Here is an age chart worth considering:
Reagan in 1980 69
Bush 41 in 1980 56
Bush 43 in 2000 54
Cheney in 2000 59
Trump 70
Gingrich 73
Pence 57
As for Cruz, I started out supporting Cruz and switched to Trump. Does that make me an idiot or playing politics?
Trump went from almost no support to winning the nomination. Should he have done that without people switching over to him from other candidates?
Is everyone who switched from someone else to Trump an idiot or playing politics?
There might be an idiot here, but I’m not so sure it’s the people who switched from other candidates to Trump.
“As for Cruz, I started out supporting Cruz and switched to Trump. Does that make me an idiot or playing politics?”
Pence endorsed Cruz shortly before the important Indiana primary. By this time, Cruz had more than exposed himself as a liar and charlatan - thumping the Bible as he planned his next dirty trick. If Pence didn’t see Cruz for what he was by that time, he’s not very perceptive. If he DID see and endorsed Cruz for political reasons I don’t have much respect for him, either.
I’m certainly not calling people idiots who started out supporting Cruz and switched over to Trump - it took a while for the guy’s true (lack of) character to show through. In the beginning, I cheered Cruz and thought he would make a great running mate. That, of course, changed as time went on.