[Southack]

Hillary's beatable, but would a "moderate" end up winning our own primaries (e.g. Giuliani, McCain)?

It's more than just who the Dems nominate...it's also who can win our own primaries.

I'm concerned that we're looking at stepping back from the Right in either of two ways: losing to a Dem moderate like Bayh, or winning with a moderate Pubbie like Giuliani or McCain.

None of the above are moves to the Right of President Bush. All of the above scenarios represent a leftward step.

[Dog Gone]

We're not likely to nominate a moderate unless no one more conservative mounts a serious challenge. I don't think DeLay is interested, nor is Hastert.

We're more likely to find someone from the governors' ranks, perhaps Bill Owens or Mark Sanford. Jeb Bush would be a powerful candidate if he changes his mind.

My dark horse today would be Bill Frist. If he steps up and crushes the Democrat obstructionism in the Senate in the next two years, and then does not run for re-election he could easily be the heavyweight conservative darling going into 2008.

Of course, he has to do just that and it remains to be seen whether he will.

[William of Orange]

there is always an electoral trend that moves back and forth, the only question is, how far will it move? I'd rather have (semi-)conservatives and RINO's alternating in the White House than to have socialists like Kerry or Hitlery Clinton in there. I always say, for presidential candidates, conservatives if you can, RINO's if you must. As long as you get conservatives up in the senate, the RINO president wouldn't get any RINO stuff done anyway.