The GOPe has been running pretend conservatives for years, way before 2010. Remember, Romney ran for president in 2008. He is one of the biggest pretend or “severe” conservatives out there. There may not have been a TEA party in 2008, but the lying GOPe infiltrators have a much longer history. Marco broadcast the fact that he was a Romney clone when he ran in 2010 right after he won the republican nomination for senate.
I do look at the good and bad in a candidate, but if the bad happens to be they are owned by the GOPe, I stop looking.
But they didn’t run pretend conservatives when they had a strong establishment incumbent in the field.....and Crist, as sitting governor, and popular, was as strong as an incumbent candidate.
The notion floated wat that Rubio was an estab plant. That’s beyond stupid.