In this election, we've learned that there are several ways to handle a protester. You can encourage violence against them, offer to pay your supporters legal bills, then claim the opposite. Or, you can do what Ted Cruz did here when he was interrupted...

Sen. Ted Cruz was heckled Monday – taking the opportunity to bolster his position as the Donald Trump alternative in the GOP race for the nomination.

A protester holding a Trump sign yelled “Go back to Canada” to Cruz at an Illinois campaign stop.

“I appreciate free speech. Thank you for being here,” Cruz said, hushing boos from his supporters. “We will be respectful. See sir, one difference between this and a Donald Trump rally is, I’m not asking anyone to punch you in the face.”

I was made aware of this particular clip by my good friends at TheRightScoop. This isn't the first we've seen of Cruz in this kind of situation. Who can forget his epic response to would-be spoiler "Ellen Page" when she tried to corner him on same-sex marriage at a BBQ. Even his handling of die hard global warming climate change, college student activists was handled with aplomb.

Listen, I get it. Many of you love Donald Trump. There's a strong chance he's going to be the nominee. That doesn't mean that you have to hate Ted Cruz, and it certainly doesn't pay to deny the tools he brings to the table. In the realm of unscripted debate, Ted Cruz is as good as a candidate gets. This is where he shines.

It's also why he should probably fire some of his handlers. The biggest knock against Senator Cruz has been his odd delivery, that he comes across as robotic and prefab. At many of the debates or televised town halls, I can't disagree. Which tells me that someone in his circle is coaching him to stay on-book, to stick to the talking points. His biggest flashes of brilliance in this campaign have happened when he's done the exact opposite of that. When he's loosened up in the shoulders a little bit. See my video interview with him below for more proof.

If anything, this is proof that "political strategists" and "campaign managers" who've been recycled by the GOP for years need to know that they're a relic of a bygone era. Their strategies no longer work, and they need to go away.