Clarence Thomas was appointed to the “black seat” on the Supreme Court because that’s who he was replacing. I think the same is true for Ted Cruz. Not saying both of them were not smart. But if both were WASPS would they still be where they are?
Are you not familiar with Thomas' confirmation hearing? It was brutal -- because he was black! The Democrats turned it into a "high-tech lynching".
And I can assure you, as a Texas voter, that there was absolutely no affirmative action associated with Cruz's election to the Senate. He ran as a conservative Texan. There was no pandering to the Hispanic vote; Cruz doesn't even speak Spanish well enough to pander.