At this point, he likely cannot achieve the nomination outright. It remains to be seen whether RINO Donald Trump can secure the nomination through the primary process, and given Cruz’s ability to work the process, Cruz might just pull it off in a second or third ballot at the GOP convention later this year.

Fiorina is not the conservative’s first choice.  As I have pointed out before, she (rather like Donald Trump) has too many liberal proclivities in her past.  A vice president doesn’t have much authority and doesn’t do much, so there is that consolation.  Being vice president gives one a leg up in a campaign later on, and that is not a welcome thought…but then, this could be a battle for conservatives to fight when we have to cross that bridge. Besides, who knows: it’s possible that after spending eight years alongside the most conservative president since Ronald Reagan, one with an unparalleled grasp of and dedication to the U.S. Constitution, Fiorina could come out the other side of eight years with a completely different perspective, and perhaps be the kind of conservative candidate America needs.

Right now, Fiorina could help the Cruz campaign in a number of ways.

For one thing, she has the “outsider” status which enamors many people right now.  Being an outsider to the corrupt Washington establishment is not so important as being dedicated to the right values (Ted Cruz is himself a sitting senator, but he is more of an outsider than Donald Trump, having fought the corrupt liberal establishment in Washington D.C. since he got there, while Donald Trump has been in bed with that establishment for decades), but when dealing with the low-information voter that has sadly become the typical American these days, the perception could be a positive.

Fiorina might also help garner some support in California–a state with huge electoral weight.  In fact, it may very well prove critical to whether Trump can achieve the nomination short of the convention, or whether Cruz can stay in the game and face Trump on the much-more-favorable-to-Cruz ground of a second or third convention ballot. Just how much weight she might carry in her home state remains to be seen, but it can’t hurt.

Being a woman, Fiorina might also help pull in some female votes.  A person’s sex is about as superficial to presidential qualifications as “outsider” status, but some people get excited about such things.  When you’re a candidate, you need low-information people to vote for you as much as you need informed, thinking people to vote for you, so having some characteristics on the ticket which might catch the attention of people who put more stock into demographics than ideology could help bring some of those votes aboard.  When you consider the fact that if Cruz does achieve the GOP nomination, he’ll likely be going up against Hillary Clinton, and having a female as his running mate could help peel away some of those “mushy middle” voters who are interested in a female in the White House. It could also provide some ammunition against the inevitable Leftist “war on women” narrative.

Fiorina does also bring free market business experience from the private sector.  Many people admire Trump’s business experience, and having Fiorina on the Cruz ticket could help foster some of that appreciation to his benefit.

Also, right now we’re in a period where Cruz is trying to compete against liberal Donald Trump in liberal states along the East. Everyone, including Cruz, knew this was going to be a “time in the wilderness” for his campaign, but anything he can do to generate positive buzz during this time, until he can move on to states where his conservative principles are more popular, can help sustain the campaign’s perception during the victory drought.

No, Fiorina is not the best choice for conservative voters, nor would she be the best choice, looking forward, to take up the torch from Cruz in eight years. However, we must remember that Vice President George H.W. Bush was the cost of admission for President Ronald Reagan–and though H.W. was unpalatable, that was still a very good bargain.  The good Reagan did for America outweighed by tons the mediocrity of the George H.W. Bush presidency.

In my estimation, Vice President Carly Fiorina would be worth it to get President Ted Cruz.

Anything we can do to avoid another liberal in the White House like Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or Donald Trump, is a good move.  We don’t have much time left to start turning America back to the traditional principles which made her great in the first place, before it’s too late to ever do so.

*** Bob Ellis *** Is a conservative author  and Life and Liberty News contributor

      Read more from Bob Ellis and other conservative authors at American Clarion