Romney, and the GOP-e, campaigned as moderates and that turned-off a large number of the conservative/TEA Party base.
Have you ever noticed that the behavior of the GOP-e has mirrored -- or vice-versa -- the absolutely witless, feckless, listless behavior of so-called Speaker Denny Hastert?
He let the queer pederast Rep. Mark Foley go on and on with his illicit communications until Nancy and Harry were ready to "out" him to suppress GOP turnout in 2006. He turned a blind eye to grafters and porkers and smalltime crooks in the GOP House, and the Party paid for it by losing the Speaker's gavel to Red Nancy Pelosi and the evil Rahm Emanuel.
So why does the GOP leadership so emulate the disastrous Hastert in their politics and their leadership style, or lack of it? About all they're good at is piking conservatives in the back.