The oft-forgotten reality is it’s only actual votes that count, not answered phone polls or media rhetoric etc. Question is how many “sure I’d vote for Trump!” actually will. I’ve seen too many polls go horribly wrong when the actual vote happened.
The Jeb ground game rhetoric was proactive, trying to create momentum where it wasn’t. Cruz is getting actual momentum, reported on afterwards.
Cruz can avoid the McCain/Romney treatment because he is VERY good at debating, and because Trump is legitimizing a great deal of turf Cruz would be hard-pressed to plow himself (not a dig at Cruz, just there’s some issues that he can’t broach but Trump can). McCain was a political centrist, so he couldn’t deal with right-wing issues. Romney didn’t want the job. Neither knew how to handle media opposition & distortion.
It's not forgotten. It just falls into meaninglessness against overwhelming precursors. It is fatuous to insist smoke is not a reasonable indicator of fire, and while it may be true, citing it as a reason not to check for the fire is foolish.
Cruz can avoid the McCain/ Romney treatment because he is VERY good at debating
You're missing the point. They're not going to LET him get into debates that let him shine.
As much as I like Cruz, I simply see nothing in him that can overcome the media opposition that marginalizes our candidates with tedious regularity.