You're missing the point, Newt. Giving the electorate the choice between an unacceptable candidate vetted by the party dons, and losing the election to the other party (whose candidate is arguably worse), the electorate has revolted. This means something, Newt, and it isn't that the electorate is stupid, it's that your system is broken.
Fix it here and now, or get out of the way, Newt. If it has to be addressed on a national level in 2012, we'll have another McCain as a candidate and another 0bama term.