I hear what your saying but with a big BUT!
The BUT Is that as soon as ANY Republican candidate stars emerging from the pack THE LEFT and their partners THE MSM break out their brushes and start painting that candidate too with their buckets of slime.
So, I think your point while valid is the same for ANY TRUE CONSERVATIVE Presidential Candidate. If we succumb from the jump to letting THE LEFT choose our candidate (uh, Romney?), we’re done aren’t we?