Yep. Consider the last five Republicans who have won the presidency: Ike, Nixon, Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II. All were household names before they ran. Cruz does not have that advantage.
In regards to electability, Cruz is Goldwater, part II.
Since the sitting president wasn’t assassinated last November, I fail to see the similarity.
Cruz was in single digits last year. His only saving grace was camping out in Iowa.
That didn’t even give him momentum going into to the south, where he lost ever contest.
Outside of caucuses, his home state, and places where the Gope just flat-out rigs it, he has literally no appeal.