Sorry, but this is biased crap. Those “mavericks” they’re talking about are out-and-out liberal RINOs. Newsflash: Every state GOP that goes down the liberal path dies. It’s just that simple. Massachusetts, New Jersey, just for two examples.
I did not see it mentioned that the Republican candidates that did best (at least with respect to Governor) were Conservatives (Mannix, who only just barely lost, did far better than the RINOs that were put up on several other occasions). The most smashing GOP Gubernatorial victory since after 1950 was Conservative Vic Atiyeh’s reelection in 1982 (when he beat the current Governor by a 2-to-1 margin). But they won’t mention that, because that will contradict the author’s position that liberals must be nominated by the GOP in order to win. Sorry, but screw that.
Speaking of RINO’s, the RINO (Ron Saxton) who defeated Kevin Mannix in the 2006 Governor’s primary has endorsed Mannix’s bid to win election to Congress.