“The problem was that conservatives split their vote between Thompson, Romney, Huckabee and Hunter.”
I believe that you are correct. The GOP leadership was pushing a more moderate candidate, but the failure of the grassroots to settle on one candidate was really the final nail in the coffin IMO. I don’t think the primaries were hijacked. Instead the party was so splintered that the largest small group set the pace.
“I don’t think the primaries were hijacked. Instead the party was so splintered that the largest small group set the pace.”
The RNC wants a liberal nominee, why do you think they have the earliest primaries in the states with either open primaries or the liberal Rockefeller type repubs? Why don’t we have the first primaries in Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and other conservative states? Because the GOP dosen’t want a conservative to get early traction.