I would not put it past the establishment to have helped the decline of the Cruz campaign much like Romney did to Palin. They stacked her staff with saboteurs that set her up on multiple occasions. They have had years to plan it.
They just were not ready for Trump who blindsided them.
The problem with that is that Ted himself tells lies, half truths, and misrepresentations. Not his staff, Ted himself. He’s paid the consequences for that in NH and SC.