Ted Cruz dropped out the race for president Tuesday night and CNN’s America’s Choice 2016 panel could barely believe their ears. After weeks of saying that Donald Trump was inevitable and his opponents should just give up, now they question the decision to drop out at this point. “Would you have dropped out tonight,” former Obama aide and CNN political commentator Van Jones asked of longtime Clinton ally Paul Begala.
“I don't think he should have done this tonight,” Van Jones said. “Somebody talks about your father, somebody talks about—somebody goes after your family, would you have dropped out tonight?” he continued.
Injecting a massive dose of sudden respect into the discussion of the departed conservative candidate, Begala argued that he should have defended his family and stayed in the race: “Even though there was no path to victory, maybe I'm a smaller person but you have to defend your family honor.”
Like a scene out of a Bruce Lee film, he went on to explain that you truly learn who a person is when you run against them for president. “Ted Cruz has seen Donald Trump’s soul in the clinches. I bet you right now he's not as impressed with what he has seen,” the sage said, “and I’m really surprised that he bowed down like that.”
Conservative writer and CNN political commentator S.E. Cupp praised Cruz for his work in the Senate, while being surprised herself about Cruz dropping out, “If anyone in the Senate had the stomach to take this all the way, he doesn't get cowed by defeat, or embarrassment, or humiliation. This is sort of out of character.”
Transcript below:
CNN
America’s Choice 2016: Indiana Primary
May 3, 2016
8:55:22 PM EasternVAN JONES: I see Cruz differently tonight than you do. I don't think he should have done this tonight. We were just talking about this. Somebody talks about your father, somebody talks about—somebody goes after your family, would you have dropped out tonight?
PAUL BEGALA: Never. Even though there was no path to victory, maybe I'm a smaller person but you have to defend your family honor. It’s astonishing.
S.E. CUPP: But you can’t keep harping on the fact that, “why is this guy still in? He can’t get there.” And then on the next side say, “why did he get out?”
BEGALA: I have a wise friend sitting over there who said “running for president is the MRI to the soul.” And I thought of that when Hillary Clinton got out of the race a day or two later. I spent the whole day with her. She was really impressed by Barack Obama. She had run against him, tested him. Anyway, she really honestly thought he was fully qualified, at that point, to be president. She was impressed by him she had seen his soul up close in the clenches. Ted Cruz has seen Donald Trump’s soul in the clinches. I bet you right now he's not as impressed with what he has seen. And I’m really surprised that he bowed down like that.
CUPP: And especially because of what Dana was saying earlier, which was spot on. If anyone in the senate had the stomach to take this all the way, he doesn't get cowed by defeat, or embarrassment, or humiliation. This is sort of out of character.
