Welcome to freerepublic.
thanks exnavy!
in regards to "moving away from its base", we all know democrats and republicans do things for the sake of political expediency in election years. i think this is just a way to make sure undecided and moderate voters don't get turned off by concentration on issues that don't grab them. this isn't a matter of platform, they are still behind their base who will always vote for them, but a matter of marketing.
Oh come on...it is a well accepted principle that during the primaries you solidify your base and during the general election you move back to the middle...That's how you get elected fer crying our loud. Have we so quickly forgotten what it was like with Clinton in office? Have we forgotten so quickly that we are at WAR? Paul Weyrich has more than a few problems of his own so lets not even go there...