You make great points. This man should never have been running on a Republican ticket. Do you know the process and the incentives on who runs for office? To run sucessfully at a fairly high level you have to have a 'political consultant firm' accept you as a client. It takes money, organization and know-how to 'sell a candidate'.
Consultants pick and choose who they'll accept. Here's where toxic incentives do their damage. Consultants need someone who can win and make it possible for them to raise money. That matters because their fees are based overwhelmingly on a percentage of what their political ads costs.
So they have to find an attractive person - with a story (if not known) - who can get people to send money - AND someone who's easy enough to manipulate that they'll buy the ads needed to keep the consultant's company profitable and 'follow' advice. Because a consultant who can't pick winners can't recruit the best and charge the most.
By the time you've filter with the above - and with other 'natural' incentives you've got 'what we have'. Attractive milquetoast... The only real way around that system is to have people like Trump run - basically on their own. And you're right about the 'intelligence' background but that does NOT exclude blackmail. If anything it increases the possibly blackmail was involved. Power freaks love people who are mildly compromised because they can be controlled - - when necessary.
Brilliant because, along with this tactic, sexually irresistible pages, profitable schemes they're assured are untraceable and good ole' "reaching across the aisle" favors ALWAYS screw over the best-intentioned Congress people worn down from these pressures over time.
Rand Paul is a rare exemption so news of his demise wouldn't surprise me - just confirm my belief. THAT'S who should be the next Speaker.