Don't see how he can be a "GOP establishment elite guy", while pissing everyone off by not playing by the rules and jumping the line.
I think the problem is that he's not Donald Trump.
I do not see a contradiction in that at all. I think he is simply a very ambitious establishment guy who does not want to sit around and serve in positions he feels are beneath him while waiting his turn and he doesn’t mind ticking people off to get what he wants. I read an article somewhere recently that said he wanted to be the US AG when GW Bush got in but did not get that. He was 30 at the time. I cannot vouch for the veracity of that claim but it would not surprise me if it were true. The guy is obviously talented and ambitious and has a very high regard for himself. I think he probably would have handled the position better than either Ashcroft or Gonzales did but it wasn’t his turn so he did not get it. Same deal in Texas. I know he wanted to be the AG but Abbott was popular decided to stay put. Cruz decided to jump the GOPe line and run for the open Senate seat instead against the guy who the establishment wanted at the time. Nothing wrong with that but it probably created some hard feelings. I think his whole deal is that he feels the Presidency is his destiny, much like any of the Bushes.