“there will be primaries that decide the candidate
Will the solid south prefer Jeb Bush or Rick Perry?”
The solid south will probably be spit at least 4 ways just like last time.
TPTB aren’t going to let anyone they don’t have strings on get anywhere near the nomination. If by some weird fluke someone like Cruz did look like he could get the nod, they’d either buy him, or sink him.
The primaries will decide just as you say so why did Romney win last time if so many people hated him?
The consensus on Free Republic was different from the Republican majority that nominated Romney. Republicans across the spectrum did not hate Romney
Actually there was no consensus on Free Republic. There was narrow minded sanctimonious self righteousness that would tolerate nothing beyond narrow private agendas. There was strong religious bigotry. There were foolish candidates that tailored a message to the specific narrow minded agenda.
Conservatives have no one to blame but themselves. Unless conservatives throw away their paper towel tubes through which they look at their own narrow agenda they will never again succeed at electing a president they can barely tolerate