Article: Ted Cruz banking on Donald Trump loss, 2020 front-runner status, strategists say
“As badly as Mr. Cruz may have played within the arena though, those watching at home were more forgiving. Drew Margolin, a Cornell University professor who tracks Twitter reactions, said the Texas senator didn’t burn bridges with the broad spectrum of Republican voters who have been reluctant to back Mr. Trump.
“My gut sense is that Cruz enabled them to express their true feelings,” Mr. Margolin said. “The convention crowd may have booed Cruz, but the Republicans at home that Trump is reaching out to were cheering, according to our data.”