The intense media obsession with Donald Trump throughout the 2016 election cycle has cast a long shadow over Ted Cruz and obscured some of the fundamental weaknesses of his candidacy. Many polls matching Cruz against Clinton in a National election show him faring better than Trump. But is that really the most likely result if Cruz were to somehow snatch the nomination from Trump in a contested convention?

To begin, it seems highly unlikely that Cruz would be competitive against Clinton without Trump voters. And these voters are unlikely to turn out for anyone but Trump. One reality is that Trump is bringing out "first time" voters in droves - literally by the millions. These voters are attracted to the Trump persona and message rather than any particular policy positions. They will likely either support Trump on a third party ticket or stay home on national voting day if he withdraws from the race upon losing the republican Nomination. Either way, Cruz will be handicapped with a smaller base of support that will pail in comparison with Clinton's army of enthusiasts. By marginalizing Trump and his voters, the Republican Party marginalizes itself in a National election and cannot be relied upon by Cruz for the support he needs to win in a match-up with Clinton.

The second reality is that Cruz has policy positions that are vulnerable to attack in a general election. These positions are "tried and true" policy proposals that energize the conservative base in the republican party. They are also policy proposals that have repeatedly failed over the last twenty-five years to win the majority National vote.

The idea of a Flat Tax has been touted by the likes of Jack kemp, Steve Forbes and other republican leaders since the election of 1988. The idea is undoubtedly correct - eliminating our complicated tax code as a social and economic engineering tool would explode economic growth and create more entrepreneurs, jobs and economic activity than imaginable with corresponding benefits in deficit reduction.

What is also undoubted is that the political constituencies supporting the current tax code will argue persuasively that the proposal is "unfair". About 50% of America no longer needs employment or cares much about a dynamic economy - they have the government supporting them. And much of our business community has invested millions of dollars in creating tax policies favorable to their industries. These constituents are unlikely to risk the status quo and will fund the liberal left to villainize Ted Cruz and his tax "scheme" as a throwback to deficit spending and the economic collapse of the Bush Administration.

The Cruz policy positions on marriage are also out-of-step with the "main stream" American left. While the notion that life is a "precious gift from God" and that "marriage is a sacrament between one man and one woman" are fundamental Bible principles that formed the Nation, many Americans no longer share these views and the Supreme Court has ruled otherwise as the ultimate authority for secular society. Clinton and her minions of voters are likely to sneer in the public square over these ideas as they chant in favor of Gay marriage, abortion rights and use of the "Ladies Room" by transgenders. These sneers will frame Cruz and his policies as intolerant.

The list goes on. Cruz positions on religious liberty will be framed as bigotry. His positions on securing the border will be rejected as anti-immigrant. His advocacy against gun control will be ridiculed as out-of-step with modern day society and he will be blamed for every gun shot wound, terrorist act and violent crime in America.

These are the traditional policies of the Republican Party and they attract significant support in America. But they are NOT winning themes in a National election and the support they enjoy is not broad enough or deep enough to deliver The White House in November. If Cruz cannot consistently win a majority of the republican primary vote with these positions, how will he be able to prevail in a National election against Clinton with these proposals? The answer is that he won't.