“So your argument is: Sure cruz is a sleazeball, but he is really not very good at it?”
No, I believe Cruz’s description of what happened is correct, his staffers got ahead of the story and therefore he apologized as any gentleman would. Having written Harry Reid’s only biography, I know what dirty politics looks like, I am still hoping he gets Reid indicted. Whatever happened in Iowa was by comparison a mosquito bite, it clearly wasn’t pre-planned but spur of the moment (about the level of an offsides in football, a 5 yard penalty). Ben Carson is clearly not acting like a serious candidate would, taking time off for book tours and doing his laundry, so Carson left himself open to attack. Moreover, Trump has already played some nasty tricks of his own, so there are no 100% clean politicians.
But nice deflection anyway. You were (as everyone else I’ve asked) unable to cite a single Carson supporter who changed their vote. That really has to gnaw at you, that you are caterwauling about a nothing burger.