I think that you have really got something there. Cruz creates a very condescending feeling all the time. One feels like he will not share what he really thinks except in private. Trump is very open and willing to speak his mind to everyone even when it probably would be just as well not to. This makes it possible to twist his words into something that was not intended, but it also makes one feel like all of America is part of his inner circle.
I have enjoyed some of the unscripted moments in Trump's events the most. I don't think that there have been any unscripted moments in Cruz's events. This makes people feel like they are getting to know the real Donald Trump and that they do not know who Cruz really is.
"I don't think that there have been any unscripted moments in Cruz's events."
Even his facial expressions seem scripted. Half the time when he smiles it's the same sort of smile you get when someone who is barefoot in polite company steps in dog dung but isn't a quick enough wit to say something humorous and doesn't think on their feet fast enough to say what they really feel in a way polite company can accept it.
Good comparison, and a similar analogy could be made between Reagan and Bush I. Reagan never had to bother with scripted moments, while Bush I was nothing but scripted moments (”read my lips: no new taxes” sounds like a line from Cleverbot).
Tellingly, Reagan had enormous political success thanks to his honesty, while Bush rode on Reagan’s coattails and lost an election to a rapist hick. Dole, McCain, and Romney were also afraid to say anything without the approval of a focus group.
Significantly, Trump always includes us in his plans to make America great again. He emphasizes “we’re going to do this.”
Cruz is a frustrated lone wolf.....you got the feeling he’s using the presidency to find his human potential.
He’s cravenly opportunistic ....to him Americans are commodities.
He will advance himself at the expense of others.
Not a nice guy, by any means.