“Or, it could just be that the fruit of Ron Paul’s loins wasn’t very conservative to begin with, and the “Tea Party leaders” instantly endorsed another lousy candidate because he told them what they wanted to hear.”
Well he’s certainly been better than Trey Grayson, McConnell’s preferred candidate. Grayson would never have done a filibuster over drones or grilled the attorney general, or John Kerry, etc.
Well, there WAS a Reagan Republican in the primary (Bill Johnson), but the "Tea Party" leaders wouldn't give him the time of day, and flocked to Ron Paul's kid the moment he showed up and started screaming "TEA PARTY!!" the loudest. The fact that the Ron Paul movement is notoriously bad on social issues and many libertarians are open borders was ignored. Johnson would have most likely never called for a GOP "big tent" on abortion and gay marriage, or got cozy with the "immigration reform" crowd. Johnson was a decorated military vet but couldn't get any traction because he's not a "celebrity" politician's kid like Rand.
Bottom line: The KY Tea Party made their bed, now they'll have to lay in it for six years. (Ditto with the crybabies in FL whining about how Rubio "betrayed" them). Elections have consequences.