"Whitman argues that the rise of "social fundamentalists" in the party drives away moderate voters and presents a threat to the party's success. That's a tough argument to make after the big GOP win in November."
The win was big and I am grateful that we won so big. Understand Whitmans point. We won because our opponent was so far to the left that moderate Dems had no where else to turn but to the Republicans. Just like the big Reagan wins.
Take a different approach. Let's say an Evan Bahr or other moderate Dem runs in 2008. The liberals would still vote for that candidate, unless of course they put a third party candidate up. The Republicans put up another candidate farther to the right. The whole dynamic changes.
We are fortunate the left is so out of touch with America that they cannot tell the forest from the trees. Just remember, what happened to the far left can easily happen to the far right. Moderates now make up 30-40% of the voting population. A moderate candidate from either party.....
I'm assuming you mean Evan Bayh of Indiana? We have the distinct advantage that any democrat moderate enough to win in the general elction cannot win in the dem primaries. The screaming liberals would never vote for bayh. (Thank God)
Until the feminists, gays, and envirowhackos lose all power in the dem party they will never fairly elect another president.
That's why we need positive photo id at all polling and registration places (with the photo used for registration being printed on the voter role).
Stamp out election fraud and we stamp out democrat politicians
I glean some different lessons:
#1) John Kerry, in spite of being the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate (by voting record), and several other disadvantages, almost won. He received the second-highest vote total in history. This means that candidates who are well to the left or right of middle CAN be competitive in national races.
#2) The leftist press will paint ANY Repub candidate as a hate-mongering rightwing ideologue. Face it, George Bush is a moderate, but the press portrays him as a cross between Adolf Hitler and Ebeneezer Scrooge. Look what happened to Schwarzenegger, who is actually a bit left of center, in CA. Thus, if we're going to nominate a candidate, it might as well be one who's really conservative, because no moderate is going to be given any credit or slack by the left.