Newt was way better than Romney and actually had a chance of winning the general. He wasn't perfect, but he was definitely his own man. Saint Rick was doomed from the beginning for many of the same reasons Ted Cruz is. Mittens was the establishment choice and was totally owned by them.
No, calling him “much” more conservative than Romney is laughable. And no he wouldn’t have beaten Obama. He would have lost by a larger margin, maybe costing us the House.
Santorum was a poor candidate but easily beater than Romney, Newt, and Paul.
And go Cruz, easily the best choice this time.