Which also defeats the purpose of the stealth design. External ordinance reflect radar and make the aircraft detectable. If you're going to accept that then why not do it with a highly capable non-stealthy aircraft that can carry more ordinance and at a fraction of the cost? An F-15 or F-16 or F-18?
Why this false dichotomy? If our conventional fleet can go drop bombs without needing to be stealthy for a particular mission, then the F-22 does not need to be in its clean configuration. The F-22 can do that job too.
But if a particular mission requires stealth, then you have to use the F-22. Basically, you can have one plane that can do it all or specialized planes that do specific missions. As the Navy has found with the F/A-18, it's a lot cheaper to have one plane do it all.
If you're going to accept that then why not do it with a highly capable non-stealthy aircraft that can carry more ordinance and at a fraction of the cost? An F-15 or F-16 or F-18?
The main reason is that the teen series aircraft are too old. Not that the design is obsolete, but that the planes themselves have more hours on their airframes then they were designed for. F-15 in the fleet for example is on average 28 years old. They need to be replaced.
Now do we open up a new F-15C production line? Not even Boeing would do that. They are offering the latest F-15 for $100 million. Or so they say, as it hasn't even been built yet. We do know the price tag of a new Raptor. $140 million.
Remember, we still don't know how much the F-35 is yet. Anywhere between $85 to $210 million depending on how many are to be made. One thing is certain: If they only made 187 of them, they would be far more expensive than the F-22.
Yet the the F-22 is stealthier, has a longer range radar, can supercruise with a full load of eight missiles (F-35 can not), has a higher payload capability plus has external hardpoints that can be attached, flies higher and faster, has longer range on internal fuel, is more maneuverable, is already in service while the F-35 program has been pushed back two and a half more years