The crowds attracted by the Pope are the low-information Catholics. People who don’t actually pay any attention to what he says, or the appointments he makes, or the South American skulduggery and thuggery in the Vatican. They just see the white cassock.
I agree with Cruz 150% on the “issues.” But I think he’s a lousy speaker. Too programmed. Too many phony mannerisms—the stammer, especially. And the nasal voice. He’s NOT “taking off.”
Cruz is brilliant. But Trump is a fast-talking, funny New Yorker, and therefore SOUNDS smarter.
Agree that Cruz is extremely intelligent. That only makes his OTT praise of Francis harder to fathom. It’s not playing well with Trump supporters, let me tell you.
The rest of your analysis is very interesting. Cruz is certainly not taking off. In addition to what you said, it’s just an anti-professional politician wave, and—agreeing with you—Cruz does sound like a pol.