It’s conservatives who keep committing suicide by failing to coalesce behind one candidate. Unless, as I suspect, there’s no such thing as ‘conservative’ as a block, neither is ‘RINO’ block. The winner just smarter, more resourceful, and know how to build a winning coalition.
Primaries wide (and disastrously) open to any and all "moderates," CINOs and other dishonestly labeled liberals -- thereby diluting virtually all significant conservative influence -- absolutely a steady, sludgy stream of McCain-esque losers, every four years.
Romney's primary victory wasn't inevitable. Edwards and Obama split the liberal vote against Clinton. Obama political instincts were simply superior to Clinton's. And far superior to Romney's. Within the Democratic nomination process in 2008, Obama's situation was similar to Gingrich's and Santorum's, in these sense that the liberal vote was split between him and Edwards, whereas Clinton was the sole credible moderate. But Obama defeated the other liberals and the sole credible moderate. Much as it pains me to say it, Obama was more focused and disciplined and focused than either Gingrich and Santorum, and that was what won it for him.