Why Ted Cruz's huge convention gamble will pay off in the end

The establishment might hate him for snubbing Trump, but in the end, Cruz will come out on top

Ted Cruz speaks at the convention
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Ted Cruz put his name into the history books last night.

He took a major political risk in refusing to endorse Donald Trump in such a public fashion. By now, many other Trump-hating Republicans have reluctantly offered their unenthusiastic endorsements. But not Ted Cruz. He became the first runner-up in living memory not to endorse the candidate of his party.

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.