I think you missed the point of The Hill column, entirely.
Cruz has no delegates but his earned delegates on a First Ballot. There will be no Second Ballot.
Had there been a Second Ballot, the rest of the Cruz delegates will crater when they have visions of their own hypocrisy thwarting the will of the Americans across the nation who already chose their nominee. Obviously, it “ain’t” Cruz.
Wait and watch.
No delegate wants to call themselves a “patriot” when they are seen balloting against the people’s choice.
A little peek down there in the streets of every small town and big town in the country and looking into the faces of the people counting on them to work the will of the people, and not their own, then these fraud delegates will be embarrassed and ashamed, and will drop off from making fools of themselves, before the nation. And, doing it on LIVE TV.
Well we all better just quit now and let the GOPe select who they want.
“...No delegate wants to call themselves a “patriot” when they are seen balloting against the people’s choice...”
Exactly. You nailed the dynamic that would play out if the nomination were to come down to a second convention ballot which it won’t anyway.
Your post describes exactly what will happen; and if Cruz keeps this going and tries to force otherwise good people down this route it will only make him look extremely dishonorable for pressuring for this.
Thank you for this excellent analysis of how things would play out at the convention if Cruz does not take the path of an honorable man and drop out. I totally agree that this is what would happen. Not to mention that Trump is going to get there before the convention, and Cruz is hurting himself now by digging in his heels.
No delegate wants to call themselves a “patriot” when they are seen balloting against the people’s choice...
I truly hope your interpretation comes true, but I honestly don’t believe delegates think that way. I’ve heard a number of delegates when they called into conservative radio shows, especially after the Colorado exposure. They all sound alike in their arrogant superiority, their “you don’t understand the process” condescension, their recitation of the history of delegates voting in lieu of the people, their willingness to vote “outside the party” for Hillary to preserve the status quo. They fully believe they are in the right and the complainers are just stupid folk. They have no intention of losing their fiefdom, which has taken them a lifetime of toe-kissing to attain, to hobbits. Party before people is their motto.