For Cruz to be elevated to a greater position of authority, does Trump have to be denigrated/diminished to a lessor position of authority than Cruz?
lesser
Probably yes, though I wouldn't put it that way. I would say that for Cruz to be elevated - two things need to happen: First, Trump needs to continue to self expose himself....and it's absolutely critical that Cruz not join in when he does. The other factor is that several other candidates would have to drop out, with Cruz getting at least a good share of their support...Santorum, Huckabee, Jindal, Carly, Rand, etc.
Oh, a third factor would be for Cruz to ratchet up his rhetoric to match the fearlessness of his proven actions. That's why Trump is so hot right now, his rhetoric has tapped into something huge......almost all of it related to things Cruz has been fighting for far longer than Trump has. Rhetoric matters. Tone matters! It's my favorite thing about Trump really.
Only Trump can derail Trump. When he's attacked by the media and/or the GOP e, it only strengthens him.