I don't think Cruz hurt Trump at all
"Voting your conscious" means ABSOLUTELY NOT voting for Hillary. It would have been disingenuous for Cruz to give a ringing endorsement.
Look, I have been a vocal Cruz supporter and reeeaaally don't like Trump, but the fact is, he got more votes than any gop candidate in primary history. And I don't want to hear about open primaries. There was a robust competition for the Dem nod and people can't vote in both.
At the end of the day Hillary or Trump is going to be President. We KNOW THE wickedness Hillary is going to do on EVERY issue. Is Trump going to be better on immigration? YES. Is Trump going to be . better on terrorism? YES. Is Trumps pick for supreme court going to be better? ALMOST CERTAINLY. Is Trump going to be better on the economy. ALMOST CERTAINLY. Is Trump going to be better with police support. ALMOST CERTAINLY.
So there you have the nuts and bolts of this election. You can cut your nose off to spite your face, or you can swallow your pride and vote the vastly lesser of two evils.
That's how I see it anyways. Love you all no matter what happens!