Last month, I wrote that the real battle to watch at the Republican National Convention in July would not be nomination-related but rather over the content of the Party’s platform, particularly in regards to social issues.
Conservatives have ample reason to be wary. Earlier this year, presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump suggested he might support a watering down of the Republican plank on abortion, and mega-donor Paul Singer has been quietly funding an effort to change the GOP’s stance on marriage.
Given the possibility of these and other fights, it should come as no surprise that Sen. Ted Cruz, despite suspending his campaign over a month ago, is still working to influence the delegate-selection process in order to protect and promote conservative principles in Cleveland. Cruz made this clear during an interview last Friday with Oklahoma radio host Pat Campbell:
Before wrapping the interview, Campbell asked Cruz if he could promise to listeners to ensure Republicans in Cleveland do not “screw around with the party platform and remove the abortion plank, or alter it.”
“You have my word. One of the reasons that we are continuing to work to elect conservatives to be delegates, even though Donald has the delegates to get the nomination, we intend to do everything we can to fight for conservative principles to prevent Washington forces from watering down the platform,” Cruz said. “The platform is a manifestation of what we believe as a party, and I think it is important that it continue to reflect conservative values, free-market values, constitutional liberties, Judeo-Christian principles, the values that built this country, and that is exactly what I intend to fight for.”
How exactly will that fight play out this summer? Conservatives will no doubt be watching closely.
Paul Dupont is the managing editor for ThePulse2016.com.
