Yes, this is an excellent idea but the first public meeting must be far before the convention. In fact, there needs to be something public THIS SUMMER for this election first.
Then some other coming together BEFORE THE PRIMARIES. Maybe that would be the convention. We need to stop waiting for the leftist media to choose our candidate, putting on our jackets and gloves, and dutifully going down to vote for their chosen guy. We need to SHAPE THE ELECTION.
By the end of 2014 we need to focus on NO DEBATES UNLESS ONE MODERATOR IS CONSERVATIVE. And get every potential candidate to agree they won’t take part in a typical lib ambush debate. The debates matter more than people think. Saturday Night live uses the debates to the advantage mostly of Dems. We could head them off at the pass by showing the left for once on the ropes.
Your ideas make perfect sense to me. Some of the challenges to this include the short timing, and the lack of ability to truly ensure that conservative candidates that are not “chosen” by this process will honor the wishes of the conservatives. Ambition for higher office can be compelling, I would guess.