In his post Rav Kahana wrote: The goal was within reach, but not everyone stuck to the decision of the rabbinic committee.

To note, Rav Kahana accumulated 30 votes, with the winners going to the second round getting 40 votes each. 30 votes on his own, with his major backers and opponents backing out of their commitments in the final stretch. He got pretty close against all odds, and had Smotritch not backed out of his commitment, and had Rav Halevi not backed out of his commitment, Rav Kahana could definitely have won or been a finalist. 

Sorry to say, but that's what you get when you try to play fair and square in politics. And yes, the Chief Rabbinate is purely politics.