[JoSixChip]

It’s the very fact that Cruz put his money where his mouth was and forced the shutdown over Obamacare that the GOPe takes the conservative wing seriously.

Where did that money come from? Perhaps Cruz's votes on TPA and the corker bill? Do you believe boehner resigned because Cruz had a hand in shutting down the government for a few days? I say no, this is much bigger then what Cruz is doing or has ever done. This is having the fear of the electorate being put into congress, and I think that is due in large part to Trump's rise.

[JediJones]

Yes, that’s why the GOPe is taking the threat of the shutdown over Planned Parenthood seriously and also why the conservatives are willing to have the fight. Cruz is a leader and they are following his lead.

The electorate is of course a factor because the GOPe knows they are behind the conservatives in this fight. But with Trump out of the picture, that electorate wouldn’t be going to Bush, it would be going to a non-establishment candidate. The electorate would be making their voices heard one way or the other.

For every tiny nitpick of a Cruz vote you can make, we can point to Trump’s long history of supporting liberal policies and funding Democrat candidates. Somehow I doubt you’d give Cruz a pass if he had donated money to Pelosi.