Silencing the opposition is a conservative principle? Since when?
I think giving everyone a fair chance will help bring the most conservative to the front of the pack. As long as powerful people stop some from being heard the people who actually vote will resent part of the decision being made for them. A republic demands that people respect the process.
If conservatives win by cheating and cutting out others then they don’t deserve to win.
The reason conservative candidates have not won the past 2 times is because of the “must vote for the can win candidate” theory. I sat in my caucus next to people who clearly told me they were voting for a candidate that was not their favorite because they thought he could win. Guess what? He didn’t win.
Silencing the opposition?
You mean in our primary getting rid of the posers and non real candidates, and non-conservatives?
Why are you here if you oppose making the GOP more conservative?