So, the Republican's best strategy is keeping their mouths shut about what they think? Doesn't say much for the GOP.
Not phrased as outrageously as Clayton's version, but still not what I said in the OP.
First, don't nominate the people who think the most stupid things. Cull those out in the primary level if they can't be dissuaded before that.
And then yeah, be a little more careful about what you say, since we live in an environment where any stupid gaffe on the part of a Republican will be magnified, any nuance from a tricky statement made by a thoughtful Republican will be stripped away in the reporting, and reporters use the statements made by the crazies as an excuse to hold Republicans accountable for all sorts of crap they don't hold Democrats to account for.