[grey_whiskers]

Premise of the statement is wrong.

A larger slice of a smaller pie is not usually a winning strategy against someone else with a guaranteed base from a fanatical floor.

The GOPe is trying to use the evangelicals as an adjunct TO a base of the mushy middle, which will never work.

They get smeared by the press for being too conservative, and the real conservatives are tuning them out and not voting.

Real conservatives are on a par with, or greater than, liberals in numbers -- the GOP should build on them, and then add the big tent: not pitch a tent and try to carnival-huckster conservatives in, when they know from experience they will be betrayed (McCain-Feingold, endless promises of "vote for us to get the Supreme Court followed by Roberts on Obamacare, etc).

Cheers!

[fifedom]

Real conservatives are on a par with, or greater than, liberals in numbers -- the GOP should build on them, and then add the big tent:

OK, who was the 'real conservative' running this time? Perry? Gingrich? Cain?

All of them flamed out for their own problems, not because they were 'too conservative.' Santorum? Bachmann?

Sontorum is a social conservative but if you look at his voting record no way is he a true conservative. Bachmann has foot in mouth syndrome. If she had won the nomination we might have seen an Akin/Mourdock moment or two.

How about the upcoming crop?

Rubio? Jindal? Christie?

Maybe Jindal but Rubio is pushing his DREAM ACT, which is poison for me. After Christie's performances with Obama and Springsteen I think the guy is mentally unstable.

So the pickings are pretty slim for true conservatives but I am open if they step up to run.