It started three weeks ago after Santorum swept the south and gave Romney a hard run in Illinois. It looked bad for Romney, and so this is how the party is stepping in to try and end it all. I can almost see the strategy sessions that went on in closed-door conference rooms at RNC headquarters, complete with PowerPoint presentations.
I cannot fathom, due to lack of experience and in-depth knowledge, what is the presentation they are making? WHAT IS THE PRESENTATION THEY ARE MAKING that makes these conservatives sell their souls?
The GOP-E is making the same mistake as the Rats in how they view the TEA Party. Rove, Priebus, and company think that it is anomalous to an up-and-coming political party (and it may just do that after the forthcoming disaster in November), and that if its perceived "leaders" (like DeMint, Rubio, Ryan, Bachmann, and even Palin) can be co-opted, then the Conservative base will fall into line, albeit with lots of grumbling. That's what they are counting on.
As for convincing these people to jump on the Romney bandwagon, the pitch is that if elected he will promise to govern as a Conservative, and that even though his record is overwhelmingly liberal, he is better than Obama. As far as Newt and Santorum go, the pitch continues, they have no chance of standing up to Axelrod and Plouffe's vicious smear machine, and Obama will dance on their political bones.
THAT's the pitch.
I can’t believe how it’s only March 30th, the convention isn’t until August, and basically, you’re giving up. THIS is the presentation the GOP-e is making to get conservatives to give up. In your case it looks like they’re succeeding.