MY FILTER (you call it buthurt) is that President Cruz would have gave us all that Trump has delivered and MORE
This simply isn't realistic.
On the economy, Cruz simply lacks the President's business acumen. Cruz would never have ended NAFTA, never mind negotiate a better deal. He never would have used surgical tariffs and the threat of more as a bulldozer to begin to level "free" trade to "fair" trade --- not only with Mexico and Canada, but with the EU and China (there's just so much hurt they can take).
The President has opened trade and business deals in the Mideast and Japan---none of this would have happened under Cruz, and no one would have expected it. The world would not acknowledge and respect Cruz's authority in the world of global economics, or invest in this nation based on it. Again, no one would have expected it.
On immigration, Cruz would never have been as tough as the President's been. Travel bans from terrorist countries? Nope, not with Cruz. The wall? It would have been jettisoned January21, 2017. Just look...it's not on his radar during his reelection campaign.
Foreign policy? We'd have never heard the words "Rocket Man". There would have never been a summit between Cruz and Kim Jung-Un. North Korea and South Korea would not be talking peace and reunification. Cruz would have followed the advice of the "experts", past and present, at the State Department.
Allies would not be upping their payments for their own defense and participation in NATO. This took Donald Trump.
Americans wouldn't be rallying around the flag, once again. This took leadership and courage. Cruz never would have waded into the kneeling for the flag demonstrations. He still hasn't.
I am not saying Ted Cruz is without gifts. He is a fierce supporter of social conservatism. He embraces limited spending (although not yet ready to announce any cuts to the budget). I believe his support of our military is sincere and reliable. I think he would have nominated justices to the Supreme Court of equal stature deeply rooted in the Constitution as has the President.
But there is nothing so unique about Ted Cruz that jettisons him to the top of the heap or draws American voters to his side. Being a constitutionalist is not enough in the political theater to wake people at 5:00 am on a cold November morning to vote for him --- I just don't see a majority of citizens standing in line thinking "this guy gets ME ... he's one of us". And this is the last difference between Ted Cruz and the President I'll make here.
Full disclaimer: I do not hate Ted Cruz. He is a valuable voice and vote in the US Senate. I hope to God Texas returns him to Washington, DC in November.