"People will freely make their choices in the primary."
Yes, they will. From among the candidates that are in the running. Early favorites didn't fare so well in 2000, did they? Wonder why?
George W. Bush was the "favorite" in all the polls in 1998. He went on to get the nomination.
Actually it was clear that Bush would be the nominee in 2000. His path was so smooth that many of the Ultra-Conservatives claimed he was "annointed". Perhaps you are having a convenient memory lapse wrt that time.