Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucus, if I recall.
Yes, narrowly. But that didn’t much matter, and the fact that Santorum was not equipped (as a second-tier candidate) to be able to go the distance.
The entire method by which the party selects a nominee must be changed, and most importantly, we must end the practice of allowing a candidate to merely “declare” for the office. Candidates should be drafted. Weeding out the prima donnas and the anti-Conservatives/unpopular types before any primary takes place. That would halt the McCains, Willards, et al.