Would Ted have been Trump, if Donald hadn't run?

[AltWorlder]

If Trump hadn't run today, Ted Cruz would have been the major insurgent candidate. With zealous supporters from both evangelicals and the Tea Party, a radical policy, solid fundraising, and a whole lot of problems, he would have given the GOP establishment headaches the same way Trump is giving them aneurysms right now. Between how detested he is by his fellow senators and other politicians, being born in Canada, and an eminently punchable face, the RNC would have looked at him as the general-unelectable candidate to quash. Media everywhere would be asking whether if Jeb (or Christie? Walker?) would be able to beat the threat of a Tea Party takeover of the GOP, and the establishment would also be trying to groom Rubio as a middle ground compromise candidate between the two. (Maybe they would suggest him as the VP to one of the establishments. Funny to have a dual-Florida ticket if it became Bush/Rubio.)

Is the above an accurate assessment? The really interesting thing about this election is how the GOP is suffering from two revolts, with Trump's greatly overshadowing Cruz's. And how Trump's rise has both stolen the Tea Party's anti-establishment grassroots fire, and left their small-government-anti-tax-social-conservative program in the dust.

[yankeesfan]

Yes.  In fact, I believe that Cruz laid most of the groundwork for an anti-establishment politician to ascend to the top of the GOP.  Unfortunately for Ted, Trump was able to capitalize on the feeling of the country better than Ted ever could, and ended up co-opting Cruz's work.  

[100% pro-life no matter what]

The coalition would be different.  I would likely still be supporting Rubio, but I could be convinced to support Cruz in the primary, unlike Trump.  And, I certainly would have no worries about the conservative movement being compromised!

I actually think that Walker would have won the nomination had Trump never entered the race.