Guiliani, McKerry, Romney, Pataki, Hagel, et. all will NOT carry the Conservative "Base", we are not stupid; I do not think it will happend!
But the conservative base is only 9% of the overall voting public, ergo, they will carry a lot more votes than someone most people haven't heard of who are true blue conservatives. IF the GOP is guilty of anything lately it's been neglecting the States and grooming candidates on a local level to move up to the national level... look at the growing list of Dem Governors as an example. Most Presidents have come from Governors and yet we are not even grooming a stable of good, conservative, governors.