Ted Cruz come off as more strident and ideological. If I was his consultant, I would have him study Reagan more. Reagan didn’t come across as so ideological. He came off as friendly, personable, casual (sometimes more formal), humorous. Reagan didn’t sound like a demagoging politician. He sounds like a “regular guy” and likeable, contrasting with his Democratic opponents. Clinton noticed that. Clinton knew he didn’t need to come off like Dukakis or Tsongas.
Reagan understood that he needed “Low-Info Voters” to vote for him to win, which is something that Trump also understands.
We may not like to admit this, but it’s true. The Democrats have had the monopoly on Low-Info voters, which is why they’ve been winning.