Picking Fiorina Was a Clever Move by Cruz

SAN DIEGO -- Some politicians are known for throwing a punch. Ted Cruz has developed a knack for becoming a punch line.

Cruz's critics -- including everyone from media commentators to late-night talk show hosts -- are ridiculing the Texas senator for picking Carly Fiorina as a running mate despite the fact that Republican voters have yet to pick him as their nominee.

One of the best digs came from Conan O'Brien, who quipped that -- since Cruz recently lost a string of primaries -- Fiorina was now "a heartbeat away from never being president."

At the very least, many political observers agreed, the gesture was desperate and cynical.

It was neither. In fact, it was brilliant. Anyone who doesn't see that is missing something. Make that 10 things.

-- Cruz clearly knows how to change the subject after a series of losses and get the media's attention focused back on him. It's a skill that the senator might have picked up from Donald Trump, who always managed to change the script whenever he lost a primary to Cruz.

-- Fiorina has attributes that make her a strong pick. She is a gifted communicator, understands business and nullifies the canard that Republicans are anti-women. She could also help Cruz win votes in the crucially important state of California, where she used to live and where she won a GOP Senate primary in 2010.

-- While it's true that Fiorina dropped out of the race because she lacked the support to stay in, the same thing can be said of 13 other GOP presidential hopefuls -- all of whom are men. And yet this wouldn't prevent them from being mentioned as viable running mates. In fact, some have been.

-- Sure, this is an unconventional move. But in this unconventional year, where the usual assumptions of how politicians and voters behave are getting shredded, why should Cruz adhere to the traditional rules of picking running mates?

-- The senator is good at the nuts and bolts of politics. He put together a strong ground game to win Iowa and many other contests. It's one reason he has survived this long in the GOP's version of "Game of Thrones."

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