The numbers are more manageable for the GOP this time around, but any hope that it would be a "normal" primary season was shot when Donald Trump decided to have another go at it and the Democrats began preemptively interfering with the process by deploying some of the most unscrupulous prosecutors and judges ever seen.
This one has been weird from the get-go and it's just going to get weirder.
There used to be clear reasons for outlier candidates to burn through some donor cash on the way to electoral oblivion. They were either trying to raise their profiles for future elections or, in most cases, doing an extended audition for a gig in the next administration should their party's candidate win.
The 2024 GOP field is filled with several candidates who have branded themselves as anti-Trump. As he is the overwhelming frontrunner in the polls, it's safe to say that his detractors aren't jockeying for eventual positions in his cabinet.
While it's true that the media market has been lucrative for Trump-bashing Republicans, the major outlets are pretty full when it comes to useful idiots at the moment. And, honestly, one doesn't need to run for office to get some camera time to whine about Donald Trump.