Indiana Governor Fawns Over Donald Trump, Endorses Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz is proving once again that among Republican officials he is only barely more likable than Donald Trump.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence gave Cruz his latest lukewarm endorsement Friday, saying, "I’m not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz."

Pence has been under a lot of pressure from Republican leaders to endorse Cruz. But not because anybody actually likes Cruz. They just dislike him less than they dislike Trump.

And Indiana, which votes Tuesday, is seen as a huge swing state in the race to keep Trump from the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination on the first ballot.

So Pence did his GOP duty, bit the bullet and endorsed Cruz. Ish.

Watch the video of the endorsement below:

In case you need a refresher, here's a run down of some of the other endorsements Texas Ted has gotten from Republican leaders. If nothing else, you have to admire the dancing:

• South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said, "Senator Cruz would not be my first choice, [but] I think he is a reliable conservative that I can support.” Graham had also previously said of the choice between Cruz and Trump: "It’s like being shot or poisoned."
• Idaho Sen. Jim Risch channeled his inner Bill Clinton in throwing his support behind Cruz. After he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he disliked Cruz less than Trump, Blitzer asked if that was a Cruz endorsement. "I guess it depends on your definition,” Risch said.
• After Jeb Bush dropped out of the race, he endorsed Cruz but said, "We must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena."
• South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley liked Marco Rubio until he dropped out, then said she preferred John Kasich, but he didn't have a path to the nomination. And so she was left with: "You know the only thing I can say now is my hope and my prayer is that Sen. Cruz can come through this and that he can really get to where he needs to go."
  

It's clear that really the only thing Cruz has going for him at the moment is that he's not Trump, who is maybe the most unlikable presidential candidate ever.

So you can't really blame the people who are forced to throw their support behind the "miserable son of a bitch" who is "Lucifer in the flesh" for doing so through clenched teeth.

Images: Mike Pence, by Gage Skidmore, Flickr; Ted Cruze, by Gage Skidmore, Flickr; Lindsey Graham, via Wikimedia Commons