Thinking Biden is incompetent and Harris is worse doesn't mean I now have to support a Trump Presidency. I would be more than happy with Governor DeSantis. Or Nikki Haley. Or Kristi Noem. Or, for that matter, Liz Cheney.
And before you embarrass yourself by calling Cheney a RINO, her voting record is over 95% favorable from a conservative viewpoint. From the viewpoint of supporting Trump's agenda when he was President, her record was 93% favorable. The "Trump Loyalist" running against her in the primary was 77%.
I would love to see the Republican party advance one of these female candidates to be the first woman President. In the case of Nikki Haley, or Nimranta Randhawa, born in South Carolina to Punjabi Sikh immigrants, she would be the first woman and first Asian President. That would be awesome and would mark the end of the notion that the Republican Party is the Party of white supremacy.
But instead, let's re-elect a white octogenarian narcissist who's background is NYC silk stocking Democrat and who only became Republican in the late 90s because that was the easiest road to power. That would be great, huh?
Some people are happy with lower entropy options like you outlined Mookie. But enough of the Republican primary people vote for higher entropy options on purpose. They like the transgressive thrill, to push against limits they see outsiders / the others imposing, and they want a Charismatic leader to impose limits on others while simultaneously breaking old limits. This is completely understandable (even if I find it horrific) they see the world lacking a paternal function and they want a stepfather to step in and be the new honorary father, they feel empowered for they think they played a part in choosing him. The ritual is almost religious, people come together and select a new leader at a primary, yes it is a circus and circular, but any kingsmoot is.
Yes there is going to be a whole load of regret, but they do not care for they think they will get less regret than before and their enemies more regret. Like Dragonsoul said he feels impotent rage, thus voting for a potent charismatic leader makes people like him feel powerful.
(The Cruelty is the Point, a choice between high entropy and lower, hopefully I am wrong but I doubt it)