Ezra Klein: ‘Unlike Donald Trump, Ted Cruz Is Actually a Conservative’

DICKERSON: "Who do you think, Ezra, about that idea that Cruz is now the alternative and that’s the way it should go for those who want to stop Trump?"
KLEIN: "I think to some degree that’s been true for a long time. And part of the failure of the party to stop Donald Trump has been a complete unwillingness to unite behind Ted Cruz. I remember a couple of months ago, or maybe not a couple, the — the — there’s a sort of time displacement effect of an election. But not long ago when Cruz beat Trump in Iowa, there was an obvious reason at that moment for the Republican Party to unite behind him. Unlike Donald Trump, Ted Cruz is actually a conservative. He actually believes if — even if he goes much further than many in the party on it, he is fairly orthodox. He is very much connected to the core institution of the Republican Party, the core thinkers of the Republican Party. They — and I and many other folks at that moment expected to see some uniting behind Ted Cruz and it didn’t happen because they really, really, really had Ted Cruz. Lindsey Graham came out at a dinner recently and said, if you kill Ted Cruz on the Senate floor, the Senate would invoke to convict."
DICKERSON: "But —"
O’KEEFE: "Yes."
KLEIN: "That’s been a problem for them."
DICKERSON: "But a sign of warming, Lindsey Graham said he would support Cruz now and they even talked on the phone."
KLEIN: "Yes, for a time."
DICKERSON: "So, my gosh, they may be picnicking soon."