Cruz is a wise guy, ha, ha! Very wise! A consummate chess player. He knows when and how to make his moves and CNN could never reach high enough to carry his chess board for him let alone tell him how to move his king. But they are correct to worry. He is almost the total antithesis of what they stand for.
Sadly, facts are facts. Real Clear Politics averages polls. He's in 7th or 8th place nationally and in New Hampshire and Iowa. He's doing better in South Carolina, where he is in 4th place.
You can't plausibly claim he's outsmarting anyone or in the first tier. He's mired in the middle of the pack with the likes of Rick Perry and Christie.