Sarah Palin has been fighting in the sun longer than any of them. I would argue that it was Palin that breathed fire back into the conservatives after 2008. Cruz himself has said that he would not be in the senate without Palin.
I’m not suggesting that Palin has been of no value to conservatives or the Tea Party. In fact, she’s been vitally important. That doesn’t mean conservatives should support her running for President though.