Cruz may be a bit of a loo-loo, but he’s not stupid. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he expects it to benefit him in the long term. (That’s the political “long term,” not the economic “long term” in which we are all dead.)
I think Cruz made a strategic error and this is it for him, but you never know.
He will have to make it thru his re-election in two years and as all the Texan’s I have spoken to don’t take kindly to not pickin up a gun and join the fight when the indians have you surrounded.
Principles are fine but don’t win elections, if your looking for the PERFECT candidate you will never find them and never win an election.