(I think) in both elections, there were a bunch of tea partiers and 2 or 3 RINOs running. tea partiers split the vote 5 ways, and romney could win with a 24% "majority". And they ran outta money and dropped out fast, since they had to split donations 5 ways with the other tea partiers.
For the sake of argument, we can meld all of the 2012 Republican presidential primary candidates you want to call 'genuine' conservatives into a single entity: this synthetic being will still have received less votes than Rino Romney, who received the majority of the popular vote in addition to winning most districts across the country.
The Republican party clearly chose RINOism over conservatism, even if the vote for conservatism was distributed amongst multiple candidates.
Thus, my point remains: it isn't reasonable to argue that a party should advance the type of candidate who can't even win his own party's nomination. The establishment correctly discerns that such candidates will perform even more disastrously come general election time.
If you're not convinced, we can look at Congress for more evidence: according to the
Brookings Institution, there have been 89 tea party challenges to incumbent establishment Republicans in the House this primary season, and every single one has lost. Of the 38 contests with no Republican incumbent, Tea Party candidates have won 9 -- but this is mostly moot since many of the contests are in safe Democratic districts.
All of the tea party challenges in the Senate were defeated as well.
So, paradigmatic American conservative candidates flourish literally nowhere in the US political system -- but you insist that such candidates -- who, once again, can't even win the primary contests of their own party -- would be the best to advance to the general election level?
I hope primary voters are smart enough NOT to nomination a RINO. If they do, I hope we don't see that recycled drivel on getbig "oh, the RINO jeb/christie is the most ELECTABLE" hahahah oh brother.
You'll definitely hear it, because it is true!