This may have been why Mitty chose NOT to attack Odumbo on certain issues during the debates—he would be attacking one of his own!
Willard was the ringer. His job, like McCain’s, was to stop a viable Conservative opponent from being the GOP nominee. You ever seen an opponent in the history of all Presidential campaigns make the claim that you have NOTHING to fear from the other guy becoming President ? I mean, look what LBJ did to Goldwater with the “Daisy” Ad.