It was Google's choice to put that hardware into the phone, and it was their choice not to pressure qualcomm into being more open.
Your argument itself is also somewhat of a mischaracterization, because at least Google could have wrestled redistribution rights for the binary drivers, thus making AOSP actually usable on the nexus, and they didn't even bother with that.
Vendors are a convenient whipping boy when don't care about openness but wanna look like you do.
and here is the problem with yours, from the EULA:
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, Licensor hereby grants to
You, free of charge, a non-exclusive, non-sublicensable,
non-transferable, limited copyright license, during the term of
this Agreement, to download, install and use the Software
internally in machine-readable (i.e., object code) form and the
Documentation for non-commercial use on an Authorized Android
Enabled Device and non-commercial redistribution for academic
purposes only of a reasonable number of copies of the Authorized
Android Enabled Device Software (the "Limited Purpose"). You may
grant your end users the right to use the Software for
non-commercial purposes on an Authorized Android Enabled Device.
The license to the Software granted to You hereunder is solely for
the Limited Purpose set forth in this section, and the Software
This makes it entirely impossible for AOSP to distribute the drivers
Your argument itself is also somewhat of a mischaracterization, because at least Google could have wrestled redistribution rights for the binary drivers, thus making AOSP actually usable on the nexus, and they didn't even bother with that.
Vendors are a convenient whipping boy when don't care about openness but wanna look like you do.