“A conservative is not electable, but Dole, a moderate, is electable because he will appeal to independents and the center!” /1996
“A conservative is not electable, but McCain, a moderate, is electable because he will appeal to independents and the center!” /2008
“A conservative is not electable, but Romney, a moderate, is electable because he will appeal to independents and the center!” /2012
YOu’re barking up the wrong tree.
I’m not a fan of a Dole or a Bush 41.
I’m just amazed at how the media, Drudge etal included, can dance us on a string and make us claw each others’ eyes out while Obama stays unscathed.
And what’s the tattletale ping to JimRob all about?
It was a lousy year for Republicans. If there really was any good conservative candidate out there, chances are he or she knew how bad the odds were and didn't run. But really, was there anybody who didn't run who could have run and won?
2008 - Where was the candidate who was more conservative than McCain who could have won? Huckabee? Romney? Giuliani? Keyes? Duncan Hunter? Tom Tancredo? Ron Paul? Sam Brownback? George Allen? Allen Keyes? Jim Gilmore? Maybe Fred Thompson? Good luck with him.
McCain was a lousy candidate. Like Dole he didn't have the drive to win, but where was the candidate with the skill and drive and popularity and effectiveness to beat McCain? And after the stock market slumped could any Republican really have won?
My point is, somebody gets nominated, rather than nobody. Some real, existing candidate who's in the race, gets the nod rather than some imaginary or hypothetical candidate who ought to exist and run but doesn't. And in a bad year the chosen, real, existing candidate, who's far from ideal, loses.
Sometimes he loses because of his own mistakes or weakness, but the hypothetical candidate, who doesn't exist and doesn't run doesn't win either, and the candidate who's more conservative than the others but doesn't have the appeal or the ability to win primaries also doesn't win the nomination or the general election.
So I'd say, yes, nominate the most conservative candidate we can. Nominate Gingrich or Santorum or somebody else, but if and when that candidate loses, it would really clear the air around here and air out some bad arguments.