Deja vu much? This all seems so much like our fight warning CA Freepers against abandoning McClintock for Schwarzenegger out of fear that Bustamonte might win. The lack of courage in the conservative camp seems almost definitional at this point. “Don’t risk a real conservative even though Reagan won — that was simpler times.”
The difference this time from 2003 is so much worse in that Arnold lied about his conservatism while Trump is actually up front about his determined use of the powers that Obama has established in the Presidency. People who dismiss his statements in that regard are useless in any fight to reclaim the constitution. So they are NOT constitutionalists even if they are conservatives, just ones of less than sterling principles.
I’ve spoken in meatspace with a number of conservatives, and what they really crave is a counter-pendulum swing by a contrarian dictator who they believe will wreak revenge on the Left for all the damage they’ve done. If he should win the WH, the evidence is that he’ll make McConnell’s betrayal look lame by comparison.
I fear that you are battling either with a new cadre of “FairOpinion” et alii or with true believers who seem never to have heard of the concept of reverse psychology (a group that Lenin found to be very useful). I am not sure which is worse. I commend your efforts. It seems daunting. Should Iowa pay off for Cruz, there is some hope. What worries me about Cruz is this: Is his decency nearly as good as is his command of issues and ability to speak to them?
In his personal conduct the man is decent. The principal reason I have not come out in support of Cruz are his tendencies to be too clever by half in tactics at the expense of political strategy in leadership without showing the slightest sign of repentance when he alters his position. The H-1B visa stance or his vote for the Corker bill stand in that category. Both were disastrous politically. It's a bad sign of poor judgment without the humility to reverse field when necessary.