Yes, ultimately you have to vote for a PERSON, but saying ONLY X can carry the conservative mantle is asinine. Saying I’m only going to support X, even if they aren’t in the race, even if they are dead, even if they don’t exist but in my mind; that’s the only person I’ll vote for because they are the oooooooonnnnnlyyyyyyyyyyy one isn’t advancing any principles, only a person.
Voting for and supporting X because they got the nomination of your party and they best represent your beliefs is a little different, don’t you think?