The big picture is that Trump does not have a history of being anything close to a conservative. Ted Cruz has a lifetime record of conservatism.
Ted Cruz would never be in the top five if not for Trump. It doesn’t matter how conservative a candidate is if they can’t win and Ted can’t win. Trump going after him is a fraction of what the establishment would do.
So it’s not a question of who’s a better conservative. It’s whether we want Trump or Bush. Everyone understands this at some level so I’m at a loss why conservatives would hand the race to Bush at this point in time. Bush is just waiting for something to happen to Trump because he can’t beat Trump. But he’s still in the game because he’s got extensive ground games in every state, lots of cash. and the media. He and the establishment is not yet defeated.
If we don’t step back and look at this race we are going to lose, again.
I have been a Cruz guy since the beginning and was admittedly disappointed that he would not take on Trump because Trump was browbeating lesser men out of the race. So I am actually glad that Trump has pulled the 9/11 gambit and is spreading rumors that Cruz somehow broke federal election laws. I want to see how Cruz responds and so far he is responding well. Trump is good training for the Clinton machine.
But Cruz is in an uphill battle so long as there are so many in the race. In a head to head matchup there will be enough conservatives to push Cruz across the line against Trump. But if Bush, Rubio and Carson remain in that accrues to Trumps advantage.
And the GOPe when push comes to shove will back Trump over Cruz as will the New York Media. After all Trump has bought and paid for a lot of them.