I suspect that Trump and his advisers simply misread the situation: They thought being booed off the stage would be a humiliation for Cruz and did not sufficiently consider how the episode could damage Trump.

This was really, really stupid. It might make you feel like laughing at Trump for his terrible dealmaking skills. But remember, if he becomes president, Donald Trump will have the job of making deals on our behalf — and he is likely to screw them up the way he screwed up this one.