I keep reading people on Twitter complaining that Cruz goes after decent, responsible Republicans like the ones in the party’s congressional leadership, but won’t go after Trump. There are lots of problems with Cruz, but, maybe on this matter, Cruz is getting it right and everybody else is getting it wrong.

Attacking Trump personally turns a policy disagreement into a contest of personal insults and, since Trump isn’t really running to win a presidential election, Trump can always be more comical and harsh in his comments — and then point out that you started it. If you disagree with Trump thoughtfully and politely, the billionaire ends up looking like a crazy, little man if he responds with personal attacks.

You saw this with Trump’s proposed ban on Muslim immigration. If you were listening, Cruz clearly differentiated himself from Trump on policy, and he did it without being personal.

That isn’t enough for some people. It isn’t enough for Trump to be wrong, and for someone else to be a better potential president. Trump has to be read out of America, and possibly out of humanity.

The reason these kinds of attacks on Trump are falling flat is that they aren’t just attacks on Trump. They are so emotionally satisfying to elite Republicans and media liberals because they are also attacks on Trump supporters. If Trump’s statements are obviously stupid and hateful and support for Trump is not the product of the bipartisan failures of our governing elites, then what does that say about Trump’s supporters?

It is one thing to be wrong on policy. One can switch from supporting a flawed policy (and candidate) to supporting something better. It is another thing to support a monster for no good reason. The attacks on Trump from most candidates seem designed to make Trump supporters do a reverse It’s a Wonderful Life and decide that America would have been ever so much better off if they had never been born.

No one should then be surprised that Trump supporters don’t respond to these (sometimes factually well-founded) attacks by rushing to support candidates who obviously despise them.