The GOPe lining up behind Sen Cruz is not the same thing as Sen Cruz "joining the GOPe". The GOPe is smart enough to know that Trump will be a disaster in the general and there is a real risk of losing the Senate and a slight risk of losing the House. They are calculating that Sen Cruz may actually win and if not the losses they might suffer won't be so bad.
If it's a contested convention and neither Sen Cruz or Trump is the eventual nominee then it's likely that they will lose worse than if Trump was on the ballot. The GOPe may be a lot of things, but they aren't dumb when it comes to them figuring out how to retain power. It will either be Trump or Cruz as the nominee and I would bet on Cruz.
The GOPe ran McCain then turned around and ran Romney and you think they aren’t stupid. It is to their benefit to lose. That way they have something to lie to us and say they are “fighting” and they keep all their perks and lobbyist goodies.
Talk radio is the same if this country were on a positive course they would have nothing to gripe for hours about.