This may come as a shock to you, but the military, while it wants the lowest cost, also wants the "best value" even more. My evaluation, as a defense contractor, is that Boeing is suffering from "Victory Disease". They figured they were entitled to this contract, didn't bother to meet the requirements because "they knew better than the warfighter, what he/she needed" and besides, they could wrap themselves in the flag and justify being "given" the contract.
NG read the requirements and offered the best value, not the cheapest, a more modern and capable airframe. Boeing chose to pawn off an old, off-the-shelf, marginal solution. They chose poorly. I hope they can learn from it.
I don’t buy that. Airbus bought GOP votes in my opinion. According to free traders American products are always inferior.