I agree with you about trying to influence the Party, at least around my neck of the woods. However, there are locales where the gop-e is not as strong and where committee people can be nudged off of Carson or Jindal or Fiorina or even Rubio with the better arguments. If they’re not going Bush/Kasich/Christy, then there is no other alternative than a conservative.
Don’t nudge. Ignore and go around. Why waste precious resources fighting two front wars?
The GOP is a dying entity. Establish an alternative and let the remanants of it come to you.