"The issue of whether or not Joe Bloggs would or wouldn't beat the Front Runners if it came down to it is immaterial. We're not given that choice, it's made for us long before."

The parties/media don't support Bloggs because he wouldn't win if they did. Bloggs wouldn't win because the people don't want him as a president. So Bloggs isn't an option because people don't want him as a president. How is that not influence?