SCruz is backed by the liberals in the GOPe.
The Tea Party wing of the GOP is bigger than ever, but there are two factions.
The Trump faction believes DC is corrupt and we need to burn the whole thing down. Throw out all the rascals, since they are all tainted. Everyone, almost without exception, who thinks DC is a cesspool with no redeeming features supports Trump.
The Cruz faction believes DC is corrupt and we need to drag them back to following the Constitution and the rule of law. Replace the rascals with someone they hate so much that they said he could be murdered on the floor of the Senate and no one would vote to convict. That was Lindsey Graham six weeks ago, when the establishment hoped that someone, anyone other than Cruz would stop Trump. Cruz is the same man he was six weeks ago. The difference is that the voters have rejected everyone else but Trump and Cruz.
GOPe liberals back Cruz because they are hoping he will do less damage to their comfy position in change of our lives. That’s not a positive for Cruz, but it’s also not disqualifying.
I don’t want the candidate who would in the best of all possible worlds do the most damage to the corrupt DC establishment. I want the candidate who is most likely to be elected and will do enough damage to the establishment, with an emphasis on (1) protecting our borders, (2) repealing Obamacare without replacement, and (3) moving toward the constitutionally enumerated powers as a limit on the federal government. It’s not obvious to me whether Trump or Cruz is a better overall choice by that standard, but everyone else is unacceptable.