Ironically Cruz could have won the popular vote and lost the electoral college. I still think Hillary probably would have lost any way and Cruz would have won.
I don't think so. Cruz would have lost pretty badly in both the popular vote and electoral college.
Something like 51-46, and he'd terrible in the electoral college. He may reach Romney's 206 and win Maine's 2nd CD.
Why? Cruz is hated by many, but he doesn't have the enthusiasm Trump has. Trump also had a lot of fight.
The reason Sessions endorsed Trump over Cruz was because Sessions felt Trump could win the rust belt, and that's where the 2016 election was going to be decided (which ended up being true). Cruz had no chance to win any of those states.
If you go by 'enthusiasm', none of the republican candidates had any serious enthusiasm behind them besides Trump and then Cruz.
Who is Cruz supposedly hated by? The 'Establishment', Cruz could get those votes in line by simply picking an Establishment GOPer like Jeb or Romney as VP, which would've especially worked out in the context of a contested convention.
Cruz would have gotten mauled in a general election.
He'd be lucky to get more EVs than Romney.
Hillary was the least popular person to ever run for president (other than Trump who had enough willing to hold their noses and vote). Cruz- and almost all of the other GOP candidates- would have crushed Hillary with 350-400 EVs.
Something like this:
Rubio would have been something like this:
