Back when I still identified as Republican I cannot tell you how many people I talked to that refused to listen simply because they did not trust “Republicans”. And that was before this crew of closeted Democrats was on the scene. they have good reason not to trust them. We see how quickly they turned on us as do they. For one glaring example.
Many indys and as you say, even Dems are still marginally conservative by our standards and flat out Right wingers by lib standards. Those people do indeed stay where they are for lack of anything better.
Conservatism is better. We know that. They know that. But as long as we have the albatross legacy of the post Reagan republicans, we will never get them no matter what we say or Obama does. And as long as we let the lesser evil/no matter what types continue to run rampant, that ain’t changing. Because that is part of what they see as the problem.
Yup. You nailed it — “albatross legacy” of the Republican party. AND IT EARNED ITS BAD IMAGE.