If you didn't watch the first debate between Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke, the only thing you need to know was that both candidates were true to form.

Those three words, uttered at the end of the night by O'Rourke, might as well have been the only interesting and unexpected thing to come out of Friday's political show at Southern Methodist University.

Most of the night was clearly dominated by Cruz, who answered questions, framed his political worldview and punched at O'Rourke with ease — at moments putting the Democratic challenger on his heels. Of course, that's to be expected from a Princeton debater and Supreme Court lawyer.

After posing the usual questions about Dreamers, criminal justice reform and all the expected issues, the moderators asked the two candidates to say one thing they admired about the other.

O'Rourke offered a safe, if bland, comment about how Cruz works hard, loves his kids and fights for what he believes, even if they disagree on the issues.

Cruz responded by saying more or less the same thing, but then took a turn for the bizarre by expounding on how he had debated U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on CNN and that he admires Sanders for saying what he believes — just like how O'Rourke also believes wacky left-wing ideas.

You can almost hear Donald Trump's voice in your head: lyin' Ted. He just couldn't pass up an opportunity to say something positive without spinning into a slimeball attack.

Or, as O'Rourke put it: "True to form."

It was one of those moments when Cruz could have demonstrated his humanity — his ability to relate to people beyond politics — and he failed. There's a reason why one of the political activist groups in this senate race is named "Humans Against Ted Cruz."

Besides being unnecessary, the attack was untrue. To paraphrase a past debate performance by a Texas senator: I know leftists. I work with leftists. Leftists are friends of mine. Beto O'Rourke is no leftist. Just ask his primary opponent, Sema Hernandez, an actual socialist.

The O'Rourke campaign is radical in a different way — in its attempt to visit all 254 counties in Texas, engage with people earnestly, and aim for some kind of statewide consensus and cooperation.

During the debate, O'Rourke even touted how he had worked with Cruz's senior counterpart, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, on a border security bill. Throughout the hour-long event he tried to avoid the usual back and forth — no doubt in part because Cruz is simply a better debater. Instead, O'Rourke attempted to turn his answers into short soliloquies about bipartisanship, justice and the people he has met during his statewide campaign. I can't remember the last time a statewide candidate referenced the people of Roscoe and Sweetwater.

True to form, for O'Rourke.

It has been a while since someone earnestly tried that strategy in Texas. So far it seems to be working — at least according to some polls — even if the odds still remain clearly on the side of a Cruz victory.

O'Rourke also happens to benefit from the fact that his opponent is one of the most reviled characters in Washington politics.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham probably put it best: "If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you."

Or, to quote former Speaker of the House John Boehner: "I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life."

Where does this animosity come from? It has nothing to do with policy — these attacks come from within the Republican party. Instead, it is all about personality.

Cruz is the sort of person who refused to endorse his Texas colleague, Cornyn, in the 2014 Republican primary. (Cornyn returned the favor during Cruz's 2016 presidential run.)

Cruz takes credit for other people's work. His first television campaign ad touted all the work he did after Hurricane Harvey, despite the fact that Cornyn did the heavy lifting.

Overall, he simply isn't a team player, and spent his short career working against his fellow Republicans to further his own ambitions.

Can you blame Cruz? It worked! He is a hero of the Republican Party grassroots, nearly became the Republican candidate for president in 2016 and in the process emerged as a national figure.

Now Cruz just has to see whether these tactics will work for his first reelection race.

Even before the candidates went on stage Friday night, voters knew where the two stood on the issues. O'Rourke wants Dreamers to have citizenship, Cruz wants to deport them. O'Rourke wants to end the War on Drugs, Cruz doesn't. O'Rourke is open to impeaching Donald Trump, Cruz isn't.

The real takeaway from the debate setting was seeing how the two men think on their feet, respond to challenges in person, and act without a script.

Both O'Rourke and Cruz were true to form.

Mintz is deputy opinion editor.