Yeh since the republican base is going to sit home.
The base will sit at home as long as the GOPe keeps nominating a Dem-lite candidate (Mit). If the GOPe want the WHOLE party to show up, they need to get behind a candidate that the WHOLE party can support.
Dem-lite turns off the base. The money and enthusiasm dries up. Nominate a conservative and the base will turn out and even the broken glass republicans will man the phones, walk the neighborhoods, and do the thousands of other volunteer tasks that need to be done in order to win an election.
Elections are NOT won by winning the middle. There is no more “middle”. Elections are won by firing up and motivating the base.