Just how do you go about “picking” a candidate? The voters picked their man in the primary, what else would you suggest.
Obviously the other candidates in the primary weren’t good enough to ‘close the sale’. But you can’t force people to run for office, frankly, who needs to aggravation that comes with it these days?
What you imply is true. We don’t get to pick who wins a primary. Primary voters got their choice in this case, and that choice set the stage for what followed. So who to blame? I blame diehards on the right who refuse to recognize obvious, serious flaws in their leaders. Fact: Roy Moore was a very controversial candidate even before the allegations. I also blame Republican moderates who expect conservatives to support their choices, but who refuse to vote for conservatives when we win. You don’t see Democrats doing such things.
Bottom line: Roy Moore would be better than Doug Jones, but Republican moderates prefer Democrats over conservatives.