The selection of Carly Fiorina as Ted Cruz's running mate, should he get the Republican Nomination, is a shrewd move in several ways.  As a woman who rose from nothing without the Governor of Arkansas as her husband or a New York multi-millionaire as her father, Fiorina, like Cruz, has a compelling life story that shows that anyone with courage and grit can succeed in America.  She is also brilliant and successful in those very parts of economic activity that are the keys to true prosperity. 

The politics of Cruz announcing his choice for her now makes good political sense.  Trump, for once, is behind the news cycle.  At a time when Trump wishes the media to be doing nothing but talking about his sweep on the Northeast, Ted Cruz's selection as a running mate drains much of the attention that is the lifeblood of Trump's whole campaign.

Selection of a running mate this early is the sort of unorthodox approach that has helped Trump.  The sheer novelty of what Cruz has done will keep the talking heads talking for a week or two, all taking air out of Trump's sails.  This also creates an opening for Republicans to endorse this proposed ticket – Governor Pence, perhaps? – creating yet another cycle of positive news stories for Cruz before the next primaries.

Fiorina will help Cruz in those remaining primaries by giving Republican women an additional reason to vote for Cruz and not for Trump.  The timing, again, was perfect.  Cruz was never going to win any of the blue Northeastern states.  Indiana will have a primary next week and Nebraska and West Virginia the week after that. 

Drawing Republican women to Cruz in those three states could easily make the difference between a clean, strong sweep of those states, which would restore momentum to Cruz, and the soft or weak showing that would be trouble for him. 

Fiorina, whose appearance was mocked by Trump, is the perfect person to remind Republican women of all the reasons why they dislike Trump.  This could be reinforced by Cruz pulling out a brilliant, principled, and successful powerful Republican woman: his wife Heidi, who has also been cruelly sneered at for her appearance by Trump.

Indeed, because both have been attacked over their physical appearance by Trump already, mistakes on both occasions, Donald Trump will have to watch himself in how he reacts to Cruz's choice of Fiorina.  One boorish or stupid remark might cost Trump support at just the time when he fancies himself wrapping up the nomination. 

Out of the remaining states, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota ought to be Cruz territory.  Cruz is leaving Oregon and New Mexico to Kasich.  New Jersey will go to Trump.  The most important state at the end of the campaign will be California.  If Trump loses California, it is hard to see him winning the nomination. 

Carly Fiorina has already demonstrated in her brief political career that she is very popular with Republican primary voters in California.  When Fiorina ran for the Senate in 2010, she won the Republican primary by a landslide in a crowded field.  Her savvy with information technology, which is much more important to California than to New York (or most big states), will give California Republicans an additional reason to support the Cruz-Fiorina ticket.

It is also likely that selecting Fiorina as his running mate will mean that the general election polls may begin to show the Cruz-Fiorina ticket running ahead of Hillary in the general election, which would give Republican delegates another reason to support this ticket for the nomination.  That might also take the steam out of the latent fear that angry Trump supporters would stay home on election day if their guy is not the nominee. 

How well would a Cruz-Fiorina ticket do in the general election?  Carly Fiorina, as a successful, intelligent, and politically astute woman, could speak directly to American women.  Heidi Cruz, who is just as bright and successful and politically astute on her own, would be able to provide a second important way to dilute Hillary's attraction to female voters.  Fiorina, who has an inspiring life story, also sounds authentic.  She could exploit Hillary's greatest vulnerability. 

Ted Cruz has shown again that he is methodical and intelligent.  Fiorina, in many different ways, will help him win the nomination and then win the presidency.