what if the real issue is that too many normal men (ie: who are interested in women) simply don’t want to become priests because they don’t want to be celibate for life
I think that's secondary. It's due to a lack of faith and a loss of understanding regarding what the priesthood is. When more than half of all Novus Ordites have lost faith in the Blessed Sacrament, well, why else does one become a priest other than to bring the Sacraments to souls? ... or, more recently, in order to get better access to prey on young boys? Of the minority who still believe in them, they don't believe that they're necessary for salvation. So WHY would you take on celibacy simply to be a counselor and standup comedian? That's the problem. But if men believed deeply in the meaning and the value of the Sacraments and therefore of the priesthood, many more would be making the choice of the priesthood over marriage.
So THAT is the "real issue". Prior to Vatican II, the US so many priests they didn't really know what to do with them, and many went off to the missions, because men understood and respected the value of the priesthood. So with a surplus, why would you really need to open up the priesthood to married men?
Plus, it's a filter. Due to the celibacy requirement, a man would really have to be spiritually-minded and value the Sacraments and the priesthood much more than if they could also marry and not give up anything along those lines, i.e. have their cake and eat it too.