If not for Trump , Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio or another establishment pick would be the leading candidate, not Ted Cruz. And we’d be on the road to Romney 2012 redux with low crowds and low enthusiasm
I believe it would have boiled down to an establishment candidate and Cruz. As to who would have ended up with the nomination at that point for me is undecided. Although in the current climate I tend to lean toward Cruz.
Trump stole the thunder from Jeb in New Hampshire (I believe Cruz would have won the Iowa causcus) and possibly South Carolina, although had Trump not entered the race, SC probably would have tilted toward Rubio. Super Tuesday would have determined which establishment candidate would have emerged from the pack and Cruz would have had a grip on the what is now the Trump faction (although a fractino of it's current size) and social conservatives.
Exactly!
Ted would be long out of race if Trump had not entered and “knocked off” the 14-15 other candidates.
Ted did not attack Trump so he was able to stay in race.