0. I expected Ted to do what Ted thought best for Ted in the speech...and I was inclined to think that Ted would parley an endorsement for either a SCOTUS nom or an appointment to Attorney General. The former is a terminal position, the latter left open further political climbing. Ted would have made a good AG, especially if set after the Dem moles in gov't.
1. I don't think we'll have to worry about Ted Cruz (R-Uncanny Valley) getting a spot on SCOTUS or an appointment in the Trump Administration.
2. I also think that Cruz thought this a smart move, setting himself up for 2020 vs Trump or Hillary.
3. Thing is, Ted is like Hillary in that the more folk see and hear him, they less they like him (see Uncanny Valley). Ted does not have the MSM to drag his carcass over the finish line while shielding him from scrutiny as they do for Hillary. Thus I doubt Ted will ever be POTUS and he has screwed himself good and hard with his no-endorsement speech.
4. I see about zero long term damage to Trump from Ted's shenanigans. Trump beat Ted like a drum among Christian Conservatives in the primaries and he'll do even better vs Hillary. Trump has not yet begin to play the fear card vs Hillary, as she has done to Trump.
5. DS is correct in that Ted left open every possible construction of his words and action on immigration. He is very (Bill) Clintonian that way. Heck, he is even better than Bill at that game and smarter, too. Sadly, Ted is lacking something human inside and has not learned to convincingly feign the whole panoply of human emotion and expression.