I’m not a big fan of Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

I agree with much of his policy positions, sure, but the same could be said of the majority of the Republican Party. That’s more or less the point of parties, I suppose. But Cruz has earned a reputation as a bomb thrower who prefers political grandstanding to policy work. Perhaps the most notable example is the 2013 government shutdown precipitated by Cruz’s inevitably fruitless crusade to defund Obamacare. Merits of the cause aside, I’m certainly no fan of the horrific taxpayer onus that is the Affordable Care Act -- anyone with two brain cells to rub together knew that there was no way Congress could get rid of the Act, at that time. Cruz’s quest, doomed to failure from the start, only resulted in a two-week government shutdown and negative fallout for the party (not to mention grabbing countless headlines for himself). I can admire his commitment to his ideals, but dragging the entire country down in a fight he knew would amount to nothing is selfish and foolish.

There is something to be said about sticking to your guns, however. Cruz proved that last Wednesday in his speech at the Republican National Convention.

In the entire speech, Cruz mentioned Trump exactly once -- opening with tepid congratulations for securing the nomination. To close, he eschewed the expected endorsement of Trump in favor of urging listeners to “vote your conscience.” Greeting the chorus of boos with a wave, Cruz sauntered off the stage with a smile.

When questioned by reporters, Cruz doubled-down on his non-endorsement by stating he’s not in the habit of endorsing people who have insulted his wife and father. A reference to the two Trump-Cruz primary feuds when Trump both threatened to “spill the beans” on Cruz’s wife (whatever that means) and alleged that Cruz’s father might have had something to do with JFK’s assassination. At the time, Cruz responded to both attacks with scorn -- even calling Trump a “sniveling coward.” Such low, personal attacks, which Trump has made into a stylistic hallmark, left a bad taste in the mouths of many voters and politicos alike. Cruz, it seems, hasn’t forgiven the insults against his family -- and who can blame him?

So good for Ted Cruz for having the guts to stand up to Trump’s excesses. It’s heartening to see that a shred of courage still remains in the “go along to get along” Congress that voters have come to expect. When contrasted with such politicians as Governor Chris Christie, whose toady-like devotion to Trump since dropping out of the primary has made him the object of ridicule, Cruz’s forthright defiance stands as a beacon to all Republicans who are disgusted with Trump. And he makes an excellent point 00 if Republicans can’t convince voters that a vote for Trump is a vote in good conscience, do they stand any chance of winning at all?