Better candidates, better presented, and with enthusiastic Party backing just might help win elections. Sears was a solid LT Gov. in VA, but maybe not such a good gubernatorial candidate. She might have fared better, though with enthusiastic backing and campaign advice that the Party can offer if it will.
Just being the not democrat is not enough because the Democrats will have big money, massive media, and all the spin that brings with it.
It's an uphill push to overcome the stupid out there, and you have to have good reasons to vote for a candidate if they are out of the normal pattern of voting against their opponent. Voting against the opponent can be a powerful tool, the Dems use it to make every election about Trump, who they have been ginning up maniacal hatred against for over a decade, now, but Republicans keep getting caught in the trap that if they campaign on their opponents negatives, they are made to look mean, hateful, or even racist. That tactic only works when the Democrat is absolutely barrel-bottom material, and not even then if they can be classified as a (whatever)-phobe or racis'.
Time to bring some finesse to the table and sort out GOP campaigns from the get-go.
