“Cruz’ approach to winning delegates without winning the popular vote looks smart and effective. But it also makes him look like the lawyer that he is. That’s not a good look.”
I’m sure Cruz thought it was smart - but from a perception viewpoint, it backfired.
The dynamics changed after Colorado and the Louisiana and other state’s delegate issues. After that, Trump won states by over 50% and won among evangelicals and those saying they are mostly conservative. They don’t like the scheming either.
Ruch has it right yesterday. Cruz’s “clever” moves are a positive when he’s fighting the corrupt establishment, but a negative when he’s fighting another anti-establishment candidate.