The problem is, none of those candidates were able to head off McCain. Right now, McCain is the albatross around the Republican Party’s neck. He is strong in those States Republicans don’t carry, and weak in the ones Republicans do carry.
Good recipe for a Dem sweep in November.
They did’t talk up the conservative candidates that much because they were going to try to sell us Willard Myth Romney.
In the end it failed because Willard is not a conservative.