your conscience for anyone who will uphold the Constitution.’ In this election there is only one candidate who will support the Constitution,” Gingrich said. “So to paraphrase Ted Cruz, if you want to protect the Constitution of the United States, the only possible candidate this fall is the Trump-Pence Republican ticket.”

Gingrich’s spin wouldn’t have been half bad if Cruz’s line had been greeted with polite applause. But the booing and atrocious treatment Cruz and his wife received after the speech made Cruz’s remarks seem downright courageous. CNN reported that Heidi Cruz had to be escorted out of the event by security, as one man screamed “Goldman Sachs!” in the investment manager’s face.

Trump supporters could have minimized the moment, but their pettiness got the better of them. “Telling Republicans to ‘vote their conscience’ can only be an affront to the GOP if they’re admitting a vote for Trump violates conscience,” wrote Cruz supporter and radio host Steve Deace.

The speech was important for three reasons:

First, it was important for Cruz and his future ambitions as a presidential candidate. If and when recriminations begin within the Republican party over the Trump nomination, many people will have many things to answer for. Cruz, in particular, was going to have to answer for his active praise and legitimization of Trump during the first six months of the presidential primary and his less-than-honest anti-establishment strategy that helped pave the way for Trump. (Yes, the establishment will have plenty to answer for itself, but let’s save that for another day.) After Wednesday’s speech, Cruz will now be remembered in the hearts and minds of all Republicans for standing up to Trump at Trump’s own convention.

Second, Cruz’s speech was tremendously important for Republican congressional candidates. At the RNC this week, Republicans like Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and House speaker Paul Ryan have gone all-in for Trump. “A vote for anyone other than Donald Trump is a vote for Hillary,” Walker said Wednesday night. Browbeating Republicans into voting for Trump may help Trump, but it won’t help turn out Republican-leaning voters who can’t in good conscience back Trump. Republican governors, senators, and congressmen have done precious little this week to encourage these voters that they need to turn out to the polls. But Cruz did exactly that Wednesday night when he explicitly asked voters: “Please, don’t stay home in November” and “vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.”

Third, and perhaps most important of all, Cruz’s speech mattered for the future of conservatism. Until Wednesday night, the main theme of the Republican National Convention has been that being afraid of or angry about Hillary Clinton is what makes one a Republican. The first 20 minutes of Cruz’s speech reminded people that conservatives actually believe in certain things like federalism, freedom, and human flourishing. “We have a tradition to preserve, principles to promote. The GOP may have abandoned them. That doesn’t mean conservatives should be silent,” wrote Matthew Continetti. “Conservatives now relate to the GOP the way we did before 1980. A minority arguing for certain deep-rooted ideas. Now voiced by [Ted Cruz].”