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You've raised a great point. So much energy was spent in the 2012 GOP Primary proving why a certain candidate had fatal flaws, while all along Romney was standing at the standlines enjoying what was basically a free ride to the nomination. The GOP nominations saw candidate after candidate spend a week or two as the frontrunner, then get hit with some aspect that discredited him/her as a real choice, and then another candidate would emerge as a frontrunner to face the same treatment. Virtually EVERY single candidate spent at least some time as frontrunner before getting their legs cut out under them. Santorum, Cain, Bachmann, Perry, Gingrich ...I am sure with more time even Paul may have had his week in the sun!

While all this was happening Romney was standing pretty.

Finally, after everyone from a Texas governor to a retail industry businessman to a former House Speaker had had their time in the limelight - and a spectacular crash - the only person left was Romney.

What happened next? Romney moves in and sweeps 43 delegates. His NEXT competitor was Santorum with 6. SIX!

Now, I cannot vote. I am not an American citizen, and all I could do is watch from the sidelines. I used to think the Achilles heel of Conservatism was lethargy (from when I was helping in grassroots campaigning for the Bush admin, and realized most young people couldn't give a damn), and then I thought it was not having a proper narrative that espoused the advantages of Conservatism (I still think that is a BIG issue). However, I have realized another big issue exists. Maybe even bigger than our apparent inability to craft an appealing narrative.

That flaw is that we eat our own.

If a candidate is not perfect - in any way - we fire away. Now, I am not saying that we should accept compromises left, right and center.

No.

However, before we start destroying (mostly) Conservative candidates, we should first ensure that the RINOs/CINOs are eliminated first. First get rid of the Romneys and McCains from the running, and then once that is done y'all are more than welcome to turn guns on each other to your heart's content. This is because, once it is only (mostly) Conservative candidates left, then whomever wins will at least be mostly conservative.

However, if we destroy our own first - even with their flaws - we guarantee that the last man/woman standing is a barely Conservative.

My hope is that the next GOP primaries will include lessons learned from the 2012 Cycle. That we will work towards ensuring that the Barely Conservatives are kicked out early, and then people can pound away at each other.

However, I am convinced that the party as a whole is not that ....logical (I wanted to say 'intelligent') ...and that it will be a repeat of 2012. We will destroy anyone who is 80% of what we want, and yet we will not be turning focus on the Barely Conservative who is around 35% of what we want.

Result: That is how a Jeb Bush can become the nominee! Yes, you read that. That is how a Jeb Bush can end up as the nominee.

Now, once something like that (not necessarily Jeb) happens, the Conservative Base is demoralized, the GOP elite guy will not ahve full support, and that GOP nominee will face a Democrat nominee (maybe Hillary Clinton) and a Liberal base that is very energized over the 'First Female President.' This will be more formidable than the 'First Black President,' but I do not expect the GOP to realize that. Hillary can be defeated, but it will require serious work.

Result? Another replay of Obama beating McCain or Obama beating Romney. I know some say it was due to rigging, but the truth is that any rigging was simply icing on the cake.

Then there will be 4 more years of posting on FR, following which the whole cycle will be repeated.

The GOP elite really laugh at Conservatives, but not as much as the Liberals do.

NOTE: This is not support for Dr. Carson. It is a general post about the general field of Conservative Candidates once the GOP Primary starts. Defeat the Barely Conservative candidate first, and then we can sling mud at each other.

I beg to differ. “We” didn’t destroy Palin, Cain or anyone. The Brown Shirt Media did. If a Col. West, let’s say, told the BSM to pound sand, he wasn’t talking to them, anyway, he just might “jump the shark”. Frankly, I don’t see Carson doing that. Both are “good men”, one is a leader.

I am not a Pediatric Neurosurgeon, though I do own a book autographed and given to me by Luis Schut, and did work with Lee Sutton and Derek Bruce for a while and have been personally f’ed in the a$$ by Dave McLone. I wills say this, in regard to “eating our own”. If one thinks that “curing poverty by giving poor people money” or any variation on this theme is not a failed experiment that has been beaten to death already, you are NOT a “conservative” no matter what hat you wear or label you apply. I don’t think this can be said enough or over emphasized. I believe it was Senator Davey Crockett who gave a speech in that chamber to the effect that the gentlemen listening who wanted to “help the victims of a fire in DC who had lost their homes they should open their own checkbook. Just because of their proximity to the Capitol their needs were not elevated above those of Americans who may have also lost their homes to fire but didn’t enjoy the sympathy of the Senators just because they lacked proximity.” Even then there were those who “just didn’t get it”.

I believe it was Paul who said “we wrestle not with...”

I don't see that what you're asking for is much different than what happened in 2012. Most of the conservative candidates who ran in front for a while were undermined, not by conservatives, but by the left-leaning media and the candidates' own flaws.

Cain had some suspicious liaisons with women, Bachmann had little experience and made quite controversial (to liberals and moderates) statements, Newt was spending a lot of money on cruise vacations and was labeled a hypocrite by everyone for his marital troubles in relations to those of Clinton who he had impeached.

The only candidate that I can remember that was significantly criticized by the right was Santorum because of his support for Specter.

There was an attempt late in the campaign for a group of religious leaders and conservatives to rally around a single candidate. If I remember correctly, they chose Santorum.

The best thing that could happen for conservatives is for a single candidate to rise above everyone else even before the election season. Someone needs to be seen as the 'fait acompli'.

The second best thing would be for conservative leaders to gather early and rally around a single candidate either in Iowa or no later than New Hampshire. That way no many how many candidates are still remaining and no matter how big their egos, the hope is that most of the votes will go to a single conservative candidate.

Neither of these things is going to happen. What is going to happen is that flawed human beings with inflated egos are going to stay in for as long as they possibly can and split the conservative vote. Liberals, moderates, and conservatives are going to point up the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Some people are going to view this is contrived, others as just part of the game.

If we can't get all of the conservatives to rally around a single conservative candidate early, then our best bet is to fan the egos of a bunch of RINOS and get them to run so that the RINO vote is just as split up as the conservative vote.

Then a conservative might have an outside chance either in the primaries or at the convention.

Thank you for a most thoughtful post.

I can summarize my thoughts (much less elegantly):

1. This is WAR!

2. Our sole objective should be to defeat our enemies in each of the upcoming Primary and General Elections for the next several cycles (2014, 2016, and 2018).

3. Our enemies are LIEberals and RINOs.

4. FOCUS, FReepers! FOCUS! We have seen the enemy; We know who they are! We know what we must do!

5. Let us get on with it!

Nice rant. Too bad you can’t vote.