“This is what will always happen if conservatives don’t put forward an excellent, charismatic candidate to challenge the default, centrist establishment choice. “
There is no such thing.
Conservatives want Reagan. The HIGHLIGHT REEL Reagan. Not a candidate with a blemish here or less than perfect record there, which was Reagan, and would be Palin, Newt, Cain, Perry, and lots of others that would have run if we didnt have such a stick up our rears sometimes.
I'm not gonna vote for anyone who has EVER done ANYTHING that I didn't like EVER at some point in their previous 30-year career in politics!
/sarc