The right needs to learn how to do this if they want to win an election anytime in the near future.
What - support anyone as long as they have an "R" after their name? Isn't that what's gotten us in the crappy position we're in now with all these DemocRAT-lite, Vichy statist Republicans polluting the Party?
You have to ask yourself if you want a lite republican or a RAT in the White House. Your, and my, perfect candidate is never going to appear in these conditions. Look at what they did to Sarah Palin and look at what they still do to Romney and Christie (he ain't perfect by any stretch). The press loves him but turned on him over a stupid lane closure because he was ahead of Hillary. Who in their right mind would want to put themselves through that meat gringer>
It seems that all good conservative go work for "institutes". Jim Talent, JC Watts, Adam West - those are the types of leaders I want leading my country, and I hope to see them, or similar to them, do so in my lifetime.