I understand what you are saying here, but bona fides are not just your record of public service, but also you’re ability to generate support and obtain national recognition to the level needed to earn the nomination. Not one of the true conservative candidates possessed these attributes this year. This is why we are faced with such horrific choices in November. And, please, don’t start with the “it’s the voters fault” scenereo. It is up to the candidates themselves to bring everything they have to the party, not the voters.
Hunter saw the field last year - Rudy McRomney- all poison pills to large swaths of conservatives. He mistakenly assumed that he would get support from talk radio, the conservative media and forums like FR. He got only one of three. And so it goes.