A major problem is that we had no A-team candidates in the running. Sarah Palin chose to sit out the election and Jim De Mint, once considered presidential timber, had vanished from the scene. All we had left were has-beens and never-will-bes.
By design. Karl Rove ruined them all, mostly by using other "whisperers" to induce too many people who had little chance to jump into the shallow, conservative end of the political-money pool (and I mean Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Bachmann, Rudy, Newt, and a couple of others if I really think about it).
Sarah stayed out because she saw what was happening, DeMint saw what was happening, and it was a Karl Rove triumph of meddling, disinformation, and a total Mephistophelian cluster****, just the sort of thing he takes pride and rejoices in.
Cost the GOP the whole enchilada, too. Thanks, Karl, for being the guy you are.