After the November debacle, the handwriting was on the wall that the GOP was moving to the middle. And as long as that middle includes strong national defense and fiscal conservatism, a lot of us won't be displeased by that.
Yeah, November was a wake-up call. And if the purists on FR are an indicator - they are not a reliable vote and so they need to be written off. But I think beyond that - the middle holds the power right now - because of the times we are in. So I think that those who pay attention to where the moderates and independents are in the next year - are going to do better. It's not always like this - but it is right now, imo.
You're right about the middle holding power. I shan't post the reason why I think that because it would make for an ugly response by some posters, but suffice it to say that a lot of us, you included, are thinking along the same lines.
Moderates and independents are against the war. Should the Republican nominee campaign on a platform to end the war so that he/she can capture the all important "moderate/independent" vote?