Picking Fiorina Was a Clever Move by Cruz

-- Cruz has a long-term strategy. He is focused not on polls but on what happens at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. If he can deny Trump the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination on the first ballot, he has a shot of convincing enough Trump delegates to defect for him to win on the second. Fiorina could help, if those delegates like the idea of -- to borrow a phrase -- getting two for the price of one.

-- In a campaign that has been steeped in narcissism, voters might like the idea of electing a team. Now that Cruz has chosen his running mate, perhaps he should introduce voters to his picks for the top four Cabinet positions: secretary of state, defense secretary, treasury secretary and attorney general.

-- It's obvious that Fiorina gets under Trump's skin, as have other strong women. Hillary Clinton gets to Trump, who recently said that the likely Democratic nominee was "shouting." So does Megyn Kelly, the Fox News anchor who Trump has often bad-mouthed. And Fiorina has the same effect on Trump, who last fall attacked the former Hewlett-Packard CEO on her looks.

-- Cruz likely remembers how that particular skirmish did not go well for Trump. Fiorina crushed the front-runner in a GOP debate with a stinging 36-word response that demonstrated strength, restraint and class. Polls taken afterward showed that most Republicans thought Fiorina won the matchup.

-- And finally, there is a very real possibility that, with Fiorina back in the picture and taking frequent shots at Trump, the billionaire blowhard will be distracted and pulled off his game. Maybe he'll become newly obsessed with attacking Fiorina. Or maybe he'll make more boneheaded statements like he did recently when he accused Clinton of playing the "woman's card" and insisted that the only reason that she is doing well in this election is because of her gender.

Cruz's campaign slogan insists that voters can "TrusTed." With his latest move, his supporters should trust that he knows what he is doing. If the objective is to flip the script and flummox the front-runner, Fiorina is a smart choice at the right moment.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.