You are giving far too much credit to Trump for what Cruz has done recently. ....Cruz has always been a stand-up Conservative and never shied from voicing his beliefs.
I imagine Cruz is very pleased to find someone else (Trump) to join him and Lee in trying to convert the Congress toward his views. .....There are Conservative folks like Louie Gohmert in the House that are pushing similar beliefs.
Cruz simply knows he has to be careful not to alienate Trump’s voters—because they are also his voters.
Cruz isn’t stupid, and he has no chance unless Trump implodes early enough for his voters to regroup around Cruz.
Now, a good chunk of Trump’s voters are also Reagan Democrats, and there’s no evidence that Cruz will be able to reel those voters in for himself.
Cruz has been saying the right things for a long time. How much real earnest press did he get for it? Yes, you could find mention of it, but who really paid attention to that other than FReepers or other politicos?
All of a sudden he went to the floor of the Senate and called McConnell a liar. Had he been doing things like that before?
That is what I’m addressing. Trump took McCain to the woodshed and got big props for it. Cruz took McConnell to the woodshed and got big props for it.
It as covered in the media loudly (if you will). Non politicos saw Ted for the first time.
I give Ted credit for it, but it was a different side of Ted we hadn’t seen before. I give him credit for it.
I still think without Trump, that wouldn’t have happened.
Ted has had a long time to take McConnell to the woodshed, and plenty of reasons prior to this.