Let’s look down ballot in 2012 with the lovable moderate Romney. Somehow we won 5+ seats in 2010 and 2014 with conservative campaigns and candidates, but 2012 was a cluster-f. We lost so any easy Senate pickups because of the lackluster idiots on the top of the ballot.
Well, if the GOPe had gotten those "easy pickups", then the awkward question of over-riding 0Muslim's vetoes would have come up.
"Fumbling" the ball at the goal line was easier...
And thus the Uniparty Kabuki Dance was preserved...