Why were Lake and Oz considered weak candidates?

[oldtimer]

Lake wasn't considered weak.

Oz was since primary night.
He was weak because he was a Muslim running in a party whose voters don't like muslims, and spent his entire campaign on attaking his opponent for being poor and looking poor.

That they both lost is a factor of Arizona becoming a majority liberal state and Pennsylvania liking it's Senators populist and it's Governors establishment types.