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Eight years ago, the Republican National Convention was a totally different, depressing, fractious scene. Rather than unrestrained jubilance over the prospect of a landslide victory, the polls were miserable, Republicans were yanking their hair out over their deeply flawed candidate, and many were resigned to the fact that Donald Trump was going to drag the whole party down with him. In the background, if you recall, Ted Cruz was leading an effort to oust the would-be nominee at the last minute. Sound familiar?