It’s all planned kabuki fireman. They have been planning for sometime to get the SCOTUS to make a decision. CRUZ was doing his best interpretation of “don’t throw me in the briar patch!”
The comment about Trumps lawyers : big sis is a colleague with almost identicle record, of Sam Alito. She spoke in his behalf at his confirmation hearing. Discussion at the holiday table could be interesting. His daughter is going to law school and greatly influenced by her aunt. Close family
That is my thought as well. The establishment and the media are lined up firmly against both of them and they cannot resist reporting on any conflict between the two so they are milking it for all it's worth. It is free publicity and the discussion helps to allay peoples’ reservations about both candidates. Trump has been portrayed as a loose cannon and Cruz has been portrayed as a nasty extremist. Cruz has been able to play the victim card and Trump has been able to look more presidential while he has honed his message.
The other day I sold one of our cars. The car had been well maintained and was in great condition but it was nine years old and had 123,600 miles on it. I had it priced very low compared to what was available from the dealers. The first guy that came admitted that he does no automobile maintenance himself but he literally picked the car to pieces. He ran his finger across the bottom of the oil pan and said that the grime that it picked up indicated to him that there had was an oil leak somewhere. Then he examined the automatic transmission fluid and claimed he could see microscopic pieces of metal floating around in it. In reality there was no oil leak and the transmission oil was not burned and had no characteristics that indicated any problems at all.
He actually was a sincere person but I found him to be annoying, but his nitpicking caused me to spend an extra couple hours detailing the engine compartment and under the car. The next guy that came along was actually equally fussy but much more knowledgeable. I have sold a lot of our used cars over the years and have never run into two people in a row who were so picky. The second guy bought the car. From some of what the second guy said I realized that if the first guy hadn't come by and caused me to do a little more detailing I never would have sold the car to the second guy.
Cruz's biggest challenge is that he needs to come across more like-able. We are a country made up of people who instinctively come to the aid of those we perceive are being picked on. The questions of his eligibility which are a little like the grime that was on my car's oil pan need to be addressed but they are also helping him look like he is being picked on and so more sympathetic.
Trump needs to appear more presidential and less like a stereotypical obnoxious liberal New Yorker so the softball Cruz tossed him allowed him to do both. It was theater and the supposed “conflict” between the two sucked much of the oxygen away from the other candidates. I don't know if the two camps are working together but it worked out as if the were.