Nevada GOP convention delegates look past Cruz speech

CLEVELAND — Nevada delegates to the Republican National Convention are looking at the big picture, which means unity and putting Donald Trump in the White House.

Ted Cruz is a footnote of the convention, despite all the attention and boos he got after not endorsing Donald Trump, the GOP nominee for president, when he spoke Wednesday. Like others who had preferred that someone else would win the nomination, they’re supporting the real estate mogul.

“Cruz is truly a minor event,” said Ron Knecht, a delegate and Nevada state controller. “It was unfortunate, but it was a minor event.”

“All Cruz did frankly was damage himself,” Knecht said, adding that he blew an opportunity.

“Cruz has a habit of setting up litmus tests, artificial conflicts, etc. so that he can show he’s the one true limited government conservative,” Knecht said.

Knecht went through eight different candidates before Trump was the final candidate.

He said the four-day event has been a “really smooth and enjoyable convention,” despite pundits predicting chaos.

“It hasn’t been drama and turmoil,” he said.

Jordan Ross, a Nevada delegate, said Cruz’s appearance was a “sad and pathetic performance.” Cruz has been criticized for not backing Trump despite earlier agreeing to support the eventual nominee.

“We now have another example of why Ted Cruz has no friends in the U.S. Senate, despite having served there for many years. He doesn’t know how to get along. He doesn’t know how to play nice and you can’t trust him to keep his word.”

Diana Orrock, a national committeewoman for Nevada, attended the 2012 convention as a guest. This election’s convention is nothing like four years ago, she said.

“The level of enthusiasm for our nominee is incredibly greater than it was in 2012,” she said.

In the past four years, she said, the state GOP has transitioned from “the status quo to truly representing the grass roots.”

She’s confident Trump’s policies can bring about policies needed to boost the economy.

“We’ve got so many unemployed and so many on public assistance,” she said. “People are being squeezed dry by taxes and fees.”

Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who originally endorsed Cruz, said: “I have always pledged to support the nominee and I think the convention has done a great job of bringing folks together.”

“We need a new commander in chief, someone who will put America first and protect our country,” Laxalt said in an interview.

For many Republicans, Trump remains the preferred choice over Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

“I think everybody’s unified and ready to fight to defeat Hillary Clinton,” Laxalt said.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.