And why, pray tell, do you assume that any of the idiots who believed it voted for Cruz? It’s just as likely that their votes would go to another outsider, i.e., Trump.
What matters is who the slimeballs spreading the lie at the last minute were working for. I wasn't prepared to cast any blame on Cruz himself until I heard that he gave the go ahead to spread the lie and that following the disclosure of the dirty trick he failed to take any action within his campaign.