The only energy sucked will be for a small group of delusional FR posters. Everybody else will still be very involved.
Trump's supporters are blue collar workers, independents, moderates, as well as "very conservative" voters, as well as a large number of non-voters turned voters for the first time this election cycle.
Trump can attract all these people for several reasons: 1) He is seen as a Hero due to his courage in standing up to the media and to the other candidates. 2) Trump has a total control over the media and can bend the narrative any way he wants, a power that no other candidate wields. 3) Trump, consequently, is seen as a strong man, and an independent, an anti-establishment candidate.
Cruz campaigns as an anti-establishment candidate, but he is too well rehearsed, too artificial, too "smooth" and cunning, to ever be believed.
It is a huge leap to jump from high energy Donald Trump to boring, low energy, artificial and measured Ted Cruz. The result will only be mass demoralization and a loss of significant energy and enthusiasm in the race.
Many of Trump’s conservative supporters would migrate to Cruz.
But not all.
And -what’s worse- as of now Cruz isn’t likely to get the large number of moderate supporters of Trump.