The potential "good" candidates were Josh Penry, Scott McInnis and Tom Tancredo. To avoid splitting the vote, it was agreed that only one of them (McInnis) would run. What was not forseen at the time was McInnis getting shot down and Maes moving into the resulting vacuum. Except for some minor party unknowns, conservatives were left with no credible candidate; so Tancredo stepped up to the plate.
Didn’t the stuff on Maes’ dishonesty come out fairly late, preventing Tancredo from being on the GOP ballot?