Sorry Mitt Romney basically tried the same strategy, thinking that the horrible Obama would naturally implode and he would win by default. Oops.
In the general election it’s not such a great strategy. 1 year before the primaries it’s very good. Just look at the debate festival in 2011 and how the GOP had a new leader in the polls after pretty much every debate, because whoever was leading before the debate was the target during the debate. In the circular firing squad that is pre-primary life the nail that sticks up gets hammered.