Games of association and expectation
I proposed earlier that in political dynamics, the first mover has an upper hand. That is, if you want to nominate from without, you should move first. The operative word is ‘if’. The current dynamics place the importance on whether you should make an outside move at all.
If you nominate others, often time people associate you with them. If they win, somehow, you are as accountable as them, without you having any (if at all) contributions in their decisions thereafter. If you provide support, they have the most to gain with any success. If they lose, the winning party still look upon you as their enemy.
Then, there is the game of expectation. People expect a lot out of you. The high expectations demand you to nominate from within. Even if win is possible with this strategy, win might not be the best result. You have to realize that to fullfil all those expectations that come with a win you need a lot of necessary tools not in possession right now.
The alternative is to nominate yourselves, knowing full well, and maybe playing to lose. At least, you fullfil expectations of your main base, while maintaining independence and a good record of associations.