If I reply to it "as is"?
Not being "Everyone", my hick-level understanding bows to your Sensei-level mastery.
I definitely think that you're right about NH.
However, as to the rest? Personally, I think you've misread things and I disagree.
Iowa, to me, is sorta like the NFL preseason in a lot of ways, but the win counts.
Cruz and his team needed to win the "preseason" for the fans, the vendors and especially for the Big D Donor$ they need to support him and the team. Cruz and his team did what they needed to do.
As an outsider on everyone's hit list, who's not even supposed to be serious, Trump and "The Donald" also did well. Trump and his team did what they needed to do.
It's been a great season so far, more entertaining than any I can remember.
With so many with so much in the game, we'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.
Although I never thought a guy named Hussein would have gotten elected 7 years after 911, my disallusiment is not complete in wiping out my faith in Americans ‘eventually’ doing the right thing.
Early on Trump did indeed hit on lots of pent up anger with most people, including me, but that could only go so far and eventually he reverted to Mr. Nasty Rich SOB and let some not so well hidden liberal tendencies show through.
Cruz’s history and calm not nasty non-personal responses showed many he has the conservatism, but more importantly the metal for the office. Frankly I was not surprised by Cruz, that is exactly the way he ran his Senatorial campaign against a similar nasty person, David DoWorst, against all the odds.