You are half right. He did self-distruct. He is never going to be a viable candidate for the Presidency.
But he is not irrlevant.
Trump didn't send Pence out there for the fresh air. He sent him back to Washington, at least in part, to get a Cruz endorsement. And a full-hearted Cruz endorsement would be welcomed by Trump and a lot of conservative Republicans.
Hopefully Cruz will come to his senses. (See my tagline.)
If Trump was up 10 points this meeting wouldn’t be necessary. Trump is showing he wants to win. I think that Cruz also wants this behind him. Pense is doing what good Vice President are suppose to do. Kick ass and make deals behind the scenes.
I appreciate what you’re saying. The election could be tight and Trump/Pence are rightfully working for every conservative vote they can get. They’re probably still trying to get some recognition from Kasich and others as well.
But with respect to Cruz, the man severely damaged his political appeal by a selfish, self righteous, and self inflicted wound. As they say, how you handle defeat says a lot about you. He was resentful and quite frankly, stupid, for not turning the moment around for himself. The opportunity of a lifetime was right there for him.
Cruz also has problems in DC working with colleagues. Its good to take a stand but he has a messianic and preachy personality that doesn’t go over well with fellow senators, even when he’s right and taking a principled stand.
Cruz has been all but invisible since the convention. I question the relevancy of someone who has stepped in so much caca. His image has taken a beating. Its not too late for him to come to his senses, but it would take a personal transformation that is unlikely to occur in my humble opinion.
He would probably be a better and more effective Supreme Court justice than a senator. A good reason for him to adopt a conciliatory tone with Trump.