The Party sets the ideology in the platform. It is the candidates that choose to wander, and the party that fails to hold them to the ideology. It is the way things are, and no amount of tears in beers is going to change it. Many here would love a third party, or a candidate with more conservative leanings, but can they win in a tight race with someone in the dem party that can almost guarantee 50% of the registered voters, and 50% of the electoral college?
The political party does *not* set the ideology, that belongs to each individual voter. There is an ideological connection (which has apparently weakened), with the platform being crafted to appeal to the majority of voters who identify with the party. As far as "wandering" candidates, the party is to blame for more than just failing to push them toward acceptance of the core party platform issues.
In the case of the GOP, they want to make the party *bigger*, like a business. To accomplish this, the party leadership has decided to stretch the party to the left. Then, come election time, the more left-leaning candidates pay lip service to the platform and the voters are supposed to swallow it.
I don't want a third party. I want to rid the GOP of its liberal tapeworm.