Same charge could be made against putting any former primary opponent on the ticket. Reagan picked the runner-up in 1980 and he got a landslide. On the Dem side, if Hillary were smart, she’d pick Bernie to secure the nutter vote that threatens to go to Trump, but she won’t.
Things are very different now. With the internet and DVRs and so on, all of those negative ads etc are at our fingertips. How many montage videos and others are on youtube? It is a different world from 1980. The dems will use the Lyin Ted moniker to their benefit. Why take the chance?
As I have said, Mr Trump has had a lot of experience in finding the best person for a job; I do not doubt he can do the same here. Not to say, he won’t find a place for Sen Cruz in his administration. I do not know if he will or won’t.
George H.W. Bush was a safe establishment choice with wide experience in foreign policy and national security. He was picked to reassure the party regulars, especially in light of Reagan's age. Nobody doubted he could step in as president. Cruz is the opposite of that in nearly every regard. And he's Canadian.