True, I’m more referring to the primaries in 2016 and 2020. You get all too many around here clamoring for 3rd party protest votes or disengagement.
Even with the sketchy goings on during those two, if there was an overwhelming vote for Bernie (who’s no younger mind you, but it’s an alternate that appeals to a different demographic) it’d be a tough sell to go against that even if the party did get a court to agree they could.
Even without party backing though, if there was a particular person that people took to en-masse the rules don’t preclude them from office or appearing on national ballots. Look at Trump, people at first wrote him off as a joke, similar to the other times he ran before, now he’s a major threat to both parties.