I see your point, but disagree.
Cruz, the Tea Party and Trump are all variations of the same backlash. Trump is just more primal in nature.
People are fed up with the bullying and domination tactics of the Social Justice Warrior Progressive Left. And with it’s enablers in the GOPe.
It’s not a lot different than reaction to a highschool bully. Cruz is the one who attacks and undermines the bully through intelligence and ridicule. Trump is the one who slams the bully’s head into the locker, repeatedly.
BOTH types of reaction are incredibly appealing to those victimized by the bully.. But the physical thrashing is more satisfying and more likely to generate a large and loyal following.
And if I could believe Trump were sincere in that I might like it too. But when in recent years he donated to these same Democrats, supported Obama’s stimulus and bank bailouts, called Hillary his friend and a great Senator, his daughter is Chelsea’s BFF, etc. I don’t need any more red flags to warn me to stay away. It’s clear Trump doesn’t believe in small-government conservative ideology. I know anyone who goes to D.C. needs to have bedrock values and ideology, otherwise the overwhelming left-wing tide of advisors, bureaucrats and politicians will inevitably sway them to the left if they weren’t already leaning there.