Meeting with a group of about 20 to 30 traditional conservative activists at the home of Media Research Council founder Brent Bozell earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) held a not-so-secret meeting to discuss his future in politics.
“The discussion revolved around the future and the future with Ted Cruz as the leader of the conservative movement,” Bozell told Politico. “There was a lot of thoughtful advice put forward to him.”
Those in attendance discussed how Cruz can protect his foothold in the national political conversation. It was pointed out how Ronald Reagan lost the Republican nomination in 1976, and then went on to win the presidency four years later.
There was, however, reportedly one ground rule: no discussion of Donald Trump. Cruz has remained silent on the man who beat him for the GOP presidential nomination.
But in 1976, Reagan reacted to his defeat much differently than Cruz and other conservatives have. He very graciously accepted his narrow defeat, and immediately—from the convention podium—told not just Republicans, but all Americans, to rally and defeat the Democrats.
“This is our challenge; and this is why here in this hall tonight, better than we have ever done before, we have got to quit talking to each other and about each other and go out and communicate to the world that we may be fewer in numbers than we have ever been, but we carry the message they are waiting for,” he said. “We must go forth from here united, determined that what a great general said a few years ago is true: There is no substitute for victory, Mr. President.”
